Solangelo 2

Part 7

NICO

I wake in a forest, a canopy above my head. I hear clatters from beside me, and struggle to sit up to see what they are.
'Thalia?' I ask, seeing her sitting beside me, the rest of the hunters of Artemis behind her, packing up.
'Good morning.' She says, smiling, handing me some water.
'What am I...what?' I ask, unable to form a question.
'Does this feel real to you, Nico?' She asks, staring at me.
'What?' I ask again.
'I said, does this feel real?' She says, and the clattering stops. All the girls are staring at me.
'Yes...what...Thalia what's going on?' I say, looking around.
'You saw the girl die.' She says, just as I figure it out.
'This is a dream.' I say, 'this isn't real, you're not real.'
'You saw her die, and then you saw me die.' She says, 'so what does that mean to you?'
'I...are you in trouble?' I ask, 'I saw Will die too, what does that mean?'
'Maybe it doesn't mean anything. Or maybe it does. You won't be able to find me either way.' She says, and I wake up again.
Hazel is by my bed. I lift my hand up to touch her cheek, but she's just an Iris message.
'Hazel.' I say, and she smiles down at me. But before I can say anything more, two hands come from behind and grip her head, twist her neck. She falls limp to the floor.
I wake up screaming, and Will has to hold me down again.
'Hey, calm down.' He says, 'you're safe. You're safe.'
'This isn't real, you're not real. This isn't real.' I say, and close my eyes. I shake my head and will myself to wake up.
'Nico, look at me. You're okay. You're safe.' He says, but it doesn't feel right.
'I don't know what's real.' I say, and finally look up at him, tears rolling down my cheeks. He grips my head in his hands, and pulls me into a hug.
He stroked the back of my head with his thumb, as he's always does, and he keeps doing it until I recognise him. Until I'm sure he's real.
'I need to call some people.' I say, 'can you get me some coins to iris message?'
'Don't you think that can wait?'
'Please, Will.' I say, and he only waits a minute before obliging. I need to check that Hazel and Thalia are safe.