Most of the visitors dispersed, though there was a bit of arguing from Reyna and Alex. Hazel arrived to the tent a few hours later; Nico could hear her talking to the healers outside. After a moment, she came in.
"I thought visiting hours were over?" Nico managed to get out. The painkillers were slowly starting to wear off, making him groggy. Magnus had crashed after the visit, snoring into his pillow.
Hazel smiled. "Being Queen has a few perks."
Nico smiled. "Will I get these perks when I become prince?"
Her eyes widened. "You're saying yes?"
Nico nodded, rubbing at his eyes, trying to shake off the fatigue. "The Shade Kingdom has some bad memories, and leaving my friends won't be fun, but I think it's for the better good." He tried for a smile. "I want to be with my sister."
Hazel gave a brilliant smile, rushing forward for a hug. "That's amazing." She withdrew, still beaming. "A small group of us will be heading back to the Aureole Kingdom for some things, so you can use that time to get everything you need and say goodbye to your friends." She sighed in relief. "I can't wait to go home."
Nico returned her smile. Her expression changed, as though just remembering something, and it became dark. He blinked up at her, concerned. "Is everything alright?"
"It's...nothing. Just a thought I had."
He was curious, but didn't want to push her. "You can tell me if you want, but you're not obligated to."
Hazel chewed on her lip for a moment, before speaking again, her voice much quieter. "I just realized...Blackstone won't see her home again." She sat down next to him on the bed. "Before she went on the mission, she was laughing with her coven, joking about going home and raising hell. And I just..." She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't burden you with this. I should've just kept that to myself."
Nico reached out and put his hand on top of hers. When she looked at him, his eyes were full of compassion. "Your grief is not a burden to me," he said quietly. "You aren't a burden to me."
Hazel tried for a smile, wiping her face before scooting closer. She hesitated, before resting her head on his shoulder. He looped his arm around her, rubbing small circles into her back.
"She was a good friend to me," Hazel said. "Almost like a sister, you know?"
Nico nodded. "You always sat with her at the meetings with the Aureole Council." A memory came up, and he smiled. "You made faces at each other when the others weren't looking, trying to entertain each other because the meetings were so boring. I don't blame you. I was nearly falling asleep just standing guard."
Hazel chuckled to herself, raising her head. "Lou Ellen was always trying to make me laugh. During that fiasco of a wedding, she kept making jokes that William should push Jalgan down the stairs, or that she was going to hex Jalgan to make him fly off the dais."
Nico laughed. "I would've paid to see that!"
A comfortable silence followed their laughter. Hazel sighed through her nose. "I miss her. But...she's in a better place now. She's probably in Paradise right now, causing chaos."
"You think she'll hunt down our father in Punishment and beat the hell out of him?"
She grinned. "Oh, I know she will." Another shared smile, before Hazel wiped her face again, standing up out of his embrace. "I should leave you to rest. We have a big day tomorrow."
Impulsively, he stood up and kissed her on the cheek. "Good night, sis."
Her eyes gleamed with affection. "You, too, brother."
☀️☀️☀️
Nico woke up to faint sunlight piercing throught the tent and the sound of soft footsteps. He sat up to see Magnus peeking out of the tent, looking troubled. He saw Nico and paused. "Did I wake you? I'm sorry."
"You didn't wake me up. It's fine." He frowned at him. "Are you alright?"
"It's fine." His tone of voice told Nico it very much wasn't. "I just..." He loosed a shaky breath, then came over and sat back down on his bed. "Can I ask you a weird question? Promise not to judge me?"
Nico shrugged. "Go for it."
"Where are we right now?"
He blinked in surprise. "Uh, the middle of the desert. Between the Aureole and Shade Kingdoms."
Magnus nodded, rocking back and forth without thinking. "My stupid brain has convinced me that this is some experiment the Black Hand is pulling." He tried for a smile. "But that wouldn't make sense, of course. I mean, they pulled from my memories when they did this. Why would you be here when I barely know you?"
Nico returned the smile. "Exactly."
A beat of silence, before Magnus spoke again. "The sun's coming up. It's...beautiful, the colors in the sky." His eyes sofened. "I didn't know I would miss it."
"That's pretty cool," Nico said, touched.
"What is?"
"Just...you finding joy in those little things. I think that's cool."
Magnus shrugged, lying back down. "It's what I told my patients to do. 'Find joy in the little things when you can.' That kind of stuff." He huffed again, glaring at the door. "Speaking of patients, I hate being one. I can't wait to get out of here."
Nico laughed. "Don't like a taste of your own medicine, huh?"
"Oh, be quiet." Magnus rolled over, turning his back to him. "And no more puns."
"You're no fun."
Nico knew Magnus was smiling when he said, "Whatever. You should get more rest."
Nico did as he was told, laying back down and closing his eyes.