The Tower of Nero - Apple Wither

I pushed away my huevos rancheros. My appetite had vanished. It was one thing to hear about Nero’s diabolical plans in my nightmares. It was another thing to see them spelled out in black-and-white calligraphy with a promise of cake.

‘Forty-eight hours from last night,’ I said.

‘Yes,’ Dionysus mused. ‘I’ve always liked Nero. He has panache.’

Meg stabbed viciously at her pancakes. She filled her mouth with fluffy, syrupy goodness, probably to keep herself from muttering curse words.

Nico caught my gaze across the table. His dark eyes swam with anger and worry. On his plate, the apple started to wither.

Will squeezed his hand. ‘Hey, stop.’

Nico’s expression softened a bit. The apple stopped its premature slide into old age. ‘Sorry. I just – I’m tired of talking about problems I can’t fix. I want to help.’

He said help as if it meant chop our enemies into small pieces.


- The Tower of Nero, Chapter 10