The Heroes of Olympus, #5
The Blood of Olympus
by Rick Riordan
Contents
XXXI
Overview
Nico unleashes overwhelming underworld power, destroying the spartoi and sentencing Bryce Lawrence to a nameless ghost’s fate, horrifying Reyna and Coach Hedge. He collapses and dreams of warnings and past traumas. Awakening, Nico finds Hedge’s earthy remedies keeping him alive when divine healing fails, foreshadowing worsening stakes.
Summary
Nico’s memory blanks to screaming as Reyna later recounts his power surge: the air froze, the ground blackened, and Reyna and Coach Hedge were forced to relive Nico’s Tartarus ordeals, captivity in the bronze jar, and Cupid’s revelation. Nico’s unleashed anguish disintegrated the spartoi and frost-bleached the cairn, while Bryce Lawrence reeled, bleeding and stunned.
Nico confronted Bryce, tore off his probatio tablet, and pronounced judgment for oath-breaking and murder. Calling on the justice of Hades, Nico opened the earth beneath Bryce, stripping his identity and voice until Bryce became a faceless spirit. At Nico’s command, the ghost dissipated and the ground closed. Reyna and Hedge, shaken and injured, stared in horror as Nico collapsed.
Nico’s dreams spiraled through ominous images: ravens turning to surf-horses; Bianca with the Hunters becoming Hazel, who urged him to be an exception; Ella chanting “The fall of the sun, the final verse,” then Mellie in agonized labor with Clarisse attending, crying that Gaea was rising. The visions shifted to Hades directing Nico to present himself as a child of Pluto to Camp Jupiter, then to Akhlys praising Nico’s perfected misery.
Nico awoke on a sleeping bag, covered in Hedge’s mud-and-herb bandages after nectar, ambrosia, and unicorn draught failed as he “faded.” Reyna’s wounds had healed, but she looked exhausted. Hedge forced Gatorade on Nico, explaining his improvised nature-medicine saved him. As Nico regained awareness and asked about Bryce and the skeletons, Reyna warned there was good news and bad news he would need strength to hear.
Who Appears
- Nico di AngeloUnleashes devastating underworld power, erases Bryce’s identity, collapses, experiences portentous dreams, and awakens barely stabilized by Hedge’s remedies.
- Reyna Avila Ramírez-ArellanoWitnesses Nico’s judgment, is injured and horrified, later recovered, supports Nico and withholds news until he regains strength.
- Coach Gleeson HedgeShocked by Nico’s power; treats Nico with improvised nature-medicine when divine cures fail; forces him to rehydrate.
- Bryce LawrenceOath-breaker ambusher; stripped of his probatio, identity, and voice; condemned by Nico and dissolved as a nameless spirit.
- Aurum and ArgentumReyna’s mechanical dogs, disoriented by Nico’s power, circling as their systems seem overloaded.
- Bianca di AngeloAppears in Nico’s dream among the Hunters, symbolizing his loss and past choices.
- Hazel LevesqueDream-figure who kisses Nico’s cheek and urges him to be an exception.
- EllaHarpy in Nico’s vision, reciting, “The fall of the sun, the final verse,” hinting at looming prophecy.
- MelliePregnant cloud nymph in Nico’s dream, in pain, crying that Gaea is rising.
- Clarisse La RueAttends Mellie in Nico’s vision, worried but trying to reassure.
- HadesIn a memory, urges Nico to present himself to Camp Jupiter as Pluto’s child.
- AkhlysGoddess of misery in Nico’s vision, exulting in his perfected sorrow.