This Dark Night ― Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase¹

―xxii. the hurting and the healing

She had to make sure Drew would be okay.

"Hello?" Naomi called. "Drew? You in here?"

There was no answer, but Naomi saw Drew's favorite pair of sandals by the door, and her fancy designer sneakers. She doubted Drew would've left the cabin barefoot.

Naomi stepped into the cabin. For the first time Naomi could remember, it was a mess. The only bunks that were made were the empty ones.

Silena's was still unmade. There was an open, half-eaten box of chocolates from her dad. Her pictures were still tacked to the wall above her bed.

Naomi's fingers hovered over one of the polaroids. It was of Silena, Drew, and Naomi one winter, their hair and faces covered with sheet masks. Silena was grinning at the camera, holding it out to get them all in the frame.

Naomi closed her eyes and forced away the tears.

The bathroom door was cracked open. Naomi walked over, knocking lightly. When she got no answer, she pushed it open.

Drew stood at the bathroom counter. There was a pair of haircutting scissors on the counter, along with chunks of black hair. She'd chopped it at her shoulders, like she'd gone at it without even looking in the mirror.

Her eyes were on the counter. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the edge of it.

"Drew?" Naomi asked, her voice gentle.

Drew's voice sounded hollow. "Silena... she was going to cut it." Her hand trembled as she grabbed the uneven ends of her hair. "She was supposed to cut it."

Naomi caught her as she collapsed, a sob clawing its way out of her throat. Drew hadn't cried since the battle, not that Naomi had seen, but now it came out like a tidal wave—all her anger and grief and confusion, so overwhelming it dragged Naomi under, too.

Drew gasped for breath between sobs. "I hate her!" she screamed. "I hate her!"

Naomi held her tight, letting her tremble as loss left her in ruins.

"She betrayed us," Drew sobbed. "She lied, and then she left! She left us! She left me!"

"I know," Naomi whispered, running her hand over Drew's hair. "I know."

"I miss her," Drew whimpered. "And I hate her." She was shaking like a leaf in the middle of a hurricane. "I hate myself for hating her."

Naomi knew there were no words to help her through this grief. Silena had been like a sister to her, but she had actually been Drew's sister. Her big sister, her role model, the girl she looked up to even if she'd never say it out loud. And she'd gone from Drew's hero to a traitor to dead, all in a matter of a few words.

Drew hadn't even gotten to say goodbye.

Silena had redeemed herself in the end; she had died a hero. But that only did so much to erase the gray that colored her life in the aftermath of the revelation. For Drew, every interaction, every conversation, every memory she had of Silena was tainted by the knowledge of what she'd done for the Titans, voluntarily or not.

So Naomi just held her friend, and tried not to let herself break right with her.

❊

On the last night of camp, they had the bead ceremony. The Hephaestus cabin had designed the bead for this year. It showed the Empire State Building, and etched in tiny Greek letters, spiraling around the image, were the names of all the heroes who had died defending Olympus. There were too many names, but Naomi was proud to wear the bead.