Storm Rising

Chapter 10

P/N (Publisher Note or mine) SnowWolfe6631 couldn't make Nico gay as her family is strict Christians. They don't support that kind of stuff. Don't go sending hate, it really isn't her fault.

Bianca's POV (the morning of Brandon's and Ivory's arrivals)

I was inside the automaton Taylos again. Everything is so vivid. From the view of the tiny window, I could see Percy helping Thalia up and them running towards Zoe and Grover. I steer the automaton towards the electricity lines. Using the sword to chop the lines in half, blue electricity shoots up and down the metal body. The controls begin to overheat. Forgive me Nico, I think. But before I can die for a second time, a woman with pitch black hair steps from out of the shadows. I open my mouth to scream, but it's stuck. Her midnight blue and black eyes lock on mine. She grabs my hand and we disappear.

I jolt awake, breathing heavily. The Hades cabin is dark, but that doesn't comfort me after my terrifying dream. I pull on black jeans and a tee-shirt, grabbing my floppy green hat. I step out of the Hades cabin into the bright sunshine, making me squint. The warmth relaxes me. I look out over camp in time to see Percy Jackson walking towards the big house. Just the person I wanted to talk to.

"Good morning Percy," I call to him.

"Hey Bianca," He calls back. I step of the porch towards him.

"Do you think you could show me where Zeus's fist is in the forest? We're playing capture the flag soon and Nico tells me it's a main ronde vu point," I say.

"Sure," Percy says, looking grateful. We walk along the beach, a less obvious way to the forest, in a comfortable silence.

We reach the edge of the forest and neither of us has said a word. I turn towards Percy, worry, concerned, and curious all at the same time.

"Did you talk to Lady Styx?" I ask.

"H-how did you know?" He stammers.

"Seriously, Percy? Let's see: you were in the river Styx and you're invulnerable for the second time. I am a child of the underworld; I can sense the underworld spirits," I say, a small smirk crossing my face.

"Oh, yeah. Well, I did talk to Lady Styx," Percy starts. When he finishes, I'm amazed by his story. I guessed at a few things but never would have imagined all this had happened to him.

By now, we've reached Zeus's fist.

"That's it. Have you ever met Chiron?" Percy asks as we head back towards the camp.

"Chiron the centaur? No, I saw him but we never were properly introduced."

"I'll take you to meet him now. We have some time before breakfast." Bianca nods.

As we exit the forest, we see Reyna on an early morning run with her metal dogs, Aurum and Argentum. She spots us and jogs over.

"Hey Percy. Bianca," Reyna says, pushing her dark, loose strands of hair out of her face. Percy is such an idiot. Can't he see how much a girl like him?

"What's up, Reyna?" Percy asks. Cue mental face palm.

"Can I pet your dogs?" I ask. I have always loved dogs: the ones in the hunt, the dogs Nico and I had before our mother died, and even the dogs at the Lotus Casino.

Reyna gives a small laugh. "Sure, but be careful. They might bite."

"I'm not afraid of them," I say with a smile. I kneel down and use the trick I learned at the casino. I put out my hand in a closed fist for Argentum to sniff and look away. Then I do the same with Aurum. I tune out of Reyna and Percy's conversation and pet the dogs. I summon dead deer bones for the metal greyhounds and they happily begin to gnaw on them.