𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐈𝐋¹ || 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐎𝐍

𝐋𝐈𝐈𝐈

✦ 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘'𝐒 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐃𝐀𝐌 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃 ✦

AT THE EDGE OF THE DUMP, THEY FOUND A TOW TRUCK SO OLD IT MIGHT'VE BEEN THROWN AWAY ITSELF. But the engine started, and it had a full tank of fuel, so they decided to borrow it.

Thalia drove, she didn't seem as stunned as Zoë or Grover or Aurora or Percy.

"The skeletons are still out there," she reminded them. "We need to keep moving."

She navigated them through the desert, under clear blue skies, the sand so bright it hurt to look at it. Zoë sat up front with Thalia. Percy, Aurora, and Grover sat in the back, leaning against the tow winch. The air was cool and dry, but the nice weather just seemed like an insult after losing Bianca.

Percy's hand closed around the little figurine that had cost Bianca her life. He still couldn't even tell what god it was supposed to be. Nico would know. Oh, gods... what was he going to tell Nico? Percy wanted to believe that Bianca was still alive somewhere. But he had a bad feeling that she was gone for good.

"It should've been me," Percy said. "I should've gone into the giant."

"Don't say that!" Aurora scolded him, her eyes still red after crying. "It should have been me. I had a feeling something bad was going to happen, I had a vision of Talos... it made no sense but now I know... it was a warning."

"It's not your fault, Rory." Percy shook his head. "Don't blame yourself."

"You're a hypocrite." she muttered.

"We're both hypocrites." said Percy. "It should have been me."

"Stop saying that, the both of you!" Grover panicked. "It's bad enough Annabeth is gone, and now Bianca. Do you think I could stand it if..." He sniffled, "Do you think anybody else would be my best friends?"

"Ah, Grover..."

"Grover... I'm so sorry,"

He wiped under his eyes with an oily cloth that left his face grimy like he had war paint on. "I'm... I'm okay."

But he wasn't okay.

Ever since the encounter in New Mexico – whatever had happened when that wild wind blew through – he seemed really fragile, even more emotional than usual.

Percy was afraid to talk to him about it, because he might start bawling. At least there's one good thing about having a friend who gets freaked out more than you do.

Percy realized he couldn't stay depressed. He had to set aside thinking about Bianca and keep them going forward, the way Thalia was doing. Percy wondered what she and Zoë were talking about in the front of the truck.

The tow truck ran out of fuel at the edge of a river canyon. That was just as well because the road was dead-ended. Thalia got out and slammed the door and immediately, one of the tires blew.