stollen things || c. stoll

3.3~ Here, Kitty Kitty!

The next morning at first light, just as promised, we all got ready to pile into the van.

I'd been given one last chance to say my goodbyes, but I didn't think Connor would want to see me. So when I went to the Hermes cabin and Nico answered, I pulled him into a hug.
"Don't die while I'm gone, alright?" I kissed the top of his head. "You're gonna have to teach me  how to really play Mythomagic when I get back."

"Keep an eye on my sister, too?" He looked up at me with blurry eyes. "I already asked Percy but he said he'd try. I need you to promise."

"Nico," I started. He had to know I couldn't protect her from everything, especially because two of us were going to die. "I... Yes, I will protect her."

Connor came up behind Nico, in his messy haired, sleepy eyed glory.
"So you're really leaving." He said grimly.

"You know I have to. I promise I won't die."

"Good, because I'm not gonna let either of us die before I get a kiss." He smirked and leaned against the doorway. His morning voice was enough to make me melt.

"He's ten." I pointed to Nico, who was gagging.

"What? I'm kidding!" Connor winked.

"Keep begging, and maybe eventually. I'll be back before Christmas; Keep some mistletoe handy."

•

I clambered into the van, driven by Zoë. She drove like a crazy person, so it was a long drive of Thalia being a backseat driver and yelling at Zoë, who yelled back, and me and Bianca trying to calm them down. Turns out Bianca isn't much like Nico at all. Still nice, though. So I had no friends on this quest.

A few times too often, Zoë swerved from lane to lane, going well above the speed limit. She also decided to do this on the Jersey Turnpike. If you aren't familiar with it, just think very deadly and very fast. Deadly because of drivers like Zoë here.

Once I was sure Zoë wasn't going to kill us, I thought back to my friends at school. What was the reason my dad had told the school for me suddenly leaving? Did my friends believe it? I began to have many second thoughts about this quest. I was basically alone, and I'd left Nico all alone with only the twins to take care of him. That wasn't fair, I shouldn't be the one worrying about Nico. I'm not his sister, after all.

"Do you miss him?" Bianca asked me. We were sitting next to each other in the way back of the van. "Your boyfriend?"

I almost choked. "Oh, no, actually. My boyfriend kind of tried to kidnap me a few months ago. We never got a proper break-up."

Oh, she mouthed. "I was talking about the Hermes boy."

"He'snotmyboyfriend." I said, looking out the window.

An hour or so later, we'd arrived in Maryland at a rest stop. Zoë pulled over messily and we all spilled out of the car. Bianca headed to the bathroom, while Thalia and Zoë kept arguing the whole way through. Zoë finally left it alone and turned to me. "You're the tracker. Where are we going?"

I scoffed. I wasn't that good at tracking. Still, I went outside and put my hand to the earth. What I wouldn't give to have Grover here, coaching me through it. I reached out as far as I could, which was surprisingly far, what with all of my extra training these past few months. It had to be a one-hundred mile radius.

"D.C." I said as I went back inside. "That's where I felt the most recent Artemis activity."

"No," Zoë said blatantly.

"What do you mean, no?" I glared.

"We must go west, or have you forgotten?"

"Um, guys?" Bianca interrupted. "She's right. D.C. is about sixty miles from here, and it's our best bet."