𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐎𝐃𝐋𝐘 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐑 • PERCY JACKSON

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟗: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟗: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓

"I think I'm your daughter."

THALIA FOUND A TOW TRUCK AT THE EDGE OF THE DUMP TO DRIVE.
Thalia drove. She didn't seem as fazed by Bianca's death.

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

As Thalia drove through the desert with Zoë in the front, Eris, Grover and Percy sat in the in the pickup bed.

    Percy watched worriedly as Eris tucked her chin between knees. She hadn't spoken in a while, she just stared out onto the road, her face was completely blank and she seemed lost in her own thoughts. It worried him. Eris was usually quiet but this wasn't her shy type of quiet, something was wrong.

Percy sighed and closed his hand around the little figurine that had cost her life. "It should've been me," He said. "I should've gone into the giant."

"Don't say that!" 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 friend?"

"Ah, Grover..."

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

Eris didn't say anything, she just continued to stare out at the road. Finally she broke the silence, "I'll tell him," she said quietly.

    "What?"

      "Nico..." Eris said tiredly. She didn't look back at them. "I'll...I'll tell him about Bianca, he should hear it from me. Don't worry about it."

Percy shook his head, "No way, it's my fault...I knew what she was going to do and didn't stop her. I should tell him, it's partially my fault anyway."

"Percy..." Eris ran a hand through her locs, "Nico barely knows you...how....how would you feel if someone whose practically a stranger tells you that your mom died?" She asked. "It's not your fault, Bianca made her decision." She added tiredly.

   It's not that Eris was didn't care, because she did a lot, but right now all she felt was numb and stressed. Stressed because she didn't know how she was going to tell Nico and numb because there was still a gaping hole in her chest that wouldn't close no matter how hard she tried to cry out her sadness.

Eris would have to swallow the rest of her tears for later no matter how painful it was. They had to finish this quest and get Annabeth back until then she had to save her pain for later.

The tow truck ran out of gas at the edge of a river canyon. That was just as well, because the road dead-ended. Thalia got out and slammed the door. Immediately, one of the tires blew. "Shit. What now?"