𝒊𝒊𝒊. 𝐋𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒

𝒙𝒊𝒊.

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 gas, so they decided to borrow it. 

Thalia drove. She didn't seem as stunned as Zoë or Noelle or Grover 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. Zoë sat up front with Thalia. Grover, Noelle, and Percy sat in the pickup bed, leaning against the tow wench. The air was cool and dry, but the nice weather just seemed like an insult after losing Bianca. 

One of Percy's hands rested on Noelle's waist, who was leaning on his shoulder staring out at the desert. His other 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 were they 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!" 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 anyone other than Noelle 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." 

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. He looked through the rearview window, wondering what she and Zoë were talking about in the front of the truck.

Percy turned back to Grover only to find that he was asleep. He thought maybe Noelle was too until she spoke.

"Bianca was brave," she said. 

Percy rubbed his thumb over the exposed skin of Noelle's hip from her shirt riding up. It was meant to be a comforting gesture when he heard the sadness in her voice.

"I want to be brave."

"You are," Percy said sternly.

Noelle didn't say anything, but she didn't believe him. Even though she may have jumped on the back of the Nemean lion, what else had she done. She ran from Dr. Thorn. She ran from the boar and the skeletons. She ran from Talos. How was she brave?

Percy must have sensed her uncertainty. He kissed her head just above her ear before whispering firmly, "You are brave, Noelle."

She turned to him with a small smile before kissing him short and sweet. She mumbled something under her breath as she rested her head on his shoulder again. He didn't hear what she said, but he wasn't sure she wanted him too so he didn't ask.

~

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. "Great. What now?" 

Noelle scanned the horizon. There wasn't much to see. Desert in all directions, occasional clumps of barren mountains plopped here and there. The canyon was the only thing interesting. The river itself wasn't very big, maybe fifty yards across, green water with a few rapids, but it carved a huge scar out of the desert. The rock cliffs dropped away below them.