Lieutenant

Chapter 25

It wasn't the most ideal arrangement. Zoë would have preferred anyone else over Thalia to be sitting beside her in the front of the truck. Then again, Thalia didn't seem to be in the mood for much talking. The dam incident seemed to have rattled her, not to mention they were impossibly close to their destination. Zoë was fine with the silence, her nerves were on edge, the only problem was the awkwardness that came with it.

"Listen-"

"You don't have to say anything," The daughter of Zeus sighed, looking out the window.

"Actually, I was going to ask if thee could talk. About anything, to ease my nerves." Zoë wasn't keen on admitting that she wasn't as stoic as most perceived, but her thoughts were wandering and it was dangerous to be too distracted.

"You actually want me to say stuff?" Thalia laughed, shaking her head at the irony of their predicament. "Quite honestly I don't have anything to say for once."

"That is not what thy tone suggests," Zoë glanced at the punk girl in the seat next to her.

"Listen, even if I had something to talk about, it's not your business," came the snarky reply. Zoë expected it, Thalia was as guarded as ever, then again she couldn't blame the daughter of Zeus.

"You're right." Thalia was surprised once more by Zoë's concession, she'd expected the esteemed lieutenant to argue.

"I don't know what game you're playing, but it's not going to work."

"I play no game, Thalia." Zoë's eyes flicked across the road and the daughter of Zeus noticed the white knuckles grip the Hesperide had on the wheel.

"You know something don't you?" Thalia pressed.

"I do."

"What is it? You've never been this anxious before."

"If I should tell you, I most certainly would fall in what little favor I hold." Thalia wanted to smack the other girl, all she wanted was a straight answer for once.

"Try me, It'll be nice to see the ever so perfect Zoë Nightshade fall in grace a bit." Thalia had always despised the righteous demeanor Zoë carried about her. She hated it more than anything, no one was without flaw, and no one had a right to act so regally.

"My Father." Thalia went silent. She recalled the conversation they'd shared all those years ago, where Zoë insisted she understood Thalia's predicament, and yet Thalia had believed she was lying.

"What about him?" The daughter of Zeus asked warily.

"He is Atlas, the one responsible for what has happened," Zoë swallowed nervously, she had yet to tell anyone else this detail. No one could know or else any team unity would be destroyed, the trust would be gone, but it didn't matter too much; Thalia didn't trust her anyways.

"You know I would have expected that, I can see the resemblance." Zoë tensed at the statement, she knew she was similar to her father in many ways, but the comparison was unfair.

"No different than you and thy father." The tension was back once again, thick in the air like fog.

"Fair enough," Thalia sighed. "I guess I never gave you enough credit all those years ago. Seems like you do have a small understanding of what it's like to have a horrible father."

"Well, I didn't give thou enough credit either. It appears thou is much stronger and more intelligent than originally perceived." Thalia let out a sharp laugh, dark wild hair flopping about as she shook her head. "What is it?"

"Nothing, you don't give compliments much do you?" The punk asked, earning a small minuscule smile from Zoë.

"Not to those whom I am uncertain of. Even some within my hunt I have not had the pleasure of knowing for years." Thalia watched as Zoë scanned the road as if she expected it to suddenly divulge into a sinkhole.