𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲.

They get themselves into a Dam problem

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 everyone else.

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

She navigated them through the desert, under clear blue skies, the sand so bright it hurt to look at. Zoe sat up front with Thalia. Grover and Percy sat in the pickup bed, leaning against the tow wench.

Lilia lay between them, using Percy's bag as a pillow. The air was cool and dry, but the nice weather just seemed like an insult after losing Bianca.

"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 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."

Lilia lay still and quiet, annoyed at herself for not being fast enough and annoyed at Percy for stopping her. Her eyes began to well up all over again.

The tow truck ran out of gas at the edge of a river canyon. That was just as well, because the road came to an end.

Thalia got out and slammed the door. Immediately, one of the tires blew. "Great. What now?"

Lilia 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 us.

"There's a path," Grover said. "We could get to the river."

"That's a goat path," Lilia said.

"So?" he asked.

"The rest of us aren't goats."

"We can make it," Grover said. "I think."

"No," Percy said. "I, uh, think we should go farther upstream." His eyes were locked on Thalia, who looked as though she were going to faint at the sight of the cliff. You wouldn't think a daughter of Zeus would be afraid of heights.

"But" Grover said.

"Come on," Percy said. "A walk won't hurt us." Lilia disagreed. her legs were aching.

They followed the river about half a mile before coming to an easier slope that led down to the water. On the shore was a canoe rental operation that was closed for the season, but Percy left a stack of golden drachmas on the counter and a note saying IOU two canoes.

"We need to go upstream," Zoe said. It was the first time she'd spoken since the junkyard. "The rapids are too swift."

"Leave that to me," Percy said. They put the canoes in the water.

They got into the canoes, Thalia and Grover got in one, rather Grover actually fell in.Lilia, Percy and Zoë sat in the other. Percy said something to the naiads and they began moving upstream.

Lilia sat silently opposite them her hands and chin buried deep into her coat.

"I hate naiads." Zoë muttered.

A stream of water squirted up from the back of the boat and hit Zoë in the face.

"She-devils!" Zoe went for her bow.