Child of the Moon

We Have A Dam Good Time

At the edge of the dump, we 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 we decided to borrow it. Thalia drove. I sat in the bed of the truck, with Zoe and Bianca. I tapped Bianca on the shoulder and she turned to me.

YN: Now that the other three can't hear us... I think I've figured out who your dad is.

Her eyes widened. Zoe looked confused.

Zoe: She wasn't claimed, how could you know?

YN: When she killed the skeleton. And then the statue she found in the junkyard. If it was the only one Nico didn't have... almost nothing is ever a coincidence for a Half-blood.

Bianca looked confused.

Bianca: So... who is it?

YN: Hades.

Zoe looked shocked and Bianca sat there in silence, almost as if she didn't believe me.

Bianca: So... my father is one of the big three? So does that mean that Nico and I are products of Hades breaking the oath too?

Zoe: No. If you disappeared in the Lotus Casino as long as we think, then you and your brother would've been born before they made the vow.

YN: What's important is that we can't tell anyone else.

Bianca: Excuse me?

YN: Bianca, if the gods find out who your father is... children of the big three are some of the most powerful and dangerous demigods there are. You'd be safe, since you became a hunter and have stopped aging, but when Nico turns sixteen years old...

Zoe: Then that makes him eligible to be part of the Great Prophecy. It's possible that the gods would have him killed, to negate the risk.

Bianca stared at us with wide eyes, before nodding slowly.

Bianca: Alright. I'll keep it secret. But... can I tell Lady Artemis?

Zoe: Of course. Our lady would never reveal your secret.

Soon after, 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.

Thalia: Great. What now?

I 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.

Grover: There's a path. We could get to the river.

I tried to see what he was talking about, and finally noticed a tiny ledge winding down the cliff face.

Percy: That's a goat path. The rest of us aren't goats.

Grover: But-

YN: Come on. A walk won't hurt us.

I glanced at Thalia. Her eyes said a quick thank you. We 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 I left a stack of golden drachmas on the counter and a note saying "IOU two canoes". Thalia pulled me aside as we were getting the oars.

Thalia: Thanks for back there.

YN: Of course.

As soon as we got in the river, I looked over the edge of the boat and found a couple of naiads staring at me. They looked like regular teenage girls, the kind you'd see in any mall, except for the fact that they were underwater.