{1} Princess - P. Jackson 🔱

"I'm retiring from being a demigod. Now I'm the new spider-women. Scratch that."

🕊️

The next morning we walked down to the cattle guard and said our good-byes.

"Nico, you could come with us," Percy blurted out.

He shook his head. I don't think any of us had slept well in the demon ranch house, but Nico looked worse than anybody else. His eyes were red and his face chalky.

"I need time to think." His eyes wouldn't meet us, but I could tell from his tone he was still angry. The fact that his sister had come out of the Underworld for me and Percy but not for him didn't seem to sit well with him.

"Nico," Annabeth said. "Bianca just wants you to be okay." She put her hand on his shoulder, but he pulled away.

I approached him but he stepped away. I stretched my arm, pointing to his sleeves, then held his wrist and started to fold it until it wasn't covering his hands anymore. "I know you're a smart kid, that you would never listen to... you know who." I shrugged my shoulders. "Just know that nothing we did was to harm you. Whenever you want, whatever you need, whether it's a soul or a conversation. Look for us. I, we will be waiting for you." He shook his head and trudged up the road toward the ranch house. Well kids, I tried.

I took a deep breath with my heart clenching and went to Annabeth's side.

"I'm worried about him," she said. "If he starts talking to Minos' ghost again—"

"He'll be alright," Eurytion promised. The cowherd had cleaned up nicely. He was wearing new jeans and a clean Western shirt and he'd even trimmed his beard. He'd put on Geryon's boots. "The boy can stay here and gather his thoughts as long as he wants. He'll be safe, I promise."

"What about you?"  Percy asked.

Eurytion scratched Orthus behind one chin, then the other. "Things are going to be run a little different on this ranch from now on. No more sacred cattle meat. I'm thinking about soybean patties. And I'm going to befriend those flesh-eating horses. Might just sign up for the next rodeo."

The idea made me shudder. "Well, good luck."

"Yep." Eurytion spit into the grass. "I reckon you'll be looking for Daedalus's workshop now?"

Annabeth's eyes lit up. "Can you help us?"

Eurytion studied the cattle guard, and I got the feeling the subject of Daedalus's workshop made him uncomfortable. "Don't know where it is. But Hephaestus probably would."

"That's what Hera said," Annabeth agreed. "But how do we find Hephaestus?"

Eurytion pulled something from under the collar of his shirt. It was a necklace—a smooth silver disk on a silver chain. The disk had a depression in the middle, like a thumbprint. He handed it to Annabeth.

"Hephaestus comes here from time to time," Eurytion said. "Studies the animals and such so he can make bronze automaton copies. Last time, I—uh—did him a favor. A little trick he wanted to play on my dad, Ares, and Aphrodite." He gave me a 'sorry kid' look.

"He gave me that chain in gratitude. Said if I ever needed to find him, the disk would lead me to his forges. But only once."

"And you're giving it to me?" Annabeth asked.

Eurytion blushed. "I don't need to see the forges, miss. Got enough to do here. Just press the button and you'll be on your way."

"Thanks," She said, analyzing the disk.

"Before we go, would you mind taking a picture with us?!" I asked, getting my digital camera from my bag.

"A picture?" He frowned.