𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐜 ➵ 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧

: ̗̀➛𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐄 we ride at dawn...on a pig.

not edited

┌── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──┐

Devi shivered as the wind coldly slapped her face. She tugged on her Lion-skin coat tighter, trying to trap her body warmth.

The group had arrived on the outskirts of a little ski town nestled in the mountains. The sign said WELCOME TO CLOUDCROFT, NEW MEXICO. The air was cold and thin. The roofs of the cabins were heaped with snow, and dirty mounds of it were piled up on the sides of the streets. Tall pine trees loomed over the valley, casting pitch-black shadows, though the morning was sunny.

Devi trudged a little bit behind the group instead of her usual spot next to Thalia or Grover since they were hanging near Percy. She didn't want to sport any kind of welcoming feelings, showing her clear anger towards him. The rest of the group sensed the two demigods tension but didn't comment on it.

Percy wasn't any better. He was just as furious and refused to look in the same direction as Devi. It was like before they joined this quest.

Devi watched (more like glared) at Percy talking to Grover about Apollo's visit last night, about how he told them to seek Nereus in San Francisco. She watched the way Percy rubbed the sides of his arms, trying to warm himself up without the lion-skin coat they shared before. She knew his ego was bigger than his will to apologize.

Grover looked uneasy at the mention of San Francisco. "That's good, I guess. But we've got to get there first."

The group stopped in the middle of town. You could pretty much see everything from there: a school, a bunch of tourist stores and cafes, some ski cabins, and a grocery store.

"Great," Thalia said, looking around. "No Bus station. No Taxis. No car rental. NO way out."

"There's a coffee shop!" said Grover.

"Yes," Zoe said. "Coffee is good."

"And pastries," Grover said dreamily. "And wax paper."

Thalia sighed. "Fine, How about Zoe, Devi, and Grover gets us some food. Percy, Bianca, and I will check in the grocery store. Maybe they can give us directions.

They agreed to meet back in front of the grocery store in fifteen minutes.

The small bell above the cafe door jingled as Devi stepped inside behind Zoe and Grover. Warm air wrapped around her like a blanket, thick with the smell of roasted coffee beans, cinnamon, and something sweet, like warm buttered croissants,. After the biting cold outside, it felt like walking into a dream.

Grover made a beeline for the pastry display, nose nearly pressed against the glass. "Oh gods," He whispered ardently. "That's an eclair... and oh my...yes... that's the wax paper."

Zoe raised a brow. "Are you okay, satyr?"

"He has a thing for wax paper," Devi muttered, smirking, already steeping into line.

"Don't judge me," Grover said, eyes still glued to the pastries.

Devi snickered softly and Zoe joined her in line.

Devi observed the way Zoe talked. It was painfully obvious that the girl Devi was in her dream was Zoe. She wondered what she and Hercules could be doing and who her father could be and what Ladon was-

"What shall we get?" Zoe interrupted Devi's thoughts, staring at the menu.

"Alright, umm... Hot chocolate for Bianca... and Percy, I guess. Coffee for us three and Thalia. And maybe some extra pastries in case we want to throw some at Percy."