𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐜 ➵ 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧

: ̗̀➛𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡 give me a dam break

not edited

┌── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──┐

Devi was semi-conscious as Percy and Grover carried her toward a rusted tow truck at the edge of the dump. Her arms were slung around their shoulders, and every step sent a wave of pain through her body. Thalia and Zoe walked a little ahead, silent.

No one spoke as they climbed into the car.

A quiet, uneasy silence enveloped them.

Devi could barely remember how she got into the car. Her bandaged leg throbbed. The gauze was soaked with blood, and the cut on her scalp was healing slowly, and the bruises all over her body were still aching.

She's never been hurt this bad. The pain felt foreign. She thought she would've died. 

What scared her most was how prepared she was to let her life go. How willing she'd been never to come back again.

Thalia hopped into the driver's seat. She was the only one who didn't seem as stunned as the rest of the group.

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

She navigated them through the desert, under clear blue skies, the sand so bright it hurt to look at it. Zoe sat up front with Thalia. Devi sandwiched in the back between Grover and Percy. The air was cool and dry, but the nice weather just seemed like an insult after losing Bianca.

Devi glanced at Percy. He was staring at the figurine clutched in his hands. The one Bianca had died for. Her eyes narrowed at it—that stupid little statue for Nico. 

How were they going to break it to Nico?

"It should've been me," Percy said quietly from next to Devi. "I should've gone into the giant."

Devi turned to him sharply. "No, Percy, don't say that. The only reason I gave up was because I thought Bianca would live if I were the one to die in the land without rain."

The car fell silent again.

"What? You can't die!" Percy stammered. He clenched his fists. "You can't just- why would you even- Devi, you can't die!"

"Stop!" Grover panicked. "It's bad enough that Annabeth is gone, and now Bianca. Do you think I could stand if..." He sniffed. "Do you think anybody else could be my friends?"

"Ah, Grover..." Devi laid her head on his shoulder to comfort him. Percy's face softened a the satyr's outburst.

He wiped under his eyes with an oily cloth that left his face grimy like he had war paint on. "I'm... I'm okay."

He wasn't, but Devi didn't want to push. 

Devi's eyes wandered to the front of the truck, where Thalia and Zoe were quietly talking. She wondered how Zoe was holding up.

But Devi set aside her thoughts. She had to get better to help her group. With one less member, she needed to contribute more than ever.

She ate pieces of ambrosia, trying to speed her healing process. It was working, but as she went to eat her sixth piece, Percy grabbed her hand just before the godly food touched her open lips.

Her eyebrows knitted together at the action.

"I can feel you burning next to me," Percy said. "It's fatal if you eat more."

"But I feel much better," Devi protested, crossing her arms as Percy took the piece of ambrosia away and stuffed it back in a ziploc bag. 

"Too bad," He said. "We can't have you dying on us."