The Forbidden Daughter ➳ Percy Jackson

14: Percy Has A Secret

We found a tow truck that was so old and was almost falling apart. So naturally, we used it.

Nobody spoke for awhile. It felt weird and out of place without Bianca.

Thalia drove. She seemed the least stunned.

She had reminded us that the skeletons are still out there and we have to keep moving.

Percy closed his hand around a figurine.

"Percy, what is that?" I asked.

He sighed.

"The thing that cost Bianca her life." He said shakily.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"She wanted it for Nico-" He began, but I figured out the rest of the story.

"For his mythomagic game." We said simultaneously.

He smiled. Then his smile dropped and he looked away.

I wanted to believe that Bianca was still alive somewhere. But I had a bad feeling that she was gone for good.

"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. "I'm... I'm okay."

The tow truck ran out of gas at the edge of a river canyon. That was just as well, because the road dead-ended.

Just our luck, right?

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

We need another mode of transportation, I thought but didn't want to aggravate her more. I didn't feel like tasting a lightning bolt.

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."

We tried to see what he was talking about, and finally noticed a tiny ledge winding down the cliff face. "That's a goat path," Percy said.

"So?" he asked.

"The rest of us aren't goats."

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

I looked over and noticed how pale Thalia had gotten.

What's that about? I wondered.

"No," Percy said. "I, uh, think we should go farther upstream."

Grover said, "But—"

"Come on. A walk won't hurt us." Percy said.

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 Percy left a stack of golden drachmas on the counter and a note saying IOU two canoes.

"We need to go upstream," Zoë said. It was the first time we'd heard her speak since the junkyard. "The rapids are too swift."

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