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🍦— 009. meeting with the god.
"NICO, you could come with us."
Seven days since they left the Camp. It was June thirteenth; Grover saw it on the TV and Vivi couldn't believe it had been that long. It was that moment that Vivi started to miss her family. She wondered what her granny was doing. Was she back in the hospital working, or was she home painting like she does in free time ( Vivi thinks it's the first one, because Violeta Wu does not rest ). She wonders what her siblings are doing; are they causing any trouble? She thought of Isa. Was she getting better at her pegasi lessons, because that girl has some talent for that.
Nico shook his head. Vivi doesn't think any of them had slept well in the demon ranch house, but Nico looked worse than anybody else. His eyes were red and his face chalky. He was wrapped in a black robe that must've belonged to Geryon, because it was three sizes too big even for a grown man.
"I need time to think." his eyes wouldn't meet Percy's. From his tone, he was still angry at what happened.
"Nico," Annabeth said. "Bianca just wants you to be okay."
She put her hand on his shoulder, but he pulled away and trudged up the road toward the ranch house; the morning mist seemed to cling to him as he walked.
"I'm worried about him," Annabeth said. "If he starts talking to Minos's ghost again ─ "
"He'll be all right," 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."
"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 like 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 on the middle, like a thumbprint. He handed it to Annabeth.
