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{ 🔮 } · this is not a goodbye . ݁ ٬٬ ࣪
HERE IS A PIECE of advice coming from Endora Prince ─ never follow a mechanical spider. It will, almost ninety-nine percent, lead to your dead. The group was doing okay until they hit the tree roots. The spider raced along and we were keeping up, but then they spotted a tunnel off to the side that was dug from raw earth, and wrapped in thick roots. Grover stopped dead in his tracks.
"What is it?" Percy said.
He didn't move. He stared open-mouthed into the dark tunnel. His curly hair rustled in the breeze.
"Come on!" Annabeth said. "We have to keep moving."
"This is the way," Grover muttered in awe. "This is it."
"What way?" Percy asked. "You mean. . . to Pan?"
Grover looked at Tyson. "Don't you smell it?"
"Dirt," Tyson said. "And plants."
"Yes! This is the way. I'm sure of it!"
Up ahead, the spider was getting farther down the stone corridor. A few more seconds and they'd lose it.
"Well come back," Annabeth promised. "On our way back to Hephaestus."
"The tunnel will be gone by then," Grover said. "I have to follow it. A door like this won't stay open!"
"But we can't," Annabeth said. "The forges!"
Grover looked at her sadly. "I have to, Annabeth. Don't you understand?"
She looked desperate, like she didn't understand at all. The spider was almost out of sight. Endora knew she needed to support Grover in his search, he was one of her friends after all.
"We'll split up," Percy said.
"No!" Endora said. "That's way too dangerous. How will we ever find each other again?"
"And Grover can't go alone." Annabeth added, agreeing with the brunette.
Tyson put his hand on Grover's shoulder. "I-I will go with him."
"Tyson, are you sure?" Percy asked.
The big guy nodded. "Goat boy needs help. We will find the god person. I am not like Hephaestus. I trust friends."
Grover took a deep breath. "Percy, we'll find each other again. We've still got the empathy link. I just. . . have to."
Endora didn't blame him. This was his life's goal. If he didn't find Pan on this journey, the council would never give him another chance.
"I hope you're right," Percy said.
"I know I am."
Endora had never heard him sound so confident about anything, except maybe that cheese enchiladas were better than chicken enchiladas.
