~Book Dedication~
For the Black Sheep of the family. Even though you try somehow it's still your fault. You're trying and others see it even if they don't say anything out loud. It's not your fault, don't let them make you believe it too.
Ayden has...
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Each of them sat down where they could. They couldn't see much since there was barely any light from the small opening at the top of the eighteen-wheeler.
"This is not kindness," Grover muttered in the darkness. They could hear the whimpers of the animals that were trapped in their cages. "Humans."
"We need to try and rest for a while," Annabeth explained. Ayden felt someone sit down next to her.
"Sorry," Percy muttered as he stepped on her foot.
"It's okay," She laughed a little. "Can't see much in here." Annabeth pulled something from the backpack that Ares had given them. Ayden could barely see the reflective gem in her hands.
"I can't get a signal," She sighed. "We have to wait til morning."
"These people are traffickers," Grover grumbled from somewhere near the cages. "Although these animals are fascinating."
"We've got a long ride, Grover," Annabeth explained. "Settle in for now." Ayden was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that Clarisse would be the one to steal the bolt.
"I can't believe it would be Clarisse," Ayden muttered.
"I mean she's always trying to prove herself to her father, if he had asked her to steal the bolt, I doubt she would have denied him." Ayden let out a long sigh.
"I know, it makes sense, but it seems obvious."
"Well, I would have thought it was Clarisse or you," Grover added as he moved back toward the others.
"What?" Percy asked.
"Well, I mean, Ayden's a child of Ares, she's also his favorite," Grover added. "Well sort of, he doesn't like children, but he thinks you have a lot of promise for his future." Ayden grimaced. "He also thinks you're promising from the way your mother raised you." Everyone was silent. "But highly suspicious of Clarisse now."
"Yeah," Percy muttered. The rest of the ride was silent other than the occasional cage moving as the truck took a sharp turn.
Percy pulled his sword free the light coming from it lit up the cages around them. One with a zebra, an albino lion, and an antelope.
***
"Ayden!" Her mother called up.
"What?" Ayden called. She didn't look up from her homework. Math was always hard for the little girl. She could never figure out what to do it was like everything just left her brain the minute she needed it.
"Ayden!" Her mother yelled louder. Ayden snapped her pencil in half as she stood up from the chair. She threw the door open. The handle flew back and hit the wall with a thud. Ayden's stomach dropped as she backed up a little pulling the door forward. She watched as small pieces of her white wall crumbled with it. Ayden heard her mother's loud stomps as she came down the hall.
