Finally I got up the nerve to walk over. "Hey, Silena, I'm really sorry."

 

She sniffled. Clarisse glared at me, but she always glares at everyone. Chris

would barely look at me.

 

He'd been one of Luke's men until Clarisse rescued him from the Labyrinth last

summer, and I guess he still felt guilty about it.

 

I cleared my throat. "Silena, you know Beckendorf carried your picture. He

looked at it right before we went into battle. You meant a lot to him. You made

the last year the best of his life."

 

Silena sobbed.

 

"Good work, Percy," Clarisse muttered.

 

"No, it's all right," Silena said. "Tha nk . . . tha nk you, Percy. I should

go."

 

"You want company?" Clarisse asked.

 

Silena shook her head and ran off.

 

"She's stronger than she looks," Clarisse muttered, almost to herself. "She'll

survive."