"I drown, you hold me down, and somehow I realize."
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"That I loved you from the start and you didn't love even once."
Ahalya Roy
Ahalya's breath hung in the crisp winter air as she approached all to known Camp Half-Blood for the first time. The towering pine trees, their branches adorned with glistening snowflakes, stood sentinel around the camp, casting long shadows in the soft, silver moonlight. The air was filled with a hushed stillness, broken only by the occasional whisper of the winter wind weaving through the branches.
Frost covered the chariot track and the strawberry fields. The cabins were decorated with tiny flickering lights, like Christmas lights, except they seemed to be balls of real fire. More lights glowed in the woods.
"Whoa," Nico said as he climbed off the bus. "Is that a climbing wall?"
"Yeah," Percy said.
"Why is there lava pouring down it?"
"Little extra challenge. Come on. I'll introduce you to Chiron. Zoë, have you met—"
"I know Chiron," Zoë said stiffly. "Tell him we will be in Cabin Eight. Hunters, follow me."
"I'll show you the way," Grover offered.
Ahalya was happy that Grover was not part of any fandom. Gods knew what he would do then.
"We know the way."
"Oh, really, it's no trouble. It's easy to get lost here if you don't"—he tripped over a canoe and came up still talking—"like my old daddy goat used to say! Come on!"
Zoë rolled her eyes, but Ahalya guessed she figured there was no getting rid of Grover. The Hunters shouldered their packs and their bows and headed off toward the cabins. As Bianca di Angelo was leaving, she leaned over and whispered something in her brother's ear. She looked at him for an answer, but Nico just scowled and turned away. Bianca looked at me in a silent plea for help with which the girl returned an understanding smile and a little nod.
"Take care, sweethearts!" Apollo called after the Hunters. He winked at me. "Watch out for those prophecies, Percy. I'll see you soon."
"What do you mean?"
Instead of answering, he turned towards"Later, Thalia," he called. "And, uh, be good!" He gave her a wicked smile, as if he knew something she didn't.
Then suddenly he looked at Ahalya with a mighty grin and maybe everyone got the hint because Ahalya noticed that everyone had slightly backed away from the whole place leaving a god and a demigod alone. What could possibly go wrong?
