Vines and Thorns

𝟘𝟙𝟜-𝕄𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝔻𝕠, 𝕄𝕠𝕤𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝔻𝕚𝕖

Dionysus waves a tired hand over the table after everyone was seated—Cheeze Whiz, crackers and red wine appearing in front of everyone's chairs. Before I could even think of reaching for the glass, my throat suddenly parched, Chiron reminds him that wine was prohibited in camp, and that some of us were underage. Party pooper.

Mr. D waves another exasperated hand to change the wine into diet coke, to which I curled a lip in distaste—until mine was changed to regular coke. I sip my drink as Beckendorf, Silena and the Stoll brothers finish taking their seats. Clarisse was busy in the infirmary considering the Ares cabin had been hit hard by the Hunters during Capture the Flag and were currently healing their broken limbs.

Zoë and Bianca sit next to my father and Chiron, bitter expressions on their faces. "This is pointless." Zoë grumbles, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Cheez Whiz!" Grover exclaims loudly, either in complete naivete or in an effort to ease the tension before grabbing a handful of ping-pong balls and crackers and topping them with the cheese.

Zoë sends the satyr a sharp glare before continuing. "There is no time for talk. Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately.

"And go where?" Chiron questioned in a challenging tone.

"West!" Bianca snapped back, and I was taken aback by her defensive tone. Already she was looking and talking like the rest of the Hunters, with her braided hair and her glowing skin that made her look like she was taking baths in the moonlight. "You heard the prophecy. 'Six shall go west to the goddess in chains.' We can get six hunters and go."

Zoë nodded in agreement. "Yes. Artemis is being held hostage! We must find her and free her."

Thalia stiffened next to me, sighing loudly through her nose. "You're missing something, as usual. 'Campers and Hunters combined prevail.' We're supposed to do this together."

"No!" Zoë snapped, shaking her head. "The Hunters do not need thy help."

"Your," Thalia grumbled. "Nobody has said thy in like three hundred years, Zoë. Get with the times." I sighed, continuing to sip my coke while the rest of the table continued to argue.

Zoë opened her mouth, her eyes focused as she tried to sound out the word. "Yerr. We do not need yerr help." Thalia sighs again.

"Forget it." She slumps back in her chair, and I shove an elbow into her ribs.

"She's not worth the fight." I remind her, and she nods her head silently.

Chiron gives Zoë a pointed stare. "I fear the prophecy says you do need our help. Campers and Hunters must cooperate."

I look across the table at Bianca and Zoë, pursing my lips together at the idea of fighting with them. After my talk with Artemis, and after seeing how they fought in Capture the Flag, I wanted nothing more than to let them leave and forget they existed in the first place.

"Or do they?" Dionysus challenged, raising a brow. "One shall be lost. One shall perish. That sounds rather nasty, doesn't it? What if you fail because you try to cooperate?" Zoë looks ready to agree with him, and Chiron sighs, exasperated.

"Mr D, with all due respect, whose side are you on?" He asks in a tired voice. My father raises his hands in mock surrender, leaning back in his chair.

"Sorry, my dear centaur. Just trying to be helpful." He grabs his coke from the table and takes a long swig from it, and my body tenses when I see his gaze flit towards me for the barest of a second.

I could see a lot in that one second. Regret...fear. But it was the pity I saw that twisted up my insides and made me sick, "We're supposed to work together." Thalia asserts. "I don't like it either, Zoë, but you know prophecies. You want to fight against one?"