~ { Shadow and Beauty } ~

The Prophecy

   "The winter solstice," Chiron spoke up, "is also the time of greatest darkness. The gods gather that day, as mortals always have, because there is strength in numbers. The solstice is a day when evil magic is strong. Ancient magic, older than the gods. It is a day when things... stir."

   The way he said it, stirring sounded absolutely sinister—like it should be a first-degree felony, not something you did to cookie dough.

   "Okay," Annabeth said, glaring at the centaur. "Thank you, Captain Sunshine. Whatever's going on, I agree with Rachel. Jason has been chosen to lead this quest, so—"

   "Why hasn't he been claimed?" somebody yelled from the Ares cabin. "If he's so important—"

   "He has been claimed," Chiron announced. "Long ago. So has been Kiara, but that's a different subject. Jason, give them a demonstration."

   At first, Jason didn't seem to understand. He stepped forward nervously, but Piper couldn't help thinking how amazing he looked with his blond hair glowing in the firelight, his regal features like a Roman statue's. He glanced at Piper, and she nodded encouragingly. She mimicked flipping a coin.

   Jason reached into his pocket. His coin flashed in the air, and when he caught it in his hand, he was holding a lance—a rod of gold about seven feet long, with a spear tip at one end. The other demigods gasped. Rachel and Annabeth stepped back to avoid the point, which looked sharp as an ice pick.

   "Wasn't that..." Annabeth hesitated. "I thought you had a sword."

   "Um, it came up tails, I think," Jason said. "Same coin, long-range weapon form."

   "Dude, I want one!" yelled somebody from Ares cabin.

   "Better than Clarisse's electric spear, Lamer!" one of his brothers agreed.

   "Electric," Jason murmured, like that was a good idea. "Back away."

   Annabeth and Rachel got the message. Jason raised his javelin, and thunder broke open the sky. Every hair on Piper's arms stood straight up. Lightning arced down through the golden spear point and hit the campfire with the force of an artillery shell.

   When the smoke cleared, and the ringing in Piper's ears subsided, the entire camp sat frozen in shock, half blind, covered in ashes, staring at the place where the fire had been. Cinders rained down everywhere. A burning log had impaled itself a few inches from the sleeping kid Clovis, who hadn't even stirred.

   Jason lowered his lance. "Um ... sorry."

   Chiron brushed some burning coals out of his beard. He grimaced as if his worst fears had been confirmed. "A little overkill, perhaps, but you've made your point. And I believe we know who your father is."

   "Jupiter," Jason said. "I mean Zeus. Lord of the Sky."

   Piper couldn't help smiling. It made perfect sense. The most powerful god, the father of all the greatest heroes in the ancient myths—no one else could possibly be Jason's dad. Apparently, the rest of the camp wasn't so sure. Everything broke into chaos, with dozens of people asking questions until Annabeth raised her arms.

   "Hold it!" she said. "How can he be the son of Zeus? The Big Three... their pact not to have mortal kids... how could we not have known about him sooner?"

   Chiron didn't answer, but Piper got the feeling he knew. The truth involved Kiara as well, and was not good.

   "The important thing," Rachel said, "is that Jason's here now. He has a quest to fulfill, which means he will need his own prophecy."