THE HEALER| Heroes of Olympus

5

New quest? I got a horrible feeling about who would be on this quest. 

"It's the Great Prophecy, isn't it?" a girl called out.

Everyone turned. The voice had come from a group in back, sitting under a rose-colored banner with a dove emblem. They'd been chatting among themselves and not paying much attention until their leader stood up: Drew.

Everyone else looked surprised.  Drew didn't address the crowd very often.

"Drew?" Annabeth said. "What do you mean?"

"Well, come on." Drew spread her hands like the truth was obvious. "Olympus is closed. Percy's disappeared. Hera sends you a vision and you come back with three new demigods in one day. I mean, something weird is going on. The Great Prophecy has started, right?"

Everyone looked at Rachel. 

"Yes," she said. "The Great Prophecy has begun."

Pandemonium broke out.

"QUIET!" I shouted. Everyone fell silent and Rachel took another step toward the audience, and fifty-plus demigods leaned away from her, as if one skinny redheaded mortal was more intimidating than all of them put together.

"Nine half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire the world must fall—"

Jason shot to his feet. His eyes looked wild, like he'd just been tasered.

Even Rachel seemed caught off guard. "J-Jason?" she said. "What's—"

"Ut cum spiritu postrema sacramentum dejuremus," he chanted. "Et hostes ornamenta addent ad ianuam necem. Filius veritatis filiusque belli una score componet, Mater omnium non erit."

Jeez, what was with this guy and Latin? 

An uneasy silence settled on the group. I could see from their faces that several of them were trying to translate the lines.

"You just ... finished the prophecy," Rachel stammered. "—An oath to keep with a final breath-And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. The child of truth and son of war, together will settle the score, And the Mother of All will be no more. How did you—"

"I know those lines." Jason winced and put his hands on his temples. "I don't know how, but I know that prophecy."

"In Latin, no less," Drew called out. "Handsome and smart." 

There was some giggling from the Aphrodite cabin. What a bunch of losers, I thought. But it didn't do much to break the tension. The campfire was burning a chaotic, nervous shade of green.

Jason sat down, looking embarrassed, but Annabeth put a hand on his shoulder and muttered something reassuring. Jason glanced toward my direction and I gave him a reassuring smile, which seemed to lift his spirits. 

Rachel Dare still looked a little shaken. She glanced back at Chiron for guidance, but the centaur stood grim and silent, as if he were watching a play he couldn't interrupt—a tragedy that ended with a lot of people dead onstage.

"Well," Rachel said, trying to regain her composure. "So, yeah, that's the Great Prophecy. We hoped it might not happen for years, but I fear it's starting now. I can't give you proof. It's just a feeling.And like Drew said, some weird stuff is happening. The nine demigods, whoever they are, have not been gathered yet. I get the feeling some are here tonight. Some are not here."

The campers began to stir and mutter, looking at each other nervously, until a drowsy voice in the crowd called out, "I'm here! Oh ... were you calling roll?"