The Lost Fleece

chapter 6 - adelaide

I meet Kade at the arena at twilight and he looks annoyed. Maybe he was mad about having to clean up the food fight. He's glaring at Clarisse.

"What did she do this time?" I asked and put on my armour. Kade took fighting pretty seriously, and I didn't want to get hurt for real.

"She blamed me for the cold water. I wasn't even the last one to shower last night." He rolls his eyes and swings his sword.

"Don't let her get to you. You'll be the head of your cabin soon."

"Yeah whatever."

I grab my sword, and Kade starts to attack. He was never fair. Our blades collide, and I pull mine away to strike, but he blocks me. Kade slashes my side with his knife, and I'm glad I'm protected. I jab at his stomach, leaving a dent in his armour.

I see movement behind him. It's Trixie. She has her hood up and a suspicious smirk on her face. Kade takes my distraction to his advantage and disarms me.

"Again," he says.

"One second," I say, and I get up.

I leave my sword and Kade behind as I jog to catch Trixie.

"Hey Trixie." I say to her.

She looks startled. Her brown hair falls in her face from inside the hood, but her smirk stays. Trixie was the same age as me, but she had a reputation. She was known for stealing. All the kids from Hermes were known for stealing, but Trixie was different. She never got caught. She had the best poker face ever, so it was going to be hard for me to get a confession.

"What is it?" Her tone is full of attitude, but I don't let it get to me.

"I saw you sneaking around the Athena cabin right after Annabeth ran out because of the spiders."

She laughed, then her expression went cold. "What are you accusing me of?"

"Look, I know the Hermes cabin likes to play pranks, but don't take it too far. Harmless pranks are okay, but Nico and Maddie could've gotten hurt because of that hole, and Annabeth didn't think those spiders were funny."

She laughs again. Trixie clearly isn't taking this seriously. She thinks it's all funny.

"You don't know what's coming then, Hades girl."

Who does this girl think she is?

"Was that a threat?" I hear Kade's voice as he stands next to me. I'm honestly glad he's here, so I have someone to back me up. The last thing I need is to be called a liar.

Kade gives me a look, saying we're leaving now.

Trixie seemed to calm down a bit. She knew better than to get into a fight with the best fighter at camp. She knows she'll lose.

"Just stop the pranks. They're not funny." I say that and turn around. Kade follows me.

Trixie just laughs. You don't know what's coming. What was she talking about? I knew some of the Hermes kids were questionable, but this was new. The one thing I knew was that I had lost my appetite.

Kade and I walk to dinner in silence.

The mood of the entire camp changed in the last few hours. We all know someone or some cabin is up to something. My bet is on the Hermes kids. Trixie couldn't have been more suspicious.

My conversation with Trixie left me nauseous. I didn't really feel like eating my grilled cheese and tomato soup. I was thinking about heading to bed early, but I wouldn't be able to sleep.

Nevertheless, I tried some of my soup and fought to swallow it. Who cooked this terrible meal? Kade gives me a look, saying this is disgusting. I could always count on him to tell me the truth. Maddie didn't want to be rude, and Alex had a weird taste.

I just know the Hermes cabin did something to the food. Normally, I loved the food at camp, but this was something else. I look at the Hermes cabin with suspicion. All of them were eating grilled cheese, but there wasn't a bowl of tomato soup in sight.

Kade and Alex play food wars again. It seems impossible with sandwiches and soup, but they find a way. Alex accidentally knocks both of their bowls to the ground, spilling their tomato soup on the grass.

"Compost," Alex says, and his stomach growls.

"Here, take mine. I'm not hungry." I push my bowl toward him, and he takes it happily.

I try my grilled cheese, and it tastes normal. I don't have enough evidence to tell people to stop eating the food, though. It's weird how everyone is just eating it with no complaints. Maybe I'm the one with a weird taste. Who knows.