SERENDIPITY ~ A. Chase

vii ~ The Crew's All Together

Before anyone could say anything else, Thalia came trudging up the stairs. She stared directly at Cassie and said, "Tell Percy to get his butt downstairs."

"Why?" Said boy sighed.

"Did he say something?" Thalia turned to Grover.

"Um, he asked why?"

"Dionysus is calling a council of cabin leaders to discuss the prophecy. Unfortunately, that includes Percy." Thalia explained distastefully.

༻ ─── •✧💢✧• ─── ༺

Whoever chose to hold the council in the rec room around a Ping-Pong table was an idiot in Cassie's eyes.

Mr. D was in charge of the snacks and for some reason he chose Cheez Whiz, crackers, and several bottles of red wine. Chiron had to remind him that he was restricted from wine and that practically all of them were underage.

Dionysus sighed and changed the wine to Diet Coke with a snap of his fingers. Nobody drank that, but Cassie felt daring and took a sip of her glass. She was pleasantly surprised with Dr. Pepper.

Looking around the table, Mr. D and Chiron (in his wheelchair) sat at one end of the table. Zoë and Bianca di Angelo (who was like Zoë's personal assistant now) took the other end.

Cassie, Thalia, Grover and Percy sat in a row along the right with the other head councilors: Charles Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, and the Stoll brothers on the left. The twins kept making stupid faces at Cassie who had to cover her laughter.

Zoë started the meeting off on a positive note. "This is pointless."

"Cheez Whiz!" Grover gasped excitedly. He took some crackers and Ping-Pong balls then sprayed on the cheese.

"There is no time for talk," Zoë rushed. "Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately."

"And go where?" Chiron inquired. The centaur liked planning ahead of time.

"West!" Bianca exclaimed.

She looked really different from being a Hunter. Her hair was braided like most of the girls and she had freckles on the bridge of her nose. Those dark brown eyes of hers sparkled and Cassie couldn't help but miss a familiar pair of gray.

Percy could've sworn he knew someone famous that looked like Bianca. She had obviously been working out and the same moon glow surrounded her.

"You heard the prophecy. Six shall go west to the goddess in chains. We can get six hunters and go."

Zoë had a small smile on her face at how much Bianca was already growing. "Yes, Artemis is being held hostage! We must find her and free her."

"Great plan, if you could just bring six Hunters." Cassie sassed.

"You're missing something, as usual," Thalia agreed.
"Campers and Hunters combined prevail. We're supposed to do this together."

Zoë immediately protested. "No! The Hunters do not need thy help."

"Your," Thalia corrected under her breath. Nobody has said thy in, like three hundred years, Zoë. Get with the times."

Zoë sounded it out in her head and: "Yerrr. We do not need yerrr help."

Thalia scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "Forget it."

"I fear the prophecy says you do need our help. Campers and Hunters must cooperate." Chiron informed.

"Or do they?" Mr. D contradicted as he spun his diet coke can in his hand. "One shall be lost. One shall perish. That sounds rather nasty, doesn't it? What if you fail because you try to cooperate?"