𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞

Chapter 7

|Sereia: I wanted to protest. None of what had happened was Grover's fault. I also felt really, really guilty. If I hadn't given Grover the slip at the bus station, he might not have got in trouble.|

Grover smiles sadly "it wasn't your fault" Sereia looks to him and smiles "And it wasn't your fault either." They smile at each other.

She looks up to Chiron.
Sereia: He'll get a second chance, won't he?
He winces.
Chiron: I'm afraid that was Grover's second chance, Sereia. The council was not anxious to give him another, either, after what happened the first time, five years ago. Olympus knows, I advised him to wait longer before trying again. He's still so small for his age ..
She looks curiously.
Sereia: How old is he?

"You don't know how old your friend is?" asks Pansy judgy. Sereia looks at her annoyed while others roll their eyes at Pansy.

Chiron: Oh, twenty-eight
She looks at him shocked.

They look to Grover shocked. "But you don't look like over twenty" asks a fifth year Ravenclaw. "Satyrs age different than humans" says Grover.

Sereia: What! And he's in sixth grade?
Chiron: Satyrs mature half as fast as humans, Sereia. Grover has been the equivalent of a middle school student for the past six years.
Sereia: That's horrible.
Chiron: Quite. At any rate, Grover is a late bloomer, even by satyr standards, and not yet very accomplished at woodland magic. Alas, he was anxious to pursue his dream. Perhaps now he will find some other career.
Sereia: That's not fair. What happened the first time? Was it really so bad?
He looks away quickly.
Chiron: Let's move along, shall we?

|Sereia: I wasn't quite ready to let the subject drop. Something had occurred to me when Chiron talked about my aunts fate, as if he were intentionally avoiding the word death. The beginnings of an idea - a tiny, hopeful fire
- started forming in my mind.|

She looks to him hopefully
Sereia: Chiron. If the gods and Olympus and all that are real ...
Chiron: Yes, child?
Sereia: Does that mean the Underworld is real, too?
Chiron's expression darkened.
Chiron: Yes, child.
He pauses and looks at her carefully.
Chiron: There is a place where spirits go after death. But for now. until we know more ... I would urge you to put that out of your mind.
She looks confused
Sereia: What do you mean, "until we know more"?
Chiron: Come, Sereia. Let's see the woods.
They continue walking to the woods.

Sereia grumbles under her breath angrily while glaring at Chiron on the screen.

|Sereia: As we got closer, I realized how huge the forest was. It took up at least a quarter of the valley, with trees so tall and thick, you could imagine nobody had been in there since the Native Americans.|

Chiron: The woods are stocked, if you care to try your luck, but go armed
Sereia: Stocked with what? Armed with what?
Chiron: You'll see. Capture the flag is Friday night. Do you have your own sword and shield?
Sereia: My own -
Chiron: No. I don't suppose you do. I think a size five will do. I'll visit the armoury later.
He walks away and Sereia slowly follows him.