Ara's doing her best, but Leo's not listening, he's just trying to remember where he's seen Ara before.
"Do I get a sword?" He interrupts her as soon as they walk past the arena.
"Your cabin makes its own weapons."
"My cabin? You mean Vulcan's?" He smirks.
"Hephaestus," Ara replies plainly, Leo wonders if she's capable of smiling.
"Festus?" He tries again. "Sounds like the god of cowboys."
"Hephaestus. God of blacksmiths and fire and all that stuff Annabeth said," Ara repeats absently.
Leo makes a face, he's thinking of the term "God of fire", but Ara doesn't know that. "So the flaming hammer over my head—Good thing or bad thing?"
"Normal thing," she shrugs. "Everyone gets claimed as soon as they get here..." She glances in the direction of the forest.
***
Percy doesn't look at me like I'm a hindrance, he needs a friend, and I want one, so there is understanding between us. Also, I'm very low maintenance so he appreciates the simple company. I'm weaving with the naiads while Percy and Grover talk beside me.
"How was your conversation with Mr. D?"
"Fine," Grover pouts. "Just great."
"So your career's still on track?"
The satyr yelps. "Chiron t-told you I want a searcher's licence?"
"Well... no. He just said you had big plans, you know... and that you needed credit for completing a keeper's assignment. So did you get it?"
"Mr. D suspended judgement. He said I hadn't failed or succeeded with you yet, so our fates were still tied together. If you got a quest and I went along to protect you, and we both came back alive, then maybe he'd consider the job complete."
"Well, that's not so bad, right?"
"Blaa-ha-ha! He might as well have transferred me to stable-cleaning duty. The chances of you getting a quest... and even if you did, why would you want me along?"
"Of course I'd want you along!"
"What about me?" I ask distractedly.
"I don't see why not," Percy grins.
***
"Ara?"
She gives a start. "Whatcha say?"
"That dude from a while ago... he mentioned a curse."
Ara dismisses it with annoyance. "Cabin nine's fine, their old counselor passed away and—"
"What? Like, painfully?" Leo asks in worry.
"There was a war," she answers briefly. "Don't ask."
"Why are you giving me the tour?" He proceeds quickly, too curious to think about one thing for more than just a few seconds. "Are we siblings?"
"No, that would've made things easier in the past..." She makes a face.
"Which one's your cabin, then? That thing Annabeth called you... What was it? Daughter of—"
"Olympus," Ara sighs tiredly. "It's a long story."
Leo's getting tired of her ambiguity. "Alright. Whatever. But you have divine blood, right?"
"Yeah," Ara admits. "But don't dwell on it too much, it's nothing special."
***
"Chiron said you thought I might be something special."
I open my mouth to speak, but Grover shuts me up. I look at him in annoyance, being the guardian of a demigod as powerful as Percy is a great opportunity for a satyr like him! Why doesn't he want Percy to know?
"Listen, don't think like that," he replies. "If you were—you know—you'd never ever be allowed a quest, and I'd never get my licence. You're probably a child of Hermes. Or maybe even one of the minor gods, like Nemesis, the god of revenge. Don't worry, okay?"
Percy nudges my leg once Grover leaves. "You were about to say something."
I don't want him to get angry... but also, children of the big three never get happy endings. Percy's destined to fight for his life until he yields. That sucks. I won't be the one to break it to him.
"I had a satyr," I say quietly. "And I'm nothing special. Don't worry."
***
"That old lady..." the boy tenses. "What's she doing here?"
Ara freezes, her voice comes out frightened. "You see her too?"
Leo notices her reaction and gets even more nervous. "She's not supposed to be here... right?"
"Listen... you see something like that, you walk away. Nothing good comes from old ladies," Ara pushes him forward by the shoulder.
Leo pulls out pipe cleaners from the pocket of his army jacket and starts playing with them. "Do you know who that was, though?"
"No," she wraps Nico's jacket tighter around herself, the camp doesn't let winter in, but she's feeling a chill. "Let's go to your cabin."
"Alright," he tries to keep up the lively tone in his voice. "I'm in the mood for a good curse."
The last time she saw weird things at camp, was during Percy's first arrival. Ara keeps throwing nervous glances at Leo, she can't shake the feeling that he's got something to do with it.
He whistles lowly as cabin nine comes into view. "They got a steampunk theme going on, huh?"
Ara looks at her old cabin wistfully. "Yours is one of my favorites, but you didn't hear it from me."
Leo's eyes brighten a little as he continues to look, then he shakes his head, and his expression hardens for a moment. Ara considers checking on him, but if a person doesn't want to talk about their feelings, she should respect that.
***
The rest of the campers avoid Percy after he gets claimed, I approach him and greet him like always, but he glares at me. "You're still talking to me?"
I stop halfway, and my smile falters. "I'll stop if you want."
Percy stops. "I didn't mean... everyone's acting like a jerk."
"Yes. It's not good..." My eyes widen a little as I reply. "Annabeth thinks her quest has to do with you."
"Yeah, I heard," he sizes me up. "Hey... wanna train with me?"
"Aren't you training with Luke?"
"I could use a five-minute break in between. Only if you want though, I know you don't like swords."
"I like them plenty," I frown. "But I'm too small for the ones we have here, or that's what everyone says when I pick one up..."
"How will you get better if you don't train?" Percy offers the handle of his sword to me. "Try it."
My fingers brush his knuckles as I reach for the weapon, and my heart shrinks with an unpleasant feeling. Most of the time, I have to focus to feel stuff, but Percy's grief is lethal if I can sense it by merely grazing his skin.
"I'll train with you," I swallow the lump in my throat.
He doesn't like my reaction. "If it scares you—"
I hug him, the grief suffocating me even more. "I want to help."
Silena has grown protective of me since I told her I had this power. She says is "Empath's touch". I can feel other people's feelings and I can take parts of them to lessen the intensity. That's okay with me, no one should go through stuff alone.
"Can I ask you something? Promise to keep it a secret?" Percy inquires as I step away. "Is it normal for a demigod... to have weird dreams?"
"They're not dreams," I reply. "They're messages someone's sending you."
"Does everyone have them?"
I shrug. "Lots of campers have them, it's normal."
"You had any?"
I tilt my head. "They don't mean anything."
Percy frowns. "Fine..."
"I mean," I continue, "my dreams... it doesn't make sense to anyone, but I know I'm right. My dreams are memories. From my past lives."
"Wait, so..." he blinks. "You have reborn?"
"I shouldn't be able to remember," I admit. "Don't tell anybody, please."
He offers his pinky and I link it with my own. "You remember who you were and everything?"
I shake my head. "Not really. I just see bits of stuff..."
"That's interesting," Percy says as we reach the arena. "If you discover what that's about, do tell me."
"If you have funny dreams you'd like to share I'm here, and I like gossip."
He pats my shoulder and then spots Luke, he hesitates. "You sure you wanna stay?"
I pat his hand. "I won't leave you."
***
"A weed whacker?" Leo approaches the nearest wall. "What's the god of fire want with a weed whacker?"
"You'd be surprised," a boy in a full-body cast appears on a bunk bed. "I'm Jake Mason. I'd shake your hand, but..."
"Yeah, don't get up."
"Hi, Jack-Jack," the girl gives him half a smile. "You look great."
"Shut up, Ara," Jake groans, then looks at Leo. "Welcome to Cabin Nine, been almost a year since we had any new kids. I'm head counselor for now."
"For now?"
Jake ignores his question and speaks to Ara. "I hope this isn't taking too much of your time..."
"You know I'm here to help," she shrugs it off. "Where's everybody?"
"Forges. They're working on... you know, our problem."
Ara's smile goes away instantly. She clears her throat. "Right. I'll check on them in a moment. You got a bed for Leo?"
Jake eyes the boy carefully. "You believe in curses, Leo? Or ghosts?"
"Ghosts? Pfft. Nah. I'm cool. A storm spirit chucked me down the Grand Canyon this morning, but you know, all in a day's work, right?"
Jake nods, missing Leo's joke entirely. Hephaestus kids don't have the quickest wits when it comes to humor. "That's good. Because I'll give you the best bed in the cabin: Beckendorf's."
Ara's breath catches in her throat, and her voice comes out slightly squeaky. "Are you sure?"
"Bunk 1-A, please."
The bed rises up from under the floor, and Leo jumps onto it happily. Ara feels a little insulted, but she bites her tongue. "I can handle this."
"It retracts into a private room below," Jake adds.
"Oh, heck, yes," he grins. "See y'all. I'll be down in the Leo Cave. Which button do I press?" He gives her a playful look. "Wanna join me?"
Her face twists in disgust, but Leo is used to girls looking at him that way, so he's not bothered in the least, if anything, it only makes him want to annoy her further. Jake clears his throat, wanting to save his new brother from Ara. "Well, Leo, if you don't mind sleeping in a dead man's bed, it's yours."
The boy sits up abruptly. "The counselor who died... this was his bed?"
"Yeah, Charles Beckendorf."
"He didn't, like, die in this bed, did he?"
"No. In the Titan War, last summer."
Ara feels exhausted every time someone mentions the war. Lately, her life's been plagued with losses, and remembering takes so much energy from her... she recalls every little detail, all the moments that led to this moment, and studies them in her head one by one. She can't stop.
"The Titan War," Leo's eyes are on her, "which has nothing to do with this very fine bed?"
"You'll be safe and comfy there," Ara replies numbly. "Kronos killed half of our campers during the battle, but we didn't fight him here—"
"I'm guessing this wasn't on the news?"
Ara frowns, intrigued by his ignorance. "Were you, Jason, and Piper together this whole time?"
"Er... no," he answers. "No, I was er... on the run, I guess. I met Jason and Piper like, a few months ago. Last August."
"When the war ended," Ara's brows furrow even more.
"You were lucky to miss it," Jake says. "The thing is, Beckendorf was one of the first casualties, and ever since then—"
"Your cabin's been cursed," Leo guesses.
"That's what they think," Ara intervenes. "But I've been working this whole time—"
"Jackson, you're the only one getting things done," Jake snorts and looks back at Leo. "She's the gods' favored one. Ara doesn't know how it is for us, regular campers."
She's never liked being pushed aside, it used to happen because she was good for nothing, but now it's happening because she's too much of everything. She doesn't know how to change that.
Ara looks around the cabin while the boys talk, and after the counselor closes his bed curtains, Leo is ready to pick up their conversation. "What did Jake mean when he said 'regular campers' as if you're not one of them?"
"'Cause I'm the Strategus, remember? But I don't feel different, I'm the same girl I was five months ago..." She leaves the cabin with Leo following close. "You want to know what happened?"
The boy smirks, happy to finally get some answers. "I'm listening."
***
"I knew almost as soon as I saw you," I nudge Percy's arm. "Who your dad was."
He keeps his eyes ahead, he's wet and grumpy. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"I didn't want to scare you. But I could tell 'cause you smell like the sea," he sniffs his armpit, but the rain makes it impossible to distinguish. "Anyway, this is nice."
"How is any of this nice?" He scowls.
"Well, I don't do much at camp, and it's been years since I was out..."
"That thing you did on the bus," he replies, referring to what I did to the furies. "What was that?"
"Charmspeak. I convince people to do things."
"Do all Aphrodite kids have it?"
"A few," I answer. "Some can change their appearance at will, some are good at pairing up people—but Silena doesn't like doing that, the real matchmakers are rare—others can sense people's feelings. I have that too."
"Like a satyr?"
"Yeah, but I have to touch you in order to feel anything, Grover can do it without contact."
"So you have charmspeak, and you feel other people's feelings," Percy recounts. "Anything else I should be careful with around you?"
I grin. "Nah, I'm not dangerous."
***
"So Beckendorf was popular around here?"
"He was a veteran, so we all sorta looked up to him. Jake became a counselor after we lost him, and he doesn't like it. Lots of kids had to take leadership positions without warning during the war, it was hard on all of us."
"So that's what happened to you?"
"No, I got my title after the war ended. I don't have a cabin. I chose..."
"You chose what?"
"To be of use."
***
"Percy's being reckless, you don't want to be like that."
"He's allowed to be angry!" I whisper in annoyance.
Annabeth scowls. "Don't be like Percy. He's dumb and impulsive."
"So am I. Impulsive I mean, not—"
"But you're..." my friend stops before completing her sentence, but I know what she was about to say. Not strong.
I sigh and shake my head. "I won't do anything stupid, don't worry."
***
"What's the problem Jake mentioned?" Leo continues, he's alright when he's not trying to be funny.
Ara makes a face. "After the war, their creations started to malfunction. A year ago I convinced Beck to rescue your cabin's most impressive—Oh, here we are! The forges."
Her old friends salute her, then all eyes land on Leo. "Hey," she greets them. "Got you a new brother. This is Leo... er..."
"Valdez," he scans the group, new campers are always surprised to find out they're not the only children of their godly parent.
Everyone approaches to say hi, Ara looks at them proudly, most of them are kept to themselves, but they're all sweet. She notices their injuries and her guilt increases.
"Well, all right!" Leo raises his voice. "I hear this is the party cabin!"
There is no reaction to his comment. Ara has to bite her lip to not chuckle out of pity. "Right," she clears her throat. "You think you can take care of him, Nyssa?"
"I got it," the girl steps forward.
"Cool," Leo eyes her reluctantly. "I always wanted a sister who could beat me up." Ara snorts, and he perks up at the sound. "There we go!"
"Thank the gods!" A boy cheers sarcastically. "I was starting to think she got switched with a robot..."
"Hey, show respect to your General!" They hear a loud thud.
"Ouch! She was our friend first, wasn't she? We can tease her a little!" The boy complains.
"And at heart, she's still little Ara from cabin ten," Nyssa teases her.
"The difference is that now I can kick your ass now if you're not careful," the girl warns her, half-serious.
Nyssa smirks and crosses her arms. "Aphrodites! Always so feisty."
"Aphrodite?" Leo asks in shock. "You're from the Barbie Malibu Cabin?"
Everyone goes back to work and Nyssa whistles lowly, looking away.
"So what if I am?" Ara's expression hardens.
The boy messed up, but he doesn't understand why. "I mean... everyone saying you're... you don't really... oh man, can someone shut me up?"
"Good idea," Ara glances at him coldly before turning away. "Oh, and watch your hands, Leo, it'll suck if you lose a finger on your first week, and most amateurs do. See you, Nyssa."
Leo scowls at her insult. Alright, he messed up, but she's acting like she's this mighty being above human error since they met, and that's getting on his nerves too.
Nyssa looks at them with a smirk. "See you, Birdy! C'mon, joker boy, I'll show you around..."