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𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 to noticed Annabeth's heart wasn't on the tour. She talked about all the amazing stuff the camp offered—magic archery, pegasus riding, the lava wall, fighting monsters —but showed no excitement.
Iliya tried to helped with pointed out the open-air dining pavilion that overlooked Long Island Sound. She explained how Camp Half-Blood was mostly a summer camp, but some kids stayed here year-round, and they'd added so many campers it was always crowded now, even in winter.
As they climbed a hill at the edge of camp, Iliya smile when she saw an amazing view of the valley—a big stretch of woods to the northwest, a beautiful beach, the creek, the canoe lake, lush green fields, and the whole layout of the cabins.
"The valley is protected from mortal eyes," Annabeth said. "As you can see, the weather is controlled, too. Each cabin represents a Greek god—a place for that god's children to live."
Iliya and Annabeth went silence and looked at Piper. "You're saying Mom was a goddess." Piper realize and Iliya smile. Annabeth nodded. "You're taking this awfully calmly."
Piper took a breath. "I guess after this morning, it's a little easier to believe. So who's my mom?"
"We should know soon," Iliya answer. "You're what—fifteen? Gods are supposed to claim you when you're thirteen. That was the deal."
Piper frowned as confused. "The deal?"
"They made a promise last summer ... well, long story... but they promised not to ignore their demigod children anymore, to claim them by the time they turn thirteen. Sometimes it takes a little longer, but you saw how fast Leo was claimed once he got here. Should happen for you soon. Tonight at the campfire, I bet we'll get a sign."
"Why thirteen?"
"The older you get," Iliya said, "the more monsters notice you, try to kill you. 'Round thirteen is usually when it starts. That's why we send protectors into the schools to find you guys, get you to camp before it's too late."
"Like Coach Hedge?"
Annabeth nodded. "He's—he was a satyr: half man, half goat. Satyrs work for the camp, finding demigods, protecting them, bringing them in when the time is right."
"What happened to him? When we went up into the clouds, did he ... is he gone for good?" Piper asked.
Iliya sighed. "Hard to say." Her expression was pained. "Storm spirits ... difficult to battle. Even our best weapons, Celestial bronze, will pass right through them unless you can catch them by surprise."
"Jason's sword just turned them to dust."
Annabeth answer. "He was lucky, then. If you hit a monster just right, you can dissolve them, send their essence back to Tartarus."
"Tartarus?"
"A huge abyss in the Underworld, where the worst monsters come from. Kind of like a bottomless pit of evil. Anyway, once monsters dissolve, it usually takes months, even years before they can re-form again. But since this storm spirit Dylan got away—well, I don't know why he'd keep Hedge alive. Hedge was a protector, though. He knew the risks. Satyrs don't have mortal souls. He'll be reincarnated as a tree or a flower or something."
Unintentional, Iliya felt Piper's emotions ━ hopeless although she didn't know what's cause. So Iliya place her hand over Piper's shoulder and rubbing, comfortable then speak. "It'll be okay, You have friends here. I promise, we've all been through a lot of weird stuff. We know what you're going through."
"I've been kicked out of five different schools the past five years, My dad's running out of places to put me." So Piper begun.
"Only five?" Annabeth said, joking. "Piper, we've all been labeled troublemakers. I ran away from home when I was seven." Piper's eyes wide. "Seriously?"
"Oh, yeah. Most of us are diagnosed with attention deficit disorder or dyslexia, or both—""Leo's ADHD," Piper said.
"Right. It's because we're hardwired for battle. Restless, impulsive—we don't fit in with regular kids. You should hear how much trouble Percy—" Annabeth stopped, with realizing he wasn't here to share his stories. "Anyway, demigods get a bad rep. How'd you get in trouble?"
Piper hesitate. "I steal stuff," she started. "Well, not really steal ..."
"Is your family poor?" Iliya frowned.
Piper laughed bitterly. "Not even. I did it ... I don't know why. For attention, I guess. My dad never had time for me unless I got in trouble."
Annabeth nodded. "I can relate. But you said you didn't really steal? What do you mean?"
"Well ... nobody ever believes me. The police, teachers—even the people I took stuff from: they're so embarrassed, they'll deny what happened. But the truth is, I don't steal anything. I just ask people for things. And they give me stuff. Even a BMW convertible. I just asked. And the dealer said, 'Sure. Take it.' Later, he realized what he'd done, I guess. Then the police came after me."
Iliya blink, a pieces of puzzle added, it's sound familiar to her mind controlled ability which Iliya haven't used in ages. "Interesting. If your dad were the god, I'd say you're a child of Hermes, god of thieves. He can be pretty convincing. But your dad is mortal..."
"Very," Piper agreed.
Annabeth shook her head, apparently mystified. "I don't know, then. With luck, your mom will claim you tonight."
Silence happened, then Annabeth start to speak again. "Come on, there's something else I need to check."
They hiked a little farther until they reached a cave near the top of the hill. Bones and old swords littered the ground. Torches flanked the entrance, which was covered in a velvet curtain embroidered with snakes. It looked like the set for some kind of twisted puppet show.
"What's in there?" Piper asked.
Iliya was the one who poked her head inside, then sighed and closed the curtains. "Nothing, right now. A friend's place. I've been expecting her for a few days, but so far, nothing."
"Your friend lives in a cave?"
She almost managed a smile. "Actually, her family has a luxury condo in Queens, and she goes to a finishing school in Connecticut. But when she's here at camp, yeah, she lives in the cave. She's our oracle, tells the future. I was hoping she could help us—"
"Find Percy," Piper guessed.
Suddenly, all the energy drained out. Iliya seat on the near by rock as Annabeth followed and wrap around her shoulder as her head placed on Iliya's shoulder, the girls sighed and Annabeth kisses her brown-haired.
It was a rough three days for them but they're still got each other, until they find Percy, they needed to stay strong and waited.
For a moment, they stayed still until Piper snap them out of their mind. "That's—a dragon," she stammered. "That's the actual Golden Fleece?"
Iliya nodded, but it was clear she wasn't really listening. Her shoulders drooped. "Sorry. A little tired."
"You both look ready to drop," Piper said. "How long have been searching for your guys boyfriend?"
Iliya look up to her and her eyes show tiredness without trying to hide. "About three days, six hours, and about twelve minutes."
"And you've got no idea what happened to him?"
Their head shook miserably as Annabeth answer. "We were so excited because we all started winter break early. We met up at camp on Tuesday, figured we had three weeks together. It was going to be great, Iliya will come on Friday. Then after the campfire, he—he kissed me good night, went back to his cabin, and in the morning, he was gone. We searched the whole camp. We contacted his mom. We've tried to reach him every way we know how. Nothing. He just disappeared."
"How long were you guys together?"
"Since August," Annabeth said. "August eighteenth."
"Almost exactly when I met Jason," Piper said. "But we've only been together a few weeks."
Iliya winced. "Piper ... about that. Maybe you should sit down."
Even without her ability, Iliya could read in Piper's eyes, the feelings of hopeless and panic that show out were so strong until Iliya felt sorry for her. "Look, I know Jason thought—he thought he just appeared at our school today. But that's not true. I've known him for four months."
"Piper," Iliya carefully and slowly speak to her. "It's the Mist." She explained. "Missed ... what?"
"M-i-s-t. It's a kind of veil separating the mortal world from the magic world. Mortal minds—they can't process strange stuff like gods and monsters, so the Mist bends reality. It makes mortals see things in a way they can understand —like their eyes might just skip over this valley completely, or they might look at that dragon and see a pile of cables."
Piper swallowed. "No. You said yourself I'm not a regular mortal. I'm a demigod."
Iliya shook her head. "Even demigods can be affected. I've seen it lots of times. Monsters infiltrate some place like a school, pass themselves off as human, and everyone thinks they remember that person. They believe he's always been around. The Mist can change memories, even create memories of things that never happened—"
"But Jason's not a monster!" Piper insisted. "He's a human guy, or demigod, or whatever you want to call him. My memories aren't fake. They're so real. The time we set Coach Hedge's pants on fire. The time Jason and I watched a meteor shower on the dorm roof and I finally got the stupid guy to kiss me...."
Annabeth pursed her lips. "Piper, your memories are a lot sharper than most. I'll admit that, and I don't know why that is. But if you know him so well—"
"I do!"
"Then where is he from?"
Piper hesitate. "He must have told me, but—"
"Did you ever notice his tattoo before today? Did he ever tell you anything about his parents, or his friends, or his last school?"
"I—I don't know, but—"
Seeing her desperate make Iliya wanted to stop but she knows that truth are always better then a lies. "Piper, what's his last name?" and so finally Piper started to cry. She sat down on the rock next to Iliya, just fell to pieces.
"Hey," Annabeth comfort. "We'll figure it out. Jason's here now. Who knows? Maybe it'll work out with you guys for real." Piper brushed a tear from her cheek. "You brought me up here so no one would see me blubbering, huh?"
"Good questions," Annabeth said. "Hopefully Chiron can figure that out. But for now, we need to get you settled. You ready to go back down?"
After a moment Piper answer. "Yeah, I'm ready."
On the central green, a group of campers was playing basketball. Nothing bounced off the rim. Three-pointers went in automatically.
"Apollo's cabin," Iliya explained. "Bunch of showoffs with missile weapons—arrows, basketballs."
They walked past a central fire pit, where two guys were hacking at each other with swords.
"Real blades?" Piper noted. "Isn't that dangerous?"
"That's sort of the point," Annabeth said. "Uh, sorry. Bad pun. That's my cabin over there. Number Six." She nodded to a gray building with a carved owl over the door. "Speaking of blades," Annabeth said, "come here."
She led Piper around the side of the cabin, to a big metal shed that looked like it was meant for gardening tools. Annabeth unlocked it, the shed was lined with all sorts of weapons—from swords to spears to clubs.
"Every demigod needs a weapon," Annabeth said. "Hephaestus makes the best, but we have a pretty good selection, too. Athena's all about strategy—matching the right weapon to the right person. Let's see ..."
Annabeth handed Piper a massive sword, which she could hardly lift. "No," they all said at once.
Then Annabeth rummaged a little farther in the shed and brought out something else.
"A shotgun?" Piper asked. "Mossberg 500." Annabeth checked the pump action. "Don't worry. It doesn't hurt humans. It's modified to shoot Celestial bronze, so it only kills monsters."
"Um, I don't think that's my style," Piper said. "Mmm, yeah," Annabeth agreed. "Too flashy."
She put the shotgun back and started poking through a rack of crossbows then suddenly Piper speak up. "What is that?" she said. "A knife?"
Annabeth dug it out and blew the dust off the scabbard. It looked like it hadn't seen the light of day in centuries. "I don't know, Piper." Annabeth sounded uneasy. "I don't think you want this one. Swords are usually better."
"You both use a knife." Piper pointed to the one strapped to Annabeth's belt and Iliya's bracelets.
Iliya blinks as she looked at her silvery bracelets. "It's my family heirloom, my father gave to me."
"Yeah." Annabeth shrugged and cut. "Well, take a look if you want."
The sheath was worn black leather, bound in bronze. Nothing fancy, nothing flashy. When Piper unsheathed it, Iliya saw a triangular blade eighteen inches long—bronze gleaming like it had been polished yesterday. The edges were deadly sharp.
"It suits you," Iliya admitted. "That kind of blade is called a parazonium. It was mostly ceremonial, carried by high-ranking officers in the Greek armies. It showed you were a person of power and wealth, but in a fight, it could protect you just fine."
"I like it," Piper said. "Why didn't you think it was right?"
Annabeth exhaled. "That blade has a long story. Most people would be afraid to claim it. Its first owner ... well, things didn't turn out too well for her. Her name was Helen."
"Wait, you mean the Helen? Helen of Troy?" Annabeth nodded. Piper's eyes wide and her face look shock. "And it's just sitting in your toolshed?"
"We're surrounded by Ancient Greek stuff," Annabeth said. "This isn't a museum. Weapons like that—they're meant to be used. They're our heritage as demigods. That was a wedding present from Menelaus, Helen's first husband. She named the dagger Katoptris."
"Meaning?"
"Mirror." Iliya answer. "Looking glass. Probably because that's the only thing Helen used it for. I don't think it's ever seen battle."
Piper looked at the blade for a while, then she suddenly dropped the blade. Iliya got into panic mode immediately. "Piper!" Iliya calls as Annabeth shouted to the Apollo kids on the court, "Medic! I need some help over here!"
"No, it's—it's okay," Piper managed. Iliya frowned. "You sure?"
"Yeah. I just ..." she picked up the dagger. "I just got overwhelmed. So much happening today. But ... I want to keep the dagger, if that's okay."
Annabeth hesitated. Then she waved off the Apollo kids. "Okay, if you're sure. You turned really pale, there. I thought you were having a seizure or something."
"I'm fine, Is there ... um, a phone at camp? Can I call my dad?"
Iliya and Annabeth looking at each other before sighed. "We aren't allowed phones," Annabeth said. "Most demigods, if they use a cell phone, it's like sending up a signal, letting monsters know where you are. But ... I've got one." She slipped it out of her pocket. "Kind of against the rules, but if it can be our secret ..."
Piper took it gratefully, and stepped out from the shed. As soon as Piper's body fade out from Iliya sight, her eyes flashed purple and she let herself out of control for a moment, recently she gotten a strong feelings that effect on her powers too much.
And it's all begun because of Percy's missing.
Iliya's body were circle by thin purple's mist. " скъпа?" Annabeth called and Iliya snapped out immediately, realizing what's she doing. ( darling? )
She blinks a few times before everything went back to normal, Iliya blame herself for almost losing control over her powers. "Sorry, I just....Липсва ми, наистина ми липсва." she whisper. ( I miss him, I really miss him. )
Annabeth pull her into a hug. "I know, I know. I miss him too." Iliya hold back her tears and sink in Annabeth's arm. "I love you, Annabeth." Iliya fondly whisper. "I love you too."
A warm in Annabeth's hug comfort Iliya, a hand of hers that rubbed through Iliya's hair slowly fade stresses away. Iliya pulled out and place her lips against Annabeth's, as a thank you.
Then moment later Piper walked back to Annabeth and handed her the phone."No luck?" Annabeth asked.
Piper didn't answer and they didn't push. Annabeth glanced at the phone display and hesitated. "Your last name is McLean? Sorry, it's not my business. But that sounds really familiar."
"Common name."
"Yeah, I guess. What does your dad do?"
"He's got a degree in the arts," Piper said automatically. "He's a Cherokee artist." But Iliya rise her eyebrow, something familiar about Piper's dad last name and she cannot out finger on it.
"Oh." Annabeth didn't look convinced, but she put the phone away. "You feeling okay? Want to keep going?"
Piper fastened her new dagger to her belt. "Sure," she said. "I want to see everything."
So they keep on going on tour cabins, passed through one by one until they're arrived at cabin Eight, it was entirely silver and glowed like moonlight.
"Artemis?" Piper guessed. Iliya impresses. "You know Greek mythology," she said.
"I did some reading when my dad was working on a project last year." Annabeth frowned. "I thought he did Cherokee art."
Iliya look at Piper, she obvious has a secret didn't want to tell them. "Oh, right. But—you know, he does other stuff too."
"Anyway," Annabeth continued, "Artemis is goddess of the moon, goddess of hunting. But no campers. Artemis was an eternal maiden, so she doesn't have any kids."
"Oh." Iliya smirk. "Well, there are the Hunters of Artemis," she amended. "They visit sometimes. They're not the children of Artemis, but they're her handmaidens—this band of immortal teenage girls who adventure together and hunt monsters and stuff."
Piper perked up. "That sounds cool. They get to be immortal?"
"Unless they die in combat, or break their vows. Did I mention they have to swear off boys? No dating—ever. For eternity."
"Oh," Piper said. "Never mind."
Iliya laugh out, they passed the next cabin, Number Ten, which was decorated like a Barbie house with lace curtains, a pink door, and potted carnations in the windows. They walked by the doorway, and the smell of perfume made Iliya pouting.
Since Silena died, nothing in cabin ten wanted her to get in anymore. "Gah, is that where supermodels go to die?" Piper complain.
Annabeth smirked. "Aphrodite's cabin. Goddess of love. Drew is the head counselor."
"Figures," Piper grumbled. "They're not all bad," Annabeth said. "The last head counselor we had was great."
"What happened to her?"
Iliya's expression become pain as she shook her head and kept ongoing. "We should keep moving." she avoid.
They looked at the other cabins, Iliya has no cabin of her own because her mother is a minor goddess who never had demigod-children before and no one thought she would have one so even after Iliya got claimed, she still live in cabin 11 until today.
"We started with the twelve Olympian gods," Annabeth explained. "Male gods on the left, female on the right. Then last year, we added a whole bunch of new cabins for the other gods who didn't have thrones on Olympus—Hecate, Hades, Iris—"
"What are the two big ones on the end?" Piper asked.
Annabeth frowned. "Zeus and Hera. King and queen of the gods."
Piper headed that way, Iliya and Annabeth followed, the Zeus cabin was white marble with big columns out front and polished bronze doors emblazoned with lightning bolts.
Hera's cabin was smaller but done in the same style, except the doors were carved with peacock feather designs, shimmering in different colors.
Unlike the other cabins, which were all noisy and open and full of activity, the Zeus and Hera cabins looked closed and silent.
"Are they empty?" Piper asked.
Iliya nod. "Zeus went a long time without having any children. Well, mostly. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, the eldest brothers among the gods—they're called the Big Three. Their kids are really powerful, really dangerous. For the last seventy years or so, they tried to avoid having demigod children."
"Tried to avoid it?"
Annabeth bite her lips. "Sometimes they ... um, cheated. we've got a friend, Thalia Grace, who's the daughter of Zeus. But she gave up camp life and became a Hunter of Artemis. Our boyfriend, Percy, he's a son of Poseidon. And there's a kid who shows up sometimes, Nico—son of Hades. Except for them, there are no demigod children of the Big Three gods. At least, not that we know of."
"And Hera?" Piper looked at the peacock-decorated doors.
"Goddess of marriage." Annabeth's tone was carefully controlled. "She doesn't have kids with anyone but Zeus. So, yeah, no demigods. The cabin's just honorary."
"You don't like her," Piper noticed.
"We have a long history," Annabeth admitted. "I thought we'd made peace, but when Percy disappeared ... I got this weird dream vision from her."
"Telling you to come get us," Piper said. "But you thought Percy would be there."
"It's probably better I don't talk about it," Annabeth said. "I've got nothing good to say about Hera right now."
Piper looked down the base of the doors. "So who goes in here?" Iliya frowned. "No one. The cabin is just honorary, like I said. No one goes in."
"Someone does." Piper pointed at a footprint on the dusty threshold. Then she pushed the doors and they swung open easily. Annabeth stepped back. "Um, Piper, I don't think we should—"
"We're supposed to do dangerous stuff, right?" And Piper walked inside.
Hera's cabin was not someplace no one would want to live. It was as cold as a freezer, with a circle of white columns around a central statue of the goddess, ten feet tall, seated on a throne in flowing golden robes.
At the goddess's feet, a fire burned in a bronze brazier. A stone hawk sat on Hera's shoulder, and in her hand was a staff topped with a lotus flower. The goddess's hair was done in black plaits. Her face smiled, but the eyes were cold and calculating, as if she were saying: Mother knows best. Now don't cross me or I will have to step on you.
There was nothing else in the cabin—no beds, no furniture, no bathroom, no windows, nothing that anyone could actually use to live.
Iliya's eyes flash purple and she froze. They weren't alone. Behind the statue, at a little altar in the back, stood a figure covered in a black shawl. Only her hands were visible, palms up. She seemed to be chanting something like a spell or a prayer.
Iliya gasped. "Rachel?"
Rachel turned. She dropped her shawl, revealing a mane of curly red hair and a freckled face she looked about seventeen, a totally normal teen in a green blouse and tattered jeans covered with marker doodles. Despite the cold floor, she was barefoot — Normal Rachel Elizabeth Dare.
"Hey!" She ran to give Annabeth and Iliya a hug. "I'm so sorry! I came as fast as I could."
They talked for a few minutes about Percy and how there was no news, et cetera, until finally Iliya remembered Piper, who was standing there feeling uncomfortable.
"We're being rude," She apologized. "Rachel, this is Piper, one of the half-bloods we rescued today. Piper, this is Rachel Elizabeth Dare, our oracle."
"The friend who lives in the cave," Piper guessed. Rachel grinned. "That's me."
"So you're an oracle?" Piper asked. "You can tell the future?"
"More like the future mugs me from time to time," Rachel said. "I speak prophecies. The oracle's spirit kind of hijacks me every once in a while and speaks important stuff that doesn't make any sense to anybody. But yeah, the prophecies tell the future."
"Oh." Piper shifted from foot to foot. "That's cool."
Rachel laughed. "Don't worry. Everybody finds it a little creepy. Even me. But usually I'm harmless."
"You're a demigod?"
"Nope," Rachel said. "Just mortal."
"Then what are you ..." Piper waved her hand around the room.
Rachel's smile faded. She glanced at Annabeth and Iliya, then back at Piper. "Just a hunch. Something about this cabin and Percy's disappearance. They're connected somehow. I've learned to follow my hunches, especially the last month, since the gods went silent."
"Went silent?" Piper asked.
Rachel frowned at older demigods. "You guys haven't told her yet?"
"We were getting to that," Annabeth said. "Piper, for the last month ... well, it's normal for the gods not to talk to their children very much, but usually we can count on some messages now and then. Some of us can even visit Olympus. I spent practically all semester at the Empire State Building."
"Excuse me?"
Iliya explained. "The entrance to Mount Olympus these days."
"Oh," Piper said. "Sure, why not?"
"Annabeth was redesigning Olympus after it was damaged in the Titan War," Rachel explained. "She's an amazing architect. You should see the salad bar—"
Iliya have a little girn. "Anyway," Annabeth cut Rachel off, "starting about a month ago, Olympus fell silent. The entrance closed, and no one could get in. Nobody knows why. It's like the gods have sealed themselves off. Even my mom won't answer my prayers, and our camp director, Dionysus, was recalled."
"Your camp director was the god of ... wine?"
"Yeah, it's a—"
"Long story," Piper guessed. "Right. Go on."
"That's it, really," Annabeth said. "Demigods still get claimed, but nothing else. No messages. No visits. No sign the gods are even listening. It's like something has happened —something really bad. Then Percy disappeared."
"And Jason showed up on our field trip," Piper supplied. "With no memory."
"Who's Jason?" Rachel asked. "My—" Piper stopped herself then continue. "My friend. But Annabeth, you said Hera sent you a dream vision."
"Right," Annabeth said. "The first communication from a god in a month, and it's Hera, the least helpful goddess, and she contacts me, her least favorite demigod. She tells me I'll find out what happened to Percy if I go to the Grand Canyon skywalk and look for a guy with one shoe. Instead, I find you guys, and the guy with one shoe is Jason. It doesn't make sense."
"Something bad is happening," Rachel agreed. She looked at Piper and Iliya frowned.
"Guys," Piper start to said. "I—I need to—"
Before she could continue, Rachel's body stiffened. Her eyes began to glow with a greenish light, and she grabbed Piper by the shoulders.
Piper tried to back away, but Rachel's hands were like steel clamps.
Free me, she said. But it wasn't Rachel's voice. It sounded like an older woman, speaking from somewhere far away, down a long, echoing pipe. Free me, Piper McLean, or the earth shall swallow us. It must be by the solstice.
Iliya's eye wide, knowing this isn't oracle inside her. Annabeth and her tried to separate Piper from Rachel, but it was no use. Green smoke enveloped them, and both Annabeth and Iliya couldn't see Piper anymore.
Moment of panic passed by in a few minute and a green smoke faded, Piper's knees buckled, with reflex, Iliya can catch her before Piper will fully fall on the ground.
Her brown eyes look at Annabeth, in hurry. "We needed to take her to Chiron." She said. Annabeth nod then they start running through to the big house while Iliya carry Piper in a bride's position.
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