It was three years since they had reached camp. Three years since Luke had sacrificed himself for them.
She sighed. Of course it also meant that it was one year until the great prophecy was said to happen.
Clear blue skies, the smell of fresh strawberries in the air; everything was perfect. Well as close it could be for a demigod anyway.
Thalia hummed to herself sitting under Luke's pine. She didn't visit often. Not because she didn't want to but every time she tried she found herself so angry. Angry at her dad (because seriously what kind of solution was turning him into a tree?), angry at camp (because before the magical barrier formed was there even any kind of real protection going on?), and mad at herself.
Because if she had been just a bit stronger. A bit faster. A bit more powerful-
She could almost feel the electricity charging in the air and took a breath to calm herself. Over the years it had gotten better but this was the reason her visits were still limited.
Annabeth was teaching other campers ancient Greek. She had only just turned eleven yet she was already co-counsellor of the Athena cabin and viewed as one of the best teachers in camp.
She was glad Annabeth had settled in so nicely and she told Luke so.
"You would be so proud of her. I've made friends too though don't worry. There's a girl called Sophie who's an Athena kid like Annabeth. Super smart and official head counsellor. I helped her apply to some colleges."
Her help mostly consisted of laying on the floor and marvelling at the forgeries of school documents. In her defence she hadn't done official schooling since grade two and back then she was pretty sure her teacher was some sort of monster because she had hated Thalia way too much for an ordinary mortal.
"You know I think if the strawberry farm ever stopped making money we could make some decent cash from forging documents." She mused.
"There's also this kid from the Hephaestus cabin called Miguel. He's two years younger than me and he tried to help me make a sword."
It ended up crooked and she had let him melt it down for scraps.
"It didn't work." She huffed. "Problem is most of the people my age aren't year rounders."
That or they're dead. She didn't say the last part in order not to bring down the mood.
"Anyway Chiron says he wants to tell me about the prophecy or whatever."
She played with Aegis, fidgeting with the contraption.
"The great prophecy. It's apparently why the big three swore to never have kids and should tell me why Hades got so pissed that Zeus broke the rules."
As usual there was no answer.
"Annabeth misses you. And so do I." As usual the tree gave no response.
Thalia didn't open her eyes. It was a dream. It had to have been. One big horrible nightmare where Luke had died right in front of her eyes.
She cracked an eye open allowing a golden light to shine through.
"Where am I?" Her voice was hoarse.
"Camp." Grover's voice was soft. "You remember?"
Damn it. Yes she remembered.
She propped up an arm to push herself up. "Where's Annabeth?"
"Right there." He pointed to her left. "But please don't move too much. Dahlia will kill me if you hurt yourself."
She ignored him, pushing herself up. Almost immediately she was assaulted by a piercing headache.
"Here." Grover handed her a bowl of Ambrosia with the texture of a thick pudding. It tasted like cheeseburgers. More specifically from Chony's cheeseburgers which was where she and Luke had stolen food from during their first few weeks together.
She was pretty sure it had been shut down due to money laundering.
She spooned the heavenly food into her mouth feeling her pain slowly subside and the energy return to her limbs. The downside of having her physical wounds lessen was that it made her brain focus on her emotional ones.
At the end of her bed Grover looked as miserable as she felt and she decided to focus on that rather than her own pain. "Are they giving you that searcher's license?"
He picked his fingers nervously. "Yes. But I'm not going just yet. I want to make sure you and Annabeth are... ok."
Ok? In what world were things going to be ok? She felt a flash of anger. Maybe if he hadn't been so impatient to get his searcher's licence he wouldn't have lead them astray so many times. They wouldn't have even been in this situation if it weren't for him.
Almost as soon as her anger rose it faded leaving her with immense guilt for even thinking of blaming him. It wasn't his fault. He had done his best. She should've been the one to stay back. To fight.
She set down the bowl which Grover watched like he was worried it might explode. Considering what nectar and ambrosia could do to mortals she wasn't surprised.
On the bed beside her Annabeth was asleep. A lock of blonde hair had made its way across her open mouth and her leg was propped up in a cast.
She opened her mouth to wake her up but thought better of it. It had been a rough few days. The poor girl deserved her rest. She wasn't sure if Annabeth already knew or if she would have to break the news of Luke's death herself.
No matter which one it was she wanted to freshen up first. She was still wearing her tattered clothes that hadn't been washed in days.
"Is there a bathroom I could use? And a place I could get new clothes?"
Grover jumped up. "Of course! I'll be right back."
She made her way outside as he sprinted down the lawn into the distance.
Camp. She didn't get a good look at it when she had first run through. It was almost disgustingly beautiful. After all the horrors she had faced this place had been here all along?
After a few minutes, Grover returned heaving under a mountain of clothing. "I wasn't sure of your size so I got everything we had."
Poor satyr. Grover probably thought she was mad at him for the Luke situation. It was a fair assumption but he had done his best.
In the end it was her fault. The monsters had been after her. Because Zeus (Thanks a lot dad) decided to break an oath he put in place fifty or something odd years ago.
She went into the adjoining bathroom and pulled on the shirt from the top of the pile. It hung loosely over her thin frame. She frowned critically. She and Luke had made a pact that if they were low on food to give it all to Annabeth.
She hadn't eaten in days and it had shown.
"Is there anything to eat?" She asked reentering what she assumed was the infirmary. She wasn't really hungry despite her famished appearance but she was hoping her request would give her a couple minutes of alone time.
"Yes. Here!" Grover jumped reaching for his pockets before handing her a crushed aluminium can.
She looked at it and then back at him.
"Oh!" He flushed. "Sorry I'll- just wait here."
He scampered off leaving her once again.
She rest her head in her hands willing any tears that were present to show themselves now but her eyes remained dry. Through the pain she could only think about one thing.
Luke was dead.
Her reminiscing was rudely interrupted by a pinecone falling on her head.
"Hey!" She glared at the tree, realising the sun was much higher than she thought it was.
Crap. Time to hear about the prophecy that ruined her life.
She strode down the hill to the big house where Chiron was tapping his hoof either from impatience or apprehension. Based on past experiences she guessed the latter.
"Ready to give me the world ending prophecy?"
Chiron frowned. "I'm afraid there may be a short delay in the Prophecy reveal."
"Then what are we here for?"
"Camp has a visitor who wished to speak with you before their presence was announced." He moved to reveal a girl. A girl with wearing a familiar silver circlet and a haughtier than thou expression permanently plastered on her face.
She could have face palmed then and there. Of all people.
"Zoe?" She practically spat. "What are you doing here?"
"Thou is displeased with my arrival." Zoe noted as if it was some sort of mysterious secret she discovered.
"Thou is... You're damn right I am. What in the Hades are you doing here?" She turned to Chiron. "What is she doing here?"
"Lady Artemis wishes to make an offer." Zoe said primly. "The hunters will be arriving tomorrow. We were to inform thee," She gestured to Chiron. " That campers that wished to... take a different route than camp would be given the opportunity."
"Ok." She still didn't see where she fit into this.
"We reached out a few months ago to your comrade. The first time we met she was too young to join the hunt but perhaps now she has seen reason and reconsidered the proposal." Zoe superior expression lessened slightly.
"Great. What does that have to- Wait. Are you talking about Annabeth?" Thalia could feel the buzz of electricity at her fingertips. How dare they?
Zoe nodded slowly, hand nearing her weapon. "Do not fault us for her decision. It is due to courtesy-"
"Shut up." She snapped storming out. Where the hell was Annabeth?
The nerve of those hunters. Artemis wasn't so bad but the hunters went around thinking they were so amazing just because they swore off men. And Zoe... She pranced around wearing some dumb circlet thinking that it somehow meant she was better than everyone and permitted her to say whatever she wanted.
The young daughter of Athena was sequestered away in her cabin a ridiculously large book open in front of her. She didn't even look up upon Thalia's arrival.
"Annabeth." No answer.
"Annabeth."
She finally looked up, face instantly breaking into a wide grin. "What-"
Her smile faltered.
"What's wrong?"
"Why did you call the hunters?" She demanded. "Is this camp not enough for you anymore?" Am I not enough for you anymore? After everything Annabeth was going to leave to frolic off with them?
"I didn't call them." She protested. "They called me. And I haven't agreed yet or anything."
"Then why are they here? Clearly they think you'll say yes."
She was silent.
"Annabeth."
"I'm sorry! But hear me out." Annabeth swung her legs looking abashed and she took a breath to calm herself. "It's impossible to gain infinite knowledge. The closest thing would be to read every book, and to see every monument ever built and will be built and-"
"And you could do that if you were immortal." Thalia finished. "That's where you were going with this right?"
She sighed. She should have guessed immortality would have been appealing to the daughter of Athena in that way. It was appealing to her too. Immortality. At least if it weren't with those stuck up, prissy hunters the entire time.
"It's fine. I would be completely fine with if you went because you are your own person and can make these decisions yourself." She seethed through gritted teeth trying to force truth into her words.
Annabeth nodded, brows raised and very obviously not believing her.
"It's fine."
"Ok." Annabeth agreed. "You're fine with it."
"Because I am."
"Yep."
"You don't believe me."
"No." If it had been anyone else but her, Thalia would have been extremely irritated. "But just promise me one thing?"
"What?"
"Give them a chance?"
If she didn't agree it would make her look very unreasonable. Of course most arguments with Annabeth ended in this way.
"I'll give them a chance." She agreed. And who knows? Maybe the hunters would prove her wrong and had finally changed after gods knows how many years.