(Did I do this late because I forgot? Yeah. But we don't talk about that)
Twenty-three
𖤐
We Say Good-bye, sort of
Camp went late that summer. It lasted two more weeks, right up to the start of a new school year, and I have to admit they were the best two weeks of my life.
Of course, Annabeth would kill me if I said anything different, but there was a lot of other great stuff going on too. Grover had taken over the satyr seekers and was sending them out across the world to find unclaimed half-bloods. So far, the gods had kept their promise. New demigods were popping up all over the place—not just in America, but in a lot of other countries as well. I finally had some people to talk to that understood Spanish.
"We can hardly keep up," Grover admitted one afternoon as we were taking a break at the canoe lake. "We're going to need a bigger travel budget, and I could use a hundred more satyrs."
"Yeah, but the satyrs you have are working super hard," I said. "I think they're scared of you."
Grover blushed. "That's silly. I'm not scary."
"You're a lord of the Wild, dude. The chosen one of Pan. A member of the Council of—"
"Stop it!" Grover protested. "You're as bad as Juniper. I think she wants me to run for president next."
He chewed on a tin can as we stared across the pond at the line of new cabins under construction. The U-shape would soon be a complete rectangle, and the demigods had really taken to the new task with gusto.
Nico had some undead builders working on the Hades cabin. Even though he was still the only kid in
it, it was going to look pretty cool: solid obsidian walls with a skull over the door and torches that burned
with green fire twenty-four hours a day. Next to that were the cabins of Iris, Nemesis, Hecate, and several
others I didn't recognize. They kept adding new ones to the blueprints every day. It was going so well,
Annabeth and Chiron were talking about adding an entirely new wing of cabins just so they could have enough room.
The Hermes cabin was a lot less crowded now, because most of the unclaimed kids had received signs from their godly parents. It happened almost every night, and every night more demigods straggled over the property line with the satyr guides, usually with some nasty monsters pursuing them, but almost all of them made it through.
"It's going to be a lot different next summer," I said. "Chiron's expecting we'll have twice as many campers."
"Yeah," Grover agreed, "but it'll be the same old place."
He sighed contentedly.
I watched as Tyson led a group of Cyclops builders. They were hoisting huge stones in place for the Hecate cabin, and I knew it was a delicate job. Each stone was engraved with magical writing, and if they dropped one, it would either explode or turn everyone within half a mile into a tree. I figured nobody but Grover would like that.
"I'll be traveling a lot," Grover warned, "between protecting nature and finding half-bloods. I may not see you as much."
"Won't change anything," I said. "You're still my friend."
He grinned. "Let me guess, Annabeth still takes first place."
"That's different."
"Yeah," he agreed. "It sure is."
In the late afternoon, I was taking one last walk along the woods when a familiar voice said, "The forest feels stronger. Tell your friend Grover he made a good job."
I looked back and spotted my mother leaning her shoulder against a tree. A twelve year-old girl standing at max five feet three. How could she be my mother, I didn't really think about that. She wore a different clothing since last time I saw her in this form, but I could still recognize her. She wore a white cropped top with a black moon in the middle, a pair of black boots and brown pants. She had golden round glasses on her eyes, which was a different sight to see.
"Hello, mother," I greeted politely. "What brings you here?"
Artemis rolled her eyes. "No need to be so formal, Little Bear."
I shrugged. "What? Should I call you madre? Ma?"
She smiled. "Madre feels good to hear."
I nodded. "But really, why are you here?"
She winked. "Didn't get the chance to talk to you in Olympus. Figured I would come personally."
I folded my arms. "That's convenient. I've been meaning to ask you something."
Artemis frowned. "What?"
"My father. Who is he? You never talked about him, and I grew my whole life with an orphanage and adopted parents."
She hesitated with a bitter look on her face. "I–..."
"You won't talk about that, will you?"
Artemis sighed. "Camilla."
I started at her. "What?"
"Camilla."
"Yeah, I heard the first time," I said. "Who's Camilla?"
"You asked about your father. You don't have one, you have Camilla. And me."
I blinked and opened my mouth, but nothing came to mind to say.
"Argentina. That's why you know Spanish, she used to teach you Spanish when you were little. I guess you can't really remember her."
"I–... I have a mother from Argentina?"
"Oh, the most beautiful mother," her lips trembled and her voice shivered. "You have her eyes ... her beautiful eyes that always made me melt. She was the most noble human I've met in a while."
"I didn't know gods had children–"
"With humans that same sex? It happens," she shrugged.
"Why don't I remember her?" I frowned.
"You were just four when she ... went away. You just needed a place to stay. The orphanage, it was the only place I could trust with you."
"So ... Camilla “went away” and left me alone, without anyone?"
"I–... could we talk about this later?"
I realized Artemis looked like she was about to cry. I gulped down dryly. "Yeah. Sure."
"I'll see you around, Little Bear."
And with that, she disappeared in a breeze of eucalyptus and flowers.
That evening was the last night of camp—the bead ceremony. The Hephaestus cabin had designed the bead this year. It showed the Empire State Building, and etched in tiny Greek letters, spiraling around the image, were the names of all the heroes who had died defending Olympus. There were too many names, but I was proud to wear the bead. I put it on my camp necklace—four beads now. I felt like an old-timer. I thought about the first campfire I'd ever attended, back when I was twelve, and how I'd felt so at home. That at least hadn't changed.
"Never forget this summer!" Chiron told us. He had healed remarkably well, but he still trotted in front of the fire with a slight limp. "We have discovered bravery and friendship and courage this summer. We have upheld the honor of the camp."
He smiled at me, and everybody cheered. As I looked at the fire, I saw a little girl in a brown dress tending the flames. She winked at me with red glowing eyes. No one else seemed to notice her, but I realized maybe she preferred it that way.
"And now," Chiron said, "early to bed! Remember, you must vacate your cabins by noon tomorrow unless you've made arrangements to stay the year with us. The cleaning harpies will eat any stragglers, and I'd hate to end the summer on a sour note!"
The next morning, Annabeth and I stood at the top of Half-Blood Hill. We watched the buses and vans pull away, taking most of the campers back to the real world. A few old-timers would be staying behind, and a few of the newcomers, but I was heading back to Goode High School for my sophomore year with Percy.
"Good-bye," Rachel said to us as she shouldered her bag. She looked pretty nervous, but she was keeping a promise to her father and attending Clarion Academy in New Hampshire. It would be next summer before we got our Oracle back.
"You'll do great." Annabeth hugged her. Funny, she seemed to get along fine with Rachel these days.
Rachel bit her lip. "I hope you're right. I'm a little worried. What if somebody asks what's on the next math test and I start spouting a prophecy in the middle of geometry class? The Pythagorean theorem shall be problem two ... Gods, that would be embarrassing."
Annabeth laughed, and to my relief, it made Rachel smile.
"Well," she said, "you two be good to each other." Go figure, but she looked at me like I was some kind of troublemaker. Before I could protest, Rachel wished us well and ran down the hill to catch her ride.
Annabeth, thank goodness, would be staying in New York. She'd gotten permission from her parents to attend a boarding school in the city so she could be close to Olympus and oversee the rebuilding efforts.
"And close to me?" I asked.
"Well, someone's got a big sense of his own importance." But she laced her fingers through mine. I remembered what she'd told me in New York, about building something permanent, and I thought—just maybe—we were off to a good start.
The guard dragon Peleus curled contentedly around the pine tree underneath the Golden Fleece and began to snore, blowing steam with every breath.
"You've been thinking about Rachel's prophecy?" I asked Annabeth.
She frowned. "How did you know?"
"Because I know you."
She bumped me with her shoulder. "Okay, so I have. Eight half-bloods shall answer the call. I wonder who they'll be. We're going to have so many new faces next summer."
"Yep," I agreed. "And all that stuff about the world falling in storm or fire."
She pursed her lips. "And foes at the Doors of Death. I don't know, (y/n), but I don't like it. I thought ... well, maybe we'd get some peace for a change."
"Wouldn't be Camp Half-Blood if it was peaceful," I said.
"I guess you're right ... Or maybe the prophecy won't happen for years."
"Could be a problem for another generation of demigods," I agreed. "Then we can kick back and enjoy."
She nodded, though she still seemed uneasy. I didn't blame her, but it was hard to feel too upset on a nice day, with her next to me, knowing that I wasn't really saying good-bye. We had lots of time.
"Race you to the road?" I said.
"You are so going to lose." She took off down Half-Blood Hill and I sprinted after her.
For once, I didn't look back.