ON THIS SPRING DAY
━━━━━ chapter four
━━━━━ VIOLET STOPPED ARTEMIS outside the goddess's silver tent. The daughter of Eros frowned as Percy stormed past the two, not so much as offering them a second glance. That didn't seem like him, Percy seemed like a decently friendly guy.
"Do not fret, Violet," Artemis said. "The boy only feels as if he lost Bianca despite putting so much on the line for her."
Violet swallowed. "We did put so much on the line for her and Nico. We lost Annabeth for them."
"Do not blame the di Angelos." The goddess's expression was pained. "Annabeth was a brave maiden. She was protecting her friends."
"Is," Violet corrected. "Not 'was'. She didn't die."
"How are you so sure, young one?" Artemis asked. Her eyes pierced through Violate, and the demigod got the feeling she knew something about her that even Violate didn't know.
"I just am. I just know Annabeth is alive," Violet admitted lamely. She sounded crazy. She sounded like she just didn't want to admit the truth to herself.
Artemis nodded solemnly. "Trust your gut. It is a powerful skill to possess."
"And you're serious?" Violet asked, changing the topic suddenly. Her voice sounded more frantic than she meant to sound. "You'll find Annabeth?"
Artemis's silver eyes locked on Violet. "I will do everything to find such a brave maiden," she vowed.
The daughter of Eros stuffed her hands inside the pockets of her jacket. That should've been the end of the conversation but she still had more questions for the goddess.
"Can I ask another question?" she said.
"Of course," said Artemis. "And I will answer to the best of my ability."
"Why ask me?" said Violet. "Why ask me to join your hunt?"
The Goddess of the Hunt sighed, as if reminiscing over something. "It's such a shame your mother denied my request. You are much like her, you know."
Violet's eyes widened. "You asked Mom to join the Hunt? You've met my mom? How?"
"There are mortals that attract the attention of the gods easily. They are eye-catching, like a piece of artwork or a shiny diamond," said Artemis. "And your mother is one of them. She caught my eye for her spirit, and she caught your father's attention for her beauty. She's ... Dahlia has the spirit of a Hunter; she's strong-willed and capable; however, like you and your father, she is in love with love. She would struggle to swear off romantic love with men."
Violet cringed at the topic. Artemis seemed to notice her discomfort, and she smiled.
"But that is all in the past," said the goddess. "I may not agree with Dahlia and her opinions concerning men, but she got one of the greatest gifts from their relationship."
"What? Me?" Violate said, her voice taking on a humorous tone. "She always said I was the best thing to come from him."
"Yes. A daughter with just as much a Hunter's spirit as her mother."
Violet's ears burned. It was one thing to be complimented for your beauty or for your skills in archery, but it was a whole other thing to be complimented by the Goddess of the Hunt for your spirit.
"You asked my mom to join," said Violet, hoping her hair covered her red face. "Did Mom tell you why she told you no?"
"Dahlia wouldn't be able to abide by my oath," said Artemis. "She was in love with the idea of love. She wanted to know what it was like to fall in love. It was a few years later when she met your father—he gave her that opportunity."
"You must've known I would be the same way," said Violet. "You said it yourself; 'You are much like her.'"
Artemis smiled warmly. "I did say that," she agreed. "But I also told you that just because your father is Eros does not mean your life has to be defined by love."
"I know Annabeth got a pamphlet from you when she was younger," Violet recalled. "You had time to ask me when I was going back to Camp, so ... why didn't you?"
"Your father and I have never seen eye-to-eye," Artemis explained. "And your father has gone to extensive lengths to stop me from extending my offer. He disagrees heavily with my oaths."
Violet tried to smile. She hated the topic of her parents. "I guess he'll be happy I didn't join, then."
Artemis left her alone after that, going to oversee how her hunters were doing.
🌷
Artemis assured everyone that dawn was coming, but she couldn't have fooled Violet. It was colder, darker, and snowier than ever. Up on the hill, Westover Hall's windows were completely lightless. Violet wondered if the teachers had even noticed that di Angelos and Dr. Thorn were missing yet. But she knew that she didn't want to be around when they did.
The Hunters broke camp as quickly as they'd set it up. Artemis stared into the east like she was expecting something. Grover, Percy, and Thalia were huddled together, searching for warmth in the cold winter. Bianca sat off to one side, talking with Nico. Violet could tell from his gloomy face that she was explaining her decision to join the Hunt.
After a moment of hesitation, Violet joined the three huddled together. She couldn't forget how angry Percy looked at the news of her and Bianca being offered spots among the Hunters. There was heavy tension between them. Grover was pulling at the end of his shirt, looking close to eating it. Thalia gave Violet a nod, which shocked the daughter of Eros. She figured the girl would be frosty to her considering Violet had thought about taking up the offer and Thalia seems to hate the Hunters. Percy stood there stiffly, his arms crossed over his chest. He had always had a strong 'brooding' expression, but now, it was ten times worse.
Thalia and Grover were anxious to hear what had happened from the two who had been in the tent with Artemis.
When Percy and Violet told them, Grover turned pale. "The last time the Hunters visited Camp, it didn't go well."
"How'd they even show up here?" Percy wondered. "I mean—they just appeared out of nowhere."
"And Violet was offered a spot. Thank the gods you said no, but Bianca joined them," Thalia said, disgusted. "It's all Zoë's fault. That stuck-up, no good—"
Violet shifted her feet nervously. Thalia seemed to have taken her rejection of the offer with glee. What had happened between her and the Hunters to cause that much hatred?
"Who can blame her?" Grover said. "Eternity with Artemis?" He heaved a big sigh.
Thalia rolled her eyes. "You satyrs. You're all in love with Artemis. Don't you get that she'll never love you back?"
"But she's so ... into nature," Grover swooned.
"You're nuts," said Thalia.
"Nuts and berries," Grover said dreamily. "Yeah."
Violet tried to give Percy an amused grin, but he didn't return it. She looked away quickly, pulling her jacket around her tighter. He was still mad about her even being offered a spot, even though she didn't even accept.
Not that it mattered. They had more important problems.
Finally, the sky began to lighten. Artemis muttered, "About time. He's so lazy during the winter."
"You're, um, waiting for sunrise?" Percy asked.
"For my brother. Yes."
Violet eyed the goddess. She didn't want to be rude—especially with how kind Artemis had been to her—but she didn't see how the legends of Apollo driving a sun chariot could be true. She knew about the legends about Apollo—sometimes Helios—driving a sun chariot across the sky, but the sun was about a zillion miles away in the sky. Obviously, Greek myths were true ( her father was one, after all ), but it just seemed impossible for Apollo to be driving the sun.
"It's not exactly as you think," Artemis said, like she was reading Violet's mind.
"Oh." Violet's shoulders loosened. "So what do you mean—?"
There was a sudden burst of light on the horizon. A blast of warmth.
"Don't look," Artemis advised. "Not until he parks."
"Parks?" the daughter of Eros asked aloud.
She averted her eyes, and saw that everyone around her was doing the same. The light and warmth intensified until it felt like her winter coat felt like it was melting off her frame. Then suddenly the light died.
Violet looked. A red convertible Maserati Spyder was sitting right in front of her. It was literally glowing because the red metal was so hot. The snow had melted around the Maserati in a perfect circle, which explained why she was now standing on green grass and her shoes were wet.
The driver got out, smiling. He looked about seventeen or eighteen, and, for a second, Violet had the uneasy feeling it was Luke Castellan. The driver had the same sandy hair and outdoorsy good looks. But it wasn't Luke. This guy was taller, with no scar on his face like Luke's. His smile was brighter and more playful. ( Luke didn't do much more than scowl and sneer these days. ) The Maserati driver wore jeans and loafers and a sleeveless T-shirt.
"Wow," Thalia muttered. "Apollo is hot."
Violet gave the daughter of Zeus a disgusted look. "He's your brother."
"He's a god," Thalia whispered furiously. Her face was as red as the car in front of them. "They don't have DNA."
"He's the sun god," Percy pointed out.
Violet turned her gaze toward Percy. She looked slightly amused. "That's not what she meant."
The son of Poseidon looked at her cluelessly. "What?"
"Little sister!" Apollo called. If his teeth were any whiter he could've blinded them without the sun car. "What's up? You never call. You never write. I was getting worried!"
Artemis sighed. "I'm fine, Apollo. And I am not your little sister."
"Hey, I was born first."
"We're twins! How many millennia do we have to argue—?"
"So what's up?" he interrupted. "Got the girls with you, I see. You all need some tips on archery?"
Artemis gritted her teeth. "I need a favor. I have some hunting to do, alone. I need you to take my companions to Camp Half-Blood."
"Sure, sis!" Then he raised his hands in a stop everything gesture. "I feel a haiku coming on."
The Hunters all groaned. Apparently, they'd met Apollo before.
He cleared his throat and held up one hand dramatically.
"Green grass breaks through snow.
Artemis pleads for my help.
I am so cool."
He grinned at his audience, waiting for applause.
"That last line was only four syllables," Artemis informed him.
Apollo frowned. "Was it?"
"Yes. What about 'I am so big-headed'?"
"No, no, that's six syllables. Hm." The God of Poetry started muttering to himself, counting on his fingers.
Zoë Nightshade turned to the people behind her. "Lord Apollo has been going through this haiku phase ever since he visited Japan. 'Tis not as bad as the time he visited Limerick. If I'd had to hear one more poem that started with, 'There once was a goddess from Sparta—'"
"I've got it!" Apollo announced. "I am so awesome. That's five syllables!" He bowed, looking very pleased with himself. "And now, sis. Transportation for the Hunters, you say? Good timing. I was just about ready to roll."
"These demigods will also need a ride," Artemis said, pointing to them. "Some of Chiron's campers."
"No problem!" Apollo checked the campers out. "Let's see ... Thalia, right? I've heard all about you."
Thalia blushed. "Hi, Lord Apollo."
"Zeus's girl, yes? Makes you my half-sister. Used to be a tree, didn't you? Glad you're back. I hate it when pretty girls turn into trees. Man, I remember one time—"
"Brother," Artemis said. "You should get going."
"Oh, right." Then he looked at Violet, and his eyes narrowed. His expression turned displeased. "Violet Beaumont? Daughter of Eros?"
Violet's dad and Apollo didn't have a good history. Clearly, Apollo still held a grudge against Eros for shooting him with his arrows. ( Even if the whole situation was his fault; Apollo made fun of Eros, so Eros was only showing him how dangerous he was! )
"Yes, sir," she said, hiding her wince.
Apollo grunted again, walking past her. Violet's muscles felt like they were unclenched. She just knew Apollo would take out his grudge against Eros on her. The god looked at Percy, and he asked, "Percy Jackson?"
"Yeah. I mean ... yes, sir."
Apollo studied the boy, but he didn't say anything, which Violet found odd. He didn't seem angry at him, not like the way he had with her.
"Well!" Apollo said at last. "We'd better load up, huh? Ride only goes one way—west. And if you miss it, you miss it."
Violet looked at the Maserati, which would seat two people max. There were about twenty of them.
"Cool car," Nico said.
"Thanks, kid," Apollo said.
"But how will we all fit?"
"Oh." Apollo seemed to notice the problem for the first time. "Well—yeah. I hate to change out of sports-car mode, but I suppose ..."
He took out his car keys and beeped the security alarm button. For a moment, the car glowed brightly again. When the glare died, the Maserati had been replaced by one of those small buses just like we used for school basketball games.
"Right," he said. "Everybody in."
Zoë ordered the Hunters to start loading. She picked up her camping pack, and Apollo said, "Here, sweetheart. Let me get that."
Zoë recoiled. Her eyes flashed murderously.
"Brother," Artemis chided. "You do not help my Hunters. You do not look at, talk to, or flirt with my Hunters. And you do not call them sweetheart."
Apollo spread his hands. "Sorry. I forgot. Hey, sis, where are you off to, anyway?"
"Hunting," Artemis said. "It's none of your business."
"I'll find out. I see all. Know all." Apollo his right temple.
Artemis snorted. "Just drop them off, Apollo. And no messing around!"
"No, no! I never mess around."
The goddess rolled her eyes, then looked at her lieutenant. "I will see you by winter solstice. Zoë, you are in charge of the Hunters. Do well. Do as I would do."
Zoë straightened. "Yes, my lady."
Artemis knelt and touched the ground as if looking for tracks. When she rose, she looked troubled. "So much danger. The beast must be found."
She sprinted towards the woods and melted into the snow and shadows.
Apollo turned and grinned, jangling the car keys on his finger. "So," he said. "Who wants to drive?"
🌷
The Hunters piled into the van. They all crammed into the back so they'd be as far away as possible from Apollo and the rest of the highly infectious males. Bianca sat with them, leaving her little brother to hang in the front with the rest, which seemed cold to Violet, but Nico didn't seem to mind.
"This is so cool!" he said, jumping up and down in the driver's seat. "Is this really the sun? I thought Helios and Selene were the sun and moon gods. How come sometimes it's them and sometimes it's you and Artemis?"
"Downsizing," Apollo said. "The Romans started it. They couldn't afford all those temple sacrifices, so they laid off Helios and Selene and folded their duties into our job descriptions. My sis got the moon. I got the sun. It was pretty annoying at first, but at least I got this cool car."
"But how does it work?" Nico asked. "I thought the sun was a big fiery ball of gas!"
Apollo chuckled and ruffled Nico's hair. "That rumor probably got started because Artemis used to call me a big fiery ball of gas. Seriously, kid, it depends on whether you're talking astronomy or philosophy. You want to talk astronomy? Bah, what fun is that? You want to talk about how humans think about the sun? Ah, now that's more interesting. They've got a lot riding on the sun ... er—so to speak. It keeps them warm, grows their crops, powers engines, makes everything look, well, sunnier. This chariot is built out of human dreams about the sun, kid. It's as old as Western Civilization. Every day, it drives across the sky from east to west, lighting up all those puny little mortal lives. The chariot is a manifestation of the sun's power, the way mortals perceive it. Make sense?"
Nico shook his head. "No."
"Well then, just think of it as a really powerful, really dangerous solar car."
"Can I drive?"
"No. Too young."
"Oo! Oo!" Grover raised his hand.
"Mm, no," Apollo said. "Too furry." He looked past Percy and Violet, focusing on Thalia. "Daughter of Zeus!" he said. "Lord of the sky. Perfect."
"Oh, no." Thalia shook her head. "No, thanks."
"C'mon," Apollo said. "How old are you?"
Thalia hesitated. "I don't know," she admitted.
It was sad, but true. She'd been turned into a tree when she was twelve, but that had been seven years ago. So she should be nineteen, if you went by years. However, she didn't look nineteen, but she also didn't look twelve, either. The best Chiron could work out, Thalia had kept aging while in tree form, but much more slowly.
Apollo tapped his finger to his lips. "You're fifteen, almost sixteen."
"How do you know that?"
"Hey, I'm the God of Prophecy. I know stuff. You'll turn sixteen in about a week."
"That's my birthday! December twenty-second."
"Which means you're old enough now to drive with a learner's permit!"
Thalia looked nervously at Violet, who was sitting next to her. "Uh—"
"I know what you're going to say," Apollo said. "You don't deserve an honor like driving the sun chariot."
The daughter of Zeus shook her head. "That's not what I was going to say."
"Don't sweat it! Maine to Long Island is a really short trip, and don't worry about what happened to the last kid I trained. You're Zeus's daughter. He's not going to blast you out of the sky."
Apollo laughed good-naturedly, but no one else joined him.
Thalia tried to protest, but Apollo was absolutely not going to take No for an answer. He hit a button on the dashboard, and a sign popped up along the top of the windscreen. Violet had to read it backward ( being dyslexic, that really didn't make much of a difference than reading forward ). She was pretty sure it read, WARNING: STUDENT DRIVER.
"Take it away!" Apollo told Thalia, patting her shoulders. "You're gonna be a natural! Speed equals heat, so start slowly, and make sure you've got good altitude before you really open her up."
Thalia gripped the wheel so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She looked like she was going to be sick.
"What's wrong?" Violet asked her.
"Nothing," the daughter of Zeus said shakily. "N-nothing is wrong."
She pulled back on the wheel. It tilted and the bus lurched upwards so fast that Violet fell back into her seat. She saw Nico hit his seat and let out a grunt. Then Grover let out a pained grunt, and Percy started apologizing.
"Slower!" Apollo said.
"Sorry!" Thalia said. "I've got it under control!"
Violet managed to sit back up. Looking out of the window, she saw a smoking ring of trees from the clearing where they had taken off.
"Thalia," Percy said, "lighten up on the accelerator."
"I've got it, Percy," she said, gritting her teeth. But she kept it floored.
"Loosen up," he told her.
"I'm loose!" Thalia insisted. She was so stiff she looked like she was made out of plywood.
"We need to veer south for Long Island," Apollo said. "Hang a left."
Thalia jerked the wheel to the right and Violet was pitched nearly out of her seat. She clung to it, digging her nails into the faux leather. Percy flew out of his seat, and for a second time, he had Grover act as his cushion.
"The other left," Apollo suggested.
Violet made the mistake of looking out of the window again. They were at airplane height now—so high the sky was starting to look black.
"Ah ..." Apollo said, and Violet got the feeling he was forcing himself to sound calm. "A little lower, sweetheart. Cape Cod is freezing over."
Thalia tilted the wheel. Her face was chalk white, her forehead beaded with sweat. Something was definitely wrong. Violet had never seen her like this.
The bus pitched down and somebody screamed. Violet was pretty sure it was Percy. Now they were heading straight towards the Atlantic Ocean at a thousand miles an hour, the New England coastline off to their left. And it was getting hot on the bus.
Apollo had been thrown somewhere in the back of the bus, but he started climbing up the rows of seats.
"Take the wheel!" Grover begged him.
"No worries," Apollo said. He looked plenty worried. "She just has to learn to—whoa!"
Violet saw what he was seeing. Down below them was a little snow-covered New England town. At least, it used to be snow-covered. As she watched, the snow melted off the trees, the roofs, and the lawns. The white steeple of a church turned brown and started to smolder. Little plumes of smoke, like birthday candles, were popping up all over the town. Trees and rooftops were catching fire.
"Thalia!" Violet yelled, sounding frantic. "Up! Go up!"
There was a wild light in Thalia's eyes. She yanked back on the wheel, and Violet held on for a second time. As they shot upwards, she could see through the back window that the fires in the town were being snuffed out by the sudden blast of cold.
"There!" Apollo pointed. "Long Island, dead ahead. Let's slow down, dear. 'Dead' is only an expression."
Thalia was thundering towards the coastline of northern Long Island. There was Camp Half-Blood: the valley, the woods, the beach. Violet could see the dining pavilion and cabins and the amphitheater.
"I'm under control," the daughter of Zeus muttered. "I'm under control."
They were only a few hundred yards away now.
"Brake," Apollo said.
"I can do this."
"Brake!"
Thalia slammed her foot on the brake, and the sun bus pitched forward at a forty-five-degree angle, slamming into the Camp Half-Blood canoe lake. Steam billowed up, sending several frightened naiads scrambling out of the water with half-woven wicker baskets. The bus bobbed to the surface along with a couple of capsized, half-melted canoes.
"Well," said Apollo with a brave smile. "You were right, my dear. You had everything under control! Let's go see if we boiled anyone important, shall we?"
Violet clung to her seat like a frightened koala. "Under control?" she said shrilly. "I was almost killed!"
Thalia gave her a murderous look but the effect wasn't too strong as her knees were practically knocking together. "Shut up, Violet! I had it under control."
🌷
No one had been boiled alive, which felt like a small victory after surviving the ride to Camp Half-Blood with Thalia, the driving maniac.
Camp was gorgeous in the winter. Frost covered the chariot track and the strawberry fields. The cabins were decorated with tiny flickering lights, like Christmas lights, except they seemed to be balls of real fire. More lights glowed in the woods, and, weirdest of all, a fire flickered in the attic window of the Big House, where the Oracle dwelt, imprisoned in an old mummified body. Violet wondered if the spirit of Delphi was roasting marshmallows with the bugs up there.
"Whoa," Nico said as he climbed off the bus. "Is that a climbing wall?"
"Yeah, it is," Percy said.
"Why is there lava pouring down it?"
"Little extra challenge. Come on. I'll introduce you to Chiron. Zoë, have you met—"
"I know Chiron," Zoë said stiffly. "Tell him we will be in Cabin Eight. Hunters, follow me."
"I'll show you the way," Grover offered.
"We know the way."
"Oh, really, it's no trouble. It's easy to get lost here, if you don't" —he tripped over a canoe and came up still talking— "like my old daddy goat used to say! Come on!"
Zoë rolled her eyes, but Violet guessed the Hunter figured there was no getting rid of Grover. The Hunters shouldered their packs and their bows and headed off toward the cabins. As Bianca di Angelo was leaving, she leaned over and whispered something in her brother's ear. She looked at him for an answer, but Nico just scowled and turned away.
"Take care, sweethearts!' Apollo called after the Hunters. He winked at the son of Poseidon. "Watch out for those prophecies, Percy. I'll see you soon."
The boy furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"
Instead of answering, he hopped back on the bus. "Later, Thalia," he called. "And—uh—be good!'
He gave her a wicked smile, as if he knew something she didn't. Then he closed the doors and revved the engine. Violet turned aside as the sun chariot took off in a blast of heat. When she looked back, the lake was steaming. A red Maserati soared over the woods, glowing brighter and climbing higher until it disappeared in a ray of sunlight.
Nico was still looking grumpy. Violet wondered what his sister had told him. He looked at the girl beside him, saying, "He didn't say anything to you, Violet."
The daughter of Eros scratched the back of her neck. "Yeah ... he doesn't like my dad. Uh—old grudge between the two."
Nico nodded, but he wasn't done with questions. "Who's your dad?"
"Eros."
The young boy frowned and started shuffling through his deck of Mythomagic cards. "I don't have your dad's card."
Violet peered at the collection Nico had mustered together. "How many do you have?" she asked curiously.
"Later," Thalia said tensely. She still seemed off-kilter from what happened with Apollo and the sun chariot. "We need to talk to Chiron."
"Who's Chiron?" Nico asked. "I don't have his card, either."
"Our activities director," Percy said. "He's ... well, you'll see."
"If those Hunter girls don't like him," Nico grumbled, "that's good enough for me. Let's go."
Violet frowned. That comment was out of character for Nico. Well—she didn't know his character that well if Violet was honest. He was a cute kid with a ton of energy, and he enjoyed playing Mythomagic. There had been plenty of times Violet had been caught in one of Nico's rants over Mythomagic and why it was the greatest card game to ever exist.
Just like the last few winters, Camp Half-Blood was empty this time of year. Most half-bloods only trained during the summer. Just the year-rounders would be here—the ones who didn't have homes to go to, or didn't want to go home to the homes they may have, or would get attacked by monsters too much if they left. But there didn't even seem to be many of them, either.
Violet spotted Beckendorf from the Hephaestus Cabin stoking the forge outside the camp armory. The Stoll brothers, Travis and Connor, from the Hermes Cabin, were picking the lock on the camp store. A few kids from the Ares Cabin were having a snowball fight with the wood nymphs at the edge of the forest. But that was about it. Violet saw some of the other year-rounders from Cabin Eleven; AJ and Cecil. And Clarisse La Rue, Daughter of Ares and head counselor for Ares Cabin, wasn't around. That was ... odd. Clarisse was a year-rounder, too, she should've been at Camp.
The Big House was decorated with strings of red and yellow fireballs that warmed the porch but didn't seem to set anything alight. Inside, flames crackled in the hearth. The air smelled like hot chocolate. Mr. D, the camp director, and Chiron were playing a quiet game of cards in the parlor.
Chiron's brown beard was shaggier for the winter. His curly hair had grown a little longer. He wasn't posing as a teacher this year, so Violet guessed he could afford to be casual. He wore a fuzzy sweater with a hoof-print design on it, and he had a blanket on his lap that almost hid his wheelchair completely.
He smiled when he saw the campers walking for him. "Percy! Thalia! Violet! Ah—and this must be—"
"Nico di Angelo, sir," Violet answered. "He and his sister are half-bloods."
Chiron breathed a sigh of relief. "You succeeded, then."
The daughter of Eros pitched her head. She took in a sharp breath. "Well ..."
Chiron's smile melted. "What's wrong? And where is Annabeth?"
"Oh, dear," Mr. D said in a bored voice. "Not another one lost."
Violet always tried to ignore Mr. D, but it was kind of hard since he lived at Camp, too. His name was technically Dionysus ( yeah, he was the God of Wine and all that ), but since that was such a long name, the campers called him Mr. D. He had dark, curly hair and purple eyes. On top of his, sitting crookedly, was a golden laurel wreath. He must've won the land hand of cards.
"What do you mean?" Thalia asked. "Who else is lost?"
Just then, Grover trotted into the room, grinning like crazy. He had a black eye and red lines on his face that looked like a slap mark. "The Hunters are all moved in!" he announced happily.
Chiron frowned. "The Hunters, eh? I see we have much to talk about."
He glanced at Nico. "Grover, perhaps you should take our young friend to the den and show him our orientation film."
"But ... Oh, right. Yes, sir."
"Orientation film?" Nico asked. "Is it G or PG? 'Cause Bianca is kinda strict—"
"It's PG-13," Grover said.
"Cool!" Nico happily followed him out of the room.
"Now," Chiron said to the remaining demigods, "perhaps you three should sit down and tell us the whole story."
When they were done, Chiron turned to Mr. D. "We should launch a search for Annabeth immediately."
"I'll go," the three demigods said simultaneously.
Mr. D sniffed. "Certainly not!"
They began to complain, but Mr. D held up his hand. He had that purplish, angry fire in his eyes that usually meant something bad and godly was going to happen if they didn't shut up.
"From what you have told me," Mr. D said, "we have broken even on this escapade. We have—ah—regrettably lost Annie Bell—"
"Annabeth," Percy snapped.
The daughter of Athena had been at Camp since she was seven, but Mr. D still pretended not to know her name. That was something he did to every camper he came across. He'd call Violet Vivian or Violent, he'd call AJ ABDC, Percy Peter, and Thalia Thelma.
"Yes, yes," Mr. D said. "And you procured a small annoying boy to replace her. So I see no point risking further half-bloods on a ridiculous rescue. The possibility is very great that this Annie girl is dead."
Violet wanted to strangle Mr. D. It wasn't fair Zeus had sent him here to dry out as Camp director for a hundred years. It was meant to be a punishment for Mr. D's bad behavior on Olympus, but it ended up being a punishment for everyone else.
"Annabeth may be alive," Chiron said, but Violet could tell he was having trouble sounding upbeat. He had practically raised Annabeth all those years she was a year-round camper, before she'd given living with her dad and stepmom a second try. "She's very bright. If ... if our enemies have her, she will try to play for time. She may even pretend to cooperate."
"That's right," Thalia said. "Luke would want her alive."
"In which case," said Mr. D, "I'm afraid she will have to be smart enough to escape on her own."
Percy stood up suddenly.
"Percy." Chiron's tone was full of warning.
However, Percy didn't seem to care about the centaur's warning. "You're glad to lose another camper," he said. "You'd like it if we all disappeared!"
Mr. D stifled a yawn. "You have a point?"
"Yeah," the son of Poseidon growled. "Just because you were sent here as a punishment doesn't mean you have to be a lazy asshole! This is your civilization, too. Maybe you could try helping out a little!"
For a second, there was no sound except the crackle of the fire. The light reflected in Mr. D's eyes, giving him a sinister look. He opened his mouth to say something—probably a curse that would blast Percy to smithereens—when Nico burst into the room, followed by Grover.
"So cool!" Nico yelled, holding his hands out to Chiron. "You're ... you're a centaur!"
Chiron managed a nervous smile. "Yes, Mr. di Angelo, if you please. Though, I prefer to stay in human form in this wheelchair for—ah—first encounters."
"And, whoa!' He looked at Mr. D. "You're the wine dude? No way!"
Mr. D turned his eyes away from Percy and gave Nico a look of loathing. "The wine dude?"
"Dionysus, right? Oh, wow! I've got your figurine."
"My figurine."
"In my game, Mythomagic. And a holofoil card, too! And even though you've only got, like, five hundred attack points and everybody thinks you're the lamest god card, I totally think your powers are sweet!"
"Ah." Mr. D seemed truly perplexed, which probably saved Percy's life. "Well, that's ... gratifying."
"Percy," Chiron said quickly, "you and Thalia go down to the cabins. Inform the campers we'll be playing Capture the Flag tomorrow evening."
"Capture the Flag?" Percy asked. "But we don't have enough—"
"It is a tradition," Chiron said. "A friendly match, whenever the Hunters visit."
"Yeah," Thalia muttered. "I bet it's real friendly."
Chiron jerked his head towards Mr. D, who was still frowning as Nico talked about how many defense points all the gods had in his game. "Violet, would you get Nico? I'll have you show him where he'll be staying. Run along now."
"Oh, right," Thalia said. "Come on, Percy."
She hauled the son of Poseidon out of the Big House before Dionysus could remember that he wanted to kill the boy. Violet wandered over to Nico and got him away from the god before Mr. D could find a reason to smite the boy.
"C'mon," she told Nico. "You'll be staying in Cabin Eleven with me."
"What's Cabin Eleven?" Nico asked.
"It's the cabin where the unclaimed kids stay," Violet explained.
"But you're claimed," Nico pointed out. "By Eros."
"Yeah, I am," she replied. "But my dad doesn't have a cabin at Camp."
"The cabins are for the gods?"
"Twelve for the twelve Olympians," said Violet. "And they're ordered based on the way the Olympians sit; so Cabin One is for Zeus, Cabin Two is for Hera, and so on and so forth. Cabin Eleven is for Hermes, although the unclaimed kids or kids of minor gods stay there, too."
"Oh." Nico's mood looked a little deflated after that. "So I'm unclaimed?"
Violet nodded. "You may be claimed soon, though. Percy was claimed in a couple of weeks."
"A couple of weeks?" Nico frowned. "That's so long, though ..."
"I guess it is. You know—maybe your godly parent already claimed you. Athena, Annabeth's mom, claims her kids when they're are born."
Violet tried to explain how things worked around Camp as she took Nico to Cabin Eleven. She told him about the Big House, the dining pavilion, the amphitheater, the Camp store, and the canoe lake. She told him about all the daily activities, even though he wouldn't get to do most of them until the summer.
Nico looked slightly winded as they came upon the cabins, all lined up in a U shape. He put his hand on his side, as if it were in pain. "That's such a long walk!" he moaned.
"You'll get used to it," Violet promised. "The more you train. So—the cabins. On the left side are the goddess, and on the right side are the gods." She pointed to the last cabin on the right, Cabin Eleven. "That's where you'll be staying."
Cabin Eleven, or Hermes's cabin, looked the most like a camp cabin. It had peeling brown paint and a caduceus, the symbol of Hermes, over the door. Even in the dead of winter, with fewer campers around, it was still overcrowded.
Violet introduced Nico to the people currently inside. She whispered to him to watch his stuff as a lot of his new cabinmates were kleptomaniacs.
"Connor and Travis are still picking the store's lock?" she asked Cecil, a son of Hermes.
Travis and Connor Stoll were the head counselors for Cabin Eleven, sharing the spot as they were practically twins. They weren't actually twins; Travis was older by a year and Connor was the younger brother.
Cecil nodded. "They are, yeah."
Violet took another look around the cabin, keeping an eye out for her blond friend. "Where's AJ, then?"
Cecil frowned slightly, as if trying to remember. "Uh ... the Arts & Crafts Center, I think."
Violet grabbed Nico by the shirt, pulling him behind her. "Thanks, Cecil!" she called over her shoulder.
"Who's AJ?" Nico asked as they crossed the snowy grounds again.
"AJ's my friend," Violet said. "I've known him since I started staying here. I'm gonna make him do the tour with us."
"How long have you been here?" Nico asked as they got closer to the Arts & Crafts Center.
"Two years." Violet showed him the leather necklace around her neck. There were two beads on there; the first one was black with a green trident on it and the second was a bead with a miniature image of the Golden Fleece on it. "The beads represent a year at Camp. They hand them out every August, right before the summer session ends."
Nico looked bummed. "So I won't get one until next August?"
The daughter of Eros nodded.
"What do you think that bead will be?" asked Nico. "The new bead, I mean?"
Violet shrugged. "It's a different design every year. It's supposed to summarize the most important or memorable event from that summer."
"What if you guys have, like, a really boring summer?"
Violet grinned at his innocence. "There's never a boring summer here, not when our parents are gods."
🌷
Alone in the Arts & Crafts Center was AJ, just like Cecil had said. The boy didn't want to be taken away from his carving ( that looked suspiciously like a cartoonish dinosaur ), but Violet gave him no other option.
"This is stupid," he muttered, passing by Cabin Eleven and heading for the fighting arena. "Why do I have to show him around, too?"
"'Cause I don't want to do it alone," Violet said. She said her next sentence in an even lower whisper, "Besides, Nico needs someone else he can talk to. His sister joined the Hunters."
AJ's back straightened. "The Hunters are here?" he asked in a loud voice.
Nico frowned. "Do they not come around very often?"
"Er—they ..." Violet trailed off. She didn't know whether to be honest with the boy or not. If she was honest, that means she would be telling Nico he would see his sister very little from now on.
"Nico, right?" AJ spoke up, completely changing the topic. "Vi told me you play a card game. You any good?"
Nico's face brightened considerably. He always loved to talk about Mythomagic to anyone who would listen.
At first glance, AJ looked like your typical son of Apollo; sandy blond hair, and sun-kissed skin ( even in the dead of winter ), but his brooding expression killed the image. And so did his eyes; the color of volcanic rock.
AJ may look like a son of Apollo, but he wasn't one. They actually had no idea who his godly parent was. He was one of the many unclaimed ( and one of the few unclaimed to not turn to Kronos and Luke ), his godly parent never showing him a sign. And if she was honest, Violet wasn't too sure if he had a mortal dad or mom; he rarely talked about his past, and when he did, it was super vague.
Violet knew he had been born in California, but moved to Virginia suddenly at the age of three. Then, with a lot of missing information, AJ Mortimer ended up at Camp Half-Blood at the age of eleven by Burl Elwood, his Searcher.
Violet never pushed him for information. She figured he came from a pretty tumultuous family and he didn't want to relive it. She knew what it was like to have trouble with your family.
"Who's your godly parent?" Nico asked excitedly. "I don't have Violet's dad but I may have your parent!"
AJ winced slightly. "No can do. We don't know how my godly parent is."
"Oh." Nico stopped in the snow, making the older demigods stop with him. He looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"
AJ patted Nico's shoulder. "It's okay. I'm okay with it." He shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "I've learned to be okay with it."
🌷
After a miserable dinner that night, Chiron sent the campers back to their cabins for an early, winter lights out.
And Violet was exhausted. She was ready to fall asleep standing up, but Connor said something that made AJ stop.
"I heard what happened to Annabeth," Connor told Violet as she shuffled to her sleeping bag.
The girl shrugged, trying her best to act indifferent. She didn't want to talk about it. Despite her exhaustion, and her sadness about her friend, Violet still felt her heart skip a beat about the fact that Connor sought out a conversation with her.
AJ stopped, looking between Violet and Connor. "What happened to Annabeth? I didn't see her at dinner."
Violet saw Nico open his mouth, but she sent him a warning look before the boy could say anything. Knowing Nico, he'd give a big long tale, making it sound so much worse than what AJ needed to know.
"It's nothing," she said quickly. Violet's eyes burned. She didn't want to think about what was happening to Annabeth.
Travis raised his eyebrows. "Nothing?" he repeated. "She got grabbed by—"
"It's nothing," Violet insisted, glaring at the son of Hermes.
"She got grabbed?" AJ asked. "By what?"
"By a manticore," Nico blurted. "Dr. Thorn. The monster at my old school."
Violet closed her eyes and muttered something in Ancient Greek. She glared at the black-haired boy for opening his mouth.
AJ paled. "Are they doing anything about it?"
"Chiron wants to, but you know Mr. D," said Violet. "I think we're going to set up a search and rescue anyway."
It wasn't the reaction Violet expected from AJ, if she was honest. He and Annabeth may be her best friends, but they didn't seem to be too friendly with each other. They seemed indifferent to each other—at least, on Annabeth's side. AJ seemed a lot more invidious of Annabeth, like he held some old grudge.
"Well," he started, "I'm sure they'll find her."
Violet didn't respond, getting inside her sleeping bag. She didn't return the sympathetic look Connor gave her. Despite the worry eating away at her insides, her exhaustion was stronger. The daughter of Eros fell asleep minutes after laying down her head.
But by the gods, did she hate demigod dreams.
Annabeth was on a dark hillside, shrouded in dark fog. Violet couldn't any semblance of a sky above—all that was there was just close heavy darkness, as if she were in a cave.
Annabeth struggled up the hill. Old broken Greek columns of black marble were scattered around, as though something had blasted a huge building to ruins.
"Thorn!" she cried. "Where are you? Why did you bring me here?" She scrambled over a section of broken wall and came to the crest of the hill.
She gasped.
There was Luke. And he was in pain.
He was crumpled on the rocky ground, trying to rise. The blackness seemed to be thicker around him, fog swirling hungrily. His clothes were in tatters and his face was scratched and drenched with sweat.
"Annabeth!" he called. "Help me! Please!"
She ran forward. Violet wanted to warn her friend to run in the other direction.
Annabeth had tears in her eyes. She reached down like she wanted to touch Luke's face, but at the last second, she hesitated.
"What happened?" she asked.
"They left me here," Luke groaned. "Please. It's killing me."
Violet couldn't see what was wrong with him. He seemed to be struggling against some invisible curse, as though the fog were squeezing him to death.
"Why should I trust you?" Annabeth asked. Her voice was filled with hurt.
"You shouldn't," Luke admitted. "I've been terrible to you. But, if you don't help me, I'll die."
Then let him die, Violet figured. Luke had tried to kill Annabeth in cold blood too many times. He didn't deserve anything from the daughter of Athena.
Then the darkness above Luke began to crumble, like a cavern roof in an earthquake. Huge chunks of black rock began falling. Annabeth rushed in just as a crack appeared, and the whole ceiling dropped. She held it somehow—tons of rock. She kept it from collapsing on her and Luke just with her own strength. It was impossible. She shouldn't have been able to do that.
Luke rolled free, gasping. "Thanks," he managed.
"Help me hold it," Annabeth groaned.
Luke caught his breath. His face was covered in grime and sweat. He rose unsteadily.
"I knew I could count on you." He began to walk away as the trembling blackness threatened to crush Annabeth.
"Help me!" she pleaded.
"Oh—don't worry," Luke said. "Your help is on the way. It's all part of the plan. In the meantime, try not to die."
The ceiling of darkness began to crumble more, pushing Annabeth against the ground.
Violet sat bolt upright in her sleeping bag, clawing at the fabric. Besides the snores and sleeping talking, Cabin Eleven was quiet. The clock on the Stolls' nightstand read just after midnight. However, the tears blurring her vision made it hard to read the digital clock.
It was only a dream, but she was sure of two things: Annabeth was in terrible danger. And Luke was responsible.
🌷 FEB. 10TH, 2023 / in honor of nearly failing my stats test, here's an otsd chapter!
we're not gonna talk about it stats is hard and i'm bad at math
a lot longer than the previous chapters but i couldn't find a good place to cut it off at
i'm not so sure about the later parts of the chapter but it's fine
pre bianca's death nico >>>
i miss the mythomagic loving innocent kid he was
aj is such a hottie,, wish i was annabeth tbh
oh and his backstory seems super weird,, it's suppose to and will be explained in the distant future
(by distant future i mean the 2nd book lol)
anyways,, thoughts?? opinions??
what do you think artemis was talking about?? about vi's mom??
aj and anna seemed a little cold,, i know why but why do YOU think why??