I followed Chiron soundlessly across the grass towards the big house. His horse hooves let out sharp clip clops when we reached the pavement. It was the only sound I could hear above the buzzing in my ears. I wondered what I had done this time -- I'd been late for breakfast once or twice. Unless it was some sort of crime to be un-Aphrodite-like, then I honestly couldn't think of what I had done wrong. But if that was the case, then I'd be in huge trouble. Come to think of it, all the Athena kids were alike to each other, so were all the Ares kids... And so on. So maybe I did have fault.
Well, sue me for not being vain and conceited and shallow, I thought bitterly. Out of all the gods and goddesses -- Aphrodite had to be my godly parent?
I'd been in the Big House once since my arrival at camp. It was when I had been lead to watch the orientation video and then introduced to the camp director, Mr. D--Dionysus. He had called me Melissa Devon. But today was different, especially when I saw the three people waiting inside.
My first feeling was relief. Obviously, I wasn't the only one called in.
Piper McLean, my half sister, stood on the left. She looked somewhat worried, but like normal, pretty without trying, fashionable--without having to spend forever in the washroom. And she was one of the few of the Aphrodite cabin who wasn't worried or embarrassed in having me in their cabin. Half my cabinmates thought that I was an embarrassment to our mother. Piper gave me a small smile.
The boy standing next to her had slightly long, curly, golden hair and bright blue eyes. He had a good natured look to him, like the kind of person who was easy to befriend, and nice to hang out with. His blue eyes sparkled with life and he flashed me an easy grin. Apollo kid. His name started with a J, I recalled. The Apollo kids were normally nice, until you beat them in archery. Then they wanted to kill you.
I did a double take when I saw the guy standing on the right. Nico di Angelo. Ever since the giant war (which I had fortunately missed, I had no idea about Camp Half Blood at the time), he'd been a so-called hero, next to the Praetor from Camp Jupiter and Coach Hedge the satyr. Not quite as famous as the seven of the prophecy, but pretty close behind. He had transported the Athena Parenthos from halfway across the world. He'd been through Tartarus. He stopped the war between Camp Half Blood and Camp Jupiter. Half my cabin thought he was cute, the other half was scared of him. Gods, what a bunch of losers. Boys were boys, not something to talk about every spare moment they had.
He scanned me up and down, as if analyzing me. Not like how the guys in my school had done, the kind of look they have when they're looking at your body. This was a simple scan, like calculating the person. But nevertheless, as a natural reflex, I folded my arms over my chest. It was silly to do such, since I was wearing a sports bra as usual to hide what other guys would be looking at, but I was so used to trying to cover myself by now that it was my automatic reaction. Feeling stupid at my seemingly uncalled-for defensiveness, I dropped my arms to my side again.
Chiron touched my shoulder briefly before trotting towards his desk. He folded his hands on his table and looked at all three of us with grave eyes.
"Last night Rachel had a vision," he said. "You four have been seen in it."
Low murmurings were heard behind me, from both Piper and the Apollo kid. I stood frozen for a moment. Why would someone have a vision with me in it? I was no one special...but then again, I was still learning how all the demigod stuff worked.
The door behind us swung open and a girl stepped inside. Rachel Elizabeth Dare. I knew she was the oracle at camp, although I had never met her before. She had frizzy, bright red hair and lively green eyes, and freckles were splattered all across her cheeks and nose. Her eyes landed on me when she ran in breathlessly, cheeks flushed from running.
"Sorry I'm late," she gasped. She then scanned us all. "Piper, Nico, Melody, Jay."
So that was what the Apollo kid was called. Jay. Sordino, I remembered. His last name was Sordino. Jay Sordino. I remembered his brother, Will Solace, showing me around the infirmary when I had been there after falling off the climbing wall and breaking my right arm. Jay had been there. He had waved and grinned easily like all of Apollo's children.
When Rachel had caught her breath, she sat down on one of the couches and motioned for all of us to sit down with her. Chiron remained standing near his desk, eyes trained worriedly on us. If Chiron was worried about something, then it couldn't be good. I took a seat next to Piper and Jay, glancing at Nico as I did. He had dark brown eyes, dark to the degree to where you would think it looked black if you were too far away. His black hair was messy and slightly long, a contrast against his pale skin.
"As you know, I've had a vision," Rachel began. "You four have been seen in it." She paused, glancing at Chiron for either support or permission. He gave her a slight nod. "The Mist...well, it's fading."
Silence hung across us like a dark veil. Piper stared at Rachel like she hadn't quite fathomed what was happening: her mouth was open, and her eyes large. I didn't see Jay's reaction, it felt rude to turn and stare. For a long moment, nobody spoke. Nico was the first one to break the silence. "What do you mean," he asked, "that the Mist is fading?"
"Hecate is gone," Rachel replied, her voice was soft.
I blanched. "What?"
Rachel continued on. "We don't know what happened, or how it happened. But Hecate is gone...and the Mist, without her, is fading. If we don't do something, quick, then it'll be permanently gone -- and demigods revealed to the world of mortals."
Jay spoke up. "Okay," he said. "And this has to do with us because...?"
"There's a prophecy," Rachel replied, "and I had a vision. You four must go on the quest." Her eyes landed on me. "You must lead it."
I almost choked on my own saliva. Out of the four of us, I had to lead the quest? The most inexperienced, least important, daughter of Aphrodite? Nothing was making sense to me. Why did I have to lead the quest? What qualified me to lead the quest? Who chose for me to lead the quest?
A soft green mist swirled around Rachel, and a gentle breeze swept across the room from nowhere. Her eyes closed, and when they opened, the whites of her eyes were no longer showing -- it was pure, solid, emerald green. When she spoke, her voice sounded raspy and ancient, not like Rachel at all.
"Mother of Exiles conceals the one
Whom creates the boundary between mortals and gods
The price to enter, a hero's soul
Though Love arrives before the time of woe
To a deadline they must abide
Unless two worlds are to collide."
The green mist faded, and Rachel stumbled backwards, her eyes going to their usual look. She regained her balance after a few seconds, and then turned to look at us. "Did I just recite the prophecy?" she asked, "Does anyone remember it?"
The four of us nodded numbly. Silence hung in the air for a moment, everyone too stunned to say anything. Piper was the first to speak up. "When are we leaving?" she asked. "It seems the sooner the better."
Chiron decided that it was the right moment to speak up. He inclined his head gravely in Piper's direction. "Indeed, child," he answered. "You must hurry. If Hecate is missing for too long, the mortals will begin to see what the world is really like. You must get there before that can happen."
I raised a hand. "Hold up." I sounded like a stranger; my voice seemed so calm and strong. My own confidence surprised me. "You're saying that we're supposed to pack up today, leave tomorrow, to go on a quest none of us are sure whether we'll return from? With no directions whatsoever, no sort of transportation, just go?"
"The Mist is fading, Ms. Devereaux." Chiron raised an eyebrow at me. "The quicker you restore it, the better. Chaos is beginning to erupt among the mortals. Those with the stronger ability to see through the Mist have already begun to. You will leave tomorrow at dawn."
I wasn't ready for a quest. Hell, I didn't know if I would ever be ready. But there was no arguing out of this - I had been chosen for the quest, and they couldn't simply replace me. I just wished that at least I wasn't supposed to be the one leading the quest -- I had no such experience, and the fault would be on me if I lead the others into a death trap.
Piper sighed. "I ought to tell Jason about this," she said, then turned to Rachel. "He's at Camp Jupiter." She hesitated slightly. "Do me a favor and Iris Message him after we're gone. I don't want him interfering before we leave, he's busy enough as it is." She then looked at the three of us, Jay, Nico and I. "I'll get going to pack. I have to get a confirm a few things with Drew since she's my-" her nose wrinkled, "-second in command and she's going to be in charge." With that, she turned, with a wave, and left the Big House.
Jay glanced at me. "Well," he said, "nice meeting you, Melody. I gotta go pack too, ambrosia and other stuff. You might want to too. See you."
I fought the urge to correct him and tell him that I preferred Mel over Melody -- but dad was the only one who called me that, and it just didn't seem fitting to correct him, if not rude. So I forced myself to smile, and muttered a halfhearted 'bye.' How could Jay and Piper be so unfazed by all this information, I didn't know.
Without a word, Nico turned and followed Jay out the door.
I stood up shakily, hoping that my legs weren't visibly trembling. Quests meant that somebody might not return, and one line of the prophecy, the price to enter, a hero's soul, wasn't helping at all. Someone, I had the feeling, was going to die. One of the us four. It could be Jay, Piper, Nico or me. And though I barely knew Jay and Nico, I didn't really want to see them die.
"Well," I heard myself say. My voice wasn't quivering, to my relief. "I guess I'll go pack, too."
As I stepped out the door, I heard Chiron's voice behind me. "Good luck, child," he called. Then he added softly, so softly that I might've imagined it: "May the fates be kind."