"If I had known this would become a yearly thing, I would have never gone on the last quest." I grumble to Thalia, crossing my arms over my chest.
Whatever had possessed the oracle to come down from the attic left as swiftly as it had appeared, and Chiron had Jackson and Grover take the sack of bones back to its rightful place while the rest of camp gossiped and whispered.
Zoë was going on and on about how she and the other Hunters had to leave immediately, while Chiron was arguing that there had to be a camp meeting—meaning all the cabin leaders would be in attendance, as well as the Hunters, my father, and Chiron. Since I was the only one in my cabin who had been on a quest, cabin leader fell to me, a fact that my brothers loved considering it got them out of the extra work.
Chiron and Zoë stop their argument as my father approached, a frown on his face, and his eyes dark. I can't help but notice the way his eyes don't meet my gaze, the way he was refusing to look at me, or even acknowledge my existence. No doubt he had heard about the prophecy by now, and no doubt he knew what it meant as well as I did.
A childhood home...
Gods I hope it wasn't mine.
"I'm calling a council of the cabin leaders—be in the rec room in 10 minutes, or be excluded entirely, I don't care." He turns around a second later, the campers around him practically buzzing with the information.
Zoë gives Chiron a hard look before stalking off. I could practically see the steam coming out of her ears. Chiron sighs loudly, shaking his head. "Thalia, would you mind grabbing Percy from the main house?"
Thalia grimaces, and I remember that only a few minutes ago we had all been in a screaming match with each other. She gives the centaur a brief nod before stalking off towards the Big House, her back straighter than a sheet of metal.
Chiron took the moment to turn to me. "Are you...calm enough for this meeting?" I bristle at the question, knowing that while it came from a good place, it still hurt.
"Yeah. I'm fine." I respond blandly, my voice flat. Chiron raised a brow at my tone, but I raise a brow, practically daring him to tell me that I couldn't go.
He sighs, waving a dismissive hand instead. I don't stick around for him to change his mind though, walking through the small clusters of campers towards the rec center. I spot a few of the other cabin leaders heading that way too, the majority of them giving me a wide berth.
After I came back from the quest last summer, the campers warmed up to me for about a day—until word had spread about what had happened on Luke's boat. After that, it's like I became a ghost.
I'm sure that my little outburst with Jackson earlier didn't help things either. I ignore everyone else as I walk into the rec center, reigning in the left-over power that was still buzzing through my body.
I felt tired when it left—like my body missed it. My father had drilled into me to accept the power in its entirety, to not be afraid of it. But I couldn't help it. Every time I used it it felt like I was dancing on the edge of a tightrope, too close to falling off. He said that I would never control it until I learned how to live with it, which was something I didn't know I would ever be able to do.
The long ping-pong table in the center of the rec room had been turned into a temporary meeting area, and I ignore my father entirely as I take a seat on the other side of the table from him, folding my hands in my lap.
The other cabin leaders slowly trickle into the small room, the air quickly becoming stuffy and hot. The chairs on either side of me stay empty until Thalia, Jackson and Grover walk in, all of them settling in on either side of me.
Dionysus waves a tired hand over the table after everyone was seated—Cheeze Whiz, crackers and red wine appearing in front of everyone's chairs. Before I could even think of reaching for the glass, my throat suddenly parched, Chiron reminds him that wine was prohibited in camp, and that some of us were underage. Party pooper.
Mr. D waves another exasperated hand to change the wine into diet coke, to which I curled a lip in distaste—until mine was changed to regular coke. I sip my drink as Beckendorf, Silena and the Stoll brothers finish taking their seats. Clarisse was busy in the infirmary considering the Ares cabin had been hit hard by the Hunters during Capture the Flag and were currently healing their broken limbs.
Zoë and Bianca sit next to my father and Chiron, bitter expressions on their faces. "This is pointless." Zoë grumbles, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Cheez Whiz!" Grover exclaims loudly, either in complete naivete or in an effort to ease the tension before grabbing a handful of ping-pong balls and crackers and topping them with the cheese.
Zoë sends the satyr a sharp glare before continuing. "There is no time for talk. Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately.
"And go where?" Chiron questioned in a challenging tone.
"West!" Bianca snapped back, and I was taken aback by her defensive tone. Already she was looking and talking like the rest of the Hunters, with her braided hair and her glowing skin that made her look like she was taking baths in the moonlight. "You heard the prophecy. 'Six shall go west to the goddess in chains.' We can get six hunters and go."
Zoë nodded in agreement. "Yes. Artemis is being held hostage! We must find her and free her."
Thalia stiffened next to me, sighing loudly through her nose. "You're missing something, as usual. 'Campers and Hunters combined prevail.' We're supposed to do this together."
"No!" Zoë snapped, shaking her head. "The Hunters do not need thy help."
"Your," Thalia grumbled. "Nobody has said thy in like three hundred years, Zoë. Get with the times." I sighed, continuing to sip my coke while the rest of the table continued to argue.
Zoë opened her mouth, her eyes focused as she tried to sound out the word. "Yerr. We do not need yerr help." Thalia sighs again.
"Forget it." She slumps back in her chair, and I shove an elbow into her ribs.
"She's not worth the fight." I remind her, and she nods her head silently.
Chiron gives Zoë a pointed stare. "I fear the prophecy says you do need our help. Campers and Hunters must cooperate."
I look across the table at Bianca and Zoë, pursing my lips together at the idea of fighting with them. After my talk with Artemis, and after seeing how they fought in Capture the Flag, I wanted nothing more than to let them leave and forget they existed in the first place.
"Or do they?" Dionysus challenged, raising a brow. "One shall be lost. One shall perish. That sounds rather nasty, doesn't it? What if you fail because you try to cooperate?" Zoë looks ready to agree with him, and Chiron sighs, exasperated.
"Mr D, with all due respect, whose side are you on?" He asks in a tired voice. My father raises his hands in mock surrender, leaning back in his chair.
"Sorry, my dear centaur. Just trying to be helpful." He grabs his coke from the table and takes a long swig from it, and my body tenses when I see his gaze flit towards me for the barest of a second.
I could see a lot in that one second. Regret...fear. But it was the pity I saw that twisted up my insides and made me sick, "We're supposed to work together." Thalia asserts. "I don't like it either, Zoë, but you know prophecies. You want to fight against one?"
The Hunter winced, and Thalia raised a challenging brow. We were raised on the stories of heroes who had fought against prophecies, and what had happened to them. Those who had tried to run from a gruesome fate only ended up getting a worse one, or those who tried saving a loved one fated to die only ended up dying themselves too. Prophecies are not meant to be changed. Ever.
"We must not delay." Chiron says. "Today is Sunday. This very Friday, December twenty-first, is the winter solstice." Every solstice there was a meeting in Olympus to discuss whatever the hell was going on at the moment—from family issues to world issues to whatever the hell Zeus wanted or didn't want to talk about.
I'm sure that recently, all the talk has been about Thalia and her pending birthday—considering she was barely a few weeks from turning 16 and kickstarting the end of the world. "Oh joy. Another dull annual meeting." Dionysus deadpans, his lips curling up.
"Artemins must be present at the solstice." Zoë explains earnestly. "She has been one of the most vocal on the council arguing for action against Kronos's minions. If she absent, the gods will decide nothing. We will lose another year of war preparations."
Mr D raises a brow in her direction. "Are you suggesting that the gods have trouble acting together young lady?" He asks, and the girl didn't even blink at the god.
"Yes, Lord Dionysus." She answers in kind, and my father grins, waving a hand.
"Just checking. You're right of course. Carry on." I'm convinced that my father only attends these meetings to cause more chaos, not caring how any of it plays out as long as he got to have his fun.
Chiron leans further on the table, looking towards the other campers. "I must agree with Zoë. Artemis's presence at the winter council is critical. We have only a week to find her. And possibly even more important: to locate the monster she was hunting. Now, we must decide who goes on this quest."
I sink lower into my chair, already knowing where this part of the conversation will go. "3 and 3." Jackson speaks up, and my eyes dart to him.
He had been silent so far, and for a second I had forgotten he was even here. "We're supposed to have 6, so three Hunters and three from Camp-Half Blood. That's more than fair."
Thalia looked towards Zoë, who only shook her head. "It does make sense." Thalia points out, to which Zoë only glowered further.
"I would prefer to take all the Hunters. We will need strength of numbers." She mumbled, obviously unhappy that she would be taking so many of us.
Chiron hummed quietly. "You'll be retracing the goddess's path. Moving quickly. No doubt Artemis tracked the scent of this rare monster, whatever it is, as she moved west. You will have to do the same. The prophecy was clear: The bane of Olympus shows the trail. What would your mistress say? 'Too many Hunters spoil the scent.' A small group is best." Chiron reminds her, folding his hands gently in front of himself.
Zoë narrowed her eyes, leaning back against her chair in thought. "This monster—the bane of Olympus. I have hunted at Lady Artemis's side for many years, yet I have no idea what this beast might be."
All eyes turned towards my father, considering out of everyone in the room, he would be the one to know. He looked up from the magazine he was flipping through when everyone grew quiet, his eyes narrowing. "Well don't look at me. I'm a young god, remember? I don't keep track of all those ancient monsters and dusty Titans. They make for terrible party conversation."
He promptly went back to his magazine, and I sighed, looking towards Chiron. "I'm assuming you don't have any ideas either?" I ask, and he purses his lips together.
"I have several ideas, none of them good. And none of them quiet make sense. Typhon, for instance, could fit this description. He was truly a bane of Olympus. Or the sea monster Ketos. But if either of these were stirring, we would know it. They are ocean monsters the size of skyscrapers. Poseidon would have already sounded the alarm. I fear this monster may be more elusive. Perhaps more powerful."
Chills ran down my spine at the mention of the powerful beasts he was talking to, and I hated the idea that we might be facing down something stronger than them. "That's some serious danger you're facing." Conner Stoll raises his brows, his eyes wide.
I don't miss the way he says you and not we. Of course, they wouldn't be the ones to go on this quest, and by the sound of it, they weren't upset about it. "One shall be lost in the land without rain.' If I were you, I'd stay out of the desert." Beckendorf supplies, pointing the statement towards Thalia and Jackson.
Of course, they would be the ones to go. There wouldn't be a question about that. Both of them were children of the Big Three, and there was no one more suited for a quest than them.
"And the Titan's curse must two withstand.' What could that mean?" Silena asks, cocking her head to the side in thought.
Chiron shares a sidelong glance with Zoë, but neither of them deign to let the rest of us know what they were thinking. "One shall perish by a parent's hand,' How is that possible? Whose parents would kill them?"
The table grew quiet almost immediately, and I looked at the table, refusing to look at my father. I don't think he would ever do something like that—unlike the other gods Dionysus had always been able to be more...involved with his children, and he acted like he cared for us on occasions.
No, it was all the other gods that I had to worry about. The ones who thought that the power I had was unnatural and wrong, even amongst the gods.
"You're as powerful as one of the Big Three you know. It says so right here." Annabeth had told me that when I was barely eight years old, holding up a large book and pointing to a jumbled piece of writing I could barely make out.
Apparently the book was on the children of the gods and their abilities. It went into great detail about the gifts that each god bestowed on their kids. And for Dionysus, his kids were pretty docile—until he had aa daughter. His daughters all turned out the same—blessed with an enormous amount of power, and cursed with the knowledge that one day, their gifts would turn on them.
Any child of the Big Three, regardless of the prophecy, were targets for the gods. And since I had enough power to rival their own, it made me one too. Yay me.
"There will be deaths." Chiron says sadly. "That much we know."
"Oh, goody!" My father cheers from the head of the table, drawing all eyes onto him. His purple eyes flash in the dim light, wide with faux innocence. "Ah, Pinot Noir is making a comeback. Don't mind me."
I roll my eyes, drawing my eyes away from him. "Percy is right. Three campers should go." Silena speaks up, bringing her chin into the air.
"Oh, I see." Zoë muses, narrowing her eyes at the girl. "And I suppose you wish to volunteer?" Silena bristles at the comment, straightening her back.
"I'm not going anywhere with the Hunters! Don't look at me!" It was well known that the Hunters despised the Aphrodite cabin, considering they were almost the complete opposite of themselves. Aphrodite believed and cherished love, and openly encouraged it, while Artemis rejected it almost entirely.
"A daughter of Aphrodite does not wish to be looked at," Zoë drawled sourly. "What would thy mother say?"
Silena stood abruptly from her chair, looking seconds away from jumping over the table before the Stoll brothers held her back. "Stop it." Beckendorf ordered. Charles was the head of the Hephaestus cabin—and while he was easily the biggest man in the room, he was quiet and seldom spoke. He was often responsible for a lot of the mechanical creations around camp, and he had a compassionate heart that was overlooked for his size.
He was one of the few people who wasn't afraid of me—and while we weren't friends, he had never shied away from me, or openly ignored me. "Hephaestus was judged a lot too without deserving it." Was all he'd say when I asked him about it.
"Let's start with the Hunters," he offered, looking towards Zoë. "Which three of you will go?"
Zoë stood up, looking around the table. "I shall go, of course, and I will take Phoebe. She is our best tracker."
"The big girl who like to hit people in the head?" Travis questions, rubbing his head and wincing as he had been hit by the very same girl. Zoë nodded.
"The one who put the arrows in my helmet?" Connor added in a suspiciously innocent voice. Zoë, however, didn't notice it, and rolled her eyes.
"Yes. Why?" She snapped, raising a brow.
Travis smiled sheepishly. "Oh nothing. Just we have a T-shit for her from the camp store." He reached down, pulling up a long silver shirt with the words Artemis The Moon Goddess, Hunting Tour 2002. "It's a collector's item. She was admiring it. You want to give it to her?"
I could tell just by the innocent way they were both talking that something was up, and a part of me wanted to warn Zoë against it, but the larger part of me wanted to know what they were up to. I hid my smile as she took the shirt with a sigh, stuffing it between her arms. "As I was saying, I will take Phoebe. And I wish Bianca to go."
The young girl blinked in surprise upon hearing her name. "Me? But... I'm so new. I wouldn't be any good."
"You will do fine." Zoë told her gently. "There is no better way to prove thyself." Bianca opened and closed her mouth a few times, as if she were trying to decide whether or not to argue with her.
She chose to stay quiet as she leaned back into her chair, a pensive look on her face. "And the campers?" Chiron asked, and I hated the way his eyes flicked to mine for a moment before moving away.
I shrank back into my chair, grinding my teeth. "I think it's obvious who one of them is. 'The child of madness whose fate is bound.' That's Danae." Silena points to me, and I shake my head.
"Nah, I'm okay." I tell her, and Chiron turns to give me a sharp look.
"Danae—"He begins, but I cut him off.
"I went on a quest last year. I don't need to go another one, thank you." I tell him firmly, before looking towards Zoë. "That doesn't mean it's me. I have two brothers ya know." I point out, and I feel Thalia shove a sharp elbow into my ribs but I ignore her.
Zoë looks at me with a confused expression. "Does thy not wish to help Artemis? Is thy a coward?"
I feel my cheeks redden in anger, and I nearly stand from my seat. "No. I'm not a coward. And besides, I figured it'd only be fair to give everyone else a fair shot. So thanks, but no thanks. You can get your child of madness from somewhere else."
Not to mention, the last quest I had been on was more than enough to last me a lifetime. I hear a long-winded sigh from the end of the table. "Must you always be so difficult?" My father looks up from his magazine to give me a tired look.
I blink, not surprised in the least to know he had been listening to the whole time. I stay silent, an uproar of different emotions rushing through me at once. "You will go on the quest. That is final."
I flinch at the finality of his words; how harsh they sounded in my ears. I stared at him for a moment longer before crumpling back into my chair. "Just pick the other two already." I grumble, ignoring the sympathetic looks I was receiving from Thalia and Grover.
Thankfully, I didn't have to deal with the same kind of pity from Jackson, or else I might have screamed. This time last year I was still dying for a chance to go on a quest—to prove myself. Now? All I wanted was to be left alone. I wanted to stay at camp, to hang out with my brothers and avoid Chiron's classes.
I don't want to hear about the stupid fate that I was bound to—or what came along with it. I didn't want the reminder of what my gifts had already cost me.
I wanted normalcy.
I'm brought back to the conversation when Thalia stands up next to me, her eyes darting around the room in a threatening manner. "I'll go." She says loudly, jutting her chin into the air.
Zoë doesn't complain immediately, and Grover nods along happily next to her. Jackson, however, shakes his head. "Whoa, wait a sec," he protests. "I want to go, too."
Thalia doesn't deign to respond, but I can see her shoulders tense as she leans forward on the table, resting her palms on the thin wood. "Oh." Grover blinks, looking at his friend. "Woah, yeah. I forgot! Percy has to go. I didn't mean... I'll stay. Percy should go in my place."
I must have missed the part where Grover had volunteered, but Zoë shook her head to the idea. "He cannot. He is a boy. I won't have Hunters travelling with a boy."
"You travelled here with me." Jackson deadpanned, his eyes narrowing.
"That was a short-term emergency, and it was ordered by the goddess. I will not go across country and fight many dangers in the company of a boy." She argues, and I can feel as much as see Jackson's growing distress at being told no.
"What about Grover?" He demands, flinging a hand towards the standing satyr.
Zoë rolls her eyes. "He does not count. He's a satyr. He is not technically a boy." I stifle my laugh as Grover chokes on his air, his cheeks blushing a deep red.
"Hey!" He complains, his lips pursing into a line.
"I have to go." Jackson continues, ignoring his friend's protest. "I need to be on this quest."
Zoë raises a brow. "Why? Because of thy friend Annabeth?" She challenged, and I tried not to notice the way Jackson's cheeks turned a bright pink.
"No!" He protested vehemently, shaking his head. "I mean... partially. I just feel like I'm supposed to go!"
I sighed, knowing that the two would continue to argue like this for hours, and I didn't see anyone else stepping up to defend Jackson. "He can take my spot. Not like I want to go anyways." I offer, raising my hand.
"No." Several voices speak at once, including Zoë, Chiron, and my father.
My hand falls back against the table. "So you would rather take an unwilling female camper than a willing male one?" I argue, and Zoë's brisk nod was the only answer she gave. I look over at Jackson, my eyes meeting his before I turn to look at Zoë. "If you want me to go, then barnacle boy over here is coming too. Otherwise you can find yourself a new child of madness."
I watch as Chiron sits back, his eyes narrowed. I don't know why I was defending him so much—I usually wouldn't have cared if he went on a stupid quest or not. But I felt compelled to help him. It was an annoying feeling.
"No." Zoë answered flatly. "I insist upon this. I will take a satyr if I must, but not a male hero." She wasn't budging, and I doubted there was anything I could say to sway her in any way.
Chiron looked between me and Jackson. "The quest is for Artemis. The Hunters should be allowed to approve their companions. Danae, you will be going. With or without Percy."
I slouched back into my chair, giving Jackson an apologetic look. "I tried. Sorry."
"S' ok." He grumbled under his breath, collapsing back into his chair. He stares down at the table while everyone else who had been standing sat back down.
Chiron stood up as soon as everyone was seated, clapping his hands together. "So be it. Thalia, Danae, and Grover will accompany Zoë, Bianca and Phoebe. You shall leave at first light. And may the gods—" he spared a look at my father. "present company included, we hope—be with you."
≫ ──── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──── ≪
I skipped dinner.
Chiron would be making the announcement for the quest, and those who had been chosen to go would be celebrated and clapped on the shoulder as the rest of camp wished them luck on their adventure outside of camp. Thalia would hate the attention, but Grover would be drinking it up.
I didn't want to hear any congratulatory remarks, nor did I want to take part in the celebratory party that would no doubt be thrown after dinner. I found myself walking through the strawberry fields, the field being the only spot untouched by snow.
Here, the temperature was warm and welcoming, and I didn't have to worry about the possibility of frostbite. I sat on the top of the hill, watching as the center of camp became clustered with campers surrounding a roaring fire.
I could hear the singing from here, and I imagined the happy faces surrounding the fire as people laughed and sang, enjoying each other's company. Usually, I would be on the side of the crowd, taking in the good energies and letting it lift my own spirits.
I was susceptible to crowds, and usually when there was an influx of good emotions, it would make my own be more pleasant. The opposite was true as well, which was why you wouldn't catch a child of Dionysus at a funeral or any gathering of sad or frustrated people. Those emotions are strong as Hades, and being around them can make a sad person downright depressed.
As the sun sets over camp, the flickering lights from the fire dance across the hill, and I continue to sit, content with my own thoughts. I didn't hear my visitor until they were right behind me, and I jump when I hear the subtle sound of a throat clearing.
My head whirls behind me, my eyes wide when I see Jackson standing sheepishly barely a foot away from me. "You look lost in your head." He observes, and I sigh, turning back towards the sunset.
"I have a lot on my mind." I tell him truthfully, and I watch him take the seat next to me out of the corner of my eye.
He's quiet for a moment, and I steal a quick glance at him. His black waves were disheveled and messy atop his head, as if he had spent the last hour running his hands through it, and his usually bright green eyes were dimmed and troubled.
"I'm sorry about the quest. I'd let you take my spot if you could." I tell him quietly, and a small, reassuring smile crosses his face.
"I gathered that, but it's not your fault." There's another pause. "Is it because of the prophecy? Or.." He trails off, and I sigh, pursing my lips. A childhood home, should assistance be found, For the child of madness, who's fate is bound.
The words have been playing on repeat since the Oracle had said them earlier today, running laps around my head until I felt sick. I know, I know that you can't take a prophecy at face value, but those lines seem more crystal clear than anything else.
My child-hood home wasn't one I ever intended to visit again. Ever. The memories associated with the place have haunted me ever since my father plucked me out of it and took me here. I don't even know if it was still standing.
I shrug my shoulders, crossing my arms over my chest. "I'm tired of being reminded about my stupid 'fate'." I use my hands to finger quote the word. "I just...for so long I wanted to go on a quest to prove myself, but all I proved last time was that everything people said about me was true. I'm tired of trying to prove myself, I'm tired of everyone making my decisions for me."
My voice grew more and more quiet the longer I talked, and I couldn't face Jackson's lingering look of understanding. My head ducked down, staring at the dirt between my feet. "I understand. Half of camp thinks I'm going to end the world, and the other half are too scared of me to look me in the eye." He grumbles, and I quirk a brow.
"You can drown a guy without blinking." I remind him, and he narrows his eyes.
"And you can make the same guy go complete nuts with the same amount of effort." He counters, and I roll my eyes. "If it helps, I'm not scared of you." He adds, the words striking me in the chest.
I can feel heat flood to my cheeks, and I'm grateful for the low visibility, otherwise he'd be able to see how red my face is right now. "Not even a little bit?" I joke, and he just shakes his head.
"Nah, I figured if you wanted me dead or screaming, you could do that without the purple fire and glowing eyes." I laugh, popping out an elbow and jutting it into his ribs.
"You're right, I am the better swordsman after all." I jest, and he gives me a look of mock hurt.
"Now you're just lying." He narrows his eyes at me, and I jump up when I feel a light splash of water hit the side of my face.
I gasp loudly from the cold, and I turn to look at him with a large grin. "You're gonna get it now, Barnacle Boy."
I pounce on top of him, catching his wrists in my hands before he rolls to one side. I barely have a second to brace myself before we begin to roll down the hill. Sticks jut into my sides as I feel my stomach roll into my throat, and by the time we stop rolling, my stomach was practically in my throat and my breath was coming out in quick bursts.
My head felt dizzy from the fast movement, and I blink, my eyes widening when I realize I was on top of him. My hands were still clutched around his wrists, pinning them to his sides, and I feel my face heat with embarrassment.
"Uh are-are you ok? Your face is red." Jackson's observation only makes my face heat further, and I jump off him, busying myself with brushing off the grass and twigs that was caught in my hair.
"I think your big head crushed my ribs Jackson." I turn away from him, rubbing at my face in an effort to wipe away the deep blush.
Gods. What an idiot.
I didn't know if I was thinking of him, or me.
≫ ──── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──── ≪
Sleep didn't come easy that night.
Jackson and I stayed out well past curfew after I promised him the kelpies would leave him alone (I found out that if you bribed them with nectar or ambrosia, they would ignore you. They're also partial to Dionysus kids).
When we finally parted ways, he made sure to walk me all the way back to my cabin, telling me that he'd see me off in the morning before I left. Pol and Cas were already passed out when I slipped inside, and I walked as quietly as I could to my bed before activating my privacy walls.
I laid in bed for hours tossing and turning, different images haunting my mind every time I closed my eyes. My mother made several visitations throughout the night, showing up and then disappearing every time I tried holding on too tight.
Along with her came the memories of life before camp—the small house I had called home, the tiny cat we had adopted off the street named Pickles, and my mother's smile that had slowly begun to disappear over the years.
I had shoved those memories so far into the back of my mind that they didn't even seem real anymore—they didn't even feel like they were my own.
By the time I began to hear my brother's stirring, I had gotten barely more than an hour of sleep, and I moved like a zombie around my room, trying to remember what to pack and the things I wish I had on my last quest.
My body was working on auto-pilot at this point, and I didn't even realize I had an audience until I turned around, my half-filled bag in one hand and a crumpled sweatshirt in the other. I jump when is see both of my brothers leaning against the wall, staring at me with wide-eyes.
"You look like you had a long night." Pollux observes, and I shoot him a glare as I stuff the sweatshirt into the bag.
"Couldn't sleep. Bad dreams."
I ignore them as I continue in my slow walk around the room, stuffing anything that I think is remotely helpful into my bag. "You're the worst packer I think I have ever seen. Why are you bringing three sweatshirts? Isn't this only a week?"
My attempt to ignore them both is ruined when my bag is suddenly snatched from my hands, and Castor pushes me onto the bed. "You sit. We'll do it."
I blink back my confusion as the two start rummaging through the bag that I had previously packed, throwing out my comfy sweats and sweatshirts onto the ground. "But—"
"Are sweatshirts and sweats going to protect you from a monster? Didn't think so." Pollux interrupts, and I stick out my lips in a pout as he replaces the clothing with the potion enhanced shirts that I had gotten from the Hecate kids two summers ago.
The clothing was reinforced with armor enhancing potions, making the cloth as strong as steel, but still just as pliable and breathable. I had bribed the two Hecate campers we had with one of the refillable chalices we had in our cabin (we have several), and in return, they had enchanted my clothing.
The clothes had sat in my drawer for the past two years, forgotten and unused. The shirt looked like one of my normal oversized black tee-shirts, and it could protect me from a flying arrow or the slash of a sword if necessary.
"I work better in my comfy clothes." I argue, earning me an eye roll from Cas.
"And I'll sleep better knowing my little sister is at least kind of protected." Pollux argue, shoving in a pair of shorts into the bag. I narrow my eyes when Cas leaves the room, returning a second later with a small bundle of Ambrosia and Nectar.
It took Pollux all of ten minutes to get me packed, and then another ten to drag me out the front door. The sun hadn't even started to rise, and the camp was pleasantly quiet. I yawn, stretching my arms high above my head as I look towards the small group of Hunters gathering in front of the pavilion.
Thalia and Grover stood off to the side, Chiron towering above them. My father stood next to them all with his arms crossed and his usual grimace crossing his face. Jackson was nowhere to be seen.
I turned to look at my brothers, giving them both tired smiles. "See ya in two weeks, thanks for packing my bag."
Castor reaches for me first, pulling me by my shoulder into a tight hug. "Don't do anything we wouldn't do."
"That's a short list."
"Just don't die ok?"
I hold onto him for a second longer, dreading the moment when I'd have to let go, when I'd have to leave camp again.
Pollux yanks me into his side, his knuckles digging into my head as he ruffles my hair. "We're proud of you no matter what, you know that right?" I blink, taken aback by his sudden burst of positivity and seriousness.
I crack a smile, ducking my head and wiggling out of his hold. "Thanks dork. I'll see you next week." I shove away the impulse to run into the cabin, refusing to get out. The thought was way too tempting, and I have to force myself to walk towards the waiting group of campers and Hunters in front of the pavilion.
Thalia gives me a solemn nod when I reach the group, and I give her the same as I take my place next to her. Zoë was saying her goodbyes to the Hunters around her, giving out last-minute orders and responsibilities as Chiron turned towards us.
"Stay together. I wish I could give you more guidance, but this task is solely up to you. Make sure—"
"Danae." I jump at the sound of my voice, looking up at my father as he nods his head to the side, motioning me to come over. I wince, sighing through my nose before gesturing for Chiron to continue.
Mr. D had moved to the outskirt of the group, away from everyone else as if he wanted some semblance of privacy. I don't look at him as I stand next to him, waiting for whatever speech or warning he had prepared in order to pretend he really cared.
"Here." I raise my brows when he holds out a small, golden key. There were small freckles of rust on the tip, but it otherwise looked completely normal. "You'll know when to use it." He tell me cryptically, and there was a flash of regret in his eyes before the feeling vanishes as quickly as it had come.
I pause, hesitantly taking the small key out of his outstretched palm before stuffing it into my pocket. His eyes linger on my wrist, where the bracelet he had gifted me just a few months ago was dangling.
"Don't lose it."
"Got it. Was that all?" There was a small bite to my tone as I turn away, preparing to walk back towards the group. The anger that I had managed to suppress yesterday rises up, and I can feel my hands clench into small fists at my sides.
I wanted to scream, to shout about the unfairness of it all. I'm sure half the campers here would beg to go on a quest, and here I was, forced to go with no choice but to nod my head and follow orders.
I take a single step away from him, and I stop when I hear him echo my movement, as if to chase after me. The mental image that gives me almost makes me laugh. "I'm sorry, Danae. If there was another option—"
"Why did you have kids?" I interrupt him, cutting him off completely. "You had Pollux and Castor, two boys, no girls. You were safe so far. But you kept going. You just had to test your luck. You knew what would happen if you had a girl, you knew and you did it anyways and—Gods I wish with every bone in my body that you hadn't... I'll see you in a few weeks."
I wipe at the single, lone tear running down my cheek before forcing myself forward, swiping off any emotion from my face and walking back to the group. An uproar of emotions rises in my chest, a war of anger and resentment that only builds the longer I stand in camp, surrounded by people who I would rather see rot in Tartarus than stand next to.
Chiron eyes me carefully, and the agony in my chest splits in two at the wariness in his gaze, as if I was a ticking time bomb about to explode. I averted my gaze, refusing to look at him. Thalia bumps me with her elbow, but I stare forward, watching as Zoë finishes whatever speech she had given to her Hunters and finally turns to us.
"We shall leave now. Dawn approaches, we must depart." I shrug my shoulders, no longer caring about anything besides getting a window seat in the van we would be taking. I stalk through the small group, not wanting to hear any departing words or good-wishes.
I load onto the van first, looking back one last time at the camp I was trying desperately to stay in.
Jackson never showed.
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Zoë drives like a psychopath.
I didn't have much experience in a car, but I had enough to know that her driving was definitely not safe. She fishtailed in and out of traffic like a bat out of the Underworld, my stomach rolling every time we turn.
Grover had managed a small tracking spell before we left camp, and we were relying completely on his abilities as we navigated the bustling city streets. I stare out the window at the passing buildings and completely oblivious passersby. None of them were aware of anything besides their own lives, moving with a calmness and normalcy that I would most likely never get to experience.
We were missing a Hunter. I noticed as everyone boarded the bus that we were one short, but I kept the observation to myself, not particularly caring where the missing Hunter was. Thalia on the other-hand, was not as silent.
Her and Zoë have been arguing for the last 30 minutes, going back and forth. Apparently, the Hunter had been sabotaged—the shirt that she had received yesterday was coated in Centaur blood, which is akin to acid.
Pheobe, the missing Hunter, was resting back at camp, meaning we were one short. Maybe that's enough to throw off the whole prophecy.
It was a pleasant thought, but unlikely. More than likely, we'd acquire some unlikely addition to the group, and everything would then go as planned. Yay.
"I think the trail is heading south. Towards Washington D.C." Grover leans forward in his seat, and he winces as Zoë takes another swerve in-between cars.
"The prophecy said west. Thou are leading us in the wrong direction." It was the same words Zoë had been saying for the entirety of the trip so far, and I was ten seconds from banging my head into a wall.
Thankfully, we stopped at a service station soon after, and I was the first one out of the stuffy bus and into the convenience store. I didn't have an abundance of money, but I needed a bathroom and a coke, in that order.
I walked slowly between the small aisles, trying to waste as much time as I could before going back to the van. I jump when a candy bar falls from the aisle behind me, and I turn towards the sound with narrowed eyes, my finger playing with my charmed bracelet.
A chocolate Hershey's bar lies on the ground, but other than that, I was completely alone. I stare at the empty space for a moment longer before turning around, walking towards the door. Zoë opens it before I reach it, scowling.
"We've been waiting." She snaps, her face pinching into a sour look. I roll my eyes, pushing past her and towards the van.
"Whoops." I shrug, walking back to the van. The others were already inside, and I ignore their pressing glances as I slink back into my seat. Zoë walks in a second later, glaring at me before taking her seat behind the wheel. I ignore her.
When the van starts moving again, I resume my position in front of the window, curled up on the seat with my bag clutched to my chest. Grover continues to direct us towards Washington, the car silent except for his brief interjections and Zoë's low curses under her breath.
My head bounced off the window everytime Zoë made a turn, preventing me from getting any kind of actual rest on the trip, and by the time we stop again, I was pretty sure I had a minor concussion.
"There's a strong monster scent coming from the museum, and Artemis's trail is heading that way too." Grover announces proudly, pointing towards the Air and Space Museum that was a block away from where Zoë parked.
Zoë grimaced, narrowing her eyes. "Is thou sure? I sense no monsters nearby." Thalia rolls her eyes, standing up from her seat and stretching her shoulders.
"It's worth checking out. Worst case we get to stretch our legs for a little while." Zoë purses her lips into a thin line, but she nods her head, slipping out of the drivers seat. Bianca, who had been almost completely silent this whole trip, followed dutifully after her, leaving just me and Grover.
The satyr hesitated at the front of the van, looking between me and the rest of the group now walking towards the museum. "I-you—I'm sorry. I know you would rather be at camp right now."
I shrug my shoulders, standing up from my seat and rolling my neck from side to side. "Not your fault 'Rover. I'll be ok. The quicker we find Artemis, the faster I can go home." Home.
I give the small satyr a pat on the shoulder as I walk by, and he waits for me to go on ahead before following after me. The others were waiting for us in front of the museum, Zoë tapping her foot impatiently.
I give her a lop-sided grin. "Thou should learn some patience." I tell her in a sarcastic tone, and her scowl deepens as I laugh, pushing open the doors to the building. Thalia lets out a quiet snort, and I shoot her a smile.
"What are we looking for Grover?" Thalia asks, her eyes wide as she takes in the interior of the museum. Large rockets and aeroplanes hung from the ceiling, with exhibits lining the walls.
Grover pauses, taking a moment to sniff at the air. "There's a strong monster scent here, maybe Artemis stopped here to check it out?"
Zoë doesn't look convinced, her brows creasing. I roll my eyes, pushing past her and pointing towards the ramp leading towards the upper floor. "Come on. I'd like to delay getting into that steel deathtrap of a van for as long as possible."
I walk ahead of the group, looking behind me when I reach the bottom of the bottom of the ramp. Zoë looks like she would rather be anywhere else in the world right now, but she was begrudgingly following after me, a sour look on her face.
I lead the way as we trudged slowly up the ramp, and my eyes traveled over the second landing, looking for anything out of place. There were a few tour groups lingering on the top floor, and a family here and there but there wasn't anything—
My eyes almost completely miss the body of mangled fur and spiraling horns, the shadowed body almost completely blending in with the shadows. I open my mouth to point it out, but something rudely knocks into me from behind, sending me right to the ground. When I look back up, the monster was gone.
Gods, I'm already going crazy.
On my knees, I look behind me to glare at the person who had ran into me, but my anger is swiftly overtaken by surprise when a familiar set of sea green eyes lock with mine. I stare at him in open-mouthed shock, barely registering that the idiot boy was offering me a hand to help me up.
I'm still gaping when I realize that both Bianca and Zoë have their bows trained on his chest, and he looks around the group with a sheepish grin. "You!" Zoë's voice bellowed in the quiet museum, and I wince at the pure anger in her tone. "How dare you show thy face here?"
"Percy!" While Zoë looked like she was seconds away from murdering him, Grover was all smiles as he notably brightened at the sight of his friend. "Thank goodness" Zoë averted her glare from Jackson to the satyr, and he instantly sobered up. "I mean, um, gosh. You're not supposed to be here!"
I send an elbow into Jackson's ribs, and he grimaces. "Is barging in on quests going to be a yearly thing for you? Just can't share the glory can ya?" The words were a joke, but he winces again.
"Luke." Out of everything he could have said, that name was definitely not one of them. "He's here."
Oh goody goody gumdrops.
The anger that had been simmering in the air vanishes instantly, and we all go into high alert. "Where?" Thalia demands, her hand resting on the silver band around her wrist.
Jackson then proceeds to rush through his encounter with Dr Thorn and Luke, mentioning a General who had watered some teeth to make skeletons rise from the ground, skeletons who were now tracking us.
"The General is here?" Zoë's face paled to an unhealthy white. "That is impossible! You lie." The words sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than anyone else, but Jackson took the accusation personally.
"Why would I lie? Look, there's no time. Skeleton warriors—"
"What?" This time it was Thalia's turn to look alarmed. "How many?"
"Twelve. And that's not all. That guy, the General, he said he was sending something, a 'playmate', to distract you over here. A monster." I recall the thing I had seen on the second floor, and my eyes instantly go to the last place I saw the beast, but there was nothing there but shadows now.
Chills run down my spine, and my fingers fidget with my charmed bracelet. "We were supposed to following Artemis's trail." I tell him without looking at him, my eyes still scanning the second floor. "We haven't found anything yet, but she's definitely not here if Luke is trying to trap us."
Bianca looked at Zoë, wincing. "Zoë, if it is the General—"
"It cannot be!" The girl interrupts harshly. "Percy must have seen an Iris-message or some other illusion." I narrow my eyes, realizing that whoever this 'General' dude is, Zoë knows a lot more than she's telling.
I cross my arms over my chest. "Who is this General guy?" I ask, raising a brow. Zoë's face pales further, and she sends me a sharp glare.
"No one. It does not matter, because he is not here. He cannot be." Her glare only intensifies the longer she holds my gaze, and I sigh, deciding to put a pin on the topic and bring it up later.
But when I look away, I see movement on the level above us, and in an instant I press the button to activate my sword, pointing towards the large mass of fur that was currently moving straight for us. Zoë and Thalia were arguing behind me, and I nearly groan.
"Guys if you could stop arguing for two seconds—there's a furry horned thing that looks a little murdery." My words manage to snap the duo out of their haze of anger, and the whole group turns towards where I was pointing.
But instead of moving into action, they all look at me like I've gone crazy. "There's nothing there." Zoë deadpans, scoffing.
I crease my eyebrows, looking back towards the monster who was slowly getting closer. No longer shrouded in shadow, I could make out it's features now, and I took in its matted brown fur (I didn't even want to think about what he had been rolling around in to get that effect). The thing was at least 8 feet tall, with gnarled and twisted horns that ended in sharp points protruding from it's head. There were no weapons in its hands, but considering the grotesque amount of muscled I could make out under its fur, I don't think it needs one.
The thing was on the complete other side from us, but it's legs were long, and it was moving quickly now, its gaze zeroed in on me. "What do you mean? It's right there! I mean come on, it has freaking horns for Zeus's sake." I exclaim, and when the group still doesn't react, I feel my stomach drop.
The pity and sympathy in Thalia's eyes only makes me feel worse, and I shake my head. "No-nope. Not going crazy. There's a big ass horny dude walking towards us right now."
Jackson coughs loudly, hiding a laugh, and I shoot him a glare. "Not what I meant Jackson. I mean he literally has horns." I gesture at the beast again, but when Jackson looks in the direction of my hand, nothing on his face displays the alarm he should be.
Grover winces. "I don't smell anything—"
"Kitty!" The sound of a little girl's excited squeal cuts him off, and I half-turn towards the sound, my nerves itching as the monster above us continues to grow closer. Luckily, the beast below us can be seen by the whole group, as they all tensed.
The thing was as tall as a lifted truck and just as long. It resembled a lion, if said lion was on some kind of monster steroids. Its shaggy mane ruffled as it moved, and it let out a roar so loud my ears began to ring, and I could feel its breath on my face.
The thing smelt like it had just got done eating hotdogs. Gross.
"The Nemean Lion." Thalia murmurs next to me, her eyes wide. "Don't move." I wince, my head darting back to where the 'creature only visible to me' was now standing at the top of the ramp. While the rest of the party might not know it, we were suddenly trapped on both sides.
"Uhm, I know this might not be helpful, but that horny dude? Yeah he's right behind us now." I hiss, and Zoë rolls her shoulders.
"Thou is seeing things. Focus on the lion. Seperate on my mark, try to keep it distracted." I grit my teeth at her first comment, my hand tightening around my sword. I'm not going crazy. Yet.
Jackson swallows thickly, looking to where the horned guy is standing behind us. He looks torn between my invisible foe, and the lion currently poised to attack at any second.
"Until when?" Grover questions slowly, his goat legs quivering.
"Until I think of a way to kill it. Go!" She doesn't wait to see if we listen before she rolls to the left side of the ramp, arrows already notched into her bow and sent flying towards the lion.
While Zoë and Bianca began to climb the Apollo Capsule, firing arrow after arrow, the lovely guest behind us, began to edge closer to them. And they couldn't see him. Wonderful.
Godsdamnit.
I make the decision to trust my gut, and instead of focusing on the lion, like Zoë had suggested, I whirl around, my sword shifting in my hands from a blade into a longer staff. Power thrums through me and into the wood, grounding me and allowing me a semblance of control as I look towards the large beast.
"You like fire?" I ask, and I don't wait for a response before shooting out a wall of purple flame, blocking the monster from reaching Bianca or Zoë. The thing whirls towards me faster than I anticipated though, and it slams its fist towards the ground in an effort to flatten me like a pancake.
I barely have time to roll out of the way, and the force of his punch into the stone ramp sends the floor shaking, making me loose my footing and nearly fall. Get it together Dani.
I spin on my heel, propelling my magic forward in an effort to ensnare his mind long enough to decapitate him and then kill him, but my magic finds nothing to latch onto. No thoughts beyond a primitive 'eat, kill, sleep'.
"Very caveman of you Mr. Horned Dude." I point out, retracting my magic back towards me as he lets out another bellow and a slam of his fist.
He's dumb. Literally unable to form a coherent thought. Should be easy to out-maneuver him.
I grimace as I activate my sword again, flipping the blade between my fingertips. He's large too, meaning he's slow.
I try to use every bit of information to my own advantage, rolling and leaping to the side at the last minute to avoid his death-fists. I manage to at least direct him off the ramp, and I dart behind a column just as his fist narrowly misses my face.
His knuckles instead hit my left shoulder, and I hold back a scream as I feel a sharp pop, and my entire arm goes completely numb.
"That wasn't very nice Mr. Horned Dude." I growl through my clenched teeth, trying to ignore the pain. I groan when I move again to avoid another hit from his abnormally large fist, making him hit the column instead.
The beast lets out a yelp of pain, and the whole column shakes from the force of his fist. I look up, grateful that the column doesn't look to be connected to anything important as a quick and probably fool-hardy idea forms in my head.
"Awe, did the big guy get a boo-boo?" I mock, jutting out my lips in a faux pout. I hide my smile as the beast lets out another deafening roar before charging me, and I have to nimbly run back around the column. I stand directly in front of it now, my back pressed against the cool stone as the beast aims a punch right for my face.
My shoulder shouts in protest when I roll to the left at the last second, and I watch as the beast's fist collides with the stone column again. Cracks spiral across the rock, and I watch in glee as the columm breaks, shattered from the beast's point of contact.
There's a small moment where the monster realizes his mistake , and he scrambles to move out of the way, but the column has gravity on its side, and moves faster than the large brawn. There's the sound of a satisfying smack as the column collides with the monster head-on, and a large cloud of black dust explodes into the air where the monster once was.
I instantly relax, heaving as I force air into my lungs as I attempt to ignore the pain radiating from my shoulder and down my arm. The sound of an earsplitting roar echoes through the air, loud enough to rattle the floor, and my eyes dart below, where the lion from before had Thalia pinned underneath her shield.
I was too far away to help, and moving was getting increasingly difficult as the adrenaline began to slowly ebb out of me, but I kept my eyes trained on the lion below. Zoë and Bianca were sending arrow after arrow towards the beast, but they were bouncing off his fur, not even nicking him.
Thalia grunts, pushing up with all her weight as she rolls out from underneath the beast, breathing hard. Jackson was notably nowhere to be seen. "Percy, whatever you're going to do—"
My heart fell into my stomach as the lion swiped at the girl, his unnaturally large paw hitting her in the ribs, and sending her flying into the nearby wall. The sound of her heat hitting the beam echoed, and she slid to the ground, unconscious.
I saw Jackson only a moment later, sprinting full steam into the main room, focused on the beast in front of him. I narrowed my eyes at the handful of frozen snacks in his hands, his grip like iron."Hey!" His shout to get the lion's attention failed, and he chose to instead throw his sword. Ya know, the one thing that could actually stop the monster.
The lion turned his murderous gaze towards Jackson, and the kid smiled before he charged again, the lion meeting him half-way. My eyes widened when I saw Jackson's hand disappear down the lion's throat, only to reappear a second later.
Whatever he had done, the lion staggered, coughing and heaving. "Zoë get ready!" he shouted, another frozen snack loaded into his hand.
The lion seemed to dislodge whatever Jackson had shoved down his throat, and he turned back towards the idiot demi-god with a murderous gleam in his eyes. "Snack time!" Jackson sounded completely unperturbed by the lion's intent on murder, and his smile only grew when the lion widened his jaws to roar.
Not wasting a second, Jackson threw an ice-cream sandwich aimed perfectly for the thing's mouth. Gagging, the lion only opened his mouth further in an attempt to cough up the snack, but Jackson was quick, and in another second, he had fired off two more ice-cream surprises.
Eyes wide, the lion was in a full coughing fit now, the sounds of his wheezing reaching me on the second floor as he reared on his hind legs, backing away from Jackson. "Now!" He cried, and not a second later, arrows were fired into the thing's mouth and down it's throat. The beast's body shook and thrashed once, then fell backwards onto the ground, his body hitting the ground so hard the building seemed to shake.
Then everything was still.
With the roaring and the fighting done, everything else blared back into focus. Guards were running down the corridors, trying to ascertain what happened and what to do, as regular customers were screaming in terror, rushing for the exits.
Jackson took one look at the fallen beast, and then his eyes traveled to where I was a level above him. I must have looked worse than I thought, because his eyes widened and then he was almost sprinting towards me.
I had already started walking towards the lower level, but he reached me a lot faster, his eyes taking in the fallen column and my very limp left shoulder. "What happened?" His voice was cautious and wary, and I wince.
"It looked like an Aeternae, but I'm not sure. It hit me hard in the shoulder." Jackson's eyes widen again, his eyes scanning the area behind me. "It's dead now." I reassure him, and he nods, offering me his arm as he helps me down the level to where Zoë and the others were crowding around the now disintegrated body of the lion.
Zoë eyes me with clear disdain, and her lip curls. "And where was thou?" She demands, and I give her a sharp glare.
"Fighting the monster upstairs. By myself." The hunter rolls her eyes, crossing her arms.
"There was nothing there." Her lips purse into a line. "Thou is a daughter of Dionysus?" The question cut through me, and I grit my teeth, both against the pain in my shoulder and the bite in those words. I feel Jackson tense next to me, but I give him a subtle shake of my head.
"I was injured. And a column collapsed. How could I have done that myself?" I challenge, but the girl just shrugs her shoulders, as if she didn't really care to think about it longer than a second.
Jackson, thankfully, changes the subject, shifting the focus from me and to the dead lion. Where the body once was, is now just a fur-coat. "Is the coat invincible?" He asks, and both Zoë and Grover nod their heads.
Grover had an arm around Thalia, who looked alright, besides the growing lump on her head and the dazed look in her eyes. "Take it." Zoë tells Jackson, jutting her chin into the air.
"What, the lion fur? Isn't that like, an animal-rights violation or something?"
"It is a spoil of war. It is rightly thine." Jackson shakes his head at the idea, taking a step back.
"You killed it." He argues, and I was surprised when the girl smiled at him.
"I think thy icecream sandwich did that. Fair is fair, Percy Jackson. Take the fur." He slowly removes the arm that had been slung around my waist to hold me up, and I nearly sag to the ground without his weight, but I force myself to stay standing.
Noticing my obvious discomfort, Grover reaches into his pocket, producing a small cube of ambrosia. I take it, wincing. "I think my shoulder is dis-located. I should pop it back in before using this." Just the idea of touching my shoulder makes me want to gag, and the satyrs eyes widen before he fervently nods in agreement.
"When we get back on the bus, I'll set it for you." He promises, and I give him a grateful smile. His eyes dart towards that were still scrambling around the building senselessly. "We have to get out of here, the security guards won't stay confused for long."
My eyes move to where Jackson was holding the fur of the lion that had shifted into the form of a floor-length coat. "You did that?" He questions, raising an impressed brow. Grover preens under the compliment, and I roll my eyes.
"The security guards are not our biggest worry. Look." Zoë gestures towards the front of the museum, and I groan when I see the large group of men walking across the lawn. They were wearing dark grey clothes, matching the tones of their skin. And their heads were turned towards us.
"Go." Jackson pushes Zoë towards the exit. "They'll be hunting me. I'll distract them." I open my mouth to argue, prepared to fight Zoë if she even thought about leaving him behind.
"No." My mouth stays open in shock at her arguement, and I make a choked sound that she ignores. "We go together."
"But you said—"
"You are part of this quest now." Zoë affirms, looking none too pleased about it. "I do not like it, but there is no changing fate. You are the sixth quest member. And we are not leaving anyone behind. Even if they are a hinder to us." Her eyes flit to me for a moment, and I glare at her.
I ignore her, and the group begins to trek back towards the van parked outside, Jackson now in tow. My mind flits back towards the Aeternae, the monster that I had apparently been the only one to see.
I can't go insane. I've barely used my gifts, there would have been other signs...the gods aren't that cruel....
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Long time no see! This was an incredibly long chapter, and some parts of it took some planning ahead since there are some events that involve plot points later in the story ;) but i hope you enjoyed! Hopefully i can get the next chapter out faster than this one!! Loves to all who are reading!!
Vote/comment if you enjoyed!! (11269 words)