Let the Games Begin!

Chapters 22-24

Chapter 22

“Don’t tell anyone.” he demands, his blue eyes staring into mine.

“I won’t,” I tell him, completely baffled.

After hearing this news, his dark hair seems more like deep space, his blue eyes seem more like the sky than ice. His tanned skin is more like caramel than just tanned skin.

“You seem, rather, um, unshocked…” he says warily.

“That’s not even a real word!” I tease, avoiding his question.

“What’s up with you?” he demands. “I just told you that I’m a god and you’re just like, ‘Oh. I’m totally baffled, but now I’m just going to stare at you…’”

“Sorry. I’m just a bit distracted, I guess.”

“What are you sorry about?” he laughs. “I’m just joking with you! Besides, what are you distracted about?” 

“Umm, well, have you ever realised how beautiful you look?” I say, shocked to have said those words.

“Beautiful? No, you must have confused me with yourself…” he shifts a little closer to me.

We lock eyes, my heart beating, my blood racing. Aera brushes his hand against mine, his fingertips turn my hand into mush.

“I can see why you’re a god,” I say.

“I can see why you should be one,” he replies.

“I couldn’t be a god!” I laugh jokingly. “I’m too clumsy and impatient!”

“Would you do it for me?” his eyes seem to penetrate into my brain, and I feel like I have known him forever.

“For you,” I agree, my sudden interest in him, and his in me surprising me. “What are you the god of?”

“Well, I’m mostly just an immortal, but I do have a little control over love.”

“Love?” I ask.

“Yeah, I guess. I don’t have nearly as much power as Aphrodite, but…you mix the goddess of magic and the god of lighting, you get love. Don’t know why but it’s weird like that.”

Chapter 23

I suddenly feel like an idiot, having a crush the minor god of love. He probably doesn’t like me… I convince myself. I would look like such a fool if I made it too clear about my sudden feelings. I guess the god of love could easily make someone less powerful become suddenly in love.

“Listen,” he says. “I don’t want you to be uncomfortable hanging around with me because I’m a love god, barely a god, at that. I want you to tell me anything you want me to know, okay?”

I feel his words wash over me and provoke my voice to talk, his speech toying with my brain.

“Does it have to be the truth?” I ask, trying to conquer the nagging feeling in my brain.

“Yes.” he says firmly, his eyes searing into my head.

I try to keep my mouth shut, using my brain to control my mouth, but his eyes begin to win me over.

“Well, um, I guess… well,” I stutter, trying to control my mouth. “I kind of, well, I…I…I love you.” the words fall out of my mouth, and I silently curse myself. Why did I have to do that? Surely I could have avoided whatever magic he was using!

“That’s interesting,” Aera says calmly. “Is my godly aura pulling you in?”

“Basically.”

He hands me a piece of paper, labelled For a specific Hecate cabin member. HECATE CABIN ONLY. 

“Why for Hecate cabin only?” I ask him.

“Well, lets just say that I made it for you, but it wouldn’t be as meaningful if you weren’t in the Hecate cabin.” he explains.

“Okay,” I say nervously, unsure of what to expect.

I carefully unfold the paper, making sure to remember every word on it’s face…

My eyes dart to the middle of the paper, where some words are written in a curly font:

Do you want to see my magic powers? Alakazam! You’re mine!

I laugh so hard at the cheesy, but cute pick up line. I was expecting some romantic poem, but it was something.

“Why are you laughing?” Aera teases. “I thought it was rather creative!”

I continue to laugh my head off and collapse into him. My laughter is muffled, as my face in buried in his shoulder.

Chapter 24

We walk back to the Hecate cabin, giggling and telling each other puns and funny pick up lines. 

We accidentally run into a few Aphrodite cabin members, who seem unaffected by us crashing into them, because of our cute aura.

We go in to the forest again, confused as to where to go. We continue walking to the borders of Camp, reaching the coast of Long Island Sound. We watch the Hippocampi dive through the waves happily.

***

As we make our way back to the Hecate Cabin, Chiron gallops out the door of the Big House.

“Aera!” he shouts.

“Yeah?”

“We have a problem. A giant has escaped Tartarus, he is heading to Camp!”

“Can I bring a friend?” he asks.

“Depends on who they are,” Chiron replies. “We wouldn’t want someone unpracticed being killed.” He glances at me.

“I want to bring Helena,” Aera says firmly.

“She hasn’t been here long…” Chiron argues.

“I want to bring Helena.” He repeats.

“Spend the rest of the day training her. If she is capable by tomorrow at lunch time, then she can come.”

He walks off and gestures for me to follow. We stop at an amphitheatre-like structure, made entirely of marble. Several scarecrow-like dummies are set up at the bottom. A table is lined with all sorts of weapons.

We walk down the stairs to the bottom, I see confetti scattered all over the ground, obviously something had gone on here recently.

Aera picks up a sword with a rubber tip on the end, handing me an identical one. 

“I’ll teach you how to use a sword properly first, okay?” he states.

“Okay.” I reply.

He turns his back to me. Suddenly, he turns around, and before I can register his movement, the sword-tip is at my throat.

“You’ve got to improve your awareness and reflexes…” he tells me.

I nod.

We spend a few minutes going through the basic moves, my skills improving a lot. The moves Aera teaches me are similar to the moves I’ve seen the Peacekeepers practice.

After I’ve got the basics, Aera begins to spar me, in slow motion, of course. He strikes, I block. I attack, he defends. We continue this for an hour, by which time, it’s lunch time. The Dining Pavilion is crowded with campers, lining up to get their lunch.

***

After lunch, we head to a space near the amphitheatre that is set up with archery targets.

“Do you know how to use a bow?” Aera asks me.

“Yeah… The Everdeen family is known in the district for its illegal hunting activities.” I reply. 

“Okay….”

I pick up the bow, feeling its smooth edges, the string tightly strung to each end. I place the arrow on the string and pull the bow up to my face. I draw back the string.