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X • falls the shadow

CHAPTER TEN

F A L L S  T H E  S H A D O W

• • •

Sometimes, Cameron debated if this was all worth it. If serving as a double agent for a wrathful goddess was ever worth the risk and daily anxiety. Sometimes, like being one of the people to save Annabeth after two years, he thought it was well-worth it.

But at times like these, he didn't believe it for one second.

He walked outside the house, alone, his sword casually swinging by his side. Whatever tripped the alarm can be nothing but bad news, and frankly, Cameron is exhausted of bad news. But the gods never cared what Cameron wanted, so he begrudgingly made his way to the edge of the property.

That's when Cameron found himself facing a hellhound with a rider perched atop the dark beast. He didn't recognize the rider, but he wasn't foolish enough to believe the rider was unimportant.

The rider grinned when he saw Cameron, and it filled Cameron's gut with tension. Something was wrong.

"My lady sensed a disturbance emitted from this place," the rider said stiffly, seemingly sniffing at the air, "I was sent to investigate."

Cameron forced his expression to remain neutral albeit confused. "I felt no such disturbance."

The rider leered down at him, his eyes every bit as dark as the hellhound's matted fur. He tilted his head, and the hellhound copied the motion. "Then you won't mind us searching the premises."

This was a trap.

But Cameron plastered a stiff smile to his face. "Not at all; anything to serve my queen."

The rider grinned at home and ushered the hellhound to walk past Cameron and into the house. Cameron forced the bland smile to stay on his face as the rider and beast stalked past him. He inhaled deeply. Here goes nothing. As soon as the rider's back was turned, Cameron slashed his sword against the hellhound's hind leg, not hesitating to cut the other one as well. The hellhound whimpered in pain before snarling. Both dog and rider faced Cameron now, the blood dripping from his sword clear evidence of treason.

All I have to do is keep them from Shadowtraveling away and telling her royal bitchiness. Easy enough.

Drew's face peered down at them from the roof, and even from where Cameron stood, her stone-faced anxiety was clear to see. The rider had his back turned to her, so he would never know that Drew was associated with this, too. That was good; better for Cameron to take the fall than the others. But he still had to warn them.

"Go!" he shouted. "Take her and run!"

If Cameron appreciated nothing else about Drew, he appreciated her speed. She frowned at him sadly, nodded her head once, and ducked behind the roof's edge all before the rider turned to find whomever Cameron was addressing. Cameron grinned and went to attack the hellhound while the rider was distracted. The hellhound growled menacingly as Cameron sliced its paw, but strangely, it did not attack.

The hellhound's noise caught the rider's attention and he turned to glare down at Cameron. "What have you done, son of Hermes?"

But Cameron just smiled. "Something I should have done a long time ago."

"You will regret this."

Cameron shrugged. "Maybe. But you'll be too dead to care."

Not for the first time, he was grateful for Chris. Chris and his affinity for plants; Chris who provided Cameron the poison that coated his sword and was now seeping into the hellhound's bloodstream. But with the way the hellhound was snarling at him, Cameron was beginning to doubt that would be enough.