𝒊𝒊𝒊. 𝐋𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒

𝒗𝒊𝒊.

Noelle sat a bit uncomfortably between Zoë Nightshade and Bianca di Angelo waiting for Mr. D to start the council meeting. The council was held around a Ping-Pong table in the rec room. Dionysus waved his hands and snacks and beverages appeared on the table, signaling the start of the meeting.

Mr. D and Chiron (in wheelchair form) sat at one end of the table. Zoë, Noelle, and Bianca di Angelo (who had kind of become Zoë's personal assistant) took the other end. Thalia, Grover, and Percy sat along the right, and the other head councilors—Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, and the Stoll brothers—sat on the left. The Ares kids were supposed to send a representative, too, but all of them had gotten broken limbs (accidentally) during capture the flag, courtesy of the Hunters. They were resting up in the infirmary. 

Zoë started the meeting off on a positive note. "This is pointless." 

"Cheez Whiz!" Grover gasped. He began scooping up crackers and Ping-Pong balls and spraying them with the topping. 

"There is no time for talk," Zoë continued. "Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately." 

"And go where?" Chiron asked. 

"West!" Bianca said. Noelle was amazed at how different she looked after just a few days with the Hunters. Her dark hair was braided like Zoë's now, so you could actually see her face. She had a splash of freckles across her nose—not as numerous as Noelle's—and her dark eyes vaguely reminded her of someone famous, but she couldn't think who. She looked like she'd been working out, and her skin glowed faintly, like the other Hunters, as if she'd been taking showers in liquid moonlight. "You heard the prophecy. Five shall go west to the goddess in chains. We can get five hunters and go." 

"Yes," Zoë agreed. "Artemis is being held hostage! We must find her and free her." 

"You're missing something, as usual," Thalia said. "Campers and Hunters combined prevail. We're supposed to do this together." 

"No!" Zoë said. "The Hunters do not need thy help." 

"Your," Thalia grumbled. "Nobody has said thy in, like, three hundred years, Zoë. Get with the times." 

Zoë hesitated, like she was trying to form the word correctly. "Yerrr. We do not need yerrr help." 

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Forget it." 

"I fear the prophecy says you do need our help," Chiron said. "Campers and Hunters must cooperate." 

"Or do they?" Mr. D mused, swirling his Diet Coke under his nose like it had a fine bouquet. "One shall be lost. One shall perish. That sounds rather nasty, doesn't it? What if you fail because you try to cooperate?" 

"Mr. D," Chiron sighed, "with all due respect, whose side are you on?" 

Dionysus raised his eyebrows. "Sorry, my dear centaur. Just trying to be helpful." 

"Thalia's right. We're supposed to work together," Noelle said, making Zoë's anger dissipate slightly. The daughter of Artemis seemed to be the only camper that the Hunters tolerated. "You know prophecies, Zoë. You want to fight against one?" 

Zoë grimaced, but she knew Noelle had a point. 

"We must not delay," Chiron warned. "Today is Sunday. This very Friday, December twenty-first, is the winter solstice." 

"Oh, joy," Dionysus muttered. "Another dull annual meeting." 

"Artemis must be present at the solstice," Zoë said. "She has been one of the most vocal on the council arguing for action against Kronos's minions. If she is absent, the gods will decide nothing. We will lose another year of war preparations."