Ethereal

Chapter VIII

I was walking up towards the Big House when I spotted two people arguing in the pavilion. It was Zoe and Bianca.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Phoebe has been poisoned, t cannot be cured," Zoe said. "Not quickly, at any rate."

"But how did it happen?" Bianca asked.

"A foolish prank," Zoe growled. "Those Stoll boys from the Hermes cabin. Centaur blood is like acid. Everyone knows that. They sprayed the inside of that Artemis Hunting Tour T-shirt with it."

"That's terrible!" I exclaimed

"She will live," Zoe said. "But she'll be bedridden for weeks with horrible hives. There is no way she can go. It's up to me... and thee."

"But the prophecy," Bianca said. "If Phoebe can't go, we only have four. We'll have to pick another."

"There is no time," Zoe said. "We must leave at first light. That's immediate. Besides, the prophecy said we would lose one."

"In the land without rain," Bianca said, "but that can't be here."

"It might be," I said, though I wasn't convinced. "The camp has magic borders. Nothing, not even the weather, is allowed in without permission. It could be a land without rain."

"But—"

"Bianca, hear me." Zoe's voice was strained. "I... I can't explain, but I have a sense that we should not pick someone else. It would be too dangerous. They would meet an end worse than Phoebe's. I don't want Chiron choosing a camper as our fifth companion. And... I don't want to risk another Hunter."

Bianca was silent. "You should tell Thalia the rest of your dream."

"No. It would not help."

"But if your suspicions are correct, about the General—"

"I have thy word not to talk about that," Zoe said. She sounded anguished. "We will find out soon enough. Now come. Dawn is breaking."

As we sprinted down the steps, Zoe seem ran into something. She froze, her eyes narrowing. Her hand crept toward her bow, but then Bianca said, "The lights of the Big House are on. Hurry!"

And Zoe followed her out of the pavilion. But I waited.

"I'll catch you up in a minute, I just want to watch the sunrise." I lied.

"Percy, I can tell you are there" I revealed. "I'm sorry you can't come, but I swear on the River Styx that I will do everything I can to bring back Annabeth."

Thunder rumbled overhead.

I turned and ran towards Half-Blood Hill and hopped in the van that was waiting to take us into the city. After that, we will be on our own.

I glanced over my shoulder while we drove off, just as the first of the sun's rays hitting the Camp below.

In the van, Grover was playing his Reed pipes while Thalia was trying to sleep.

"So where are we heading first?" I asked.

"West," Zoe grumbled.

"Ok then,"