Half Moon

Viola IV

Unlike it's startling paint job, the interior of the Big House, as Chiron had called it, was actually quite homey. We sat on lumpy couches around a pool table in what I guessed was the den. Chiron has somehow compacted the lower part of his body into a wheelchair, so now he looked relatively normal.

"What brings you here, Carlisle?" He asked somberly.

"Alice had a vision that a rogue group of vampires, led by a Queen called Lamina we're planning an attack on your camp. We came as soon as we heard, to warn you, and offer our help." Carlisle explained in the same tone.

"What? Help them? After they attacked Alice?" Jasper exclaimed angrily.

"No way. Never." I said.

Carlisle turned to us and gave us a stern look. Immediately I felt bad. Even though they had tried to attack us, I understood their reason. If they somehow got wind of the same future event that Alice had seen, their reaction was completely justifiable, though it wasn't enough to make me want to help them. I glanced sideways at Jasper, who still looked as angry as before.

"Jazz, we need to help them." Alive said softly, placing her hand on Jasper's knee, "I saw that we need to fight together to defeat Lamina."

He frowned, not pleased about how the conversation was going.

"Fine." He relented.

"Thank you." Alice said, "Viola?"

"Fine." I answered in the same tone Jasper used.

Alice smiled to herself and Carlisle nodded, pleased at his daughter's ability to persuade us.

"I'm glad." Chiron said, "I have full confidence in my campers, but we have not dealt with such..." he paused, choosing his words carefully,"threats, in a long, long time. It will be good to have some experienced allies fighting with us."

°°°

I sat by the lake, gazing out at the calm waters. Tiny waves gently lapped against the sandy shores, their crests reflecting the lights from the cabins in the distance. Frogs croaked in them long grass at the edge of the lake and monsters softly growled at each other in the forest. The night was cool and a gentle breeze blew into my face, the scent of dew and strawberries melting together creating a medley of summer.

Carlisle and Esme were helping out in the camp's infirmary, making sure that all campers were at their best for any possible battles that might happen. Alice, who had been chatting with some, seemingly friendly, children of Aphrodite had said that the rest of the boys had gone hunting, so I was alone for the night. Or, not. The direction of the wind changed, and a new scent tickled my nostrils, a forest fire erupting in my throat.

"It took you a while." I remarked as Ace strode up behind me.

I still hadn't exactly forgiven his obscene gesture earlier, but those green, green eyes of his hadn't left my mind since my amber ones had met them in front of the big house. The blue haired boy intrigued me.

"Oh well, sorry to keep you waiting." He replied sarcastically.

"You should be, a gentleman never keeps a lady waiting." I shot back.

"Wow firecracker, How long did it take you to think up that one?"

"Despite what you may believe, I don't spend my every waking moment figuring out comebacks for some wannabe emo kid."

"Ooh, ouch. That hurt." he replied sarcastically.

"Oh no, did the little baby's feelings get hurt?" I sneered in the same tone.

"I'm older than you."

"Yeah, right." I scoffed, "And I'm Zeus."

A clap of thunder shook the valley, who's sky had been clear ten seconds ago.

"Your sky is fucked up." I pointed out, and thunder boomed again.

"If you hadn't pointed out that you were a lady, I never would have guessed. You curse like a sailor.

"Shut the fuck up."

"The way you spat on the ground isn't exactly ladylike either." He continued.

"The way you flipped me off wasn't very gentleman-like either." I countered.

"Never said I was a gentleman."

"What do you want?" I snapped, not enjoying the fact that he was winning our verbal sparring match.

He smirked, recognizing this.

"Was this you?" he asked, holding up a dead scorpion.

Now it was my turn to smirk.

"Did it bite you in the ass?"

"That's not exactly ladylike either, y'know."

"Oh shut up already."

"Fine."

"Good"

We sat quietly for a while. Nothing but the croaking of bullfrogs and the lapping of waves disturbed the silence.

"What's the deal with the brown haired bitch?" I asked.

"Don't call her that." He growled.

Ooh, touchy subject. Maybe she was his girlfriend after all.

"Why not? She attacked my family. I have every right to call her that." I said, riling him up.

"Because the people who talk about my girlfriend that way usually get their ass kicked" he threatened.

I couldn't help but laugh out loud. I know he meant it with absolute seriousness, but the fact that he thought that he could kick my ass was absolutely hilarious.

"What the fuck is so funny?"

"N...nothing." I managed to get out between laughs,"Just every single part of that sentence."

"Psycho." he muttered under his breath.

"Asshole." I replied, and he looked at me wide-eyed, surprised that I heard him.

"Why did you put a scorpion in my bed anyway?" Ace said, changing the subject.

"If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?"

"Hilarious." Ace said dryly.

"Shakespeare. Merchant of Venice."

"You read Shakespeare?" He asked, turning to me.

"Yeah, he's my favorite writer."

Ace's moss green eyes met mine. I expected him to look away, uncomfortable, just like most people do. But he held my gaze, until I felt compelled to look down at the grass I was sitting on. My stomach twisted strangely. It was a pleasant sensation, one I hadn't felt in years. If my veins still held blood in them, I would have turned as red as a tomato. I wanted to reach down and take his hand in mine.

No. He has a girlfriend.

I shook my head.

"I need to go um... find my sister."

"I wouldn't go looking for her." Ace said warningly.

"Why not?"

"She's in the Aphrodite cabin. No one has ever returned from there without getting a makeover."

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