𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐒──𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘺 𝘫𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘰𝘯

[ III. nico di angelo ]

The next morning, Zehra accompanied Annabeth and Percy for their cabin inspection rounds. The three of them had just left the Poseidon cabin where Annabeth had given Percy a generous three out of five. Annabeth chattered on about new reports from across the country and war strategies but Zehra couldn't bring herself to listen. It was all pretty depressing, and her ADHD brain did not like concentrating on depressing stuff.

Little battles were raging everywhere. Camp recruitment was down to zero. Satyrs were having trouble finding new demigods and bringing them to Half-Blood Hill because so many monsters were roaming the country. Thalia, who led the Hunters of Artemis, hadn't been heard from in months, and if Artemis knew what had happened to them, she wasn't sharing information.

As they crossed the commons area, a fight broke out between the Ares and Apollo cabins. Annabeth rolled her eyes as she scribbled on her inscription scroll, giving both cabins a one out of five.

"What are they fighting about anyway?" Percy asked.

Zehra found herself staring at him, which was stupid since she'd seen her a billion times before. His green eyes were bright in the morning sun, the wind dancing in his dark hair— like he was made from the mountains, crafted from wind and stone. He was so beautiful. Not in the way that Luke and Ethan were beautiful, but in an uncut way. Savage and unrelenting. Sometimes, she just couldn't take her eyes off him. She felt like she'd spent her life surrounded by people so ordinary and then he suddenly appeared, throwing everything she thought she had known into the wind. Everything about him had radiated that confident, arrogant, masculinity. It had been heady and overwhelming, and all she'd wanted, all she'd wanted for so many months, was to touch him, feel him, test him. Get close to that strength and throw everything she was against it because she knew he'd never break, never falter, never balk.

Zehra tore her gaze away before Percy could catch her. She didn't need to inflate his already too-large-for-life ego.

The day flew by so fast Zehra didn't know how she stayed upright. ​​That afternoon they had an assembly at the campfire to burn Beckendorf's burial shroud and say their good-byes. Even the Ares and Apollo cabins called a temporary truce to attend.

Charlie's shroud was made out of metal links, like chain mail. Zehra didn't see how it would burn, but the Fates must've been helping out. The metal melted in the fire and turned to golden smoke, which rose into the sky. The campfire flames always reflected the campers' moods, and today they burned black.

Zehra hoped Charlie's spirit would end up in Elysium. Maybe he'd even choose to be reborn and try for Elysium in three different lifetimes so he could reach the Isles of the Blest, which was like the Underworld's ultimate party headquarters. If anyone deserved it, Charlie did.

Annabeth left without a word. Most of the other campers drifted off to their afternoon activities. Zehra and Percy stood side by side, staring at the dying fire. Silena sat nearby crying, while Clarisse and her boyfriend, Chris Rodriguez, tried to comfort her.

Finally, Percy got up the nerve to walk over. "Hey, Silena, I'm really sorry."

She sniffled. Clarisse glared at Percy, but she always glares at everyone. Chris would barely look at either of them. He'd been one of Luke's men until Clarisse rescued him from the Labyrinth last summer, and Zehra guessed he still felt guilty about it.

Percy cleared his throat. "Silena, you know Beckendorf carried your picture. He looked at it right before we went into battle. You meant a lot to him. You made the last year the best of his life."

Silena sobbed harder.

"Good work, Percy," Clarisse muttered.

"No, it's all right," Silena said. "Thank...thank you, Percy. I should go."