Gone Girl.¹

𝟬𝟭𝟴. hades' grand plan

gone girl.
━━━ chapter eighteen

❀

The afternoon the Camp had an assembly at the campfire to burn Beckendorf's burial shroud and say their final good-byes. Even the Ares and Apollo cabins called a temporary truce to attend.

Amaryllis was sitting with the rest of her cabin, a dark look on her face as she watched the ceremony. She avoided looking at Silena, knowing that the sight of the grief stricken girl would get her even more upset and guilty than she already was.

Amaryllis had the ability to talk to Beckendorf's ghost if she wanted to, but she didn't know how that would have helped. If she could tell Silena about her powers, maybe she could have given her the chance to speak with her boyfriend one last time. But she couldn't. The time wasn't right. She hated herself for following her father's plan, but she had grown to realise that it was the only way.

Next to her, Will rested his head on her shoulders. She knew that he was thinking of Lee. Considering there was a war happening, maybe they should have gotten used to people dying, but it still didn't make it less difficult to deal with.

Beckendorf's shroud was made out of metal links, like chain mail. Amaryllis 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 that day they burned black.

When the ceremony ended, most campers drifted off to their afternoon activities. "You coming?" Will asked her, but she shook her head.

"I'll find you later."

She approached Percy, who was just standing there, staring at the dying fire. Knowing him, he probably blamed himself for Beckendorf's death. She squeezed his shoulder and he looked up to her with teary eyes, her heart breaking at the sight. They didn't need to talk to know exactly what the other was feeling.

Silena sat nearby crying, while Clarisse and her boyfriend, Chris Rodriguez, tried to comfort her. Amaryllis followed Percy as he walked over to them. "Hey, Silena," he said, "I'm really sorry."

She sniffled. Clarisse glared at them, but she always glared at everyone, so it wasn't very surprising. Meanwhile, Chris would barely look at them. He'd been one of Luke's men until Clarisse rescued him from the Labyrinth last summer, and he probably still felt guilty about it. Amaryllis didn't exactly blame him.

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."

The daughter of Aphrodite sobbed. She didn't need to say anything, because everyone knew it was true. Silena and Beckendorf were the kind of couple that everyone adored, the Camp's mom and dad. You didn't need to be a kid of Aphrodite to feel the love oozing from them everytime they  were around each other.

"Good work, Percy," Clarisse muttered.

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

"Do you need company?" Amaryllis asked but she shook her head and ran off.

"She's stronger than she looks," Clarisse muttered, almost to herself. "She'll survive."