A Tale of Gods and Magic

Lou Ellen: What Does Magic Smell Like?

A/N Salvete. I'm baaack from the dead. Here's a link to some of the inspiration for this chapter: http://askwill-solace.tumblr.com/ It's a really awesome tumblr!

Lou Ellen sat bolt upright in bed.

 "Mom's missing." She didn't even have to say it loudly. The rest of the campers were up in an instant, looks of shock and horror on their faces.

 "Oh my gods!" A girl with a mane of thick, tangled hair that formed a halo around her face screeched.

 "But, Lou Ellen, didn't Rachel tell us that last week?" Cassia said.

 It felt like a ton of bricks had crashed onto Lou Ellen's chest. Rachel had told them last week. And she'd forgotten.

 When she'd woken up, it had felt like a veil was being lifted off her.  A veil concealing the kidnapping of her mother. But how? Many of the Hecate campers controlled the Mist, shaped it to their will. So how could their own element be used against them? Lou Ellen's brain was working at full speed.

 "Okay, back to sleep, I'm going to talk to Chiron." Like everyone was going to just lie down and snooze. Cassia rolled her eyes at Lou Ellen, who ignored her. Simon Reid, a twelve-year-old son of Hecate obsessed with Marvel who was especially good at controlling magic, muttered something under his breath and a burst of green light hit the wall next to Lou Ellen.

 "How many times do I have to tell you, Simon? If one of these stones drops, we're all going to spontaneously combust and/or turn into a tree! And if you want to get my attention, call for me instead of showing off your green-light-y powers!" Lou Ellen gestured at the wall made of stones covered in carefully written magical symbols and writings. They'd had an issue last week when Simon had missed the target for his light powers and cracked a stone. Chiron had had to employ half the Hecate cabin to turn Clarisse back into a human. And ever since, she'd been shooting Lou Ellen death glares. Like she'd done anything.

 Simon shrugged and turned around, used to Lou Ellen's occasional tempers.

 "Stop standing there like cows! Go back to sleep." Lou Ellen gestured at the beds. "I'm getting Mom back." Cassia raised an eyebrow.

 "Sure, sure. You've never even gone on a quest before." That did it. Lou Ellen changed out of her overlage unicorn tee into the usual Camp Half-Blood shirt and cargo pants.

 Then she burst out of the cabin, intent on two things. One, Cecil. Two, Chiron.

 Once she was out of hearing range of the Hecate cabin, Lou Ellen leaned against a tree and muttered a nuncio spell.

 A faintly pulsing ball of amber (her magic's color) light twisted into existence.

 "Cecil. Meet me at the Big House. Need to talk. Important. Don't bring anyone. Cado." And the ball floated out of her hands to the Hermes cabin.

 A spot at the base of her throat fluttered. It always did that when she was nervous. But she wasn't nervous about her mother (she was a Titan-she could survive a kidnapping) or Chiron. So why did she feel that little quiver? After a few minutes of conversing with a nymph, Cecil was there. His face was red and his beaded necklace banging against his throat with each step.

 "Lou Ellen. Hi. Um. I also had something I wanted to tell you, actually-" he pulled his hands through his hair.

 "Let me go first," said Lou Ellen. She was sure anything he said was not important as what she had to say. "Remember how last week Rachel told us Hecate was captured?" Cecil's face went white.