WINGED ₁

33

PERCY AND GROVER WERE ELECTED TO CARRY THE ORACLE BACK UP TO THE ATTIC. At the same time, Zoe elected to drag Madeleine away and speak to her. Ethan shot them a look, but he didn't follow.

Once they were alone, Zoe gripped Madeleine's arms. "Tell me about your nightmare."

Madeleine hesitated. "How did you know about my nightmare?"

Zoe shook her head, her gaze fierce. "Tell me."

Madeleine didn't trust Zoe Nightshade, but she wasn't stupid. If she was going to get Annabeth back, she would need the Hunter's help. So she described her dream, all of it, including seeing it from Luke's point of view. 

When Madeleine was done, Zoe inhaled sharply and ran a hand down her face. "I had a nightmare, too. Artemis was captured." She proceeded to describe her dream: Artemis wrapped in chains and tormented.

"They have to be related," Madeleine said. "They have to be. Annabeth and Artemis are both in trouble."

"So come with me on the quest," Zoe said, her voice almost a plea. She looked exhausted, like her immortality was sliding off her shoulders. "You get Annabeth. I get Artemis. Then we never have to see each other again."

Something inside of Madeleine hesitated. This was a bad idea. This whole thing was one big, bad idea. The prophecy was ringing in her ears the same way Apollo's teeth kept flashing in her mind, telling her about tragic lovers and girls turning into trees. Daphne and Hyacinth and fate.

Before Madeleine could figure out how to respond to Zoe, Dionysus materialized in front of them. He swirled a can of Diet Coke lazily and watched Madeleine with bloodshot eyes for a few moments before saying, "We're calling a council of cabin leaders to discuss the prophecy, if you don't mind."

With that, Dionysus disappeared, and Madeleine forged away from Zoe.

⎯⎯ ୨ winged ୧ ⎯⎯

The council was held around a Ping-Pong table in the rec room of the Big House. Dionysus waved his hand and supplied snacks: Cheez Whiz, crackers, and several bottles of red wine. Then Chiron reminded him that wine was against his restrictions and most of them were underage. Dionysus sighed. With a snap of his fingers the wine turned to Diet Coke. Nobody drank that, either.

Dionysus and Chiron sat at one end of the table. Zoe and Bianca di Angelo took the other end. Thalia, Grover, and Percy sat along the right, and Beckendorf, Silena, and Lee sat on the left. The Ares kids were supposed to send a representative, too, but all of them had gotten broken limbs during capture the flag, courtesy of the hunters. They were resting in the infirmary.

Madeleine sat next to Percy. Travis and Connor had taken over the head counselor job after Luke's betrayal, but they had made it clear they didn't want it, so they had passed it on to Madeleine. She didn't complain. She liked to be informed, and she wasn't a half bad leader, if she did say so herself. 

Zoe started the meeting off on a positive note. "This is pointless." She shot Madeleine a look, like the pair of them should have already been off questing.

"Cheez Whiz!" Grover gasped. He began scooping up crackers and Ping-Pong balls and spraying them with topping.

"There is no time for talk," Zoe continued. "Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately."

"And go where?" Chiron asked.

"West!" Bianca said. The difference in her appearance after only a few days with the Hunters was jarring. Her dark hair was braided like Zoe's now, so you could actually see her face. She had a splash of freckles across her nose, and her dark eyes always seemed to shine. She looked more fit, and her skin glowed faintly, like the other Hunters, as if she'd been taking showers in Moonwater. "You heard the prophecy. Six shall go west to the goddess in chains. We can get six hunters and go."