WINGED ₁

46

MADELEINE ARRIVED AT CAMP HALF-BLOOD EARLY IN THE MORNING, and was greeted by the young guard dragon Peleus. He was playing with some of the morning birds, chasing them around the sky, huffing steam, and snapping at them playfully. Madeleine knew that Chiron would most definitely not approve, but she had no agenda against fun.

When Peleus saw her, he set down in the grass and trotted up to her. He was about twelve feet long and plenty intimidating, but she had stricken a friendship with him. She brought him sugar cubes and chin scratches in exchange for his affection. It was a good deal.

He was in charge of guarding Thalia's tree―or, more accurately, the Golden Fleece that shimmered on its lowest branch. It was a relief to have the dragon, especially these days, with the looming threat of war and Luke Castellan.

Below Madeleine, Camp Half-Blood looked peaceful―green fields, forest, shiny white Greek buildings. The four-story farmhouse called the Big House sat proudly in the midst of the strawberry fields. To the north, just past the beach, Long Island Sound glittered in the sunlight―Percy's favorite spot.

Madeleine walked down into the valley. She heard the warm grass crunch under her feet. It was maybe seven thirty, meaning it was a little too early for everyone else to be awake yet. Besides that, most of the campers had arrived last Friday, but Madeleine had been late on purpose. She wasn't sure she could adjust back to the girl she had been, and she didn't want to have to put on a show. It would be easier to arrive on the same day that Annabeth and Percy were―they had been there for Zoe. They didn't expect her to be the same. They wouldn't have to talk about it.

There was also the not-so-small matter of Ethan. Since Madeleine had been sixteen, she had been sparring with him at camp, and to not have that reassurance anymore felt weird, and not in a good way. After Zoe's death, Ethan had been the only person Madeleine had wanted to see. She didn't want pity from him. She wanted to get all of her anger out.

But he had been gone, and she had still neglected to tell anyone about his recent bloody visit. She wasn't sure what they were now. They had never been friends, but they had always been more than strangers and not really enemies. Ethan and Madeleine had had a very specific bond that came with a lack of faith in others. When they had needed someone, they had each other, and Madeleine didn't know what to do with the fact that now that she needed someone, he was gone.

Madeleine found her way to the Big House. Clarisse was sitting in the lobby/living area, drinking something steaming out of a mug. She had both of her calloused hands wrapped around it. Her brow was furrowed, and she was staring at the space between the wall and the floor.

Next to her sat Silena Beauregard. Silena and Clarisse had stricken up quite a close friendship over the summer, which Madeleine knew only from Clarisse's letters. The daughter of Aphrodite was talking animatedly, waving her hands and leaning into her boyfriend, Beckendorf's, chest. 

Beckendorf himself was watching his girlfriend with a content smile. He had one arm wrapped around her waist and the other holding a mug that was very much like Clarisse's. He was the first to see Madeleine, and when he did, his face brightened.

Madeleine approached the trio. Beckendorf got up to give her a hug. Madeleine was plenty tall, but Beckendorf was taller and all muscles, and so it was a bit like being hugged by a bear, but she enjoyed it all the same. The fun thing about hugging Beckendorf was you could squeeze however hard you wanted, because he could always squeeze back harder.

Silena gave Madeleine a fist bump and Clarisse just gave her a grim nod, which Madeleine took as a good sign. If Clarisse didn't care for someone, she would look right through them.

"Meeting later," Clarisse said, running her tongue over her lips. "For Grover."

Madeleine pulled in her lip with her teeth. "Forgot about that."