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"BRING THE TRAITOR FORWARD," ZEUS CALLED.
Aurora watched numbly as Ethan Nakamura was sent in front of the King of Gods. He had no chains on him, still dressed in broken pieces of his armour from the fight. He caught Aurora's eye, looking down quickly when she stared at him unflinchingly.
Aurora wasn't sure what to think of Ethan. During their time together at Yancy Academy, he was nice enough to her — with the exception of the occasional sneer in her direction.
She didn't know what, but there was something about Ethan that drew Aurora close. Maybe the fact that he'd been kind enough to help when Mr. Elmberg picked on him, or the fact that even with his injury, he'd been strong enough to kill Aurora... yet, he hadn't.
"The punishment for traitors is well known," Zeus began, snapping Aurora out of her thoughts. "Banishme—"
"—Hold on," Aphrodite stood up. "I vote against it."
"This is not a voting matter," Zeus growled. "He betrayed Olympus. The punishment has been upheld for millenni—"
"Oh, please," Aphrodite waved her hand dismissively. "It's the twenty-first century. Get with the times. I mean — and I'm just saying — people talk. They prefer their kings to have a modern mindset. If you banish him, the gods will know, and then they'll talk, and that never ends well. Don't you agree, Ares?"
Aphrodite turned to her boyfriend. Ares looked a little lost, but he nodded his head. "Uh, yes, exactly."
A lot of the other gods agreed with her — mainly to poke fun at Zeus, but he didn't know that.
Zeus contemplated, before turning to Aurora's mother, "I don't suppose you have any better ideas."
"Oh, of course I do," she beamed.
"Well, what is it?"
"We forgive him," she raised her hands as if it was the only possible idea.
"Forgive him?!" Zeus growled.
"Exactly," Aphrodite nodded. "See, he agreed. He's gonna forgive him. Oh perfect! Ethan, honey. It's a little too late in the summer to give you your own group to train for classes, so, split with Percy. I know he'll appreciate it."
"Wait, what?" Zeus asked. "You want to let him back into the camp?"
Ethan looked pretty confused himself. "Yeah, uh, no offense, but why?"
A part of Aurora was still in shock at how cool her mother was, while the other wanted to smack Ethan for protesting.
"Have you seen him fight?" she asked Zeus. "He's a natural. He'll be a wonderful addition to the camp. And I mean, why not? It'll show those Ro — uh... — the others that we're a modern bunch."
Zeus looked reluctant, but Aurora recognized Aphrodite's plan. She'd been charmspeaking the Gods' during her speech, not enough to cause suspicion, but enough to sway them.
Aurora grinned. The next time anyone said Aphrodite was dumb and airless, Aurora would make them regret it.
"You will be treated like any camper," Zeus told Ethan. "You're dismissed."
"Oh, Ethan," Aphrodite called him before he could leave, "Why don't you get some medical attention? Aurora, help him."
Aurora froze, stammering to try and protest. But Theo — her brother — pushed her forward. She dragged a slightly dazed Ethan away to clean his wounds.
"Ow," he muttered, causing Aurora to pull back.
"Sorry," she said, grabbing some nectar to try and clean his wounds instead.
She turned his face, wiping the cuts and bruises that littered it. His skin was soft, the small scars rough around the edges of his face.
"Why'd you join them?" Aurora asked, dropping her hand. "You could've returned to Camp with me."
Ethan shook his head, sighing. "Luke had a vision, and his vision was appealing — especially to me, the son of a minor Goddess. But then the monsters got involved, and everything began to go downhill." Ethan looked at Aurora, "I stabbed him at the end. It didn't matter because my blade shattered, and I was about to die. Riley barely managed to put up one of her energy shields in time. She's the reason I'm alive."
Aurora looked right back at him, reading between the lines.
"You're leaving again," she said. It wasn't a question. She knew based on what he'd said. It sounded too much like a final confession.
"No one wants me there," Ethan clenched his jaw. "Even if your mom gave the green light, the demigods and everyone still think I'm a traitor."
"No they don't," Aurora shook her head.
"What?"
"Mom was charmspeaking everyone, you idiot," she explained. "No one thinks you're a traitor, they all think you deserve a spot in Camp. And if anyone does think you're a traitor, you really think Riley's gonna let them get away with that? You think I'm gonna let them get away with that?"
Ethan stared at her, dumbfounded.
"Look, I'm not gonna force you back to Camp or anything," she said, passing Ethan an ice pack. "But all I'm saying is that no one hates you. You have a chance for a fresh start, all you have to do it take it."
She packed up the First-Aid Kit, turning around to make her way downstairs and with the rest of the demigods. She pressed the button to call the elevator, a slow smile creeping on her face as she felt footsteps behind her.
Ethan hesitated, slipping his hand in hers and squeezing it.
Together, they were going for the fresh start.
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