In the Shadows: A PJo x KotLC Crossover

Chapter 4

"This is where you'll be staying," Will said as he showed Tam to a regular-enough looking cabin. The latter didn't buy it, though. He'd seen the other cabins, they'd looked like something an elf could build. Big, bold and bright. All adorned with their own unique features. But this one...

This one was obviously hiding something. There was no way it looked like, well, the way it was.

Cabin 11 was a shabby, ramshackle little hut with brown peeling paint, rotting wood and an old doorframe that had detached at one side. The threshold was so worn down it was as if it almost didn't exist.

A centipede crawled out of the pavement. Tam shuddered.

And inside.. crowded. Manic.

As Tam passed under the doorway, looking for clues as to what this shadey place could be hiding - which, unlike usual, shadey was a bad thing - he noticed a weird symbol above the doorway. It looked like a staff with two serpents curled around it. He was going to ask Will what it was, until, suddenly, he was met with silence for the first time since arriving at this strange camp.

Tam stopped.

Everyone was staring at him.

Blank faces peered at him from behind playing cards, over bunk beds, or just glancing curiously from time to time. One person had even stuck their head out from a vent, for God knows why.

But everyone was silent.

Tam just stared back. He made sure to widen his eyes to make himself look extra creepy - he didn't want people to think he was friendly, now did he? He inwardly shuddered at the thought.

Every time he made eye contact with one of the campers, they would flinch and look away. A few seconds later, Tam would look back to see them staring at him again. And so the process repeated itself, with each of the campers seeming to shrink in on themselves at just the thought of this creepy elf outsider bunking with them.

Will eventually cleared his throat. "Uhm, everyone, this is Tam- what's your second name?" he whispered. "None of your business," Tam shot back.

"Alright everyone, this Tam whose second name is none of my business," Will announced. "He'll be staying with you until he's claimed."

A groan rippled through the crowd. Tam was tempted to slam his head against the wall.

"Although I doubt it'll be long," the sunny blonde added. 

The entire cabin seemed to let out a sigh all at once, including Tam. It was clear they didn't want him here and he didn't want to be here either.

"Do you need my help moving your stuff?" Will whispered.

"I don't have any stuff," Tam hissed back.

Will blanched. "What?"

"What?" Tam mocked.

Will ran a hand through his hair. "It's just... " He fiddled with the end of his green plaid shirt. "It's nothing." He shook his head, seeming to come out of a trance. "It doesn't matter."

Tam had a suspicion that Will had wanted to say something important, but he didn't pry when the blonde smiled at him and wished him well as he left through the door.

As soon as he was gone, though, Tam looked around to make sure no one was watching and made a swift exit himself. He slowly pushed the door open and closed it without a sound. He doubted anyone would notice he was gone anyway, considering how obnoxiously loud they were being. Or care, for that matter.

Besides, stealth wasn't Tam's main priority at the moment. Finding out as much as he could about this place was top of the list.

For instance, what had Annabeth meant when she'd hinted about the camp not being for "normal mortals"? And did everyone keep mentioning demigods?

It was up to him to find out as much as he could about Camp Half-Blood.