νεκρός || Annabeth Chase x Fem!OC

Vol. 2-6: Tempest is ready to throw hands

THALIA

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I'd never seen Camp Half-Blood in winter before, and the snow surprised me.

See, the camp has the ultimate magic climate control. Nothing gets inside the borders unless the director, Mr. D, wants it to. I thought it would be warm and sunny, but instead the snow had been allowed to fall lightly. Frost covered the chariot track and the strawberry fields. The cabins were decorated with tiny flickering lights, like Christmas lights, except they seemed to be balls of real fire. More lights glowed in the woods, and weirdest of all, a fire flickered in the attic window of the Big House, where the Oracle dwelt, imprisoned in an old mummified body. I wondered if the spirit of Delphi was roasting marshmallows up there or something.

"Whoa," Nico said as he climbed off the bus. "Is that a climbing wall?"

"Yeah," Percy said.

"Why is there lava pouring down it?"

"Little extra challenge. Come on. I'll introduce you to Chiron. Zoe, have you met-"

"I know Chiron," Zoe said stiffly, and I had to fight the urge to shove her silver circlet right up her- "Tell him we will be in Cabin Eight. Hunters, follow me."

"I'll show you the way," Grover offered.

"We know the way."

"Oh, really, it's no trouble. It's easy to get lost here, if you don't" -he tripped over a canoe and came up still talking- "like my old daddy goat used to say! Come on!"

Zoe rolled her eyes, but I guess she figured there was no getting rid of Grover. The Hunters shouldered their packs and their bows and headed off toward the cabins. As Bianca di Angelo was leaving, she leaned over and whispered something in her brother's ear. She looked at him for an answer, but Nico just scowled and turned away. I didn't blame him. I barely knew Bianca and couldn't believe she had joined the Hunters and just abandoned her little brother like that.

"Take care, sweethearts!" Apollo called after the Hunters. He winked at Percy. "Watch out for those prophecies, Percy. I'll see you soon."

"What do you mean?" asked Percy.

Instead of answering, he hopped back in the bus. "Later, Thalia," he called. "And, uh, be good!"

He gave me a wicked smile, as if he knew something I didn't. Part of me wanted to believe he was teasing me about the sun chariot thing, but I somehow knew it was something totally different. Then he closed the doors and revved the engine. I turned aside as the sun chariot took off in a blast of heat. When I looked back, the lake was steaming. A red Maserati soared over the woods, glowing brighter and climbing higher until it disappeared in a ray of sunlight.

Nico was still looking grumpy. I wondered what his sister had told him. Briefly I glanced at Tempest to find her scowling in the direction the Hunters went. Part of me was glad we both disliked them. But part of me wanted to know why Tempest disliked them so much.

"Who's Chiron?" Nico asked. "I don't have his figurine."

"Our activities director," Percy said. "He's... well, you'll see.