Pegasus and the Mirrored Ones

Chapter 8

Leo's POV:

After we had all seen Percy eventually defeat Emily, some of the campers had doubts. Emily had proven herself to be a skilled swordswoman, yet she had extinguished her sword and was driven to the ground. I wasn't there to watch though. I was up in the forge building weapons. Well weapon instead. My Hephaestus cabinmates had told me about Emily's golden sword, and I was eager to build a replica.

Halfway through, however, a knock at the door meant my precious work was stopped. I opened the door to find Emily, leaning against the door frame.

"Hi," I said. I had only spoken to Emily once, so I was surprised to see her. But then she could be here looking for another Hephaestus kid.

"Hiya," she replied. "You do realise it's lunch now, and Beckendorf wants you down there."

"Tell him I'll come down in a bit." I said, turning back to my work.

There was silence as I fiddled with my formula.

"What are you making, Leo?" Emily spoke again. I jumped, knocking over a cauldron of fire. I hadn't realised she was still here. Most people went away soon enough.

Emily and I bent over at the same time, holding the cauldron. I was surprised to see Emily haul the heavy thing onto the worktop. I was about to ask how she was so strong when I found her peering over my shoulder at my work.

"Um, I'm making a – a replica of your sword." I said, my face growing hot. It felt weird telling the owner about it, but Emily sounded interested.

She laughed. "I think that it's an alloy, but it was so long ago I've forgotten it."

This girl kept on surprising me. I don't think anyone told her what her sword was made from. As I grew redder and redder, Emily spoke again. "But I think I know another alloy that will look and behave similar, if you want to know."

I was desperate to know about it, but Emily refused to speak. She said that I had to come down for lunch first.

We walked up the stone steps that led to the dining hall. Emily asked me questions about camp and my work, which I readily answered. We had reached the arch when Emily stopped.

"Do you feel that?" She asked.

I knew at once what she meant. Connor and Travis Stroll had pranked another camper. We walked through.

On the bench of the Hermes Table, Emily's sword had been graffitied. On it were the words:

WHERE ARE YOUR FRIENDS? WHAT ARE YOU EMILY?
WHY ARE YOU WITH US IF YOU DON'T BELONG HERE?

Emily was white. "Who did this?" She asked in a shaking voice.

I froze. Connor and Travis had taken this way too far. Nobody answered, but all gazes fell on two now squirming twins.

In an instant, Emily had notched an arrow (where or how she had them, I had no idea) and fired at the two twins. The arrow flew and pinned their shirts to the wall, stuck fast.

Chiron jumped up. "Now Emily -"

She paid no attention to him, her pupils alight. Like literally, there were jumping flames where her eyes were.

"The next person who thinks that he or she is witty and brave enough to prank me, I tell you, you're not."

Her palms heated up until she looked as if she would burst into fire. Then suddenly she stopped, the fire gone, and turned around.

"But they're right," she whispered before running out of the door.

I turned and followed her. What were Travis and Connor thinking? And what in Tartarus happened with Emily? I mean, she goes from being a gentle person to a flaming nightmare. Well , technically she didn't open fire, but still! You get my meaning. Those words meant something to Emily, and I was going to find out.

I found Emily sitting with her back to the Hermes Cabin writing some notes. I looked over her shoulder:

Answers:

1. Left me and kicked me in the dirt

2. A person, Xan, Flame

3. I didn't mean to and I'm about to –

Her hand covered the rest of the writing. She muttered some strange words – something about Vulcan, (or was it vulgar?), flames and a guy called Paelen? Most likely her boyfriend.

I looked at her curiously. As the light danced on her hair, she turned to me and asked "Leo, what are you doing?"

I was too stunned to answer. "Leo?" She said again, but I ignored her and went straight to Chiron.

"Chiron?" I asked him.

"Yes Leo?" He replied, trying to undo the arrows that held Travis and Connor.

"I think I know who Emily's godly parent is!" I shouted, trying to regain his attention.

"Who do – you – think it – is – Leo?" He said, straining as the arrows held fast.

"Artemis!" I answered. The sky seemed silent and so was every other camper, who all just happened to be staring at me.

"My office now, Leo," Chiron said in a low voice, but he didn't sound angry.

I followed him to the Big House. "Leo, I think you are mistaken in your thoughts," he said gently.

I told him everything I knew. "Well first, Emily looks exactly like Lady Artemis, second they share the same temper and third, Emily is astonishingly good with an arrow."

"Hmm," Chiron said. "You know I value your reasoning, but Lady Artemis is a maiden goddess. She had sworn not to marry."

Oh. I forgot about that part. Chiron smiled again. "Now, I imagine you have somewhere to be Leo?" He asked.

"Yup. Going there now." I said, edging out the door.

As I climbed the stairs to the forge, I wondered. Why did those words affect Emily so much? The question 'What was she' wasn't the usual 'Who is she', Emily knows something we don't, and she doesn't seem human. More like a god...

Thunder flashed in the sky.

"Gee, sorry Lord Zeus." I murmured.

Yep, something was definitely up with Emily Jacobs.