𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲.

Tension in the house or commons

"Those hunters play so dirty." Connor said rubbing his head, it was bruised from where the hunter hit his helmet.

"I know." Lilia scowled showing them the graze on her arm. "Seriously who do they think they are."

"None of us shot arrows at them." Celia nodded at her a look of annoyance in her eyes.

Connor and Travis smirked at each other.

"What? What are you planning?" Celia said worriedly.

"You'll see." Travis added and the two of them ran off towards their cabin.

➳

Celia walked into the Aphrodite cabin later that day.

"Dionysus is calling a council of cabin leaders to discuss the prophecy."

The title of cabin leaders fell to Lilia and Silena, who couldn't decide who it would be years ago.

So the three girls walked to the big house slightly on edge about the prophecy.

The council was held around a Ping-Pong table in the rec room. Dionysus waved his hand and supplied snacks: Cheez Whiz, crackers, and several bottles of red wine. Then Chiron reminded him that wine was against his restrictions and most of us were underage. Mr. D sighed. With a snap of his fingers the wine turned to Diet Coke. Nobody drank that either.

Mr. D and Chiron (in wheelchair form) sat at one end of the table. Zoe and Bianca di Angelo (who had kind of become Zoe's personal assistant) took the other end.

Thalia, Percy and Grover sat along the right, and the other head councilors Beckendorf, and the Stoll brothers sat on the left. Lilia, Silena and Celia took a seat next to them.

The Ares kids were supposed to send a representative, too, but all of them had gotten broken limbs (accidentally) during capture the flag, courtesy of the Hunters. They were resting up in the infirmary.

Zoe started the meeting off on a positive note. "This is pointless."

"Cheez Whiz!" Grover gasped. He began scooping up crackers and Ping-Pong balls and spraying them with topping.

"There is no time for talk," Zoe continued. "Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately."

"And go where?" Chiron asked.

"West!" Bianca Di Angelo said. "You heard the prophecy, five shall go west to the goddess in chains. We can get five hunters and go."

"Yes." Zoë agreed. "Artemis is being held hostage. We must free her!"

"Do you ever listen?" Thalia scoffed. "Hunters and campers combined."

"No! We do not need thy help." She said with a look of disgust.

"Your." Lilia said drawing everyone's attention to her.

"Excuse me?" Zoë said.

"We do not need your help not thy." She hissed rolling her eyes.

Zoë hesitated trying to say the word. "We do not need yerrr help."

"Nevermind." Lilia muttered.

"I fear the prophecy says you do need our help," Chiron said. "Campers and Hunters must cooperate."

"Or do they?" Mr. D mused, swirling his Diet Coke under his nose like it had a fine bouquet. "One shall be lost. One shall perish. That sounds rather nasty, doesn't it? What if you fail because you try to cooperate?"