¹𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐄𝐋 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 ━ 𝗽. 𝗷𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀𝗼𝗻

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⋆ ˚｡⋆ʚ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 ɞ⋆ ˚｡⋆
─── ❛ nightmares and hopes ❜ ───

ISABELLA HAD ALWAYS loved the way camp looked in winter, 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.

"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. zoë, have you met—"

"i know chiron," zoë said stiffly. "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!"

zoë rolled her eyes, but isabella guessed 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.

"take care, sweethearts!" apollo called after the hunters. he winked at isabella. "keep it up, isabella. you'll be great one day." his face turned more serious when he looked at percy. "watch out for those prophecies, percy. i'll see you soon."

"what do you mean?" the boy asked

isabella didn't know what he meant either, specifically with "keep it up." but she shrugged. you would kill yourself trying to understand gods.

instead of answering, he hopped back in the bus. "later, thalia," he called. "and, uh, be good!"

he gave her a wicked smile, as if he knew something she didn't. then he closed the doors and revved the engine. isabella turned aside as the sun chariot took off in a blast of heat. when she 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. she wondered what his sister had told him.

"who's chiron?" he asked. "i don't have his figurine."

"our activities director," percy said. "he's... well, you'll see."

"if those hunter girls don't like him," nico grumbled, "that's good enough for me. let's go."

the second thing that isabella liked the most in winter time at camp was how empty it was. most half-bloods only trained during the summer. just the year-rounders would be there—the ones who didn't have homes to go to, or would get attacked by monsters too much if they left. but there didn't even seem to be many of them, either.