Daughter Of Lightning - Book 3 (A Percy Jackson x OC Fanfic)

CHAPTER 8

(Ella's POV)

I just loved how the camp looked during the winters. It was almost...magical. Key word: Almost.

Save for the monsters that roam about, its definitely peaceful.

See, the camp has the ultimate magic climate control. Nothing gets inside the borders unless Mr. D, wants it to. The snow had been falling lightly & frost covered the chariot track & strawberry fields.

The cabins were decorated with tiny flickering lights, like Christmas lights, except they were balls of real fire.

More lights glowed in the woods, & a fire even 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.

I looked over at Percy, who seemed to be thinking the same thing, which made us both chuckle.

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

"Yeah." I said.

"Why is there lava pouring down it?"

"For a little extra challenge. Come on. I'll introduce you to Chiron. Zoe, have you met-" Percy said.

"I know Chiron," Zoe 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 & 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 & bows & headed off toward the cabins.

As Bianca was leaving, she leaned over & whispered something in her brothers ear. She looked at him for an answer, but Nico just scowled & turned away.

"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?" He asked.

Instead of answering, he hopped back in the bus. "Later Nora! You too, 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 & revved the engine. We 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 & climbing higher until it disappeared in a ray of sunlight.

Nico was still looking grumpy. I knew exactly what his sister had told him.

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

"Our activities director," I said. "He's... well, very interesting, you'll see. You're gonna love him, just like Percy & I do. Right, Percy?

"Right." Percy agreed.

"But those Hunter girls don't like him." Nico grumbled.

"That's another story..let's go shall we?"

I spotted Charles Beckendorf from the Hephaestus cabin stoking the forge outside the camp armory. The Stoll brothers, Travis & Connor, from the Hermes cabin, were picking the lock on the camp store.

A few kids from the Ares cabin were having a snowball fight with the wood nymphs at the edge of the forest. That was about it.

Even my frenemie from the Ares cabin, Clarisse, didn't seem to be around.

The Big House was decorated with strings of red & yellow fireballs that warmed the porch but didn't seem to catch anything on fire.

Inside, flames crackled in the hearth. The air smelled like hot chocolate.

Mr. D, the camp director, & Chiron were playing a quiet game of cards in the parlor.

Chiron's brown beard was shaggier. His curly hair had grown a little longer. He wore a fuzzy sweater with a hoofprint design, & he had a blanket on his lap that almost hid his wheelchair completely.

He smiled when he saw us. "Percy! Nora! Thalia! Ah, & this must be—"

"Nico di Angelo," I said. "He & his sister are half-bloods."

Chiron breathed a sigh of relief. "You succeeded, then."

"Well…"

His smile melted. "What's wrong? And where is Annabeth?"

"Oh, dear," Mr. D said in a bored voice, "Not another one lost."

I'd been trying not to pay attention to Mr. D, but he was kind of hard to ignore in his neon orange leopard-skin warm-up suit and his purple running shoes. (Like Mr. D had ever run a day in his immortal life.) A golden laurel wreath was tilted sideways on his curly black hair, which must've meant he'd won the last hand of cards.