𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬

VI. the council meeting is boring

Carmilla's POV:

The council was held around a Ping-Pong table in the rec room. Uncle Dionysus waved his hand and supplied snacks: Cheez Whiz, crackers, and several bottles of red wine.

Chiron reminded him that wine was against his restrictions and most of us were underage. Uncle D, how he preferred me to call him, sighed annoyed. With a snap of his fingers the wine turned to Diet Coke. Nobody drank that either.

Uncle D and Chiron, who was in his wheelchair form, sat at one end of the table. Mom, Bianca and I took the other end. Thalia, Grover and Percy sat along the right, and the other head councilors: Beckendorf, Silena Beauregard, and the Stoll brothers-sat on the left.

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

"Cheez Whiz!" I could hear Grover gasp as he began scooping up crackers and Ping-Pong balls and spraying them with topping.

"There is no time for talk," mom continued, crossing her arms, the hunters were impatient, we wanted to find mother right now. "Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately."

"And where?" Chiron asked.

"West!" Bianca said. I couldn't help but smile, I was amazed at how different she looked after just a few days with us. Her dark hair was braided like moms. She had a splash of freckles across her nose, she honestly looked cute. "You heard the prophecy. Five shall go west to the goddess in chains. We can get five hunters and go."

"Yes," mom agreed. "Artemis is being held hostage! We must find her and free her."

"You're missing something, as usual," Thalia said. "Campers and Hunters combined prevail. We're supposed to do this together."

"No!" mom said. "The Hunters do not need thy help."

"Your" Thalia grumbled. "Nobody has said thy in, like, three hundred years, Zoe. Get with the times." Mom hesitated, like she was trying to form the word correctly. " Yerrr. We do not need your help."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Forget it."

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

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

"Mr. D," Chiron sighed, "with all due respect, whose side are you on?"

Uncle Dionysus raised his eyebrows. "Sorry, my dear centaur. Just trying to be helpful."

"We're supposed to work together," Thalia said stubbornly. "I don't like it either, Zoe, but you know prophecies. You want to fight against one?" Zoe grimaced, but I could tell Thalia had scored a point.

"We must not delay," Chiron warned. "Today is Sunday. This very Friday, December twenty-first, is the winter solstice."

"Oh, joy," Dionysus muttered. "Another dull annual meeting."