𝐈𝐍 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍, leo valdez

𝐯

chapter v.

»Annabeth!« A boy with a bow and quiver on his back pushed his way through the crowd. »I said you could borrow the chariot, not scrap it.« »Will, I'm sorry,« Annabeth sighed. »I'll have the car repaired, I promise.« Will looked at his broken chariot with a gloomy expression. Then he looked at Leo, Layna, Piper and Jason. »Much older than thirteen. Why haven't they been claimed long ago?« »Claimed?« asked Leo. Before Annabeth could explain, Will asked, »Any trace of Percy?« »No,« Annabeth admitted.

The camp inmates murmured among themselves. The other four had no idea who this Percy might be, but his disappearance seemed like a big deal. Then another girl stepped forward - tall, Asian, dark hair in many braids, lots of jewelry and perfect make-up. Somehow, she managed to look glamorous in jeans and an orange T-shirt. She looked at Layna and Leo for a moment, then turned her gaze to Jason as if he could be worth her attention, and pursed her lips at the sight of Piper.

»Well,« said the girl. »I hope they are worth the effort.« Layna looked annoyed while Leo snorted. »Thank you very much. What are we, your new pets?« »Seriously,« Jason said. »How about a few answers before you judge us-where are we, why are we here, how long do we have to stay here?«

»Jason,« Annabeth said. »I promise you that we will answer your questions. And Drew,« she frowned at the glamour girl, »all demigods deserve to be saved. But I have to admit, this trip didn't bring what I had hoped for.« »Listen,« Piper said. »We didn't ask to be brought here.« Drew snorted. »And no one wants you here, darling. Does your hair always look like a dead badger?« Piper stepped forward to give her a slap, but Annabeth said, »Piper, stop.«

»We have to make sure that the newcomers feel welcome,« Annabeth said with a meaningful look at Drew. »They each get a personal supervisor who guides them through the camp. Hopefully they will be claimed at the campfire tonight.« »Could someone tell me what claimed means?« asked Piper. Suddenly, everyone gasped. The camp inmates backed away. At first, Piper thought she had committed a crime. Then she saw that all their faces were bathed in a strange light, as if someone had turned on a lamp behind her.

Above Leo's head hovered a blazing holographic image-a fiery hammer. »That,« Annabeth said, »is claimed« »What have I done?« Leo backed away to the lake. Then he looked up and whimpered. »Is my hair burning?« He ducked his head, but the symbol followed him, bouncing up and down and back and forth, and it looked as if Leo was trying to write a flame writing with his head. »That can't be good,« Butch muttered. »The curse...« »Butch, shut up,« Annabeth said. »Leo, you've just been claimed.«

»From a god,« Jason interrupted her. »That's the symbol of Vulkan, isn't it?« »Jason," Annabeth asked cautiously, »how do you know?« »I don't know.« »Vulkan?« Leo asked. »I didn't even think Star Trek was good. What are you talking about here?« »Vulkan is the Roman name of Hephaestus,« Layna said. »This is the god of forges and fire.«

The fiery hammer faded, but Leo still struck the air, as if he feared the hammer might continue to chase him. »The God of what? Who?« Annabeth turned to the guy with a bow. »Will, would you take Leo with you, show him around? Introduce him to his roommates from Cabin 9. «

»Sure, Annabeth.« »What's cabin 9?« asked Leo. »I'm not a Vulkanier!« »Calm down, Mr. Spock, I'll explain everything.« Will put his hand on his shoulder and led him to one of the cabins. Annabeth looked to Layna now. After a while she said to her: »You look familiar to me, what's your name again?« »Layna Castellan.« Layna answered. Annabeth could be seen turning pale when she heard her last name, and there were murmurs among the camp inmates. »Castellan? Like in Luke Castellan?« Annabeth asked. »Yes, that's my brother. How do you know him?« Layna asked curiously. »He was one of us, but not anymore. Is that also why you knew that with Hephaestus?« Annabeth asked. »Yes, whenever Luke was home, he always taught me about Greek mythology. Why is he no longer here?« Annabeth ignored her question at first and said to the crowd: »Gracie? Please show Layna around the camp and show her her place in the Hermes Cabin and explain her the things with Luke.« A girl with black hair came out of the crowd and walked up to Layna and then went out with her.

»Hey, I'm Gracie Davis. Daughter of Demeter and you look as pretty as a lily,« Gracie said to Layna as they had moved away from the crowd. »Hey, I'd like to introduce myself too, but you already know my name and I don't know who my father is.« Layna said to her. »I would say we'll do it that I first show you around and you can ask as many questions as you want and then I'll explain toe you the things about Luke, because those are not the nicest things now.« Gracie explained her plan, to which Layna just nodded.

Layna thought the tour was great right from the start. The two had now arrived at the cabins and before that, Layna had already seen the climbing wall and the amphitheater. »The cabins stand for the 12 Olympian gods and a few minor gods. The first cabin is for Zeus and then come the cabins for Hera, Poseidon, Demeter – my cabin, Ares, Athena,-« Gracie began to explain, but was interrupted by a scream from the Athena cabin. Shortly afterwards, a girl with blond hair came out of the hut. Her eyes searched for something for a moment before they met Gracie and the blonde ran towards Gracie.

»Gracie,« the blonde began.»You won't believe what I just saw. It was just a spider next to my things. A SPIDER. Really, if I ever see a spider next to my things again, I'll leave.« Gracie laughed while Layna smiled a little. After the blonde had calmed down, she asked Gracie while nodding to Layna, »Who is that?« »That's one of the new campers Annabeth brought with her. Adriana, that's Layna Castellan. Layna, that's Adriana Miller, daughter of Athena,« Gracie answered her. »Do you have a brother named Luke?« asked Adriana Layna. Layna nodded and said, »Yes, but I still don't know what you all have with him.« » She doesn't know yet?« Adriana asked, looking at Gracie, who just nodded. »I'm supposed to tell her all about it later,« Gracie said.

»Okay, so let's continue with the cabins of Apollo, Artemis, Hepheastus, Aphrodite, Hermes and Dionysus. These are the cabins of the 12 Olympian gods. Then there's Hades, Iris, Hypnos, Nemesis, Nike, Tyche and Hecate,« Gracie continued after they set off again.»You will sleep in the Hermes cabin for the next time until you are claimed,« Adriana said to Layna. After the tour, the three played volleyball with other campers. But Layna noticed how many campers were staring at her and muttering. She suspected that it had something to do with Luke and so she asked Gracie, »Can you finally explain to me what all this is about Luke?« »Come with me, we'd rather talk about it alone,« Gracie said.