The Blazing Fate

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Astrid didn't give anyone any time to ask her questions. When she got off the Aphrodite table she blacked out.

She woke up the next morning in her bed and with the sun. It felt so good to be on a mattress she stayed there for a while longer. When she finally rolled herself out of bed, she was bombarded with questions from her siblings.

Will had kept everything in check and had even helped heal the burn on her arm. She had some discoloration, but all her pain was gone.

By the end of breakfast, word got around that Piper was the new head counselor of Aphrodite cabin. Astrid couldn't have been happier.

Astrid was able to sneak away at some point during the day. She hadn't been alone in so long and she had missed her office in the infirmary. She wasn't alone for long though. A knock sounded on the door.

'Hey, Ash.'

When Astrid locked eyes with Connor Stoll she almost gasped. Given how they had ended things Astrid didn't really think they were going to be friends anymore.

'Hey,' Astrid whispered.

'I'm, uh, glad you're back. We were all really worried.'

Astrid smiled. 'I'm glad to be back.'

'I wanted to apologize—'

'No,' Astrid said, shaking her head. 'No reason to apologize. I'm gonna be gone a lot these next few months. I think that'll be good for both of us.'

Connor nodded and went to say something else when Leo came sliding in behind him. He stopped suddenly when he saw Connor.

'Oh,' Leo said. 'Sorry, man. I need Ash for... our destiny?'

Astrid smiled. 'I told you I'd meet you there.'

Leo shrugged. 'I don't care.'

Connor smiled, awkwardly. 'I'll see you around, Astrid.'

Astrid watched Connor leave and felt her heart pull. She wished that he was it for her. She really did. She almost hated Aphrodite that he wasn't.

'You okay, sunshine?' Leo said. 'Did I interrupt something?'

Astrid shook her head. 'No, just... saying hi to old friends.'

'Right,' Leo drawled out. 'Well, we gotta go. Our destiny awaits!'

----

Astrid hadn't seen Leo this jumpy in a while. When they got to the limestone cliff in the forest, Leo turned to the group and smiled nervously. 'Here we go.'

His hands caught fire and he set them against the door.

His cabin mates gasped.

'Leo!' Nyssa cried. 'You're a fire user!'

'Yeah, thanks,' he said. 'I know.'

Jake Mason, who was out of his body cast but still on crutches, said, 'Holy Hephaestus. That means—it's so rare that—'

The massive stone door swung open, and everyone's mouth dropped. Astrid never knew this was here and she had been at the camp for a long time.

Only Chiron didn't look surprised. The centaur knit his brows and stroked his beard, as if the group was about to walk through a minefield. Astrid hated that look.

'Welcome to Bunker Nine,' Leo said, as confidently as he could. 'C'mon in.'

When Astrid walked in, she had to hold in a gasp. This was the place she saw in her dream two days ago. Festus's head was sitting on the central table, still battered, and scorched from his final crash in Omaha.