Wildflowers, Percy Jackson ₁

018, your honor he's tweaking

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

₊˚࿐࿔ 𖥧‧₊⚘ ❀༉. 𓏲｡

The snow at Camp Half-Blood probably shocked everyone else, but not Sylvie, who had been at camp for the entire first semester.

See, the camp had the ultimate magic climate control. Nothing got inside the border unless the director, Mr. D, wanted it to. He must have wanted the snow to get inside, because it had been falling lightly ever since the weather got cold. 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 even a fire flickered in the attic window of the Big House, where the Oracle dwelt, imprisoned in an old mummified body. Cedar had asked Sylvie if the spirit of Delphi was roasting marshmallows up there.

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

"Yeah," said Percy.

"Why is there lava pouring down?"

"For challenging Percy to finally learn how to climb a wall," Sylvie joked, dodging Percy's annoyed nudge.

Percy protested, "I fall off a cliff one time!"

Sylvie ignored him, still grinning at Nico. "Come on. We'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 she probably 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. Suddenly Sylvie's brochure felt like it was burning in her backpack.

"Take care, sweethearts!" Apollo called after the Hunters. He winked at Sylvie and Percy. "Watch out for those prophecies, you two. And no more adorable little quarrels, okay? I'll see you soon."

"What do you mean?" Percy asked, at the same time Sylvie questioned, "Huh?"

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. Sylvie turned aside as the sun chariot took off in a blast of heat. When she looked back, the lake was steaming. A red sports-car soared over the woods, glowing brighter and climbing higher until it disappeared in a ray of sunlight.

Nico was still looking grumpy. Sylvie wondered what his sister had told him.

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