Heir of a Titan - Book 2 PJO

Chapter 12: Back to the Regular Scheduled Chaos

Word of our arrival spread as soon as we landed in the shallow water, while Percy joined us and we all walked up to the beach.

Our beach is on the North Shore of Long Island, and it's enchanted so most people can't even see it. People don't just appear on the beach unless they're demigods or gods or really, really lost pizza delivery guys. (It's happened- but that's another story.)

Anyway, that afternoon the lookout on duty was Connor Stoll from the Hermes cabin. When he spotted us, he got so excited he fell out of his tree. Then he blew the conch horn to signal the camp and ran to greet us.

Connor had a crooked smile that matched his crooked sense of humor. He's a pretty nice guy, but you should always keep one hand on your wallet when he's around, and do not, under any circumstances, give him access to shaving cream unless you want to find your sleeping bag full of it. He's got curly brown hair and is a little shorter than his brother, Travis, which is the only way I can tell them apart. They are both so unlike Luke it's hard to believe they're all sons of Hermes.

I could see his arms waving and he was shouting something. He skidded to a stop his jaw dropped and his eyes flicked over the three of us. His crooked grin said it all.

"Your back!" He signed. "What happened? Everyone has been worried sick!"

"Am I though?" I sighed back, matching his crooked grin. "Am I back?"

He looked at Raph, and I had to focus really hard to watch what he said, "Chiron is not happy you left."

Raph shrugged, and pulled me closer. Connor finally turned to Percy and I did my best to follow the conversation.

"Percy!" he cried. "What happened? Where's Beckendorf?"

I hung my head. I knew this was going to be a thing, and I'd have to explain. I could feel the hurt and pain in my chest. I felt my eyes prickle with tears. Raph looked away, his face darkening. And Percy looked away. Connor looked at the three of us and his smile melted.

"Oh, no. Poor Silena. Holy Zeus, when she finds out . . ."

Together we climbed the sand dunes. A few hundred yards away, people were already streaming toward us, smiling and excited. Percy's back, Raph found Nora, they were probably thinking. They saved the day! Maybe Percy brought souvenirs!

We all stopped at the dining pavilion and waited for them. No sense rushing down there to tell them the terrible news. I intertwined my fingers with Raph and held his hand tightly.

I gazed across the valley and tried to remember how Camp Half-Blood looked the first time I ever saw it. That seemed like a bajillion years ago. In reality it was about only a year ago and I felt like I had been enveloped in this world for my entire life. So much had happened in that one year.

To my right spread the woods. To my left, the canoe lake glittered and the climbing wall glowed from the lava pouring down its side. Twelve cabins; one for each Olympian god; made a horseshoe pattern around the commons area. Farther south were the strawberry fields, the armory, and the four-story Big House with its sky blue paint job and its bronze eagle weathervane.

In some ways, the camp hadn't changed. But you couldn't see the war by looking at the buildings or the fields. You could see it in the faces of the demigods and satyrs and naiads coming up the hill.

There weren't as many at camp as last year. Some had left and never came back. Some had died fighting. Others, we tried not to talk about them—had gone over to the enemy. And no one new had come. I was the last new camper. It was strange.

The ones who were still here were battle-hardened and weary. There was little laughter at camp these days. Even the Hermes cabin didn't play so many pranks. It's hard to enjoy practical jokes when your whole life feels like one. I snorted at my own dark thought. Raph gave me an inquisitive side eye. I just shook my head.