Wildfires, Heroes of Olympus ₂

006, why she stay strapped

CHAPTER     SIX
FINLEY BRIGGS

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At least the camp food went great with wine.

Invisible wind spirits—aurae—waited on the campers and seemed to know exactly what everyone wanted. They blew plates and cups around so quickly, the mess hall looked like a delicious hurricane. If you got up too fast, you were likely to get beaned by beans or potted by a pot roast.

Finn got steak, just because she was craving it tonight. Hazel got shrimp gumbo. Frank got fish and chips. Percy got a cheeseburger and a strange-looking soda that was bright blue. Finn didn't understand that, but she could respect his oddness. When he tried it, he grinned.

"This makes me happy," Percy said. "I don't know why... but it does."

"Aww," Finn cooed mockingly.

Just for a moment, one of the aurae became visible—an elfin girl in a white silk dress. She giggled as she topped off Percy's glass, then disappeared in a gust.

The mess hall seemed especially noisy tonight. Laughter echoed off the walls. War banners rustled from cedar ceiling beams as aurae blew back and forth, keeping everyone's plates full. The campers dined Roman style, sitting on couches around low tables. Kids were constantly getting up and trading places, spreading rumors about who liked whom and all the other gossip.

As usual, the Fifth Cohort took the place of least honor. Their tables were at the back of the dining hall next to the kitchen. Finn's table was always the least crowded. Tonight it was she, Hazel, and Frank, as usual, with Percy and Nico and Dakota—who sat there because he wanted to welcome the new recruit, and get Finn to change his Kool-Aid into a similar-looking wine.

Dakota reclined glumly on his couch, mixing up his alcoholic drink and chugging it. Only Finn knew it was alcoholic, of course—but only Finn didn't care. She minded her business and drank the exact same beverage. It wasn't a good sign that the Bacchus children were drinking so much so early in the night.

"So." Dakota burped, waving his goblet. "Welcome to the Percy, party." He frowned. Finn giggled. "Party, Percy. Whatever."

"Um, thanks," Percy said, but he seemed just as unsettled to meet Dakota's stare as he did Finn's. His attention focused on Nico instead. "I was wondering if we could talk, you know... about where I might have seen you before."

"Sure," Nico said a little too quickly. "The thing is, I spend most of my time in the Underworld. So unless I met you there somehow—"

Dakota belched. "Ambassador from Pluto, they call him. Reyna's never sure what to do with this guy when he visits. You should have seen her face when he showed up with Hazel, asking Reyna to take her in. Um, no offense."