Daughter Of The Moon

Chapter 21

Luna

"Will I need gardening gloves if I'm going after the Golden Apples?" I ask doubtfully, holding a limp glove up by a finger. Kai snorts.

"Luna, you're going on a demigod quest to bring back one of the Golden Apples, not prune a rosebush."

"But what if the tree's all spiny..." I whine, "And you said I'd be the one going up it since I'm the lightest in the group."

"And here I was thinking you were a brave kick-ass feminist hero..." Kai mutters, rolling his eyes.

"That I am." I say stubbornly, stuffing the gloves down into my backpack. It's an enchanted backpack, actually, given to me by Zoe and the Hunters in celebration of my first quest. It's practically bottomless, and I've had great fun just reveling in the joy that not having to fold every article of my clothing brings. It makes me glad to have a friend like Zoe. The only help Kai's given me so far is giving me a negative fact or snarky comment about every single thing I put in the backpack, and telling stories of the gruesome ends of the many heroes from this camp that have gone after the same quest.

"You know, Luna, the last time this quest was taken up, which was in 1873, the lead demigod actually made it all the way back to camp, Golden Apple in hand."

Surprised by a finally nice piece of information, I turn to look at him. "Really? That's good, I suppose, but then why are we going on the same quest?"

A mean little glint appears in one of Kai's green eyes. "Because they failed. This demigod, his name was Egbert, I think, got right up to the gates of camp and then BAM!" Kai spread his hands wide, and I jumped. "A hellhound came right out of nowhere, ate the Golden Apple, and also Egbert's head for good measure."

I take one of the gardening gloves out of the backpack to whack Kai over the head with it. "Quite the ray of sunshine you are. You're going on this quest as well, you know, and the more stressed I am about becoming Egbert the Second, the harder it will be for you, you irritating little trouble maker."

Kai grabs me from behind and hugs me to his chest. "Aw, you know you love me really, Jacy."

"In your dreams." I wrestle my way out of his bear-hug, giggling at the mock forlorn look he gives me when I escape.

"Yes, in my dreams." He says melodramatically, putting a hand over his heart. "For every night, as my head touches the pillow, thoughts of your skinny little face, poor sword skills, and your complete lack of manners-"

"Whatever, Romeo." I laugh. "Now we have to go; Chiron's expecting us outside the Big House at 10am sharp for the final briefing."

"One last hug?" Kai pouts, his eyes all big and green like a kittens', and he's so adorable that I move to give him a hug he scoops me up at the last second and hoists me over his shoulder in a fireman's lift.

"Put me down!" I yell, my legs kicking empty air.

"When we get to the Big House, moon-pie."

"Well I'm warning you that if your hand goes any higher than the backs of my knees..." I warn.

"I'll be roasting over a fire before you can say Luna-over-reacts-to-these-situations. I got it." I can hear a smile in Kai's voice, and I huff in annoyance

And with that we set off, me holding the bags and staring moodily at the backs of Kai's shoes as he walk through the forest, snapping insults at him from time to time when he jolts too much and my nose whacks against his back.

Well thank Zeus I'm not wearing a skirt. I think grumpily to myself as Kai leaps over a rock and my forehead gets another knock.

"We're here!" Kai shouts in a singsong voice, his entrance dramatic as he bounds up the porch steps with a girl draped over his shoulder like he's saved me from a burning house. My entrance, though linked to Kai's, feels far less dignified due to the "Ow" whack on the head "Ouch" whack on the nose "Damn that hurts." my hair probably looks like a haystack. That occurs when Kai goes up the steps and unceremoniously dumps me on the porch. I land like a sack of potatoes, and before I can even get up, hands reach down, pick me up, and set me down on my feet.