In the Beginning

Chapter Fourteen

     I'd never seen Inez so happy. Of course, the times I had seen her, she was trying to kill me. She walked hand in hand with a guy who looked older than her by a few years. He had the same dark, black hair as Inez and the same pale complexion, but he had chocolate brown eyes. I started to wonder if he was her brother. The way they were holding hands wasn't like that. That was strange, but of course everything here was. I shook it off and headed in the opposite direction of them. Mavis joined me, looking much healthier than she had last night.

     "Who is that Inez is walking with?" Mavis grinned.

     "That's Anubis. He and Inez are kind of a thing...." Though she said it as if she had no idea what their relationship was.

     "Wait..." I stopped walking and racked my brain for where I had heard the name Anubis. "Anubis as in the Egyptian God, Anubis?" Mavis nodded. "How is that...."

     "Well...it's a bit complicated. I'm not totally sure, but she could tell you all about it." She smiled. "How do you know who Inez is anyway? I don't believe you guys have been introduced." 

      "Some of the other campers talked about her."

     "Oh. Well, in that case, let me introduce you, you guys will be great friends." Mavis grabbed my wrist and dragged me to Inez's side. "Inez this is Starr, Starr this is Inez." Inez smiled. I smiled back, it was awkward to say the least. I got a better look at the guy she was holding hands with. It's so weird how he's an Egyptian god. Though I could see it, he radiated power and death, his eyes showing off his age. He noticed my staring and managed a suppressed grin.

     "Nice to meet you." Inez was just saying it to cover up the fact that we'd already met.

     "Nice to meet you too." A silence settled over us. Mavis fiddled with a knife, while Inez stared at the ground. Anubis was looking me square in the face and it was starting to creep me out. "Oh, I think I hear someone calling me. Better run." I jogged off towards the training arena, escaping the unsettling god of death.

     I sat on my bed, scanning the scroll I had received form Aphrodite in my dream. It was the eighth time I had read it and I still couldn't understand what it meant. The letter was writing in messy scrawl which made it worse. On the ninth re-read, Brittney strolled up to me.

     "What are you reading? You've been going at that for half an hour."

     "Oh, this?" I folded the paper. "Just an old note I found." I was hoping I sounded convincing.

     "Oh. What's it say?"

     "Nothing much. Nothing of importance." I wished she would leave. I didn't want to drag her into this mess.

     "Oh." Just as she opened her mouth to say something, a camper called for her at the other end of the cabin. Two re-reads passed by until I heard Britt's loud gasp. The room silenced. "What do you mean she's missing?" I put the note away and rushed to her side.

     "Who's missing?" Brittney had a panicked look on her face. "Britt." She looked at me, tears in her eyes.

     "Piper's gone." She whispered it but she was loud enough for the whole cabin to hear. I looked at the girl who had given Brittney the news.

     "When did she go missing?"

     "Uh...I dunno. She wasn't at dinner. Or at training and she's not here now." The girl sounded like she really didn't care.

     "We'll find her." I took Brittney's elbow and led her out the door.

     "What if we don't?" Brittney asked me, her voice shaking.

     "Don't what?"

     "What if we don't find her, Starr? What if she's just gone? It wouldn't be the first time a demigod just disappeared." Tears were streaming down her face.

     "Britt, we'll find her. Don't worry." She nodded and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.

     "Okay. Let's go."

     We had pretty much looked everywhere, asked everyone. No one knew anything about where Piper had been. Not even her boyfriend Jason. Who of course, was now looking with us and worried sick.

     "Did you check the woods by the river?" Jason clenched and unclenched his fists.

     "Yes." Brittney snapped, she didn't seem to like Jason.

     "Check again!" I rolled my eyes. Were they really arguing at a time like this?

     "Guys. Come on, we'll check again." We hiked up several hills, Brittney and Jason bickering the whole way. "Guys." They stopped when we reached the river.

     "See? There's nothing here...." Brittney trailed off as we saw something floating in the river.

     "Oh my gods." I felt sick as I got a closer look. It was a body in the water. Jason let out a choked sob as we realized, it was Piper.