Mask Of Sorrows

Chapter Ten

Shadow's POV

     I walked into the dining pavilion and saw that the other members of the army were already sitting down and eating, or trying too. "You have to sacrifice food to the gods!" Annabeth exclaimed, looking furious.

     Annabeth. Cheated on me with Jason. Voted to sent me to Tartarus for torture. That Annabeth. "Actually." I spoke up loudly, causing everyone to stop talking and look over at me. "We are not required to sacrifice food to beings bellow us."

     I looked around and saw the four people weren't here. Leo, Nico, Clarisse and Thalia. Then I remembered Thalia was in the hunt, so only three people weren't here. "And what makes you so superior to the gods? The only beings stronger than gods are Titans, Giants and Primordial beings!" Annabeth argued.

      "Please. A demigod can easily best a god, if they know how." I told her, remembering my duel with Ares. Then flinched as I remembered whips snapping against my skin, poisoned spikes lining the edge.

      "So you're a demigod?" She pushed. I really started to hate her even more, which I didn't think was possible.

      "Of course. You think that we're mortals? No. And it's not like he could hire Giants or Titans to his army." I told her, making her look dumb. She hated that, and I knew it. Her eyes blazed with anger, but she didn't say anything else as she spun around and glared at her food. Me being me, I continued.

     "What did your food do to you?" I asked, drawing a breath of warning from my team. I, as always, ignored them.

     She spun around slowly, murder promising in her eyes. Fire blazing like Phlegethon, and fury dancing like flames. Of course she didn't scare me. She was below me, as arrogant as that sounds it's the truth. "Shadow, I think that's enough." Someone said from behind me, putting a hand on my shoulder. I spun my head slowly, glaring furiously at Alpha. He gulped, worry evident in his eyes. My gaze gentled, seeing I had actually scared him.

      "Sorry." I muttered. The happy twinkle in his eyes appeared again, his left side of his face supporting a small dimple.

      He took my hand and we walked over to the Chaos table, ignoring stares from the campers and happy Chaos members. I realized Gama and Gold were sitting next to each other, holding hands under the table, while Night sat next to Angel, Beauty next to fire. Alpha and I sat across from Angel and Night, next to Beauty and Fire. I almost summoned some blue food (Old habits die hard) but I stopped myself. I simply summoned an apple, taking a bite. I wasn't very hungry after my argument with Annabeth. I thought about Athena, blaming me for hurting her daughter. I found out later Annabeth had claimed I had cheated on her, and she got a whole bunch of pity treatment, according to the gods. I realized I had crushed my apple in my fist and was shaking in anger while the Chaos army was staring at me with wide eyes. I growled deep in my throat, shaking my hand to get apple juice off of my hand. Not able to take all the stares I knew I was getting from the campers, I stood. As I passed the trashcan I threw it in, storming out. Stupid Annabeth. Stupid stupid Annabeth.

That all you can take Jackson?

     I told it to shut up as I stormed aimlessly to... Somewhere. I was shaking with fury, fists clenched and teeth gritted. When I came back to my senses I was at the beach. I unclenched my hands, unhappy to find my hand sticky from the apple juice. I thought it was only sticky because of the sugar put in the actual apple juice you put in stores but I guess not. I wiped my hand in the water, rising it off. I sighed and dried it off on my cloak, standing back up.

     "Hey." A voice said from behind me. Seriously, how many people are going to do that today?

     I turned around and saw Leo. He looked awful, to be honest. His hair was matted and greasy, but not in a Leo way. It was an I-Haven't-taken-a-shower-in weeks kind of look. His clothes were the same way, his brown eyes usually sparkling with mischief now a dull, depressed brown. "Hey." I greeted back. "You weren't at lunch."