The blazing storm

Chapter 10

James and Darcy walked hand in hand towards the Hermes cabin.  It just felt so natural.  "So you don't remember?" James asked looking kind of dejected.

Darcy looked up at him.  "I'm starting to remember." She said.  "I remember us."

James smiled.  A hundred feet from the Hermes cabin, James sat down on a boulder and helped Darcy up beside him.  "I'll help." 

He opened his mouth and started to explain.

4 years and 3 months earlier
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James looked at Darcy.  Her face was smeared in dirt, her lips were cracked and and were split in more places than one, her hair was wet and lanky but he still thought she was beautiful.  Her shirt was ripped open at the back and only holding itself together by the tougher fabric around the neck.  Blood stained the orange shirt and her back where they had cut her up for information.

The only time her face wasn't twisted in pain was when she was asleep, like she was now.  They needed to get out. 

So he devised a plan. 

They took her away the next day for questioning, again.  When the returned her in a heap of blood and tears, he quickly pushed a small stone into place before the cage door swung shut. 

He was lucky that the Cyclops was distracted and annoyed, so he got away with it.  As soon as the Cyclops had his back turned, he carefully scooped Darcy up in his arms, crept through the open cage door and towards the metal door at the other side of the room.  Incredibly, the door was unlocked.  He peeked out the doorway just in time to see the Cyclops' heel dissapear around the wall far down the hallway.  He pushed himself out the door and sprinted as best he could while carrying Darcy in the opposite direction of the Cyclops. 

Present day
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James was cut off by Nico di Angelo who was running through camp waving his arms over his head like a madman.  "Leo!" He was yelling.  "Leo!"

Darcy frowned and followed Nico with her eyes.  "He never acts like that." She said.

She and James exchanged a glance before they went to follow Nico. 

Nico abruptly stopped in front of them and swivels around.  "Why are you following me?" He asked frowning.

Darcy shrugged.  "You were looking for Leo."

Nico looked uncomfortable, but he scoweld to try and cover it up.  "Yeah." He said still scowling.  "It's kind of important."

He walked around Darcy and James.  They watched him walk away and once he was far enough from them, James turned to Darcy.

"We can keep remembering." He suggested.

Without anything else to do, Darcy agreed with a nod.

4 years and 2 months earlier
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James was completely turned around.  He was usually good at finding his way, but apparently today he was not so good at it.  In one hand he held a brown paper bag containing two red apples and in the other, Darcy was clutching his hand. 

"Why is Greece so confusing?" She muttered at his side. 

James looked down at her.  She was nervously twiddling a strand of her newly dyed black hair.  "It's usually not." James squinted around.  He gently tugged Darcy's hand.  "Let's go."

He improvised, turning down random streets filled with shops and bistros.  People bustled around chattering happily in greek.

Others would cast them angry glances and mutter things like: "Stupid children" or "Thieving rats."

If only they knew who Darcy's father was, James always thought to himself. 

They slipped between two buildings, one was made of sandstone and the other out of bricks.  James pulled the biggest apple out of the bag and gave it to Darcy, then proceeded by pulling the other apple out.  It was considerably smaller and bruised.  Before Darcy could object and take the small apple, he bit into it.  James imediatly grimaced.  The apple tasted like dirt. 

Darcy took the apple out of his hands and crushed it under her heel. 

James frowned.  "But that cost-"

Darcy shoved half an apple into his hands.  "We can share."

James looked at her.  "Thanks.  That apple tasted like dirt."

"I know."  She drew a circle in the air around her face.  "You looked like you were dry swallowing a fish oil pill or something." Darcy barely looked away from her part of the apple.  They hadn't eaten in days.  The little money they had managed to scrape up was from an old man who saw their sign that read

"Hμίθεοι που έχουν ανάγκη, παρακαλώ βοηθήστε." 

In english, it would say Demigods in need, please help.

The old man who saw their sign laughed good heartedly and gave them some money.  He obviously didn't believe they were actually demigods.  Once they were finished their apple, the slid to the stone path beneath them, curled up together and fell asleep.

Present day
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"Mmm apples." Darcy glanced over her shoulder towards the dinning pavillion. 

James looked that way as well.  "Want to go get some?" He asked. 

Darcy looked back at him, and without a word, they both stood up and bolted towards the dinning pavilion.

They passed Nico again.  "Leoooo!" He called. 

Darcy rolled her eyes and kept running.  She skidded to a stop when she saw James leaning against a marble pillar casually picking at his nails.

"How..?" Darcy panted. 

James grinned at her.  "Son of Hermes baby," He pushed himself off the pillar and wrapped his arm around Darcy's shoulders lovingly.  "Super duper speed."

Darcy smiled at him and they walked into the dinning pavilion.  Almost nobody was there, only two Aphrodite kids gossiping and applying makeup, an Athena boy reading a book and Leo concentrating very hard on some little pieces of twisted metal.

Darcy walked over to him.  "Nico's looking for you." She said.

Leo didn't look up.  "Tell him that I'm busy making something." He bit the tip of his tongue in concentration. 

James walked over carrying three apples.  He gave one to Darcy and held the other one out to Leo.  "Apple?"

Leo still didn't look up.  "I don't like grapes." He said. 

James frowned and looked at the apple in his hand.  "Alright then." He sat down beside Darcy.  "Ready?"

Darcy nodded.  "Ready."