Heart of a Traitor

12: Turning

The first day, I dream of Jake. I see how his life would have played out if I had never ended up in the hospital on my eleventh birthday. I see him crying at my funeral. I see him seclude himself from the world for months. And then I see him get better. Years pass. He nearly forgets about me entirely.

The second day, I dream of Thalia and Annabeth. I remember Thalia's protective nature, and her uncanny ability to use any kind of weapon. I remember Annabeth's kindness and wittiness. I remember them feeling like family.

The third day, I dream of Kronos. I see what the world would have become if Luke had never stopped him from possessing me. It's dark. Cold. The world bows at the feet of a ruler who doesn't deserve their love.

The fourth day, I dream of a boy I don't recognize. His green eyes remind me of the sea. He has unruly black hair and a wicked smile. There's no way he's older than ten. I see him walk the streets of Manhattan, leaving his apartment on his way to school--Yancy Academy. I can't shake the feeling that I've seen him before.

The fifth day, I dream of him. His green-blue eyes. His contagious laugh. His beautiful smile. The sight of him makes me cry, pain and nostalgia clenching my heart, threatening to swallow me whole. I try to say his name, but every time I do, nothing comes out. It makes sense that, after years of keeping the truth to myself, I can't speak of it when I finally want to.

...

I wake eventually. When I do, I'm inside what looks to be a cabin. Cots are lined up against the walls, most of them filled with other injured people. Herbs, medicines, and ointments take up space on every table surface. I must be inside some kind of infirmary.

"El? You awake?"

I turn to find Grover walking towards me, his pants off. That's not the weirdest part. His legs are covered in fur. He's not just a really hairy guy. His legs are... animalistic. He hadn't been lying when he said he was a satyr.

The memories of that chaotic day come rushing back. "Grover? What--where am I?"

"You're in the infirmary," he tells me. "At Camp Half-Blood. You passed out after the gorgon disappeared--who, by the way, was apparently Euryale. She's one of Medusa's sisters. Not so famous, but you still get bragging rights for fighting a gorgon."

"That was yesterday?" I wonder.

He gives me a sympathetic look. "That was five days ago."

"Five days?!" I nearly jump out of my skin. I'm pretty sure being asleep for five days counts as a coma.

Grover quickly explains, "Causing the ground to move like that took up a lot of your energy. Your body isn't used to utilizing your powers, and that was extreme. Usually you'd just need to sleep it off for a few hours, but that took a lot out of you."

The earthquake. I had caused that. Everything is still difficult to wrap my head around. "Jake knows about my the Greek gods."

"He's known for years," Grover reminds me.

He's known as long as I have.

"So... what now?" I wonder.

"Now, I can show you the camp," he offers, "or I can just take you to your cabin and let you settle down. Whatever you want."

I meet his gaze. "I wanna see all of it."

...

Camp Half-Blood is huge. And probably the most beautiful place I've ever seen. The strawberry fields look appetizing, and even though I don't garden, I have to resist the urge to go and pick some berries. Groves of redwood trees surround the camp. A stream runs along the east end, leading to the ocean. There's an open pavilion, an amphitheater, even an arena. A row of twelve cabins make a U-shape around a huge fireplace, big enough for every camper to gather around it probably. There's a long row of horse stables, a forge, and an armory.