Revenge

Chapter 33

Beck didn't expect to get caught.

She checked all the boxes, dotted the 'i's, crossed the 't's, the whole deal. Or rather, she didn't, since she couldn't let anyone see her handwriting after what she'd left in the Aphrodite cabin.

In her defense it was almost two months before anyone noticed. Two fairly normal months, actually, as normal a time you can have in a magical camp for children of the gods.

She was writing a letter home. Recently she'd been getting responses from her mom, and they were sort of looking into her coming home for part of the summer. She'd also talked her into meeting Percy's mom, who was an absolutely amazing person.

"It was you?!"

Beck looked up to find an awestruck son of Hermes standing in front of her.

"What are you talking about, Travis?"

He pointed at her letter. "You did the thing! In the Aphrodite cabin!"

Beck stood up quickly, grabbing her letter and his arm and pulling him away from the group of tables sitting under the outdoor patio.

"Shut up. The Aphrodite kids are still looking for someone to crucify with that, especially since Wesley and Diana broke up."

"So you did it?" He grinned.

Beck sighed. "Yeah, I did it. Most of it was joking, but I saw those two and I knew they wouldn't last."

"Hold on, hold on. Will you wait right here?"

"Why?" She rolled her eyes.

"Please?"

"No. I'm finishing my letter." Beck started back to the pavilion.

•After Lunch•

"Leave me alone, Travis."

"I'm not Travis."

Beck turned around to look at Connor. "No. No you're not. What do you want?"

"Travis told me what you did."

She groaned. "I'm not doing it again. Leave me alone."

"But why not?" Connor scampered after her and matched her pace as she marched back to her cabin.

"Because A. I am not a one trick pony. And B. I don't do it for hire. Or favors."

"Okay, but how did you do it?"

"What do you mean?" She looked at him.

"Well you had to get in there somehow. There's always Aphrodite kids in there but no one knows it was you."

"You know what else I don't do, Stoll?" Beck turned to look at him.

He gave her a little look like, 'what?'

"I don't reveal my secrets. No good magician does." And with that, she closed the door to the Poseidon cabin in his face.

•Two Days Later•

"Wow, you two are really on this, aren't you?" Beck sat up and looked at the two sons of Hermes standing in front of her. "You're blocking my sun."

They moved, but not in a way that was helpful. Travis sat to Beck's left and Connor to her right.

"If I tell you how to do it will you leave me alone?"

"Yes." Travis said emphatically. "I wanna put my name on there."

She snorted. "With Gardner?"

When he didn't respond immediately, she looked over at him.

Travis was very red. "How- when- who-"

"How did I know that?" She offered. He nodded quickly, looking at his feet.

"You're kind of obvious. Also Aaron told me."

Travis groaned and flopped out flat on his back. "Great. With my luck half the camp knows."

"No, you're not that obvious." She waved him off. "And you don't need a prank to get with Katie."

"Okay but I still want to know how you did it." Connor objected.

Beck rolled her eyes and stood up. "C'mon."

They immediately hopped to their feet, grinning. Travis was still a bit red.

Beck walked with them to the circle of cabins, behind the innermost row that had the Olympian cabins.

"Aphrodite is on the other side..." Connor said slowly.

"I know." Beck stopped and turned to them.

"I thought you were gonna teach us your secret?"

"I'm going to teach you my secret." She pointed at Connor. "You can teach Travis later."

"But I'm right here?" Travis said, confused. 

"You are going over there." Beck pointed.

He glanced where was looking and shook his head quickly. "Um. No. Absolutely not."

"Then I'm not teaching Connor." Beck crossed her arms. "Go talk to Katie."

He looked over at the daughter of Demeter, then at Connor, then back at Beck again. "Seriously? I have to?"

"That's what I said, isn't it?"

Travis sighed and closed his eyes for a second, covering his face.

"You can do it." Connor punched his arm lightly.

"Okay. You're right." He nodded and turned around, squaring his shoulders.

Beck and Connor watched as he walked over to the garden behind the Demeter cabin.

Katie responded sharply at first, but as she and Travis talked her expression became more genuine. After a minute or so, Beck nodded and motioned for Connor to follow her again. "And now, I'll show you how I did what I did."