Changing the Future

Chapter 21

When I came to after my Fates-induced vision, I found myself surrounded by a bunch of campers and naiads. I was about to ask what was going on when I felt someone pressing their hands against my chest like they were trying to break my ribs.

"She's awake!" someone shouted, and the hands stopped immediately.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think someone was performing CPR on me.

Gods, I hoped no one tried mouth-to-mouth. I would've hate having my first kiss stolen from me like that.

"Disperse," someone else ordered, pushing their way through the crowd that had huddled around me. A lot of the people groaned, but they listened anyways, returning back to whatever it was they were doing before deciding to watch me.

I sat up, shivering as I realized that my clothes were completely soaked and the sun had begun to set. Had I really been in that vision for a few hours? It only seemed like a few minutes.

"Andromeda, what in the name of my father just happened?" Mr. D asked impatiently, tapping his foot up and down despite levitating a few inches off the ground. I guess he didn't want to get his shoes dirty.

"A vision," I told him, still regaining my bearings. I usually had to deal with the aftereffects of vertigo and nausea and generally feeling miserable after a vision. Isn't it great to be the Fates plaything?

Mr. D's expression changed from one of anger to one of understanding. For some reason, the Fates particularly enjoyed hijacking my mind during my week with Dionysus. I didn't really know why, but I figured it had something to do with the fact that Mr. D was the god of insanity, which could definitely have occurred after some of the things I was forced to witness.

"Everyone to their cabins, now!" Campers dropped what they were doing and hightailed it back to their cabins, not wanting to face the wrath of an angry camp director.

I finally looked to my right, where I found Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson staring at me with mixed expressions. Annabeth and Percy were visibly distraught while Tyson was plain confused, putting his hands over one another like you were supposed to do in CPR and pumping the air in front of him.

Mr. D turned to yell at them, but I raised a hand, promising him that they'd be back in their cabins by the normal curfew. He agreed with a curt nod of his head before disappearing with the wind, leaving behind the scent of wine grapes.

"I didn't think Mr. D liked anyone," Percy commented, still troubled about what had happened to me.

"We have an interesting relationship to say the least," I replied, allowing my skin to heat itself up to the point where it could dry my clothes without catching fire.

"How are neither one of you concerned about the fact that Andy almost drowned?!" Annabeth demanded angrily.

"The nice girl drowned?" Tyson asked with a frown, the words sounding foreign in his mouth.

"Actually, I can't drown."

I sighed in relief once my clothes were done drying, hating the feeling of wet shoes and socks. Of course the Fates couldn't wait until I was in a safe spot. I'd probably fallen into the lake the moment I'd blacked out, slumping forward from the way I'd been sitting when I was working on my chariot.

"But you're not a daughter of Poseidon," Annabeth protested. "I know you haven't been claimed, but honestly, I'd think you were a daughter of Hephaestus from the way you can control fire. And Hephaestus children can all drown."

I frowned. Had she already forgotten about the discussion we had about my father last year? I mean, I'm not going to correct her if she's forgotten. The fewer people who knew, the better.