Changing the Future

Chapter 34

After Chiron nearly had a coronary once Annabeth picked her companions, the meeting adjourned, and the rest of us went our separate ways.

Well, not all of us, anyways.

The moment the council was over, I told Silena to follow me, earning me a weird look from Beckendorf. He knew I was aware about his crush on Silena, but once I waved him off, he understood that I was keeping my mouth shut and that what I was doing was something else entirely.

Silena was visibly confused, her eyebrows scrunched together and her lips pursed into a fine line. But she nodded anyways, saying, "Lead the way."

We walked over the other side of the arena, standing under the arch of one of the entrances, far away from everyone else. It's not that I didn't trust the people in the arena, but if anyone overheard this conversation, they'd hurt Silena and then lose their trust me.

"What's wrong, Andy?" Silena asked, sounding so genuinely concerned that I realized how the daughter of Aphrodite lasted so long as an undercover spy. If it wasn't for the fact that I'd read the books, I honestly wouldn't have thought Silena was capable of being a traitor.

"I know your secret," I said bluntly, watching as all the color quickly drained from her face.

"About my dad's chocolates?" she asked weakly, but when I shook my head, she paled even more. Silena glanced towards the arena, seeming relieved that the only other people were Percy and Quintus, and they were both too busy talking with each other to pay us any attention.

"More like I know about your extracurricular activities that involve a certain traitorous son of Hermes and his leader."

"I-I don't know what you mean."

"Don't act coy," I scoffed. "Where's the scythe charm? And why are you selling out our secrets?"

"I've never betrayed camp," Silena whimpered, her kaleidoscope eyes brimming with tears.

Don't get me wrong, I like Silena, but I can't stand it when people lie to me. I pushed Silena up against the stone of the arch, keeping her in place with my forearm across her chest and my knees positioned to jab her in the hips if she tried to make a break for it.

"Stop lying, Silena. I'm not going to hurt you or reveal your secret, if you give me that gods-forsaken charm and swear on the River Styx that you'll stop selling us out to Kyle."

"I-I can't do that."

"Why not?"

Although Silena wasn't in any pain – at most, she was uncomfortable, because I wasn't hurting her – she grimaced like she'd just sprained her wrist, a couple of tears rolling down her cheeks. Then those tears turned into full on sobbing, and I backed off, watching as the usually confident daughter of Aphrodite curled in on herself, saying that she was sorry over and over again.

"He'll kill Charlie if I stop," Silena said at last, her voice strained and laced with pain. "He said fewer people would be hurt this way."

"He's lying to you," I told her, handing her some tissues. "He'll use you for information, and the second you're no longer of any use, he'll kill you, Silena. Please, if you give me the charm, I promise that I will kill anything Kyle sends to hurt either Beckendorf or you."

Silena gave a watery laugh. "You're powerful, Andy, but I wouldn't make such rash promises."

"I'm as good as my word, Silena. Please, let me help you."

"Why do you even care? We're not even friends, more like friendly faces in a crowd."

"Because this is my home, and the Olympians, as dysfunctional as they are, are much better rulers in comparison to the Titans. The latter will lay waste to the world, hunting demigods to extinction and using mankind as playthings. I don't know about you, but I don't want to live in that type of world."