The Demigod Games Book One: Knives of Blood

Chapter Four: Training

Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or the Hunger Games

Chapter Four: Training

Leo tapped his hands nervously against his legs. He had hardly listened to what the trainer, Atala, had said. When she was finished speaking, Calypso smiled at him and asked him where he wanted to go.

Leo could only stare at her. He couldn't believe that he was lucky enough to have her as an ally. She was beautiful, smart, and she laughed at his jokes! It was too good to be true.

"How about Station Seven? It's got electronics. Maybe you could make, I don't know, a bomb or something?" Calypso said, smiling.

Leo was too distracted inhaling her intoxicating scent. She smelled like cinnamon and pine and the sea- everything he would never get the see again.

"Sure, Sunshine," he managed. "Making things explode is my specialty."

They headed over to the station, where Leo expertly welded the parts into a smoke bomb. Calypso watched, fascinated.

"Ta da!" He said. And then he dropped it. 

Smoke filled the room. There were shrieks of panic as the other Tributes tried to figure out what was going on. In the chaos, Leo slipped his hand into Calypso's.

Calypso stared at Leo in surprise, but she didn't remove her hand. When the smoke cleared, they reluctantly let go.

Leo cleared his throat and grinned. "Well," he said, grinning, "I always knew you liked me, Sunshine."

Calypso smacked him playfully, blushing. "Don't get too full of yourself, Valdez."

Leo smile got even bigger.

Meanwhile, across the room, Nico was struggling to finish his snare. His hands kept fumbling with the knot, and he just couldn't get it right.

"Here," a voice said behind him. "Let me."

A pair of arms wrapped around him and deftly tied the knot with nimble fingers. Nico looked behind him to see a boy with golden hair and sky blue eyes grinning at him.

"Hi," the boy said, not removing his arms from around Nico. "I'm Will Solace."

Nico ducked out of his arms, but he didn't leave. Something about this boy... it made him want to know more. 

"Nico di Angelo," he growled, scowling.

Will grinned. "Allies?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "You know nothing about me. Why would you want to be allies?"

"You seem trustworthy." Will said, still grinning.

Nico glanced down at himself. Choppy black hair, dark eyes, pale skin. Skinny and wearing baggy black clothes that were way too big for him.

"Yeah, right." Nico said. He started to walk away.

"Wait!" Will said, tripping over himself to catch up to him. "It's just... you seem like you need an ally. And I do too. So... why not?"

Nico sighed but nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But once it gets to the final eight, we're done."

Will smiled and stuck out his hand. "Can't wait... ally."

Reyna watched the exchange curiously. Nico and Will were the last people she would have expected to make an alliance.

But it didn't matter. She was a Career, and she was going to win. No matter what it took.

On the other side of the training room, Grover and Juniper were struggling to shoot their bow and arrows. 

"Ugh!" Juniper threw her bow on the ground. "These Games are so stupid! Only one of us can go home anyway, so what's the point of even trying?"

In her mind she thought that Grover would be the one who got home. It had to be him- he was the one who always made everyone feel better, who sang songs when people were sick, who always gave out his specialty tea for free.

Grover was thinking about how he was going to get Juniper home. He would do anything for her- even die.

"Juniper," Grover said hesitantly, "I know this may not be the best time to tell you this, but I wanted you to know."

Juniper stared at him. Grover cleared his throat. "If we hadn't been Reaped, well... I was planning on proposing to you."

Juniper had tears in her eyes. "Grover, I would have said yes. I still would say yes. I love you."

Grover wrapped his arm around her waist and planted a kiss on her cheek. "I love you too, Juniper."

As they hugged, Grover made a silent promise to himself. Juniper was going to go home.

On the other side of the room, Piper watched Jason out of the corner of her eye as he worked at the camouflage station. She tried to focus on her snare, but it was no use. Sighing, she gave up on the complicated knot she was attempting and walked over to Jason.

"I like it," she said, watching as he placed his arm against one of the fake trees stationed around the arena. The painted portion of his arm watched up perfectly.

"May I?" Jason asked, gesturing to her arm. Piper nodded, letting him grab her arm and place it on the table. Her heart pounded as he gently began to move the paintbrush across her skin.

"Wow," Piper said once he was finished, amazed as the interlocking shades of green drawn on her arm. When she placed in against the tree, it blended in perfectly with the green moss that surrounded it.

"I know that green is your favorite color," Jason said.

Piper looked up quickly, caught off guard. "Um-"

Suddenly the bell sounded, signalling the end of training. "I should go," Jason said, flashing her a quick smile as he walked off.

Piper opened her mouth, then closed it. What was she supposed to do with that?