The New Demigods

Chapter 13: Back To Mount Olympus

Back at Olympus, Prometheus led us through laps around the gymnasium, instructing us to 'act natural'. We weren't sure who the acting was for since the golden owl remained smashed to pieces on the floor of the gym.

Minutes later, the door to the gym swung open by Hera who was followed by Eleanor and Athena.

"What is going on in here!?" Hera demanded, entering the room. We all stopped to stare at her outburst in fake confusion.

"The kids are running laps," Prometheus answered plainly. Hera and Athena entered the room, examining every corner as if they were looking for a portal to the underworld or something.

"And what happened to Athena's owl?" Hera questioned, with daggers for eyes, looking over each of our sponsors.

"One of the kids accidentally shot it during archery practice," Hades explained in a half truth. "You can play back the moment yourself."

"Looks like he's telling the truth," Athena admitted examining the arrow hole in the skull of her owl. She fiddled with the mechanics, adding pieces from her pocket and the eyes of the owl projected a hologram of the last 30 seconds before it was destroyed. The video did follow Hades's story making it look like the arrow accidentally struck the bird.

"Well, then I think that's enough training for today. Everyone is to go back to their quarters immediately and rest for our big day tomorrow." Hera commanded, as she left the room. "And by that, I mean their own homes, alone." She locked eyes with me before slamming the door behind herself and Athena.

Hades chuckled darkly, "well that went well." We all joined in a mischievous smile, feeling connected by our collective efforts to bother Hera.

"We really should get going," Gaia admitted. "We don't want to stir the pot too much."

We left the gymnasium with the Sponsors saying a quick goodbye before departing down a road out of sight. Horace, Piper, Scarlett and I went back to our houses agreeing to skip the communal dinner that night after Hera's warning.

Hours later, I had been long finished my dinner and was laying in bed kept awake by thoughts of tomorrow's quest, when I heard a knock on my door. While we had agreed that we wouldn't visit each other that night, I had a feeling it was one of the other Outcasts wanting to catch up.

I climbed down from my bed and the knocking continued, this time sounding more like pounding. A pounding that sounded just like the impatient knocking of Piper when I took longer than she wanted me to. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!" I yelled.

I opened the door, expecting to see my friends on the other side, but I was wrong. Instead, I saw a quick glimpse of a masked group of people before a pillow case was pulled over my head and I was dragged against my will out of my house.