Escape from camp half blood

Chapter7

Carter was awakened very early the next morning when an icy cold hand was pressed against his mouth, muffling any exclamations he might have uttered upon waking. He blinked into darkness that seemed to be thickest just above him. That was what tipped him off, and even before Nico whispered in his ear, he guessed whose icy hand was covering his mouth.

"It's time to go, Carter," said Nico very softly.

Carter nodded and Nico removed his hand from Carter's mouth and grabbed his hand to pull him up. Sadie, Carter saw, was already hovering near the door. Around them, the sons and daughters of Hermes slept, as well as the two unclaimed girls who'd come in with Carter and Sadie the night before, Piper and Maya.

Carter followed when Nico led him and Sadie out into the gray of the pre-dawn morning.

"Stay close," whispered Nico. The shadows around the three of them began to grow darker and thicker. Not like they did when Nico shadow-traveled them and it felt like they'd been dropped into a black hole, but more like a veil of camouflage had been raised around them. "We have to hurry," said Nico as he began moving toward the woods. "My powers are weaker during the day."

"That sucks," said Sadie. "So does this camp, for the record. Making us sleep on the floor? What was up with that?"

"We provide better hospitality than the House of Life," pointed out Nico.

"What kind of welcome would we have gotten if they'd known who we really were?" asked Sadie.

"Well they wouldn't have put you in a cell," said Nico.

"Do you like it here?" asked Carter.

"Why? What's it to you?" Nico wanted to know.

"Well . . . it seems like most people don't treat you very well because of who your father is, but . . . the ones who aren't jerks treat you like a hero because of how you saved all their lives," said Carter.

Nico pulled a face.

"You never mentioned that," said Sadie. "Neither you nor Percy told us any of the good stories. Guess what we had the Hermes kids telling us about until lights out?"

Nico turned to scowl at the, then answered Carter's original question. "I like it here well enough, I guess. It's better than most of the places I've lived for any amount of time, but when Percy's not around I think I prefer being with you guys."

"Well next time the three of us are home, you're telling us all about the Battle of Mt. Olympus," said Sadie.

"And the Battle of the Labyrinth," said Carter. He'd been more interested in that one since his father had actually done research on the labyrinth at one time.

"Okay. Now be quiet," hissed Nico. "People may not be able to see us but they can still hear us."

Nico led them through the woods, away from the camp, until the forest gave way to the ocean, with a stretch of rugged beach between the two. "We're here," said Nico. "And none too soon."

At that very moment the top of the sun crested above the ocean in the distance, spilling golden light over them. The shadow veil that Nico had thrown up dissolved abruptly, leaving all three of them exposed, but thankfully, they were alone on the beach.

"Alright," said Carter. He walked toward the ocean quickly. "Let's get out of here."

The water was freezing, as Carter had known it would be. He took off his shoes, tied the laces together, and hung them around his neck then rolled up his pants legs before entering. Somehow he doubted that hypothermia was conducive to good spell-casting. He walked out onto the surf until it came up to his knees then, shivering, he glanced back at Sadie and Nico. Or rather just at Sadie, since Nico's magic wasn't advanced far enough for him to summon a boat, and even if it was, he wasn't leaving with them. But Sadie stood just out of the water's reach, looking smug.