{BOOK 2} Percy Jackson's Sister

We Meet Around the Ping Pong Table of Doom

I now understood why the Big Three had made the no more kid pact. We were way too unpredictable.

We all elected Percy and Grover to carry the Oracle back to the attic of the Big House because she didn't seem to want to get there herself. After some complaining, they began to lug the mummy across camp.

I made my way to Travis.

"Where's the rest of our team?" I asked, walking back to our cabins.

"Ares kids got beat up pretty bad, they're in the infirmary," he informed me. "Aphrodite kids no doubt went to go fix up their looks again. Beckendorf went to the forgery to fix his sword."

I nodded.

"Cas," Thalia ran up to catch up to us. "Meeting at the Big House. You too, Stoll. Bring your brother."

I wasn't sure if that last part was for me or Travis but we both agreed to be there. Travis left to go get Connor and I ran towards the Big House.

-

We all sat around the ping pong table in the rec room. I took a seat next to Grover had already arrived with Percy. Thalia sat on the other side of me. In front of us sat Silena, Beckendorf, and the Stoll brothers. At the head of the table, Chiron and Dionysus took their seats. At the other end, Zoë settled down with Bianca di Angelo, who had become Zoë's assistant.

Bianca looked different from when we had first met her at Westover. Her hair was now braided back, like most of the Hunters wore theirs, giving me a clearer image of her face. Like freckles splattered all over her nose and cheekbones, just like on my own face. Her skin glowed like the moonlight, making it evident she was one of Artemis's.

A spray of cheese blasted my face, taking me out of my thoughts. Connor tried (and failed) to hide the Cheez Whiz bottle in his hand. I made a gesture with my hand that earned me a disappointed look from Chiron, who I hoped hadn't noticed. I took a bottle of Cheez Whiz and a cracker and began eating.

"This is pointless," Zoë said.

Grover shot his head up, as if noticing for the first time there were other people in the room.

His eyes brightened. "Cheez Whiz!"

Instead of a cracker, he sprayed the Whiz on a ping pong ball and chomped away. If he wasn't half goat, that would've been highly concerning.

"There is no time for talk," Zoë spoke again. "Our goddess needs us. The Hunters must leave immediately."

"And go where?" Chiron asked.

"West!" Bianca said.

"Real specific," I said.

"You heard the prophecy. Five shall go west to the goddess in chains. We can get five hunters and go."

"Yes," Zoë agreed with Bianca. "Artemis is being held hostage! We must find her and free her."

"You're missing something, as usual," Thalia grumbled. "Campers and Hunters combined prevail. We're supposed to do this together."

"No!" Zoë said, sternly. "The Hunters do not need thy help."

"Your" Thalia corrected her. "Nobody has said thy in, like, three hundred years, Zoë. Get with the times."

Zoë looked like she was the one trying to digest ping pong balls. "Yerrr. We do not need yerrr help."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Forget it."