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Chapter 6

I honestly didn't know why all the guys made such a fuss about girls. Every day it was the same: She looked at me weird, she must hate me, or She's so hot, but I'm sure she doesn't know I exist.

I had none of those doubts. Girls really were simple if you just had some confidence. Smile a lot, make them feel cared for, and compliment them on their appearance, and its all in the bag. I personally loved playing the flirting game. Girls were so soft and sexy (Daughters of Athena in the heat of battle? Damn; that's all I gotta say…) once you got them in the mood.

I was distracted from polishing my sword at the familiar sounds of girls giggling to themselves. I ran a hand through my short hair, smiling automatically as a gaggle of Aphrodite cabin-mates walked by. Their leader, Journey – the tallest one in the group, with the body of a model and silvery-blue eyes – trailed her fingers across my shoulders as she passed, leaning down so that her breasts brushed the back of my neck. I smiled lazily at the sensation, and winked at her as she sauntered away. My gaze was drawn to Journey's glossy brown waves, which were perfectly styled, as usual. The spicy scent of her perfume wafted in my direction.

She really was pretty, I mused. We had made out a few times last summer, and I was surprised to find that she was still into me. Girls like her weren't satisfied with just one partner – I wasn't offended by this, seeing as I was similar in that respect. To know that she was still willing was heartening, but not especially satisfying.

Journey was the camp go-to. I can't begin to count how many guys she's dated, much less how many guys she's kissed. Aphrodite girls were gorgeous, but after ten years of being captivated by them…I was sort of bored. They were all sexy as all get-out, but there just wasn't that spark that I wanted. The special little jolt that made me smile no matter what mood I was in.

Gah. Imagine, a seventeen-year-old looking for a spark. Gods, I sound like an old guy reminiscing about finding his wife!

I shook my head in exasperation, and got to my feet, straightening my armor and beginning my warm-up routine. The Zeus, Athena, and Hades cabins were taking sparring classes with a special guest teacher today. Chiron was as mysterious as always, but unlike the naive first years…I knew better than to pester.

My sword whistled through the air as I jabbed at an imaginary enemy, and the sound of bickering reached my ears. I rolled my eyes, and tried to tune it out. I was so focused that the sudden silence escaped my notice. I twirled around, imagining that someone was behind me.

"Miles, no—"

The warning was given too late, but I appreciated the effort.

My sword was suddenly clashing with a glowing silver one, and the strength behind the weapon was so stifling that my arms were forced to drop an inch or so. I was staring at the eternally youthful face of Thalia, the Goddess Artemis's lieutenant. Like the rest of the Hunters, she wore a silver jacket and dark jeans. Her hair was short and punk-style, with silver ribbon braided into a few stray braids. Her electric blue eyes – she was a child of Zeus, just like me – smiled impishly, and I resisted the urge to cringe in shame.

"If you wanted me to kick your butt, Miles, you only had to ask…" Thalia chided in mock anger, and I flushed, stepping back and giving her a shallow bow of respect. I held the Hunter in the highest regard, higher than anyone else at camp, but I made sure not to show it too much.

I took the moment in which Thalia addressed her Hunters to look around at the other campers. The Athena and Zeus cabins were mixed evenly together, and of course the Hades girl was standing off to the side. I was so used to seeing the Hades girl alone that my eyes glazed over her automatically. I had never looked at her for more than a few seconds, and didn't care to. She was death, clear as that. I didn't want to think of her more than I had to.

The Hunters had added to their ranks in the three years since they had last visited Camp Half-Blood. There were at least ten new faces, which put the Hunters' numbers at about forty maidens. All of them (save Thalia and the few that had become comfortable in the presence of demigods) had hostile snarls hidden just beneath their cool expressions of tranquility, and I knew better than to stir the pot by smiling at any of them. It would only encourage their distrust.

I sheathed my weapon, turning to face the Hunters once more. Thalia smiled a small, smug smile before raising her voice to speak to the entire group.

"Hello campers! The Hunters of Lady Artemis will be your teachers today. We will pair you off into sparring partners, so prepare yourself in whatever way you feel comfortable."

And with that, the Hunters dispersed themselves among the group, and began yanking campers together randomly. I guess that Thalia hadn't changed a bit; she's always been blunt in these sorts of situations. My eyes were drawn to the squeak of an Athena girl as she was pulled unceremoniously to my side. Her shoulder bumped into mine, and I breathed in the clean scent of her shampoo.

My disquiet was swept away as I smiled widely at the girl, the grin growing when she sent me a stern scowl in return.

I always liked 'em feisty.

That night, after dinner, I snuck away from the Sing-Along, for some reason not feeling up to singing and flirting as usual. The light of the fire faded away rapidly as I trudged along the worn stone path that led away from the pavilion, and I relished the rare opportunity of solitude in this usually crowded environment.

Bright lights of fireflies and magic lanterns illuminated the path as I went, and I shoved my hands in my pockets as I watched forest nymphs giggle and dance from tree to tree. Their voices reminded me of days spent back home with my mother…of lost memories that continued to haunt even after so many years passing me by. It had been six long years since she had died of breast cancer. She hadn't been much of a mother – the cancer kept her in the hospital most of the time, and her mind had been muddled by the painkillers – but that didn't make her absence any less painful. On her coherent days, she had always stroked my hair and made me smile with her awed stories of my father and how they had met.

I missed her. Dad had showed up for her funeral, and although he hadn't spoken to me…he only had to look at me, and I could see how sorry he was. I didn't expect tears from the god, and instead I saw a deep and ancient pain behind those bright eyes. I didn't see why the gods made relationships with mortals at all. Why put so much love into something that will eventually fade before your eyes?

The summer air was soft and sweet, and I breathed deep, staring up at the vivid blue-velvet sky that was littered with stars. I could never name the constellations, and so my eyes instead made random patterns with the bright dots. Under my feet, I could feel the stone path give way to firm dirt, and my gaze drifted downward to face forward once more.

Through the dark shadows of trees, Thalia's Pine was visible, and the glint of gold was so customary that my gaze automatically drifted. But suddenly, there was a shriek, and I was knocked off my feet by a small furry weight. I yelled, flipping in shock and pinning the intruder to the ground. But I released him almost as quickly when I recognized it to be one of the younger satyrs, Jipp.

The satyr was distraught, and my eyes widened when I saw blood staining his fur.

Before I could speak, the creature was sobbing into my shoulder. "Oh gods, you have to help them! There are too many for her to handle alone…they just appeared out of nowhere!"

I was already running toward the pine, knowing that I had no weapon, but also knowing that I had no time to go and find one. The branches scratched at my skin, and I prayed to my father briefly as I sprinted up the hill.

Please, Dad, help me!

Thunder rumbled, and I took that as an affirmative.

I burst through the bush, and gasped at the scene before me. The dragon who surrounded the Golden Fleece was snarling and spitting, but unable (and unwilling) to leave its post. There were at least ten monsters, all of them with poisoned blades and with teeth the size of steak knives. Their skin was leathery and tough, with warts the size of my fist and bright silver eyes and horns. I had never seen these kinds of beasties before, which was saying something.

Pale blonde hair caught my eye, and I recognized the Hades girl, feet spread apart as she ferociously defended two young half-bloods from their attackers. How had no one heard the commotion? Why had no one come to help?

I raised my hands, and with a deep sickening pull and a grunt of exertion, two of the monsters fell in a flash of lightning. I stumbled, but recovered after a second, rolling out of the way of a monster swinging his sword. The poison seemed to singe the air, and grabbed a dagger from one of the fallen monsters and used it to stab the charging monster in the forearm. It roared, and I used the second in which it was distracted to finish it off. I heard a rattling rumble, and flinched as a skeleton soldier suddenly lurched past me, icy eyes and a deathly breath chilling me to the bone. I stole a glance at the Hades girl, and she still had her back to me, her blonde hair whipping around her as she sent several stone missiles through her opponent.

A few minutes, the monsters were dead thanks to the girl's dead army of skeletons. It made me wonder why she even needed help. I walked over to the trio, where the Hades girl was still standing facing the mortal world. She was shorter than me by at least five inches, and her shoulders were proud and strong. I had never been this close to her, and it unnerved me. She smelled of nothing. There was no warmth to her, and I took an instinctive step back.

The two children were both male, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Twins, I realized when they both turned with terrified eyes. I knelt beside them, and smiled reassuringly. I heard the sound of Chiron galloping in the distance, and decided to let the centaur give the explanations. I looked up at the Hades girl once more, and suddenly she fell forward, her body limp and unconscious.

It was only when I ran over to her side that I noticed the blood.

It pooled around her form, and when I turned her over I saw the cause. The monster had managed to cut a deep gash across her abdomen, and it was tinged with green. The red was spreading across her gray shirt, soaking through the fabric to my hands and dyeing them the terrible crimson color. Blood was bubbling from her lips, and it was then that the children began to scream.

It took every bit of restraint I had to refrain from joining them.