Dancing with Death

Eavesdropping on Annabeth

Aubrey left Eliza in the arena, running off to help a camper who had just been skewered.

Eliza nonchalantly wandered around to the back of the coliseum-looking building and raced away. She wasn't one for making new friends and she'd been bullied enough to know most people didn't want to be friends with her. She ended up among the cabins. She examined each of the structures, trying to guess which god they represented.

Several of them looked new, but 11 of them were obviously original. One of them was sleek and silver, glowing with a pale light - definitely Diana... err Artemis.

Eliza vaguely remembered learning about Roman Mythology and she knew it was very similar to Greek Mythology, but it felt like more than just knowledge when she thought of the gods' names. It almost seemed like instinct. She didn't have a great memory, most of her life before the Wilderness School was a blur. She knew she'd been in foster care and that she'd moved around a lot, but otherwise... she had no clue. Considering what Annabeth had said about the Mist, who knew how much of her life was a sham.

Voices sounded from the cabin to her right. It looked fairly normal compared to the other cabins. One of the voices sounded like Annabeth.

Unable to sate her curiosity, Eliza crept around to the back of the cabin and knelt beneath the window, cracking it open.

"So, you have no leads?" Annabeth sounded distraught.

"I'm sorry." Another girl's voice replied. "I wish I had more to report, but there's just... nothing. It's like he vanished."

"He couldn't just disappear." Annabeth held.

"I know." The girl assured. "We will find him. I promise you that."

Annabeth sighed. "Thank you, Ali. I know I pulled you away from your quest."

Ali chuckled. "Trust me, it was blessing. Besides, I'm always here to help my family."

Eliza risked a quick peek inside.

Annabeth sat on her bunk facing the shimmery image of a girl with a long black braid and silver-blue eyes. Ali stood with her arms crossed, a quiver strapped to her back and a knife sheathed at her thigh.

A large wolffish head pressed into the scene.

Ali laughed and shoved the creature aside. "Meg, you said you were watching him."

A small melodic voice sounded from out of frame. "Sorry, he's getting restless."

Ali sighed. "I guess I should go. I won't stop looking until I find him Annabeth."

Annabeth gave a quick nod and slashed her hand through the image, dispersing the illusion.

Eliza ducked out of sight and snuck away. So that was Ali and she was looking for Percy Jackson too, but to no avail it seemed. What had the huge wolf-thing been? Who was Meg? What was Ali's quest? She was willing to drop everything to look for Percy. Did she still have feelings for him? Eliza's quizzical mind was buzzing with questions, many of which were too jumbled for her to comprehend.

Before long, she found herself on the beach where she had first arrived at camp. This place was so weird. It felt... wrong somehow. Like she didn't belong. If she was a half-blood, her godly parent obviously didn't want her. Otherwise, they would've claimed her. But so far nothing. With her luck, she'd be in the Hermes Cabin for the rest of her life.
* * *
After supper, everyone headed to the amphitheater for a bonfire. Some of the Apollo kids led the rest of the campers in a sing-along.

Eliza noted that Aubrey was not among her siblings. She couldn't blame her. It looked pretty embarrassing. Eliza sat with Jason, Leo, and Piper - an awkward little group on the outskirts of the crowd. The four of them had exchanged stories about what happened that day.

Apparently, both Jason and Piper had received visions from the goddess Juno... or Hera. The goddess was trapped somewhere to the west. Of course she couldn't be more specific.

Eliza was so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed Chiron - the activities director was talking until Jason stood up and proceeded to call down a bolt of lightening from the sky. She felt the static energy buzz through her body, making the hair on her arms stand on end. "Jupiter." She muttered the name so quietly no one could hear her. She knew that was his Roman name and she didn't want to add anymore drama to the moment.

Unfortunately, Rachel Elizabeth Dare - the camp's Oracle - did it for her. The redhead's eyes turned an unnatural green and she recited the verse of a prophecy in a voice that wasn't her own. "Child of lightning, beware the earth, The giants' revenge, the seven shall birth,
The forge and dove shall break the cage,
And death unleash through Hera's rage." After uttering the prophecy, Rachel collapsed into one of the Apollo kids' arms and they brought her a stool to sit on.

Eliza chest tightened. Forge and Dove. Hephaestus and Aphrodite. She met Jason's gaze. He had made the same connection.

"I want to come." Leo stood as he volunteered.

Jason looked almost relieved. "It'll be dangerous. Are you sure?"

Leo wavered for a moment, then steeled himself. "Yes." 

Jason nodded. "Now all we need is a child of Aphrodite." The way he said the name showed how foreign it felt on his tongue. What was wrong with he and Eliza? Why were they different?

Eliza caught herself before she could lose herself in her own mind again.

"I'll go." A snarky arrogant voice answered. A girl rose to her feet - Drew. Eliza remembered the same girl dragging Jason towards what the campers called the Big House.

"I don't think so." Piper jumped in front of Jason protectively. "You're not going anywhere with him."

Drew looked ready to lash out, but was silenced by a pink glow emanating from Piper.

Piper glanced above her head, expecting to see a mark like Leo had gotten, but there wasn't. All she got was a new dress, a fancy hairstyle, and an eerie pink aura.

"No." Drew finally found her voice.

Eliza grinned as she made the connection.

Chiron looked a little too happy as he addressed the whole camp. "I present to you, Piper McLean, Daughter of Aphrodite."