Dancing with Death

Stories and Messages

Eliza pulled another quiver of arrows from the trunk.

"And what do you think you're doing?" Cyprus' voice sounded from the central branch in the room.

Eliza jumped and turned. "Don't do that."

Cyrus raised an eyebrow. Tiny pink flowers were blooming on her green, leafy dress. She nodded to the pile of quivers Eliza had accumulated.

Eliza sighed. "I'm just... taking inventory."

Cyprus crossed her arms.

"Okay. Fine." Eliza gave in, slouching back against the trunk. "I'm bored. This is all I could come up with to do."

"Well, why aren't you off helping that Theo boy with his ship?" Cyprus asked.

Eliza rolled her eyes. "Leo made me take a day off. He literally locked himself inside Bunker 9."

Cyprus couldn't help but chuckle. "He must really not want your help."

Eliza shrugged. "I think he's a little jealous because I woke up his dragon when he couldn't."

"Oh, that's definitely it." Cyprus concurred. "If there's one thing I know, it's that you never get between a boy and his dragon."

Eliza scoffed. "Then I guess I'm screwed."

"Yeah, probably." Cyprus confirmed.

Eliza gave her an annoyed look. "Thanks for the vote of confidence." She turned back to the now-empty trunk and sighed. She loaded the quivers carefully back into place and moved to the next trunk.

The lid opened with a puff of dust, making both girls cough.

"I see you still haven't found the time to clean." Cyprus declared through coughs.

Eliza cleared her throat. "I've been a little busy." She waved her hands through the air to clear the dust and looked into the trunk.

This one was filled with an odd assortment of items - a sand dollar, an orange Camp Half-blood t-shirt, and a gradient silver dress that faded from silver at the neckline to black at the edge of the skirt. It had small gems scattered across the black fabric like stars.

Eliza picked up a necklace like the ones the campers wore to signify how many years they'd been at camp. This one had three beads on it. The first bead had the picture of a dire wolf's head on it. The second had a lightening bolt, probably from the year that Percy and Annabeth had went on a quest to return Zeus' master bolt. The last one was an image Eliza hadn't seen on any of the other campers' beads - a stone with a mini storm inside and bolts of lightening shooting out of it. A name was painted across the bead.

"Mason." Eliza muttered. "What's this?"

Cyprus suddenly appeared beside her, snatched the necklace from her hands, and slammed the trunk shut. "That's none of your business!" Her green eyes were blazing with anger.

Eliza scooted away from the dryad. "I'm sorry. I didn't..."her voice trailed off. "Who's Mason?"

Cyprus' gaze fell. "Someone who's long gone."

"That's his camp necklace." Eliza deduced.

Cyprus held the leather string gently as she nodded. She carefully slipped it back into the trunk.

"I'm sorry." Eliza noticed a padlock lying on the ground from one of the other trunks. The key was missing, but it was unlocked. She grabbed it. "So I'm not tempted again." She looped it around the latch and locked it in finality.