no matter how many times a snake shed its skin, it would always be a snake. no matter how hard kit dempsey tried to prove he was no longer a traitor, camp half-blood would always view him as the boy who betrayed them for kronos. but not leo valdez...
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CHAPTER THREE: PRICE TO PAY
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KIT STAYED AT THE lake way past sundown. Fortunately, no one was around to bother him; or if they were, they just knew to leave him alone if they didn't want their head bitten off. Leo hadn't followed him again. He must've found a new tour guide. Kit was relieved. The boy had given him quite the headache, or maybe it was Jake Mason that caused it. Either way, he was in a foul mood even as night fell and the chatter of excited campers rose. He heaved a heavy sigh, and with reluctance left his patch of moonlight on the rocks to join them in approaching the Amphitheatre. The campfire was the worst part of Kit Dempsey's week. Chiron never let him miss it, almost like he knew of the boy's distaste for the colourful flames and the passionate Apollo children's sing-along. It was a small punishment, but nonetheless got on Kit's nerves.
He stopped on the way to grab a black hoodie, tugging it over his head as he slipped into the crowd undetected. The rest of his siblings were already sitting beneath the Ares flag, heads held high with armour strapped to their bodies and swords at their sides. Kit was definitely the outlier in his black clothing, but none of them spared him a glance as they hummed along to whatever song the Apollo kids were playing on their guitars and lyres. Finally, the torture (sorry, music) ended, and Chiron trotted up to address the rowdy crowd.
"That was very nice, I must say," he smiled at the Apollo kids as they returned to their own section of the Amphitheatre. "Now, a special welcome to our new arrivals. I am Chiron, camp activities director, and I'm happy you have all arrived here alive and with most of your limbs attached. In a moment, I promise we'll get to the s'mores, but first--"
He was cut off by a boy from the Athena cabin yelling out, "What about capture the flag?" Kit's brothers echoed his frustration with grumbles of their own. Kit couldn't care less, but he knew they -- Andrew and Nolan especially -- were eager for the games to return.
"Yes," Chiron sighed. "I know the Ares cabin is anxious to return to the woods for our regular games."
"And to kill people," Nolan called out, his dirty blonde hair so long it hung in front of his eyes. Kit rolled his eyes, sinking back into his chair as he caught Piper's gaze amongst the Hermes children. She was looking at him curiously but quickly turned away when she noticed him glaring back.
"However, until the dragon is brought under control, that won't be possible. Cabin Nine, anything to report on that?"
Oh. So that was what Jake had meant.
Nyssa stood uncomfortably to address the attentive crowd. Her army jacket looked a lot like the one Kit had noticed Leo wearing, and her dark hair was covered in a blood red bandana. "We're working on it."
Andrew and Nolan immediately grumbled, Nettie joining in this time. She called out, "How, Nyssa?" and more murmuring ensued.
