Celestial Flames (Percy Jackson Universe)

The Disappearance

Winter wasn't winter in Camp Half-Blood. When I thought of winter, I thought of snow, salted icy sidewalks, icicles from the overhang of hotels and apartment buildings. I thought of frost covered trees and vehicles, adults grumbling from the cold and having to go out to brush off their vehicles.

It was like someone had called SIKE on my winter imagery. Most likely the Fates.

Camp Half-Blood during winter was like Camp Half-Blood during winter. Green valley, blooming strawberries in the fields, rushing water in the creeks and the lake. It was even warm enough to wear shorts. Shorts! In December! It was weird for me.

But with the end of school for the year, came demigods. Campers that went to the mortal world for the school year, wanting to get away and be back at Camp for the holidays. I can't blame them, I would do the same if the weather stayed like this year round.

First were Percy and Annabeth that came in his step-dad's Prius (that said step-dad drove). They were closest, just in Manhattan. Slowly, demigods trickled in. Kelsea from Vermont, Allyson from South Dakota, Ashley from Montana, Katie Gardner from Nebraska, Mickey from Pittsburgh. Though a few did stay with their mortal families for the holidays, it was like the summer again. Even Percy's Cyclops brother Tyson came. He was on the back of a hipppocampus that I immediately wanted to hug. Tyson gave me a hug instead.

Of course we still had our new demigods coming in. Logan, son of Hermes from New Mexico. Pete, son of Demeter from Wyoming. Michaela, daughter of Hebe from Arkansas (she had to reassure Chiron she was thirteen. She looked like she was eight). The Camp was really filling up, and it felt so good not to see it empty.

Annabeth's reaction from hearing about the dragon was... contained. She bit her lip, her eyes clouded over and scanned me. "I'm okay," I told her. Percy just blinked in shock a few times then awkwardly pat me on the back.

It was better than Allyson's reaction. She started asking all these questions about what it looked like, how sharp the claws were, how it breathed fire. I nearly wanted to strangle her to stop the questions. Malcolm ushered me out of the arena while Annabeth talked to her.

And since we couldn't do Capture the Flag, Clarisse was going extra hard during training (to make up for it, she said). I had cuts and bruises nearly everywhere when we were finished. I was glad, not for the first time, that one of my friends was a healer. Of course he grumbled about Clarisse being incompetent the entire time. I said, "You tell her that, Solace." He shut up afterwards.

The real trouble happened about a week into winter break. It seemed like a normal morning. I was up earlier than usual because of nightmares again. When the conch horn rang for breakfast, Annabeth opened the door to the cabin. She jumped when she saw me sitting on the porch.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked.

I shrugged. "Nothing too much."

"How long have you been up?" she asked.

"Long enough to watch the sun come up," I admitted, pointing east.

She followed my finger then turned back to me. It looked like she wanted to say something, but didn't. Instead she turned to Malcolm behind her. "Malcolm, can you lead the others to the dining pavilion? I'm gonna go get Percy."

"You got it," he confirmed.

She nodded and walked to Cabin Three.

I followed Malcolm to the dining pavilion. Allyson was beside me. Justin and Insley were arguing about supports on the Leaning Tower of Piza. Patrick was swirling a small knife around his fingers. Ashley was limping along, still getting used to her prostetic foot.