SERENDIPITY ~ A. Chase

xvi ~ Betrayal By a Friend, The Worst Kind

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chapter sixteen ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
016. Betrayal By a Friend, The Worst Kind

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Camp celebrated their return as if they had won the lottery or something. They were the first to come back from a quest after Luke.

Which made sense because they were the only quest after Luke.

Cassie wasn't going to say no to the huge feast prepared in their honor. Or the laurel wreaths they were given.

Then, at the bonfire, they got to burn the burial shrouds their cabins had made in case they died on the quest.

Cassie thought that the traditions really lacked faith in heroes.

Annabeth's shroud was so perfect for her. It had cute little white owls on the gray silk.

Percy watched as Cassie nudged Annabeth. "Dang, sad I didn't get to see you get buried in it."

Annabeth punched Cassie jokingly. "Out of the two of us, you would die first doing something stupid."

Percy noticed there was something different about their bickering. It wasn't venomous just playful.

Something had happened in the taxi back to Camp. He planned to ask Grover later.

Cassie's cabin had created two shrouds. One for their sister and one for Percy because he had no siblings.

Cassie's shroud was blood red with a symmetrical boar painted in the middle. She had a suspicion that some of the Aphrodite kids had helped.

Her assumption was proved correct when Silena Beauregard sent her a proud smile and wink.

"Thanks!" Cassie shouted.

Percy's flag which was made by the same exact people looked hideous.

Cabin 5 had but smiley faces with 'x' eyeballs all around the shroud. 'Loser' was painted on the middle. Percy enjoyed burning it.

During the sing-a-long, Annabeth's siblings were crowding her. Praises and hugs in a huge circle.

The Hermes kids were chatting away with Percy as Grover's satyr friends admired his new searcher's license.

Cassie's siblings were sulking in the corner. They hated how Percy embarrassed their dad. That didn't stop Cassie from partying.

They really felt back at home when Dionysus made his speech.

"Yes, yes, so the little brat didn't get himself killed and now he'll have an even bigger head. Well, huzzah for that. In other announcements, there will be no canoe races this Saturday . . ."

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Percy was back on his own in Cabin 3 but he wasn't alone anymore.

His friends trained with him during the day. Cassie was a hell of a training partner.

One of his favorite parts of the day was sparing her while Annabeth said random things to distract the brunette.

Percy normally won those fights. Cassie would easily defeat him when Annabeth wasn't there.

The son of Poseidon was content with his life. With his father. With his mom.