RED ¹ / Percy Jackson !

56

THE BIG HOUSE WAS DECORATED WITH STRINGS OF RED AND YELLOW FIREBALLS THAT WARMED THE PORCH BUT DIDN'T SEEM TO CATCH ANYTHING ON FIRE. Inside, flames crackled in the hearth. The air smelled like hot chocolate. Mr. D, the camp director, and Chiron were playing a quiet game of cards in the parlor.

Chiron's brown beard was shaggier for the winter. His curly hair had grown a little longer.He wore a fuzzy sweater with a hoofprint design on it, and he had a blanket on his lap that almost hid his wheelchair completely.

He smiled when he saw us. "Percy! Thalia! Oh, and Viviene! Ah, and this must be—"

"Nico di Angelo," Percy said. "He and his sister are half-bloods."

Chiron breathed a sigh of relief. "You succeeded, then."

"Well..."

His smile melted. "What's wrong? And where is Annabeth?"

"Oh, dear," Mr. D said in a bored voice, "Not another one lost."

"You lost Annabeth?" Viviene turned to Percy and Thalia, glaring at them. They both looked away from her, guilt clawing at their souls.

Percy had been trying not to pay attention to Mr. D, but he was kind of hard to ignore in hisneon orange leopard-skin warm-up suit and his purple running shoes. (Like Mr. D had everrun a day in his immortal life.) A golden laurel wreath was tilted sideways on his curly blackhair, which must've meant he'd won the last hand of cards.

"What do you mean?" Thalia asked. "Who else is lost?"

Just then, Grover trotted into the room, grinning like crazy. He had a black eye and redlines on his face that looked like a slap mark. "The Hunters are all moved in!"

Chiron frowned. "The Hunters, eh? I see we have much to talk about." He glanced atNico. "Grover, perhaps you should take our young friend to the den and show him our orientation film."

"But... Oh, right. Yes, sir."

"Orientation film?" Nico asked. "Is it G or PG? 'Cause Bianca is kinda strict—"

"It's PG-13," Grover said.

"Cool!" Nico happily followed him out of the room.

"Now," Chiron said to Thalia and Percy, "perhaps you two should sit down and tell us the whole story."

***

When they were done, Chiron turned to Mr. D. "We should launch a search for Annabeth immediately."

"I'll go," Thalia, Percy and Viviene said at the same time.

Mr. D sniffed. "Certainly not!"

The three  started complaining, but Mr. D held up his hand. He had that purplish angry fire in his eyes that usually meant something bad and godly was going to happen if theydidn't shut up.

"From what you have told me," Mr. D said, "we have broken even on this escapade. We have, ah, regrettably lost Annie Bell—"

"Annabeth," Viviene snapped. She'd gone to camp since she was seven, and still Mr. D pretended not to know her name.

"Yes, yes," he said. "And you procured a small annoying boy to replace her. So I see no point risking further half-bloods on a ridiculous rescue. The possibility is very great that this Annie girl is dead."

"Annabeth may be alive," Chiron said, but I could tell he was having trouble sounding upbeat. He'd practically raised Annabeth all those years she was a year-round camper, beforeshe'd given living with her dad and stepmom a second try. "She's very bright. If... if our enemies have her, she will try to play for time. She may even pretend to cooperate."

"That's right," Thalia said. "Luke would want her alive."

"In which case" said Mr. D, "I'm afraid she will have to be smart enough to escape onher own."

Viviene got up from the table.

"Viviene." Chiron's tone was full of warning. In the back of her mind, she knew Mr. D wasnot somebody to mess with. Even if you were an impulsive ADHD Ares kid like her, he wouldn't give you any slack. But she was so angry she didn't care.

"You're glad to lose another camper," Viviene said. "You'd like it if we all disappeared!"

Mr. D stifled a yawn. "You have a point?"

"Yeah," Viviene growled, her eyes turning a bright shade of red. "Just because you were sent here as a punishment doesn't mean you have to be such a lazy jerk! This is your civilization, too. Maybe you could try helping out a little insetead of being useless all the time!"

Percy grabbed Viviene's arm and gently sat her back next to him. Viviene wanted to snap at him, but when she saw his concerned gaze, she only sighed and grumbled, slouching in her chair.

Percy took Viviene's hand, squeezing it in support.

There was no sound except the crackle of the fire. The light reflected in Mr. D's eyes, giving him a sinister look. He opened his mouth to say something—probably a curse that would blast Viviene to smithereens—when Nico burst into the room, followed by Grover.

"SO COOL!" Nico yelled, holding his hands out to Chiron. "You're... you're a centaur!"

Chiron managed a nervous smile. "Yes, Mr. di Angelo, if you please. Though, I prefer to stay in human form in this wheelchair for, ah, first encounters."

"And, whoa!" He looked at Mr. D. "You're the wine dude? No way!"

Mr. D turned his eyes away from me and gave Nico a look of loathing. "The wine dude?"

"Dionysus, right? Oh, wow! I've got your figurine."

"My figurine."

"In my game, Mythomagic. And a holo foil card, too! And even though you've only got like five hundred attack points and everybody thinks you're the lamest god card, I totally think your powers are sweet!"

"Ah." Mr. D seemed truly perplexed, which probably saved my life. "Well, that's... gratifying."

"Percy," Chiron said quickly, "you and Thalia go down to the cabins. Inform thecampers we'll be playing capture the flag tomorrow evening."

"Capture the flag?" Percy asked. "But we don't have enough—"

"It is a tradition," Chiron said. "A friendly match, whenever the Hunters visit."

"Yeah," Thalia muttered. "I bet it's real friendly."

Chiron jerked his head toward Mr. D, who was still frowning as Nico talked about howmany defense points all the gods had in his game. "Run along now," Chiron told them.

"Oh, right," Thalia said. "Come on, guys."She hauled them out of the Big House before Dionysus could remember that he wanted to kill Viviene.