The Third Camp Trilogy: The Final War?

Chapter thirty three: Carrie

Five days until the war.

Just what I needed less than a week before war, a breakout in Hades' private prison.

Ah, what a nice way to start off war.

I sighed, grabbed my bow, then went into the attic. If I couldn't do anything about the prisoner then I would have had to do something. After I shot a few arrows something didn't feel right.

"This is why we don't use Iris messages, no warning." I sighed and my bow disappeared. My eyes rested on Chiron and Reyna in the Iris message.

The Centaur's eyes were sunken and I could tell that his hair had gotten grayer than normal. Reyna's black hair was pulled back in a tight braid, her brown eyes full of regret.

"What do you want?" I growled and crossed my arms.

"We found your spy." Reyna growled.

"What spy?" I questioned.

"Don't play dumb. This is hard for us too."

"I don't think it is. Now answer my question, What spy?"

"The boy."

"Wow, that really clears things up." I rolled my eyes. "Now, if you don't mind I'm trying to prepare for war." I pulled out my sword and started to slice through the Iris message in order to disconnect it.

"Don't!" Reyna yelled before I could slice through it.

"Give me one reason." I lowered my sword.

"I'm not going to lie to you, the war is a stupid idea. We don't want to have to kill you and I hope you feel the same way."

"You both disrespected my camp." I growled. "The bridges have been burned. There's no going back, you both declared war, not me."

"We know but—"

"But nothing. If you disrespect my camp then you disrespect my home and I don't like when people disrespect my home. You both should understand that. Now if you don't mind then I'm going to give you a little hint: prepare for all Hades to break loose."

"There'll be no need for that." Chiron spoke up.

"And why not? You know, nevermind. My camp will be set up and ready for war on the date that you all set at a field. It'll be a special field, your camper, the daughter of Athena, Annabeth Chase knows the location. See you there and don't try to contact me again." I readied my sword. "And one more thing, I don't need spies. I know almost every detail about both of your camps without the need for a spy. Whoever you are talking about then they aren't one of mine." I cut through the Iris message and threw myself onto the couch.

But this wasn't the time for relaxation. I had to go down to the prison.

"Praetor." The warden nodded to me.

She was a rather scary woman, even by my standards, her stone cold black eyes bore into my own. In a stranger's eyes her black hair, which was flowing down from her armor, was a sign of beauty or elegance. The ones that knew her weren't that stupid.

"Good afternoon Poena, I wish these were better terms." I nodded in acknowledgement of the woman.

"I agree." She gave a slight nod, but other than that she was perfectly still, ready to leap into combat at any time.

"Now, who's the escaped prisoner?"

"We aren't sure yet, the prison is so deep that we can't be sure until every cell is searched."

"That could take months, if not years." I gaped at her, "Can't we find out who escaped any other way?"

"Sir, I know you're connected to one of the prisoners but—"

"I am in no way connected to any of those criminals." I growled.

"As you wish Sir." She gave a slight nod, stepped away from the door, and allowed me to enter the stone-cold heart of the prison.

The prison was exactly as I remembered, mossy walls, obsidian walls that gave you frostbite just by looking at it, and of course the cells were guarded by skeletons (Poena wasn't too happy about that, but I had to make the choice in order to please Hades and Pluto).

For an instant I gaped at the two gods in front of me, they were extremely different in appearance and personality but both were next to invisible against the dark obsidian walls. Sadly the only light source in the whole prison was torches.

"Good afternoon Lord Hades, Lord Pluto." I nodded to the two gods of death.

"I'm not a fan of introductions." Hades snarled.

"That is why we are so different. Good afternoon Carrie." Pluto nodded.

"So, what's the news?" I questioned.

"Only one prisoner broke out, no word on how or why. Guards were able to mark him but not stop the boy."

"What do we know about the prisoner so far?"

"Not much, it's a boy that was in the highest security we could provide without throwing him into Tartarus."

"Ugh, I hate that place." I shivered just thinking about the place, it had taken me almost two years to get back to full lung capacity.

"We all do." Pluto sighed but Hades didn't break his gaze with the table.

"I quite agree but that is not why we visited." Hades stared at the papers atop the table.

"Did you only visit my camp due to the prisoner, or for other reasons?" I eyed both of them.

"Other reasons."

"Like what?" I eyed Hades. "If you're like the other gods them—"

"No, I am nothing like them." He growled and the ground started to crack.

"I know you aren't, if not for that then why are you here?"

"To learn your plan." Hades spoke.

"We know that the gods can't get to you the way I can." Pluto shrugged.

"Why does that matter?" I eyed them both.

"We think maybe... maybe you could stop the war."

"Sorry, but no." I sighed. "You both of all people should understand that."