Changing the Future

Chapter 49

The next day, we burned James's shroud, which went as well as a funeral could go. The Ares and Apollo cabins called a temporary truce to attend the service, showing just how much James had meant to everyone at camp.

He'd been safe for years, having left camp to go to college the same year that I started going to school. He and Lucy had made plans of having a future together, but because I asked him to come back and help with the war, he was gone now.

Lucy was sobbing in the front row, Silena holding her friend in a tight hug while Clarisse guarded the both of them, as if daring anyone to so much as look at the daughter of Demeter.

Chiron asked me to burn the pyre, saying that I'd known James the best out of anyone at camp, excluding Lucy. But what kind of person would ask Lucy to burn her own boyfriend's shroud? So I numbly accepted, realizing that this would be the fifth shroud burning I was a part of, which was five more times than I would've liked.

I silently lowered the torch onto the metal chains, watching the flames slip through the loops, causing them to heat up and eventually turn to smoke. My heart ached as I heard Lucy whimpering James's name, praying to Olympus that he made it to Elysium.

Afterwards, I pulled Lucy aside, giving her the dog tags and the ring I found in the debris of the explosion, which only made her cry harder. "There was nothing you could've done?" she asked me, wiping away her tears.

"I'm so sorry," I replied, unable to meet her gaze. "But he really loved you, Lucy. I hope you know that."

Then I left the campfire pit, anger towards my father fueling my actions. I needed to break something, or I was going to go insane.

I walked deep into the forest, lugging a huge crate full of discarded pottery from the arts and crafts shed and set up shop in a nearby clearing. After setting the pottery on different branches in the trees, I took out my bow and began shooting, a feeling of satisfaction filling me as I heard the clay shatter like glass.

I didn't stop shooting even after all the pottery had been destroyed, instead finding some fallen logs and firing arrows until they split apart. I would've kept going too if it wasn't for the fact that Luke found me and placed a gentle hand on my arm, lowering my bow to face the ground instead of my target.

"You're bleeding," he said, taking my bow out of my hands. "How long have you been out here, Andy?"

I glanced down at my fingertips, surprised to see that Luke was right. My fingers, and therefore my bow string, were coated in a thin layer of blood from how long I'd been out here. "Since the shroud burning," I said, tugging on the charm that made my bow and quiver disappear.

"That was-"

"Four hours, twenty-seven minutes, and fifteen seconds ago. I know, Luke." I sighed. "I just needed to get away from it all for some time. I've been dreading this moment for years, and now that it's here..."

"You're afraid," Luke realized, his eyes widening in shock.

"Terrified," I agreed. "It's one thing to read about the atrocities that your father committed and know his punishment than actually having to face the bastard for myself."

"I'll be here when you need me," Luke assured me, gently taking my uninjured hand and leading me back towards camp. "Now, let's get Will to take a look at that hand."

"There's no need. I'll be fine after I wash my hands."

"Are you sure? Do you need anything?"

"I need for my father to go rot in hell, but I think I'm good otherwise."