The Male Hunter | Olympus' Traitor #1

Chapter 35: Sanctuary

"Oh Percy, thank the gods you're okay!" Thalia cried out as she threw her arms around the demigod laying in the cot.

"Good to see you too, Thals," Percy grunted.

Suddenly, Thalia pulled back and smacked Percy across his left cheek. "Don't you ever do that again!" Thalia scolded. "I thought I was going to lose you!"

"Sorry, I-" Percy said sheepishly, but was interrupted by a kiss from Thalia before he could go any farther.

"No, don't. Just promise me you'll stay with me, like you did in that motel over a year ago," Thalia said quietly.

"I promise," Percy whispered back before he started to go in for another kiss.

However, the couple had to break apart when a small girl burst through the entrance of the tent. "Percy! Percy! Percy! Percy! Percy!" Clara was crying frantically, the panic on her face putting her on the brink of tears.

"Hey, Sunshine, calm down," Percy soothed as she ran up to the side of his cot. "What's wrong?"

"It's, it's Hannah!" Clara cried. "She always comes to get me for breakfast, and she didn't this morning! I can't find her anywhere!"

"Did you check her bunk in the barracks?" Percy questioned.

"Well, um, no," Clara replied, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Then let's go check, she's probably just being a lazy bones!" Percy said cheerfully. Clara had calmed down with Percy's reassurances, so the demigod trio made their way out of the infirmary tent and towards Camp Jupiter.

At a brisk jog, it only took them minutes to reach the barracks for the fifth cohort. Everybody was doing their morning drills, so the building was empty. As they made their way to the back corner where Hannah's bunk was it became apparent that she wasn't there. However, something was sitting on her pillow. Upon closer inspection they could see that it was Jacob's watch and the Olympian Silver prosthetic hand that had been gifted to her by the Hunt sitting on top of a small piece of paper. Gently, Thalia reached over and lifted up the paper. On it, Hannah had only written two words, I'm Sorry.

"No, no," Clara whispered as she fell to her knees and tears started leaking out of her eyes. Percy knelt down and took the shaking girl into his arms. "Please, we need to find her," Clara whimpered. "I can't lose her too."

"Don't worry," Thalia reassured. "We'll find her."

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The group of fourteen demigods, mortal, and centaur were almost to Camp Jupiter. They could see the Romans guarding the entrance to the tunnel, but they could also hear their hunters closing in behind them. "Go!" called Chiron, who had caught up to the group somewhere in New Mexico. "I shall hold them off!"

"But they'll kill you!" Malcolm protested.

"Then I will not have died in vain, my child," Chiron reassured as he brought his bow from off his shoulder.

"I won't let them," Clarrise, who had joined the group - along with Chris - in Arizona, growled.

The group had reached the entrance of the tunnel at this point. "Halt!" one of the Romans cried as she drew her sword, her companion doing the same. "This is Roman territory, Graecum are not welcome here! Be on your way or face the wrath of the Legion!"

"Please, we seek sanctuary!" Will pleaded. "We mean no harm!"

Suddenly, the eyes of both Romans widened as they looked over the shoulders of the group before them. "Go, inside, now!" the girl ordered as the guy threw open the door to the tunnel. As the group rushed inside, they dared take a glance back. Charging down the road towards them was the campers that had been tracking them, and they looked furious. Covering the groups rear, the Romans closed the door and followed after the defectors from Camp Half-Blood.