Havoc - Piper McLean

5: Did you hear about the girl who lives in delusion

|did you hear about the girl who lives in delusion|

—"You're saying our Moms are goddesses."

"Or dads in case our dads are secretly gay and never told us" Camilla shrugged which made Piper and Annabeth snort. The blonde regained her composure and nodded. 

She had taken them on a tour of the entire Camp and explained most of everything including the fact that one of their parents was apparently a Greek God. 

"You're taking this awfully calmly."

Piper and Camilla shared a look. 

Camilla couldn't tell Annabeth why. Ever since she was a kid, she had wondered about her mom, about why there were middle aged women with the kids in her class, but she never had anyone like that. By the time she was old enough to go to school, she knew her life was far from normal and not because she only had a dad. She couldn't admit that all this just confirmed some weird feelings she'd had for years, arguments she'd had with her father about why there were no photos of Mom in the house, and why Dad would never tell her exactly how or why her mom had left them. But mostly, the dream had warned her this was coming. 

Soon they will find you, demigod, that voice had rumbled in her dreams. When they do, follow our directions. Cooperate, and your father might live a free life.

Piper took a shaky breath. "I guess after this morning, it's a little easier to believe. So who's my mom?"

"We should know soon," Annabeth said. "You're what—sixteen? Gods are supposed to claim you when you're thirteen. That was the deal."

"The deal?"

"They made a promise last summer... well, long story... but they promised not to ignore their demigod children anymore, to claim them by the time they turn thirteen. Sometimes it takes a little longer, but you saw how fast Leo was claimed once he got here. Should happen for you two soon. Tonight at the campfire, I bet we'll get a sign."

Camilla wondered if she'd have a big flaming hammer over her head, or maybe something cooler. Whoever her mother was, Camilla had reason to think she'd be proud to claim a daughter with massive problems, after all, this goddess had fallen for a criminal and Camilla was the proof of it. Ugh now she was imagining his dad with some random goddess. What did goddesses even look like? "Why thirteen?"

"The older you get," Annabeth said, "the more monsters notice you, try to kill you. 'Round thirteen is usually when it starts. That's why we send protectors into the schools to find you guys, get you to camp before it's too late."

"Like Coach Hedge?"

Annabeth nodded. "He's—he was a satyr: half man, half goat. Satyrs work for the camp, finding demigods, protecting them, bringing them in when the time is right."

"Like the guy in Narnia" Camilla had no trouble believing Coach Hedge was half goat. She'd seen the guy eat. She'd never liked the coach much, but she couldn't believe he'd sacrificed himself to save her.

"What happened to him?" she asked. "When we went up into the clouds, did he... is he gone for good?"

"Hard to say." Annabeth's expression was pained. "Storm spirits... difficult to battle. Even our best weapons, Celestial bronze, will pass right through them unless you can catch them by surprise."

"Jason's sword just turned them to dust," Piper remembered.

"He was lucky, then. If you hit a monster just right, you can dissolve them, send their essence back to Tartarus."