Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS!
Word Count: 5,060
AN: Read. Enjoy. Review. Be Happy. :)
Waiting hurts. Forgetting hurts. But not knowing what decision to take can sometimes be the most painful.
-Paolo Coelho
CHAPTER 2: NOT WHEN, IF
In Which Afterwards Jaz Never Looks At Bianca The Same
"A huntress." she said in disbelief.
An hour ago, Jaz could not even dream that sixty minutes later a goddess will be giving her a life changing offer.
She could be a hunter.
A handmaiden of Artemis, goddess of the moon.
Young and wild, forever.
Hunting down beast with girls along side her.
She would be eternal. Happy with friends that would never leave her.
Eternal.
God, they were so lucky.
No, Gods, they were so lucky.
The goddess said, "I will give you two some time to think about it."
Her expression turned a bit more serious.
"When one becomes a Huntress there is no second thoughts, so think wisely. Meanwhile, we must discuss other matters."
Right on cue, there was a tap on the tent.
"Join us, Percy Jackson," Artemis said.
Percy sat across from Artemis on the tent floor. He shifted uncomfortably under her stare. Jaz seen many hormonal girls goggling at 'hot' boys before but Artemis showed no sign of goggling or drooling over 'hotness'. She was simply examining him.
"Are you surprised by my age?" she asked.
"Uh... a little." he said.
"I could appear as a grown woman, or a blazing fire, or anything else I want, but this is what I prefer. This is the average age of my Hunters, and all young maidens for whom I am patron, before they go astray."
"Go astray?" Percy asked.
Jaz mentally raised an eyebrow. She thought Percy already knew what the Hunters were all about.
"Grow up. Become smitten with boys. Become silly, preoccupied, insecure. Forget themselves."
"Oh."
Yes, 'oh'. 'Oh' sums everything up.
Jaz always thought boys weren't that bad and they managed to surprised her in a good way once in a while but while in the presence of an anti-boy goddess, she decided to keep that little thought to herself. Besides, every now and then she wished the male population could just disappear. They could be so annoying.
Zoe sat down at Artemis's right. She flashed Jaz a tiny smile as if she could read her thoughts.
"You must forgive my Hunters if they do not welcome you," Artemis said. "It is very rare that we would have boys in this camp. Boys are usually forbidden to have any contact with the Hunters. The last one to see this camp..." She glanced at Zoe. "Which one was it?"
"That boy in Colorado," Zoe said. "You turned him into jackalope."
"Ah, yes." Artemis nodded, the corners of her mouth turn up ever so slightly. "I enjoy making jackalopes. At any rate, Percy, I've asked you here so that you might tell me more of the manticore. Bianca and Jazmine have reported some of the... mmm, disturbing things the monster said. But they may not have understood them. I'd like to hear them from you."
And so he told her.
When Percy was done, Artemis put her hand thoughtfully on her silver bow. "I feared this was the answer."
Zoe leaned forward. "The scent, my lady?"
"Yes."
"What scent?" Percy questioned.
"Things are stirring that I have not hunted in millennia," Artemis murmured. "Prey so old I have nearly forgotten."
She stared at him intently. "We came here tonight sensing the manticore, but he was not the one I seek. Tell me again, exactly what Dr. Thorn said."
"Um, 'I hate middle school dances.'"
Jaz cracked a small grin. The one thing she and a couple millenniums year old Greek monster have in common.
"No, no. After that."
"He said somebody called the General was going to explain things to me."
Zoe's face paled. She turned to Artemis and started to say something, but Artemis raised her hand.
"Go on, Percy," the goddess said.
"Well, then Thorn was talking about the Great Stir Pot—"
"Stirring," Bianca corrected.
"Yeah. And he said, 'Soon we shall have the most important monster of all—the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus.'"
The goddess was so still she could've been a statue.
"Maybe he was lying," Percy said.
Or maybe he wasn't. Jaz thought.
Artemis shook her head. "No. He was not. I've been too slow to see the signs. I must hunt this monster."
For a split second, Zoe's face morphed into a look of fear, but the second Percy looked at her, she smoothed out her features and nodded to Artemis. "We will leave right away, my lady."
"No, Zoe. I must do this alone."
"But, Artemis—"
"This task is too dangerous even for the Hunters. You know where I must start my search. You cannot go there with me."
"As... as you wish, my lady." said Zoe, sounding like this simply act took all her willpower.
I will find this creature," Artemis said, determinedly. "And I shall bring it back to Olympus by winter solstice. It will be all the proof I need to convince the Council of the Gods of how much danger we are in."
"You know what the monster is?" Percy asked.
Artemis gripped her bow, the knuckes of her fist turning white. "Let us pray I am wrong."
"Can goddesses pray?" Percy asked.
Can goddesses pray? Jaz thought. Who do they pray to?
A flicker of a smile played across Artemis's lips. "Before I go, Percy Jackson, I have a small task for you."
"Does it involve getting turned into a jackalope?"
"Sadly, no. I want you to escort the Hunters back to Camp Half-Blood. They can stay there in safety until I return."
"What?" Zoe blurted out. "But, Artemis, we hate that place. The last time we stayed there—"
"Yes, I know," Artemis said. "But I'm sure Dionysus will not hold a grudge just because of a little, ah, misunderstanding. It's your right to use Cabin Eight whenever you are in need. Besides, I hear they rebuilt the cabins you burned down."
Burned down? Jaz thought.
Zoe muttered something about foolish campers.
"And now there is one last decision to make." Artemis turned to Bianca and Jaz. "Have you made up your mind, my girls?"
Bianca and Jaz hesitated.
"I'm still thinking about it." Bianca said as Jaz said, "I'm not sure, Lady Artemis."
"Wait," Percy said, suddenly, full of confusion. "Thinking about what?"
"They... they've invited me-us to join the Hunt." Bianca said.
"What?" Percy said, his eyes popping open like as if they just announced they were running over his puppy over with a monster truck. "But you can't! You have to come to Camp Half-Blood so Chiron can train you. It's the only way you can learn to survive."
"It is not the only way for a girl," Zoe said.
Percy looked so flabbergasted it was funny and hurtful at the same time.
"Camp is cool! It's got a pegasus stable and a sword-fighting arena and... I mean, what do you get by joining the Hunters?"
"To begin with," Zoe said, "immortality."
Percy's eyes doubled its size as he gaped at Zoe, then at Artemis. "She's kidding, right?"
"Zoe rarely kids about anything," Artemis said. "My Hunters follow me on my adventures. They are my maidservants, my companions, my sisters-in-arms. Once they swear loyalty to me, they are indeed immortal... unless they fall in battle, which is unlikely. Or break their oath."
"What oath?" he said.
"To foreswear romantic love forever," Artemis said. "To never grow up, never get married. To be a maiden eternally."
"Like you?"
Artemis nodded.
The features on his face portray absoulute, utter dumbfound.
"So you just go around the country recruiting half-bloods—" he said.
"Not just half-bloods," Zoe interrupted. "Lady Artemis does not discriminate by birth. All who honor the goddess may join. Half-bloods, nymphs, mortals—"
"Which are you, then?"
Zoe's eyes, which were already cold to him, turned icy. "That is not thy concern, boy. The point is Bianca and Jazmine may join if they wish. It is their choice."
"This is crazy," Percy said. "What about your brother? Nico can't be a Hunter."
Jaz snickered. The thought of Nico prancing around in a silver parka and shooting arrows into the sunset was hilarious.
Then, she stopped, abruptly.
Nico.
Nico di Angelo.
Nico, her best friend.
Nico, who she would abandon if she joined.
Oh my.
"Certainly not," Artemis agreed. "He will go to camp. Unfortunately, that's the best boys can do."
"Hey!" Percy protested.
"You can see him from time to time," Artemis assured them. "But you will be free of responsibility. He will have the camp counselors to take care of him. And you will have a new family. Us."
"A new family," Bianca repeated dreamily. "Free of responsibility."
But Jaz wasn't feeling so dreamy anymore. The thought Nico brought up other thoughts. Other things she forgot in this moment.
She remembered the boys in her life. Boys who only snuck around long enough for her to catch a glimpse and boys who stuck to her for nearly her entire life. Guys she kid around with. Guys she played with, grew up with, pranked with. Not all of them were too terrible. They were actually pretty cool.
Then, she remembered something even more important. Times she squeal when she grew half an inch. Times she wished to go to high school. To go to college. To get a job. To grow up.
"Bianca, you can't do this," Percy said, desperately. "It's nuts."
She looked at Zoe. "Is it worth it?"
Zoe nodded. "It is."
"What do I have to do?"
"Say this," Zoe told her, " 'I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis.'"
"I... I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis."
"'I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt.'"
Bianca repeated the lines. "That's it?"
Zoe nodded. "If Lady Artemis accepts thy pledge, then it is binding."
"I accept it," Artemis said.
The fire in the center of the tent, grew bigger and stronger, casting a silver light over the room. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes but even though she looked the same, she said, "I feel... stronger."
"Welcome, sister," Zoe said.
"Remember your pledge," Artemis said. "It is now your life."
During all that, Jaz couldn't even utter a word.
Bianca was a huntress.
Then, everyone turned to look at her.
"Jazmine?" Artemis questioned.
For split second, it seemed as if all the good and bad things that boys ever done to her ran through her mind. All the jelly filled shoe pranks, snickering about random things, food fights, everything. All the milestones of life she'll never accomplish? Never leave the Hunt. Never grow. Never change. Is it worth it for eternal maidenship?
Jaz took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry." she said.
Emotions flashed across their companions' faces. Bianca and Zoe were throughly confused, Percy had a smidgen of hope in his eyes, while Artemis's features were completely wiped of feelings.
"I really want to. I really do want to join the hunt but..." she faltered for a second before starting again. "I really do want to join the hunt but at the same time I really don't. It's sounds so cool to stay the same age forever, traveling the world, doing good under the service of a goddess. At the same time, I want to know what it's like to grow. Grow taller, grow up. Also, boys never done anything wrong to me. You say they are horrible beings but I want to figure out for myself. I appreciate your offer but I'm not sure I'm ready for this. I'm not sure I'm old enough for this. There are things I'm looking forward to in life and I'm not sure if I'm ready to give it up. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Jaz took a deep, shaky breath and tried to blink the growing tears out her eyes. She felt sick but there was this tiny feeling in her that felt so strong and confident in her desicion. Too bad the rest of her didn't think so.
For a second, it absolutely silent in the tent.
Artemis gave a little sigh.
"Do not worry." Artemis said. "I sense you are a strong, talented maiden with a good sense of feminism. Just a young one. Young, inexperienced, and nätive."
The goddess didn't sound like she was insulting her. She was just stating the cold, honest truth.
It still hurt, though.
Artemis pulled a silver card out of who-knows-where and handed to her. Jaz tentively took it and stared at it.
"Whenever you change your mind and realize your potential, you may join the hunt."
Jaz carefully folded the shimmering card and tucked it into her pants pocket. It burned.
"Do not celebrate too much, Percy Jackson," Artemis said. "You will get to show the di Angelos and Jazmine your camp. Bianca will not stay but if Nico and Jaz choose, they can stay there. Just remember, Jazmine is still allowed to join. Do not get your hopes up."
"Great," Percy said, not sure if he should should pleased or sad. "How are we supposed to get there?"
Artemis closed her eyes. "Dawn is approaching. Zoe, break camp. You must get to Long Island quickly and safely. I shall summon a ride from my brother."
Zoe didn't look all that excited, but she nodded and told Bianca to follow her. As she was leaving, Bianca glanced at Jaz and raised an eyebrow which definitely meant they were going to talk later.
Then, she paused in front of Percy. "I'm sorry, Percy. But I want this. I really, really do."
When they both were gone, Jaz and Percy were left alone with the twelve-year-old goddess.
"So," Percy said, glumly. "We're going to get a ride from your brother, huh?"
Artemis's silver eyes gleamed. "Yes, boy. You see, Bianca di Angelo is not the only one with an annoying brother. It's time for you to meet my irresponsible twin, Apollo."
...
The moment Artemis dismissed them, Jaz ran out of the tent and followed Bianca like a bullet.
"An eternal maiden, huh?" Jaz panted as she reached Bianca. She wanted to keep this light-hearted as possible as if the real situation wasn't that Bianca was an immortal huntress and Jaz wasn't. "I didn't even get to beat up your first boyfriend yet!"
"Jaz, no jokes." Bianca said.
So much for lighthearted.
"Why did you say no? We could have been sisters."
"I thought we are sisters." Jaz said, trying to disguise her hurt.
"I-I know," Bianca said. "But here we could been sisters, like sisters of blood."
"You said sisterhood didn't matter whether or not we're related by blood."
Jaz tried hard to keep her voice even but she couldn't keep the accusing tone out of her voice.
"Just-just-," Bianca sighed and rubbed her head. "Nevermind about that. That's okay if you don't join now. In a couple years when you join, it won't matter."
"When?" Jaz echoed. "You mean if I join, right?"
Bianca raised her eyebrow slightly.
"Yeah, if." she said, her voice sounding hollow. "I just don't want to make it harder on Nico. You spend years, assuring Nico you'll never leave, then you just leave? That will hurt him a lot more than you think."
"If, Bianca, if." Jaz said, her gradually getting louder. "Besides, you spent years telling Nico you'll never leave, then you abandon him at first chance!? Bianca, you are hurting him!"
Bianca just shook her head, sadly. "Not as much as you."
Nico finally spotted them and started waving ferociously. A large grin was stretched across his face. A large grin Jaz knew would be gone in a few minutes.
"You should talk to Nico." she said.
"I was planning to."
The older girl walked away without another word.
She watched as Bianca's mouth formed words. Slow, disappointing words. Nico's gleeful face grew glum and sad. His shoulders sagged and his posture sunk. His mouth moved and Bianca shook her head. She started to use her hands as she talked. Jaz saw Nico's lips formed her own name. Bianca, once again, shook her head and started explaining. Jaz could already see her using when instead or if.
"If, Bianca, if." Jaz whispered. "If."
...
Even before the car started moving, Jaz thought she was going to throw up.
Just before she before she boarded the shuttle with Thalia -Thalia had an immediate liking to her since she declined the Hunt. She decided to keep the silver card in her pocket a secret- Nico pulled her aside and gave her a bear hug.
Truth be told, she was ready to start bawling. If Nico wanted to, too, he didn't show. He plastered a goofy grin on his face and started yammering about how how Apollo and his 'chariot' wasn't like anything he thought it would be. Jaz felt the sickness overtake her. How well did Bianca explain the whole immortally thing? Did Nico know Bianca was gone? Did he really know that Bianca would stay forever young while he withered away? It was either Bianca didn't explain the situation well or Nico was just putting up a happy facade. Watching him talk and smile like nothing ever happened, made her feel compelled to make sure it stayed that way.
He looks so happy. She thought. I can't ruin it.
She glanced at Apollo's car where Bianca and the Hunters were boarding.
Bianca doesn't exist. Bianca doesn't exist. She chanted to herself. In fact, who is Bianca?
Jaz smiled and let her happy, carefree side take over. Besides, Apollo's car is sweet. It's hard not to go crazy over it.
...
"Can I drive?" Nico asked.
"No, too young." Apollo said.
"How about me?" Jaz pleaded. "I'm two weeks older than him!"
"Nearly two weeks!" Nico cut in before Apollo said, "It's practically the same thing."
"But if you combine his age with my age we'll be twenty. That means we both can drive!"
Apollo grinned. "I like your reasoning skills, kid. But nah, too young."
Jaz sighed, huffily as Apollo's eyes shifted over to a certain daughter daughter of Zeus.
"Ah!" he cried out. "Zeus's girl! What better person to navigate the skies!"
...
After the car stopped -crashed- and the nymphs pushed the bus to shore, Jaz bugged Apollo for an autograph while Nico gaped at the camp.
"Is that a climbing wall?"
"Yeah." Percy said.
"Why is there lava pouring down it?"
"A little extra challenge-"
"Swe-e-et!" Jaz sang to Nico. "I say we do that first, then we hit the pegasus stables-"
"Nononononono." Nico interrupted. "We are not doing pegasus stables. We are keeping our feet firm on the ground!"
"But when we do the climbing wall, we won't be touching the ground."
"That's different."
"How so?"
"Fine. If we do pegasus stables the we'll have to do canoeing."
Check.
"Which is in the lake."
And mate.
Nico smiled smugly as Jaz half-heartedly glared at him. Jaz had an aversion to the water just as Nico had one to the sky.
"Fine." she said, grudgingly. "But we have to check out the track. It looks totally awesome! There's a-"
Someone pulled on her braid. Jaz whirled around, ready to give them a death glare and a yelling. No one does that except Nico and...
Bianca.
"Oh." Jaz said. Much to Bianca's displeasure, Jaz's smile withered off her face. "Hi."
"Do you two want to hang out later? I can introduce you to the other huntresses." she said, smiling.
Jaz opened her mouth to decline but Nico scowl darkly and pulled her away.
"The nerve of her. 'Hi,'" Nico said in a high-pitched voice. "'Even though I just abandoned you, you want to hang out? I can rub my new family in your face if you want!'"
"She probably didn't mean it like that." Jaz said, softly. If she had joined the Hunt, Jaz had this hinting feeling she would have said the same thing as Bianca.
Nico scowled and walked faster to catch up with Percy, leaving her behind.
She wonder how he'll feel when she told him about a certain silver card in her pocket.
...
"Orientation film? Is it G or PG because Bianca is strict-"
"It's PG-13."
"Cool!"
"Sweet!"
...
Jaz bounced out of the Big House, buzzing with energy.
"SO COOL!" Nico yelled, holding his hands out to Chiron. "You're... you're a centaur!"
"A horse-man!" Jaz added. "Do you let people ride you!? Do you take afternoon stroll!? Do you like apple!? How about-"
She gasped, interrupting herself.
"You met the Gods! So cool!"
She jumped up and down, squealing.
Chiron managed a nervous smile. "Yes, children, if you please. Though, I prefer to stay in human form in this wheelchair for, ah, first encounters."
"And, whoa!" Nico wheeled around to look at Mr. D. "You're the wine dude? No way!"
Mr. D turned his eyes away from his stare down with Percy and gave Nico a look of loathing. "The wine dude?"
"Dionysus, right? Oh, wow! Jaz and I have your figurine."
"My figurine."
"In my game, Mythomagic. And a holofoil 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!"
Jaz's head bobbled up and down in agreement.
"One time," she said. "We made a monument of you out of grapes in the cafeteria. Of course, George has to kick it over... But I have the stain on my shoe!"
"Ah." Mr. D said. He had a look on his face Jaz coudn't quite place. "That's... gratifying."
Jaz beamed at him and started telling him about the time she collected five of his cards in one day, and built a tiny card house with it, which she called the Temple Of Grapes, and then...
At one point, Thalia and Percy left but she barely noticed. She had pulled out a paper and pencil from the backpack the Hunters packed her and started draw what it looked liked.
A few minutes after Thalia and Percy left, two tall mishevious boys flounced up to the porch.
"Hey, Chiron." One of the boys said. "These the new campers?"
"That is correct, Connor." Chiron said. "I trust you and Travis won't pull Mr. di Angelo and Ms. Marcelo into your shenanigans while you're on the tour?"
"Yes, sir!" Travis saluted.
"Never, sir!" Connor said, shooting a not-so convincing thousand watt smile to Chiron.
"Ooo! Oo!" Nico said. "Can we go to climbing wall!"
"Please!"
Travis laughed. "Of course, kiddos, but first on the list is the Hermes Cabin."
"The Hermes Cabin?"
Just as they were leaving something clicked in Jaz's mind. Something Chiron said.
"Wait." she said, turning around to face him. "You said 'Ms. Marcelo'. My last name's di Piante."
For second, Chiron looked taken back.
"Oh." he said, before regaining his composure. "You reminded me of a girl I once knew. I assure you, it was just a slip of the tongue."
...
"So, how do you like Camp Half-Blood?" Travis -or was it Connor?- said as they concluded the tour.
"Like it!?" Jaz exclaimed as her voice rose to a squeak. "I love it!"
"It's so cool!" Nico yelled. "When do we go to train!? Do we get to go to the woods!? Where do we have-"
"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa." Conner -she was sure it was him this time- interrupted. "All your questions will be answered throughout the day. For now, we need to get you settled in the Hermes cabin. We better hurry, lunch is in a few minutes. Lets go!"
They ran across camp in less than three minutes, the entire way Conner muttering about shortages of peanut M&Ms.
They burst in the Hermes Cabin -it was a lot more cramped than Jaz expected- dropped their belongs (their backpacks) while Travis and Conner quickly named everyone in the cabin. She caught less than half the names and connected almost none with their faces.
Two minutes later, they were seated at the Hermes table, listening to the Stoll brothers explain their card game.
"Wait, wait, wait," Jaz said. "So whoever gets the highest numbers wins?"
"Yes." Travis said. "That's how poker works."
"But," Connor added. "They also gets everything the bidders betted."
"So you bet Mythomagic cards?" Nico asked.
Connor said, "No, you bet money."
"How is money better than Mythomagic cards?"
"Money is..."
"Oh!" Jaz said in realization. "You use the money to buy Mythomagic cards!"
"No, no, no, you..."
...
SWORD ARENA
"Your stance is too shaky." Their instructor scolded Jaz. "Your legs are too close together, widen up. And square your shoulder!"
She obliged.
"I feel weird. Are you sure I'm suppose to look like this?" she asked.
"Positive. Now adjust your grip so..."
The rest she heard was blah, blah, blah.
"When do we start slicing people up?" she asked, innocently.
Her instructor's eyes widened before saying, "Learning the art sword is for the pure self-defense and a way to get in touch with..."
Blah, blah, blah.
Jaz sighed.
"I'm guessing that's not soon?"
...
ARCHERY
She let go of the arrow, letting it fly into the outer rim of the white stripe just outside the bulleyes eye. Jaz grinned, proudly.
Chiron patted her on the shoulder. "You are a natural, child. With more practice and dedication, you'll be able hit the hardest objects. Keep practicing."
He patted her once again before walking away, his horse shoes making little clip clop noises.
She pulled other wooden arrow out her quiver and let out a huff of warm air into the chilly winter. She pulled the the string back and...
PLUCK!
An arrow flew right past her nose, its feathers touching her face. It whizzed right past Chiron's tail, cut a few hair, before lodging itself into a tree.
Nico grinned, bashfully.
Jaz shook her head and sighed in an annoyed and fondful way. She let the arrow loose and it hit the target, nicking the outside of redness of the bulleyes.
She smiled triumphedly to Nico who stuck his tongue put in reply.
Unknownst to her, a few hunters perked up slightly in interest of her.
...
DINNER
Nico took a bit of his pizza before he explained it for the third time.
"You see, Zeus's thunderbolt causes 1,000 damage but you see Ares shield can delect a maximum of 400 damage. Ares will get hit by 600 damage but he'll still live though even if he'll only have 200 health left. Get it now?"
Connor's eyebrows furrowed in concentration.
He hestiantly said, "No."
Nico sighed.
Mythomagic wasn't that hard. Sure you had to have a lot of luck, strategizing skills, patience, and perfect memories of the stats but still, Mythomagic wasn't that hard.
"What don't you get?"
Connor instantly lauched into a speech. "Why would Zeus want to kill Ares. I want, geez, that guy is annoying but not I-Want-To-Blast-You-Into-Smithereens annoying. And how does Ares shield deflect 400 damage? From what Percy said, it was just this dusty thing that couldn't withstand ten godly javelins. Besides, isn't his shield metal which is a conductor for lightning? Should he, instead of blocking 400, lose 400?"
Once again, Nico sighed. He glanced over to Jaz. Considering how she was practically spitting out her pizza at Travis when she spoke -raged-, she wasn't doing any better.
...
BEDTIME
Jaz tossed and turned. Her sleeping bag was itchy and smelled like dog pee, the hard floor hurt her back, and she was practically inhaling dust bunnies at each breath, but that wasn't the problem. There was something missing.
She suddenly sat up in realization. She was so stupid!
Jaz dug around in her pack for the feel of soft material. As her fingers skimmed the raggedy yarn, she pulled it up. Her yellow blanket fell onto her lap as she searched for Annette. Annette, her stuffed elephant. It -or she, as Jaz insisted- was a little pale yellow thing with a rose print. She huddled in her blanket as she buried her face in Annette's fabric skin. The sweet familiar smell of vanilla and nutmeg greeted her. She could already feel her eyelids getting heavier.
"Hey, is that vintage?" someone whispered.
Jaz removed Annette and glanced in their direction.
Travis.
"I don't know."
"Well, I think it is." Travis said, looking at it interestedly from his bed. "Where did you get it? Isn't vintage expensive? I thought you said you were an orphan."
A twinge of annoyance woke up in her.
Orphan.
"I am." Jaz said in a colder tone. "And I didn't steal it if that's what you're implying. Good night."
She rolled over so her back was to him, effectively cutting off all conversation.
Jaz squeezed Annette tighter.
I thought you said you were an orphan.
Shut up! she told her brain. Shut up!
She willed that conversation out of her mind and tried thinking of Mythomagic, Camp, and the warm smell of Annette.
Soon, her mind was filled with flashes of fighting, Mythomagic, and wild thoughts about heroes.
Eventually, with the help of Annette, she was lulled to sleep.
But even Annette couldn't stop nightmares.