AN-I'm doing different POV's from the main. Here's the order-Monica, Michelle, Ian, JT, Ashlynn, and Jessie.
Also, no one reviewed my story Aphrodite's Revenge Is A Bit Strange. You're letting me down people! Anyway, hope you like this chapter :)
Chapter 2
Decoding a Prophecy
Michelle's POV
We all turned to look at Monica. She was as pale as her ashy hair, and her iridescent eyes sparkled with fear and surprise. Mostly surprise.
"I think she's going into shock!" I said, leaping up to catch her as she toppled off her seat.
Madison Pierce, my friend and a daughter of Hephaestus, helped me carry Monica out of the room to the infirmary. She had fainted. Go figure.
I told Madison to stay put and to come find me if Monica woke up before we left the meeting. She didn't look happy, but I was a daughter of Apollo and a healer, so she had to listen to my orders. If I was ever in the armory to build something, then I'd listen to her.
I entered the meeting room. Everyone was looking thoughtful, except for Jessie Dollien, a son of Moros, the god of doom. I know, just a freaking ray of sunshine. He looked bored.
I sat next to my step-brother, Liam. He was a son of Aphrodite, and people say that we could be twins. We both have even chocolate hair with natural highlights from the sun. He's a really kind guy, even if the stereotype Aphrodite child isn't like that.
"That was a spectacular prophecy." Ian Erin Colt, a son of Khione, said sarcastically, giving Rachel a unpleasant look. "Sounds like Queen Hera lost something."
"What could it be?" I asked the room in general.
Chiron shifted guiltily. We all pointed to glare accusingly at him and an unconcerned Dionysus, who only glanced up with a bored expression.
"The prophecy mentioned evening." Chiron said doubtfully. "It could be the Garden of Evening in California."
Ana Tanner Greene, a daughter of Athena, gasped.
"The golden apples of Hera?" She guessed excitedly, her grayish-silver eyes gleaming.
Chiron nodded unwillingly. "They were a wedding present to Hera from Gaea. She planted it in the Garden of Evening and ordered a dragon to guard it."
"So naturally she would be protective of it." Mackenzie Felicia Brookes, a daughter of Demeter, finished.
I sat in silent horror. How was Monica supposed to lead a quest to California to retrieve the apples of immortality? She could hardly get her cabin to Archery class on time!
"Who could've stolen Hera's apples?" Ashlynn Marie brooks asked. She was a daughter of Zeus and didn't look like she wanted to give Hera anything back.
We all shrugged, absolutely confused.
"Atlas." My half-sister, Effie Gwen Cooper, suggested timidly. I turned to stare at her curiously. She was new, so I decided to bring her to the meeting. Hey, I didn't know that there was going to be a huge prophecy!
"What?" Someone, I think it was Ian, asked scornfully.
"Well, Heracles used Atlas to get the golden apples, right?" She challenged, warming up to her topic. "Heracles had to hold up the sky and Atlas was going to ditch him, but Heracles tricked him into getting back under the sky."
"Thank you Effie." Chiron said, looking grateful, as if he didn't want to tell the myth. It wasn't really a myth though-a story?
"Effie, go see if Monica is awake." I demanded. She nodded and walked out, her bright ginger hair bouncing behind her.
I sighed and rubbed my temples, leaning on the table with my elbows, as Liam patted me soothingly on the back. This counselor thing was stressful. Chiron evidently noticed.
"Go get some dinner and rest." He ordered us. "We'll meet again next morning. Counselors only." I blushed as he gave me a deliberate glance.
We left with relieved sighs into the cool air to gather our cabins and head to the pavilion. I sat next to Effie, who listened intently as I explained Camp Half-Blood.
"How was Monica?" I asked when I was done, noticing Madison sitting at her cabin's table. Her dark brown eyes glittered worriedly as they snuck a glance toward the infirmary.
"Still unconscious." Effie answered quietly. "She was talking in her sleep, like she was having a conversation with someone."
"Must've been Iris. Her mother." I guessed, answering Effie's confused look.
"I was told that the gods can visit us in our dreams. Is it true?" Effie sounded eager to meet Apollo.
I nodded slowly. "Yes, but not often. Believe me, I've met Apollo. It's not all it's cracked up to be."
Thunder rumbled in the sky. I rolled my eyes at it.
"Why don't you come down here yourself, Dad?" I mocked, feeling a tiny bit guilty but more angry. To say the least, I was not impressed by Apollo.
Effie eyed me like I was about to explode, which I assumed was plausible.
"C'mon, it's time for campfire." I told her. She got up and scooted away from me, as if I were a ticking bomb.
We led the sing-along like always, but my heart wasn't in it. People gave me weird looks because usually I'm the best singer in the Camp. But there was a dangerous prophecy that my friend was supposed to lead and she was currently in a coma from the shock. She wasn't ready for this.
I led my campers back to the Apollo cabin, which gleamed in the sunset. We climbed into bed, calling out the latest gossip from the campfire and "good nights".
"Lights out!" I called when they were ready. I turned my head into the pillow, trying to sleep and not worry. And for once, Apollo listened to my prayer because I was soon asleep.
First, my dream was black. Pure black, as if I was in the Underworld. A flash of gold entered my vision. An apple hovered in front of me, just out of my reach. It was gilded with the expensive metallic sheen. A laugh chilled my bones as I reached for it, snatching the apple away. A crown fell, accompanied by immortal screams of pain.
I sat up in my bed. A shimmer of sunlight rested on my eyes. My chest heaved, and my head echoed with the shrieks of agony.
"Everyone up!" I called, my voice shaking. The few up turned to give me concerned looks. I shook my head at them.
I couldn't go to Chiron immediately. I had an obligation to the campers. So I took them to breakfast. People told me I looked pale. I glared them down, the pounding in my head increasing with every comment.
After a horrible breakfast, we met in the rec room again.
"Are you okay?" Liam asked, staring at me with wide eyes.
"You really have a way to make a girl feel good about her appearance." I grumbled angrily, rubbing my temples again.
"I'm sorry." He apologized guiltily, patting me on the back again.
"Monica is awake." Chiron announced, cutting off the little conversations the counselors were having.
Monica walked in the door, her face pale. She had a reluctant look on her face.
"I have chosen who I'd like to take on my quest, if they agree." She announced, looking as if she really didn't want to.
"Go on." Dionysus told her. We glanced at him in surprise. "This is getting interesting." H explained. We all rolled our eyes, which made my head burn.
"JT." She said. He nodded and smiled reassuringly at her.
"Ian." She turned to him.
"Sure." He didn't look thrilled, but he would.
"Ashlynn."
"Fine, but I don't want to leave Astra." Ashlynn looked worried.
"She'll be fine." I soothed her, completely confident my second-in-command would be okay.
"Jessie." She told us her next choice. We turned to look at Jessie in shock. He wasn't social, so why did Monica pick him? He shrugged, which we took for a yes.
"And Michelle?" She turned to me with her kaleidoscopic eyes begging.
I took a deep breath and nodded. Chiron looked at Monica expectantly. She gave him a typical Monica style are you crazy? Look.
"That's it." She told us.
"You leave tonight. Say your goodbyes." Chiron said, an ominous ring to his voice.
