He was smiling the same devilishly flirtatious smile she saw when she first met him, and Eirene didn't like it. It held a strange intent behind it that made her uncomfortable.

"Could you please…let go of me?"

He released his arms immediately, holding them at his side. Samantha rolled her eyes theatrically and folded her arms across her chest.

"Can we help you?"

His eyes narrowed and darted to the little one. His smile slowly started to fade, but turned into a comical one.

"Matthew and I were discussing you yesterday,"

It was like he said the magical seven words that contorted Sam's features from one of annoyance to one of joy.

"Really?"

Damien raised his eyebrows and smiled, nodded. "Oh yes, it was quite a long conversation, in fact; Very insightful." He then gazed towards the sky in a pondering fashion, and then turned to walk away.

Sam's face of confusion and outrage was almost funny to Eirene. "Wait!" She called. Damien paused mid-walk and turned around, his eyebrows still raised and a smile still on his face.

"Yes?" his voice was higher, touching on the brink of innocence.

"Just tell me what he said!" She begged. He laughed, and then rubbed his chin as he strolled back to the two girls. Eirene watched in silent fascination, she already knew that the only reason Damien brought up Matthew was because he wanted something. He looked like the type of guy to never offer information unless there was a fair exchange.

"Oh I'd be happy to, you just walk with me here…" He put his arm around Sam and led her away from Eirene, who was still silently watching. And then suddenly, they weren't there anymore.

Eirene blinked to make sure she'd seen what she saw. Damien and Sam had vanished in not a flash of light, but a flash of shadow. She looked again, but didn't see the pair return. And before she could alert someone, a whistle was ringed and everyone darted into a hiding spot, leaving Eirene standing out in the open by herself.

She clutched her bow and arrow harder as she rushed to hide; climbing up the nearest tree. Her eyes scouted the area for any beast in sight, when she almost jumped out of her tree from the sudden fright.

"Hiding from any oncoming beasts, I see."

Eirene refrained from shouting but let out a high-pitched yelp. There, standing next to her and gazing with its big ocean blue eyes, was a two-foot in height, green-skinned and loin cloth wearing Kobalos.

Eirene lowered her weapon. "Not particularly, since I'm assuming you are the beast I'm searching for."

The creature chuckled. "A bit small to be a mighty beast, don't you think?" He looked behind the tree and pointed. "I think I see one coming now."

Reframing from rolling her eyes at the poor attempt in trickery, Eirene narrowed her eyes and peered into his. "Why aren't you hiding from me?"

"Hiding would indicate that I was afraid, which I am not."

"And why aren't you afraid? To complete my task of killing you all I'd have to do is point," She positioned her weapon and stared at the space between his eyebrows. "And shoot."

He chuckled even louder. "Because you wouldn't shoot something that fascinates you,"

Eirene lowered her arrow to think about that. It was just a bit extraordinary that instead of attacking her, roaring or shooting fiery spits of death towards her, this so-called monster was speaking to her in an intellectual manner. It was engaging her in a conversation just so it could derive her from her intentions: To kill and/or capture. But she also thought about all the amazing things she'd seen over her life-time; So many monsters, and not all hideous or mean, some astonishing in form or manner. She had killed them all, some with her bare hands and others with an escape tactic. And she hadn't done it because she's wanted to, but because she'd had to.

So as she looked at the Kobalos smirking before her, she didn't even hesitate to raise her weapon and shoot. But she didn't shoot at the creature; she shot at the spot of grass right besides it.

"I'll make you a deal. I won't kill you if you surrender quietly and come back to the base with me."

He scoffed. "No good. I want to be taken back into the cabin with you."

I recoiled. Surely, such an intelligent creature would know that was impossible. And what good did he have being in a demigod cabin? "And why is that?"

His smile made me notice just how sharp his teeth were. "I know you are of Hermes, young one. And one of those pesky messenger's children have stolen a valuable from me. A false camper, I saw him last year."

Eirene tried to form an image of who she thought was the culprit, but all Hermes kid had the face of a thief. "What have they stolen from you?"

He seemed immediately uncomfortable and started fumbling with his hands. Words of threat were muttered under his breath and he moved in a small rapid circle. Eirene's eyes darted to the side as she caught a ruffle in the shrubs. Seeing nothing emerge, she concluded it was just the wind. But then she realized that she had felt no wind prior to the rustling.

She raised her bow and arrow and shot without a second thought. An almost immediate "Ow!" erupted, revealing the culprit. It was Matthew, and he was clutching at his now bleeding shoulder with a painful expression. The arrow had implanted itself into his shoulder, looking alarmingly stiff.

"You've killed me! I'm dying!" He screeched, walking only a few feet and then collapsing to the ground. Eirene's urge to roll her eyes were overshadowed by overwhelming fear and guilt. She'd shot at him, what was she thinking? She'd thought it was another beast or a friend of the Kobalos. She rushed to his side and flipped him over, hearing him groan in pain.

"What were you doing spying on me?" She found herself asking, instead of tending to his wounds.

"Does it matter? I'm bleeding for queen's sake!"

Eirene suddenly grabbed the end of the arrow with both hands and took a deep breath. "Brace yourself, this is going to hurt." And she slowly eased it out, throwing it on the grass behind her. The wound was small and round but deep. He'd need stitches.

"Call for 'elp!"

Eirene considered it. But she also considered something else. She raised her hand to her face and stared at it, questioning. No, no, no, I can't. It was foolish to try and heal him like that, and it would just rise suspicious. With a defeat sigh and a sudden intake of breath, she belted for help.

"Help! Someone help, He's hurt!"

The response frightened her. As if everyone was hiding in the trees and observing, several campers came rushing towards her and circling Matthew. There was a cacophony was questions and debate over what had happened.

"Was it a monster?"

"Is it poisonous? Will he die?"

"It looks like he was shot."

"By an arrow?"

"So by a camper then?"

Eirene's temple started sweating and she slowly stood up and eased herself into the back of the crowd. She could feel the heaving sighs her chest was giving her, and how fast her heart was beating. What would happen to her now? What was the penalty for harming one of your own? And even if there was no punishment, she would surely face social exile. From her cabin mates, and from her fellow campers; she'd be blacklisted, and it'd be all her fault.

I should just run, run and never come back.

It was what she was best at doing in the times she was most scared. And she was terrified right now. With clutched fist and watered eyes, she turned around swiftly only to see Sam face staring straight at her. The girl took notice of her watered eyes, and comment on them.

"What's wrong? Who was shot?"

"I…" Eirene's mind flashed back to Sam's expression when Matthew's name had been mentioned, it showed that she obviously had feelings for him. What about Sam? I don't want to lose her too.

But for some reason the Eirene still told the truth. "It's Matthew."

I'm sorry for the late update! Holidays, and a lot of other things... But please review/comment and share!