As soon as the girls got off the plane, Thalia started glancing around, muttering to herself. Arianna gave Rayne a questioning look, but the blond merely shrugged her shoulders and kept quiet. "Ah ha! This way" said Thalia suddenly, heading purposely forward. Rayne rolled her eyes and followed her, with a rather reluctant Arianna and Amber in tow.
The daughter of Zeus led them to a deserted wing of the airport where a marble fountain gently spewed water. The entrance to the wing flickered; one moment the hallway could be seen clearly, the next, a brick wall obscured their view of the corridor. "Why the hell is my eyesight screwing up?" questioned Arianna, rubbing at her eyes in an attempt to clear her vision. "Relax, it's just the Mist" explained Rayne.
Thalia saw the flicker of unease in the Latina's eyes, and she pitied her. She could see that Arianna was scared, despite her cocky attitude. Thalia's thoughts drifted back to her bonding experience with Arianna back on the plane, and her stomach twisted, though not in an unpleasant way.
The huntress was pulled back into reality as she heard Amber's question. "What's our next move?" "I'm going to contact Chiron and let him know where we're at." announced Thalia, digging out a golden drachma from her pocket and flicked it into the fountain.
"Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, accept my offering" murmured Thalia as the coin plopped into the water. The water shimmered for a few moments and Thalia took in a breath. "Chiron, Camp Half-Blood" she said. A few heartbeats later, Chiron's face appeared in the water.
"Ah, my dear girl, I'm pleased to see you're alright. How is everyone?" asked the centaur. "Everyone's fine, though we had a run in with Kampê back at Garcia, so we had to run for it. She chased us, but lost our scent and we haven't seen her since" explained Thalia. Chiron frowned. "Where are you right now Thalia?" he asked, his brow wrinkled. Thalia raised an eyebrow. "We're in New York right now" she said, somewhat puzzled.
"You need to hurry and get out of the city; Kampê is probably tracking you as we speak, you'll be safe when you get back to camp" said Chiron, looking worried. The fountain beeped. "Please insert another drachma for another five minutes" said a smooth, female voice. "Get to camp as soon as possible, and don't stop driving until you get here."
The water flickered and Chiron's face was gone. "Finished?" questioned Amber, glancing up at the sound of approaching footsteps. "Pretty much" responded Thalia, shouldering her backpack. She considered contacting the Hunters but pushed the idea aside; Chiron would let them know she was alright.
"We need to get to camp, Chiron says that Kampê could be tracking us" said the daughter of Zeus. "I actually don't want to go back to camp" grumbled Amber. Thalia and Rayne exchanged looks. "Why not? You all make this Camp Half-Blood sound like Heaven" asked Arianna.
"Yeah, why don't you want to get back to camp?" inquired Thalia, arching a brow. Amber flushed and shot the older girl an annoyed look. "The Hunters will be there, that's why." Arianna's features morphed into a mask of confusion.
"Who are the Hunters?" she questioned. "Only a bunch of teenage girls who hang around with Artemis. They're a bunch of prudes really" explained Amber. Rayne snorted and Thalia glared at the daughter of Hermes. "The Hunters are a group of girls who serve Artemis. They swear off romantic love and men forever. In exchange, they become stronger, faster and immortal unless killed in battle" clarified Thalia.
"Yep, and Thalia here happens to be the lieutenant of the Hunters, Artemis's right hand girl" said Amber, jabbing her thumb at the silver circlet that kept most of her hair back. Arianna's eyes widened as she moved closer to study the circlet. She reached up to touch it, but paused and glanced at Thalia, silently asking the older girl for permission. The daughter of Zeus met her questioning gaze and nodded slightly.
Soft, warm fingers ghosted over the hunter's cheek, and Thalia had to fight the urge to close her eyes and rub against her hand like a kitten. She wasn't able to stop the soft purr that built up in her chest though. The heavenly touch left her face, and she felt something caress her hair, brushing the strands out of her face.
"And here I thought this was your favorite headband or something" said the Hispanic in an amused voice. Thalia felt a wave of heat roll over her, and she was forced to look away from the mischievous hazel eyes.
"We need to get going or we risk Kampê catching our scent." To Thalia's horror, her voice came out husky. She cleared her throat, a heavy flush crawling up her neck. Arianna didn't seem to notice, though Rayne arched a brow, a half smile tugging at her lips.
The group left the airport quickly, and hurried down the street. Arianna muttered something in Spanish and rubbed her hands together briskly. "Oralé, it's freezing" shivered the young basketball player, who was dressed for warding off the chill of October in southern Texas, not for New York weather.
Thalia shrugged out of the leather jacket she'd exchanged her silver parka for and draped it over the smaller girl's shoulders. "Take it, this should warm you up." Arianna shook her head. "Won't you get cold?" she asked. Thalia grinned wryly. "As a hunter, I don't feel cold" she said.
"Hey Thalia, check out that car!" exclaimed Amber, pointing to a sleek, red Camaro.
Thalia's eyes went wide as she turned her attention to the car. "Damn, that's a fancy car" whispered Rayne. Arianna licked her lips. "Hell, it's the kind of car from a car junkie's wet dream" said the Latina. Thalia shifted uncomfortably at the mention of a wet dream and glanced away. "Taking it will attract attention" she said. Amber snorted. "Well, what car do you suggest then? I refuse to be seen in some cheap, grandma car like a Volkswagen" said the youngest girl. Rayne shielded her eyes with her hand and smirked. "I know just the perfect car" she said slowly.
"I hate you so much Rayne" growled Amber from the backseat of a canary yellow Bug. Thalia sat slumped in the driver's seat, an annoyed expression on her face. Next to her, Arianna was disguising herself with a pair of sunglasses Amber had filched for her from a street vendor.
"Worst car in history" growled the Latina. Rayne rolled her eyes. "Hey, at least it wasn't the pink truck" she argued. Thalia flinched as she drove through traffic. "I'm happy with the bug" she said. Rayne smirked as she leaned back in her seat.
Amber grumbled something under her breath as she reached into her backpack, pulling out a bag of crackerjacks. She grabbed a handful and repeated to stuff the snack into her mouth. Rayne scrunched up her nose in disgust. "You eat like a pig" said the blond. Arianna snorted. "That's an insult to pigs" she said.
Thalia rolled her eyes. "You're a total slob Amber. I'm glad I don't share a cabin with you" commented the daughter of Zeus as she switched lanes.
Rayne smirked. "But, until she's claimed, Arianna's going to be stuck with Amber!" cackled the green-eyed girl. "What do you mean claimed? I'm not a lost dog at the pound" said the Hispanic. Amber snickered and Rayne smiled. Thalia rolled her eyes, biting the inside of her cheek to ward off a smile. "Claiming is when your godly parent claims you, acknowledging that you're their child. It doesn't always happen though. The unclaimed kids stay in the Hermes cabin. He's a jack of all trades god, he isn't picky" explained the oldest girl.
"You mean half-bloods don't always know who their parent is? That's sad." Thalia shrugged. "They're gods; they can't always be bothered to claim their children." Rayne had a bitter expression on her face. "My dad didn't claim me till I was ten, two years after I'd been at camp" said Amber, breaking the awkward silence.
Thalia snorted. "I was claimed while on the run." Arianna glanced curiously at her, causing the hunter to tense up. Luckily, the younger girl stayed silent.
Thalia's stomach began to hurt as they continued down the road. She glanced up at the sky; the clouds were dark and stormy. "Looks like your dad decided to add in some rain" commented Rayne as she peered out the window.
Thalia didn't reply as the rain began to fall. The only sounds that could be heard were the ping of raindrops bouncing off the car, the girl's breathing and the occasional rumble of thunder.
Thalia growled. "Damn it, the sky's gotten so dark it's almost impossible to see" said the daughter of Zeus. Amber frowned. "But, Zeus is your dad, why would he do this?" questioned the youngest girl. Thalia didn't answer; she was too focused on ignoring the tugging at her gut and on trying to drive through the heavy rain.
Suddenly, a loud thud cut through the air. Something had landed on top of the car.
"Get out now!" yelled Thalia, yanking off her seatbelt and kicked open the door, tumbling out into the pouring rain. She fumbled for her can of mace; she couldn't find it. Swearing, she summoned the hunting knives she used amongst the Hunters. Squinting through the rain, her stomach dropped when she caught sight of the being on top of their car. Kampê had found them.
"Run!" ordered Thalia to her shivering friends, grabbing Arianna's arm and propelled her forward. Lighting streaked across the sky, giving Thalia a few precious moments to see her surroundings. Her heart soared. They were close to camp.
"Keep running forward" she called out to her friends, her eyes stinging as rainwater dripped into them. Rayne and Amber thundered past Thalia, their sneakers making wet, squelching sounds against the wet pavement.
Thalia wasn't sure how, but she could hear the hissing of snakes along with wing beats behind her. Her heart raced; Kampê was gaining on them.
Thalia forced herself to run faster; she could see that Arianna was ahead, running blindly through the rain. Suddenly, a large figure landed in front of the Hispanic. Arianna screamed, pivoting on her heel and tried to run around the figure, but her feet slipped on the wet grass. "Don't let her scimitars touch you!" shouted Thalia, hoping her voice could carry above the storm.
Apparently, Arianna heard her and rolled away from the blades, jumping to her feet, eyes wide with fear. "Thalia!" screeched the younger girl, dodging a slash aimed at her stomach.
Thalia put on a burst of speed; she was practically flying over the ground. Some primal force was causing her vision to go red, to feel a bloodlust that a child of Ares craved. She lunged at Kampê, hoping to impale the monster with one of her hunting knives. No such luck; the creature dodged, the snakes in her hair hissing angrily.
Kampê swung her scimitars down at Thalia, but the hunter blocked them with her own blades and kicked the monster away. "Run!" called out Thalia, grabbing onto Arianna's arm and dragged her along.
Thunder boomed across the sky, shortly followed by lighting. Thalia was able to make out Half-Blood Hill. "We're almost there" she panted. The daughter of Zeus dared a look over her shoulder; Kampê was hot on their heels. She slowed to a stop. "Thalia, what are you doing?" yelled Rayne. "I'll distract Kampê while you guys get to camp and get reinforcements" she said, spinning her blades through the air gently, feeling the electric charge of the night coursing through her veins and charging her knives with the electricity. Rayne looked like she was about to argue, but Thalia glared at her, and the blond scuttled away, grabbing Amber and Arianna, forcing them up the hill.
The hunter turned her attention back to the task at hand. "So half-blood, we meet again" hissed Kampê, bringing her scimitars up. Thalia smirked, tightening her grip on her blades. "Looks like we do, maybe this time you'll actually be able to get me" she mocked. Kampê hissed and struck at Thalia.
The half-blood deflected the blow with the flat end of her blade, bringing up her second knife just in time to ward off a stab aimed at her shoulder. Grunting, she pushed Kampê aside and leaped aside as the monster swung her scimitars at her.
The fight dragged on, the clang of metal hitting metal matching the boom of thunder and the crash of lightning. The ground was wet and slippery beneath Thalia's boots; it was a challenge to keep her balance. Adrenaline fueled her on, coursing through her veins like the ichor in her blood. She blocked every blow, dodged every slash. She was a daughter of Zeus, a warrior. She was second in command of the Hunters. She would not lose. She was Thalia Grace.
Thalia felt the adrenaline push begin to fade; her movements were slower, her limbs began to feel heavy. She knew that Chiron was probably rousing the rest of the camp to reinforce her. Thalia gritted her teeth as Kampê knocked one of her blades from her hand, and the demigod ducked away from the wild stab aimed at her chest. Panting, she scrambled up Half-Blood hill, heading towards the tree she had been imprisoned in. "Where are you going daughter of Zeus? I'm not finished with you" cackled Kampê.
Thalia stood with her back to the tree. She took a deep breath; she could hear the thudding of hurried feet as they ran to the armory. Déjà Vu washed over Thalia; she was sacrificing herself to save her friends again, on the exact same spot as she did all those years ago. She adjusted the grip on her knife and took her fighting stance.
Kampê's tail connected with Thalia's wrist, sending her remaining blade flying. A cry of pain escaped the hunter's lips as the monster's tail smashed into her wrist. Another flick of the creature's tail caught Thalia in the ribs, and the half-blood went flying and smashed into a nearby tree.
Agony washed over the daughter of Zeus; she felt as if someone had just snapped her chest in two. She lay on the ground, drenched in rain and sweat, struggling to breathe. This was the end for her, she knew it. By the time reinforcements came, she'd be dead. Thalia closed her eyes, refusing to cry. She was a child of Zeus, she would not cry in the face of death. She shifted onto her left hip, hoping to alleviate the sharp pain in her right side.
She felt something dig into her hip, and moving slowly, she reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a slim canister. Hope flickered through her. Maybe it wasn't her time to die yet.
"So the daughter of Zeus has come to this; weak and broken, no better than a mere mortal" taunted Kampê above her. Thalia's fingers tightened around the container in her hand. Thunder exploded across the night, and Thalia leaped to her feet, gasping in pain as her can of mace shifted into her spear. She lifted the weapon up in the air just as lighting blazed across the sky, hitting her spear and rebounding off to hit Kampê. The monster bellowed in pain, and Thalia used her remaining strength to stab her spear into Kampê's chest, right below her heart.
The creature snarled and yanked out the spear. "We'll meet again" she hissed, spreading her wings and disappearing into the stormy night. Thalia collapsed to her knees, her head swimming. In the distance, she could hear the muffled footsteps of people running, shouting her name.
"Thalia? Thalia!" yelled a familiar, female voice.
The hunter's eyes closed as she fell onto her uninjured side. Then, darkness.