Chapter 12


Disclaimer: I do not own the PJ or HoO series by Rick Riodan


After about ten minutes, Nico came out. I didn't care, I had already cried all I could. I felt broken. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the side of my neck. Even that, which would have usually put me on top of the world, didn't cheer me up.

It didn't help that it looked like it was going to rain. He didn't reassure me or anything. That was perfectly fine with me because I didn't know if would ever be okay again with me and John. No doubt John's already called mom and told her about our conversation.

"He said he never wanted to talk to me again." I say. My voice sounded hollow, the same way I felt.

"I'm sorry." Nico whispers.

I waited a few minutes before I replied. "I just don't see how he can be so blind. She's done at least half the guys in Baltimore. I wouldn't be surprised if she's been with one of his friends either. If I didn't know better, I'd say she's an attention crazed monster. I honestly don't see how he loves her. She treats him like a piece of garbage." I spit.

Nico was about to reply when Annabeth came out and said Argus was here. We went inside and got our things, then thanked Sally and Paul. Then we all piled into the van and headed back to camp.


It was a pretty quiet ride back. Annabeth told Argus about our search and then finding Rachel and about Nico, Mo, and I battling the giant snake. It started raining, as I thought it would, which didn't improve my mood. I eventually fell asleep with my head resting on Nico's shoulder. Thankfully I didn't have any nightmares, just a pleasant, dreamless nap.


Nico woke me up and told me we were back so I got out of the van. We were welcomed as heroes. We had a feast of brisket, mashed potatoes, green beans, and tons of other delicious things. Dinner was followed by a sing along at the camp fire. It was twenty feet tall tonight and bright yellow streaked with orange. Nico held my hand all through the sing along and then walked me to the Apollo cabin before going to his. He kissed me and told me he'd see me tomorrow.


The pleasant dreamlessness didn't last.

I was back in Baltimore at John's house. Well, now John and Callie's house. Anyway, I went inside and heard this whimpering. I went downstairs and found the source of the whimpering. John was backed into a corner by an empousa, a she-demon that looks like a vampire but one of her legs is made of metal and the other is a donkey leg.

"You will join me and the army!" the empousa commands.

"We will march to Camp Half-Blood and burn it to the ground! There will be no more half bloods left. Monsters will dominate the Earth!" she says.

"I don't want to! I'm not hurting my sister!" John yells.

"Okay then. We'll see how you feel after a few hours with me." the empousa says, ominously.

"What have you done to Callie you she-demon!" John demands.

"Oh, but John. I am Callie." the empousa says, a.k.a. Callie.

"No! It can't be! You've done something with her!" John screeched, disbelieving.


I woke up with a start. I tore out of bed and threw on some clothes. I grabbed my phone and rushed outside. It was daybreak. I called John's house phone. It rang and rang. Eventually it went to voicemail. Then I tried his cell phone. No answer. I started to panic. If what I saw was true, John was probably being tortured because he wouldn't join this army of monsters to come and destroy the camp. This was terrible. I decided I better go tell Chiron.

I jogged up to the Big House and found Chiron and Mr. D on the porch, watching the sun come up.

"Kyra? What's wrong?" Chiron asks, a concerned look on his face.

"I need to talk to you. It's about the camp." I say.

I tell him and Mr. D about my dream. Chiron looked like he had aged twenty years when I had finished. Mr. D didn't really seem to care. Percy told me he was "grounded" here by Zeus for chasing an off-limits wood nymph. He could care less about what happened to the camp and it's occupants.

"We need to have a meeting with the counselors. Kyra go wake up Will and then start waking up the other counselors. Come back here and we'll try to figure out what to do." Chiron says.

"Okay Chiron." I say.


I went to the Apollo cabin first and woke up Will. He wasn't very happy to be woken up this early but I told him it was urgent. He got up and dressed. Then I told him that we needed to wake up all the counselors and report to the Big House for a meeting. He was confused as to why we needed to have a meeting at dawn but he didn't argue.

I then went and woke up the Dionysus counselor, Nathan, and told him to report to the Big House. Then I went to the others. Nico's was the last one. I went in and saw him sleeping peacefully. It was a shame I had to wake him up.

"Nico" I call, softly, going to his bed. He stirred but didn't wake. I call him again with the same result. I roll my eyes and bend down and kiss him. That woke him up!

His eyes pop open and he yells, "Holy Hades!"

"Geez! Calm down!" I say, laughing at his reaction.

"What are you doing in here?" he asks, rubbing his eyes.

"Not that I mind, but Kyra it's like six in the morning!" he says.

"Meeting in the big house. Get dressed and come up." I say.

"Can I get a please with that?" he asks, crossing his arms and giving me a stubborn look.

I walk back over and kiss him.

"Okay. That will do." he says, smiling.

"Thought so." I say, closing the door on my way out.

A/N:

Getting a bit intense... Did you guys think Callie would actually be an empousa?

XOXO,

Mrs-diAngelo25