Chapter 26:

He beckons me closer and the three of us sit down. He starts by telling his life before camp. "I was always a troublemaker and could never sit still." Sounds a little like me, I think. "I came to camp pretty young. I was 9. Mother claimed me the day after I got to camp, and to be honest, I was a little bummed out."

May stares at Reed, as if he grew another head. "You should watch out," she warned. "She can turn you into a rose for being disrespectful."

Reed shrugs her off and I fight off a smile creeping on my face. "So, I was unpopular from the beginning. I never really wanted to spend too much time in the fields, making the strawberries grow. I spent more time with Apollo kids and Ares kids, even though I was never as good as them, or as strong."

He pauses to play with a flower he grew while talking. "That was my first year. The second summer, since I went back home for the school year, I was still excluded. I got a lot better at sword fighting, and found a knack in throwing things. At first I threw daggers, but I rummaged through the weapons shed, and found these ninja stars. There were only a few and they were all tarnished or not sharp. So, I pestered a new Hephaestus member to make me two dozen ninja stars like the two originals. He finally agreed and then I have my trademark weapon. I practiced all the time, probably more than I was in the strawberry fields."

May gasps at that statement, but Reed just rolls his eyes. "So, I finally mustered the courage to challenge my cabin leader to a duel, to see if I could become Head Counselor. I won and by the end of my second summer, I sort of forced myself to the top. I made my siblings do more physical sports and take more sword fighting classes. Some people called me a tyrant and wanted me removed, but I stayed and some campers-," he pauses and thinks for a moment. "Well only a few, liked me."

He pauses yet again, looking at May. "There is another side to this story, and since I'm telling you everything, I should tell you this now." He pauses again. I feel like he is over-dramatizing this, but to him, this must be very important. "I also have a-," he waits, looking for the right word. "Mutation. You see, a very rare amount of kids of Persephone get born with this mutation. There have been a few in recorded history, like the creator of the Babylonian Gardens, where, instead of blood, I have a special mixture found in plants running through my veins. This makes me stronger, especially when I have adrenaline coursing through my veins. Like, when you woke me up and I had an adrenaline surge, my powers even influenced you."

I nod and remember how I felt like my senses sharpened. I also realize what predicament Reed's in. He wants to shift the Persephone campers to be more like him, able to hold their weight in battle.

I see Reed take out his dagger from his belt and cuts himself on the arm. Normal-looking red blood pours slowly from the short wound. He drops the dagger and dabs the blood with his hand. "Here, take it. It smells a little like freshly cut grass and is thicker than blood."

I wipe my hand on his cut and rub the liquid through my fingers. I bring it to my nose and take a small whiff of it. True to his words, the red liquid in my hand does smell like a mowed lawn.

"Wow," I say, after cleaning my hands on the soft grass. "You are one interesting person." I think about all Reed has told me. He has a lot of work ahead of him, if he want to reinvent his cabin. "So who else knows?"

"Well, beside you two, nobody. Chiron probably knows, because he knows just about everything," Reed shrugs. "And keep it to yourself. I mean, don't go publicizing it. That won't be good for my plans."

"Well, since we are all going to be telling our deepest secrets, I'm slightly allergic to peanuts," I joke, since I have nothing better to say.

We all laugh and the mood is lightened. May finally chimes in and add to the conversation. "So, what is there for lunch?"

I rummage through the backpack thinking of food, and some stuff pops up. There is some packaged sandwiches, some soda, and chips. While we eat, we talk about Reed's plans. He has most of it set up. He wants to, by the end of the summer, to have most people taking more sword-fighting classes and sports classes. He wants to take his time, because the real shifts will happen during the summer, where most people are around.

"And I want to remind them to stay in shape and pick up some sports, maybe," Reed predicts. "Pietro, are you going to stay the year? Or are you going home to go back to school?"

Shoot, I haven't thought of that, I think. "Um, I don't know yet. I need to think about it," I reply, because I really don't have any idea what to do. "What are your plans?"

"I'm probably going to go back to school, and spend sometime with my dad," Reed replies. He nods, as if to reassure himself.

"I'll probably go back home too. I don't want to leave my dad for an entire year, either. I don't trust him," May says. She smiles, although it looks forced.

"So would it be uncommon for kids to stay at camp year-round?" I ask. I really want to stay at camp, since I don't think I could stand another whole year of homeschooling, after being exposed to so much fun at camp.

"Nah. I know a handful of people staying at camp. A lot of more powerful demigods stay, just because the risk of being found by monsters," May pipes in. "I is wondering the other day about maybe staying half the year, and going to school in the middle of the school year."

I brighten at that idea. "Yes. I would definitely do that," I make a mental note to ask Chiron.

"Anyone know what time it is? I want to talk to The Muses before the concert, just to see if we aren't wasting our time here," May asks. Reed takes out his phone from his pocket and taps the screen.

"Shoot, it's dead. Hold on a second," he curses. I look up to guess what time it is, but the sun has dropped below the high trees so I know it is past noon, at least.