Tarah's POV
I barely slept. Maybe it's because Callie was gone, maybe it was because I almost kissed a guy right before he found out his girlfriend isn't actually dead. Or maybe it's because one of my best friends was kidnapped because of me. Whatever the cause, I have now confirmed that counting sheep does nothing but make you crave a gyros.
The next morning, Chiron called Sam, Callie, Andy, a few kids I hadn't met yet, and me to the meeting room of the big house, which I quickly found out was code for "old Rec Room with a beat up ping pong table and some folding chairs."
Chiron began the meeting with an announcement. "I talked to the oracle, and she confirms what Sam has told me. Nat is being held in Washington, and we are supposed to send a team to try and get her home safely."
Immediately, Callie, Andy, and I raised our hands to volunteer. Callie glared at Andy, but otherwise she seemed to accept that the boy would come with us wherever we went.
Chiron looked at me like I was crazy. "I'm not sure you should go, Tarah. It's clear that you are the real prize for whoever took Nat, this could be a trap for you."
"Of course it's a trap!" A familiar voice spoke up from behind me, "Honestly Tarah, I expected you to have the common sense to see this for what it is: a suicide mission." I whipped my head around to see Sister Mary Clarence in the doorway, except now she was wearing a long white dress instead of her typical nun's habit. for the first time in my life, I could see her long brown hair went down to her lower back, and what was even more unnerving was the tattoo of an owl on one shoulder and one of a trident on the other.
"There's no way you can make me stay behind, Nat is my best friend! Besides, it's my fault she's there in the first place!" I protested. Guardian or not, Mary Clarence was not going to sway me on this one.
"Young lady, you don't know what you're talking about here. You are far too important to risk on such a trivial quest." the sister gave me her most stern look, and on any other day I would have shut up and done what I was told, but not today. Not with Nat's life on the line.
I was just about to protest when someone standing in the shadows spoke up, "Oh gods just let her go! I get the feeling nothing is going to keep her from running out of camp by herself if she has to, at least this way she can have some trained demigods to protect her along the way."
Almost like he was melting out of the shadows, the owner of the voice stepped forward into the light. He had short brown hair and gray eyes framed with thick glasses, and he was wearing a black t-shirt that said, "Ladies love Hades" on it.
"Tarah, Callie, meet Dakota Thourne, son of Hades and our best navigator." Chiron said. Dakota winked at me as Chiron and Mary Clarence debated whether or not he was right, and without really meaning to I winked back. That was weird.
Finally, Mary Clarence gave in, but only after making Chiron agree to send at least four other demigods with me for protection. Immediately, Sam, Callie, Andy, and, to my surprise, Dakota volunteered as my guard. I didn't like being treated like some delicate flower, but I would agree to just about anything as long as I got to help Natasha.
Chiron dismissed the rest of what I now realize are the cabin leaders and turned to address our bizarre team. "According to the oracle, you five are set to leave the day after tomorrow, so I suggest you all pay a visit to the armory sometime before then to pick your weapons."
"Chiron," Dakota spoke up, "Did the oracle say anything else? Like who wants Tara and why?"
The centaur paused for a moment before saying, not quite believably, "No." Then, before anyone could ask any more questions, he proceeded to show us on map the best way to get to Washington State.
Sam, Callie, and Andy started debating when the best time would leave would be, Callie and Sam insisting we leave at the crack of dawn while Andy complained that he never wakes up before ten. I noticed Dakota was staring at me, but as I turned to look at him directly, he had already started arguing with Chiron about what highways to take. I lost interest at this point, I was more focused on trying to figure out what someone would possibly want from me and how I would go about saving Nat.
I was pulled out of my concentration when I heard Sam arguing with Chiron and Mary Clarence about our trip through Pennsylvania. "We have to go there, Chiron, it's where I saw Mia!"
"No, absolutely not!" Mary Clarence protested. She turned to Chiron and lowered her voice, but I could still hear her say, "Chiron, you know what happened there, we can't send her down that path."
"Mariclease, please. If Sam says he saw it in his vision, then there must be something important there. The oracle also said something about a homecoming, maybe this is what she meant." Chiron replied even more quietly.
My heart started pounding as it dawned on me what they must be talking about. I walked over to the map and stared at what Sam had circled in bright red ink.
I'm going home.
