Hazel

Hazel was playing with her food when she heard her name.

It made the worried look on her face change into relief, then a grin. She didn't turn around, pretending not to have heard him. To make it more realistic, she took a small bite from her pizza, then pushed her plate forward, as if she didn't have any appetite.

"Sis, what are you doing here?" She heard him say. She looked up, and saw her brother a few feet from her, a surprised look evident on his face. She gave him her biggest smile, which he returned hesitantly.

"Nico!" She exclaimed, as she stood up and walked towards him. Now he truly would have it, she decided. As she neared him, she raised her arms, as if asking a hug. When he was closed enough, though, she lowered her left arm.

A resounding slap was heard, and everybody in the pavilion looked at the siblings.

"What was that for?" Nico asked, as he nursed his left cheek, red and slowly swelling. Hazel's expression turned serious, and she finally replied, "For making us all worry for you, you idiot! I don't care what you'll say, that you are used to going somewhere alone. How many times did I tell you, at least bring one person along in your escapades!"

She heard a snigger, which made Nico's embarrassed expression turn into a scowl. She turned around, and was surprised with what she saw. Standing in front of Percy and Annabeth was a beautiful girl. She had beautiful eyes. They were blue, but with flecks of violet. It may be an effect of the fire, Hazel thought.

"I think the correct saying right now is 'Karma is a bitch'," the girl said, a smirk on her face. Nico just rolled his eyes, and replied, "Then, I must say you are Karma."

"Who is she?" Hazel said, interrupting their not-so-good conversation. Then she heard Chiron say, "Indeed, who is this lovely lady, Nico, Percy, Annabeth?"

The girl smiled at Nico, a smile that is so sweet it implied something was up. Then she turned to Hazel, and said in a sweet voice dripping with sarcasm, "Oh, I'm just a girl who your sweet but uncaring brother kidnapped, I mean, brought here to this camp by force."

"Nico di Angelo…" was all Hazel could say before she was cut off by her brother. "Look, how about letting me explain everything, instead of just listening to her? It's as if she's got you all in a spell to turn against me."

The girl stuck her tongue out at Nico, who glared back at her. Meanwhile, what he said struck something in Hazel. She looked at the Aphrodite table, and saw Piper's suspicious look too. Their eyes met, and in an instant they knew what the other was thinking. But they didn't say anything. They just listened to Nico's story, from when he found her, and all the other things he gleaned from what she said.

When he was finished, stunned silence spread across the pavilion, but it only lasted for a few moments. Then the whole place burst into talking, that one couldn't even hear the words clearly anymore. Hazel rolled her eyes thinking that this would be a long night. She glanced at Mr. D, and saw that, as usual, he was not caring at all about what was happening. So she looked at Chiron, who seemed to be studying the girl, but not showing any sign of telling them to keep quiet. Her gaze then fell on Percy, who was standing there, uncomfortable with all the noise, and looking at his girlfriend. Meanwhile, beside him, Annabeth looked unfazed with the pandemonium, as her expression was analyzing.

She looked at the girl, and was surprised by the air of confidence and indifference around her. The girl was looking at the fire, as if trying to figure out something, probably on how to escape.

Hazel turned to her last hope, and sighed with relief. If there was one thing she truly loved about Piper, it was her talent at understanding expressions. The daughter of Aphrodite took a deep breath, and then used her charmspeak, another talent Hazel loved, as long as it wasn't used on her.

"Everyone, stop talking," Piper said calmly, as if she was not issuing a command. All the demigods immediately shut their mouths, but they all were staring at the stranger. Hazel sighed once again, and before anybody opened their mouth, she asked her brother, "How can you say that it was her who attracted the monsters?"

Nico rolled his eyes, as if the answer was so obvious. It took all her control not to smack him again. "The monsters were together, and that's one thing, as monsters of different kinds don't group together when they aren't hunting for demigods. Then there were also a couple of times when I saw a footprint along the trail those beasts made."

"I knew I should have not left any trail," the girl muttered. It was her that Hazel then started questioning. "So, what's your name?"

"As I've told these three here, my name's Cassandra. Not Sandra, not Cassie. Cassandra. If you don't like long names, then better not bother me."

"Well, I like long names, so let's go hang out!"

Hazel couldn't help but roll her eyes at the antics of a certain son of Hephaestus. She looked at Leo and gave him a smile that pretty much said that she wanted to strangle him then and there. From his reaction, she realized it wasn't just her who gave him that look.

"I don't think so, curly-haired person," Cassandra replied, an eyebrow raised at him. She continued, "After all, I'm not staying."

"Why are you so intent on not staying at Camp Half-Blood? This is the safest place for us demigods," Annabeth finally spoke, her tone hard and cold. "From Nico's story it is obvious that you have an idea of our world. Don't you even want to know who your godly parent is?"

Before she could answer, Percy said, "Wait, you're like, sixteen or seventeen now, right? How old were you when you left your home?"

"Seventeen, and I left when I was twelve," she replied. She turned to Annabeth and answered her question. "Nope, I don't need to anyway."

"Is that because you feel abandoned? Why you ran away from home?" Piper then asked. Cassandra looked at her with an amused expression, which irked Hazel. This girl sure did not know the word humility and respect. If this would continue, Hazel did not know if she could stop herself from strangling her.

Fortunately Chiron stepped in, saying, "No, that is not the case, Piper. Cassandra was already claimed."

"WHAT?"

Their teacher sighed, while Cassandra had a smug expression. "You heard me very well." Then he turned to her, and said, "I remember you now, child. But Annabeth is right, you must stay. This is for your safety."

That removed her smug look. She looked incredulous, as she said, "For five years, I was able to take care of myself. I don't need to stay here! I can't stay here, Chiron! You know that very well!"

"But child-" She didn't let him finish, as she turned to Mr. D. She cried out, "Mr. D! You would not want another brat in this camp, right? I was only brought here by force!"

All of the campers' jaws dropped. Hazel's was no exception.

"H-How did you…" she heard her brother say. She wanted to ask the same question, but since Cassandra only had her attention on the god, she knew it would be ignored.

The god looked at the girl with eyebrows raised. Then he said, "As much as I would like you not to stay, I can't. You did make a deal with your mother, and you swore by the river Styx. And I did swear by the same river not to let you go when you come back, willingly or forced."

"Come back? Can somebody tell us what you guys are talking about?" Annabeth exclaimed, anger on her face and voice. "Who is her mother? When was she claimed?"

The centaur sighed again. Cassandra just looked as if she was crushed. She was paler than when they first saw her, Hazel noticed. As if all the blood in her was drained.

"Her mother is-" their mentor started, but she cut him off. Glaring at Annabeth, she replied, "My mother is Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty, Lady of the doves. You didn't see that coming, didn't you?"

"What?" the Aphrodite cabin exclaimed. Hazel knew what they, all aside from Piper, were thinking. But for her, it did made sense. "That explains your eyes."

"The only thing I got from my dear mother, aside from the beauty, and another thing. All the rest is pretty much me."

Nobody moved or said anything. All of them were just staring at Cassandra, whose breathing, Hazel noted, was shallow and fast. A look of pain flashed across her face, but she didn't move. Then, finally, she turned to Annabeth, and in one quick motion, got the sword the child of Athena was holding.

"I don't care about that anymore. I'm going!" with that, she walked away. Everybody was still too stunned that they weren't able to stop her, until Piper stood up and grabbed her jacket from the back. "You can't go!"

Cassandra twisted, and in a moment, she was out of the jacket. But she didn't see the rock, so when she took a step, she stumbled. Fortunately, Piper was able to catch her. But when she accidentally touched Cassandra's right oblique, the girl cried out in pain.

Realization dawned on Hazel fast. Now she knew why the girl looked abnormally pale.

There was a deep wound at her side. The blood contrasted so much with her white shirt, that even with only the firelight, Hazel could see how much of it had spread. With the black jacket, it would have not been obvious. She didn't know how the girl was able to endure all that pain without showing it.

She felt Nico leave her side and rush towards the two girls. Piper laid Cassandra down the ground as gently as she could, as the girl finally fainted from blood loss. She heard Annabeth shout for a medic. Chiron trotted over, and gave orders to the guy from Apollo cabin. Then Nico gently carried her, and they- Piper, Chiron, the medic, and Annabeth- walked towards the Big House.

Hazel looked at Percy, and saw the worry etched on his face. She really had to give it to this guy, who could worry for a person who he barely knew. She sighed, and followed the others.

This was really going to be a long night.