I am sorry (no, not really) for the little cliff-hanger I left the previous chapter. I also apologize for updating so late. As mentioned before, the amount of homework the teachers give is fairly outrageous.

So... enjoy!

After the Second Prophecy

Chapter Nine: Spiraling Downhill

Once Reyna left the Big House, she strode over to the nearest secluded are and thanked the gods till her voice was hoarse.

When the camper had fallen, it was incredibly fortunate Chiron was nearby. The fellow campers carried the fallen camper to the Big House. Chiron made them all swear on the River Styx not to gossip about his event. He didn't want to make anyone panic.

Reyna told the story over and over again. She told the campers that the fallen camper had thrashed around and she had simply lost her grip on the well oiled armor. The story was pretty believable.

As for the rest of the demigods, the fallen Camper had simply slipped off Zeus's Fist and fallen down.

Reyna wanted to tell Chiron about the voice, but didn't have the time.

After a long hour of waiting, Chiron trotted out of the infirmary and declared the news: the camper lives!

7:00 PM, the strawberry fields

Reyna grabbed a basket and went to the strawberry fields. Now, it was her private 'Reyna Time' spot.

Reyna plucked a strawberry.

The strawberries produced were the good ones, the big, firm, sweet ones with dark red skins and a sharp, pleasant taste. Nowadays, the strawberries you find in the supermarkets are all small and squishy, in unnatural shades of pink and purple, all of them sickeningly sweet.

Reyna closed her eyes as she bit into the strawberry, teeth sinking into its firm fruit. Delicious.

Well that didn't go as well.

Reyna spluttered, coughing up a disgusting little blob of chewed up strawberry and pink saliva.

"What the heck?" Reyna demanded.

I'm insulted. You were about to tell Chiron? You would actually have me removed?

"Well, what have you done for me?" Reyna demanded. "All you did is to give bad advice about MY love life and me ME kill someone!"

But the camper isn't dead.

"He could have been!"

But he isn't!

Reyna swore colorfully. A pretty little strawberry nymph was walking by when she heard Reyna. The pale green face turned into a ridiculous shade of purple. She stuttered something angrily and disappeared into a puff of smoke.

6:00 AM, the strawberry fields

Piper's POV

Piper picked her way through the thick leafy vines. She had found a little cookbook under someone's bunk. As she flipped through it, she made a mental list of what she could make.

Cheesecake? Some of the Seven might be allergic to diary.

Baguette? Sure, why not? It's fresh and soft for the first few days, but after a while, it would be like gnawing on rocks. (Trust me. I've tried eating week old baguettes before. If it isn't like chewing rocks, it's like chewing on those bendy rubber toys for the little puppies to play with.)

In the end, Piper decided on Strawberry Shortcake. She could ask Travis and Connor to smuggle her some of the biscuits. Cream and sugar would be easy to get. The strawberries... well... did you even need to ask?

Piper hummed as she picked the plump, red strawberries bursting with flavor. She would soak the strawberries in sugar, whip the vanilla and cream together before pouring the cream over the biscuits, adding the sliced strawberries on the top. The process is easy and simple.

Piper nearly tripped over her own feet when she saw Reyna.

Reyna was standing there, the wind loosening locks of dark hair from the neatly done braid. Her golden armor gleamed in the morning sun, and her rich purple cloak was carelessly thrown over an arm.

"It's good to see you, Piper,"

Piper hesitated. Her voice... it was like Reyna's voice... but... why did it sound so... foreign?

"Hi," Piper ventured cautiously.

Reyna turned around and Piper's blood froze into ice.

It was Reyna's smile, but again, it wasn't. Her smile was so cold, so tight. Her dark eyes were strangely blank.

"Making a... what do you youngster's call it... strawberry sorbet?"

"A sorbet is an ice cream. I'm making a strawberry shortcake." Piper said.

Every instinct screamed at her to run, but for some reason, Piper had no idea why she was talking with a not-really-Reyna about strawberry desserts. Dang.

Reyna casually picked a strawberry. Even though her fingernails were trimmed, they cut the thin skin. Strawberry juice welled up from the cut, red like blood.

"Such a lovely strawberry..." Reyna began.

Piper frowned vaguely. Say whaaaaaaaaaat?

Reyna crushed the strawberry in her fist, the crimson juice staining her fingers and trickling down her arm like a path of blood.

Piper flinched.

"Gae..." Reyna began to speak but doubled over.

"Piper, run!" Reyna yelped.

The real Reyna had yelped.

Piper didn't hesitate. She dropped the basket she was holding and ran for all she was worth.

I love cliff-hangers.

I'll update this pretty quick (because personally, I can't wait to see what happens next too), so don't worry!

Please R&R, and wait for what happens next!