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Chapter 21: Around the Campfire
Night had fallen faster than usual. The sky was a deep, velvety black, dotted with stars that twinkled like shards of broken glass. The air had a crispness to it, one of those nights where you could almost taste the cold. We'd set up camp just outside the wreckage of the facility, hoping to get some rest before we had to face whatever Orion had planned next.
The fire crackled in front of us, the orange glow casting long shadows that danced across the trees. The Hunters worked efficiently, setting up their makeshift cooking arrangements and preparing food with the skill that came from years of practice. Sasha was helping Rey untangle some stubborn tent ropes nearby, both of them bickering like an old married couple. I sat back on a rock, watching them move in sync. Despite the heavy weight of the day's events, there was something oddly comforting about the way they operated. As if the world could burn down around them, and they'd still know how to make a decent meal and kill monsters in their sleep.
Zoe, however, wasn't participating in the cooking or the small talk. She sat a few feet away from the fire, staring at her hands. Her fingers flexed every now and then, like they were testing themselves, checking if they still had the strength to move. She wasn't making eye contact with anyone—least of all me. Which was totally fine, because I wasn't making eye contact either. Guilt was a heavy thing to sit with, and it was clear Zoe was drowning in it.
I shot a quick look at Thalia, hoping she had a plan. She met my gaze, a slight twitch of her eyebrow, like,Well, now what?Neither of us had the magic words to make it better. There wasn't some easy, ready-to-go speech for this sort of thing. So, naturally, Thalia tried something else.
Thalia cleared her throat and broke the quiet. "You know, my brother Jason met Midas before. He almost got turned into gold." she said, her voice light but careful.
Zoe looked up, her gaze flicking between Thalia and me. She didn't respond right away, but the hint of curiosity in her eyes was enough to get her to listen.
Thalia shifted on her feet, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yeah, long story. But there was this one time they fought. Jason was able to outwit him though. I mean, gold is like the best conductor for electricity so Jason just zap the guy into submission"
I saw Zoe's shoulders tense, the guilt creeping back in, visible even in the low light. Her hands stopped fidgeting, and her gaze dropped once more, this time to the flickering flames at her feet. The silence stretched between us, heavier than before.
"I don't think I could do what Jason did," Zoe murmured, barely audible over the crackling of the fire. "I'm... I'm not like him. I can't stop him." Her voice wavered slightly, and she looked away, as if ashamed of the weakness that showed. "I keep thinking—if I was just strong enough, I could've stopped them from doing this to me. Or at least, I could've... I don't know. Prevented all of this from happening."
Her eyes glistened with the threat of tears, but she blinked them away before they could fall. I could feel the weight of her self-blame. It is a feeling I'm not a stranger to.
I opened my mouth, not really knowing what to say at first. Then I blurted, "Hey, it's not your fault." I winced a little at how automatic it sounded, like a script I'd read in some manual for How to Comfort Someone 101.
She didn't answer right away. Her eyes were on the fire, the flames dancing and flickering, but not the way she used to look at things. There was a distance there. Like she was still trying to figure out who she was in all this mess.
I shifted uncomfortably. "Look, I get it. I've—" I paused. I didn't want to say it, but I could feel the words building. "I've screwed up too. Made bad calls, let people down. But you can't carry that alone. You're not the reason people are getting hurt. That's on Orion. You don't even need to—"
I stopped myself before I said more. I didn't have the right words to make her feel better. Hell, I didn't even have the right words to make myself feel better. But I couldn't just stand there and say nothing.
"All I'm saying is. You are strong for making it this long. And you shouldn't blame yourself for what happened."
Zoe still wasn't looking at me, but I could tell she heard me.
Then, because I couldn't leave things heavy and awkward forever, I decided to throw in some humor. "And hey, I mean, if you really want to be mad about something, let's be mad at him! I mean, do you wanna know how I got this eyepatch?"
Zoe blinked at me, finally lifting her eyes. "Why do you have an eyepatch?"
I grinned. "Because I'm a pirate, obviously." I leaned back dramatically. "Captain Aiden. Fear my seafaring skills and my killer one-eyed glare."
From across the fire, Sasha let out a loud snort of laughter, while Rey just shook her head like she'd given up on trying to understand any of us.
Zoe stared at me for a second, clearly not getting the joke. Her mouth twitched, though, like she was holding back a laugh.
Thalia snorted. "Yeah, no one's scared of you, Pirate Boy. Not with that look."
I shrugged like I didn't care, but secretly, I was just relieved she hadn't burst into a sobbing mess. "Don't be jealous. Not everyone can pull off the whole 'dangerous pirate' look, okay?"
"Right," Zoe said, her voice soft but still with a little bit of that smile she'd been holding back. "I guess I'll have to try harder to look more dangerous next time I'm out there."
"Exactly," I said, giving her a playful nudge.
Zoe let out a small, genuine laugh, and that small shift in her demeanor was enough for me to feel like I wasn't completely failing at this wholebeing supportivething.
Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Okay, okay, enough with the pirate jokes, you two. Let's focus. We still have to—"
"Yeah, yeah, work," I said, waving her off. "But first, Zoe, I can promise you something. Next time we face off with Orion? Not only he's going to stay dead, there's not even going to be an afterlife that would accept him."
Zoe rolled her eyes, but there was a flicker of something—something close to the old spark in her eyes that had been lost for a while. She looked down at her hands again, her fingers less tense now.
"Thanks," she said, her voice quiet but steady.
I grinned. "Anytime. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go get the treasure chest—AKA my next meal." I stood up dramatically and brushed the dirt off my jeans.
Just as Thalia opened her mouth to say something else, a sharp voice cut through the night.
"Hold." Ray had frozen mid-motion, her hand on the hilt of her blade. Her eyes scanned the darkness, narrowed and alert.
The air shifted. Everything went dead quiet. Only the sounds of crackle from the fire filled the air.
That's when we heard it—a low rustling from the treeline. Then, a long, drawn-out howl that sent shivers running straight down my spine.
The Hunters immediately tensed, exchanging grim looks.
"I thought Nico killed him," Sasha muttered, her voice low.
"If Callisto survived, so could he," Thalia said, her hand tightening around her spear. She tilted her head up to the sky, her expression darkening. Full moon.
Before I could even process what was happening, something huge exploded out of the woods—a blur of fur and shadow and teeth, hurtling straight toward Zoe.
Instinct kicked in faster than thought. I lunged forward, tackling the monster sideways, knocking it away from her just as it pounced.
We hit the ground hard, me half-winded, it half-growling. I scrambled back up to my feet just in time to get my first good look at it.
And holy crap.
The thing was massive. Easily the size of a horse, all matted fur and muscle, with eyes that glowed an eerie, unnatural red. Definitely not a normal werewolf. Definitely not something I wanted to see up close ever again.
"Lycaon," one of the Hunters hissed.
Great. Add that name to the ever-growing list of Things I Should've Studied Before Going on This Trip.
Weapons flashed into hands. Blades, bows, and silver-tipped arrows gleaming under the moonlight.
"Don't worry guys, this will be over quick" Thalia said.
That's when four more of them—more giant werewolves, just as ugly and angry—burst from the shadows.
"Oh come on," I groaned.
In seconds, the clearing turned into pure chaos. Every Hunter got busy locking blades with a werewolf. Sasha and Rey fought back-to-back, moving almost in perfect sync. Arrows whistled through the air, claws swiped, and teeth snapped.
I spun, trying to keep Zoe behind me, only to realize that two of the monsters were circling us.
"Uh, guys? Little help?" I called out.
Thalia, still grappling with her own furry nightmare, shouted back, "Only silver can hurt him! Use the arrows I gave you!"
"I only have one left!"
"Run to the Gyrphons! We'll meet you there!"
Awesome. Tactical retreat it is.
I grabbed Zoe's wrist. "Come on!"
We bolted into the trees, sprinting through the dark, branches whipping at our faces, the howls getting closer behind us. I wasn't even sure if we were heading toward the gryphon or just deeper into werewolf murder land, but staying put was definitely not an option.
We tore through the woods, dodging roots and low-hanging branches, until suddenly the ground just—stopped.
Edge of a cliff.
I skidded to a halt, dragging Zoe back before she could tumble over the side. I turned, heart pounding, just in time to see one of the werewolves—big, fast, and way too close—leap at us. It came from my left, my blind spot.
No time to think. No time to react.
It slammed into us, knocking the air from my lungs, and all three of us went over the edge.
The world spun in a blur of claws, screams, and freezing night air.
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