20+ Advance Chapters on [email protected]/Saintbarbido.
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(Loth's P.O.V)
Annabeth frowned. "She got on the first bus. She said goodbye to everyone while you were asleep. I thought you knew."
My mind reeled.
No. That didn't make sense. Luna herself told me she was staying. And even if she decided otherwise, she wouldn't just leave without telling me.
Would she?
I turned away from Annabeth and stormed up the steps of the Big House. I shoved the door open, barely registering Chiron and Mr. D sitting at the table inside.
Chiron raised an eyebrow at my sudden entrance. "Loth, what—"
I didn't even let him finish. "Where is Luna?"
Chiron's expression darkened just slightly. "She has gone home."
I clenched my fists. "That's not an answer."
Mr. D sighed dramatically and took a sip of his Diet Coke. "Honestly, I was wondering when you'd barge in demanding answers. I was betting on sunrise."
Chiron shot him a look before turning back to me. "Loth, I understand that you and Luna were close, but she made her own decision."
"No, she didn't." My voice came out sharper than I intended. "I know her. She wouldn't just leave like that."
Chiron sighed, rubbing his temple. "Loth… there are things about Luna that we didn't tell you."
My entire body tensed. "Like what?"
Chiron exchanged a glance with Dionysus, who merely shrugged.
The centaur exhaled. "Luna is not a demigod."
I barely held back a sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, no kidding."
Chiron gave me a patient look. "She is something else. She appeared in the Camp out of nowhere, guided by what she called 'the spirits of the crossroads.' We knew she was different, but Hecate claimed her, and that was enough for us to allow her to stay."
I grit my teeth. "And now?"
Chiron hesitated. "Now… she has chosen to leave."
I stared at him. "You really believe that?"
Silence.
Then Dionysus chuckled. "Oh, come now, boy. You're acting as if she's been kidnapped. The girl simply went home."
I slammed my hands on the table. "Tell me where the bus is heading."
Chiron sighed. "Loth—"
"Where?" My voice was low, vibrating with restrained energy.
Chiron studied me for a long moment. Then, finally, he answered.
"There's a station just outside camp where the buses drop off the campers before they head home."
That was all I needed to hear.
I turned on my heel and stormed out.
I barely stopped to explain things to Annabeth before I called for Blitz.
The pink-furred wolf materialized in a shimmer of energy, growing to the size of a horse in seconds. She barely had time to register my urgency before I jumped onto her back.
"Find her," I ordered, shoving Luna's handkerchief before her nose to smell.
Blitz sniffed the air, gave a growl then took off, tearing through the trees at lightning speed.
My heart pounded as the wind rushed past me, my mind racing.
Hecate had threatened me last night.
Luna had disappeared this morning.
This wasn't a coincidence.
Whatever had just happened, I had a sick feeling that it was only the beginning.
Blitz raced through the trees along the road, the wind tearing at my clothes as I clung to her back. Every second wasted was another second Luna got further away.
We reached the bus station in record time, the last of the camp buses already long gone. My eyes scanned the crowd of returning campers and parents, searching for any sign of Luna.
Nothing.
I leapt off Blitz's back and strode towards the nearest familiar face—Percy. He was standing near a cluster of kids, saying his goodbyes to Grover.
"Percy!" I called, making a beeline for him.
Percy turned, his face shifting into concern. "Loth? What—?"
"Where's Luna?" I cut in, my voice sharp.
Percy frowned. "She left already. Said she was going to see the Butterknots or something?"
I froze.
"The Butterknots? The little blue butterflies..." I muttered recalling a conversation I had with Luna.
"I guess." Percy shrugged. "She was talking about how they only come out..."
"...in certain seasons." I cut in already looking around for a lot of greenery, which was the preferred habitat of Butterknots.
My eyes stopped on a gate down the street from the bus stop. Turning back to Blitz, I vaulted onto her back in one motion and pointed out.
"Park. Now."
Blitz snapped forward, her muscles bunching as she launched into a full sprint, weaving between startled pedestrians as we raced through the city.
Cries of 'watch it!' and 'stop that horse!' followed us as Blitz jumped over the fence before landing inside the park.
Still sniffing the air, Blitz paws padded on the dewy grass as we moved deeper into the park. In the late morning air, there were few people around.
An old man on a bench yelled at me for breaking park rules by bringing in a horse but a single cold look shut him up.
Blitz slowed to a halt near a wide stone fountain, her ears twitching.
I jumped down, eyes scanning the area.
No Luna.
Blitz sniffed the ground, pacing around the fountain's edge. Then she froze, hackles rising.
"Lost her scent?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
Blitz whined, stepping back uneasily.
I took a step toward her—
Then my aura sense flared, warning me a split second before the Mist rippled unnaturally.
The air twisted, a faint pulse of magic and mist warping reality—
Then—
BOOM.
The fountain exploded.
I barely had time to react.
Months of combat instincts kicked in as I threw myself forward, grabbing Blitz's mane and rolling out of the blast radius.
Shattered stone and scalding mist rained down.
Shadows danced in my peripheral vision.
My head snapped to the left—
A group of figures in black cloaks emerged from behind the trees. Their faces were hidden, and in their hands carried polished sticks with the tips glowing ominously.
The mist swirled around them- as if the source of their strange power.
I blinked, my mind catching up.
No.
No way.
That wasn't Greek magic.
It wasn't demigod magic, or even Mist-based manipulation.
This was—
A completely different system.
One I had only ever seen in movies and books.
One that should not have existed here.
Then one of the cloaked figures stepped forward, their voice smooth and full of venom.
"..find the Lovegood girl. We cannot lose her again or Malfoy will snap our wands and have out heads."
My breath hitched.
That accent. That wording. Lovegood, Malfoy, wands...
I recognized them instantly.
These weren't monsters.
These weren't rogue demigods.
They were—
"Death Eaters," I whispered.
The realization hit me like a truck.
This wasn't just the world of Percy Jackson.
This was Harry Potter, too.
And Luna… Luna Lovegood wasn't just a witch.
She was part of their world. An important character.
The Death Eaters spread out to surround me, wand tips glowing with a sickly green color aimed my way.
"Make a move mudblood and it will be your last. Now, surrender your wand."
I exhaled slowly, the warmth in my chest growing to a smoldering heat. There were 8 of them. And could wield the mist in a magical way.
Creating an illusion of a wand, I threw it at one's feet, briefly distracting them with the clatter it made.
A pink shield sprang up around me just as they quickly reacted with one of the 3 unforgivables.
""Avada Kedavra.""
I barely had time to roll out of the way as the killing curses passed through my Anodite shield like nothing. Their spells could bypass my magic. Most likely due to the Mist itself.
Good thing I didn't underestimate them as my shield construct exploded apart into sharp arrows before they could cast more spells.
Blood splattered on the ground. The Death Eaters fell, pink arrows skewered through each of them.
Blitz and I stared at the dead bodies in silence.
I had no idea what was going on here but it was safe to say that Luna was in danger.
These Deatheaters mentioned something about Malfoy. If he was the one after her then we had to hurry before it was too late.
I turned to the destroyed fountain. The only reason her scent could have disappeared suddenly, was if she had used a high level Wizard spell called Apparation to teleport away-which I didn't think was the case- or...a Portkey. Same function but much safer.
There. In the gleeming fountain water, there were several coins. And one of them was practically overflowing with Mist. I touched Blitz before reaching in and grabbing the coin.
In an instant our surroundings changed.