"Morning, Fay!" Travis Stoll called out as he jogged past the arena, a mischievous grin plastered on his face that usually meant trouble somewhere in camp.
Fay nodded in response, not bothering to ask what new chaos the Hermes cabin was planning. Her attention remained fixed on the younger campers practicing their sword forms. The morning sun glinted off celestial bronze as twenty demigods moved in synchronized patterns, their movements still awkward but improving.
Three days since Luke had left. Three days of stepping into roles that felt both natural and overwhelming. The weight of responsibility pressed against her shoulders as she scanned the training grounds, mentally cataloging which areas needed the most attention.
"Their footwork is still sloppy," she murmured to James, who stood beside her with arms crossed over his massive chest. The son of Hephaestus had been silent for so long she'd almost forgotten he was there.
"Better than last week," he replied, his deep voice rumbling. "The youngest ones couldn't even hold a sword properly then."
Fay sighed, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear. "We're running out of time to get 'better.' Luke was clear about accelerating the training schedule."
The camp felt different without Luke's presence, quieter, yet somehow more frantic. His absence had left a vacuum that all of them were struggling to fill, each in their own way. James with his weapons forge running day and night, Malcolm's network of informants sending daily updates, and Fay herself, pushing the training rotations harder than ever.
"Ethan!" she called sharply, spotting the young boy at the edge of the group. "Demonstrate the parry sequence again. Everyone's watching their own feet instead of their opponents."
Ethan nodded curtly, his small frame straightening at the command. Despite being only twelve, he moved with the precision of someone years older as he stepped into the center of the practice area. Even at this young age he was recognised as one of the most talented swordsman in the camp after Luke. The other campers formed a circle around him, their faces a mixture of respect and wariness.
"Remember what Luke taught us," Ethan said, his voice carrying surprising authority for someone so young. "Your sword is an extension of your arm. Your eyes stay on your opponent, not on yourself."
Fay watched as he executed a perfect series of defensive maneuvers, his blade flashing in the sunlight. Pride mixed with concern in her chest, pride at his skill, concern at how quickly childhood was being stripped away from all of them.
"He's good," James observed quietly.
"Too good," Fay replied. "He's pushing himself harder than anyone since Luke left. I found him practicing alone at midnight yesterday."
James frowned. "Kid's going to burn himself out."
"I know." Fay crossed her arms, feeling the familiar twist of worry in her stomach. "But telling him to slow down would be hypocritical, considering none of us are sleeping either."
After Ethan's demonstration, she clapped her hands to regain the group's attention. "Pair up and practice! Remember, this isn't about strength, it's about technique. A monster won't care how hard you can hit if you can't stay alive long enough to land the blow."
As the campers divided into pairs, Fay felt a presence behind her. She turned to find Silena Beauregard, her half-sister from the Aphrodite cabin, approaching with a troubled expression.
"We need to talk," Silena said, her voice low enough that only Fay could hear.
Fay nodded. "James, take over for a minute?"
The son of Hephaestus grunted in affirmation, stepping forward to correct a young Apollo camper's grip while Fay and Silena moved to the shade of a nearby oak tree.
"What's wrong?" Fay asked, studying her sister's face. Despite their shared parentage, they couldn't have looked more different, Silena with her warm brown hair and soft features, Fay with her stark contrast of black hair against pale skin.
"Drew's causing problems again," Silena sighed, running a hand through her hair. "She told the younger girls they don't need combat training because they can 'charm their way out of danger.'"
Fay's jaw tightened. "Of course she did."
"I tried explaining that's not how it works, but she has this way of making everything I say sound stupid."
"I'll handle it," Fay said, feeling a headache forming behind her eyes. "Where is she now?"
"Cabin, probably. Doing her makeup for the third time today."
Fay checked her watch, a gift from Luke last summer, enchanted to never lose time. "I'll stop by after this session ends. In the meantime, can you check on the border patrol schedules? Malcolm sent word that there's been increased monster activity to the north."
Silena's eyes widened slightly. "You think they could be testing our defenses?"
"I think we can't afford to assume they're not," Fay replied, the words tasting bitter in her mouth. "Luke warned us that with a child of Zeus in the mix, monster attacks will only increase."
"It's not fair," Silena whispered. "Putting all this on him. On us."
Something in her sister's vulnerable tone made Fay soften her expression. She placed a hand on Silena's shoulder. "No, it's not fair. None of this is. But fair stopped mattering the moment we found out who our parents were."
Silena nodded, straightening her posture. "I'll review the schedules and double the northern patrols."
"Good. And Silena?" Fay caught her sister's eye. "Don't let Drew get to you. She's insecure, that's all."
After Silena left, Fay returned to the training area just as Ethan was disarming an older Demeter boy with a move that would have made Luke proud. The gathered campers erupted in applause, and for a brief moment, Ethan's perpetual scowl lifted into something resembling a smile.
"All right, enough spectating," Fay called out, clapping her hands. "Back to work! I want to see everyone master that disarming technique by lunch."
As the morning progressed, Fay moved through the groups, adjusting stances here, demonstrating techniques there. Her mind, however, kept drifting to Luke, wondering where he was now, if he was safe. The prophecy he'd received haunted her nights, its ominous final line suggesting a price she wasn't prepared to pay.
"You're distracted," came a quiet voice beside her.
Fay turned to find Ethan watching her, his dark eyes too perceptive for his age. She sometimes forgot he was only twelve, his intensity made him seem much older.
"Just multi-tasking," she deflected, forcing a smile.
Ethan wasn't fooled. "You're worried about him."
Fay considered lying, then decided against it. Ethan deserved better than that. "Yes," she admitted. "Aren't you?"
"He'll be fine," Ethan said with absolute conviction. "Luke always comes back."
The certainty in his voice made something twist in Fay's chest. "Of course he will," she agreed, wishing she felt the same unwavering faith. "But until then, we have work to do."
After training concluded, Fay headed toward the Aphrodite cabin, her irritation growing with each step. Drew Tanaka was only thirteen, but she had been the most difficult sibling in the Aphrodite cabin since arriving at camp earlier this summer. She beautiful, talented, and utterly convinced that combat training was beneath children of Aphrodite.
The cabin itself was a visual assault of pink and lace, its exterior gleaming in the midday sun. Fay pushed open the door without knocking, the scent of designer perfumes washing over her in a cloying wave.
Drew sat at her vanity, applying lipstick with meticulous precision. She caught Fay's reflection in the mirror and smiled sweetly. "Well, if it isn't our warrior princess. Come to borrow some concealer for those dreadful bags under your eyes?"
Three other Aphrodite girls giggled from their bunks, watching the exchange with eager anticipation.
"Out," Fay said to them, her voice deceptively soft. "I need to speak with Drew alone."
Something in her tone must have registered, because the girls quickly gathered their things and scurried from the cabin, leaving Drew and Fay in tense silence.
Drew capped her lipstick and turned to face Fay, her perfect features arranged in an expression of innocence. "Is something wrong, sister dear?"
Fay took a deep breath, studying the girl before her. Despite Drew's perfect makeup and haughty expression, Fay could see the shadows beneath the carefully applied concealer, the slight tension in her shoulders. Not for the first time, she found herself remembering what Woodrow, the satyr who had brought her to camp, had told her when he'd brought Drew to camp last summer.
A father who'd abandoned them when Drew was five. A mother who'd paraded her step-daughter like a trophy, entering her in child beauty pageants before she could even speak in complete sentences. Years of being valued only for her appearance, taught that beauty was currency and charm was power.
"I'm not here to fight with you, Drew," Fay said, softening her tone as she sat on the bed across from the vanity. "But we need to talk about what you're telling the younger campers."
Drew rolled her eyes, turning back to the mirror. "What? That they shouldn't waste time getting all sweaty and gross when they could be developing skills that actually matter?"
"Is that what you truly believe? Or is that what someone told you to believe?"
The question seemed to catch Drew off-guard. Her hand faltered slightly as she reached for her mascara. At thirteen, she was at that precarious age, still a child in many ways, yet desperately trying to project sophistication beyond her years.
"I'm just being practical," Drew replied, her voice taking on that honeyed quality that signaled she was close to using her charmspeak. "Not everyone needs to be a warrior. Some of us have other talents."
Fay nodded slowly. "You're right about that part. We do have other talents." She leaned forward, catching Drew's gaze in the mirror. "Charmspeak is powerful, Drew. It's a rare gift that only three of us in this cabin possess. But it has limitations."
"Like what?" Drew challenged, but Fay could see genuine curiosity beneath the defiance.
"It doesn't work on monsters, for one. Not most of them, anyway. And it can fail when you're exhausted or injured." Fay kept her voice gentle, remembering how she'd learned these lessons herself, the hard way. "If a hellhound is charging at you, all the charm in the world won't stop its claws."
Drew's expression flickered, a momentary crack in her armor. "So what? I'll just stay inside the camp borders."
"Forever?" Fay asked quietly. "Never leave? Never see the world? Is that the life you want?"
Silence stretched between them as Drew pretended to be absorbed in organizing her makeup brushes. Fay waited, recognizing the defensive tactics for what they were.
"I was twelve when I first came to camp," Fay said finally, changing tack. "My mother, our mother, never told me who she was. I figured it out when the monsters started coming."
Drew's hands stilled. This was new information; Fay rarely spoke about her life before camp.
"I survived because a stranger, a son of Apollo, saw me being chased and taught me how to fight. He didn't have to. He could have kept walking." Fay's voice grew soft with the memory. "But he stopped, and he helped, and that's why I'm alive to have this conversation with you."
"Is this supposed to be some inspirational pep talk?" Drew muttered, but the bite in her words had lessened.
Fay smiled slightly. "No. It's me telling you that I understand wanting to rely on what comes naturally. Using beauty and charm as weapons, they're powerful tools, and you shouldn't ignore them. But they can't be your only defense."
Something vulnerable flashed across Drew's face before she masked it with another eye roll. "Whatever. I still don't see why I need to learn how to use a sword."
"Because you're more than just a pretty face, Drew. Even if that's all anyone's ever valued about you before."
The words landed with visible impact. Drew's carefully cultivated expression cracked, just for a moment, revealing the confused and uncertain thirteen-year-old beneath.
Fay stood, moving to sit beside Drew at the vanity. She picked up a hairbrush, gently taking over the task of smoothing Drew's already perfect hair.
"When I was your age," she said softly, "I hated being a daughter of Aphrodite. I thought it meant I was supposed to be nothing but beautiful and vapid. It took me years to realize that love isn't weak, it's fierce. It's protective. It's why we fight at all."
Drew remained silent, but Fay could feel some of the tension leaving her shoulders as the brush moved through her hair.
"You don't have to be like me," Fay continued. "You don't even have to like me. But I need you to understand that I'm trying to keep you alive, not change who you are."
After a long moment, Drew spoke, her voice uncharacteristically small. "The other cabins laugh at us. They think we're jokes."
Ah. There it was—the real issue. Fay nodded, understanding immediately. "They used to laugh at me too."
"But they don't anymore," Drew said, a hint of admiration creeping into her tone despite herself. "How did you make them stop?"
"I didn't try to be someone else. I just refused to let them define what a daughter of Aphrodite could be." Fay set down the hairbrush. "The respect came later, after I stopped caring if they respected me at all."
Drew turned to face her, skepticism written across her features. "That doesn't make any sense."
"It will someday," Fay promised. She stood, moving toward the door. "Training tomorrow morning. Seven AM. I expect to see you there."
"What if I don't come?" Drew challenged, though the question lacked her usual venom.
Fay paused at the threshold, looking back at her young sister with a mixture of affection and exasperation. "Then I'll come find you, and we'll train privately. Your choice."
She left Drew sitting at the vanity, staring after her with an unreadable expression. As Fay stepped back into the sunlight, she felt a familiar weariness settle over her. Managing the complex dynamics of the Aphrodite cabin was always challenging, but with Luke away, every interaction felt more crucial, every decision more weighted. The responsibility on her shoulders was much greater.
The conch horn sounded in the distance, signaling lunch. Fay turned toward the dining pavilion, hoping her words had made some impact. Drew was still so young, still finding her footing in a world that had never been kind to her. Behind the sharp tongue and perfect makeup was a girl desperate to prove her worth, a feeling Fay understood all too well.
Whether Drew would show up for training tomorrow remained to be seen, but Fay had planted the seed. Sometimes, with her siblings, that was all she could do, offer them a different vision of who they could be, then step back and let them choose.
As she approached the dining pavilion, Ethan fell into step beside her, his face set in its usual serious expression.
"Any word from Luke?" he asked without preamble.
"Not yet," Fay replied. "But it's only been three days."
Ethan nodded, accepting this with stoic patience. "The Ares cabin is trying to take over the advanced training sessions. They say without Luke here, they should lead."
Fay felt a flash of irritation. "Of course they are. Tell me you didn't stab any of them."
The corner of Ethan's mouth twitched in what might have been a smile. "Not yet. But the day is young."
Despite everything, Fay laughed, draping an arm around the boy's shoulders as they walked. "Let me handle Jake. You focus on keeping the younger kids' morale up."
"Fine," Ethan agreed reluctantly. "But if he challenges you—"
"He won't," Fay said with quiet confidence. "Jake respects strength, and it's time I put him down a peg."
As they entered the dining pavilion, Fay felt dozens of eyes turn toward her. In Luke's absence, the campers looked to her and the other senior counselors for guidance, for reassurance. She straightened her shoulders, pushing aside her worries about Drew, about Luke, about the prophecy.
After the meal, Fay spotted Jake in the training grounds surrounded by a group of younger campers who looked more frightened than focused. Her jaw tightened as she watched him demonstrate a sword technique with unnecessary force, sending a twelve-year-old Apollo boy stumbling backward.
"I'll catch up with you later," she told Ethan, who followed her gaze and scowled.
"Want backup?" he asked, his hand already drifting toward the knife at his belt.
"No," Fay said firmly. "This is between me and him."
As she approached, she saw him grab a young Hermes girl by the wrist, yanking her arm into what he claimed was the proper sword position. The girl's face contorted with pain, but she didn't cry out.
"Thayne," Fay called, her voice carrying across the training area.
Jake turned, and the predatory smile that spread across his face made her stomach turn. He straightened, running a hand over his shaved head in what he clearly thought was an attractive gesture.
"Well, well, hello beautiful" he drawled, releasing the girl's wrist. "Look who finally decided she needs some combat advice."
The younger campers exchanged nervous glances, sensing the tension crackling between the two seniors. Fay kept her expression neutral, though her fingers itched to reach for the dagger strapped to her thigh.
"I need a word," she said coolly. "Alone."
Jake's eyes gleamed with that violence she now found so repulsive. Once, she'd mistaken that intensity for passion. Now she recognized it for what it was, a barely contained desire to dominate and control.
"Well, look who it is," Jake called out, loud enough for nearby tables to hear. "Couldn't stay away, could you, beautiful?"
Several of his siblings who were sitting and watching snickered.
"We need to talk," Fay said, keeping her voice level. "Privately."
Jake's smile widened, "Anything for you, babe." He turned to the gathered campers. "Keep practicing that disarm. Anyone who can't do it by the time I get back runs laps until dinner."
"Don't call me that," she said, turning without waiting to see if he followed. She knew he would. Jake's ego wouldn't allow him to do anything else, especially with his siblings watching.
The younger campers scrambled to pair up, their movements frantic and uncoordinated. Fay's irritation deepened as she led Jake away from the group, toward the edge of the training area where they wouldn't be overheard.
"What's this about?" Jake asked, stepping closer than necessary. His cologne was too strong, too artificial, like everything else about him. "Finally ready to admit you miss me?"
Fay held her ground, refusing to step back despite his proximity.
"I hear you're trying to take over the advanced training sessions," she said without preamble.
Jake's expression shifted from flirtatious to defensive in an instant. "Yeah, so what? With Luke gone, someone needs to step up. Might as well be the best fighter in camp."
Fay bit back a laugh. "The best fighter? That's a bold claim."
"You know it's true," he said, leaning closer. His breath smelled of barbecue and garlic. "Remember how impressed you were with my... skills?"
Her eyes flashed with disdain at his answer."I remember being decidedly unimpressed, which is why we ended things," Fay replied coolly.
Jake's laugh was sharp and dismissive. "Look, Fay, I get that you're trying to keep Luke's seat warm, but these kids need real warriors teaching them, not..." His eyes raked over her body in a way that made her skin crawl. "...distractions."
The insult landed exactly as he'd intended, but Fay didn't rise to the bait. Instead, she smiled, the expression not reaching her eyes.
"Is that what you think I am? A distraction?" She stepped closer, watching his pupils dilate slightly. "That's interesting, considering how easily distracted you were when we were together. What was your record again? Two minutes?"
The barb hit its mark. Jake's cocky expression faltered, replaced by a flash of anger that he quickly masked with another forced smile.
"That's not how I remember it," he growled, lowering his voice. "And I'm happy to refresh your memory anytime."
"I didn't come here to reminisce about disappointments," Fay said, her tone hardening. "I came to tell you to back off. The training schedule stays as Luke arranged it. James, Malcolm, and I are handling the advanced sessions. You're welcome to assist, but you don't get to override Luke's plans just because he's temporarily away."
"Temporarily?" Jake scoffed. "The guy went west on a suicide quest. Everyone knows that prophecy ends with him dying."
The words hit Fay like a physical blow, and her annoyance at but she kept her expression neutral. "If that's what you think, you don't know Luke very well."
"Maybe I don't," Jake conceded, his tone softening slightly as he stepped closer. "But I know you, Fay. I know what makes you tick." His hand reached out, fingers brushing against her arm. "We were good together. Could be again."
Fay stepped back, breaking the contact. "We were never 'together,' Jake. We hooked up a few times. That's it."
"And I'm only telling you this once." Fay voice sharpened. "The senior counselors agreed on the schedule together. Don't try and fuck around with it."
Jake's facade of charm vanished entirely. He leaned in, his voice dropping to a threatening whisper. "You don't get to order me around, princess. Not anymore."
"I'm not ordering. I'm informing," Fay replied, a sweet smile masking her venomous tone. "And while we're having this chat, ease up on the younger campers. They're terrified, not trained."
"They should be terrified," Jake snapped. "The monsters won't go easy on them."
"Neither will they learn if they're too afraid to focus," Fay countered. "There's a difference between tough love and bullying, Thayne. Figure it out."
She turned to leave, but Jake grabbed her wrist, his fingers digging into her skin. The contact sent a wave of revulsion through her body.
"We're not done here," he said, his voice low and dangerous.
Fay didn't move. She stared at Jake's hand wrapped around her wrist, then slowly lifted her gaze to his face. Her blue eyes hardened to ice as a dangerous smile spread across her lips.
"Oh Jake," she said softly, her voice carrying a deceptive sweetness that made several nearby campers pause in their training. "You know, I really didn't want to do this, but I'm going to have to make an example of you."
She infused her next words with charmspeak, the power flowing through her voice like honey laced with venom. "Let me go."
Jake's grip loosened immediately. His eyes glazed over, his expression slackening as the charmspeak took hold. His hand fell away from her wrist.
Fay leaned closer, her voice dropping to an intimate murmur. "You're awake, but you can't move or speak."
The effect was instant. Jake's eyes snapped back into focus, panic replacing the glazed look. His muscles tensed as he tried to move, to speak, but his body refused to obey. Rage filled his eyes as he realized what she had done.
She stepped closer, one hand resting lightly on his chest. To anyone watching from across the training grounds, it might have appeared like a reconciliation, perhaps even a prelude to a kiss. But Fay smoothly slid her celestial bronze dagger from its thigh sheath and pressed the flat of the blade against his crotch.
Jake's eyes widened, panic overwhelming the rage as he registered the cool touch of metal through his jeans.
"Oh, you stupid, stupid boy," Fay whispered, noting the conflicting reactions of his body. His face had gone pale, beads of sweat forming on his brow despite the cool spring air. "Are you actually getting hard as I do this?"
She read his body language with practiced ease, the shame in his eyes, the tremble in his jaw as he fought uselessly against her command.
Fay leaned even closer, her lips brushing his ear as she whispered, her voice thick with the strongest charmspeak she could muster: "Cum."
Jake let out a muffled squeal, the only sound he could produce under her command. His knees buckled slightly as his pupils dilated and his face flushed bright red with humiliation. The wet stain spreading across the front of his jeans was visible only to Fay, but the mortification in his eyes told her everything.
"Pathetic," she said, stepping back and sheathing her dagger in one fluid motion.
She released him from her hold with a casual flick of her hand. "Now that we understand each other, let me be perfectly clear. The training schedule stays as is. You will not bully the younger campers. And if I ever—" she emphasized the word by tapping her finger against his chest, "—feel your hand on me again without my permission, what just happened will seem like a pleasant memory compared to what I'll do next."
Jake remained frozen in place, his face a mottled red, shame and fury warring in his expression.
Fay turned her back on him deliberately, a final insult that said he wasn't even worth watching for retaliation. She walked away with measured steps, her posture perfect, aware that dozens of eyes followed her movement across the training ground.
"Everything all right?" Ethan asked, when she rejoined him near the armory, his dark eyes darting to where Jake still stood, seemingly unable to move.
"Fine," Fay replied, keeping her voice light despite the unease settling in her stomach. Using charmspeak that way had left a bitter taste in her mouth.
She could already feel the familiar rush fading, leaving behind that hollow ache she always experienced after using her power so forcefully. It was like a drug, the immediate high followed by the inevitable crash. A dangerous dance she'd knew she had to limit.
"What did you do to him?" Ethan asked, his dark eyes narrowing as he watched Jake finally stumble away, shoulders hunched as he headed toward the bathrooms.
"Nothing he didn't deserve. Jake and I have reached an understanding about the training schedule." Fay said, avoiding the real answer. She rubbed her temples, feeling the beginnings of a headache forming. Using charmspeak at that intensity always drained her.
Before Luke had arrived at camp two years ago, she'd used her abilities carelessly, manipulating situations and people to her advantage. Small things at first, convincing a cabin mate to trade desserts, persuading a teacher to extend a deadline. But power, like water, found ways to flow beyond its intended channels. She'd started using it to win arguments, to make boys fall for her, to control situations that made her uncomfortable.
When she'd first started training seriously under Luke's guidance, she'd discovered that her charmspeak grew stronger with practice, like any muscle. What had once been a gentle nudge of persuasion could now become an irresistible command. The power had grown, but so had the temptation to use it.
But it was more complicated that that. Every time she used charmspeak like she just had with Jake, to humiliate, to control, to punish, she felt a piece of herself slip away. It would be so easy to become the kind of person who solved all their problems that way. A word here, a command there, and the world would bend to her will.
That was the trap of a child of Aphrodite blessed with charmspeak. Not vanity, as most assumed, but the intoxicating power of manipulation. Beauty was merely the most visible weapon in their arsenal.
"You used charmspeak," Ethan said. It wasn't a question. The boy was too observant for his age.
"Yes," she admitted. "I shouldn't have."
Ethan shrugged. "He's an ass."
Despite herself, Fay laughed. "Language, kid."
"I'm not a kid," he replied automatically, the familiar response bringing a small smile to her face.
"But be careful. He won't forgive that," he said quietly.
"I don't need his forgiveness," Fay replied, though she knew Ethan was right. She'd humiliated Jake in the worst possible way, and sons of Ares weren't known for their forgiving nature. "I need his compliance."
"I need to check on the Apollo cabin's archery practice," Fay said, changing the topic and needing a moment alone. "Can you tell James I'll meet him at dinner to discuss the new security framework?"
Ethan nodded, shooting her one last concerned look before heading toward the hulking figure of James across the armory yard.
Fay turned away, walking not toward the archery range but to the small creek that ran along the edge of the woods. She needed space to clear her head.
She found a flat rock overlooking the water and sat, watching the current flow over smooth stones. The headache pulsed behind her eyes, punishment for breaking her own rules.
"Stupid," she muttered to herself. "So stupid."
She could have handled Jake a dozen different ways. A public takedown in the arena, perhaps, or simply reporting his behavior to Bruce, his Head Counsellor. Instead, she'd taken the easy route, using her power because she could, because part of her had wanted to see him brought low in the most humiliating way possible.
The creek burbled beside her, indifferent to her moral dilemma. Fay dipped her fingers into the cool water, letting it flow between them as she tried to center herself again.
Luke had been the one to help her understand the responsibility that came with charmspeak. He'd recognized what she was doing almost immediately after arriving at camp, the subtle ways she influenced conversations, the unnatural ease with which she navigated social situations.
"It's a weapon," he'd told her one night during guard duty, his voice matter-of-fact rather than accusatory. "And weapons need discipline, or they end up hurting the wielder more than the target."
At first, she'd been defensive, insisting she was just using her natural gifts. But Luke had simply asked, "Would you respect someone who used their superior strength to get whatever they wanted? Someone who threatened and intimidated others just because they could?"
The question had stayed with her, haunting her thoughts until she realized he was right. Power without restraint wasn't strength, it was weakness masquerading as control.
Fay sighed, splashing water on her face. The coolness helped clear her mind, washing away some of the lingering effects of the charmspeak. She needed to be better than this, especially with Luke gone. The younger campers were watching her, looking to her as an example.
A twig snapped behind her, and Fay turned sharply, hand moving automatically to her dagger.
"Easy there," came Silena's voice as her half-sister emerged from the tree line. "Just me."
Fay relaxed slightly, letting her hand fall away from the weapon. "Sorry. Instinct."
Silena settled beside her on the rock, her movements graceful despite the uneven surface. "Ethan told me what happened with Jake."
Of course he had. Nothing stayed secret at camp for long.
"I shouldn't have done it," Fay admitted, staring at the water. "Using charmspeak like that... it's a slippery slope."
"He deserved worse," Silena said, surprising her with the vehemence in her voice. "Everyone knows he's been trying to undermine the training schedule since Luke left."
"That's not the point." Fay picked up a small stone and tossed it into the creek, watching the ripples spread outward. "I used my power because it was easy, because I wanted to hurt him. That's exactly what I've been trying not to do."
Silena was quiet for a moment, considering. "You know," she said finally, "sometimes I think we're too hard on ourselves. The Ares kids don't apologize for being aggressive. The Athena cabin doesn't feel guilty for being smart. Why should we feel bad about using the gifts we were born with?"
It was an argument Fay had made to herself many times before, especially in the early days. But she knew better now.
"Because our gifts don't just affect us," she explained. "Charmspeak takes away choice. It overrides will. That's different from being strong or clever."
Silena sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I guess. But still, Jake was out of line."
"He was," Fay agreed. "And I could have handled it differently."
They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, watching the water flow past. The headache was beginning to recede, leaving behind a dull awareness of what she'd done.
"Anyway," Silena said eventually, "I came to tell you that Drew showed up at the infirmary asking to learn basic first aid. Said something about needing more skills than just looking pretty."
Fay glanced at her sister in surprise. "Really?"
Silena nodded, a small smile playing at her lips. "Whatever you said to her must have made an impression."
The news eased some of Fay's guilt. Maybe she'd done some good today after all, despite her lapse in judgment with Jake.
"We should head back," she said, standing and brushing dirt from her jeans. "Dinner soon, and I need to check the patrol schedules."
As they walked back toward the cabins, Fay felt the weight of responsibility settle on her shoulders again. Luke had trusted her to help lead in his absence, and she wouldn't let him down. She was more than her abilities, more than her mother's gifts. Luke had helped her see that, and now it was her turn to demonstrate it to others.
x______X
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