Chapter 8

“I’m a what?”

As soon as Chiron saw the wings, and Dionysus too, they shared a few words and glances. Kayla was, indeed, a Thanatos child. The one and only. Daughter of peaceful death and death itself.

The conversation was one to remember, well-

“Unbelievable, child of Thanatos, God of peaceful death. I had my theories, but-“

“There’s a peaceful way to die? Hang on, I’m a what?” Kayla replied to Chiron outside of the Big House, tilting her head.

Chiron blanked, fumbling in his words. “Thanatos does not ring a bell? You should know most of the God’s and Goddesses by now, Kayla.

“Peaceful, peace- oh! The uh, what’s it-” Kayla looked down, clicking her fingers in recall. Her eyes widened, and as a usual Kayla-like reply was about to make its way out, she cursed under her breath. Chiron huffed in dissapointment. “Oh my God’s.”

“Yes?”

“Butteflies, butterflies? They’ve- like, they’re so common.”

“Not entirely. Perhaps himself?”

On top of that, the visit she took to Chiron also involved getting uncovered from her little detention escape, and therefore even more consequences that were all set out by Dionysus, but luckily Chiron’s presence managed to get a fair say out of him: Pegasus stable cleaning duties, for the next week. That was three times.

“you’re a- a who’s child?” Malcolm inclined his head as he currently sat with Kayla on the Hermes cabin floor beside her sleeping bag. It was pretty noisy, but with Kayla’s little nook at the back, it was just fine for her. No, she didn’t have a cabin. Chiron said it’d be a while for that. Kayla had explained all the things that had happened after she ran off from detention aswell as apologised to him profusely for her actions.

“Thanatos.” She said innocently.

“You?”

“What about me?” Kayla shrugged. She thought it made sense.

“The person who goes frolicking around like a mad hatter in a giggle fit atleast two times a day?” Malcolm replied.

Kayla shrugged again and snickered at Malcolm’s use of words, sighing. “Well it’s not like I’d have been an Aphrodite kid.”

Malcolm shook his head in agreement. “Ofcourse not. Who’d ever say you’d be an Aphrodite kid. But still. A Thanatos kid? That’s like- I don’t even know.”

“I think it makes sense,” Kayla admitted, and Malcolm inclined his head for further explanation. “Well, I’m guessing he has a big sorta thing with the colour black. That’s my favourite colour.” Kayla said with a smart look on her face, unintentionally funny and making Malcolm chuckle.

“Oh God’s, your favourite colour is black, so if mine is red, I’m a child of Ares?” Malcolm asked with a smirk, placing his hands on his knees as he crossed legs.

“No, look at you. You’re like, the antonym.”

Malcolm’s smile dropped dramatically, and he nudged his glasses up with his middle finger as an attempt to mindlessly flag her off.

“Okay, no- but seriously. Count my family members. How about that.”

Kayla crossed her arms, giving him a look over. Malcolm got his fingers out, pretending to count, before looking back up at her in fake shock with his eyes wide and jaw slightly dropped, placing all fingers down exept for one index finger.

“One. Your point?”

“Death,” Kayla pointed a finger at Malcolm to make her point. “I. Am. The. Epitome.” She stated with an undoubting voice.

“No, your dad is. You’re a little mini figure. With almost plastic wings.”

“They’re not plastic! I just don’t know how to fully retract them. Alright?” Kayla whined, putting her hands up in defense. Since earlier, Kayla had managed to bring her wings down to fold in on each other so far, so she could properly walk through doors or sit down if necessary. They wouldn’t go any further though. It left her with having to cut holes through one of her t-shirts she owned.

Malcolm chuckled, before they came to terms of agreement that maybe it did make sense. It didn’t to alot of people- Malcolm was just one of those so far. “Alright, alright, whatever. Anyway, did you hear about that Jackson kid?”

“What, the same one that was wiggling about all night over there?” Kayla pointed to a sleeping bag not far off from Percy’s. Unlike yesterday, there was no longer a minotaur horn there, or any of his keepsakes. Just an unkempt sleeping back and a half drank water bottle.

“Yeah, he’s been claimed. Same time as you.” Kayla looked shocked for a moment, chuckling, realising the irony of it all, but then it knocked in.

“What, he’s-” She paused. The wave of anger that ran through her was unthathomable. That little rat.
“Got his own prissy little cabin, that stupid one made out of sticks next to the lake.”

“Oh, gods, you sound just like her.”

Kayla disregarded her friends comment of whoever she sounded like. Her face was no longer happy. Seeing that little rascal, he would have to be claimed a second time with the havoc she’d cause for him. What an idiot, who comes after few days and gets claimed? Forget a wolf blowing down a stupid stick house, she’d blow it down herself if it came to it.

“He’s been issued a quest, too. He’s kinda- already gone.”

Kayla stood up on instinct. To do what, she had no clue. She just needed to stand up. She didn’t give a damn about quests. Not like she could get one anytime soon. Just… jealousy. And anger. And hatred to who ever hadn’t ever acknowledged her. Such a bratty boy, that Jackson. Malcolm had a look of regret on his face as he realised he made it worser.

“I’m gonna, go. Cool off.” She tried to reply in a toned down manner. Though, it had spiciness in it. She walked off without another word, out of the Hermes cabin. She couldn’t believe it, silly little drooler got claimed like he was the star of the show in his first week. And he got issued an immediate quest. She knew people that had been dying for quests for years and never got one, then this little rat, he’d come and shown them all how easy it was. Like it was easy.

Kayla quickly found herself back in the woods where she had been earlier. The same place she had been claimed. She sat on a rock beside the area with her knees tucked upto her chest, messing around with leaves and sticks. Percy’s claiming had been as easy as that. Straight onto a quest, that’s it. Like it was nothing and everything all at the same time. Yet Kayla’s claiming, well, there would still people around camp that didn’t even know about it. Her claiming had been horrible anyway. Painful to say the least. Considering Percy got a quest, his surely wasn’t that painful. The unfairness of it all. But that’s just life, her aunt would have told her. Life is so unfair.

Even being claimed, why now? Why not when she first arrived at camp? God of death, she thought. Peaceful death. She knew nothing about it. Now she knew who her dad was, yet she still knew nothing about him. Nothing important to her, anyway. Hell, she never knew anything about her mom either, so it wasn’t like knowing nothing for the other parent made it any different.

Kayla found herself deep in though about it all. Besides all that, why had she been claimed in that very second. While fighting Clarisse, on Capture the flag. A very random time. Percy’s probably came with a reason, didn’t it? She could answer her own question on that.

Without realising little butterflies flew above her head. Only two, yet they circled her head. Even gentle like a usual butterfly, there was a sort of chaos that they seemed to want to catch her attention with. The shadows of them casted little whimsical designs over her features, causing her to look up at the few flashes of no light. Another joined the group. They had a renewed vigor to the fluttering of their wings, like they were trying to tell her something- or simply sharing the delightful company. A smile twitched at her lips. Such quiet creatures. If it wasn’t for them placing shadows on her face them she would have never noticed them.

“Oh my, they’re gorgeous.”

Kayla snapped her head up from the leaf she had started pricking apart again with a jolt. “Who- Uh- huh, uh- yeah. Yeah, they’re nice.” Kayla spluttered out. Silena Beauregard. Her eyes immediately clicked onto the butterflies, not noting Kayla on the rock. She came to walk closer. What was she even doing in the woods? Not the average walk for an Aphrodite girl.

“Look, at them. They’re circling your head, they-” She finally looked down at Kayla, hunched over on the rock and picking little leaves apart. She probably looked no where near as beautiful as the Aphrodite girl. Silena just passed on a wide smile. “So that’s what they look like?” She came to step right infront of Kayla, which gave her the immediate response to sit up straight. Scary?

“Wha- uh, wings? These, yeah. Yeah they… look like that. Almost plastic.”

Silena chuckled. Kayla could have sworn the reason she placed a foot on the ground was to stop herself from falling off the rock. “Look at the purple in them, and the blue, wow… they’re massive. Why are you folding them like that?”

“They’re stuck.”

Silena peered over Kayla’s shoulder to see how they looked at the back. They were folded in quite an odd position, just like earlier- they looked tense and solid, almost. She went to touch them.

“Please don’t prick one out-“

Her hands felt over the big feathers at the top, trailing all the way down the edges of her left wing. Her wing fluttered and if it was possible, she sat even straighter. That felt weird. No one had touched them like that yet. “Why would I do that? That’s just cruel. I would never. Who would do such a thing?” Asked Silena. Kayla gave a tilt of the head, shrugging, before she questioned, “What are you doing in the woods?”

Usually, Aphrodite girls would be sitting in the strawberry fields, or on a random patch of grass, painting nails or braiding hair and sharing gossip. Besides, Silena on her own? Not a common sight. She faltered. “I’m just coming for a little walk. See the woods after the game. I was about to ask you the same question.”

“Just… I don’t know. Same, just without the walking?” She shrugged. Silena took a step away to get a better view at Kayla who still sat on the rock below her. “Don’t you have better things to be doing other than walking around in the woods, alone?” Asked Kayla. Any other time- a time where Kayla hadn’t been rethinking her entire life- she would have probably tried some cocky pick up line on Silena just to laugh at whatever reaction she would get. Not today, though. Today was probably the first time she’d had a serious, one on one conversation with the girl.

“Uhm… no, everyone’s busy.”

“Even Lia?”

“Even Lia.”

Kayla gave a raised eyebrow, but nodded none the less. Whatever. Maybe she was just having a walk. An idea popped into Kayla’s head. She considered it as she looked up with a debating look. They had enough time, right? “Silena?”

The girl turned her wandering head back to Kayla.

“I think you and your cabin still hold a grudge against me like, three years later, so… sorry for talking shit- I mean, bad, about the aphrodite cabin. It wasn’t meant for you. Just… a few of your siblings.” Kayla had attempted to apologise, yet each sentence that came out sounded like she was digging herself a deeper hole. She waited for an answer as Silena’s face turned from acceptance, to shock, then confusion. Ah, shit.

“You spoke stuff about our cabin?”

Kayla blanked. Her eyes went wide when she realised Silena didn’t even know. Oh dear, this wasn’t gonna make Silena happy. “What? Is that what I said? I meant, uhm… not me. Just like, a rumour, just something you thought-“

“It’s fine. I don’t care, I just didn’t know. I don’t hold any grudges against you by the way. My cabin- well, they just make it seem that way. Like we judge everyone.” Silena chuckled after her words, noticing how backhanded Kayla’s apology was, yet she understood.

Kayla tilted her head, but- they do judge everyone? She was about to speak up before deciding to keep her mouth shut. Probably for the best. “Well, still. I seriously didn’t mean it towards you. You’re… you’re cool.”

When Kayla went to say more, something along the lines of ‘for an Aphrodite kid,’ she decided against it. Maybe it wasn’t true. Aphrodite kids hadn’t actually ever done anything to her. Kayla was simply petty and stubborn. God, how she wished she could think something that wouldn’t sound rude for a single second. It was a habit.

“I… I should really get going. Don’t wanna be out after curfew. And I still gotta finish my walk.” Silena reasoned, backing up with a smile.

Kayla thought having to finish her walk after all this sounded pretty boring, but let it go. “Sure, yeah. Of course. See you around.” She waved, finally standing up to walk away herself. She walked back to the Hermes cabin with a little more of a boost in her step. It was so quiet. She turned back to see Silena who was already gone somehow, before shrugging and turning back around. Seeing Silena on her own- in the woods- was like seeing a dinosaur. Almost. Well, the interaction had sure cooled her off, definitely.

Please vote
Kayla having some unreasoned hate towards the Aphrodite cabin is hilarious to me, and the fact I didn’t even plan it to match up with her mom, BUT- her also having habits of thinking rude and judge-y thoughts is so funny hehe. Its like something she got from her mom and she doesn’t even know about it.

Ahh, Clarisse. Ahh, the next chapter. Ahh…