The Librarian

The boat landed with a clunk against a long dock leading up to a grassy knoll. I could see something just over it, but I couldn't make it out.

"What do you think?" Nico whispered into my ear.

Whoa. Just WHOA. I couldn't stop staring. "Why did you do this?"

Nico smiled, his hand leaving its spot on my hip. "We'll be safe here, provided that you can cross the border."

"Good to know." I said, stepping off the boat gingerly.

Leo threw a rope to me. "Can you tie knots?" He grinned, the impish look Rick Riorden always described flickering over his face.

I held the rope in my hands with a blank look on my face. "I, um..."

"Here." Nico grabbed the rope and lashed it quickly to a post. He grabbed my hand and tugged me towards the end of the dock. "If you guys don't mind..."

Leo waved us on. "Go ahead." He laced his fingers through Calypso's. "We're good here."

Nico turned back and ran with me up the hill. "Come on!"

I laughed and followed, straining to see over the edge. Yet, when we reached the top, we didn't see the beautiful training camp.

"Oh gods." I stared down at shock at the broken ruins of the camp.

Notes