We followed him up the trail. It was surreal being back at camp, because

everything looked so peaceful: no burning buildings, no wounded fighters. The

cabins were bright in the sunshine, and the fields glittered with dew. But the

place was mostly empty.

 

Up at the Big House, something was definitely wrong. Green light was shooting

out all the windows, just like I'd seen in my dream about May Castellan. Mist —

the magical kind — swirled around the yard.

 

Chiron lay on a horse-size stretcher by the volleyball pit, a bunch of satyrs

standing around him.

 

Blackjack cantered nervously in the grass.

 

Don 't blame me, boss! he pleaded when he saw me. The weird girl made me do it!

 

Rachel Elizabeth Dare stood at the bottom of the porch steps. Her arms were

raised like she was waiting for someone inside the house to throw her a ball.

 

"What's she doing?" Annabeth demanded. "How did she get past the barriers?"

 

"She flew," one of the satyrs said, looking accusingly at Blackjack. "Right past

the dragon, right through the magic boundaries."

 

"Rachel!" I called, but the satyrs stopped me when I tried to go any closer.