Jay was still in his pajamas when I sat down at the Poseidon table. I don't understand how that kid always manages to keep his head up. He's proud all the time. Like: Oh heck yeah. I know you want to be me.

I don't.

I picked at my food. I was hungry, yes, but I was too excited to eat.

I kind of just sat there waiting for Asha to finish her breakfast. I ate a little bit, knowing that I would need my strength in order to get back to training, but only enough to take the edge of my hunger.

When Asha walked over to me I was surprised to see the grim expression on her face. "I gotta tell you something." She said, grabbing my arm and dragging me out of the dining pavilion.

"Asha, what are you doing?" I snapped, yanking my arm away from her. Asha stopped and looked at me. The worried expression in her dark eyes made me shiver. How could something have ruined her good mood so easily?

Asha rubbed the back of her head, an old habit she had inherited from dad. "Andrew just said something that kind of...well it was weird. He said he had a bad feeling, like something was going to happen."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Andrew? Isn't he...like...ten?" I checked. Asha nodded. "Then what does his opinion have to do with us?"

Asha's eyes widened. "This isn't an opinion, Bianca!" She shouted. "This could be serious!"

I shrugged. "Whatever the case, maybe we should just brush it off for now?"

"Yeah..." She muttered. "Brush it off...easy as that."

"Let's go train. I need to get back into the demigodishness spirit." I said, trotting off toward the sword arena. After a moments hesitation, Asha followed me.

•••

Asha and I trained until dinner. By the time the horn blew I was tired and sore, and I was glad to shove a meal into my face.

Despite our hunger, we took our time getting to the dining pavilion, laughing and talking loudly all the way there. It felt good to be pretty much normal again.

The first thing I noticed in the dining pavilion was everyone staring toward the front. No one had food.

Asha shot me a quizzical look before walking toward her table. Heads turned and stared at her as she made her way between the tables, and I made a dash for my own table while everyone's attention was on my sister.

Jay merely glanced at me as I slid down in my seat beside him. I tapped him on the shoulder but he shook his head, an obvious signal to tell me to shut up.

I sighed and directed my attention to the front, where Chiron was staring over the mass of demigods. "Now that we're all here," he began. "I figured I should share some important news with you."

Uh oh. That didn't sound good.

Chiron continued cautiously. "It has come to my attention that there are monsters keeping a very close eye on our camp. I want you all to be aware of this, as it is very possible that they will try to ambush you. I strongly advise that you do not travel around camp without your weapon or a partner."

A murmur of agreement ripple through the crowd. Chiron nodded his head and swished his tail. "Alright, you may eat now."

It was like trying to swim in an ocean during a storm. I had to push through so many people I lost count. All I wanted was some food!

When I got back to the table after dropping off my usual sacrifice to Poseidon and Hades, I noticed that Jay wasn't there. I'm sure that he just got caught up in the feeding frenzy. I told myself, shaking off any lingering nerves from Chiron's warning.

But, as dinner progressed, I didn't see any sign of Jay. I kept one eye out for him while I ate. It was kind of lonely with no one else sitting at your table. For once, I felt Asha's pain.

Chiron clopped by me. When he saw that I was eating alone, his eyes widened slightly. "Where's Jay?" He asked. I shrugged and chewed the hunk of food in my mouth as fast as I could.

No, I am not ladylike. No, I do not take chintzy little bites of my food and chew them delicately. I cut my barbecue in half and shove it down my throat, then I take a forkful of everything else on my plate and make sure every square inch of my mouth is full before I chew.

Believe it boys. Girls can be pigs too.

Chiron looked worried. He waited for me to finish chewing before continuing our conversation. Not that it was much of a conversation, considering I hadn't said a word.

"You haven't seen him all throughout dinner?" Chiron checked. I shook my head. "Do you have any idea where he might of gone?" I asked.

Chiron's eyes darkened. "A few, actually. Well, keep an eye out for him, Bianca."

I watched him clop away. My heart sunk into my stomach. I didn't like Chiron's tone. It was as if he suspected...

No, that's crazy. All I'm doing is worrying myself.

I finished the rest of my dinner and decided not to wait for Asha. I was tired after today's training, and, sure, I had been let out of the infirmary, but I was still feeling the effects of the poison. I had a bit of a headache, and the scratch on my stomach hurt a little.

I worked my way back to the Poseidon cabin at a slow pace, keeping an eye out for Jay. I didn't see him anywhere, though I happened to run into his sister, Julia.

"Have you seen Jay?" I asked. Julia shook her head. "I've been looking everywhere for him. I don't know where he's gone."

Suddenly I heard a loud yell from the dining pavilion. Julia and I both jumped, then turned around and ran back the way we had come. At least, I'm assuming that's where she came from.

Everyone that still remained under the pavilion was staring in horror at the head table, where an Iris Message was floating.

Julia ran to the front, pushing her way between people. I followed close behind.

"THAT'S MY BROTHER!" Julia screamed, staring at the Iris Message.

My heart stopped. There really were monsters watching Camp Half-Blood, and they had just taken their first victim.

Jay.