Page 26 of The Wild Zone

“It burns my eyes,” Harper complained.

Benny frowned. “Is that…?”

“Hello, I’m Apollo.” The handsome man winked at the camera. “You may know me from the Oracle of Delphi, my triple-platinum album Nine with the Muses, or the plague I visited upon the Greeks during the Trojan War. But don’t worry! Here at Camp Half-Blood, the only plague you’ll have to worry about is infectious fun!”

“Kill me now,” groaned Zuri.

“Before I give you a personal tour,” continued Apollo, “I’d like to set the mood with a poem by me, recited dramatically by…me.”

It only got worse from there.

Benny, Harper, and I glanced at Zuri, trying to convey how sorry we were. I imagine we’d all had experiences with embarrassing parents, but nothing like this. Zuri tented her hands over with her eyes, trying to avoid looking at us or her dad.

We quickly realized Apollo wasn’t just the opening act. He was pretty much the entire film. He explained the camp rules in the form of limericks. He gave us a Shakespearean soliloquy about personal hygiene and shower times. Benny, Harper, and I did our best to take it seriously, but when Apollo quick-changed into a flashy gold suit and started tap-dancing across the dining pavilion tables while singing “Marble may be marble-ous…” we busted out laughing.

“He’s the worst,” Zuri muttered, but even she was trying to suppress a mortified smile.

Honestly, the film wasn’t even that funny. I think we all cracked up so much because we were releasing our nervous energy from the night before. We were relieved to be alive, to still be at camp, and to be around people who weren’t out to get us. That’s how I felt, anyway.

When the film finally ended, we applauded politely. The glowing screen disappeared, and Argus emerged from his closet with an amused smirk. “Hey, look at that. Nobody tried to jump out the window.”

“That was an option?” Harper asked.

The rest of us laughed, including Argus.

“Any questions?” he asked, though the pained look on his face told me the correct answer was no.

“No,” we said in unison.

“Very well.” He motioned toward the front door. “Go on, then, and no more curfew-breaking! Enjoy the camp. Get your first lessons.”

Benny, Harper, and Zuri hustled toward the exit, but I took my time getting out of my chair.

“You all right there, Katie?” Argus asked. “Did you have a question?”

I had plenty, but none I could ask him.

“I just…I don’t know where to go,” I said. “Nobody gave me a class schedule.”

Argus smiled kindly. “You choose your own activities here. What do you like to do?”

I blinked, baffled. Nobody had ever asked me that. Since as far back as I could remember, Mom had just made me do whatever Olivia did…at least until I failed at it.

“I…” I frowned. “Is there a jigsaw puzzle class? Or crossword puzzle seminar? I’m really good at solo activities.”

Argus chuckled. “Maybe it’s time to branch out. A lot of new students start with Greek language studies. Demigods tend to pick that up quite easily.”

I shook my head. “I’m already fluent. Is there any class that might make this whole transition process easier?”

I hoped he didn’t hear the catch in my voice, or sense how lost I really felt.

“Hmm.” Argus stroked his eyeball-covered chin. “Maybe Pantheon Politics?”

I wrinkled my nose. “Politics?”

“It helps you understand why the gods do what they do.” Argus tapped his skull. “Gets you into their heads.”

“Into their heads…” I stroked my own eyeball-free chin. “Where’s that held?”