Page 31 of The Wild Zone

“Thanks,” I said with a forced smile. “I’ll take a look later.”

I left Beckendorf to close up his forge and wandered across camp.

My schedule was my own until lunch, but at that moment, I didn’t really feel like starting anything new. I was shaking from my talk with Beckendorf. I hadn’t realized how much fear and worry I’d been keeping inside.

I strolled toward the pegasus stables, where it looked like someone was getting their first lesson on a winged horse. Two guys on the ground held ropes attached to the pegasus’s bridle, while the animal flew in circles about ten feet over their heads. And in the saddle, clinging to the horse’s neck for dear life, was a kid who looked very familiar.

“Hey, Benny!” I waved.

He glanced over, instinctively raised his hand to wave back, and promptly fell off his mount. He hit the ground so hard I could feel it in my teeth.

“No, no, no, no!” I ran toward him. The last thing I needed today was to cause the death of a fellow kitchen patroller.

When I reached him, though, he was already sitting up, brushing the hay off his jeans. The pegasus landed with an indignant snort. The two boys who’d been holding its reins were crouched next to Benny, examining him for injuries.

“I’m fine.” Benny smiled up at me ruefully. “That’s what I get for my Midwestern upbringing. When someone waves, we always wave back.”

One of the other boys frowned. “You’ve never waved at us….”

“Benny, I’m so sorry,” I said.

He managed a laugh. “All good. Help me up?”

I grabbed his hand and pulled. Fortunately, I’m pretty strong, because Benny was built like a stack of bricks. Maybe that’s why he hadn’t hurt himself falling.

One of the boys scrutinized him. “Well, I’m pretty certain you’re not a child of Poseidon.”

I recognized his voice. He was Travis, the counselor for the Hermes cabin who’d been talking to Clarisse and Silena at breakfast while I eavesdropped behind a pillar. I couldn’t exactly tell him that, though, so I introduced myself.

“Katie Kim,” I said.

“Travis Stoll.” He grinned in a way that made me wonder if he’d somehow slipped a spider down the back of my shirt. “And this is my little brother, Connor.”

“Younger, not littler,” Connor corrected. “Also better-looking.”

Honestly, I could barely tell them apart. Travis was maybe a little taller, but they both had curly brown hair, mischievous blue eyes, and slightly elfin features. If I were casting a movie about leprechauns pulling a bank heist, I would’ve hired the Stoll brothers on the spot.

Travis turned his attention back to Benny. “Porkpie didn’t try to talk to you at all?”

Benny shook his head. “Just whinnies and snorts.”

I realized Porkpie must be the name of the pegasus. “Winged horses can talk?”

Travis gave me an impish look. “To children of Poseidon, yes. Because Poseidon created horses. But I guess we can cross that idea off our list.”

“Maybe try doing a backflip,” Connor suggested to Benny. “Preferably off the roof of the stable. If you stick the dismount, you have acrobatic skills.”

“Which god is the patron of acrobats?” I asked.

“Hermes,” chorused Travis and Connor.

As if to prove it, Travis hopped up onto the fence, balanced on his tiptoes, and did a double flip, landing in the corral.

Connor whistled and clapped. Benny shot me a look like, Help.

“Since he just fell off a horse,” I said, “maybe save the Hermes test for another time so he doesn’t break his neck? Besides, it’s almost lunchtime.”

“Aw, that’s no fun.” Travis tugged gently at the pegasus’s reins. “But I suppose you’re right. Come on, Porkpie. Time to eat!”