Everyone got up and walked out of the room, muttering to another about the quests. Annabeth was talking Percy's ear off, with plans on what they would say. Drew was the only one not discussing strategy, as she was busy batting her eyelashes at Dionysus' son Pollux, who was failing in an attempt to sidestep her.
Rose, thankfully, remained blissfully silent. She gave me a nod as we parted ways outside the Big House entrance, siganling we would talk later, and left. I saw KD sitting by the fire pit, warming her hands over a small flame. Fires were never started during the day, and they were never normal flames- they were the mood ring equivalent of campfires, changing color and height based on emotions. I realized she's used her powers inheirited from Hestia to make the flames herself.
I remembered how alone I'd felt on my first day here, and brazenly sat down next to her. She gave me a look, and I scooted a little farther away, but I didn't leave.
"If you're here to hit on me, you can go," she states.
"No," I say, trying to think of something normal to ask. "I was just wondering...what your last name was."
KD looks up from her fire in surprise. She just looks at me blinkingly for a moment. "Schwartz."
I nod, and we sit in silence a bit more. A son of Poseidon walks by-a guy named Michael-and KD's head bends back over the fire pit. "Keep moving, junior."
"I didn't even say anything!" he protests.
"You were going to."
"I was planning on saying hello to you and Kendall because I'm a nice person."
"Uh-huh. Like I'd believe a guy who tried to put his arm around me."
"You were complaining that you were cold!"
"You ever heard the term 'shut up and leave me alone'? That's basically my life's motto. Learn it, Mike."
"Michael!"
"I don't care."
I could see Michael getting mad at her rudeness and false accusation, but he just flicked his hand over her fire, letting a sheet of water snuff it out, and stalked off.
KD shrugged, and poked the wet ashes with a stick. Flames appeared at the stick's end, and she doodled a skull and crossbones in fire before letting go of control. I got up as the fire spread across the entire pit, covering the skull. I only looked back once on my way to the lava wall. She had her arms wrapped around herself, and staring at the fire looking completely lost and alone.

......

"Tuck your elbow in a little." I stand behind Rose at the archery station, adjusting her form. We're, for once, the only ones here. It's a nonplanned time during the daily activity schedule, and most demigods are off preparing for the "diplomatic quest." I tilt her right arm down a few inches, and step back to see the new position. She'd been holding the arrow, bowstring pulled back, for five full minutes, being extremely patient as I tried to break in new, correct habits. Rose's shot was okay, but there was definitely room for improvement. Her weapon was the staff and chanted spells, and there wasn't much need for accuracy. Her aim wasn't too shoddy, but from lack of practice it had clearly seen better days. "Okay. Now shoot."
Her third arrow flew and struck the target a few inches from the bullseye. The first clung to the outer edge, and the second was well into the third (of five) colored ring.
Her face lit up. "Wow! You sure do know your archery, Kendall. Look how close that shot was!"
I nodded. "Draw an arrow again."
She did, and then pulled her elbow closer like I'd shown her. I quickly scanned her positioning and then said "Let it fly."
Rose let go of the bowstring, and the perfectly aimed arrow pierced the cloth covering the bullseye. She gave a victorious "yes!" and slapped me five.
"Okay, finish the quiver. There's, what, seven arrows left in there? If you do as well as the last two on those, we'll start practicing two arrows at once."
Rose shot two more arrows, and both of them hit the arrow already on the bullseye and glanced off. I went up to pull out the arrows stuck in the target, but it looked like it was changing. The shadows around it were growing and bubbling, appearing almost 3D. Suddenly Mrs. O'Leary, carrying KD, burst out of the shadow, blasting bits of it everywhere. The pieces of darkness melded back together, but then repeated the process once more, this time presenting Nico.
KD looked down at the smashed target and arrows twisted to splinters and shrugged. "Sorry," she says. "Haven't gotten the hang of shadow traveling yet."
"That's okay," Rose says, walking up behind me. "I can fix them. Back, Mrs. O'Leary!" She pushes against the hellhound's knee in a way that makes it buckle, and Mrs. O'Leary jumps off the archery equipment. She waves her hand over the smushed objects, and they join back together. Rose picks up the arrows, sticks them in her quiver, and takes a bow.
Mrs. O'Leary starts inspecting the trees a bit too closely, and I realize she needs to get out of the archery tent. About right now.
"Nico-?"
"I'll take the dog out," he says a bit gruffly. Nico's a loner, but he's nice enough. He leaves with a whistle, and the hellhound follows him. It's just me, Rose, and KD left.
"So..." Rose shifts back and forth from one foot to the other.
KD bites her lip. "Who're your guys' immortal parents?"
I speak up first. "Apollo."
"And you?"
Rose casts her eyes down and whispers. "Circe." She pulls at the skin of three fingers on her left hand- the ones Circe cut off and my father reattatched.
"Oh." KD says awkwardly. "Listen. I just wanted you to know...that I'm not usually like this."
"Like wh-" I start to say, but KD cuts me off.
"You know. So mean, and, and self-absorbed, and conceited, and...," she trails off. "My mother...she's kind to me, but she's never around. She can't be, she's a goddess, so I've been a loner as long as I can remember." She sits on a bench and rakes her hand through her hair. I don't know what to say, but Rose sits down next to her and wraps her arms around KD, hugging her. KD sits up straighter and gives Rose a wobbly smile. "It's just...my dad. He's a stupid cowardly jerk. Some random mortal, and he won't be around me because of the danger it'd bring him. He only sees me once a year, and only because it's court-ordered. My father is perfectly capable of raising me, and I've cycled through more foster families than I can count." She starts to get a little worked up. "And when I finally think there's a family that might treat me right-the Hunters-I'm not allowed to go. So I got sullen and hostile, and took my anger out on everyone else. You see why people think I'm an insensitive moron?"
Fortunately, the awkward silence following was filled with the noise of Mrs. O'Leary jumping back to her new best buddy.
KD stood and brushed the dirt off her neon red jeans. "Just remember," she says, with the old KD conviction back in her voice, "repeat what I said to anyone, and I'll have to kill you."
I smiled, and finally found the right words. "Wouldn't have it any other way."