Chapter Five LUNA SILVER “She’s awake!” called Reyna’s voice from above me. I groggily sat up. “What happened to me?” “Girl, you are amazing. You survived a bullet at two feet’s range,” Thalia chuckled as she appeared into my field of vision. “What’s a bullet? What makes it so amazing?” I asked before falling back down again. Thalia’s face appeared above me. “A bullet is a deadly ball that can instantly kill at less than four feet’s range. You survived one at two feet’s range. Reyna thinks it might be because you have no mortal parent, just a half-blood parent. Therefore, your connection to mortals is weaker and their weapons don’t hurt you as much. It’s still amazing, though. The only time I ever saw someone survive a bullet at close range was when Percy Jackson was wearing a coat of Nemean Lion fur,” Thalia explained patiently. “Okay, but can I fight?” I asked impatiently as I tried to sit up again. “Be patient, Luna. You’ll recover in a good one and a half days,” Reyna said. I immediately became hysterical. “I’ll slow down the team! I’ll drag behind! I’ll-” “Gosh, calm down, Luna. It isn’t the end of the world,” Katherine’s voice said behind me. “Die as soon as we meet a single monster! I’ll lead us into an ambush! I’ll tire Reyna and Thalia out on scouting duty!” I continued crazily. By now, the rest of the team was starting to ignore me. “Is this part of the healing process?” I heard Thalia whisper to Reyna. “Yes,” Reyna’s voice replied. “Nectar mixed with crushed ambrosia mixed with Mountain Dew. It’s a famous cure for minor gods. I thought it might work on Luna, too, since she’s only one quarter mortal. Also, I mixed a bit less nectar and ambrosia and a bit more Mountain Dew. Don’t worry. The half-insane stage happens to every minor god this medicine has been fed to.” Thalia breathed a sigh of relief. “Whew. Well, we better start getting ready to sleep.” “Wake up, Luna!” Reyna shook me awake. Even though I didn’t feel like it, I bolted straight out of my sleeping bag, fearing that if I fell asleep again Reyna would pull a lock-you-in-the-tent-because-you’re-still-sleeping trick on me. “So, Camp Half-Blood?” I asked as I changed into my clothes. When I walked out, I could have said we were in a completely different world. We were camping out in a tiny meadow inhabited by barking dogs, benches, flying plates, and mortals. “Where are we?” I asked as I admired(and resented) how the mortals had ruined nature so well. “In a park,” Thalia said. “What’s a park?” I asked. My four comrades sighed unanimously. “It’s going to be a long day,” Amanda said.
