CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
an enemy of my enemy is my friend
THERE WERE PLENTY of words within the crinkled pages of the English dictionary that Feyre Blanchard could use to describe Clarisse La Rue.
For starters, Clarisse was like her father in many ways, which made sense considering she was a descendent from the one of the most violent god of them all. The god of war, Ares, had an unquenchable thirst for conflict, and so did his favourite daughter. Clarisse thrived on causing troubles amongst half-bloods within the safety of their camp. Others often wondered if safety was even a possibility with the La Rue girl walking around camp, acting as if she owned the land she proudly stepped on, intimidating others. Whether they were from another cabin, or her own siblings, Clarisse had to make it clear that everyone had their place, and her place was at the top, wreaking havoc at every chance she got.
It was safe to say the apple did not fall too far from the tree.
In addition to the girl's thirst for conflict in the camp, which was proved time and time again, more so than ever when Percy Jackson's arrival in camp threatened the pedestal she had put herself on, Clarisse was also quick tempered and incredibly agressive towards others. There was a reason everyone was so deathly afraid of the girl. It was because she walked over them with pride and ease. And people allowed her to do so because, well, Clarisse was goddamn terrifying without even trying. Feyre couldn't help but admit she felt slightly intimidated by Clarisse when she first arrived at camp. Despite the fact that she was older than the girl, Clarisse had an incredible talent at making others feel so small in her presence.
And when Feyre first arrived at camp, that's exactly how she felt in comparison to the La Rue girl — small.
Of course, Feyre's confidence grew during her four years at camp, and so did her backbone that made her strong willed, or at least strong enough to stare into Clarisse's eyes and not flinch when the girl made the slightest movement towards her. So she wasn't as afraid of Clarisse as she used to be. But she always felt like she had to look over her shoulder, worried that the girl was plotting to display her head on the tip of that spear Percy Jackson had broken into two a couple of days ago now. Especially after Feyre won in her duel against Clarisse only after being at camp for a few months. Since then she walked around with a target on her back, waiting for Clarisse, or any one of Ares's kids to strike when she least expected it.
That was the reason why confronting Clarisse now, hoping to convince the favoured daughter of Ares to join her's and Luke's rebellion against the brewing war between the gods, filled Feyre Blanchard with so much dread. Not only was she being forced to speak to the girl and her clan of loyal followers. But she was walking into the lion's den alone without any chance of backup from the people who would and could assist her if she needed any help. And she even contemplated asking Alina for help just to be better safe than sorry. However, despite the dread and spine tingling trepidation that she felt, Feyre believed it was better to face Clarisse alone. If she came with a group of people, weapons strapped to their waistlines, it was simply just asking for a fight to occur.
But although Feyre was going to confront her sworn enemy alone, it didn't mean she wasn't going to do it unarmed.
Feyre still kept her celestial bronze sword in the sheath tied around her waistline, her hand hovering over the handle of her weapon, ready to grip it tight and wield it with her head held high with pride and without fear. That was only if Clarisse was prepared to make any attempt to threaten Feyre's safety and wellbeing. Truth is, Clarisse wouldn't kill her, not if she wanted to be condemned by the gods and possibly executed at their hands for such treachery. But the La Rue girl wasn't above violent maiming, and would gladly miss a week of desserts after dinner time if it meant she could make Feyre feel small standing in front of her all over again. And to build up her superiority complex in the eyes of her peers, and even the eyes of her cruel and vindictive father.
So there Feyre Blanchard was, walking across the training grounds to see it was a lot more empty than usual. Whether that was because demigod children were abandoning their daily training schedules because they were rebelling against their godly parents wishes. Or because Ares's kids were training on the grounds and no one wanted to get on their bad side due to paralysing fear of what they were capable of, well, Feyre wasn't entirely sure. But when she saw Clarisse calmly pacing back and forth, listening as she continued to bark orders at her siblings while they trained, Feyre felt that same uneasy feeling flooding the pit of her stomach. It forced the girl to stop in her tracks for a moment, swallowing the thin lump lodged in the back of her throat before she rolled back her shoulders and continued moving forward.
When Feyre stopped in her tracks for the second time, she was now standing incredibly close to the Ares kids, watching as they trained with violence and twisted rage evident in their eyes. The girl released a shaky breath past her lips before she cleared her throat, forcing the training session to come to a quick and abrupt end. Clarisse was taken by surprise when she saw her siblings had stopped following her lead. But when she saw one of them gesture towards something or someone was behind her, the girl turned on her heel, and when she saw Feyre Blanchard standing behind her, interrupting their training session, Clarisse couldn't help but let out an agitated sigh, but the amusement plastered across her tanned skin was apparent.
"What are you doing here, Sunshine?" She scoffed. Clarisse looked like she was seconds away from making a spectacle of Feyre if given the chance. So it was safe to say Feyre felt incredibly unsafe in the presence of Clarisse and her army of loyal followers, who were just like her, or too scared to ever stand up to her. But regardless of her fear, Feyre rolled back her shoulders and forced a fake smile.
"Oh, I just came to admire your guys training session. Excellent technique, by the way," Feyre answered, her voice dripping in sarcasm, that same fake and cocky grin etched at the corners of her lips while she folded her arms over her chest in the process. Humour was the only way to mask how uncomfortable she currently felt being put into a situation she didn't ask to be a part of. But if her plan to convince Clarisse to join her's and Luke's rebellion worked, then it would be worth it in the end.
Clarisse caught onto the girl's sarcasm and shook her head, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Flattery and charm might get you what you want half the time. Especially when it comes to Castellan. But it doesn't work on me," She retorted before she quirked her brow and tightened her jaw. "So, what do you want?" She repeated, hoping for a straightforward answer this time around instead of fake charm.
Feyre rolled her eyes, nodding her head before she allowed the fake smile on her lips to falter. Her arms then dropped back down to her sides before she parted her lips to speak again. "Could we talk?" She asked, looking past Clarisse to see the girl's siblings glaring straight back at her, weapons clasped tightly in their hands while they trained their narrowed gaze primarily onto her. "Alone?" She added, believing this was a conversation that would be better off said in private.
Clarisse didn't say much at first. She just stared back at Feyre with a glimmer of hate burning bright like a raging fire within her gaze. That lasted for a short moment before the girl finally sighed in defeat, turning to look over her shoulder and back at her siblings. "Continue your training. I'll be right back," She instructed sternly. Her siblings didn't hesitate to comply with their head counsellor's orders before they resumed their training in the exact manner Clarisse had told them moments before Feyre's unexpected arrival.
Feyre and Clarisse began to walk side by side each other, venturing further away from the group of armed children behind them. It was silent between the two teenage girls at first. Feyre was trying to come up with the best opening argument for how she was going to convince the girl to join her's and Luke's rebellion. Having the Ares kids on their side was a must. They were some of the best and strongest fighters in the camp. If they refused to side with their father in this war then the demigod children's rebellion would've been an ultimate success. The children of Ares would tip the scales in their favour, making them nearly unstoppable. And what would the gods do in return? Slaughter their own children? Feyre believed it was unlikely.
"So, what is so important that you had to drag me away from training?" Clarisse was the first to speak up amongst the pair. Her familiar voice was enough to make Feyre stop in her tracks and turn to the younger girl who had stopped beside her. "Because in case you didn't catch the memo, Blanchard, the camp is at odds because a war is coming. I want my cabin and I to be prepared for it for when the time comes. So, this better be good," She reminded Feyre, folding her arms over her chest in the process.
Feyre sighed quietly, placing her hands firmly on her hips. An ember of hope began to burn bright in her chest, her heart starting to race and pound against her ribcage. This would make or break Luke's plan to prevent their involvement in the war. A war, quite frankly, Feyre Blanchard wanted no part in. If she said or did the wrong thing, then she would kiss her allegiance with cabin five goodbye. And considering Clarisse was her biggest rival in the camp, Feyre knew she was standing in the middle of uncharted waters. She would be forced to tread carefully over every word that left her lips, and every action that she took towards a civilised alliance with the one person she wished she didn't have to pledge it to.
"Well, believe it or not, I come here in peace in hopes that you'll hear me out..." Feyre paused for a moment. Her choice of words was enough to captivate Clarisse, her undivided attention suddenly falling onto the favoured child of Apollo. Feyre then inhaled sharply for a moment, holding onto her breath for a short few seconds before she exhaled. "So, you've heard about the war between the gods?" She inquired in a rhetorical manner.
Clarisse nodded her head, narrowing her eyes at Feyre for a moment with suspicion twinkling in her dark coloured eyes. "Yeah. My father came to me in a dream and said if it comes to a war, which he hopes it does, then he wants my siblings and I to back Poseidon. I know you would agree because from what I hear, so is your father," She explained, answering truthfully. Feyre was surprised to hear Ares would be pledging his allegiance to the Sea God. She was even more surprised to hear Clarisse would willingly stay on the same side as herself considering they despised each other. If a war was to happen, would her and Clarisse be allies?
Feyre shook her head at the thought, believing it was an impossible chance. The girls weren't even friends. She could never imagine herself fighting alongside the La Rue girl. "That's why I wanted to speak to you. What if we didn't have to fight for our parents?" She replied, her choice of words being enough to make Clarisse let out a loud scoff.
"I don't think we have much of a choice in that matter, Sunshine," Clarisse spat back at the girl, sounding rather amused by Feyre's response. "Besides, Ares is my father. He thrives off this kind of stuff. So do I. Why wouldn't I want to fight for my father?" She added, laughing at the mere possibility of not doing what was asked of her and her siblings.
Feyre hated it when Clarisse talked down to her in such a cruel manner, like she was a child, that same slither of her condescending tone drilling into Feyre's eardrums. It made her wince at the familiar sound. She hated it even more when Clarisse used that nickname to get underneath her skin. Sunshine. It was a nickname given to Feyre by her mother when she was just a child. It was something Feyre loved hearing when it rolled off her mother's tongue, her sweet and comforting voice providing warmth and clarity to Feyre's beating heart. Clarisse learned of the nickname after she overheard Feyre and Luke talking about her mother shortly after her arrival at camp. She's used it against Feyre ever since, and the girl hated her for it.
But instead of getting herself upset about it, Feyre allowed the comments and Clarisse's harsh tone to roll off the back of her shoulders before she parted her lips to speak again. "Because it isn't our fight," Feyre shrugged, frowning in the process.
"What?" Clarisse countered rather abruptly, a small smirk ghosting across her lips. Feyre swallowed thickly, preparing herself for whatever cruel remark, or worthless argument the La Rue girl was going to come up with. "Are you scared you won't live up to your daddy's expectations of you? Are you worried you won't be the true warrior he's wanted you to be since you arrived at this camp?" She pushed. She hoped to pull on the right nerve to make Feyre snap, and to give her a reason to put the daughter of Apollo right back in her place.
However, Feyre saw right through Clarisse's pathetic attempts to get underneath her skin again. Instead, the girl let out a sigh. "Look, I'm here because this war isn't our fight, and deep down you know that too. You might want to make your dad proud of you and partake in this fight, but what is it going to earn you if you lose, huh? A couple of dead siblings and a bruised ego because you failed? Do you really think your life and the lives of your siblings are worth your dad's approval? I don't. That's why I'm not going to force myself and my cabin into this war," She explained, her jaw tightening.
"So, you're just not gonna fight?" Clarisse questioned, and when all she got in return was Feyre's silence, she took that as her answer. Clarisse let out another chuckle. "That's suicide, and you know it," She reminded the girl.
Feyre took a step closer towards the La Rue girl, her arms falling back down to her sides as she parted her lips to speak. "Not if all of us in this camp chose not to fight," Feyre countered, and all of a sudden, Clarisse's interests were pulled at once again. This gave Feyre the opportunity to continue. "Think about it, if all of the cabins rebel against the war and refuse to be a part of it, then that diminishes the gods power. That's why they put us in this camp. Not only to protect us, but to also keep an eye on us. We might be half mortal, but they fear our power. That's why they want to use us. If we don't let them, then they might settle with a truce," She elaborated further, a hopeful tone laced in her voice.
"You really think that will work?" Clarisse asked the girl. She believed it was idiotic and reckless, even for the daughter of the Sun God. But the prospect did prick at her senses and fill her with excitement because Clarisse did love the idea of a good war, but if there was one thing the girl loved more, it was creating anarchy. She just wasn't sure about going against her father's wishes. Clarisse wasn't sure about the consequences of her actions if she did, and that scared the girl most of all, even if she was too ashamed to admit it out loud.
"I believe it can if we all work together," Feyre nodded, certain that the plan could work without the risk of consequences if everyone comes together. Even the Ares kids. "Your cabin is filled with some of the best fighters in this camp. If you side with us, then the gods could be given no other choice than to put an end to this war themselves," Feyre pushed. She hoped that by boosting Clarisse's ego, maybe she would at least consider joining the rebellion.
"So, what you're saying is that your whole rebellion would be useless without me?" She questioned, and Feyre rolled her eyes in response. Clarisse then nodded her head, biting down on the inside of her cheek for a moment. "Say I do join this little rebellion of yours...what do I get out of it in return?" She added.
Feyre shot the girl an agitated glance. "Why do you have to get something out of this? Is it that hard for you to be a decent person for once?" She argued in disbelief.
"Hey, I'm the one helping you out here. Of course I want something in return if I'm going against my dad's wishes," Clarisse replied harshly.
Sighing in defeat, Feyre nodded her head. "Fine. What do you want? Extra desserts at dinner time for a week? The Apollo cabin's training sessions. It's yours," She offered, but Clarisse didn't look quite satisfied with Feyre's propositions. If there was one thing Feyre knew about the girl, she drove a hard bargain.
Clarisse hummed quietly. "I was thinking something more worthwhile. Capture the Flag resumes once those rug-rats are back from the quest, right? How about you give me Annabeth's plans for the next game, and don't say you don't know them, because I know she tells you and Luke every detail," She informed.
Feyre knitted her brows together. "You want to win the next game by cheating? That feels very beneath you, don't you think?" She assumed.
"As long as my team win, I don't care," Clarisse told her, shrugging her shoulders in the process. "So, what is it going to be, Sunshine? Have we got a deal or not?" She chimed, waiting for a final answer from the girl standing in front of her.
"Fine. The next Capture the Flag win is yours, but only if this rebellion against the gods and this war works in our favour," She confirmed, coming to a final agreement with the younger girl. Feyre just had to hope Luke and Annabeth would understand when she informed them of the payment for Clarisse's allegiance by the next game.
Clarisse smiled once again. "I'll go and talk to my cabin. It was nice doing business with you," was the last thing to leave the girl's lips before she turned on her heel and walked back into the opposite direction away from Feyre, rejoining her siblings where they trained together in the far distance.
Feyre Blanchard then exhaled a sigh of relief once she was alone without the unwanted company of the La Rue girl. She managed to successfully talk Clarisse into joining the rebellion against this brewing war amongst the gods, and didn't get maimed by the girl in the process. Feyre would call that a good day. She knew the next order of business now was to go and inform Luke of the good news and hope this could be the beginning of a better future for them, and for every demigod child who was being forced into a war they didn't ask to be a part of in the first place. Feyre just had to hope the gods wouldn't smite them all for such behaviour when this was all over.
Feyre continued to make her way through camp, her eyes scanning over every corner, crevice, and square inch of her familiar surroundings in hopes of finding her best friend amongst the crowd of teens dressed in their traditional orange camp half-blood shirts. That was until she spotted the familiar curly haired boy sitting on the steps leading to his cabin with Chris sitting beside him, both of them deep in conversation with each other. The closer Feyre got to them, the sooner they both noticed her. This caused for Chris to offer the girl a small smile before he stood up and walked away, making himself scarce as he clearly believed Feyre was only there to talk to Luke.
When Luke looked ahead to see Feyre stopping in her tracks in front of him, he was relieved to see Clarisse hadn't cut her into two. He smiled at the girl before he rose to his feet, wondering if the girl had succeeded in her talk with Clarisse. "How did it go?" He asked her, sounding almost hopeful.
A grin soon broke out across Feyre's face, sighing in relief. "Clarisse said she would help us if we gave her the plans for our next Capture the Flag game. I thought stopping this war was more important than some camp game so we made a deal," She explained. Luke appeared to look more hopeful compared to before, insinuating that Feyre's and Clarisse's conversation went well. And it must have since Feyre returned back to him unscathed. "But, yes, the Ares cabin is on our side," She informed as she began nodding her head.
Luke quickly approached Feyre and picked the girl up in his arms, spinning her around while they both laughed joyfully, knowing the plan was coming full circle. "That's amazing, Feyre!" He exclaimed before letting Feyre go. Once the girl touched the familiar gravel beneath her feet, she lifted her gaze to stare up at Luke with a smile planted on her face. "I knew you could do it. I believed in you," He reassured the girl.
Feyre wanted to curse down at herself when she felt those familiar butterflies flutter in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't quite explain it still, even after all this time. But the way Luke complimented her, and the way he stared at her longingly with those enchanting puppy-dog eyes that she could simply just get lost in, well, it was enough to leave Feyre wrapped around Luke's little finger. No matter what he said or did, she would still be madly captivated by his presence and the way he made her feel today, tomorrow, and maybe even every day for the rest of her life.
She just wished she could admit it out loud for him to hear. So instead of speaking her truth, she allowed the thought to roll off her shoulders before she parted her lips to speak once again. "Well, I'm going to head up to the old house and let Chiron know that we have the camp under control now that we're not going to be at each other's throats. At least that's one less thing he's got to worry about," She told Luke, earning another grateful smile from the boy in response.
"I'll let you go then, but can we talk later?" He replied. Luke resented himself for not telling Feyre how he felt when they were duelling in the woods earlier that day. He wanted her to know how he felt.
Feyre nodded her head. "Of course. I'll come and find you later," was the last thing to leave Feyre's lips before she turned around and began to make her way up towards the old house where she knew Chiron would be.
By the time Feyre Blanchard reached the old house, she stepped into the conservatory/patio area where Chiron and Mr D were often spotted playing a game of cards with one another. However, when Feyre stepped inside this time around, she saw only Chiron. "Chiron, I have great news. I just wanted to let—"
Feyre cut herself off when the man turned around on his horse legs and stared down at the girl with a sad and sympathetic look plastered across his face while he continued to stare down towards the girl. The look in the centaur's eyes alone made Feyre's stomach drop. It made her wonder if something awful had happened to the kids on the quest, specifically her sister. Or if they were too late and they had no power to deny the gods in this brewing war. "What is it, Chiron?" She asked, beginning to sound concerned.
"Feyre, I was just about to send one of our satyrs to search the camp for you," Chiron informed, which only worried the girl a little more. He wanted to speak with her specifically, but why? Chiron then let out a sigh filled with exasperation. "We received word from the mortal world. I'm afraid I have some terrible news to deliver. It's about your mother..."
That was all it took. Feyre felt her chest become tight with fear and anxiety, dread travelling down to the deepest pits of her stomach and making her feel physically sick with trepidation. She was relieved to know her sister and the other kids were still alive on their quest, but hearing that something terrible had happened to her mother only confirmed that her suspicions were in fact true. Feyre tried reassuring herself for a while now that her mother was just busy when she wasn't there to answer her daughter's Iris Message. However, truth is, Rosalind Blanchard was far from fine, and the thought of something bad possibly happening to the woman made Feyre want to scream and cry.
"What happened?" Feyre managed to breathe out, her voice quiet and shaky in the process.
Chiron didn't say much at first. He could see the girl was shaken up by the sudden news, and he was trying to find the right words to ease those anxieties and worries. But nothing could prepare a teenage girl for something so traumatic. "I'm afraid a monster attacked her a few nights ago," He informed.
Feyre then shook her head, a frown washing over her face. "That doesn't make sense. Monsters don't normally go after mortals unless there was a demigod present. I haven't been home in four years. How did this—"
"We believe the attack was intentional. Maybe someone who was targeting you summoned a monster to your home and when it found your mother instead, it still carried through with the attack," Chiron interjected.
Feyre almost couldn't believe what she was hearing. Not only was her mother in serious trouble, but it was believed that the attack was intentional at the hands of someone who wanted Feyre to suffer. Who possibly wanted her dead. Then there came that important question that Feyre feared to ask the centaur. She didn't know if she was ready to discover whether she was an orphan or not. The thought alone was enough to make Feyre's hands begin to shake, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, forcing the girl to hold them back every ounce of strength in her body. She should be allowed to be vulnerable, and under the circumstances, she knew she had every right to scream and cry to her hearts content. But she couldn't.
Finally, taking that leap of faith, Feyre asked the dire question she had been dying to ask. "Is my mom dead?" She questioned, a throbbing pain shooting through her ribcage when those words left her quivering lips.
"No, but the attack was horrific. I have to be honest with you...she might not survive this." Chiron delivered the disheartening news with care, and Feyre nodded her head. She tried to act strong in front of the centaur, but he could see she was slowly crumbling apart right in front of him. "Which is why we are giving you today to leave camp, go home, and say your goodbyes. But if this was a targeted attack meant for you, we are inclined to give you someone who can look out for you. Protect you as well as you can already protect yourself," He elaborated further.
Feyre wanted to break down there and then. For the last four years the girl was wanted nothing more than to return home and see her mom face to face again. It was a dream she had hoped would come true by the end of the summer. Feyre didn't think it would happen like this under such circumstances. Now she wanted nothing more than to stay in the comfort of the camp she's grown accustomed to for so many years. She was scared of what she'll find when she returns back to Brooklyn and finds her mom in that hospital bed, tubes and wires sticking out everywhere while she's forced to say goodbye to the one person she needed most of all.
"Okay, I'll go and speak to Luke and Alina. I'm sure they'll be okay with coming with me under the circumstances," Feyre explained, knowing her sister and her best friend were the two people she needed by her side during this difficult time.
"Sadly, I can't allow you to take another demigod with you," Chiron denied, his words being enough to make the girl furrow her brows together. If not the two people in camp she trusted most, then who could possibly join her? "It's just too dangerous to put their lives at risk. Especially because this monster was never killed. But someone will be escorting you to see your mother and back to camp," He added.
Feyre sniffled quietly, a puzzled look burning in her eyes. "Who?" She pushed, waiting for an answer.
Before Chiron had the chance to answer the girl, a figure emerged from inside the old house. "Feyre?"
And when Feyre lifted her gaze to stare at them, she felt her heart stop for a split second, her breath becoming hitched in the back of her throat when her dark coloured eyes met his forest green coloured gaze while he stared back at her with a mix of sadness and hope burning bright in his eyes. Feyre then began to take in every detail, and analyse every inch and crevice of his face. She noticed his strong features first, then his dusty blond locks, and lastly the bow and arrow strapped to his back, his tall build of a body towering over the girl as he began to carefully approach her. Like she was a wild animal he feared would tear him apart if he didn't tread carefully. And quite frankly, he would be correct because staring at him now after years of abandonment made Feyre want to kill him right where he stood. That's how angry she felt in that moment. It was just a shame he was an immortal being.
And in that moment exactly, Feyre couldn't move. She couldn't pull out her sword and try to kill him due to the overwhelming rage pulsating sharply through her veins. She couldn't even say his name. All Feyre Blanchard could do was part her lips to speak, her chest beginning to tighten as she uttered a single word. The one word she never wanted to say to him out loud. . .
"Dad?"
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authors note.
FAMILY DRAMAAAAAA!!!!!!
So yeah Feyre's mom is on death's door and Apollo is making an appearance. Feyre really can't catch a break and I hate this for her but words can't even describe how excited I am to write the next chapter. Expect some flashbacks and some tension between Feyre and Apollo 👀
Until then I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I'll update again soon!!!