𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑, luke castellan

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐱

It was August 17th, which meant that it was Keira's 16th birthday. 

That morning, her friends were waiting for her in the Dining Pavilion before breakfast to surprise her. Despite Keira's denials, they all knew that deep down she enjoyed celebrating her birthday.

Keira woke up in the Athena cabin, headed to the bathroom for a quick shower, and changed into her high-waisted black shorts, pairing them with a camp T-shirt. Celebrating birthdays wasn't something she particularly enjoyed, but doing it with her friends made it more fun.

Especially considering what the party later that night would be like.

Keira was so excited about the celebration that she hadn't stopped talking to Nik and Jon about it all week. Her patient friends had also been part of the planning.

Once she was ready to go, with her hair tied in a ponytail, she made her way to the Dining Pavilion. As soon as she stepped in, the campers having breakfast began to sing "Happy Birthday" in unison. It was definitely Jon's idea.

Keira hated being sung "Happy Birthday," so after putting on her best scowl upon hearing the song and shooting a couple of threatening glares at the younger campers present, the song quickly came to a halt. Everyone turned back to their food.

"Ain't my bestie's day without her getting all grumpy and scaring the fuck out of some 11-year-olds," Jon remarked, approaching with a grin and a gift box wrapped in turquoise paper and a cute bow. "Happy birthday, Kei."

Keira thanked Jon, eagerly unwrapping the gift, unable to contain her curiosity. Jon's presents were always intriguing; being the person who knew her best at camp, he always knew what to give her. Upon opening the package, Keira found that this year was no exception: it was a copy of a combat strategy book, combining ancient Greek, Roman, and modern techniques.

"To keep rockin' at Capture the Flag," Jon said with a shy smile. 

"It's pretty cool, Jon. Thanks," the blonde commented, pleased with the gift.

"My turn," Nik said, pulling out a leather-clad case with the initials KB—Keira's initials—drawn in gold. Keira took the case and quickly opened it. Inside was a set of 6 celestial bronze daggers, each of different sizes and with various details on the blades. Each dagger had a different handle, depicting a monster the demigods had faced and defeated together—forged by Nik himself, he unnecessarily clarified, with a smile.

"Thanks, Nik. They're beautiful," Keira said, admiring the weapon's details and running her fingers over the relief on the handle. "Oh my gods, that Hydra bitch," she laughed, recalling old times.

"I'm glad you like them," Nik said, visibly happy. "Just don't go stabbing me with those, okay?"

Keira grinned. "Okay, too many mushy moments, right? Time to get back to our regular programming. You guys have no fucking clue what's in store for us at the beach tonight, seriously."

"After spilling all that, I better see this party live up to the hype," Jon remarked. "Or I'll be seriously disappointed."

"Have I ever let you down?" Keira asked, unabashedly.

After that conversation, the three friends went to their tables to have breakfast with their siblings. Jon went to take a seat at the Hermes table, next to Luke.

"I guess you'll show up tonight, huh?" the head counselor asked his brother.

"I didn't get some official invite or whatever." Luke commented.

"There's no such official invite," Jon said, laughing. "Keira's parties are open to any demigod, just gotta be over 14- Even though she tries to hide it, she's got an eye on the little campers' safety, you know?"