Lydia's POV

   As this sunk in, the girl woke up. We crowded around her and waited to see what she would say. She giggled like a 5-year-old.

   "What the heck?" Thalia muttered.

   "The answers are in the book," she said, still sounding like a little kid. Katie and I looked at each other. It couldn't be. No one was supposed to know about the books except us. I had to be sure.

   "What book?" I asked.

   "The one with the pretty owl," she said. I don't know what happened to her, but something was trying to give us a message. We needed the book. The one book we didn't have. The Mark of Athena.

   "Katie, check the bag," I said Maybe there was a secret compartment, or we had just missed it. The bag was bigger on the inside after all.

   "But it isn't-" Katie started, but I interrupted her.                                                                                                

   "We have to be sure. Check again. Thoroughly. If we're lucky we missed it." Unfortunately, we're never lucky.

   Katie didn't argue this time. She ran off to check the bag in private. Like I said, nothing is suppose to know about the books except us.

   "What were you two talking about?" Thalia asked. I was about explain to explain, but I stopped. We didn't know what would happen if we told anyone about the books, but it probably wouldn't be good. Until we knew for sure what would happen, no one could know.

   "I can't tell you," I said, not looking her in the eye.

   "Thalia, can I talk to you," Alli asked. I nearly jumped when she spoke. I had completely forgotten she was there. That girl sure is good at blending into the background! 

   "Sure," Thalia said. She seemed pretty eager to leave. "If she says anything that make sense, let me know," she told me.

   "Promise," I said. 

   "If I can," I thought. Thalia and Alli disappeared into the woods.

Thalia's POV

   We walked into the woods until we were sure that we were out of earshot. Alli stopped. 

   "We can talk here," she said. Something seemed different about her. Before I could ask, she waved her hand in front of me. I couldn't move. Alli had used her powers to freeze me in place. How could she do that? Why would she do that? And then the truth hit me.

   "You... you're the traitor," I said (my mouth was the only thing that wasn't frozen)," All this time, you've been working for Luke."

   "He taught me everything I know," she said, "he protected me. I owe him this much."

   "No, you don't," I said," You can come back with me to the Hunters. You can start all over." I couldn't lose Alli. I... fine I'll admit it. I like her. A lot. And I'm not lose someone else I care about to Kronos.

   "It's to late for that," she said. She fell to the ground. She seemed to be in a lot of pain. After a few seconds, (all though it felt like hours) she stood up. She looked right at me, but it wasn't Alli. The look in her eyes, I had only seen it in one person before.

   "Luke..." I whispered. He smiled. 

   "Hello Thalia," he said. My heart practically broke. He still had Alli's voice. "I wanted you to be the first person to see me. Don't worry. I'll come back for you after I've destroyed Camp Half-Blood. Maybe that will give you enough time to change your mind about joining me."

     All I could do was helplessly stand there as he walked past me towards the Camp.