Diversions: Book 1, Start: Chapter 13 of 22: Moonset

We reached camp at dawn. It was actually kind of sad, for me, because what the HECK would I say to Ivan now that I liked Zack and not him? I slipped away to the Artemis cabin thinking to myself when I heard a knock on the door. I answered it: Ivan. He looked more mature, his silver hair was longer, and the silver eyes I knew and loved were filled to the brim with anticipation.
"Hi, Skylar." He said, so nervous he looked like he was going to topple over.
I gulped. "Ivan, hi. Um.... I think... I was thinking about your offer over the seasons."
Ivan sighed. "It's become definite. You have to say no."
I let out a sigh of relief. "Yeah. Well, I was thinking of saying that anyway."
"I.... you know Celeste?"
"Well, derp." My hands flew over my mouth.
Ivan laughed the old nightingale laugh. "Well.... you understand how it is, right?"
I nodded. "Completely and totally. Anyway, y'know, erm, Zack?"
"Not exactly. Zeus kid?"
"Yeah. Well, um, there's two, actually. Zachary Taylor and Cynder."
Ivan looked out the window. "Zachary Taylor. Yes, I know him, completely." His eyes filled with rage. "What about him?"
"What, do you know him in a bad way?"
"Very, very, very bad way. He killed my sister."
~~~~~~~~~~~
I was in shock for the rest of the day, until I finally got the courage to talk to Zack.
I walked to the woods, where Zack was shooting. He quickly shrank his bow into a key chain and clipped it to his belt when he saw me. He turned a little pink and took a deep breath. "Skylar?"
"Yeah, it's me. Anyway... uh, Ivan said you... he said you k--"
Zack unshrank his bracelet. "Yes, I did, PURPOSELY, for a very logical reason." He gripped the golden sword. "I think I need a little chat with him."
"Hold your horses, Zack. What's the logical reason?"
Zack glared at the Leto cabin but shrank his sword and armor. He took off his helmet, while I held my breath. "She was a bad person. Excuse me, I need to go destroy Ivan now. Take this memory charm while I excuse myself." He threw the tiny jewel into my hands.
"A memory charm. Oh, my." Zack was gone. I took the jewel in my palm and clapped my hands together.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Gods of Olympus! It's his sword! Ooh, Zack, I've gotcha now!" A girl my age that looked a lot like Ivan was holding Zack's sword with an expression of greed. She looked beautiful, but immature. She had the same colored silver hair as Ivan, but it dropped to her ankles in perfect curls. Her skin was like sparkling moonlight, exactly like Ivan, and the same silver-and-white dress sense, but with a white knee-high dress, silver denim jacket, and white tennis shoes. The only thing that was different was her bright eyes. Her eyes were like a majestic dragon- they sparkled with awe and were electric blue, like crackling lightning, and shifted.
'Chip?' A tiny yellow chickadee landed next to her. She stared at it in fury.
"ARE YOU SPYING ON ME?" She took the sword in her hand and brought it down on the little bird.
CLANG! An arrow knocked the sword to the side.
"Zack! You- you have a bow?"
"PLEASE." He shot another arrow and pinned her shirt to the ground.
"Hey!"
Zack flipped himself over and took the hunting knives from his sides. He grabbed the girl's hair and sliced it clean off. She was bald. "GODS OF OLYMPUS! AGH, I HATE YOU, ZACHARY TAYLOR!"
Zack wickedly frowned. "But you won't have the chance to hate in oh, five seconds." He shot an arrow and it hit her heart, knocking her to the ground, pinning the lifeless body to the earth.
At that exact moment, Ivan stepped in. "Hey, Cleo, did you--" He looked at the bloody arrow through her heart, then at Zack. "Killed her." He said, in a dangerous whisper.
Zack's eyes were the color of blood, not the beautiful almond I remembered. He shot the window, grabbed his sword, and jumped straight out of the building. Zack ran into the night.
~~~~~~~~
I ran desperately to the Leto cabin, bow in hand. Zack was rounded on Ivan, a light-blood-stained arrow strung on his bow. It was the same arrow used to kill Ivan's sister. Zack and I released our arrows at the same time. Mine had the blessing of Artemis. His Apollo, God of Archery. And he was closer. Mine knocked his off track, and it hit the side of Ivan's neck, grazing it and letting out a cut of blood. Zack looked in my direction. His expression softened. "Skylar. Understand this's for a reason. I have to do this. Please understand."
I strung another arrow. "I understand perfectly. That his SISTER was guilty. But Ivan isn't! Ivan is completely innocent! You're murdering an innocent soul. I can't let you do that." I strung another arrow on the string and shot both at the same time. One hit Ivan's wrist, the other Zack's. Neither of them could hurt the other.
Zack looked at me with hurt. "Skylar, he is guilty. Really, you need to believe me."
Ivan picked out the arrow. "Neither of you- are innocent. I'll say I'm not either, but hey, you aren't at all."
I drew my swords and ran out the door. Zachary was trailing behind me.
~~~~~~~~
I sat by the stream, looking at the ripples in the water. Zack sat on the other side, panting.
"Hey, Skylar. Really- you didn't have to do that." He crossed the stream to my side and sat next to me. "I'm sorry." He added.
I looked at the water. "No, I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have done that. I mean- I like you and Ivan, so I was really confused."
Zack looked perplexed, then he smiled. "Really? I mean, really?"
I realized what I had said, and turned a few shades of red. "Um, yeah."
"Well, it's unanimous."
"What's una--" Zack had leaned over to whisper something in my ear. "I love you. You're the prettiest girl I ever did see. But I can't kiss you like I'd like to, 'cause I'm the lieutenant of Apollo."
And with that note, he grinned the same sparkling grin and disappeared in a ray of sunlight.