Archie folded his arms. “I don’t like this candy.”
“All the more for the rest of us, then,” Estelle said, snatching the bag from Finley. “At least there’s one good thing about having Conleth as our counselor—ow! Beth!”
“Thank you for the candy, Uncle Conleth,” Beth said loudly as she pulled the bag out of Estelle’s clutches. Taking a single piece for herself, she passed the rest on to Hetta. “See? I told you we’re lucky to have him as our pack leader. None of the other counselors brought treats for their campers.”
As none of the other counselors were having to bribe their campers to get them to speak to each other, Conleth did not feel this was a ringing endorsement of his leadership. Still, at least his painfully basic tactic had thawed the icy atmosphere a few degrees.
He folded himself onto one of the log benches, prudently selecting the space furthest away from Archie. “I thought we might take this opportunity to discuss our goals for the summer.”
“We all knowyourgoal.” Archie glowered at him. “And I’m gonna make sure you don’t get it.”
“Archie.” Paige took a seat next to her brother. “Behave.”
“What do you mean, goals?” Nancy bit into a piece of candy, chewing as she spoke. “I thought this was summer camp, not summer school. Are we gonna get graded on our shifting or something?”
Hetta froze, a gummy bear halfway to her mouth. “What happens if we fail?”
“Don’t worry.” Finley patted her shoulder. “You can’t fail summer camp.”
Conleth was not so sure about this. He certainly felt that he was in danger of failing summer camp.
Nancy was still looking confused. “Then… why do we need goals? Aren’t we just here to have fun?”
“Ithoughtwe were,” Estelle said under her breath.
“You are going to have fun,” Conleth said, despite all the evidence to the contrary. “As your counselor, it’s my job to ensure that everyone enjoys the summer. But in order to do that, I need to understand your own personal aspirations. What you hope to get out of camp.”
“Is ‘getting out of it entirely’ an option?” Ignatius muttered.
Estelle rolled her eyes. “Oh, stop pretending you hate summer camp, Ig. We all know you love it, really.”
“I did,” Ignatius retorted. “Lastyear. I have severe doubts about this one.”
Beth shot him a death glare.
“Don’t give me that look.” Ignatius sat back, folding his arms. “My uncle is one of the most powerful dragon shifters in the whole country. If he can’t intimidate me, you certainly can’t. It was painful enough watching you all obsess over our counselors’ personal lives last year. I flatly refuse to get involved in any further idiotic matchmaking attempts. Whatever you’re planning, leave me out of it.”
Ignatius, Conleth decided, was definitely his favorite camper.
“You aregoing to have fun,” Beth insisted, in a tone that added an unspokenOr else.“All of us will. This is going to be the best summer ever.”
“Why don’t we talk about all the camp activities?” Paige suggested, clearly hoping to avoid another argument. “There’s so much on offer here.”
Conleth seized on the opening. “Excellent idea. Let’s go round the circle, with everyone giving their top three activities.That way Paige and I can make sure the schedule suits everyone. Hetta, why don’t you start?”
Hetta promptly burst into tears.
And the prize for ‘Most spectacular insertion of his foot into his own mouth’ goes to… Conleth!
“I d-don’t want to d-do anything!” Hetta got out, in between sobs. “I didn’t even w-want to c-come to c-camp! I j-just want to go h-home!”
“Oh, sweetheart.” Paige moved to the girl’s other side, putting an arm around her. “Are you missing your family?”
Hetta nodded miserably. “It’s just me and m-my dad. I’ve n-never been a-away from my him before. Not even for a sleepover.”
“We’ll help you settle in.” Finley offered Hetta an encouraging smile, though Conleth noted he took care to conceal his teeth. “I bet that by the end of the summer, you’ll be making plans to come back next year.”
“That’s right,” Beth agreed. “Everyone falls in love with Camp Thunderbird.”
