Demigod of Prophecy

After what happened with my mother, Sally thought it would be safer if Percy ended his school year a few days early to go to camp. Knowing that both he and Thalia had been given the task of keeping me safe for the week, she brought us back to their apartment, where Percy packed his things, I grabbed my duffle, and then we hit the road for Long Island.

Percy, Sally and Thalia talked the entire way to the camp. Percy and Thalia were excited. They both had friends there. Sally was asking them to promise her that they would stay careful on their individual quests. I didn’t really care that I was being rude, I put on my mp3 player and just blasted that all the way to the camp. My mom told me to leave her for my safety, but she was sending me somewhere I didn’t know with people neither of us knew.

We pulled over on the side of the road and everyone got out of the car, so I did the same. Percy grabbed our things out of the trunk while Sally said good-bye to Thalia. I took my mp3 player and stuffed it in the pocket of my leather jacket and grabbed my duffle from Percy. We were about to start walking up the hill when Sally pulled me aside.

“Selene, I understand that you feel like your mother betrayed you right now. But I can tell you from personal experience that I tried so hard to keep Percy with me for a long time. He nearly died so many times because of it. Since I finally stopped fighting it’s hard to let him go, but he’s learned to fight for himself, he’s stronger, and I am more confident that he will come back to me, no matter what he faces. In time, maybe you and your mom can work things out. I really hope you give her another chance. But, just know that she does care. In the meantime, if you ever need anything and you don’t want to go to her, you are welcome to come to me.”

“Thanks, Sally.”

She gave me a hug and I walked away, catching up with Percy and Thalia. When we reached the top of the hill, there was a huge pine tree with a dragon around it. Thalia looked at the tree as if it were her life, and I wondered if that was the tree she had become for a while.

The valley on the other side of the hill was huge. There were cabins and stables and a volleyball court and strawberry fields and a big house that looked very out of place. Before we started into the valley, Percy and Thalia turned to wave good-bye to his mother one last time.

We started walking towards the big house that looked so out of place. Something about it seemed ominous. When we got there, there was a man who was taller than any other man I’d ever seen. Then I noticed that he was only a man from the waist up. From the waist down he was a white stallion.

“Thalia! Percy! We weren’t expecting you today,” he said.

“Hi, Chiron,” Thalia said.

“We had an unexpected situation come up. Mom dropped us off on the other side of Half-Blood Hill a few minutes ago,” Percy said.

“Would it have to do with your new friend here?” Chiron asked.
“Chiron, this is Selene Adams. The Hunters and I helped Artemis save her from Luke and Kronos’ army yesterday at a military school in upstate. The theory, even by her own mother, is that she is a daughter of Poseidon.”

“Has he claimed her?” Chiron asked.

“Not in front of either of us. But Kronos’ army knew she was a child of the Big Three, and Hades sent the Furies after her, all of them, because she was a daughter of one of his brothers. Her mother claims she has affinities with water,” said Thalia.

“Selene, have you ever manipulated water?” Chiron asked me.

“Not that I remember.”

“She may very well be a daughter of Poseidon, but unless she is claimed by him, we will have to put her in cabin eleven.”

“Actually, Chiron, if she doesn’t get claimed, she will be staying with me in cabin eight. Artemis has given Percy and I the quest of guarding her for the week until she understands more and can possibly make a decision as to whether she chooses to be here or become a Hunter,” Thalia said.

“I see. Very well. How old are you, Selene?” he asked me.

“I’ll be fourteen August ninth.”

He seemed to put together what all of us had pieced together already. He didn’t seem thrilled about it.

“You may show her to cabin eight to drop her things and ask one of the campers to show her around the camp. Then I would like to see both you and Percy back here, please. I have some things about this I would like to discuss with you.”

I didn’t like knowing she was going to pawn me off on someone and go back to the big house to talk about me, but I wasn’t going to fight it. Percy and Thalia had been good to me. Chiron didn’t seem like someone who would stand for disrespect, so I just gave in. I was tired.

We got to cabin eight and it looked gray and plain. Some of the others looked more interesting, but I wasn’t in the mood to care. Besides, I had just spent two months in military school. This place was like club med by comparison.

On our way out of the cabin I walked right into another camper and almost fell. He caught me before I could. He had blonde hair and blue eyes like the guy who was trying to kill or manipulate me, but I didn’t get the same feeling of uneasiness around him as I did with the one Thalia and Percy called Luke.

“Careful, there. You don’t want to be seen being a clutz around here on your first day. The Ares kids will never let you live it down,” He said to me as he helped me back up, smiling at me.

“Will, don’t flirt with her. You don’t want to start a fight between your dad and Artemis, do you?” Thalia asked.

“Why would that cause a fight? Is she a Hunter?” Will asked in reply.

“No, but she has been invited. I’ve been asked to stay here for the week so Percy and I can watch her while she learns about half-bloods and makes a choice. But do you still want to risk the fight?”

“I didn’t do anything wrong, Thalia,” he said, still smiling.

I thought Thalia was gonna punch him. He was goading her.

“I don’t wanna do this, but since I don’t see anyone else around, I need you to take her. Chiron needs to talk to me and Percy so he told me to have another camper take her around.”

“Is she claimed yet?”

“Not yet, but she’s staying in cabin eight with me.”

“Fine, I’ll take this lovely lady around the camp. I was just heading over to the archery range. I’m teaching the Aphrodite cabin. It shouldn’t be too hard to figure out her skill level while I have them.”

“Don’t push your luck, Will. If you cause trouble, I’m here to deal with you before Artemis and Apollo can get into a fight.”

“Oh, just relax. It’s an archery lesson. You act like I’m trying to steal a Hunter’s immortality by seducing her away. She’s made no vow, so she still has choices. Let her decide things on her own.”

Notes