The Cold Summer

After lunch, Leo and I went to the weaponry shed. A few Aphrodite kids started giggling as we walked by. I'm guessing they were Aphrodite kids, cause they were the most fashionably dressed people here. A girl dressed in and Orange CHB shirt and brown hair braided down her shoulder, walked over to them and shoo'd them away.
"Wow." Was all I could say when we walked in. There were swords in every size and metal, daggers, javelins, bows (the ones you shoot arrows with), blow darts, and so many more powerful and dangerously awesome weapons.
"Go ahead and pick something." Leo said, gesturing to a wall of weapons. "They're organized by size. Smallest to largest. Your probably a 4.3, so you pick from this wall."
I walked over to the swords. "I've always wanted a sword. I never though I'd actually have one, but I've wanted one." I brushed my gloved hand over the blades of the swords. There were sliver, Celestial Bronze, Steel, and a few with Celestial Bronze and Silver mixed.
I stopped one of the mixes. It was mostly bronze, with silver swirled in to make a pattern. The hilt was leather bound, and the hand guard was decorated with silver flowers. I was reaching for the handle when Leo stopped me.
"Wait. Gloves."
"Why?" I asked.
"I want to see if you can control it." Leo said.
"I can't. Unlike Nixie, I haven't learned to control it yet. That's WHY I wear the gloves. It keeps other safe." I said with a sigh.

"Just try. It'll help." He urged. I slowly peeled off the gloves, and set them on a table.

"Okay, good so far. Now grab the hilt." He said. I slowly inched my bare fingers to the hilt. I took a deep breath and grasped the hilt and lifted it off the hanger. Frost crept up the sword.

I yelled and dropped the sword. "I can't. Leo, I can't." My heart was racing.

"Yes you can. Pick it back up and try again."

So I slowly grabbed it. Ice started forming again and I started to get nervous.

"Don't freak Kliyah. Concentrate. Focus. Don't let it get any farther." This kid could be really annoying, but helpful sometimes. I closed my eyes and concentrated.

'I won't let it get farther. I won't let it control me.' I thought. I opened my eyes, and the ice hadn't stopped, but slowed.

"Yes! Now try and stop it, and thaw it off."

Once again, I closed my eyes and concentrated. I channeled my anger into melting off the ice. All the anger from being considered a freak, and people teasing me about the gloves, I let it out. I was so focused, I didn't notice it was all gone.

I opened my eyes, and stared it the blade. I looked up at Leo. "Thank you." I strapped the sword onto my belt, and was about to leave, when Leo stopped me.

"Wait. Now you owe me a favor." He said with a devious smile.

"Okay, what?" I said cautiously.

"You and Nixie have to show all the campers and Chiron your abilities tonight." He said.

"What? Are you out of your mind?! No way!" I said.

"Please?" He begged. "If you do you won't have to wear those silly gloves anymore."

I would, but what about Nixie? What would she think? I guess I'll find out.

"Fine." I said, turning my back to him.

"Alright. Well, I'll see you later." and he left.

After sword fighting, and archery, I went back to the cabin to discuss it with Nixie. Just as I thought, we were of the same mind. "What? But what if we hurt someone, or destroy something? Kliyah, I don't know."

"If we do, we limit our powers, and I keep wearing the gloves." I said with a sigh. Leo was right. I was sick of hiding my powers, and sick of thee gloves.

"Alright." She said with a sigh. "Well, let's go."

So we headed out, leaving the gloves on the bed. After dinner was the sing-along, and apparently Leo had told Chiron we had something to show, because after the singing he announced it.

With a deep breath, I grabbed Nixie's hand, and walked up. We explained everything from being Foster sisters, to running away. "This is why we kept running away." I said. I looked at Nixie. "Ready?" She nodded.

Snow escaped my finger tips, and for a moment I was free. I made it snow around the campfire. Nixie shot flames at the fire pit, makeing the flame raise higher.

I heard oohs and aaaahhhs. Someone's started clapping, but it soon ended. Above Nixie's head was a flaming hammer. I glanced up, and a snowflake twirled in circles above my head.

Now everyone knew who Nixie's father was. No one knew who my mom was. But I did. And by the looks of it, Chiron did too. I could feel the blood draining from my face. I glanced at Nixie. She just stared at me, her face slightly grave.

"Campers! Kneel before the claimed ones." Chiron said. They all kneeled before us. "All hail Nixie, daughter of Hephaestus god of fire and craftsmen, and Kliyah, Daughter of Khione, goddess of snow."

All the heads turned in my direction. They looked, frightened. And some looked at me as if I was a threat. At least, that's what I thought. I couldn't take it. Even amongst the camp of 'freaks', I was the biggest freak.

I did the first thing that popped into my head, and that all my instincts were screaming at me to do. I ran. I ran to the lake. I knelt next to the water, looking at the moons reflection in the water.

I sat down, staring at the water, making giant snowflakes on the soft grass. After two piles of snowflakes, and about half and hour, I heard a twig crack. I'd heard Kliyah about five times before Leo came out of the trees.

"I found her!" He called back into the trees. Kliyah, Percy, Annabeth and Cap came out. "Why'd you run?" Nixie asked. I sighed and pulled my knees up to my chest.

"I'm the daughter of Khione. She's one of the bad guys. Well, girl. Anyways, it's just another reason for me to leave. I'm a freak, and you know it." I responded.

"No it's not, and no you aren't!" Cap declared.

"Well, what am I gonna do then?" I asked. "You saw they're faces. They're either scared of me, or consider me a danger."

"Thy as not a reason to leave though. We can work this out Kliyah." Leo said.

"Fine." I sighed. "But where am I going to sleep? Khione doesn't exactly have a cabin."

"You can sleep in my cabin for now." Percy said. "I guess water is closest to snow. You can sleep with me till we can build you a cabin."

"Sounds good to me." Annabeth said. "We'll start working on it. But uh, one thing. Where'd all these giant snowflakes come from?" She asked, picking one up and examining it.

"I made them. Duh. Goddess of snow?" I said, standing up and brushing off my jeans. "Come on, let's go. I'm really tired."

Once we got to the cabin area, we all said goodnight and went to our cabins. Percy led me to the cabin that looked like the ocean threw up on it. He opened the door and I was hit with the smell of salt water. We said goodnight, and went to sleep.

Notes