GRACE POV

"What was the need to punch the poor boy in the face? You broke two of his teeth?"

"He was asking for it! I didn't tell him to show off his victory in sword fighting!" I spoke up in my defense, as Mom glared at me from across the table. She opened her mouth to say something when the doorbell suddenly tang, startling both of us. I got up to receive it and saw two girls standiong outside.

One of them had curly brown hair and golden eyes, while the other was tall and athletic, with black hair braided behind her back and green eyes. The tall girl looked vaguely familiar, from as childhood memory. When she looked at me, her eyes widened and she was about to tell something, when Mom came and almost screamed, "Stacey!".

Stacey. Stacey. Oh my gods, Stacey.

She gave Mom a wry smile and said, " Hi, Tamara", then looked at me and grinned. "Long time, Grace. You sure have grown up" she stated and Mom replied, "Well, the last time you saw her was when she was 2 years old. Where were you all these 10 years?".

" I...I... Can I come in and explain?". I moved and let her enter and the curly haired girl followed her into the living room. "This is Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto" Stacey introduced her. "You mean the Hazel Levesque? One of the demigods of the Prophecy of Seven and centurion of the Fifth Cohort?" I asked, excited and Hazel asked,

"How do you know all this about me?" And I was on a roll and squeaked, "All the demigods of the prophecy and those on the quest to transport the Athena Parthenos are considered like gods at the House. Everybody..." But then, Mom interrupted me and said, "Grace, you are scaring her" and smiled at Hazel, who was trying to process everything I had told her. I looked over at Stacey, who was standing in a corner all this while, a small smile on her face. Something about her was different, she was not the same Stacey I remembered so slightly. Then Mom diverted her attention to Stacey and asked her, "So, where were you all these 10 years?". Stacey hung her head and replied,

" I couldn't stand all the attention and pity I was getting". "What attention? What pity?" Mom further questioned her.

"Everyone was like 'You poor girl', 'So sad' and all, and it was not helping me overcome Mom's death", at this, her voice shook and she continued, "Everytime I would see..." But she couldn't continue and sank down on one of the sofas, her head in her hands. Mom went over to her and hugged her, while Hazel and me stood in an awkward silence. After a while, Stacey looked up, her eyes red and said, "Hecate sent hazel and me to get trained, even though I didn't want to".

" Hecate sent you?" I asked incredulously, "Yes. She was behind Stacey to train since summer, but finally, she put down her foot and here we are" Hazel answered. "Hecate sent you to me?" Mom asked. Stacey nodded, so Mom stood up and said, "I'll have to talk to Nicodemus. But I will tutor you only on one condition".

" What is it?"

"You will never desert us. Ever again" Mom threatened, and Stacey smiled and replied, "You can count on it".

---

It was two months since Stacey and Hazel arrived at my house, and now they were doing really well. They had been enrolled as trainees in the House, and were learning ever since. Stacey was almost a natural, Mom said it was due to the noble blood in her, but yet, it was annoying that she, who had never learnt magic, was even better than me, who had been learning since I was a kid. Not fair.

" Hey, Grace. Come over here right now! " Hazel called out to me from a corner if the training room. I signed and cartwheeled over to her and Stacey. "What us it?".

"Nicodemus wants us to practice the binding spell. We want you as our guinea pig" Hazel explained and I shook my head in horror. No ways. Never in a million years.

"Well, if you wont come, we might have to force you" Stacey said with a mischevious glint in her eyes, and I took it as my cue to run. Hazel and Stacey started running after me, and I knew I was going to lose, since Stacey has got long legs and is a very fast runner, so I tried my only rescue. "I'm gonna set Eirini after you!" I shouted behind me.

Eirinu is my pet dove, who is ever loyal to me and would peck anyone who troubles me to death, and was the only thing they were scared of.

"Too late!" Stacey shouted and Hazel held up a bundle, which was actually my dove, tied up and tossed in a bag. I gave up. They were going to catch me. Both if them were like my elder sisters, but sometimes got to annoying. Now was one if those times.

"Help!" I shrieked and continued my run, praying for a long life all the time.

Notes

COTE and keep COTEing. Had to type this chapter 3 times! Aargh!!