Nina's Destiny

The First Monsters

Nina's POV

Annabeth, Grover, Percy, and I sat in the bus station, waiting for our bus. I had my head resting against Percy's shoulder. The jet lag was still kicking my butt. All around the station, posters were plastered with Percy's face on them. HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BOY? I would bet anything Gabe had been telling all the cops about how much of a delinquent Percy was. Tears filled my eyes. Percy wouldn't be wanted if Mom hadn't died. I hadn't even gotten a letter to warn me about it. Percy had told me last night before we went to bed. I had spent the entire night crying.

"You want to know why she married him?" Grover asked. I turned around to look at him, but he was talking to Percy. I had a feeling they were talking about Mom and Gabe.

"Were you reading my mind or something?" Percy asked. I suppressed the urge to snort. Could satyrs do that? Could wizards and witches?

"Just your emotions," Grover said, shrugging. ""Guess I forgot to tell you satyrs can do that. You were thinking about your mom and your step dad, right?" I saw Percy nod. "Your mom married Gabe for you. You may call him 'Smelly' but you've got no idea. The guy has this aura... Yuck. I can smell him from here. I can smell traces of him on you and your sister both, and Nina hasn't been near him since the beginning of September."

"Gee, thanks Goat Boy, where's the nearest shower?" my brother said. I rolled my eyes fondly at him. I loved having my twin back.

"You should be grateful," Grover continued as if Percy hadn't said a word. "Your stepfather smells so repulsively human he could mask the presence of any demigod. As soon as I took a whiff inside his camaro, I knew: Gabe has been covering your scent for years. If you hadn't lived with him every summer, you probably would have been found by monsters a long time ago. Your mom stayed with him to protect you two. She was a smart lady. She must have loved you a lot to put up with that guy-if that makes you feel any better."

"Not really," I said. "It doesn't change all the times-" I broke off. I hardly knew Grover, and I was going to say something I had only ever told Morgan, er Apollo, something I hadn't even told Artemis? "Mom's still dead."

"Nina," Percy said, but I didn't want to talk. I had just found out hours ago my mother was dead, and I was stuck on this stupid quest. I hadn't had any time to grieve, and I didn't know when I would. I just wanted to break down. Where would I go now? Where would Percy go? It's not like I could stay with Apollo or Artemis. They were both gods. Maybe I could stay with Lavender, Parvati, or Lilly. I felt a few tears escape from my eyes. I summoned my guitar from the bracelet Apollo had given me. I began to strum.
Look what he's done to you

It isn't fair

Your light was bright and new

But he didn't care

He took the heart of a little girl

And made it grow up too fast

Now words like "innocence"

Don't mean a thing

You hear the music play

But you can't sing

Those pictures in your mind

Keep you locked up inside your past

This is a song for the broken girl

The one pushed aside by the cold, cold world

You are

Hear me when I say

You're not the worthless they made you feel

There is a Love they can never steal away