The Underworld's Child

3 | Trouble In Westover Hall Already

It was an eight-hour drive from New York to Bar Harbor, Maine. When she looked at the windows, she saw sleet and snow covering the highway. Annabeth, Thalia, Percy, and her hadn't seen each other in months, but between the blizzard happening right outside and the thought of what they were going to do next, they were too nervous to talk much. She was glad that she brought a book along with her. It really is a shame to not be able to listen to music. Lots of monsters are in the states so it would be fatal if she brought it along. More if she used it.

Another source of entertainment was Percy's mom. She talks more when she is nervous. Completely understandable as she too sometimes does it. By the time they got to Westover Hall, it was getting dark, and Ms. Jackson told us every embarrassing baby story there was about Percy. She wrote a few down just for safekeeping. You can also read it as blackmail but hey, that's what friends are for. Keeping and knowing your embarrassing baby stories.

Thalia sat beside Annabeth who was on my left. She wiped the fog off the car window before peering outside. "This'll be fun."

Westover Hall looked like an evil knight's castle. It was all black stone, with towers and slit windows and a big set of wooden double doors. It stood on a snowy cliff overlooking a big frosty forest on one side and the grey churning ocean on the other. All in all, pretty creepy according to Elora.

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait?" Ms. Jackson asked.

"No, thanks, Mom," Percy said. "I don't know how long it will take. We'll be okay right guys?"

"Sure will," Annabeth answered. Thalia and Elora nodded in agreement.

"But how will you get back? I'm worried, Percy," Ms. Jackson continued.

"It's okay Ms. Jackson." Annabeth smiled reassuringly at his mother. Her blond hair was tucked into a ski cap and her grey eyes were the same color as the ocean nearby.

"We'll keep him out of trouble," Elora said.

His mom seemed to relax a little after Annabeth and Elora's reassurances.

"Really, Mom," Percy started. "It's okay. I have Annabeth, Thalia, and Elora. Annabeth's the daughter of Athena, the most level headed demigod to hit eighth grade. Thalia's a daughter of Zeus with her lightning. And Elora is also a levelheaded demigod in ninth grade. Plus she has her shadows and all. We'll be alright."

"All right, dears," Ms. Jackson said. "Do you have everything you need?"

"Yes, Ms. Jackson," Thalia said. "Thanks for the ride."

Percy's mom continued to ask for things we might need until Percy accidentally snapped at her. "Mom, seriously! We'll be fine. Come on, guys."

She looked a little hurt and Elora could tell Percy was sorry about it but she also saw that he couldn't stand it if his mom spouted more stories about him when he was three years old in the bathtub.

Annabeth and Thalia followed Percy outside. I looked at Ms. Jackson. "Thank you for the ride, Ms. Jackson. We'll make sure to keep him out of trouble."

She smiled at her and said, "You're welcome. Thank you for looking after him. Also, it's Sally. Aunt Sally if you prefer."

"Thanks, Aunt Sally," Elora said before following her friends outside.

The wind blew hard outside and goosebumps appeared. She was not accustomed to the cold and snow as she lived in Southeast Asia where the weather was sunny or rainy and no in-between.

"You're mom's cool, Percy," Thalia said.

"She's pretty okay," he admitted. "What about you?You ever get in touch with your mom?"

Ouch. Elora doesn't know much about Thalia, but she knows enough that Thalia ran away with Luke and Annabeth. And that her parents are something she doesn't talk about.

Thalia was always great at giving evil looks and with the punk clothes she always wears-- the ripped-up army jacket, black leather pants and chain jewelry, the black eyeliner and her intense blue eyes. But the look she gave Percy was a perfect evil ten.

Thankfully they were interrupted by Annabeth. "We'd better get inside, Grover will be waiting."

"I wonder what he found here that made him send the distress call," said Elora. She looked at the looming black building and shivered from either the cold or the feeling of unease in her stomach.

"Nothing good," Percy guessed as he stared up the towers.

The grand oak doors groaned open, and the four of them stepped into the entry hall in a flurry of snow.

Elora took a scan of the hall and all she could say was, "Whoa."

The place was huge. The walls were lined with battle flags and a bunch of weapons were displayed. From antique rifles, battle axes, and a bunch of other stuff. She knew Westover was a military school, but the decorations seemed overkill to her.

Her hand reached up and played with the necklace her father gave her two years ago. When she looked to her friends by her side, she saw them fiddling with their hidden weapons too. Percy's hand was in his pocket and Thalia was rubbing her silver bracelet. A fight was coming and she guessed her friends thought the same.

Annabeth started to say, "I wonder where-" when the doors slammed shut behind them.

"Oo-kay," Percy mumbled. "Guess we'll stay awhile."

Elora could hear the music echoing from the other end of the hall and it sounded like dance music to her.

They stashed their bags behind a nearby pillar and walked down the hall. They hadn't gone very far before she heard footsteps on the stone floor. She only had time to say, "Someone's coming this way." before a man and a woman marched out of the shadows and intercepted them.

They both had short grey hair and black military-style uniforms with red trim. The woman had a slight mustache while the man was clean-shaven. It kind of seemed backwards to her. The pair walked stiffly as if they had wooden boards taped to their spines.

"Well?" demanded the woman. "What are you doing here?"

"Um..." Percy started. "Ma'am, we're just-"

What he was about to say was cut off by the man in uniform. "Ha! Visitors are not allowed at the dance! You shall be ejected!"

The man had an accent--French if Elora could guess. His J was pronounced like in Jacques. She took her time scanning his face. He was tall, with a hawkish face. His nostrils flared when he spoke, which made it hard for her to not stare at his nose. His eyes were two different colors like an alley cat's--one brown and one blue. She had a bad feeling about him but that might be her anxiety talking.

Thalia then interrupted. She stepped forward and did something. She snapped her fingers making a loud sound and a gust of wind ripple out from her hands.

She's manipulating the mist, Elora thought.

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