[Y/N's POV]
"Y/N! Wake up! It's time for class!"
I rolled over in bed, being slapped in the face with the sun's light. My ears were assaulted too with Mrs. Jackson's rapid knocking on the door. This place wasn't very friendly to my senses in the morning.
Yeah, I'd been living with the Jacksons since just before Christmas. Overall, it had been great, but the rough thing is that Percy's mom is just as anti-skipping class as Chiron was.
My alarm blared its wildly annoying beeping, as I rolled my body over to slap on the snooze button. "I'm up! I'm up, Mrs Jackson!" I replied, yawning and stretching in a way that my body started shaking. It felt incredible.
"I made you and Percy breakfast, if you want. Eggs!" She said cheerfully through the door. "Sounds great, Mrs Jackson. Thanks." I smiled softly as she left the door and returned to her morning activities. I had donned my usual apparel, jeans, and a band t-shirt I got after a Linkin Park concert Percy's mom took us to.
Sure, it hurt my ears, but it was worth it. Apparently the band was doing a tour, and Mrs Jackson surprised us with tickets to go. Percy said this was when he was going to introduce me to good rock music. He wasn't lying. That was a great concert.
I threw on one of my flannel shirts over that, rolling up the sleeves since it was getting warmer in New York with the summer approaching. It was early May. Probably a week or two until final exams were going to take place.
I was exhausted with school, honestly. But I loved it. Percy's mom was a great help with school when Annabeth wasn't available.
Speaking of Annabeth, she'd been keeping watch in San Francisco, so we'd either write to each other, or send Iris messages.
Another knock at my door pulled me free of my thoughts, as I grabbed my stuff and opened the door, seeing Mrs Jackson smiling down at me, her hand still mid knock. "Just checking. Wanted to make sure you weren't going to be late." I smiled back and sidled around her, making my way through the apartment to the bathroom.
"Oh, dude!" I exclaimed, seeing Percy in there brushing his teeth. The issue was- "Put some pants on! Nobody wants to look at that!" Percy was in his tighty whities, half asleep. He jolted awake at my shouting, and jumped, slamming the door shut in front of him.
I sighed, knocking on the door, "At least give me my toothbrush, Percy!" I heard a little plastic clatter and saw my toothbrush slide out from under the door.
I furrowed my brow and went to the kitchen sink, brushing as best as I could while Percy's mom chuckled about 'boys'
Suddenly, the phone rang. Percy's mom answered quickly, and exclaimed with joy, babbling on about, "he's alright. Brushing his teeth now." Once I had finished and discarded the toothpaste, she said the call was for me.
"Hello?" I asked. "Hey, Y/N!" Annabeth's cheery voice transmitted through the phone. "What's up, Einstein?" I asked, scratching the back of my neck. "I was thinking."
"Of course you were." I replied. "Classes end for me on the 24th. You want to catch a movie the week after?" I looked at Mrs Jackson and pulled the phone away from my ear. "When do classes end?"
She mouthed 'The twenty fifth' and I nodded in thanks, putting the phone back up to my ear. "Yeah. That works. What day were you thinking? And would I be going there, or would you be coming here?" I asked.
Annabeth went "Umm" before making a noise of realization. "How about the fourth?" I scratched my chin in thought. "That works. What do you want to see?"
"Spider-Man three comes out this weekend. So does the new Pirates of the Caribbean." She announced. "Hey, doesn't the new Shrek movie come out soon?"
Annabeth sighed. "Not Shrek." I laughed in disbelief. "Why not?" She laughed into the phone. "Because we watched the second one and you wouldn't stop quoting the giant cookie. It's-"
Suddenly, she cut off her sentence, and I heard her shoo away someone over the phone. "My dad says hi." she sighed. I smiled. "Tell him I said hi too." Annabeth's dad seemed like a cool dude.
"So it's between Spiderman 3, and the new Pirates?"
"That's all the ones I can see us both tolerating. And the new Harry Potter isn't out until July. Won't have time then."
"Um. Okay. Surprise me. Your call, Einstein." I replied. "Hey, I gotta go. Breakfast is getting cold."
She chuckled softly over the phone. I loved her laugh. Especially when she laughs too hard and snorts. She gets so embarrassed. Me, I think it's one of, if not THE cutest things ever.
"What are you having?" She asked. "Blue eggs and ham."
"I didn't make ham!" Mrs Jackson joked. "It appears there's no ham. Either way. I gotta go. School's in a bit. I'll I.M. you tomorrow! Bye!"
Percy emerged from the bathroom again, now fully clothed, he didn't feel like saying anything, so I stood by the counter, picking at my nails.
Percy's mom handed us breakfast, blue eggs. I was used to it by now. If it wasn't blue, it wasn't a Jackson meal. Sure, they had an entire cabinet full of blue food dye, but given all the things I'd seen in my years as a demigod, that wasn't very strange in comparison. Percy's mom joined us at the table and we started eating.
"So, boys. What's going on at school today?" Percy's mom asked. I shrugged, unsure. What happened was that I did my assignments, and paid no other attention. Extracurriculars or whatever, field trips, announcements. All of that went out of the window.
When I wasn't doing school stuff, I was training. Sure, I wasn't at camp anymore to get work in, but I had my ways. The school had a massive gym that was all access to students, so I used that. I was stronger now, physically, and mentally. I was almost a foot taller than a year ago, and I was filling out even more, having learned about a magnificent thing called weight lifting.
I wasn't able to find Lou Ellen again at camp to reseal the demon away. I figured she went home for the year last summer. But that hadn't been a problem. Surprisingly. The demon had been completely silent ever since I held up the sky.
Strangely enough, so had the shadow man. I hadn't heard a thing from either of them in months. Sure, it was awesome that they left me alone, but I was also worried, since that wasn't what they usually did.
"Y/N?" Percy's mom asked. I shook my head and looked up at her. "Yeah, Mrs. Jackson? What's up?" She put down her fork. "Are you okay? You've been spacy lately. Is everything alright?"
I wasn't sure about that, but lying always felt easier than worrying people. "Yeah, just finals coming up, a lot to think about." I smirked unconvincingly and ate more of that brain food Annabeth was always on about.
Mrs Jackson frowned at me, but didn't ask again. She poked excitedly at her food. "So, boys. Paul told me that he wanted to talk to you guys about something once school ended. There might be a couple of openings at Goode, and he thinks that you two could get in. It's one of the best educations you can get in New York!" She exclaimed, smiling brightly. "Awesome." I mumbled, through a mouthful of eggs. "Don't talk with your mouth full, Y/N. '' she chided. I listened.
Sure, she was a very sweet woman, but a few months of living here let me know that she wasn't to be messed with. So, I'd behaved, done chores, and whatever else was asked around here, so I didn't incur my friend's mom's wrath. "Do you two want a ride today, or are you taking the bus?" she asked. "Bus." Percy and I said at the same time.
Mrs Jackson frowned sarcastically. "Well, you two enjoy school. I made lunch too." She handed us a couple of paper bags, with our lunches supposedly stuffed inside. Once we had cleaned up a little, Percy and I grabbed our bags and headed out the door.
In the elevator to the ground floor, we made another check. "Got riptide?" He nodded. "You got yours?" He asked in return. I flashed my pendant that was a gift from my mom, and my ring that was a gift from the shadow man. Moonlight and blackout. Dangerous weapons made of some ethereal magic I couldn't explain if you gave me eternity.
Though, I hadn't been able to summon Blackout since I died on Mt Tam. I'd tried everything, but it just stayed as a ring. Couldn't get it off my finger either.
Thankfully, we hadn't been attacked by monsters all semester, but it's better safe than sorry. Plus, the one thing I've learned since I've known Percy, is that when a semester ends, someone is probably going to try and kill him. Whether that be a fury, a laistrygonian dodgeball player, or a manticore pretending to be a principal, it was going to be something. My money's on a harpy this year.
We made it to the bus stop no problem, but that was when an idea surfaced. I'd been thinking about taking a Friday off one of these days, but none of it worked. Always had a test or something I needed to be in attendance for.
Until now.
"Hey, you go ahead and take the bus. I'm not going today." I told Percy, turning away from the stop, and heading off. "You sure?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah, I'll see you. Hopefully I'll be back this weekend."
Surprisingly enough, I was gunning for straight A's. Annabeth's occasional tutoring, and Mrs Jackson's help where she could, did wonders for me, and who cared if I missed a single day of class? It's friday. Not like I was going to miss anything big.
As I turned the corner, I wish I had realized that would be the last time I'd see a friend for a while.
I thought about where to go, since I could still shadow walk, and it hit me. The parthenon. Annabeth had always wanted to go there. Maybe I could visit and see what all the fuss is about.
***
You can forget just how exhausting it is to walk 900 miles until you do it.
After a slight bit of research, I realized that walking to Greece was going to be impossible, so I made my way to the one down in Nashville. It could serve a similar purpose.
I swiped a Polaroid camera from someone's bag and took a picture standing in front of the building. I planned to rub this in Annabeth's face when I saw her again.
Heck, maybe I could bring Annabeth here one day and hang out together.
She'd like it here. It had a bunch of statues of old greek monsters, the largest of which being a mega sized hydra in the center of the room. If that was the thing Hercules had to fight, I wish it would've just bit him in half.
My sister, Zoe, was wronged by Hercules, and it pissed me off. I never understood how people could be so inconsiderate of others. As I sat on a bench in one of the wings of the parthenon, I pulled open that paper bag Mrs Jackson gave me.
I pulled out the small tupperware container and started to dig in. That was when I heard a loud hiss, and a cry of fear. "You must be strong, lord, if you are to complete your mission!" A hazy voice yelled out.
Without even thinking, I grasped moonlight in my hand. The pale glow of the blade bounced off the marble floors and walls, as I rounded a corner and saw three scaly heads shoot past the corridor I was hiding in.
Another frightened yelp. "You wanted this! Why not just accept that you can't beat it yet?" A shrill voice replied, "Because I can beat it!"
I stepped out of the hallway, and met eyes with a pale, olive skinned, dark haired, scared little boy.
His hair was longer and shaggier than the last time I'd seen him. He was wearing drab and dirty clothing, looking like he'd just woken up.
"Nico?" I asked, as hissing turned towards me. I rolled out of the way as the hydra statue positioned itself back to strike. Well, it wasn't a statue. It towered over us, all seven heads hissing and flicking snake tongues out at us.
Nico turned to me, raising his sword. "You!" He said. I could see he was still a bit mad at me, but that didn't matter much. "Who were you talking to?" I asked as Nico weakly held his sword up. It was a dark iron blade. One I'd never seen before, but one that was befit of the son of Hades.
A hydra's head lunged toward me. It was extra difficult to remember that I couldn't cut one of the giant heads off, because two more would replace it.
Or did that not matter because it was a statue twenty minutes ago?
I jabbed one of the eyes, and ducked as the serpentine head flailed wildly. Nico looked terrified and woefully unprepared.
"Did you do this, Nico?!" I shouted, rolling out of the way. He shook his head and refused to look at me.
Another mouthful of teeth lunged, so I side stepped, stabbing square in the middle of the head, hoping for the best. Nothing happened, as a second and third head flew in my direction, knocking me roughly into one of the marble walls.
Luckily enough, there weren't any mortals in here, but unluckily, I was not going to beat this thing.
That hazy voice filled the room again. "I knew you were not ready for this, Nico." it said. I looked around, trying to locate the source, but nothing. Nico turned. "I am ready! He just threw me off!" He gestured towards me. I looked back at the Hydra, only to see that massive statue again. It was as if nothing had even happened.
"Is he not one of the ones you want to kill?" The hazy voice asked. Nico nodded to no one. "Then kill him. Fulfill your desires."
I took a deep breath and cringed. Cracked ribs, and maybe a slipped disc.
I turned to Nico, who was looking at me nervously, his sword hand wobbling. "Kid, where have you been?" I asked, trudging over towards him. He didn't answer, and tried to run. I grabbed him by the wrist, feeling my body slowly (Very slowly) start healing from nature's blessing.
"What happened, Nico? I'm worried about you. We all are." He shook his dark hair out of his face, and still said nothing. His face was starting to tinge red, like he was embarrassed. He kept struggling and in a last ditch effort, he pulled his foot back, and aimed for the same place from last winter.
I slapped away his foot. "That's not happening again. What's been going on with-" Suddenly, I felt a powerful gust of wind knock me off my feet, and my grip was broken.
Nico took off running. By the time I got back to my feet, he was rounding a corner. I took off toward him, letting go of moonlight and running.
When I rounded that same corner, I saw a bathroom door flipping, indicating that someone had just gone in there. Luckily, it was the men's room, so I wasn't being immoral. When I pushed through the door, I saw Nico standing in front of a dark doorway. He was trying to hide.
I was in pain already, so I did something dumb. I tackled him through the doorway, trying to not let go of the kid who was kicking and screaming. We rolled down a hill, and it got progressively darker. We must've gone into some underground part of the museum or something. It must have been reserved for scheduled tours only, because the lights were off.
While I was thinking, I felt a sucker punch across the jaw, and I lost my hold on Nico. I heard him skitter off into the darkness, his footsteps fading by the second.
I couldn't see anything. So I drew moonlight, and waited for the silver glow of the weapon to shed a little light on the subject.
The subject was though, that I had no clue where I was. I turned in several circles, trying to gather my bearings, but there was no hill we rolled down. No door we came through.
I took a deep, haggard breath as I looked around at the dark stone walls surrounding me.
"Where am I?" I asked to no one in particular, my voice bouncing off the all encompassing darkness.
***
[Percy's POV]
The last thing I wanted to do on my summer break was blow up another school. But there I was Monday morning, the fourth day of June, sitting in my mom's car in front of Goode High School on East 81st.
It didn't help that I was still in the middle of looking for my friend who'd been missing for a month. I didn't want to imagine the worst, but I also had no idea what could've happened to him. My mom thought it would be best to stay optimistic. She tried to help me not think too much about it, even though she was arguably worrying more than I was.
To be honest, it's all I could think about some days, since I was terrified of what I was going to tell Chiron if he stayed missing. And don't even get me started on Annabeth. She was probably going to kill me. My mom had driven me to the front of the school Y/N and I had ended up getting on the list thanks to Mr Blofis.
Goode was this big brownstone building overlooking the East River. A bunch of BMWs and Lincoln Town Cars were parked out front. Staring up at the fancy stone archway, I wondered how long it would take me to get kicked out of this place.
"Just relax." My mom didn't sound relaxed. "It's only an orientation tour. And remember, dear, this is Paul's school. So try not to...you know."
"Destroy it?"
"Yes."
Paul Blofis, my mom's boyfriend, was standing out front, greeting future ninth graders as they came up the steps. With his salt-and-pepper hair, denim clothes, and leather jacket, he reminded me of a TV actor, but he was just an English teacher.
He'd managed to convince Goode High School to accept me and Y/N for ninth grade, despite the fact that I'd gotten kicked out of every school I'd ever attended. And Y/N, despite missing his finals, still passed with ease, since his grades had been high enough before he disappeared.
I hadn't gotten any dreams about him or whatever situation he's been stuck in, so maybe he just was messing around and playing hooky this whole time. But that didn't seem like Y/N. I'd have thought he'd tell me or my mom about it. But I also never really understood Y/N very much. He did some things that confused me.
I'd tried to warn Paul it wasn't a good idea to let us in, but he wouldn't listen.
I looked at my mom. "You haven't told him the truth about us, have you? She tapped her fingers nervously on the wheel. She was dressed up for a job interview. Her best blue dress and high-heeled shoes.
"I thought we should wait," she admitted. "So we don't scare him away?" I asked. "I'm sure orientation will be fine, Percy, It's only one morning."
"Great," I mumbled. "I can get expelled before I start the school year."
"Think positive. Tomorrow you're off to camp! After today, you'll get to see Annabeth again. Maybe Y/N's there waiting. I bet they were just 'hanging out' this whole time." My mom raised her eyebrows, isinuating something that made me want to vomit. "Ew, mom. Gross."
"What?" She laughed. "Those two are perfect for each other. They just need to get on with it already." With that, I bid my mom farewell and exited the car.
Paul Blofis was greeting a girl with frizzy red hair. She wore a maroon T-shirt and ratty jeans decorated with marker drawings. When she turned, I caught a glimpse of her face, and the hairs on my arms stood straight up. That dam girl. I only ever caught a glimpse of her, but she was memorable, due to the fact that she'd run into two demigods, both of which stabbed at her. And she came away unscathed.
"Percy?" my mom asked. "What's wrong?"
"N-nothing," I stammered. "Does the school have a side entrance?"
"Down the block on the right. Why?"
"I'll see you later."
My mom started to say something, but I got out of the car and ran, hoping the redheaded girl wouldn't see me.
If that was who I thought it was, I prayed she wouldn't see me. My luck couldn't be that bad, right?
Yeah, right. I was about to find out my luck could get a lot worse.
* * *
Sneaking into orientation didn't work out too well. Two cheerleaders in purple-and-white uniforms were standing at the side entrance, waiting to ambush freshmen.
"Hi!" They smiled, which I figured was the first and last time any cheerleaders would be that friendly to me. One was blond with icy blue eyes.
The other was African American with dark curly hair like Medusa's (and believe me, I know what I'm talking about). Both girls had their names stitched in cursive on their uniforms, but with my dyslexia, the words looked like meaningless spaghetti.
"Welcome to Goode," the blond girl said. "You are so going to love it."
But as she looked me up and down, her expression said something more like, 'Eww, who is this loser?'
The other girl stepped uncomfortably close to me. I studied the stitching on her uniform and made out Kelli. She smelled like roses and something else I recognized from riding lessons at camp.
The scent of freshly washed horses. It was a weird smell for a cheerleader. Maybe she owned a horse or something. Anyway, she stood so close I got the feeling she was going to try to push me down the steps. "What's your name, fish?"
"Fish?"
"Freshman."
"Uh, Percy."
The girls exchanged looks.
"Oh, Percy Jackson," the blond one said. "We've been waiting for you."
That sent a major 'Uh-oh' chill down my back. They were blocking the entrance, smiling in a not-very-friendly way. My hand crept instinctively toward my pocket, where I kept my lethal ballpoint pen, Riptide.
Then another voice came from inside the building. "Percy?" It was Paul Blofis, somewhere down the hallway. I'd never been so glad to hear his voice.
The cheerleaders backed off. I was so anxious to get past them I accidentally kneed Kelli in the thigh.
Clang.
Her leg made a hollow, metallic sound, like I'd just hit a flagpole.
"Ow," she muttered. "Watch it, fish."
I glanced down, but her leg looked like a regular old leg. I was too freaked out to ask questions. I dashed into the hall, the cheerleaders laughing behind me.
"There you are!" Paul told me. "Welcome to Goode!"
"Hey, Paul. Uh, Mr. Blofis." I glanced back, but the weird cheerleaders had disappeared.
"Percy, you look like you've seen a ghost."
"Yeah, uh-"
Paul clapped me on the back. "Listen, I know you're nervous, but don't worry. We get a lot of kids here with ADHD and dyslexia. The teachers know how to help."
I almost wanted to laugh. If only ADHD and dyslexia were my biggest worries. I mean, I knew Paul was trying to help, but if I told him the truth about me, he'd either think I was crazy or he'd run away screaming. Those cheerleaders, for instance. I had a bad feeling about them....
"Still no sign of Y/N?" he asked. I shook my head. Paul grimaced. "I should call the police again. They said they wouldn't file a missing children's case about him, because they 'couldn't find evidence he was a real person'." he shivered, thinking about all the things that could've happened to him. Granted, Y/N was only a quarter human, so he definitely didn't get kidnapped or anything. That worried me the most.
If you remember from last winter, Y/N made up with his mom, and found out his father was a half titan. So, that would explain a few things about him. Like his freakish strength, speed, and reflexes. But not that one part no one seemed to understand. The demon. He'd sealed it away a year ago in the summer.
Before I could come up with a way to tell the man in front of me to explain to him that Y/N wouldn't be found by the police, I looked down the hall, and I remembered I had another problem.
The redheaded girl I'd seen on the front steps was just coming in the main entrance. Don't look at me, I prayed. She looked at me, and her eyes widened in what looked like confusion. I instantly remembered that she was bad news.
"Where's the orientation?" I asked Paul.
"The gym. That way. But-"
"Bye."
"Percy?" he called, but I was already running.
I thought I'd lost her.
A bunch of kids were heading for the gym, and soon I was just one of three hundred fourteen-year-olds all crammed into the bleachers. A marching band played an out-of-tune fight song that sounded like somebody hitting a bag of cats with a metal baseball bat.
Older kids, probably student council members, stood up front modeling the Goode school uniform and looking all, Hey, we're cool. Teachers milled around, smiling and shaking hands with students.
The walls of the gym were plastered with big purpleand-white banners that said 'WELCOME FUTURE FRESHMEN, GOODE IS GOOD, WE'RE ALL FAMILY,' and a bunch of other happy slogans that pretty much made me want to throw up.
None of the other freshmen looked thrilled to be here, either. I mean, coming to orientation in June, when school doesn't even start until September, is not cool. But at Goode, "We prepare to excel early!" At least that's what the brochure said.
The marching band stopped playing. A guy in a pinstripe suit came to the microphone and started talking, but the sound echoed around the gym so I had no idea what he was saying. He might've been gargling.
Someone grabbed my shoulder, "You know, I still never got your name." It was her: the redheaded nightmare. "Rachel Elizabeth Dare," I said. Her jaw dropped like she couldn't believe I had the nerve to know her name. "And yours is?" she asked. "Why?" She rolled her eyes. "Do you know a guy named Y/N?" She demanded.
I nodded weakly. "I know Y/N." She asked, "What's your name, anyway?" I sighed. "Percy Jackson. Now, what are you doing here?" She shrugged. "I'm here for orientation, I guess."
"You live in New York?"
"What, you thought I lived at the Hoover Dam?"
Some guy behind us whispered, "Hey, shut up. The cheerleaders are talking!"
"Hi, guys!" a girl bubbled into the microphone. It was the blonde I'd seen at the entrance. "My name is Tammi, and this is like, Kelli." Kelli did a cartwheel.
Next to me, Rachel yelped like someone had stuck her with a pin. A few kids looked over and snickered, but Rachel just stared at the cheerleaders in horror. Tammi didn't seem to notice the outburst. She started talking about all the great ways we could get involved during our freshman year.
"Run," Rachel told me. "Now."
"Why?"
Rachel didn't explain. She pushed her way to the edge of the bleachers, ignoring the frowning teachers and grumbling kids she was stepping on. I hesitated. Tammi was explaining how we were about to break into small groups and tour the school. Kelli caught my eye and gave me an amused smile, like she was waiting to see what I'd do.
It would look bad if I left right now. Paul Blofis was down there with the rest of the teachers. He'd wonder what was wrong.
Then I thought about Rachel Elizabeth Dare, and the special ability Y/N said she'd shown last winter at Hoover Dam. She'd been able to see a group of security guards who weren't guards at all, who weren't even human. My heart pounding, I got up and followed her out of the gym.
* * *
I found Rachel in the band room. She was hiding behind a bass drum in the percussion section.
"Get over here!" she said. "Keep your head down!"
I felt pretty silly hiding behind a bunch of bongos, but I crouched down beside her.
"Did they follow you?" Rachel asked.
"You mean the cheerleaders?"
She nodded nervously. "I don't think so," I said. "What are they? What did you see?" Her green eyes were bright with fear. She had a sprinkle of freckles on her face that reminded me of constellations. Her maroon T-shirt read 'HARVARD ART DEPT.'
"You... you wouldn't believe me." I scoffed. "Try me. You wouldn't believe the things I can believe." I promised. "I know you can see through the mist."
"The what?"
"It's...well, it's like this veil that hides the way things really are. Some mortals are born with the ability to see through it. Like you." She studied me carefully. "Y/N did that at Hoover Dam. He called me a mortal. Like you guys aren't."
I felt like punching a bongo. What was I thinking? I could never explain. I shouldn't even try. "Tell me," she begged. "You know what it means. All these horrible things I see?"
"Look, this is going to sound weird. Do you know anything about Greek myths?"
"Like... the Minotaur and the Hydra?"
"Yeah, just try not to say those names when I'm around, okay?"
"And the Furies," she said, warming up. "And the Sirens, and-"
"Okay!" I looked around the band hall, sure that Rachel was going to make a bunch of bloodthirsty nasties pop out of the walls; but we were still alone. Down the hallway, I heard a mob of kids coming out of the gymnasium. They were starting the group tours. We didn't have long to talk.
"All those monsters," I said, "all the Greek gods. They're real."
"I knew it!"
I would've been more comfortable if she'd called me a liar, but Rachel looked like I'd just confirmed her worst suspicion.
"You don't know how hard it's been," she said. "For years I thought I was going crazy. I couldn't tell anybody. I couldn't-" Her eyes narrowed.
"Wait. Who are you? I mean really?"
"I'm not a monster."
"Well, I know that. I could see if you were. You look like... you. But you're not human, are you?"
I swallowed. Even though I'd had three years to get used to who I was, I'd never talked about it with a regular mortal before. I mean, except for my mom, but she already knew. I don't know why, but I took the plunge.
"I'm a half-blood," I said. "I'm half human."
"And half what?"
Just then Tammi and Kelli stepped into the band room. The doors slammed shut behind them.
"There you are, Percy Jackson," Tammi said. "It's time for your orientation."
"They're horrible!" Rachel gasped.
Tammi and Kelli were still wearing their purple-and-white cheerleader costumes, holding pom-poms from the rally. "What do they really look like?" I asked, but Rachel seemed too stunned to answer.
"Oh, forget her." Tammi gave me a brilliant smile and started walking toward us. Kelli stayed by the doors, blocking our exit.
They'd trapped us. I knew we'd have to fight our way out, but Tammi's smile was so dazzling it distracted me. Her blue eyes were beautiful, and the way her hair swept over her shoulders...
"Percy," Rachel warned. I said something really intelligent like, "Uhhh?" Tammi was getting closer. She held out her pom-poms.
"Percy!" Rachel's voice seemed to be coming from a long way away. "Snap out of it!"
It took all my willpower, but I got my pen out of my pocket and uncapped it. Riptide grew into a three-foot-long bronze sword, its blade glowing with a faint golden light. Tammi's smile turned to a sneer.
"Oh, come on," she protested. "You don't need that. How about a kiss instead?"
She smelled like roses and clean animal fur. A weird but somehow intoxicating smell. Rachel pinched my arm, hard. "Percy, she wants to bite you! Look at her!"
"She's just jealous," Tammi looked back at Kelli. "May I, mistress?"
Kelli was still blocking the door, licking her lips hungrily. "Go ahead, Tammi. You're doing fine." Tammi took another step forward, but I leveled the tip of my sword at her chest. "Get back."
She snarled. "Freshmen," she said with disgust. "This is our school, half blood. We feed on whom we choose!" Then she began to change. The color drained out of her face and arms.
Her skin turned as white as chalk, her eyes completely red. Her teeth grew into fangs.
"A vampire!" I stammered. Then I noticed her legs. Below the cheerleader skirt, her left leg was brown and shaggy with a donkey's hoof. Her right leg was shaped like a human leg, but it was made of bronze. "Uhh, a vampire with-"
"Don't mention the legs!" Tammi snapped. "It's rude to make fun!" She advanced on her weird, mismatched legs. She looked totally bizarre, especially with the pom-poms, but I couldn't laugh. Not facing those red eyes and sharp fangs.
"A vampire, you say?" Kelli laughed. "That silly legend was based on us, you fool. We are empousai, servants of Hecate."
"Mmmm." Tammi edged closer to me. "Dark magic formed us from animal, bronze, and ghost! We exist to feed on the blood of young men. Now come, give me that kiss!"
She bared her fangs. I was so paralyzed I couldn't move, but Rachel threw a snare drum at the empousa's head. The demon hissed and batted the drum away. It went rolling along the aisles between music stands, its springs rattling against the drumhead.
Rachel threw a xylophone, but the demon just swatted that away, too. "I don't usually kill girls," Tammi growled. "But for you, mortal, I'll make an exception. Your eyesight is a little too good!"
She lunged at Rachel.
"No!" I slashed with Riptide. Tammi tried to dodge my blade, but I sliced straight through her cheerleader uniform, and with a horrible wail she exploded into dust all over Rachel.
Rachel coughed. She looked like she'd just had a sack of flour dumped on her head. "Gross!"
"Monsters do that," I said. "Sorry."
"You killed my trainee!" Kelli yelled. "You need a lesson in school spirit, half-blood!"
Then she too began to change. Her wiry hair turned into flickering flames. Her eyes turned red. She grew fangs. She slumped toward us, her brass foot and hoof clopping unevenly on the band-room floor.
"I am senior empousa," she growled. "No hero has bested me in a thousand years."
"Yeah?" I said. "Then you're overdue!"
Kelli was a lot faster than Tammi. She dodged my first strike and rolled into the brass section, knocking over a row of trombones with a mighty crash. Rachel scrambled out of the way. I put myself between her and the empousa. Kelli circled us, her eyes going from me to the sword.
"Such a pretty little blade," she said. "What a shame it stands between us."
Her form shimmered. Sometimes a demon, sometimes a pretty cheerleader. I tried to keep my mind focused, but it was really distracting.
"Poor dear." Kelli chuckled. "You don't even know what's happening, do you? Soon, your pretty little camp in flames, your friends made slaves to the Lord of Time, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. One of them is already gone. I know very well about that. It would be merciful to end your life now, before you have to see what will happen to him. " She smirked evilly.
Did she know about Y/N? Or was it someone else? What did I not know about this time?
From down the hall, I heard voices. A tour group was approaching. A man was saying something about locker combinations. The empousa's eyes lit up. "Excellent! We're about to have company!"
She picked up a tuba and threw it at me. Rachel and I ducked. The tuba sailed over our heads and crashed through the window.
The voices in the hall died down.
"Percy!" Kelli shouted, pretending to be scared, "why did you throw that?"
I was too surprised to answer. Kelli picked up a music stand and swiped a row of clarinets and flutes. Chairs and musical instruments crashed to the floor.
"Stop it!" I said.
People were tromping down the hall now, coming in our direction. "Time to greet our visitors!" Kelli bared her fangs and ran for the doors. I charged after her with Riptide. I had to stop her from hurting the mortals.
"Percy, don't!" Rachel shouted. But I hadn't realized what Kelli was up to until it was too late.
Kelli flung open the doors. Paul Blofis and a bunch of freshmen stepped back in shock. I raised my sword.
At the last second, the empousa turned toward me like a cowering victim.
"Oh no, please!" she cried. I couldn't stop my blade. It was already in motion.
Just before the celestial bronze hit her, Kelli exploded into flames like a Molotov cocktail. Waves of fire splashed over everything. I'd never seen a monster do that before, but I didn't have time to wonder about it. I backed into the band room as the flames engulfed the doorway.
"Percy?" Paul Blofis looked completely stunned, staring at me from across the fire. "What have you done?"
Kids screamed and ran down the hall. The fire alarm wailed. Ceiling sprinklers hissed to life.
In the chaos, Rachel tugged on my sleeve. "You have to get out of here!" She was right. The school was in flames and I'd be held responsible.
Mortals couldn't see through the Mist properly. To them it would look like I'd just attacked a helpless cheerleader in front of a group of witnesses. There was no way I could explain it. I turned from Paul and sprinted for the broken band room window.
* * *
I burst out of the alley onto East 81st and ran straight into Annabeth.
"Hey Percy..." she laughed, grabbing my shoulders to keep me from tumbling into the street. "Watch where you're going."
For a split second she was in a good mood and everything was fine. She was wearing jeans and an orange camp T-shirt and her clay bead necklace. Her blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Her gray eyes sparkled. She looked like she was ready to catch up, have a relaxing afternoon with someone. Probably Y/N. By now, I remembered that my mom told me they had plans for June fourth.
Today.
Those plans would not be happening.
Then Rachel Elizabeth Dare, still covered in monster dust, came charging out of the alley, yelling, "Percy, wait up!"
Annabeth's excited smile faltered. She stared at Rachel, then at the school. For the first time, she seemed to notice the black smoke and ringing fire alarms. She frowned tiredly at me. "What did you do this time? And who is this?"
"Oh, Rachel, Annabeth. Annabeth, Rachel. Um, she's a friend, I guess."
I wasn't sure what else to call Rachel. I mean, I barely knew her, but after being in a life-or-death situation together, and hearing the tale of how she'd saved my friend from getting tracked down by skeleton warriors, I couldn't just call her nobody.
"Hi," Rachel said. Then she turned to me. "You are in so much trouble. And you still owe me an explanation!"
Police sirens wailed on FDR Drive.
"Percy? Where's Y/N? Was he with you? '' She asked cautiously. "He hasn't been at camp, has he?" I wavered, realizing that my mom's theory was no longer viable. Something was really happening to him. He'd never go missing on purpose without telling us. I cowered under the gray eyed stare of the girl in front of me.
"No. Why would he be at camp? He hasn't been answering my letters and I can't find him with the Iris Messages. Where is he?"
"Uhhhhhhh..." I shuddered, feeling the anger radiating off of her. An explosion rang throughout the city, causing the three of us to jump out of our socks. "We need to go." I told Annabeth.
"I want to know more about half-bloods," Rachel insisted. "And monsters. And this stuff about the gods." She grabbed my arm, whipped out a permanent marker, and wrote a phone number on my hand. "You're going to call me and explain, okay? You owe me that. Now get going."
"But-"
"I'll make up some story," Rachel said. "I'll tell them it wasn't your fault. Just go!"
She ran back toward the school, leaving Annabeth and me in the street. The blonde girl started muttering frustration. I overheard her say, "What's that idiot gotten himself into now?" Suddenly, her expression turned from sour, to worried. She was speed walking down the street.
"Hey!" I jogged after her. "There were these two empousai," I tried to explain. "They were cheerleaders, see, and they said camp was going to burn, and-"
"You told a mortal girl about half-bloods?" she replied, moving on from her previous line of thought.
"She can see through the Mist. She saw the monsters before I did."
"So you told her the truth?"
"She knew us from the Hoover Dam, so-"
"You've met her before?" Annabeth sneered. "Not really. Y/N did. I ran into her, but I don't exactly know her-"
"She's kind of cute." the blonde girl teased.
"I- I never thought about it."
Annabeth kept walking toward York Avenue. "I'll deal with the school," I promised, anxious to change the subject. "Honest, it'll be fine."
Annabeth looked incredibly nervous. "Percy, did something happen to Y/N?"
I swallowed a lump in my throat. "I... I don't know. I haven't seen him in a month." Her eyes widened in shock. "Did... Did he tell you that he was going somewhere?" I asked, equally nervous.
This wasn't the first time one of us had gone missing in some way or another. A year ago, Grover got stuck in the Sea of Monsters, and in the previous winter, Annabeth had been kidnapped by a manticore. Now Y/N had vanished without a trace. I wondered how long it would be until I went missing too.
Annabeth shook with nerves. "No. I haven't spoken to him since we planned for today... We were supposed to get lunch and see a movie, but when I tried to write him, he never answered. So I came to check."
She was thinking about something, her gray eyes darting around, before they widened in panic, as if an idea had struck her.
"Di Immortales... But he couldn't get lost. Could he..." She looked like she might cry, before clamping a hand over her mouth, trying to control her breathing. There was one thing I knew Y/N hadn't done. There was no way he'd have joined Kronos' army.
But if the army had gotten ahold of him... I didn't want to think about it.
Behind us, smoke billowed up from Goode High School. In the dark column of ashes, I thought I could almost see a face. A she-demon with red eyes, laughing at me.
'Your pretty little camp in flames,' Kelli had said. 'Your friends made slaves to the Lord of Time. One of them is already gone. I know very well about that.' Her words resonated in my head, worrying me more than before.
"I'm sure Y/N's alright," I tried to reassure Annabeth, my heart sinking. "We have to get to Camp Half-Blood. We need to speak with Chiron. Now."
[Y/N's POV]
I don't know how long I've been down here. I don't even know where 'here' is.
The silver glow of moonlight shimmered on the stone walls once more as I tore it clear from the skull of a hellhound. I'd fought so many monsters already down here. My bones hadn't healed yet. Wherever I was, it wasn't in Artemis' realm. I was alone, and I hadn't spoken to another human since Nico, whenever that was.
"If only you'd just let go. Give me control once more. Maybe you wouldn't be stuck here..." The demon's voice taunted. I slid down against the stone walls, watching the hellhound's body dissipate into the shadow. "Just let go, boy. It would all be so much easier."
My breath staggered, as I worked my way up onto my feet again, holding moonlight in front of me, guiding my path, in the ever blinding darkness. It felt like I was going in circles, making absolutely no progress at all.
I haven't seen a single thing that's the same as another since I got trapped in here. Nico got away completely, so now I was stuck for no reason, since I only followed him in here to try and reason with the kid.
I spat a clotted mess from my mouth, seeing my own blood stain the stone beneath me. In the pale glow of my weapon, I could see the cuts, scrapes, scars, and gashes that had covered my body. Blood stained my tattered shirt, and I had torn up my flannel to wrap around all my bigger wounds.
I'd fought hellhounds, dracaenae, serpents, scorpions, harpies, and a bunch of other things I couldn't remember the names of. Once I was met with one of those damned skeletons. I wasn't sure if they were the same ones from last winter, but I didn't feel like leaving that to chance. I just turned and ran as fast as I could away from them.
The only thing I hadn't run into down here, was another demigod. I'd only seen monsters.
That was what worried me. These weren't chance meetings. Someone kept sending these monsters after me. Someone knew I was wherever this was, and they were trying to kill me.
But, since when was someone trying to kill me a new thing? I'd been under constant threat of death since I was born.
"Are you just ignoring me?" The demon groaned. 'I'm trying to.' I thought. It growled annoyedly. "Just give me control. You know you want to take a break, sit back, and watch as I escape this maze for you." It taunted.
'Maze? What maze?'
It cackled in delight. "You really don't know, boy?"
'Obviously not.' I hadn't known my location since I left the parthenon in Nashville.
I don't know what the demon is on about, but it's nothing that bothers me. All I could worry about was figuring out how to escape this... maze.
"Oh but that's by design. You are not meant to escape. You're only meant to walk endlessly until you drop."
I sighed. "I liked you better when you were quiet." I mumbled out loud, to no one in particular. My feet were tired, and so was I. It could have been days. Weeks. Years. Months. I don't know how long it's been. I hadn't seen the sun in forever.
I kept walking until my foot hooked something, and I tumbled to the ground. When I looked down, under the silver light, I saw the rungs of a rusted, old ladder. I lifted moonlight higher, seeing a glowing Greek symbol on the wall.
Delta.
When my hand brushed over it, something clicked loudly, and blinding light shone from above the ladder. I felt something tightly wrap around my chest. No wait, that's just the shattered ribs.
Yeah, they were shattered now. Bad timing of a harpy spearing me from the depths of the darkness right into a wall. It was hard to breathe, and I coughed roughly, fighting for air, supporting myself on the ladder, letting my eyes adjust to something I'd never been so glad to see before.
"Not meant to escape... Yeah, right..." I taunted, letting Moonlight return to its prone form, as I began to climb the ladder. What I saw when I reached the top, looked like some old decrepit building.
I could smell saltwater nearby, and as I pulled myself out of the whole, I saw something I'd taken for granted since moving in with the Jacksons. A bed.
Sure, it was behind a rusted old metal gate, but it was a bed, and I was so tired, it hadn't hit me yet that I emerged into some random rusty jail cell.
And the crying. The very loud crying, and the hissing noises too.
I passed out pretty quick.