Takes place thirteen years after the Titan War (the second one.)


Their plan was so devious, so secretive…so genius, even the gods didn't figure it out.

It didn't matter that the titans were destroyed. Somewhere, someone just celebrated their thirteenth birthday, which meant they must be claimed…


Seraphina threw her head back, laughing so hard her stomach hurt and her eyes watered.

It wasn't even funny; she was just so glad to be alive, she couldn't help herself.

She had never had a meal this big. A fresh turkey and potatoes?

She closed her eyes and sucked in the delicious fragrance of this food. Her food.

She quieted herself down and brought her dinner to her lap.

She reminded herself that she should eat slowly, to try to savor every last crumb.

But she couldn't help herself. She stuffed the food in her mouth, and in less then two minutes, all the food was gone.

She lay down in the center of the alley, staring up at the stars. They were truly beautiful tonight. She tried to pick out some of the constellations she had learned from her mother.

Was that…that guy's guitar? No, not guitar. Lyre.

Seraphina hummed 'Happy Birthday' to herself. She managed not to cry as she realized this was her first birthday without her mother by her side.

She wondered what her mom was doing, or even where she was. She had always told crazy stories of the Underworld, where supposedly a three-headed dog guarded the entrance and you had to pay to get in.

The thoughts of the Underworld engulfed her so much, she closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.


A man sitting on a white stallion rubbed his beard nervously. With a shock, Seraphina realized he wasn't sitting on a stallion. He was a stallion.

From his waist down, he was fully horse, but from his waist up, he was a regular guy.

Okay, she thought. Weird dream.

A girl in her late twenties stood next to him. Seraphina couldn't see her face, but she was built like an athlete, and she had pretty blond hair that was pulled back in a loose ponytail.

"If that's true, everything, everything that we've worked for would've been a complete waste." The girl said, a sharp ferocity in her voice.

"We must remain calm. But until everything is checked out, no one must know about this. Not even Percy. Do I have your word?" The horse guy's face was grim, his voice deadly serious.

"But, Chiron-" The blond began to protest, but Chiron raised his hand.

"Do I have your word?"

"I…I swear on the River Styx I won't tell anyone. But Chiron…should we get a search party, to try to find her?"

Seraphina wasn't sure was this 'Styx' thing was, but she had a vague memory of hearing the name before…

"I suppose, yes. But we cannot tell them what it is for. You must act like your retrieving a regular demigod. Understand?" Chiron said, though he didn't sound very enthusiastic.

The girl nodded. "Of course." She began to walk off, but he grabbed her arm.

"And, Annabeth, you might not want to pick Percy for this particular outing. I'm sure you've learned by now that he's not as naïve as he appears."

The girl nodded again, and the dream began to fade. But before it faded completely, the girl turned around and Seraphina got a glimpse of startling gray eyes.


Seraphina woke with a start. She had no idea how a dream that short had taken up her entire night, but it had, because the sun was already up and shining.

With a slight groan, she got on her feet, and she jumped when a voice behind her said,

"Glad you're up. We've got some business to take care of."

Seraphina had never been a fighter, but when she heard that voice, she was ready to become one. A stern blond girl looked back at her.

She looked like she was freaking out, but was trying to stay calm for the sake of her two companions, who flanked her at her sides.

One, a pretty girl with braces, said "Is this who we're looking for, Annabeth?" Her voice was as sweet as she looked.

The other one, a very sturdy-looking guy with a rainbow tattoo on his bicep, said, "It's pretty obvious, Lacy."

With another look at the blond girl, Seraphina realized with a fright that she knew her.

"You-you're Annabeth. I've seen you in my dreams."