Chapter One

I could hear my footsteps echo across the empty hallway as I made my way to my last hour of the day, late again. I opened the door, ready to get a scolding from our teacher, Mrs. Gremm.

She gave me a cold stare and slowly shook her head, then pointed a crooked, withered finger at my seat on the third row. A few kids snickered, except my friends Percy, Ric, and Derek. Percy shrugged apologetically.

My face felt hot as I made my way down to my desk. As soon as I was seated Mrs. Gremm continued on in her monotonous drone that put most everyone to sleep. I kept my eyes downcast, pretending to be studying my notebook. I couldn't wait until it all ended. As soon as I was out of this place it would be summer. I would not have to listen to teachers rambling on about whatever it is they do. I'm not the brightest kid there ever was born, see.

"Rylee?" Mrs. Gremm called, as she rapped her knuckles on my desk.

I looked up, wondering when she had walked up. I said, "Uh, what Mrs. Gremm?"

"I asked you if you would read us the first paragraph on Page 420 in your textbook," she said, grinning wickedly.

"Uh, sure," I replied, confused. Since when were we on that page? Nonetheless, I opened up our Greek Mythology book to that page and was about to begin reading. I was dyslexic though, and all the words began swimming all around my head. I apologized to Mrs. Gremm, saying, "Sorry, but I can't read it."

She stared down at me and I thought that for an instant the look in her eyes was pure evil. But it went away as quickly as it came and I realized I must have been mistaken. "We'll talk about your again imperfect behavior after class."

I groaned as she called on someone else to read the paragraph. They read: "The Furies were known as Hades Torturers." After that all I heard was blah, blah, blah. It was unbearable waiting for the bell to ring, so I fixed my gaze on the clock on the wall and counted down the seconds until finally it rang. I rolled my eyes as I picked up my pack and walked to Mrs. Gremm's desk. "Yes?" I asked.

"Wait until everyone else is gone, sweetie. Then we'll talk." She smiled cruelly at me.

I glowered at kids as they passed me until Percy came up. He nudged me and whispered, "We'll wait for you outside." I gave a small nod and turned back towards Mrs. Gremm.

But as I turned Mrs. Gremm wasn't there anymore. She was standing on a desk at the back of the room.

"Whoa!" I shouted, startled. "Mrs. Gremm, how did you…" I never finished that sentence. She started transforming into the face of an evil, withered hag. Her fingers grew into long talons and bat wings sprouted out of her back. I did the sensible thing. I ran. She lunged at me, revealing fangs in her mouth.

Without looking back I ran out of the classroom and into the hallway, where a bunch of kids were standing. I don't know what they saw, but it was certainly not a monster. I burst out the front doors and locked them, though I didn't know what good that would do. I glanced around for my friends and instantly saw them.

Percy shouted for me to stand back as he pulled out a ballpoint pen I'd never seen him use all school year. My first thought was, What good will that do? My doubts were quickly erased though as he pulled off the cap. A long, glowing sword sprouted from the end of it. Percy rushed forward to strike what used to be our social studies teacher, but he was too late. The monster knocked him aside along with Ric and Derek. The sword flew across the school grounds, closer to where I was.

I saw the monster circling around as I was about to run away, but then it spotted me. I changed course and ran towards my only hope. Percy's pen… or sword… or… I don't know. I sprinted faster than I ever had before, but the monster was slightly faster. It charged.

What used to be Mrs. Gremm screeched at me, "We know who you are!" I dove frantically for the glowing sword and snatched it just as the monster stretched out her talons. I closed my eyes and held up the sword.

I didn't know what I expected to happen, but it was certainly not what actually did happen. The sound I heard was like a paper bag being emptied of sand. When I opened my eyes again the monster was gone, except for its talon which I must have accidentally chopped off. Picking it up, I walked shakily towards my friends.

As I handed Percy's sword back, he put a small cap on the end. I thought, That's never going to fit over the sword. But apparently it had a different purpose, for the sword shrunk down until it was a simple ballpoint pen. Percy pocketed it and said to Derek and Ric, "We have to get her to camp." They both nodded vigorously.

They started jogging toward the street, but I stopped and said, "Wait, wait, wait. I need some explanations. What was that… that thing? And, how did your pen turn into a sword? I have so many questions. I won't move an inch until you explain." With that I crossed my arms.

Percy replied, "Rylee, there's no time to explain right now. Just trust me."

He held out his hand to me, but I was stubborn and said, "Answer one question now, and the rest later."

He was pretty impatient, but obliged and said, "Okay. As to your question, 'What was that thing?', that was a… well, what we read in the textbook. It's not good to say names."

"You mean a Fury? They're Hades Torturers, right? Wait… if that's real, then… does that mean that Hades is real? And Zeus, Poseidon, Athena…" I said.

"Shh!" Percy warned, "It's not good to say names. They're powerful. But yes, all of the Greek gods and monsters… they're real. Now come on, I'll explain more in the cab. Derek is calling your mom and explaining where you're going."

I followed him to where Ric and Derek were waiting by a taxicab. After we got in and Percy told the driver directions, he continued in hushed tones, "You know how the gods had mortal kids, half human and half god? Uh, yeah, well… Derek, Ric and I are half-bloods."

I wasn't sure if he was playing a joke on me or not, but his face looked too solemn to be joking. I decided to believe him. I said, "So if you're a half-blood, who's your parent?"

"It's Poseidon," he whispered.

I was about to ask another question when I realized something and asked instead, "Why are you telling me this? Is it because I'm a… no, I can't be… Percy, am I a half-blood?"

He nodded gravely and quickly. I was getting excited. I slightly raised my voice and asked, "Then… who's my dad?"

"We don't know," was his quick reply. I sat back, stunned.

"Percy, so…" I started, but decided against it. Instead, I said, "What did the Fury mean when it said, 'We know who you are'?"

He hesitated, and then said, "The monsters know that you are a half-blood, so that basically means that any enemy to the Olympians does too. Wow, Rylee, you're taking this surprisingly well."

"And… that's a bad thing that they know who I am?"

"Yes," he said firmly. "Monsters will begin to pop up more now, putting your life at risk. All half-bloods are in danger, but especially more if they know that they are a half-blood."

He was about to continue, when the driver cleared his throat, tilting the mirror so he could see us, and said in a strange French accent, "What was that you said?"

I thought that it was an honest enough question, but my friends paled. Derek said, "Nothing, sir. Actually, this will be far enough."

I was confused and said, "What? But we still have a ways to go."

Derek elbowed me and repeated, "This is far enough." I couldn't tell why my friends were acting strange, but then I saw it. The driver's pupils were slits, like cats.