CHAPTER 1

Liz POV

First day at another new school and the year was already going badly.

As I walked up the stairs to Goode high in the bright sunlight of the day, every new person that I would make no effort to get to know's eyes would slide over me: not not seeing who they were looking for, but not seeing anyone there at all.

It was always like this.

At every new school I went to, for however a short time I was there – from a week to months (I had never made it through the year without something happening) – I would disappear into the shadows where no one looked. The darkness was more comforting than the bright sunlight that has always felt like it could pull out my secrets and expose everything I had done to the world.

Dark is safe.

At that moment another car drove up. It was a Prius, driven by a man who looked faintly familiar. A teacher from the orientation. But that wasn't what caught my attention. It was the people in the backseat.

First out was a male about my age - 15. He looked like a god. His muscular body had a perfect tan and shaggy black hair with a streak of grey. Emerald green eyes flashed on a face that could have seen better days but with the air that he smiled a lot. He looked wary, like something might explode, but not particularly worried. He looked like a man already. From the back came a typical Californian girl with blonde curly hair and an athletic figure except for a pair of stormy grey eyes that were 'analysing the situation'. Her mouth was a tight line as she took in her surveyance. She looked like if she found something she didn't like, she would simply march over and deal with it with no hesitation.

As her eyes passed over me I expected them to simply pass over me like everyone else's but they paused and tightened as if trying to read my secrets. Or understand why she was staring. I felt uncomfortable under her stare. I wanted to run, to move, but all I could do was stare as she pierced me with her twin storm clouds. It felt like a spotlight was on me: no one had ever looked at me with this intensity before. She seemed like she was about to march over here and… what would she do? What could she do? Demand to hear my life story? Worse? I was a subject to those grey eyes that seemed to see everything I was. Would she find out my secret? I started hyperventiling in my head because my body was still frozen. The possibilities swirled in my mind as I stood here like a statue. After what seemed like an eternity but could only have been seconds, she turned, unfortunately not in disinterest. The black-haired boy next to her had said something to her that put an almost unwilling smile upon her face that she couldn't seem to help. I turned away too, my sholders sagging in relief as the imaginary weight was lifted. My ADHD pulled me of track as wondered if they were together, but only for a moment. What had just happened? Why were they so different to everyone else? How could she see me so much more clearly than anyone else ever had? Or was I just imagining things? And finally, why could I not help but feel faint stirrings of familiarity in a distant part of me even though I am sure I have never seen either before in my life?

With these questions swirling around my head, I stumble without noise to my homeroom feeling like not even the shadows can protect me today.

I sit down in a corner by myself. I tried to calm myself. What were they? They didn't seem human, not with their unearthly stares and strong bodies making them so different from anyone else I had ever seen. But they didn't seem like monsters, at least, not like any I'd ever fought. But who's to say? They didn't feel like monsters. But what else could they be? I sighed inwardly. I was going around in circles.

And then, like some trick of fate – for better or for worse depending on what they are – they both walked into the room.

This year would be interesting.

Annabeth POV

A new year: a new school.

Except this year would be different. This year me and Percy would both be going to Goode High. Chiron had convinced my dad and Percy's mom to let us go to school together in New York because of the increased risk of monster attacks.

From Luke.

Or Kronos.

Depends how you saw it.

When Percy turned 16 he was supposed to make a decision that would save or destroy the world. Only, he didn't know that yet. We worked better as a team so we argued that we were safer together. Just me, Percy and a possible impending doom in less than a year. Fun.

So here we were, off on another adventure. A chance to be normal. I chuckled darkly to myself; I'd never be normal; I was a demigod. A daughter of the Greek goddess Athena as Percy was a son of Poseidon. I would be surprised if we made it through the month without a single monster attack. Or even a week. Two powerful demigods attracted a lot of monsters who all wanted us dead. Nothing new really. All we had to do this year was 1) Blend in and 2) Don't die.

The dangers of high school huh?

Paul, Percy's stepdad to be, drove us to school because he works there and was able to get us both enrolled. Ironic, because despite retrieving Zeus' lightning bolt, finding the golden fleece, holding up the sky together and countless other things, neither of us could legally drive. And when we did reach that legal age… we probably wouldn't have much time for driving.

Percy was first out the car. Then me. I immediately started scanning the area for monsters. Or annoying humans. There was a group of girls talking with enthusiasm about whatever they occupied themselves with in their boring meaningless lives filled with bright colours and heavy makeup. They kept looking back at Percy. This made me feel jealous. But Percy acted indifferent to them. As he did to my feelings. Did he not notice? How oblivious was he? It just made me want to with him even more.

My search for danger continued. Just more mortals… until someone else. Someone different.

She had shoulder length black hair covering a pair of expressionless black eyes. Her mouth gave nothing away also as she returned my stare with one of almost boredom. She looked like the sort of person who would disappear whenever she had the chance. People only do that when they have secrets. What were hers?

Was she a monster? Percy hadn't noticed her yet.

"Relax wise girl, it's only high school."

I turned back to him, slightly relieved of the distraction, a smile on my lips. "Percy, did you see…"

Turning around again I couldn't see the girl. Where had she gone? To plan an ambush? Were there more of… whatever she was. Because she did not seem human.

"Never mind, let's go to class"