Chapter One:

"I don't know, Chiron," said the satyr nervously, fiddling with his fingers. "She seems verrry powerful, but yet her aura is dim."

"Okay, if that's all that goes in to it, Jarek," Chiron said.

The young girl took a few cautious steps back.

"How did you stay away from monsters for so long?" asked Chiron. "You must be thirteen or fourteen?"

"Fifteen," she corrected. Her dark green eyes were wary and careful.

The man was in a wheelchair, a very old quilt covering his legs. "Well, girl, what is your name?"

"Angela," she replied, softly, gently.

"I'm Chiron. Did Jarek tell you all about the demigods?"

Angela nodded, carefully. "I already knew about demigods and gods. My mother told me about it."

"Ah," Chiron tilted his head up. "What was your mother's name? Who is your dad?"

"I don't know my Dad's name. He left after I was born."

"Left?" Chiron asked.

"No, not that...he...he...Mother said he had to leave...but he still loved her!" she got defensive at the end, and that made Chiron smile.

"Yes, I'm sure he did love her," stated Chiron. "I'm sure your father will claim you soon. All demigods are supposed to be claimed by their thirteenth year though...so that's why it is so odd. In any case, how did you stay away from monsters so long?"

"I don't know. There were a lot of them. Mother and I have always been moving around ever since I remember. If she met somebody she didn't like, we moved. I live out of a suitcase. Then, we met Jarek, and she told me to trust him."

Jarek didn't say anything, but his blue eyes widened with realization. He and Chiron exchanged looks.

"Alright, Angela, you go rest in the Hermes cabin. You know where that is?"

Angela nodded and walked quietly down to the cabin. Everyone was nice and friendly, and she earned quite a few welcomes.

Jarek didn't waste time. "Chiron, look...I think her mother was a half-blood."

"Well, if her mother was a half blood..."

"And her father was definitely a god," stated Jarek.

Chiron looked worried. "I don't think the other gods will like this much. A three-quarters god, one quarter mortal probably is very dangerous."

"Do you think her grandparent god will claim her or her father?" asked Jarek.

Chiron squinted up thoughtfully. "Well...probably her father."

"Are you worried?"

"A little," admitted Chiron. "But, uh...ah, everything'll be alright. She'll be claimed within a week. We'll see what happens then."

Angela lied back against her bunk, staring at the ceiling.

"Hey," said one of the Hermes campers, slipping off his bed to sit next to her. "I'm Ted."

Angela nodded at him. "Hey."

"I'm Karen," said his sister. They were clearly twins. "Welcome to Camp Half-Blood."

"Angela," she greeted. "Are you two just here or children of Hermes?"

"Children of Hermes," replied Ted, with a very cute smile. "You'll get claimed soon."

Angela nodded, hopefully, and smiled at them.

"Don't worry," Karen added. "People get claimed all the time because of what Percy did."

Angela nodded again. She had heard the story from her mother.

Eventually, the three of them made their way to lunch. "You'll get to meet everyone else here," said Ted, a smile on his face. That's one thing she noticed about him; he was always smiling.

Angela sat with the two of them and their several siblings. Also sitting with them was Ted's girlfriend, Hannah, from the Aphrodite cabin, and Karen's boyfriend, Louis, from the Ares cabin.

Angela found Karen to be very funny and happy all the time, just like her brother Ted; Ted however, was on the quieter, shyer side. His girlfriend, Hannah, was very sweet and had a cute sense of humor that made her very enjoyable to be around. Louis, Karen's boyfriend, was loud, friendly, and very obnoxious, but around Karen, he became very nice

"Who is this?" asked one of Louis's brothers, leaning in towards Angela. His eyes were narrowed and cold.

"Angela," Louis replied. "She's very nice. Angela, this is Jerrod, my brother."

Jerrod had a very cold look in his eyes. "Stay out of the way of the Ares cabin, Angela. We don't appreciate outsiders messing with us."

Angela looked stunned. "Um, well...I wasn't exactly planning on intruding, Jerrod."

"I know," he replied, coolly. "I'm giving you the same warning as everyone else. Watch your step around here, pretty girl." He stood up and and walked away, tense with anger.

"I'm sorry about that," Louis said, frowning a little and losing his obnoxious-ness. "He's normally different, just...I've never heard him act like that before."

Angela shrugged. "I don't care."

"He won't hurt you. He's probably...I don't know. I'll talk to him." Louis looked really concerned and kind of confused. "That's really strange behavior for him. He's normally very..."

Karen shrugged, and then she grinned. "Oh, Angela!"

Angela frowned. "What?"

Ted, with an arm around Hannah, used his free arm to point up at a point above Angela's head.

She looked up, almost falling backwards in her chair. Everyone was staring, smiling, and some started clapping. Above her was an image, almost like a holograph. A bright golden arrow spun above her head, emanating warmth and light like the sun. She squinted at it, smiling with delight.

"It's beautiful!" she exclaimed, happily, excitedly. "A golden arrow! It's Apollo's symbol!"

"Your father," said Karen.

Angela's smile faltered a little. She stood up and watched the image above her head in fascination. "Oh. Apollo?"

"Yes," Chiron smiled at the image. "Your father is Apollo, god of the sun."

Something seemed wrong. It was difficult to explain, but suddenly, she was also decked in a long, strapless pale green gown. She stared at herself in pure shock. Everyone else had similar looks on their faces.

Chiron muttered something in Ancient Greek, and then whispered, "You've been claimed by Aphrodite, goddess of love."

Angela stammered in surprise. "That's...that's...that's...not possible."

She took a few steps back and tripped over her chair. She managed not to get dirty, which was a surprise. Everyone was staring at her with disgust, surprise, reverence, and excitement. For once, the camp was completely silent.

"I don't understand," said Angela fearfully. "What's wrong with me?"

Chiron announced loudly, "Everyone welcome Angela Light, daughter of Apollo and granddaughter of Aphrodite!"

Whispers and conversations started all over the place, noises like the buzzes of bees erupting through camp. Angela shook her head, stumbling a few steps backwards. "No," she whispered. "I don't understand."

"I do," Chiron replied, quietly.

Angela turned and rushed away. Her face was flushed, and she could feel her eyes start to burn with tears. She sat down on a tree log next to the water, staring out at the clear blue bay.

A cold voice, clear like the water and sharp like the wind. Six syllables. "What are you doing here?"