Green eyes glinted from the shadows, framed by black hair. Well, here she was! New York, the Big Apple. Sighing, she squared her shoulders.
"Goodbye, old me." She said softly, her voice revealing its British accent. Throwing one last glance at the cruise ship that had brought her there, she ran. As her feet hit the ground, she reviewed the past week. She could still remember the day she left. Seven days ago, her uncle, a fat man with a walrus-like mustache, had announced to her aunt and cousin that he had gotten them tickets for a cruise to America. She gave a shudder at the memory of her 'family.' Her uncle, who threw her in her cramped, claustrophobia-inducing cupboard. Her horse necked aunt who made her complete all the chores and breakfast, and her cousin who chased her around and beat her up. She had known it was her chance to get away, if only for a little while. So, she snuck along. The six day cruise had been some of the best days of her life. Fishing, swimming, and talking with other children with her cousin running them off! When the ship docked, she had pitched head first over the railing. She could recall perfectly what happened next...
~Flashback~
Wylie Potter was not enjoying her free fall! She had been leaning over the railing when the ship hit one side of the dock, and had tumbled into the river below. The first thing she noticed was that she was breathing. Underwater. Then, a rainbow horse appeared. Well, it was a horse on the top. The bottom was that of a fish. Riding on its back was the most beautiful woman Wylie had ever seen. Black hair rippled as though it were part of the water itself, and sea green eyes were set in a face with flawless ivory skin. Wylie stumbled backwards.
"Calm, child. I merely bring your father's gifts." Wylie frowned.
"My father is dead. He-he died in a car accident." She whispered.
"No, young hero. Your father is alive, and I serve his court. Your step-father and mother were the ones who were murdered." Wylie couldn't understand what the woman was saying. Her father was alive, lived in a court, and her mother and step-father were murdered?
"What's going on?" Wylie stuttered bemusedly. The woman smiled gently at her, sighing,
"Your father is the Lord of the Sea, Poseidon." Yeah, okay, now it was time to freak out. Wylie always liked hearing the Greek myths at the library, but them being real? Panic alert much?! The water woman continued,
"Godly law says that a god cannot raise their own child, but know your father loves you. He sent this." Hope bubbled in Wylie's heart. The woman held out a hand, and a small object floated towards Wylie. A blue string was threaded through a iridescent pearl.
"It will serve you well. You must survive." Wylie's head jerked up, her attention snapping back to the water woman.
"What do you mean, survive?" Wylie asked, despite feeling as though she knew the answer. The woman smiled sadly, quietly saying,
"The monsters are as alive as we are, child. They will hunt you, try to kill you. You must survive. We believe in you." Then she disappeared. With the woman's words ringing in her mind, Wylie realized that she had to go, then and there. So she swam to the surface and ran away. And she knew, right then, she was never going back.
~Flashback~
Now, two days later, on her eighth birthday too, she was pinned to the base of a tree by a humanoid woman with snake trunks for legs. Just as the curved blade came down, Wylie heard a voice yell,
"Murus ignis!" Flames blasted from the ground underneath the snake woman. When they died down, gold dust was all that remained, floating down onto Wylie's face. A few feet away, a girl her age stood with her hand outstretched. A twelve or thirteen year old boy stood next to her, his hand on her shoulder. Wylie closed her eyes and groaned. Just what she needed. When she opened her eyes again, the boy was kneeling in front of her. She studied him. He had warm brown eyes, and blonde curls.
"You okay, kiddo?" He asked quietly. Wylie snorted. "All right, all right. Just checking. You smell like half blood." Wylie raised an eyebrow.
"Well it's kinda a side effect of not showering for-" He laughed and waved a hand. By this time, the girl had come over. "No, I'm a satyr. I can smell half-bloods and monsters." Wylie jumped to her feet.
"Well then," She declared, bowing low. She looked up and grinned roguishly. "Wylie Potter, daughter of Poseidon, at your service." The satyr staggered backwards, staring at her. Then, he glared at the girl beside him. A few inches taller than Wylie, she had dark skin. Tight, black curls were pulled into ponytails with big black bows. Her black eyes glinted with energy.
"I told you." She shrugged, then turned to Wylie. Inclining her head, she said,
"Onyx Declan." She was the one who had shouted. The boy rolled his eyes and stuck out his hand.
"I'm Aaron." Wylie shook it. "Onyx here is a daughter of Hecate. There's a safe haven for demigods I'm taking her to. You want to come too?" Wylie nodded enthusiastically, smiling widely. Onyx held out two identical daggers.
"I am assuming these are yours?" She questioned. Wylie inspected them. Their bronze blades glowed in the dim light. The hilts and pommels were coral in look, and the latter had vaguely heart shaped pearls set in them. The grips were wrapped in blue leather. Wylie took them and held them in her hands. Blue blurs raced up her arms. They solidified into the necklace from her father. She grinned at her new companions.
"What we waitin' for?"
Aaron cursed in what Wylie assumed was Greek as he counted change.
"Aaron?" Onyx asked softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. It was clear there was tenderness between them, though it didn't show often. Aaron sighed.
"Only two dollars. Subway fare for one is 2.67." The small group fell silent. Suddenly, Onyx spoke up.
"Change or cash?" Aaron looked at her in surprise.
"Change."
"I can get us on." Aaron raised an eyebrow.
"How?" Wylie asked. "There's three of us." Onyx smiled and gestured at their shortest member.
"Wylie and I are under forty four inches."
"That's with a fare paying adult." Aaron said. Onyx smirked. That's going send chills up one's spine in a few years, Wylie thought. Onyx reached into her silver vest and threw a card onto the ground. It twisted and formed into a elderly man with a blank look on his face.
"One fare paying adult. Plus-" She cut her older friend off with a raised hand. "He's over sixty five. That cuts fare down to $1.35." She held up the other hand, and white wisps danced through her fingers. "I can control the Mist too, to make you look shorter for just long enough." Silence reigned for a few moments before Aaron threw his wallet at her.
"Knock yourself out, Nyx."
The subway trip went without any non-mortal incident. Mortal was a different and long story. Finally, they got off at their station. Almost instantly, a roar echoed from behind them. Aaron yelped.
"Go, go, go!" He yelled. Wylie glanced behind them, and stuck her tongue out at the monster. It roared again, and Wylie shrieked, running faster. It was probably at least six feet tall, though it looked smaller from there. Bright green snakes writhed around its head, and they were not saying nice things. Tusk, talon, and wing sliced audibly through the air.
"Gor-"
"Don't say it!" Wylie could see a large red house in the distance. They were almost there, but the gorgon was gaining. Just as Aaron and Onyx passed the boundaries, Wylie felt a searing pain in her back. She heard a frantic yell. Then, her sight went black.
