Kayla's POV I looked out the window of the coffee shop, watching the New Yorkers walk by. While I sit in a booth at the end of the shop. Waiting for my best friend in the whole world. Her name is Amber. She doesn't have a last name. We both are orphans. Amber and I left that horrible place. I don't even want to think about that place or what goes on in there. We scrapped up some money and used my life savings to live and survive out here. It's about seven in the morning. Amber went to get us coffee. I am sixteen and Amber is about fourteen. "Got the coffee." I turned around to see Amber holding two cups of coffee. She has black hair that is very, very straight. To match she has dark purple eyes, like two dark purple violets. Her eyes are complete opposite of my own. My eyes are sea green like the ocean. I also have black hair that always looks wind blown. It waves to the middle part of my back. Amber's hair is shorter. She hands me my cup of coffee. I took it and said, "Thanks." We walk out of the shop. The door closed with a ding. We started down the sidewalk. "Where to?" asked Amber. "Central Park. I want get near some water. Don't they have a lake?" I said. I always like being near water. Amber once timed me to see how long I can stay under water. I stayed under there for an hour. I love the water. "Yeah it does. Sometimes I think your half fish. Are you a mermaid, if you are you can tell me. I won't tell a soul." Amber joked. "Yes I am. I am Princess Kayla of the secret mermaid world. If you tell a soul I will take you to my castle and drown you." I said sarcastically. I nudged her in the ribs with my elbow. We walked to central park. Out of a ally we passed a black dog started to follow us. I turned around to shoo it away. I got a better look at it. It was no dog. It was way bigger than a dog. It was black. I have no idea what it was but I was way more distracted by the teeth that were as big as my hand. It growled at me it tried to bit my hand. I jumped back away from it. I looked at Amber. She was next to me, looking at it with fear. Then I had an idea. "Amber on the count of three throw your coffee at that thing." I said. She nodded her eyes not leaving the creature. " One, two, three!" I said. We threw the coffee at the thing. "Run!" I heard Amber yell. I ran past the dog and turned left after Amber. I glanced behind me, only to run right into Amber. We were in at a dead end. I could hear the thing close behind us. The dog turned the corner running toward us. I closed my eyes prepared to die, but nothing happened. I opened my eyes there was no sign of the monster. There was gold dust on the ground then I saw a boy wearing a black t-shirt with a skull designs on it with a chain as a belt. He wore a sliver skull ring. He hand a pure black sword in his right hand. He looked about Amber's age. He sheathed the sword. He had black messy hair with dark eyes. I looked at Amber who was staring at the boy. "Thank you, for killing that thing. What ever it was." Amber said. "No problem. You need to be more careful. My name is Nico di Anglo. What's yours?" He said like he did this for a living, save helpless people from monsters. "My names Amber and this is my best friend Kayla Jackson." Said Amber. She still hasn't looked away from the Nico. "Nice to meet you. What was that thing?" I asked that's all I wanted to know. "That was a hellhound. You must be some halfbloods. One of you must be a very strong halfblood for it to find you." Nico said. "Halfblood? What's a halfblood?" I asked. " A halfblood like half mortal half god. Like Zeus, Athena, Hades, Poseidon, Apollo all the other gods, goddess, and monsters are real too. You just met a monster. Duh." He said this like it was the simplest thing in the world. I wanted to believe these guy was crazy but I some how knew it was true. "Come on I'll take you both to camp with me, so you'll be safe. I'll explain the rest on the way there. " Nico said. He motioned us to follow. We followed him. He whistled for a cab. A cab pulled over the curve. Nico got in then Amber I followed I shut the door when Nico said the name of the place we where going, so I didn't hear. The driver nodded and began to drive. "Now let me explain things to you." Said Nico. He started to explain about the Greek gods and some other stuff.