Chapter 1
Scarlet sat down in her "Nightmare before Christmas" desk chair and colored in her Greek coloring book, her uncle got her, while her father, Charles Vega, braided her midnight black hair down her back. She looked up for a moment, sensing something wrong.
"What's wrong Daddy?" she asked. Her father paused his breathing.
"Oh, nothing, I'm just thinking." He said and tied her her braid with a black bow to keep it from falling apart.
Scarlet searched through her crayon box, looking for a pink crayon for the flowers that Persephone had. She found out that she broke them all since she hated the color. Scarlet sighed and decided to make the flowers be dead instead since Persephone was the queen of the dead.
"I'll be right back sweetie, I have to call your Uncle Anthony." He said and kissed the top of her head as he left the room. Scarlet watched him leave and stared down at her picture of the queen of the dead. Her father never called her uncle unless it was something serious. Maybe it was about her mother...
Scarlet never knew her mom. Her dad had told her that she died in an accident the day after Scarlet was born. Her father never mentioned her mom. Scarlet hopped out of her chair and walked over to her T.V. She turned it on and started watching her favorite show, "The Addams Family," while she waited for her dad.
She heard her dad, yelling on the phone about her mother...her father never talked about her mother with uncle. The only thing Scarlet remembered about her was her smile. She crept up to the door and opened it a little, then walked out.
"Daddy?" She said in a soft, yet scared voice.
Her father was standing in the kitchen. His face was red with anger while he set his cell phone on the kitchen table. Scarlet hardly ever saw her dad angry and she knew she wasn't an easy child to raise since she had ADHD and dyslexia. He looked up and met her deep green eyes.
"Oh sweetie, I have to tell you something." his face softened and he motioned for her to come closer. Scarlet slowly stepped forward, trying to stop herself from crying.
"Don't cry sweetie." he hugged her, trying to comfort her. Scarlet looked up into his eyes, wiping away her tears that already fell onto her pale cheeks.
"Just listen. Go to your room, grab your backpack and pack a change of clothes." her father a serious look on his face. Scarlet nodded and her father kissed her forehead and let her go off to her room.
She ran to her room and got out her Batman book bag. She grabbed a blood red shirt with a broken heart on it, black jeans, black-and-white knee high socks, black gloves with the fingers cut off. She shoved the outfit into her bag and made sure that she had her skull bracelet on her wrist. Scarlet ran out of her room as her father handed her another bag. She took it and slung it over her shoulder.
Her father led her out the front door and helped Scarlet into their white Chevy SUV. He started it up and drove down the road once he got into the driver seat.
"D-daddy? Where are we going?" Scarlet asked in a shaky voice.
"Sweetie, I think it would be better to wait and let your Uncle Anthony tell you, but let's just say it has something to do with your mother." he answered.
Scarlet nodded and stared out the window as the trees whizzed by in a blur. She was silent for the rest of the ride. Her father casually turned on the radio to an oldies channel. He hummed along tapping the steering wheel to the rhythm of the song. Scarlet wondered how her father could be so relaxed while she was scared and worried. She tried to calm herself
down by watching the scenery outside. She saw a deer dart in front of their SUV, barley being missed from being hit. Her father slammed on the brakes just as the deer ran into the woods. If they had been going a little faster, the deer wouldn't have gotten away. Her father got out of the car and looked around. Scarlet turned her eyes back to were the deer came from. She thought she saw a glimpse of something green. She rolled down the window and stuck her head out. She could hear snakes hissing in the woods.
Scarlet slowly opened her door, right as a boy came running out of the woods, screaming. He ran up to the car and hid behind it. A hideous green lady with snakes for hair walked out of woods. Scarlet instinctively looked away, her eyes meeting the boys eyes as he peeked through the driver's side window. She looked into his dark red eyes. Scarlet let her instincts take over as the lady grabbed for her. She crawled under the car to the other side. The boy pulled her up to her feet. Scarlet's dad walked out of the woods and almost looked up into the lady's eyes but Scarlet and the boy pulled him down to the ground. Scarlet watched the ground, seeing the lady slowly walk around to their side of the SUV. The boy took out a Stygian Iron sword, as Scarlet played with her bracelet but when she looked down it wasn't her bracelet but a silver and black bow in her hand a quiver of arrows on her back full of the same silver colored arrows.
The boy walked slowly towards the lady while keeping his eyes on the ground and Scarlet followed his lead, loading one of the arrows into the bow.
"By the way, I'm Nico, son of Hades." the boy whispered.
"I'm Scarlet, daughter of...that guy back there." She said, point to her dad.
Nico laughed and swung his sword at the snake lady. She dodged it and lunged at him trying to get him to look up into her eyes. Scarlet stood back and aimed her arrow at the snake lady's heart then let go. The arrow pierced through her heart. The snake lady screamed while she yanked the arrow out, struggling to breath. Nico charged, and was thrown back at least 15 feet into a tree, dropping his sword.. Scarlet flinched and picked his sword up off the ground then swung at the snake lady's head. Beheading her like Scarlet has down to all of her dolls that she had.
The lady's head fell onto the road and rolled off into the grass. Scarlet stepped back, towards her father's SUV. She stared at the sword before letting it drop to the ground and glanced at the snake lady's headless body that dissolved into a yellow dust except for her head that Scarlet refused to even look at. Nico grabbed her arm, making her jump. He grabbed his sword off the ground and put it back into his belt loop, looking at her in shock. Scarlet knew that Stygian Iron could only be used by someone from the Underworld and that it burned anyone who tried to use it. But it didn't even hurt her which was weird...
She would have gone face-first into the ground if Nico hadn't caught her and helped her sit inside the SUV. She had no idea where that fighting in her came from. Nico told Scarlet's dad to get in the SUV. HE slid in beside her in the back seat. Scarlet's dad started the car up again and continued down the road in silence. Nico wrapped his arms around Scarlet, trying to comfort her.
"Nico, what was that?" Scarlet asked quietly, still surprised about what she had just done. Her father turned the radio back on to brake the silence.
Nico whispered in Scarlet's ear, "Medusa."
Scarlet's eyes grew wide. She remembered hearing about Medusa on T.V. and it made her have nightmares for weeks and she just destroyed her...
Scarlet looked down at her hands, that where covered in what looked like green slime but Scarlet knew it was Medusa's green blood. Scarlet shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and snuggled up to Nico.
She set her head on his shoulder, sighing. She looked out the window, noticing that the scenery looked unfamiliar. There was nobody out there, no cars, no houses, no stores, nothing. The road started to turn into a dirt road as they drove through the empty country side. Her dad turned down a mulch covered road and stopped.
"Scarlet, get your stuff and go with Nico." Her dad said as he turned around in his seat.
Scarlet looked confused and asked her dad, "Why?"
"Just go, you can trust him." His eyes were kind and soft as he said that.
Scarlet nodded and grabbed her bags while Nico hopped out the car. He helped her down.
"Be careful, sweetie." her dad said through the open window. He sighed, put the car in reverse and drove off.
Nico and Scarlet were alone.
"Come on" Nico grabbed her hand and pulled her forward.
She stumbled forward but Nico pulled her to her feet. They raced up a hill that Nico called Half-Blood Hill. Nico and Scarlet stopped in their tracks and turned around.
Something was coming out of the woods. Scarlet clung onto Nico and hid behind him.
A hell hound jumped out of the woods and landed in front of Scarlet and Nico, baring his teeth. Nico started for his sword but Scarlet put her hand on his arm. She stepped around Nico and sat down in front of the hell hound.
"Scar..." Nico whispered.
She looked up at him and put a finger to her lips to tell him to be quiet. The hell hound growled at Scarlet. She turned back to the hell hound and reached out to cam him down. He growled again, but this time it was at Nico, who took his sword out.
Scarlet grabbed his sword from his hands and shoved it into the ground.
"Leave it." She ordered.
Nico looked at her in shock, but he left his sword alone. Scarlet placed her hand on the hell hound's head and calmed him down. Nico was sitting down beside Scarlet as the hell hound put his two front paws in her lap and licked her face.
"Well, what are you going to name your new hell hound?" Nico asked.
Scarlet thought for a moment before saying, "Duncan."
Duncan barked happily at his new name and new master. Scarlet and Nico started down the hill with Duncan in front of them. Duncan stopped walking and turned around to Scarlet and Nico, whimpering.
"Scar, you stand by Duncan. I have to do something that allows him into camp." Nico said and walked a little pass a pine tree. He turned around and said,
"I, Nico James di Angelo, allow Duncan into Camp Half-Blood."
Scarlet walked passed the pine tree with Duncan and together Nico, Scarlet and Duncan walked into camp while getting odd looks from a lot of the campers because apparently a hell hound doesn't walk through camp everyday.
Nico led Scarlet to a half-horse, half-man who was watching the campers practice with each others. He turned around and smiled at them,
"Uncle Anthony?" Scarlet said in shock. She looked at the familiar face of her uncle.
He chuckled, "Yes but in my world I'm known as Chiron. I am the camp director of Camp Half-Blood.
"Okay, horse-dude." Scarlet grinned and looked around at the different campers.
Chiron laughed and put a hand on Scarlet's shoulder.
"Why am I here? What is this place?" She asked, looking into Chiron's dark eyes.
"This is Camp Half-Blood, the camp for demigods like you and Nico and every child here." he trotted over to a camper. "This is Alexander, Hera's only demigod son and child. He can show you around and help you out."
Alexander smiled brightly and slid his sword into it's case on his belt loop. Nico slipped his arm through Scarlet's.
"Oh no, I'm showing her around camp, not Momma's boy here."
Alexander growled at Nico and took his sword back out, "Bring it on Death boy."
Nico's sword magically appeared in his hand. Scarlet tried to hold him back, begging him not to fight over her. He pulled away from her and stepped towards Alexander.
"Chiron! Do something!" Scarlet said, looking at the camp director.
"Let them be, it will be good practice for them." he nodded as he watched Nico and Alexander prepare to fight.
Scarlet sighed and sat down beside Duncan then buried her face in what little fur he had.
"Well, come on then, let's fight!" Alexander said, trying to sound tough.
Scarlet could hear their swords clashing a few feet away from her and Duncan. Scarlet looked up when she heard the swords being dropped.
"Andrew, put Nico and Alexander down." Chiron said.
A tough looking kid was holding Nico and Alexander by the collars of their shirts, and their feet dangling about the ground. Andrew snicked and released them, making them fall onto their faces. Scarlet rushed to Nico's side, hugging him tightly.
"Nico, you shouldn't have to fight over me." She said quietly, trying to comfort him. He glared at Alexander one more time and nodded.
Alexander got up and stormed off, mumbling in Ancient Greek as Scarlet held Nico close.
"Nico, take Scarlet to cabin eleven until she is claimed." Chrion said.
Scarlet followed Nico to cabin eleven. There was a little girl drawling on a piece of paper while everyone else was pranking each other. Nico let out a loud whistle and everyone in the cabin looked at him. Some of the older campers were sizing Scarlet up. She felt scared but didn't let it show...at least that's what she thought. The little girl walked up to Nico,
"Who is she Neeks?" she asked, brushing away her blonde curly hair. Nico patted her head, causing her to let out a squeal.
"This is Scarlet Vega, Chiron said she has to stay here until she is claimed." Nico said, putting an arm around her. Duncan walked into the cabin and layed down at Scarlet's feet.
"Neeks, why is there a hell hound in camp?" the little girl asked Nico, looking very scared.
"Oh that's just her pet hell hound so..." Nico looked up at the rest of the campers in the cabin as he said the last part, "...I wouldn't get on her bad side, unless you want him to tear you to shreds."
The campers immediately got a scared their eyes. Some of them even hid under blankets hoping to protect them from Scarlet's hell hound.
Scarlet giggled and patted Duncan's head.
"Have fun!" Nico said before turning back to the door.
Scarlet jumped up and gave him a quick hug before he left. She was glad that she had already made a friend. When Nico left, the little girl tapped on Scarlet's shoulder. She spun around and smiled at her.
"Hi I'm Jackie." the little girl smiled, showing that she was missing a front tooth.
"Hi Jackie!" She smiled, hoping she had found a new friend.
Jackie giggled a bit.
"So, um Jackie, which god's cabin is this exactly?" Scarlet asked.
"It's my daddy's cabin!" Jackie squealed.
"Who's you dad?
"Hermes!"
Scarlet looked around the old brown cabin as she hid her skull bracelet with her sleeve.
"Cool, well I'm gonna go train so see ya later." Scarlet said as she left the cabin, and ran down the stairs crashing into a girl in a light pink dress and too much perfume.
"Hey! Watch where your going freak!"
"Um, excuse me?" Scarlet said, putting her hand on her hip and examined the girl's dress. It hurt her eyes to look at the hideous color.
"Seriously what are you wearing?" the girl eyed Scarlet's black clothes that was slightly splatted with Medusa's green blood. She rolled her eyes.
Scarlet pushed past the girl and continued onward, not wanting to get in a fight on her first day there. She wandered the camp hoping that she could find Nico to help her out. She saw a bunch of campers running around and practicing. But no Nico in sight. Scarlet sighed as the couch blew and campers started for the mess hall. She felt someone pick her up. She caught a glimpse of black hair and a orange camp T-shirt.
"Oh great, I'm getting kidnapped by Alexander." Scarlet thought.
Alexander slung Scarlet onto his shoulder and walked towards the mess hall. She felt everyone's eyes on them as he sat her down at the Hermes table then walked to his table.
Jackie, who was seated across from her, looked at her with big eyes, "Was that your boyfriend?" she asked, looking surprised.
"NO! He's..."she tried to find the right word. "He's just a guy I met."
Jackie nodded not really believing her. Scarlet got in line for dinner and grabbed a tray of her favorite food: a green apple, french fries, and vanilla ice cream. She sat back down in front of Jackie. She used her spoon to swirl her ice cream while it slowly melted.
Jackie watched as Scarlet dipped a fry into her some-what melted ice cream.
"Eww." Jackie mumbled under her breath.
"Excuse me." Scarlet said, dipping another salty fry into her ice cream then eating it.
"You're eating French fries with ice cream on them."
Scarlet rolled her eyes and finished eating. The horn blew and she followed her cabin to the campfire.
While Chiron talked to the campers, Scarlet scanned the group of people. She soon found Nico staring at her. Their eyes met and he smiled brightly at her. She smiled back and turned her focus back to Chiron.
Scarlet walked over to Chiron, wanting to talk to him but at the last second decided to talk to him tomorrow. He smiled at Scarlet, as she walked towards where her cabin was seated.
Nico walked over to where Scarlet was sitting at. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders causing her to blush. Chiron started doing the camp announcement or as Scarlet calls it, "He is wasting my life, let me go hang out in a graveyard with Nico, my dad and Duncan." She sighed and pretended to pay attention.
"Follow me." Nico whispered into her ear, his cold breath making goose bumps on her arms.
She looked over her shoulder to see him making his way out of the crowd. She quickly followed him out before she lost him. Once they were out of the crowd, Nico grabbed her small hand and led her towards the woods.
Once they were in the woods, Nico turned around and faced Scarlet. Nico gasped.
"What?" Scarlet asked.
"Um, come here Beauty Queen." He said and led her to the lake in the center of the woods.
Scarlet eyes widen when she saw her refection.
Her hair that was once just in a braid down her back was now beautifully curled with golden ribbons entwined into the curls. Instead of her usually black clothes have now been replaced with a knee-high white satin dress, with white one-inch heels.
She took one last look at her reflection then screamed at the top of her lungs.
She has just been claimed by the one goddess she never ever wanted to be her mother.
Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.