Chapter One - Memories
I stared at the pages of the book, flipping through them aimlessly. It was a travel guide, depicting some canyons and a bunch of mountains in some faraway place. It was written in Spanish. I could translate it, barely, if I actually tried, but I wasn't that bored... yet.
The boat rocked slightly against the waves outside, and I closed my eyes, trying not to be sick. It wasn't that I didn't like boats, I did actually, and I never use to get seasick, it was just... It was just the fact that I could imagine myself swimming in blood. And that thought was starting to freak me out.
I was no daughter of Ares, that was for sure. I didn't actually like blood, despite what the monsters said. In fact, I was only here on a strictly non-combat arrangement. I wouldn't even be here at all if it wasn't for my brother, and sister. Twins. Oh, and Luke. I was here because Luke- we weren't actually on first name basis- had convinced my little half-siblings that the Gods (the Greek ones. Yeah, they were real. too real) were out to get them, didn't love them, were ruining the world, so on. Whether that was true or not, I didn't know, and I didn't really care. The gods hadn't specifically bothered me yet, and I didn't think Titans would be any better anyways. But Luke believed they would be. And my sibs did too.
Ah, Luke. What a piece of work, despite the fact that he was... my half-brother? He was my adopted parents sister's daughter's and son's half-brother. So. Close enough? I didn't like my half-brother Luke. I only got along with my real siblings... well... real enough.
The door of the compartment popped open and Adam, my little brother, hurried in.
"I'm baaack~" Adam said. "You won't believe what I just saw! Some boy has gone crazy."
I didn't look up from my book. "Hmm? Seen too many monsters, has he? Tell him they won't eat him. They're perfectly harmless..." I lied absentmindedly.
"Actually, he didn't think they were going to eat him."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah!" Adam said, prancing into the room "He thought that the whole ship was going to explode!"
Now that caught my attention. Looking up from my book, I suddenly realized we were the only two people in the small white kitchen/makeshift quarters. I put down my book.
"Speaking of things exploding, where's your sister?"
The boy shrugged, wandering over to the fridge. "Beats me. Feeding the dogs?"
"Get out of there," I snapped. "Go find your sister. Check by the... dogs." I scowled. That's not quite the word I would've used for those beasts.
"Where are you going?" Adam asked as I darted out the door.
"I think I know where she is," I called over my shoulder, running away from him as fast as I could.
I ran through the hall quickly, nearly jumping down a flight of stairs, my seasickness all but gone. I didn't even know this demigod. But I had a nagging feeling, this threat was something to take seriously. And if there was anything I was, it was serious.
And scary. A couple of dracanae moved out of the way as I slipped past them, pushing some other demigod out of the way as I ran past the engine room.
"Hey!" He shouted angrily after me.
I didn't care. My sister was only a few doors away, I could practically sense her; could hear her pencils scribbling across her little drawing pad...
I burst into the storage room, more of a closet really, shouting. "Lexi, come here!"
She looked up from her drawing pad, her little smile grinning broadly. And then the whole world exploded.
I woke up with a start, blinking furiously. My eyes burned, and were blurry for a moment. I slept with my eyes open. It was an acquired habit after... I remembered my dream, vividly. But it wasn't a dream, was it? It was memories. I shivered. I could still feel the powerful gale of wind pushing me toward Lexi. I could feel my arms wrapping around her, protecting us. I remember soaring up, high into the clouds. And I remembered the sudden cold spreading all over my body as I looked down at the ruins of our onw home. The Princess Andromeda... was no more. And Adam had been on that ship. That cold I felt when I had realized the truth... It had never gone away.
And now, I was about to give my sister (and myself) to the same people who had killed my brother. I must have lost my mind.
