CHAPTER ONE

MY MIND GOES NUMB FROM THE COLD

Argus, the camp driver, dropped me and my friend Annabeth off in Clover Village, just two hours north of Manhattan. It was the middle of spring and the middle of the day. Annabeth was wearing her orange Camp Half-Blood shirt, blue jean jacket and jeans, and her clay beaded necklace, with her hair pulled back into a ponytail. She looked great. Well, she would have if she wasn't holding her bronze knife and ready to kill.

A couple days ago, Grover had went on a mission here to help save a national park from some evil chemists. But what he found made him send the distress call directly to me and Annabeth.

"This is bad, Percy." Annabeth had said, glancing around the dark village. It was a forest town, I guess, with trees and houses and shops splattered every few yards. I could tell Annabeth was sensing something. Something cold and evil. I felt it too. It sent goose bumps down my arm.

"Yeah," I said.

"Where's Grover?" said Annabeth, pulling out a watch from her pocket. "He was suppose to meet us here by now."

"Maybe he got lost in the woods," I suggested.

"No, Seaweed Brain," said Annabeth, in her usual tone. I knew she was about to reveal something about the mythological world that I have yet to grasp. "Satyrs can't get lost in woods. Their the ultimate trackers in nature. I thought you knew that."

"I did," I said, a little too quickly. "I just forgot."

"Guys!" said a voice, coming up through the bushes. It was Grover. He had grown a couple inches taller the last I'd seen him. His ache looked like it was flaring up again and he'd grown a few more whiskers on his chin. I gave him a high five and Annabeth gave him a hug.

"Its so good to see you," she said. "What happened?"

Grover's face looked pained.

"When you guys see it," he sounded like he almost wanted to cry as he led us off down the path that he had came.

We followed him a short way into the forest until we stopped at a weird statue. It was a guy, sixteen or seventeen, I guess, with short blonde hair. He was actually good-looking, if you didn't count the horror etched across his face. His body was suspended inside of glass---no not glass--ice and not suspended--frozen. He was frozen in ice!

Annabeth stared in shock.

"Who did this?" I said.

"Its been happening the past few weeks now," said Grover. "The first one was found in Central Park and they've been turning up all over the country."

"Someone's turning people into ice statues?" I asked.

"Not people," said Grover. "And not just anyone, either."

"Half-bloods," said Annabeth.

"Kids of Aphrodite to be exact," said Grover.

"Wow," I said. This makes Medusa look like a small bike next to a fourteen-wheeler.

"I'm not understanding who'd want to attack children of Aphrodite." I said, inquisitively. "I mean, their not that strong like other kids of the gods. Even Demeter's kids can be sensed by monsters. It'd be hard to find a kid of Aphrodite in the mortal world anyway, wouldn't it?"

"Well yeah," said Grover. "Most of them showcase themselves on television and music." Grover explained. "Like Jessica Alba, Tyra Banks, and Nick Lachey for example. And they totally lead normal lives and everything. Monsters never came after them. Well, unless you count that one paparazzi who was a monster who tried to steal Tyra's soul when she first started modeling. But that was just the once. Other then that, they've led perfectly normal lives."

At that moment, I felt a shiver go down my back. My monster senses were on full pulse mode and I knew that something was coming. Annabeth and Grover seemed to had felt it too, because they were now alert more than before.

"Oh I see you've come across some of my handy work," said a glossy voice. We stared as a very pretty teenage girl walked from around the ice statue of Aphrodite's son. I would guess she was our age, maybe older, I couldn't really tell. She was very pale, almost albino, with long, silver hair. She wore a silver and powder blue gown, with matching heels. The girl was tall and graceful looking with clear blue eyes that were full of anger.

"Lovely, isn't it?" she whispered, touching the ice statue, gently. But then, she pushed it over and it shattered into a million sparkling pieces.

I pulled out my ballpoint pen and uncapped Riptide.

"Heroes," she spat, "your all the same! But not anymore. My mistress shall have her revenge and no hero will stop her!"

At that moment the woman pressed her lips together and blew. A wind so strong escaped her mouth. It was freezing cold and chilled me all the way to the bones. I was shivering like a leaf and I saw Annabeth and Grover trying their best to stand against it. After a couple seconds, she stopped and had a triumphant grin on her face, but then it twisted into a sneer.

"So, you were able to withstand my wind, huh?" said the woman.

"What?" I said, confused and then looked over to where Annabeth and Grover stood, ice statues. "No!"

"You must be a son of Poseidon," said the woman. "Curse him! Just because ice is made out of water he should powers over that too! That's so totally not fair!"

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm Jessabelle," said the girl, creating a spear made completely out of ice from nowhere. "And I'm an Arteca! One of the infamous ice guards."

"Who?" I asked, stupidly. I'd never heard of any ice guards in any Greek myths I'd learned.

Jessabelle got really upset.

"That's so totally not cool!" whined Jessabelle. "Your not suppose to do that!"

This monster was completely psycho, and I don't mean by evil.

"Just because I'm not apart of the old myths doesn't mean I'm not important!" shouted Jessabelle. "And I'm gonna prove it by killing a half-blood!"

She charged with amazing speed. My mind began to function again and I blocked the first attack by rising Riptide.

I thrust at her with my sword, but she parried and swung around with a thrust of her spear, which I was able to parry. We clashed several times. Jessabelle tried to swing at my arm, and was able to nick my shoulder, as I tried to dodge her attack. She took the advantage and sent another blast of artic air at me. I could barely breath and couldn't take it anymore. So, I willed the water particles that made ice to work for me instead.

This made Jessabelle try even harder.

I focused all of it in the palm of my hands, while still trying to keep a firm grip on Riptide, and keep my concentration.

"You can't stop us!" said Jessabelle, frightened. "More will come! We won't stop until we have our revenge on Aphrodite and all of her children!"

My mind seemed to snap under pressure and I released my full fury and sent her own attack right back at her. Jessabelle was incased inside of perfect ice tomb that shimmered in the sunlight. I took Riptide and slashed the ice statue of the Arteca and watched as it crumbled to the ground and vanish.

I hear a stumble and looked over to see Annabeth and Grover, all thawed out and looking dazed.

"What just happened?" asked Grover, looking around for Jessabelle.

"Yeah," said Annabeth, "where's that girl, Seaweed Brain?"

I got annoyed with Annabeth. I just saved your life! Hello! No thanks for saving me or I owe you my life! Nope, not from Annabeth.

So I told them what happened and what Jessabelle had said.

"Thanks Percy," said Grover. "You saved my life, again!"

"We need to get back to camp, quickly." said Annabeth. "Chiron will want to know about this."