IV

Zoe

How did I not notice it sooner? First, he spends a whole two minutes underwater even though it's obvious he's never been to a pool in years. Second, he blasts away Demeter kids' roots by just standing there. It's pretty obvious he can't even water plants without drowning them. And third, that look in his eyes when I told him that we would go to the beach wasn't normal.

It turns out I was in charge of bringing him to Cabin Three, a low building with all the windows facing the sea. The outside walls were made of gray stone will seashells and corals embedded in it. I pushed open the door. I'd never been inside; most people weren't allowed to go inside someone else's cabin unless it was some kind of emergency.

The cabin was furnished with six empty bunks covered in a small layer of dust and in a corner was a fountain made of gray sea rock with a fossilized fish that spewed out water. The fountain had decorations of corals and such. On the ceiling were bronze hippocampi statuettes and on the windowsills were what looked like underwater plants. On one of the bunks were a few changes of clothes and a toothbrush.

"Well, um, good night, I guess," I said to Harry.

"Wait," he said. He looked as lost as when I'd first seen him. It looked a little cute on him. No, there's no time for that, Zoe. I blinked.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"So, no monsters are going to attack?" he asked. He glanced out the window towards the sea and for the first time, I noticed that the sound of the waves seemed somehow amplified in here. On the outside, it sounded like a far-off rumbling but in here, it was felt like I was standing right next to the waves. The smell of the sea was much more intense here, too. I hated that smell.

"No, this is the safest place on earth," I shook my head and pushed away the urge to wrinkle my nose. "There's really nothing to worry about. Unless you're scared of your dad showing up here any second now." Harry chuckled.

"Well, thanks for everything," he said. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow." I shrugged.

"No problem," I said and quickly left the cabin. I breathed in the fresh air, glad the urge to puke every time I opened my mouth was gone.

Everyone was in their cabin already and I was left alone outside, in the dark. I looked up at the stars and thought of my father, Hermes. He'd claimed me nine years ago, ten years before he was supposed to. It was already unusual to be claimed before turning thirteen, but when you're three…? I was a weird case.

"You're still wondering about that, aren't you?" I jumped and spun around. Standing in front of me was a middle-aged man with curly black hair and blue eyes. He wore light clothing and running sneakers, as if he was about to race in the Olympics. But the shoes had small fluttering wings on them and he carried a caduceus in his right hand with two snakes weaving lazily around it. I realized that it wasn't a simple caduceus, like the one hanging on my cabin's door. It was the Caduceus.

"Hermes?" If it was really my father…

"That's me," he grinned, revealing perfect white teeth. "I know you're mad at me for not seeing you before…"

I clenched my jaw shut so I wouldn't scream at him in anger. "Why today?" I managed to ask.

"Because, this is the point in your life where everything changes," he said.

"Are you serious?" I couldn't help it. "This is when it all changes? Don't you think after all I went through when I was a toddler, my life hadn't changed yet? I can't even remember my mother's face clearly!" Hermes' expression turned sad.

"I know," he said, nodding. As if he understood all the world's problems. "But I didn't want you to miss out on all the training you could get."

"What?" I yelled. "Look at Ben, he arrived a month ago and he's already on a quest!"

"Ben is a different case. Besides he's not my child," said Hermes calmly, as if everything was completely normal. "You have a very dangerous future ahead of you. And Harry is your only way out."

I pointed to Cabin Three. "That guy?" I asked. "He just got here!"

"Harry is the only way your life will change," Hermes said, shaking his head. "You've got to trust him. Even if he seems like he's good at nothing… you'll see, there's much more to him than you would think."

"Why didn't I get a quest sooner?" I asked. I hated Hermes, after all he'd done to ruin my old life, there was no way I could listen to him without doubting him.

"Because…" Hermes looked at his feet, sighing.

"Because I'm not good enough?" I asked. I suddenly wanted to him to leave me alone. He was such a jerk.

"No, it's because… because my children aren't always trusted, you know with all the trickery," Hermes explained. An old story surfaced back in my head. One of his sons, I couldn't remember who, had stolen something powerful from someone, he'd betrayed the whole camp. "You are the child who will prove that my children aren't disloyal. You will prove that they are more powerful than you think. And Harry is the person who'll help you."

"How?"

"He'll get a quest in two weeks. You need to go with him. And the other kid, Damien, he's going to have to come too. In the end, you'll be the one who'll make the quest succeed." Hermes was quiet. I glanced at Cabin Three and saw Harry getting into bed. He disappeared from view.

"So, you want me to prove that your children are worthy?" I asked. Hermes nodded.

"And you are the one who I've chosen." We looked at each other. "I've been watching you ever since you've come to camp. You're different from my other children… Don't disappoint me." I blinked and he was gone. Just like that. Snap. Wow, great pep talk, dad.

I glanced at Cabin Three again. The boy sleeping inside was the only kid that could help me redeem the Hermes Cabin. I just hoped he would assume the role, even if he didn't know he had one.

I turned around towards the Hermes Cabin, where my siblings slept peacefully. I'd been their counselor for just two weeks, and in two weeks, I would be gone. Dead or alive, I wouldn't be here.


Author's Note

Next chapter will be posted in two or three days. Keep reading to find out what the quest is going to be about.

Note: I do not own any of the material from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series or The Heroes of Olympus series and created by Rick Riordan. I do not make any money off of this story either. Rated T just to be safe, and there is some violence.