Chapter 7: Monster Dust Is Hades on My Hair

One hundred thirty-three, one hundred thirty-four, one hundred thirty-five. I continued counting the snowflakes that fell on my windowsill in my Latin class. Half the other students were asleep. At least I had the respect to stay awake. One hundred thirty-six…

"Ms. Kentley?" Mr. Fischer, my Latin teacher, asked in his droning voice.

"Yup?" I replied.

"Could you please tell me the animal-like god of chaos?"

My hand flew to my left forearm. "Python."

"Very good. Now who was the god that killed Python?"

"Apollo."

"Very good."

Suddenly Mr. Fischer's head transformed into a snake head. I reached for my backpack where I kept my bow, arrow, and knife at the bottom. A snake tail shot out from behind the desk Mr. Fischer was standing at. It knocked my backpack clear across the room. My bow flew out, snapping in half as it hit the wall. The tail shot out again. I have one word for that tail: moisturizer. Before I could duck out of the way the tail wrapped around my neck. It continued to get tighter the more I struggled. I gasped for breath but every time it closed a little bit more…

I jolted awake to the sound of the class bell. Everyone else in the back row of my history class woke-up, too. We always take a little snooze when there's a sub. Today's sub's name was Ms. Dodds or something like that. She was middle-aged, yet she wore a leather jacket. I swung my backpack on my shoulder as I began to stand up.

"Ms. Kentley, please remain seated," Ms. Dodds said. I realized she had a Southern accent. Well, that explained my earlier dream about playing football… "You and I have something to discuss."

She waited until everyone left the room before moving again. She walked over to the door and locked it. As you can guess, this put me on hyper-alert. I unzipped my backpack and gripped my knife at the bottom. I had know idea who, or what, Ms. Dodds was, but instinct told me it was not something good at all. She started walking down the row of desks toward the one where I was sitting.

"Sleeping in class is not tolerable, Soleil," she said sweetly. "I would like to speak with your father about this. Where would he happen to be?"

"In a grave, where he's been for the past twelve years," I said coolly.

"So sad to lose your father at such a young age. Just four years old, were you?" She looked out the window absently. "I feel sorry for all those children who lose their parents young." Her head snapped back to face me. "Which means I don't feel sorry for you!" She started running toward me. Oh, yeah, and on the way she kind of turned into, you know, a flying hag. "Where is Apollo?"

I rolled out of my seat, holding my knife up as a shield. The Fury advanced on me more. I scrambled back.

"Where is he?" she demanded in her grating voice.

"I don't know!" I yelled back weakly.

"Liar!" She swooped down and grabbed my left arm. "You are connected to the beast!"

My sweater sleeve slid down, revealing the smoky snake on my arm. It was not moving. It had not moved at all since that day in the Arts and Crafts room. I stabbed at the Fury's wrist so she would let go. While trying to avoid stabbed in the wrist, she moved her arm. My knife cut through the air, missing her arm, but embedding itself deep in her side.

"Bye-bye, birdie," I said half-heartedly.

The Fury crumbled into sand. I stood up and brushed the monster dust off my uniform. I fixed my black vest and skirt then buttoned the cuff of one of my sleeves. I grabbed my backpack. At the door I checked my reflection in the small window. The stupid monster had gotten its dust in my hair. I hated when that happened. It always left my scalp itchy.

I took my hair out of its braid and shook it out to get rid of the monster dust before leaving the classroom. Everyone was filing into their classes. I started to sprint down the hall. I stopped for a second at the top of the stairs. The class was two floors down. I would definitely be late, even if I ran down the stairs. If I was late one more time, I would get detention.

I jumped on the banister sideways. I started sliding down the mahogany railing that all us elite boarding schools have. I jumped off at the end and started running down the hall again. I managed to grab the door just as Mr. Fischer was starting to close it.

"Ms. Kentley, I trust you have a good reason for being late," Mr. Fischer said obnoxiously.

I was not in the mood for this guy's annoyingness right now. "Well," I sighed, sarcasm dripping from every word, "I was just so excited for your class that I came running. Then I tripped and snapped my neck. I think my legs are broken, too. And I almost forgot the best part: I killed a Fury."

"One week's detention for sassing a teacher and running in the halls. Now tell me why you were really late."

"Ms. Dodds held me back."
His brow furrowed. "Who is Ms. Dodds?"

"The history sub."

"The gym teacher, Mr. Radcliffe, is the substitute teacher for history today."

"Whatever."

I walked into the noisy classroom. I sat in the seat in front of my friend Max. He could have passed as my brother with his blond hair and gold-flecked blue eyes. Mr. Fischer came in, trying to get everyone to calm down and be quiet. It did not work at all. I turned to face Max after Mr. Fischer finally got the class to pay attention and start reciting the warm-up.

"When did we get a new gym teacher?" I asked him.

"Never," he whispered back.

"Who's Mr. Radcliffe, then?"

He stared at me. "Sol, stop kidding around."

"What?"

"Mr. Radcliffe has been our gym teacher all semester."

I faced forward again, leaning back a little in my chair. Our gym teacher this semester had been a man named Mr. Goni. He was tall and mean and always made us play dodgeball. I hated him. But, why did no one remember him? Or Ms. Dodds? The only reason no one would be able to remember Ms. Dodds would be if someone had manipulated the Mist. I had not done that yet.

"Now, since it is exciting Mythology Monday," Mr. Fischer said in monotone, "we will discuss Ancient Greek mythology." I plopped my notebook on my desk, knowing this was going to be one extremely boring class. "We'll go around the class. Say a god or goddess. The one mentioned the most will be the one we learn a myth about."
He had a go down the rows. I was in the third row, fourth seat. I had time to think. Obviously there was another demigod at Furrows. They must have gone to Camp Half-blood to know how to manipulate the Mist. I would recognize them if they went to camp. Yesterday I had been sick and had not left my dorm room all day. I made a mental note to check for any new faces at dinner.

"Ms. Kentley?"

"Apollo and Athena," I answered absently.

"Why?" Mr. Fischer inquired.

Had he asked everyone else that? " Uh…"

His eyes twinkled weirdly. "Do you have a special connection to them?"

My stomach twisted in a knot nervously. "No."

"Of course not. Mr. Flier?"

Max smiled brightly. "I'd have to say Hats and Atticus," he said.

Everyone went silent. We all turned in our seats to look at him. Max had said a lot of stupid things before so this was not that shocking but we were still all a little curious to see what the source of his confusion was this time. Mr. Fischer cleared his throat with a smirk.

"I think you mean Hades and Artemis," I whispered to him.

He looked down at his textbook. It was open to the list of gods. It had their names in English and in Ancient Greek. "I thought it said…" He trailed off. He dragged his finger along the page. He stopped when it was under the Ancient Greek. "Right." He looked up again. "Hades and Artemis."

"Okay," Mr. Fischer said slowly. He got that same weird twinkling look in his eyes. "Next."

A few minutes later Mr. Fischer turned his back to us to write something on the board. I turned around in my seat to talk to Max again.

"Are you dyslexic?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I dunno. If I do, it's undiagnosed."

"Interesting…"
I turned to face forward again. Mr. Fischer cleaned his glasses. After he looked over the class for a few seconds he began to tell us the myth of the birth of Athena. And I began zoning out.