Chapter Seven

Black flames licked at the edges of my vision, flickering and dancing, phantom-like. A room that seemed to be built out of human bones surrounded me. Everything was shadowy and in descript. A huge, booming voice ricocheted off the walls and vibrated in my ears.

"You will do this thing that I have asked of you, will you not?"

I couldn't tell where the voice was coming from, nor could I see anybody else in the room with me. The deep shadows made it hard to see anything.

"Yes. We will do what you have requested." Another, different, lighter voice answered. "For the sum mentioned before."

"Ah, yes. The sum." The rumbling voice breathed. The words hissed through the speaker's teeth, sending shivers scraping down my spine.

A boom, like a person slamming their palm against a table-top, echoed loudly around the room.

"It is agreed! Do not fail me. She is mine! Now go!"

The voice faded away, but I could still hear the echo of what it had said. "She is mine!"

The scene shifted, throwing me totally off kilter.

I was lying on a beach. The hot, tropical sun blazed down on me, making it hard to see. Crystal blue waves tickled my toes and a gentle breeze played in my curls.

I sat up, relishing the paradise.

A small dot in the distance, on the ocean, drew my attention.

It was large, but I couldn't make out what it was.

Digging my bare feet into the sand, I stood to get a better look.

The speck was moving closer at great speed. I still couldn't quite decide what it was, but it looked somehow…..human.

All of a sudden, I could see what the shape was. A large, leering face towered over the beach.

A gigantic, bulky body loomed, casting his shadow across the sand and me.

There, surging through the waves, was a giant.

He laughed wickedly and leaped. His powerful legs launched him very high in the air. His feet were easily twice the size of me.

One of those large feet was about to crush me. His jeering guffaws rang in my ears as everything around me was enveloped in blackness.

Gasping, I sat up, whacking my forehead on something hard. I rubbed it, groaning, and tried to get my sleepy eyes to focus.

The object that I had hit was the railing on the steps where I had been sleeping.

What a way to start the morning. I had only been awake for less than a minute, and I was already in a bad mood. Great. Just great.

Grumpily, I got up and stalked to the bathroom to shower and get dressed. When the teasing Aphrodite girls started into their insults, as I had expected they would, I snapped at them. "Leave me alone will you!"

I slammed the door a bit harder than needed when I left.

Dumping my bag back on the steps of the Artemis cabin, I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jean shorts and headed to breakfast.

As was becoming my routine, I sat as far as possible from the rest of the Aphrodite table, and moodily pushed my breakfast around on my plate.

Chiron stood at the end of the meal to announce the departure of the three quest members.

I found myself next to Leander as we all streamed out of the dining pavilion. "Morning, Hobo-girl." He greeted me, laughter playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Morning, Cupid." I threw back, unsmiling.

He stared at me in confusion. "Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of bed."

"That's not true." I groaned in response. "It was a porch step, not a bed."

He chortled at my sassy reply, which made me smile. He never failed to make me feel better.

"So, today's the big day." I commented. "When do you all leave?"

Leander did a small hop-skip. "Right now. I'm headed to the Big House. Chiron is letting us drive the camp van."

I offered to walk him up to the Big House to see them off.

Andromeda, Chiron, Rachel and Dionysus were already gathered on the front porch. Three large bags were packed and lying in a pile, waiting to be loaded in the van.

Argus, the official (and huge) camp chauffer and watchman, came out of the Big House and shouldered two of the bags.

I guess I didn't mention this before, but Argus has over a hundred eyes that cover just about every square inch of his body. It was kinda unnerving to watch him move, trust me.

They all were waiting for the last member of their team, Tobi, who was late. I wasn't surprised.

Five minutes later, he came sauntering across the grass, looking relaxed and unaware that he was being so utterly annoying. As usual.

I saw Andromeda roll her eyes as Tobi joined the group with a 'Sup?' My feelings exactly, girl.

"Now that everyone is finally here," Chiron began, throwing a casual rebuke in Tobi's direction. "We can leave. The van is waiting just outside the border."

I bid Leander farewell, hugging him fondly. I gave Andromeda a good-luck smile, and completely ignored Tobi, which was pretty generous.

The group picked up their luggage and began trekking up Half Blood Hill.

I was too out of sorts to join in any activities at the moment. I was still troubled by the dreams I had last night. Whenever there was a quiet moment, I heard the menacing whisper. "She is mine!" It made me shiver, and I wondered who the speaker was and who they were talking about.

Instead of going to sword and shield practice, I took a walk. I followed along the border around the camp. I was just about to the big pine tree atop Half Blood Hill, where Peleus the dragon was curled around the trunk, sleeping. I walked with my head down, deep in thought, watching my feet. I didn't notice three people approaching, but a snapping twig made me look up. Before me stood two girls and a guy from the Aphrodite cabin. My siblings.

They were smirking threateningly at me. One of the girls, Bethany, I think her name was, purred. "Well, New Girl, what are you doing?"

I sighed. Man, why can't they leave me alone? "Just walking. Go away." I was about to stomp away, but I noticed the boy holding my suitcase and my messenger bag. Strange.

"What are you doing with my stuff?" I demanded, turning back, fists clenched. They couldn't be up to any good.

Bethany spoke again. "We're only trying to help you, New Girl. I know Andromeda would love to do this if she was here, but she's not!" She shrugged happily, a maniacal smile spreading across her face. "Do what, exactly?" I asked, stepping back nervously.

"Help you leave, of course!" The other girl broke in.

Help me leave? What is going on?

The boy almost skipped to the border in his joy. He dangled my bag by the strap tauntingly, then threw it as hard as he could. It flew over the camp boundary, landing in a heap and spilling its contents on the grass. My suitcase soon followed.

"Hey!" I shouted at him, stomping forward to retrieve it.

Bethany and her sister grabbed my arms.

What are they doing?

"So, you understand of course," Bethany giggled. "That you just don't belong. You're a disgrace to our mother, and the rest of her children. You're giving us a bad name! No hard feelings, but you've simply got to go!"

She gave up her hold on my arm so that her brother could take her spot. Waving perkily to me, she said: "Bon voyage!"

What they did next was so unexpected, I couldn't even protest. My two siblings flung me across the border, just as they had my luggage.

I tumbled to the ground, landing face-first and eating a mouthful of dirt. I pushed myself off the grass, spitting out the nasty snack. Bethany and the other two's jeering laughter rang humiliatingly in my ears.

The trio flounced out of sight, still cackling at their malicious joke.

I slowly stood and picked my spilled things off the ground. Shouldering the bag, I headed miserably back towards the pine tree.

Peleus the giant serpent awoke. His huge, beady eyes glared at me. It was slightly creepy, but I kept trudging along.

When I got close however, he unwrapped his body from around the tree and blocked my path, snorting a giant puff of smoke into my face.

If you have never stared a full-grown dragon in the face, take some advice from me. Don't.

"It's ok, Peleus." I crooned calmingly. "You know me. I'm not an enemy. I'm just a normal Half Blood. Just going back to camp."

I had forgotten an important fact, however. Peleus didn't know me. He had been asleep when I came.

He blew a burst of flame from his mouth, setting the grass in front of me on fire. I stumbled back just in time not to get burned.

"Come on, you stupid lizard!" I yelled at him. "I am not a threat!"

The 'stupid lizard' didn't help to improve his feelings toward me any. He growled angrily, spitting a few licks of flame from between his gigantic teeth.

I was beginning to get slightly annoyed at how my day was going. Actually, I was WAY beyond annoyed. I was downright enraged. I had had two disturbing dreams that I was still worried about, taken my regular share of teasing, said goodbye to my only friend at this camp, gotten quite rudely shown that I wasn't welcome at the only place I felt normal, and now the dragon guarding that place wouldn't let me in either!

I roared right back at the dragon and charged, intending to streak past him.

Nothing doing.

Before I knew it, Peleus had swung his massive tail into me. I was flying through the air for the second time in a very short five minutes. Darn. That plan didn't turn out too well.

I landed hard, but slammed into something soft. My head cracked backwards, and I blacked out.