Chapter 9: Who's Your Daddy?
FLASHBACK
The house was so empty.
Kiera sat, knees folded under her. She picked at the rug, numbly pulling out strings from the impossible pattern.
"Kiera! Kiera where are you!?"
Kiera didn't answer. She stared at the rug.
"…Kiera."
Mary's voice was thick, as if her windpipe was hardened with tar.
"Look at me. Now."
Kiera obeyed.
But her mother looked away.
Kiera closed her eyes. She did not understand. But something was different. Something would always be different.
"You forgot me."
Mary flinched. She massaged her chest through the black overcoat.
"Baby…"
"You forgot me."
"I told you to get into the jeep–"
"You forgot me!"
Mary stepped back as the curtains waved to life. Pillows somersaulted off the sofas, dirt spurted from the potted plants, and her black veil fluttered to the floor.
When all was still, mother and daughter stared at each other. Sand scratched the windows as the wind banged on the sill.
Kiera's eyes gleamed. Her voice was hoarse. "You forgot me." she whispered, bowing her head. "And Keegan…and Aydyn…"Kiera covered her face.
Mary collapsed over her daughter, sobbing without the black veil to hide behind. Kiera sat, wordlessly folding under her crying mother.
"Baby I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Kiera let herself be pulled into the embrace.
"I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for this. I'm sorry for all of this!"
Kiera wondered what her mother meant. But she knew, there was more to the apology. More than forgetting to take her to the funeral. What could it be? Kiera opened her eyes as a terrible thought entered her mind.
"Aydyn's dead too. The big man killed him."
Mary choked. "Baby, Aydyn's not dead…he's…just…"
"Never coming back." Kiera glared out the window. "Like Keegan."
It was true. Kiera would later find out that a nor'easterly killed the man she had longed to call father, and that his brother, Hadyn, a creature cold as stone, had legally claimed the boy she longed to call brother.
But had Mary not been crying into her daughter's hair, Kiera might have heard the wind telling her exactly why her happiness was supported by nothing more than a puppet string.
W. Kiera Crow
"What…happened?" (1)
Aydyn's blurred outline recoiled at my feet. His hand quickly left my ankle.
"Kiera." I couldn't make out his features clearly, but I could tell he was leaning forward. "Kiera."
I blinked.
"Wake up,Wench!" (2)
Slowly, Aydyn came into focus. He looked terrible as I felt. His chin was scruffier than usual, and a pile of Mountain Dew cans overflowed the seat beside him.
"What…" I pressed both knuckles into my eyes, "…what happened?
Aydyn worked the top of his soda bottle. "Well…" The bottle fizzed as Aydyn eeked out an answer, "Well, how much do you remember?"
I thought about it. "Only that…" Aydyn leaned forward, setting the bottle on a wooden railing. The railing was wrapped around an extensive porch overlooking a massive vista which was polka-dotted with flying horses and Parthenon-styled buildings. The sun was bright and it glinted off the armored vests and flying arrows.
I resisted the temptation to close my eyes. I took a deep breath. "Only that…we were electrocuted, captured, and imprisoned by psycho military fairytale creatures. In New York."
Aydyn nodded. "Yeah, I'd say you're up to speed."
My stomach grumbled. Sickened, I glanced again over the porch railing. A bunch of kids were decking it out with swords as long as my arm. One of them was pounding his chest with a round shield. I looked at Aydyn. He didn't look the least bit panicked.
"Did…we escape?"
"Hmmm?" Aydyn turned, distracted by the swordsmen, "What?" The swords clanked behind him.
I grimaced. "We didn't escape."
Aydyn shook his head. "No. But it's not what you think…I've been talking with Chiron – the horse dude. And…well, it's pretty unbelievable Kiera. Pretty bloody unbelievable."
I leaned back. The rocking chair I was in gave with me, and I jumped. Gripping the armrests didn't help unclench the rest of my body though.
"So it's…real?"
Aydyn nodded, watching me carefully.
"Everything?"
"I told you it was unbelievable."
I took a deep breath. "Ok…what else do you know?"
Aydyn shrugged. He popped open another Mountain Dew. "Probably as much as you know, but with more time to process."
I watched Aydyn's throat as he drained the soda. "I doubt it, Aydyn. They were talking about weird stuff. Prophesies, mortals, demigods, and – this was really weird – they kept mentioning I think Greek gods. You know like Zeus and Hermes, the ones we learned about in middle school."
Aydyn fingered the soda can. He didn't say anything so I continued.
"And…they talked about the Greek gods as if…as if…" I felt embarrassed to even be thinking, let alone saying, this, "…as if…"
"As if they are real."
His definitiveness was shattering. Sharp lines creased Aydyn's face, underlying his weighted tone. There was no messing around this time – Aydyn was serious. He was actually serious. But that was impossible! The Greek gods and goddesses were myths, created by ancient dudes in white togas to explain natural phenomena.
And even – by some crazy chance – if the Greek gods were real, what could they possibly have to do with Aydyn and me? Aydyn still had traces of his Irish accent and all of my ancestors were British. Neither of us were Greek or Greek orthodox. I've never even eaten a gyro! (3)
I didn't know what to say, so I looked at Aydyn and shook my head. "That's…"
"Impossible?"
We turned. A group of four had ascended the steps: the centaur, a satyr wearing a rasta cap, and two girls. The first girl I recognized – Annabeth. She stood next to the satyr, overlooking us with the same judicious stare. The second girl was a few years younger than Annabeth, but she was beautiful. I mean disarmingly beautiful. She smiled as they approached and the centaur clip-clopped directly in front of me.
"Impossible." Repeated the centaur, his eyes aglow with sunlight. "Impossible as an electric storm at a track meet, winged horses, a satyr, and a centaur? Kiera?"
I didn't smile back, but felt Aydyn hiss into my ear. "Forgot to tell you…they know our names!"
I gave him a look. Then I moved it to the centaur. "Who are you?"
The centaur spoke evenly, as if he was trying not to freak me out. "My name is Chiron."
"That doesn't answer my question."
I thought I saw Annabeth smile. The centaur – Chiron – said, "Well as you can see, I am a centaur. A very authentic and organic centaur, without any commercial affiliation," he added, glancing pointedly at Aydyn as he spoke. "And, I am overseer of Camp Half Blood."
Camp Half Blood. That I remembered. From the look on Aydyn's face, I could tell that he was familiar with the name as well. We exchanged worried looks before I returned to the centaur. "In New York."
Chiron nodded. "You remember."
"Unfortunately." Aydyn said, moving closer. "But what is Camp Half Blood? A military camp? Apocalyptic training?"
Everyone but Annabeth smiled appreciatively. Aydyn glanced quickly at the beautiful girl before continuing. "And what's this about the Greek gods? And about being claimed or something. You said you'd explain."
The centaur held up a hand. Aydyn and I stopped but my mind was racing. I was getting impatient.
"There is much to explain." Chiron said "And there is much more that you will not believe at first."
"Dude," said Aydyn, "come on. You're a taking horse. I think we're obligated to believe anything you say at this point."
Chiron raised an eyebrow. "Anything?"
"I'd believe that you wear boxer briefs if you told me so."
The satyr hacked into his elbow as Chiron's mouth twisted. "Well…I can't think of a better seguiway. Can you Grover?"
The satyr dabbed his eyes with the corner of his rasta cap. "Nope."
"Very good…" Chiron said, tail swishing against the porch rails, "Then I'm going to get right into it. I think blunt is best. Aydyn….Kiera…"
The centaur looked us both in the eye. "You are children of the Greek gods."
Aydyn and I blinked. Then we burst out laughing.
I'm sorry, but I just couldn't help it! Chiron opened like he was about to proclaim the Ten Commandments to the Hebrew masses from Mount Sinai. I was expecting something a little more profound like "Luke I am your father!" or "Smile! You're on Candid Camera!"
"Riiiiiiiiight!" Aydyn pretended to slap his knee while Annabeth's scowl cut lines into her face. "Oh this is great! Did I also mention that Hannibal is my second cousin?"
The beautiful girl and Grover the satyr glanced nervously at Chiron. But the centaur had dignified our outburst with nothing more than a raised eyebrow.
"Then you both know your parents?" Chiron asked conversationally.
"Of course we do!" Aydyn grinned, punching my shoulder, "My dad and Kiera's mom were basically – "
"—I mean," Chiron interrupted, "both parents. Both biological parents. Aydyn, your mother, and Kiera, your father."
The centaur's face flickered in to a small triumphant smile as our laughter extinguished. He looked like a hunter zeroing in on a deer.
"Whether or not you choose to believe," Chiron said softly, "the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece are real entities. They are immortal beings impregnated into the very forces that sustain the Earth and make thrive."
Slowly, Chiron placed a hand my armrest. The chair rocked slightly. "The gods – and their center of power – travel with Western society. Once, the fulcrum of western civilization was in Greece, hence the myths and legends of which you are familiar. Since, it has moved across the ocean and resides here, in the North American continent."
Chiron was tracking us closely. His leathery brown eyes moved fluidly between us as he spoke, "Frequently, the gods and goddesses fall in love with mortals. Humans of the earth. The children of such a marriage are called demigods. Half moral. And half immortal. Demigod."
I could feel the heat from Aydyn's body behind me. We both were smart enough to see where this conversation was going, but too disorientated to believe it. Plus…all I could think about was Keegan. Keegan and everything that should have been. Everything that wasn't. Well, judging by the way Aydyn's muscles were throbbing, I could tell he was reliving the exact same thoughts.
I wanted to tell Chiron to shut up – for his own safety. Aydyn was all sparkles and chuckles until you hit a raw nerve. But one thing Aydyn did not like to talk about was his dad. Keegan was personal property, and Chiron was trespassing pretty dangerously along Adydn's memory lane.
"Demigod children," Chiron continued as Aydyn folded fists over his knuckles, "obtain special powers from their god parent. These powers must be cultivated, controlled, and used if the demigod so wishes. But regardless of the demigod's wishes…"
Chiron's face hardened, "…it is important that each and every demigod realize the enormity of his, or her, birthright. Demigod powers are potent…very potent. Just as there are gods and goddesses, there are monsters uprooted from ancient lore. Monsters that can literally smell a demigod…and hunt him down."(4)
"Which is why," Chiron continued, voice brightening, "you were both brought here to Camp Half Blood. Camp Half Blood is a safe haven, a sanctuary for demigod children. It is here where demigods discover and explore their powers. It is here…" Chiron peered at us, almost like he was trying to read invisible script across our foreheads"…where the gods and goddesses reveal themselves; and claim their children as their own."
Sunlight drizzled through a laden apple tree. It speckled over the beautiful girl's cheeks as she lifted her luminous eyes.
"No more lying. No more wondering. Prepare to meet your parents," she said in a strong, musical voice, "your real parents."
Aydyn's grip was like a vice over my shoulder. He was cutting off my circulation but that didn't matter; my heart had stopped beating anyway. Could it be true? Could it? Was my father…a god?
My throat was dry. I couldn't think straight. My thoughts kept sticking together; I couldn't separate what was real and what was untrue.
As always, I didn't have to worry. Aydyn took control of the situation.
"So what you're saying is, essentially," Aydyn tapped his chin, "is that…I am a god?"
All four faces lined before us fell.
"Not…quite." Chiron said.
"Of course not!" Annabeth shoved both hands over her sword belt. The sword clicked against the porch rails behind her. "What, are you an idiot? Haven't you been listening?"
"For someone that keeps pushing the Greek god thing," Aydyn said, "I'm getting mixed signals here, Annabelle!"(5)
"My name is Anna- beth."
"Aside." Aydyn waved a hand, turning to Chiron. "So you think I'm the spawn of a Greek god?"
"A goddess," Chiron nodded, heartecfsned to see some acceptance, "And yes I do believe your mother is a goddess. Not a god."
"Ok…same thing, but female?"
"Yes."
"So I'm a god."
"No."
"You said – "
"Half god!" Annabeth growled, grinding her blade in its hilt, "shut up already, you're a half god."
"Ah ha!" Aydyn's finger jumped forward. "So I am a god!"
"No." Acid burned behind Annabeth's grey eyes, "half god."
Aydyn gave Annabeth a look of pity. "Dear, dear, dear, dear, dear, how angry we are. Hmmm…ok Miss-Know-It-all…Did you know that my dad was Irish. County Cork. Right off the boat."
"So?"
"So Antoinette –"
"—Annabeth—"
"—aside. So, that means I'm Irish. Right?"
Annabeth ground her teeth. "Half, Irish."
"But still Irish," said Aydyn definitively. "So, half, whole, or one-sixteenth, I am still a god."
The satyr cocked his head. "Think he out thunk you Annabeth."
"Shut up, Grover."
Chiron shook his head like a tired grandfather. His eyes rested on me. I purposely looked past him. Camp Half Blood was wide awake now. Kids older and younger than me were skipping around and swinging lethal weapons as if the world was just spinning in a bowl of cherries.(6)
"Kiera?"
I ignored the centaur, but my face darkened.
"Kiera…" Chiron knelt, one hand on the rocker. His soft gaze was unnervingly penetrating. "Kiera. Do you have any questions? Any at all?"
I glared accusingly at his hand. "Off course I have questions," I said. Memories were peeling away in my mind, opening like festering scabs. "But I don't care who my father is. And I don't care if he rots before I find out."
Apprehension rippled over Chiron's face. Had I not been so angry, I might have noticed a sudden coolness sweep across the porch.
"That might be difficult," Chiron said quietly as Grover and Annabeth looked over their shoulders, "because your father is immortal."
I leaned forward. "Fine. Then I'll rot first."
"Chiron." Annabeth's voice was sharp and urgent. I could tell she was trying to end the conversation.
"It's all right Annabeth," Chiron said more confidently than his mannerisms implied. He lifted onto his four feet. "If Mr. D's assumptions are correct, Hermes won't be upset with a resentful child. It happens all the time. We'll decide to worry once she is claimed."
"Hermes?" Aydyn raised an eyebrow, "claimed?"
Grover nodded enthusiastically. "Nearly all demigod children are brought here without previous contact with their god parent. Or knowledge, for that matter."
"Shocker." Aydyn said wryly.
"But—" Grover continued, dismissing Aydyn's tone, "—once demigod kids come here, their god parent is obligated to claim them by the age of thirteen. That's a new thing. Until recently, some kids grew up without ever being claimed."
Aydyn's eyes narrowed. "What's this claiming business? It sounds painful."
The pretty blonde girl smiled again. Despite my cold mood, I instantly felt like the front porch had turned into a tanning bed.
"Claiming is not painful," she said. I blinked, trying to listen to her amazing voice without being mesmerized, "It's more of an event. An honorable event wherein the god parent officially acknowledges his or her child."
"And you think Kiera's…dad for want of a better word…is…Hermes?"
Everyone looked at Chiron.
Chiron answered vacillatingly. "Potentially."
Aydyn and I were not convinced. Chiron must have sensed this, because he quickly furthered the response.
"Mr. D, our camp director, er…mentioned that Kiera's abilities are highly characteristic of Hermes' family traits. Hermes, as you may recall, is the god of roads and travel, merchants and messengers, commerce and mail deliverers, thieves and tricksters, athletics and…"
Chiron's eyes flickered to my feet. "…speed."
I tucked both feet under my chair with a grating look, causing Annabeth to scoff.
"I wouldn't get excited. It's just a theory, nothing is definite." She glared at me as if I wanted this whole daddy situation to be true. (7)
"Logically, there are counter arguments. Lot's of counter arguments." Annabeth folded her arms and popped her hip so she could give me the once over comfortably,
"She seems to be pretty athletic – that's a family trait sure – but basically everyone here is physically fit, so her speed is not that extraordinary. There are dozens of additional factors to consider. Hermes kids are card sharks and persuasive as the day is long. They also tend to look alike – upturned eyebrows, weird crooked smiles." Annabeth studied my face, "I haven't seen her smile once."
"Um reality check," Aydyn said, moving closer to my chair, "we were man-handled by the welcoming party. Gonna take a little more hospitality than that to butter us up, Anastasia."
"My name—"
"Well don't sweat it or anything," Grover cut in, hopping in front of what should have been Aydyn's premature death, "It's always a guessing game before a kid is claimed. Gods are pretty busy. It may take a little while."
"So…we wait?" Aydyn said unenthusiastically.
The pretty blonde girl with the amazing voice shook her head. "Hardly. We instigate."
Aydyn's smile was smoother than honey. "Instigate, huh? Sounds very…intimate. What's all this instigating business all about?"
Annabeth rolled her eyes. I grinned: it was nice to see someone else disgusted by Aydyn's charm for once.
"In-sti-gate. It means to bring about, you moron."
Aydyn's grin only widened. He winked at Annabeth. Annabeth looked like she either wanted to stab her eyes out or barf. (8)
Things started to look a little dicey – especially for Aydyn – so I decided to move the conversation forward, even through I thought the whole thing was stupid. "Instigate?" I asked skeptically. It seemed ridiculous that an all powerful being would tolerate a bunch of kids – parent or no parent. "How do you instigate a god? Prayer? Fasting? Slaughtering defenseless baby animals?"
The pretty blonde girl smiled. "No. Capture the flag."
Kiera's Footnotes
(1) Little sick of the whole waking-up-from-unconsciousness routine.
(2)Sure glad I warrant no special treatment.
(3)Although I've probably eaten enough Chobani in my time to qualify for dual citizenship.
(4)So much for deodorant.
(5)Name identification was never really Aydyn's thing.
(6)Numbskulls.
(7)Um yeah I'll pass on THAT fairytale, thanks.
(8)…or both.
