When I reached the clearing, I found something I didn't expect: Dad reclined on the ground surfing the three G while a monster sneaked up behind him. Oh, no you don't, I thought. My dad is not your dinner!
Without dad seeing me, I pulled out my bow, but put it back when I realized Dad was in the line of fire. I activate my sword instead and silently charged the empousa. Running behind it, I sliced it in half. The thing never knew what killed it, and probably appeared in Tartarus with a what the ***** just happened?!
Anyway, I changed my sword back to its coin form and acted like I just come from the forest.
"Hey, Dad! What do you want for dinner? My friend provided enough ingredients to make anything we want!"
The look on his face clearly said he doubted the anything part and he decided to test me. "I could go for anything. Umm, how about chicken wings?" He knew I needed very specific ingredients to make those the way we liked.
"Hmm, we could, but we ate hot wings yesterday. Now quit trying to test me and decided what you want."
He grinned wryly, "Oh, ok. Cheeseburger."
I smiled. "Coming right up. I can put that together in under five minutes. Go ahead. Time me," I said with a sly grin as I went in the tent.
Once out of his sight, I took the plates and cups from my bag and said to the first set, "Dr. Pepper, no ice, and a cheeseburger with ketchup and onions." The food appeared, hot and ready, and I turned to dad's. "Diet Dr. Pepper and a double cheeseburger with everything on it." I walked outside with our food.
"Here you go." Dad turned and, with a stunned look on his face, took the plate and cup. "And they said to bring them back and they'll do dishes," I told him with a smile. That would give me another reason to go back to camp after dinner.
We began eating. Several minutes in, I reminded him, "After dinner, I'm going back over there to hang out with my roommates. I'll be back around ten." He nodded and we finished eating in silence.
Twenty minutes later, it was completely dark and we were both finished eating. I stood, grabbing our plates, and went into the tent. The plates cleaned themselves automatically, but Dad didn't need to know that. I stuck the plates in my never-full bag and walked back out.
"I'll be back in a few hours," I told Dad as I gave him a hug. "Make sure to stay in the clearing and stay off the three G. Sorry, but it's too dangerous after dark."
The "too dangerous" piqued his concern. "Grace, talk to me. What is out there you're so afraid of?"
I paused, leaned out of the hug, then looked him straight in the eye, saying, "Something I hope you never face." I ran into the woods before he could answer, praying silently that he'd be okay while I was gone.
I reached camp faster this time since I ran most of the way. Walking out of the woods, I saw the campfire in the distance and walked to it. The fire was lower than usual today, and I figured it was because of the quest. Maybe my showing up would lighten the mood of the Athena cabin a little.
Nobody noticed me until I got close. I spotted my cabin on the other side of the fire and went around to reach them. Plopping down next to Annabeth in back, I said in a normal voice, "What's up?"
I winked at Annabeth when she glanced over and she nodded. Act like I wasn't here earlier.
"Hey, Grace! What are you doing here?"
Suddenly, I was surrounded by my cabin, all saying something different.
"How long are you here?"
"Why haven't we seen you in the cabin?"
"Have you heard the news?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down!" I laughed. "I can't answer you all at once! I'm here for tonight and tomorrow night. You won't see me during the day. I'm here with my dad, and he doesn't know about the gods, so we're camping out in the woods, which is why you haven't seen me. Yes, I've heard the news. I talk to Annabeth every day. She told me about Percy, the quest, the prophecy, and that the new Great Prophecy has started. I told hers some of my ideas, which she can tell if she wants. I don't mind."
They all looked at her, and she shook her head. "You'll find out later."
"And I left Dad back at camp so I could be here. He thinks I'm at a class reunion."
At that, the group relaxed a little, chuckled at the "class reunion"—they all knew my summer excuse—and we focused back on the campfire, singing and chatting. The next few hours were spent singing ridiculous songs and having a great time. All too soon, it was lights out, and we split for the night, for them to go to their cabin and me to go to camp.
"I'll see you tomorrow around dinner, guys!" I waved. They waved back and I headed into the woods.
When I arrived at the clearing after killing another stupid scorpion, I found dad waiting for me, his head in his hands. I was wary. I thought he'd be asleep by now.
"Why are you still up?" I asked.
He looked up, and his face told me something was wrong. I rushed over, thinking he was hurt.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" I asked hurriedly.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked me.
Uh, oh."Tell you what?"
"Grace, cut it out. What didn't tell me monsters existed?"
"What did you see? Did you leave the clearing?!"
"I didn't leave the clearing, but a giant scorpion entered it."
I paled, and checked him for injuries. Not seeing any, I prodded him. "What happened?"
"I held still and it went away. But you haven't answered my question. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Athena said you couldn't see through the Mist. You should not have seen the scorpion for what it was." I heard a rustle in the bushes to my left and glanced over. Nothing.
"Athena? The Greek goddess of wisdom? But how can the Greek gods exist when there is only one true God?" Dad was a newer Christian, but a Christian all the same.
"Athena said the simplest way the explain it was that the Ancient Greeks knew there was a deity they needed to worship, but since the Bible had not reached them, they made up their own gods. The Greek gods, created by humans, are human. Our belief in them gives them their "god powers" and keeps them around. Without our belief, they would fade, and they only exist to those who believe, while God—capital G—exists whether you believe in Him or not. Like in Samuel, God gave them what they wanted, but the Greek gods are stewards, per say, to the Lord of lords. It boils down to this: the legend has not died, and we have become part of the legend."
"So do the gods still have affairs with mortals?" he asked, and I knew what he meant.
"Yes, and I am one of those kids. Mom is not my biological mother."
"That's impossible. I remember her pregnant and you born."
"I said biological, not birth. She is my birth mother. Athena is my biological mom. She placed me in Mom's womb. I get the blue tint in my eyes from my time in the womb, and probably my need for glasses."
He opened his mouth to reply, but I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. "Dad! Get behind me! Now!"