Returning to school I melded back into the crowds and pretended like I was none the wiser as to what happened. The teachers were bewildered to find lockers busted up and tables overturned in the cafeteria, but they eventually waved it off as just some random delinquents. At first I'd been confused as to why no one had heard the noise in the first place, but I heard a lot of people yawning and word soon spread that everyone had fallen asleep, not just my class. The school worried that perhaps there was a faulty gas line or something, and we were all sent home early. I wasn't about to complain, rushing out of school with my backpack and returned to Snowstorm who gave me a lift back to our new apartment, where mom had already received word from the school about the strange sleeping epidemic and she launched herself on me the moment I walked through the door. I couldn't exactly lie, she was too clever to be fooled, so I told her about Lamia but assured her that I was fine, omitting the fact that I had been cut on my leg. Ambrosia had fixed it right up, the wound was already healing and I had since learned to always bring a spare set of clothes with me wherever I went, so no one noticed the injury under a fresh pair of jeans that weren't cut up and bloody. Mom was relieved and glad that I was okay, but now she worried that I had been found by such an old and strong monster. I could feel her looking at my bracelet suspiciously. "I didn't take it off, mom, I promise. She must have been hunting kids in the area and happened to turn up at my school. It's fine I took care of it. I even got a Spoil of War, though it's a little gross." I said as I pulled out the large blanket of snakeskin and showed it to mom to prove that everything really was alright. She settled after that, giving me another hug where I felt the swish of her skirt and realised she was still in uniform. "Did you come back from work early?"
"Oh, when the school called I was allowed to come back to meet you and make sure you're alright. I can't stay, I do have to get back, but I wouldn't have been able to finish my shift without knowing you were alright. Now I'm worried about Percy…"
"I'll go check on him, but I think after this, Percy and I should head directly to camp. It's not safe here, we've stayed too long in the mortal world so our scents are probably getting stronger, attracting more monsters. I'll pack some stuff for us both, and I'll send word once we're safe." At this, however, mom brushed at my hair and winced with a sharp breath through her teeth, telling me that something was on her mind and thought back to this morning when she had hinted that something was wrong with camp. "Mom? What are you not telling me? Is this about Chiron's message?"
"Yes honey. You see…things at camp have taken a turn for the worse. Something is wrong with…Thalia's tree, was it? Anyway, it has something to do with the magic barrier. It's been weakened somehow." A cold dread flooded me all at once, as at the same time, I got a really nasty feeling that Percy was in trouble. It was a sixth sense I had, always knowing when Percy was in danger. Probably why last summer my nerves had been an absolute mess because he was facing new monsters pretty much every day on that stupid quest to reclaim Zeus's stolen lightning bolt which had been stolen and then apparently acquired somehow by Ares, who was a real jerk-face who tried to kill my brother.
"Mom I have to go. I have to get Percy, and we have to get to camp to find out what's happening. I think Percy might be in some kind of trouble right now." I could feel mom looking at me sadly, but she was also the bravest person I knew other than my brother, and so she didn't cry or argue. I felt her draw herself up to her full height and march me to my bedroom in order to help me back up a bag in order to take it to camp and be prepared. I'd had one ready for the past week, but there were some last minute things I needed that hadn't gone in yet. My iPod charger, some cash that mom insisted I took just in case, some extra helpings of free samples of goodies from her shop, toiletries and she also packed a few extra clothes for me. She then hurried to do the same for Percy, giving me both bags so that I could shoulder them and give her a firm hug. "Love you mom."
"Just promise you'll take care, alright? And Neri…please don't be too stubborn to ask for help when you desperately need it. Even if it's from your father." I grimaced at that. I always hated hearing about him, but mom had this real stern tone going on which meant that she was serious. "I mean it. At least for me, okay? I know if you just ask, he'll find a way to protect you. Remember that nothing matters more than you and Percy coming back to me alive, okay? Promise me." Unable to say no to my mom, I gave her my word that if I was in trouble, I would try to ask someone for help. Even if it meant my fishbone father. Stuffing the Lamia snakeskin into my bag as the last thing, mom walked me outside to the alley where Snowstorm was waiting who naturally bowed her head as she always did whenever she saw mom, making her laugh softly and give Snow some sugar cubes that she'd brought down and Snow ate them up greedily. She had a serious addiction to sugar. I should never have introduced it to her. "Look after her for me Snow, you know how stubborn she is sometimes." Hearing Snow snort, I felt her neck dip under my hand as she nodded her head and promised my mom she would always protect me. I really was a lucky girl.
"I'll send word once Percy and I are safe. Good luck with your exams mom, I know you'll do great! Just remember your first book needs to be dedicated to me as your favourite child." I winked teasingly, knowing that getting all soppy and emotional would only start mom crying. She laughed, and I loved the sound more than anything. Reminding me sternly that she loved Percy and me equally, she squeezed my leg after I'd mounted up, giving me one final hug and kiss before letting me go. Snowstorm took off into the skies and we flew straight to where Percy went to school, only for us to fly over and Snow worriedly inform me that there were several large, gaping holes in the building. I started to panic, having her land so I could rush into the crowds of people gathered outside the school and grab hold of someone, demanding to know what had happened. They told me that some kid had apparently blown up the gym, and I immediately groaned. I'd bet a hundred drachma that Percy was being blamed for this. I couldn't find him anywhere, however, which meant that he had to have left already and hadn't returned home. I couldn't even find Tyson, which worried me all the more.
Before I left I did little damage control, suggesting to some of the officers and teachers that perhaps it was all just an accident, that a gas pipe had somehow ruptured and blown up causing the damage. Now this is where the Mist came in handy, because I could sense it settle over the mortals who grew a little dazed before then mumbling that this actually sounded far more likely, and proceeded to investigate. Relieved, I was also able to overhear one kid talking about Percy, insisting that he was still to blame and that he'd run away before he could be caught by the cops and questioned. This told me he was alive, though I had a sneaking suspicion that the kid who was badmouthing my brother was none other than Matt Sloan, the school bully Percy had told me about who was always picking on Tyson. Feeling a surge of agitation, I stalked towards the sound of his voice, shoving my way through groups of people before balling my fist. I whistled, hoping that this made Matt look at me, then all at once I swung forwards in his general direction, judging his height and position from the sound of his voice. I was bang on the mark, hitting him directly on the nose which, unknown to me at the time, was the second time a girl had punched him in the face. "That's for my little brother, jerk." Then quick as a minnow I darted out of sight, running back to where Snowstorm called to me, directing me through the crowds to reach her sooner then took off in order to reach Camp Half-Blood at full speed, because the bad feeling in my stomach still hadn't yet gone away.