CHAPTER 3
ANTHONY'S POV
I woke up four hours later to someone prodding my arm. I muttered something unintelligent, but with another sharp poke, my blurry vision cleared; a round-faced girl with brilliant blue shoulder-length hair was leaning over me, poking me like I was some kind of new, recently discovered species.
I frowned. Who was the girl? Where was I? I wasn't lying in my bedroom in my tiny house near the outskirts of Houston.
I glanced around me. Alex Park, my best friend since sixth grade, was leaning heavily against my shoulder. Her eyes were shut and her breathing felt reassuring and rythmatic.
I felt heat rising to my cheeks from being so close to her. I gave Alex a light shake, ignoring the hasty warnings coming from the blue-haired girl, Kylie Todd.
"Wha?-" Alex was jolted awake; her auburn hair was disheveled and messy, loosely formed into a braid. Her silver-gray eyes flickered, like an approaching storm. She could give you this look sometimes, and her eyes flared, like she could just incinerate you with them. But now, she looked tired, weary, and scared. I probably mirrored her expression perfectly.
"That was a short train ride," Alex muttered, frowning at the people flooding from our battered old vessel.
Kylie shrugged. "It really wasn't, you know. You two just fell asleep-oh, gods..." She glanced down at her watch, alarm suddenly spiking her tone. "It's way too late. I have to get you to camp by tonight, at least..."
Reluctantly, Alex and I rose from our seats and moved along with the crowd. We stepped out into some old train station in Dallas, but to be honest, I wasn't paying attention to anything but the conversation. Either that or I was too busy reflecting on my own emotions and everything that just happened.
Everything I knew had suddenly morphed into something strange and foreign. Kind of like I was on a different planet.
"Kylie," I said, "You have to tell us what's going on. You can't just expect us to follow you for no reason."
Kylie's eyes twinkled. She was weird that way. Like she knew something we didn't and that everything around her was an inside joke. In some ways, well, it was. She made a tsk, tsk, tsk sound with her tongue. "I expect you guys to follow me because you know this isn't who you really are. You're orphans looking for closure," Kylie spread her arms, "And I can offer that closure."
Alex just stared at her, silver eyes burning with annoyance. After being pinned with that look, Kylie frowned. "Okay, stop that," Kylie muttered. "You do weird things with your eyes."
Alex shrugged. I was still frowning at Kylie's vague...well, vague everything. She hasn't given us a straight answer since we met her. "What did you steal from the gas station, Kylie?"
Kylie's eyes widened. "Not so loud! Geesh...just some toiletries, really. Mine exploded back in Manhattan...I really hate my brothers sometimes."
"You have brothers?" I asked.
Kylie smiled. "Three half-brothers. Well, hm...probably hundreds more, but you know, they don't count yet. Don't ask. Ah, yes, Alex?"
"Yeah?" She and I were exchanging glances again, trying to debate how crazy Kylie was.
Kylie scratched the back of her head. "Do you know where the nearest airport is?"
"Well, I think the nearest one is the Dallas-Fortworth one...okay, cut the crap. What is this camp you keep talking about?" Alex added impatiently. "I don't care if you got us a train ride to Dallas-I am not going to New York with you unless you tell me exactly what's going on."
After that, Alex folded her arms and gave Kylie her ultimate death glare. Her silver-gray eyes flickered with those familiar flames, and I could tell our thief's defenses were crumbling.
"Fine," Kylie said at last. "I'll tell you everything. But when I do, promise you'll leave to camp with me-in New York."
Alex and I looked at each other, and a silent understanding passed through us. We both nodded.
"Not good enough," Kylie said. "Swear it on the River Styx. Then I'll tell you."
We didn't know what that meant, but we both frowningly swore on the River Sticks or whatever it was.
"Good." Kylie looked satisfied. "I'll tell you. But not here. We need somewhere more secluded."
An hour later, all three of us had wondered over towards one of those big convenience stories-the kind that also has a fast-food place attached to it.
Kylie, Alex, and me were quietly observing from a corner booth, idly snacking on some fries and sipping on sodas.
Kylie looked unnerved, which surprised me. I never thought of her as a particularly nervous person, but she was sporting the expression now.
Once Alex had finished her cheeseburger, she turned to Kylie and fixed her with a stern look. I did the same, but I had a feeling that I wasn't as intimidating.
"Okay," said Alex, "We're in a quiet place. Tell us everything-about the huge lion, this camp, why we're going to New York-"
"It's a long story," Kylie muttered. "And when I tell you, you're not going to believe me...but I will. You're both half-bloods, Alex."
Alex blinked. "You said something like that before. What does that mean?"
"That you're half-human, and half Olympian god. Both of you are incredibly strong, but I can't figure out your parent yet, Alex."
"That is crazy," I put in. "Tell us the truth, Kylie."
Kylie scowled; it wasn't a good look on her elfish features. "I am telling the truth. Haven't you wondered about all the strange things that happen to you? The giant lion, for example? That was the Numean lion, a Greek monster."
Kylie paused, waiting for us to object. My mind was storming too much for me to say anything, so she continued. "I want you guys to come to New York with me because there's a place for our kind-you know, demigods-called Camp Half-Blood. You two can live there, safe from monsters, and train so you can defend yourselves better. You won't be alone, either, for once."
She waited in silence for our answer.
Finally, I found my voice. "You said that you didn't know who Alex's parent is yet. What about me?"
Kylie's eyes flickered over to me, instantly becoming darker. "Pray to Zeus that I'm wrong about you, Anthony."
That, as you can imagine, wasn't very reassuring.
"My father is normal." Alex said quietly; she didn't like to talk about her birth father, and didn't do it very often. "Does that mean my Olympian parent's a goddess?"
Kylie nodded. "Well...most likely. Sometimes Apollo-you know what? Never mind."
"So who's your godly parent?" I asked Kylie.
The familiar old mischievous grin reappeared on Kylie's face. "Hermes, god of thieves."
If it was a normal day, I would've laughed and said she was crazy (again) but I just muttered, "Yeah, that makes sense."
"So, are you gonna follow me to Manhattan or what? 'Cause I gotta get you there by tonight." Kylie popped another fry into her mouth.
"I guess we have to," Alex looked like she was trying to process everything Kylie told us. I was, too. I mean...gods? Goddesses? I know my mom was normal...The sane part of my brain scolded myself. This couldn't be true. But we promised Kylie, and I had a strange feeling that if we broke our oath, something bad would happen.
Getting to the airport was a hasty operation. I somehow managed to have enough money for my ticket, because Kylie had extra, and Alex loaned me what was basically her life savings.
Honestly, I felt guilty about the whole thing. I felt like a liability; Kylie said it herself, I was an unplanned surprise. I wasn't supposed to be escorted back to New York, unlike Alex. Once again, you're a burden, Anthony...the whisper drifted into my thoughts, the voice soft and silky, similar to a snake's. I promptly shook off my guilt. I couldn't go back to believing that.
We were just about to go through the metal detectors when a thought crossed my mind; Alex was carrying a very illegal dagger. And, of course, Kylie had stolen something from a nearby convenience store two hours ago.
I eyed a stern-faced, unsmiling guard and nudged Kylie's shoulder. "Kylie," I whispered nervously, "Alex is, um, carrying a dagger right now, and you're sort of a thief..."
Kylie frowned. "Dagger?"
Alex threw a glance at the guards, then subtly pulled a dagger from her boot. Now, this normally would have been suicide, but Alex could get out of things. She could manipulate peoples' minds.
"Can I see it?" Kylie gestured to the weapon. Alex just nodded nervously, and let the dagger slip into Kylie's hands.
Kylie moved her fingers along the blade; it had a shining silver hilt, embroided with a crescent moon. The metal seemed to be an unusual mix of silver and some kind of golden-bronze. But, the thing that stood out to me the most, was the words in Ancient Greek carved on the hilt; Lepída tis Selínis. I don't know how, but I could understand what that meant: "Blade of the Moon."
Kylie stared at it, her eyes widening. "Wow..."
"Kylie." I shoved her. We were getting close to the metal detectors...
"Oh, yeah. Right," That seemed to snap her out of it. "I know what to do. Alex, do you know what the Mist is?"
Alex scowled. "The what?"
"It's something you can use to trick mortals with. Like, if you try hard enough, you can change what they see, or sometimes control them a bit."
"Alex does that!" I put in. Alex elbowed me in the ribs. "Ow-what was that for?"
"I can do that sometimes," Alex admitted. "What are you suggesting?"
"I'm suggesting..." Kylie looked at the guards again, then trained her stare on Alex. "That you contort the Mist into making your dagger look harmless. Maybe as a comb or something."
Alex's eyes widened. "What? I can't do that! I'm-I'm not that powerful." She shook her head. "I can't do this...I have to get out of here."
She probably would have bolted straight out of the airport if I hadn't grabbed her arm. "Alex," I didn't really know what I was saying, and I probably should have kept my mouth shut, but I talked anyways. "Kylie says you're really powerful. I know this is all weird-I still don't believe it myself-but it's our only chance. We can't stay here. We have to get out, and this is the only way. You can do it."
Alex looked up from the floor and took a deep breath, then gazed at Kylie in an expectant manner. "How can I do that?"
"Okay, this sounds cheesy, but you have to believe in what you're doing. If you believe it, the mortals will, too." Kylie may have sounded absolutely nuts, but her voice was dead-serious.
"Believe that my dagger's a comb?" Kylie had handed the blade back to Alex.
Kylie nodded. "Exactly. Will it to be! You'll be fine."
Alex gulped. "That's...I can't. I've never done this before."
We were getting considerably close to that guard now...
Kylie was muttering something under her breath. After a moment, I realized it was a prayer to Hermes. Whoever is my parent, I thought, please let us get to New York in safety...please.
"This will have to be the first time, then," Kylie decided. "Go on, try." She was trying to act confident, but her eyes darted around the metal detectors nervously.
Alex clutched the hilt of her dagger in her hand and shut her eyes. I watched in astonishment as the dagger wavered and flickered, sometimes from a deadly weapon to a long black comb.
Finally, the image solidified, and not a moment too soon. We didn't go completely unnoticed, however, because a little kid kept pointing at us and telling his mother that the comb was a knife.
Surprisingly, after the metal detectors, everything went smoothly. Alex's trick, or whatever you call it with the Mist was going well. No one noticed the dagger, and that was fine by us.
Right now, the plane was just taking off, heading for Long Island Sound, New York. I could barely believe it as we launched off and soared above the clouds. I finally felt free and unleashed-I wasn't chained to my foster-parents. It felt liberating.
But at the same time, there was a twisting feeling in my stomach. I felt...out of place in the sky. Like I wasn't welcome. The plane was experiencing turbulence, too, but it didn't seem that unusual...
Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. There was a hostile feeling prickling my skin. "Hey, Kylie..." This would sound ridiculous, and it would be submitting to her Greek mythology obsession, but what if-
"Yeah?" Kylie was peering out of the window-Alex was sitting one seat behind us with some old guy who had a bad cold and sneezed every few seconds.
I lowered my voice. "So, I mean, let's say this Greek stuff's true. Isn't Zeus Lord of the Sky?"
Kylie nodded. "I hope your parent doesn't have any quarrel with him. Lord Zeus is known to shoot down planes carrying his enemies. You know, kids of Poseidon, sometimes Hephaestus-he helped overthrow Zeus once."
I shifted in my seat. Obviously this wasn't true, right? Then why did it make me feel so nervous?
"Er, okay...but what did you mean earlier when I asked you who you thought my dad was?"
Kylie fumbled with the zipper of her jacket forest-green jacket. "Look, Anthony, there are regular, less-powerful half-bloods, like kids of Aphrodite or Demeter, but some are children of Zeus, Poseidon, and..."
"Hades?" I added for her.
"I wouldn't say his name, Anthony. Bad things might happen."
"Why is it so bad to be a kid of those three?" I asked.
"Back when World War II was happening, the brothers made a pact not to sire anymore children-Zeus and Poseidon forced their brother, Hades into it. Those half-bloods were too powerful and caused a lot of wars. But around sixteen years ago, Poseidon broke his oath and had a son. Zeus, too. He had two kids."
"What about...uh, Death Guy?"
Kylie snorted, but didn't say anything about my nickname for the Lord of the Dead. "He's the only one who didn't break his oath, ironically. I mean, yeah, he has two living kids right now, but that's complicated. They were born before the oath."
"What? Wasn't that pact thing made during World War II?"
Kylie nodded, like that was a stupid question. "There's something called the Lotus Casino. It's a place that lures people in and time becomes a haze. It enchants them. Some people think they've only stayed there for a week but really it's been a decade or two. That happened to the Lord of the Dead's kids. They escaped a few years ago."
I stared at the floor. "So what happened when Zeus and Poseidon broke their oath?"
Kylie frowned. "Hades got m-"
"You said his name. I hope the plane doesn't go down in flames now."
Kylie rolled her eyes. "The sky is Zeus' domain. I'm tired of calling him Lord of the Dead-that's a mouthful. Anyway, Hades found out that Zeus had a kid-a girl named Thalia. He let the worst monsters out of Tartarus to torment her."
I flinched. I mean, yeah, I'd be pretty mad if my brother broke an oath and had a kid, especially when he was the one who forced me into swearing on that, but letting your anger out on an innocent kid is wrong.
"Wow," I said. "That's harsh. But I mean, Zeus and Poseidon forced him to take the oath, right? And they're the ones who broke it. If I were Hades, I'd be pretty mad..." When she gave me a quizzical look I added, "But he shouldn't have taken his anger out on Thalia."
Kylie nodded. "But a few days ago, there was a war with the Titans and the gods-you know who the Titans are, right?"
"Sounds like a good name for a band."
"So, no. The Titans ruled the earth once, but their kids, the gods, overthrew them. A few years ago, the Titan lord, Kronos rose again and the gods were nearly defeated. We won, and as a reward for helping the Olympians, the gods offered a kid of Poseidon, Percy Jackson, anything he wanted."
"What did he ask for? Immortality? A unicorn?"
"No. He wanted recognition for the minor gods, because that's part of the reason why they nearly lost the war. The minor gods didn't get any respect, so they sided with Kronos. Another reason was...well, the gods are kind of forgetful. They have kids, and sometimes they forget about them. They don't claim them. Percy Jackson made the gods swear on the River Styx to claim their children before they reach the age of thirteen."
"Alex and I are thirteen."
"Exactly. Your parents have to claim you before you turn fourteen."
I frowned. "I'm turning fourteen in two months. Alex, too."
"Even better! I can't stand not knowing. I mean, Alex isn't really easy to read. Usually I could tell who a kid's parent is. But I can't think of a goddess who lines up with Alex. Maybe Hecate, Alex is pretty good with the Mist...but she feels way more powerful than a daughter of Hecate."
Somehow, I found myself wondering the same thing. I don't know why, but knowing that your parent was an immortal being and you've inherited something from them...it felt reassuring. Like you know about your heritage, and who you were.
"What about me?"
Kylie frowned. "I'm not sure. I mean, no offense, but I don't really know you. You feel powerful, like Alex. But less...I don't know, regal?"
"Gee, thanks."
Kylie rolled her eyes. "Anything else you want to know, Anthony?"
I searched mind for another question. "No, I think I'm caught up."
After that, everything died off into silence. Kylie kept staring out the window, and Alex started snoring thirty minutes ago.
I felt sleepiness tug my bones, dimming my mind until I let myself fade away into my dreams.
Normally, I don't actually have dreams or nightmares.
Today was the exception.
When I blinked open my eyes I was standing in a vast, misty gray field. Black grass poked around my feet, and black poplar trees towered over my head.
At first, my feet felt rooted to the gray-soiled ground. When I looked down, I wasn't wearing my usual tattered jeans and gray T-shirt. I had a torn black shirt, black jeans, and a black coat that fell down to my ankles. A curved midnight-black sword hung at my side.
I lifted my arms and stared around me, my brain momentarily foggy.
Then I realized I wasn't alone in the field.
All around me, hazy gray shapes milled around. A sort of contorted whispering rose around them, filling the air, like some crowd waiting for an event.
The hovering, misty shape of a teenage girl drifted over to me. She had a knee-length lacy white dress, and her hair tumbled down to her elbow in a neat braid. She opened her mouth as if to talk to me, then realized I couldn't understand her and drifted off again.
I finally won over the control of my muscles. I trudged across the pasture, passing the tall black poplar trees and wading through the jet-black grass. I didn't know where I was going; it sort of felt like I wasn't in control. I was in my body, but someone else was controlling it.
Soon the vision of the vast gray field was replaced. But the feeling of shadows still stirred around me, swirling around my body with each step I took.
I was standing before great black doors. Everything seemed to be woven out of darkness; the tall walls of the palace, the gleaming black gates, everything except the unusual-looking plants sparkling and gleaming like gems.
I passed a pomegranate tree; the fruit looked plump and delicious, and I desperately wanted to pick one, but I wasn't in control. I kept moving and approached the castle doors.
My heart lurched in my chest. Two skeletal guards in Confederate soldier uniforms stood around the doors, each armed with a musket. Their flesh was gray and their eyes were yellow. When I stared at them, their bodies sometimes flickered from rotting flesh to barren bones.
But my dream-self waved his hand dismissively, and the guards crumpled to dust. My hand clasped the cold metal knobs, and I pulled one giant door aside.
I don't know what my dream-self was thinking. Soon, I was standing before a pale man with shoulder-length black hair, and black eyes that seemed to burn. Even tucked inside a dream, the man radiated a sense of overwhelming power and evil. Gems and precious stones piled around him. I stared into them and at my reflection; it was me, definitely, but paler and slightly taller. I looked around fourteen or fifteen, and a faded scar curved around my jaw.
The man looked up and purple flames flared in his eyes. "What is the meaning of this?"
I felt myself kneeling before him. The floor felt cold as ice. "Lord Hades."
The Lord of the Dead gestured for me to rise. He studied me, but the flames in his eyes did not die away. The god frowned, as if I looked frustratingly familiar, but he also couldn't remember who I was.
Resentment burned in my stomach, but it didn't feel like mine. I wasn't me.
"How dare you march into my palace!" Hades' voice boomed with rage. "Mortal, for this disturbance, you will be doomed to an eternity of suffering in the Fields of Punishment!"
I didn't move. "Lord Hades, I am not a mortal. I'm a demigod, my lord."
Something twitched in Hades' expression; confusion? Anger? Surprise? I couldn't decide. But I knew he wasn't pleased to see me.
Hades spat. "And who's spawn are you, then? What have you decided to accuse me of? What have you come to steal, half-blood?"
"I haven't come to steal or accuse you of anything, my lord." I stared at the floor, black hair shadowing my face. Despite my stillness, my heart was racing about two-hundred miles an hour in my chest.
When the god remained pensively silent, I looked up.
"I know you, half-blood," Hades realized. "Anthony Caverly, my son."
I nodded. "Yes, my lord."
"Why have you come?" Hades demanded; the moment of realization and surprise had come and faded in a mere second.
"I request information regarding my mother." I forced my voice not to shake. Inside, my brain was storming with shock; I was a son of Hades? No. That was impossible. I couldn't be...I had just begun to start believing in Greek gods, but this just couldn't be.
"You have the nerve to break into my palace and demand information?"
"I am your son, my lord. I believe I have the right to know whom my mortal parent was. I've gone through great lengths to get here."
The Lord of the Dead tapped his skeletal-like fingers against his throne in silence. I could tell he was battling whether to acknowledge me as his son, or blast me to dust.
"If you have managed to enter my realm, and the fact that you are my son, then I believe you are worthy of this knowledge."
My heart jumped; I felt excitement mingled with disbelief buzz around me.
"Thank you, Lord Hades."
Hades began to say something, but before I could have the chance to hear him, my dream faded to black.
I jolted awake, beads of sweat trickling down my forehead.
I was still on the airplane, thank the gods, but several hours must have passed because the light filtering inside was milky-white, like dawn was just rising. Everyone around me was asleep, including Kylie and Alex.
Hades' cold voice echoed in my mind, sending shivers down my spine. I was still slowly processing those words, denial clogging up my head.
A lady's voice spoke from a nearby speaker. "We are now landing. Please fasten your seat-belts. Welcome to Long Island South."
(AN): what have i done.(/AN)
