A/N: To answer 123percabeth's question: yes, Percy will be in this next chapter. However it's a tad brief. But do not fear, he will get more and more screen time later on. I guess you could call it that, since I'm sure all of you are reading this on a phone/computer/tablet of some sort. I'd also like to thank TheGirlThatHides for alerting me to the problems that chapter 3 has. Hopefully, you all can read it now. But enough of my rambling, on with the show!

When I come to, I was in a bed in a white room.

At first, I had no idea where I was. Then I remembered: the Amphisbaenae, and the fight on the hill. I was poisoned. And Hayden and that Annabeth girl …

My gut twisted. Where were they now?

I sat up on the plush bed. Surprisingly, moving wasn't painful, and I didn't feel like I was dying of poison anymore.

I jumped when a voice said next to me, "Oh good. You're up,"

A sandy haired boy was sitting on a chair next to my bed. He wore an orange shirt, like Annabeth's, and was reading a copy of the Rolling Stone that looked like it was published in the 1970's.

"Where am I?" I asked. My mouth tasted like tin foil.

"You're in the infirmary," the boy said, closing the magazine. "You got here sometime last night. Chiron and I were able to heal your scars and the poison that was in you."

I stared at him, grateful and a little curious as to how he was able to cure monster poison. "Thanks."

"No problem."

"Who's Chiron?"

"He's the camp director," he said simply. "Annabeth will want to know that you're up."

"Are Annabeth and Hayden okay?" I asked.

"They're both perfectly fine."

I sighed in relief.

"I better let Annabeth explains everything to you, though," the boy continued, getting up. "I'm Will, by the way."

"Kai."

"Welcome to camp."

After Will left the room, I eased myself out of bed. The side where the Amphisbaena poison hit me throbbed a bit, but otherwise didn't hurt much. I stretched and noticed that I still had my damaged uniform shirt on, so a big chunk of my waist was exposed. My skin was back to normal, but I didn't feel like walking around all day with a big hole in my shirt. The rips in the back of my shirt from where the Amphisbaena attacked me were probably equally as embarrassing.

"You look better," a girl's voice said.

Annabeth stood by the door. She held an orange T-shirt in one hand and a water bottle filled with apple juice in the other.

"I feel like I was hit by a car last night," I admitted. "But yeah, I feel better."

"That's good." She handed me a shirt and the bottle of apple juice. "This will help perk you up. Just don't drink all of it in one go."

I stared at the bottle in my hand. "Magical apple juice?"

Annabeth cracked a small smile. "Maybe."

"Maybe?" That didn't sound promising, but I took a tentative sip. I recoiled at the taste; it didn't taste like apple juice.

"So how is it?" Annabeth asked.

"It tastes like burnt pizza with a Chinese food after taste."

She looked genuinely confused, which I'm guessing was a foreign expression on her face. "That's nectar. It's supposed to taste like warm memories."

"Oh!" Suddenly it dawned on me. "When my sister and I were eight, we tried to make breakfast for our parents, but we didn't know how to cook, so we put a frozen pizza in the oven on, like, a million degrees. We ended up in an argument over something and forgot about the pizza. Long story short: the pizza tasted like dirt so my parents ended up ordering Chinese." My heart warmed at the memory. I hadn't thought about that day in years.

"So you ate Chinese food for breakfast?" Annabeth asked, bemused.

I shrugged. "My family is weird."

"Then you'll fit right it. Go change, and I'll give you the grand tour."

If I had to use only one word to describe Camp Half-Blood, I'd used "whoa."

There was a strawberry field, a huge forest surrounding the camp, and the glittering expanse of the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Cabins were here like a normal summer camp, sure, but they looked like they fell straight out of the Twilight Zone, each one more bizarre than the last. Two of them looked like his-and-hers bank buildings. One looked like a Vegas-style casino, another like a factory with brick walls and chimneys. They were arranged in a rectangle around a central fire.

We passed by a building that looked like a hodgepodge of one of those old timey trains and an ancient Greek temple.

"That's the arts and craft building," Annabeth explained. "Campers can build their own statues, swords, whatever you can think of."

I stopped in my tracks. "We're allowed to make swords?"

"Some campers do. Others get… hand-me-downs I'd guess you'd call them."

Hand-me-down melee weapons? I decided to leave it at that.

Campers raced in sail boats on a huge lake. A few others were climbing a rock wall, and unless I was crazy, it looked like it was shaking violently and pouring lava. I nearly jumped out of my skin when a rider on a winged horse (a Pegasus, Annabeth called it) swooped over head, flying a little too low for comfort.

Annabeth was a good tour guide. She showed me to the stables, the commons area, and the amphitheater, to name a few. She explained that Camp Half-Blood was mostly a summer camp, though some campers chose to stay all year. Her tone was calm and collected, no doubt trying to ease me into the weirdness, which wasn't easy to do. By the end of the tour my mind was reeling from all the information.

We ended up back by the strawberry fields and decided to sit and take a break. When the air blew it made the whole area smell fresh and sweet.

I stared at the camp alive with activity. My expression must have been troubling because Annabeth put a hand on my shoulder. "I know it's a lot of information to process," she said. "We've all been there."

"I don't get it," I admitted. "What's all this about?"

She sighed, like she was used to explaining this, but was never really excited about it. "Let me ask you a few things, okay?"

"Sure."

"You mentioned your parents before," she said carefully. "Is one of them your step-parent?"

I bit back a snide remark. A lot of the time, people that I've met couldn't believe that my dad was really my dad. Every time they said "Really? I had no clue" it made me angry. They never said it, but I knew that they thought that I looked too dark to be half-white, half-native Hawaiian. Unlike Alana and Max, who were the perfect blend of both our parents, I took after Mom more; my hair was dark brown and my facial features were similar to hers. The only thing I got from my dad were his blue eye, and barely. My eyes were a mix of green and blue, like they couldn't determine what color they wanted to be.

But Annabeth had never met my parents. She didn't know what they looked like, and I knew it was stupid to get mad.

"No," I said. "They're both my real parents."

"Are you positive?" Annabeth asked. "Have they ever said anything to you about it?"

"I'm sure," I said. "I have a sister."

"Is she younger or older?"

"Fraternal twin." I took one last sip of my nectar. This time, it tasted more like sweet-and-sour pork than burnt pepperoni.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "I've never heard of something like that. You'll have to talk to Chiron."

"The camp director? Why doesn't this Chiron guy explain all of this to me?"

"He's busy talking to your friend, Hayden. She said that there were things she wanted to sort out."

"What did she want to talk about?" I asked.

"I'm not sure" Annabeth said. "Last night she was shaken up after you were attacked by the Amphisbaena. I could tell she was worried about you; this is the least I could do." I got the feeling she wasn't just talking about the tour.

"What do you mean?"

"Kaia," she said. There was a cautious edge to her voice. "Do you know about the Greek gods?"

I was confused, but I nodded. "Zeus, Aphrodite, Hades. You mean those old myths?"

Thunder rolled off the Long Island shore. I glanced up at the sky, but it was perfectly clear. Weird.

"Be careful, Kaia," Annabeth warned. "Names have power. But you're right. Do you know the stories about some of them having kids with mortals?"

"Like Hercules and Theseus?"

"Yes." She paused for a moment, and I wondered where she was going with this.

Finally she said, "The ancient Greek myths are all real. The gods are still around, and they have children with mortals; demigods. That's what we are. Who you are."

I kept waiting for her to yell "Psyche!" and pie me in the face or something. But her face was completely serious.

"Hold on," I said. "You're saying that everyone here is a half-god or something?"

"Half-blood," Annabeth corrected. "Or demigod, but not everyone. Some of the campers are Satyrs, like Cole, or nymphs."

I let this sink in. Gods, half-bloods. Satyrs and nymphs? It was all too ridiculous to believe. Still, a nagging voice in the back of my head was totally convinced. Did I believe in monsters? Sure, I've seen enough proof to believe that, but gods?

"I have both of my parents," I said. "I have a twin. If I'm a half-blood, why isn't she here, too?"

"Cole would have been able to smell if she were a demigod," Annabeth said. "Satyrs have sharp noses and don't usually make mistakes."

"But how can I be a half-blood?"

Annabeth looked down at the field, in deep thought. "I don't know. But we'll find out. Who knows, maybe your godly parent will claim you tonight."

"Maybe," I grumbled.

"You belong here, Kaia," she said encouragingly.

I twisted the water bottle; the crinkling noise was drowned out by the wind. "How can you know that?"

"Because I know you." Annabeth said that like she had said that line many times. "You probably have ADHD or dyslexia or both, right?"

I stared at her. "How'd you know?"

"We're all like that," she said. "A lot of us have been kicked out of multiple schools, too. My boyfriend, Percy—" Her cheeks went pink. "Well, he's been kicked out of a lot of schools. He once shot a Civil War canon at his school bus on a field trip."

I laughed, which helped lessen my confusion and worry a bit. I could tell that Annabeth was at least trying to cheer me up, and I appreciated that.

Annabeth got up and dusted grass off of her pants. "I got an idea," she announced. "Come with me."

I stood. "Where're we going?"

She grinned mischievously. "I'm taking you sword shopping."

As we walked to her cabin's armory, Annabeth told me that as a female demigod, I had the option of joining the Hunters of Artemis: an immortal band of female archers that followed the goddess around the country hunting monsters and game alike. It sounded like a pretty sweet deal, except for one little thing.

"No dating boys ever?" I asked. "Not even a little?"

She answered affirmative, and I decided to take a rain check on that.

Annabeth's cabin wasn't as showy as the other cabins, just a modest-looking gold and blue building with an owl carving at the top.

"The owl is a symbol of Athena, right?" I asked.

Annabeth nodded proudly. "Correct."

We headed to the side of the cabin to a gardening shed, but instead of hoes, rakes, and shovels, it held spears, swords, and—

"Is that a gun," I asked, pointing.

Annabeth glanced at it like it was no big deal. "Yeah, but I don't think a pistol is really your style."

"Agreed."

"All demigods need a weapon," she told me. "Most of us have swords. Some of us use spears."

"You use a knife," I pointed out.

She pursed her lips. "I don't know. Swords are better because they have a longer reach. With a knife, you have to be quick."

I thought about the monster I killed last night. Sure I had killed it with Hayden's dagger, but I hadn't been swift enough and I got poisoned. Some distance via a sword would've been nice.

"You're right," I said, and started to browse through the weapons. I looked pasted the spears; I doubted I would be able to use it effectively, and besides I'd rather have a weapon I could swing like a club. It felt more secure.

I picked up a sword with a curved blade that was heavy in my hand. I put it back and continued searching. A sword caught my attention from the corner of my eye. Curious, I picked it up and almost had a hernia.

"Why is this one pink?" I demanded. The sword's sheath was bright Barbie pink, decorated with little hearts and stars. I pulled it out and the blade was the same bronze as Annabeth's knife, but I could've sworn it had a faint pink aura around it. The pink leather grip was also embedded with heart designs. It was burning through my corneas.

Annabeth stared at it, equally dumbfounded as I was. "I have no idea. Maybe it was from the Aphrodite cabin."

I shivered. "After this, I'm burying that." I hid it from the sun light behind a bunch of other swords and spears.

Something nicked the back of my hand and I hissed. I looked for the culprit and found one sword that didn't have a sheath. I grabbed it and tried it out. Surprisingly, it felt perfect in my hands. Not too heavy, not too light.

"This one," I murmured. "I like this one."

Annabeth stared at the sword unfavorably, though the sword looked normal enough. It was a classic Greek sword, with a small wave design carved on the blade. Something shiny and blood red was embedded into the flat pommel; I recognized it as sea glass. Greek writing was sloppily etched onto the cross guard. I was startled to find that I could read it easily: one side read fury, the other waves.

"I'm not so sure," Annabeth said. "I know this sword. It was owned by pirates. There's a bad history behind it."

"It doesn't look like a pirate sword," I said, drawing from less than subpar knowledge of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

"A lot of pirates were demigods, like Blackbeard, the son of Ares. They all had swords similar to this one." She pointed to the sword I was holding. "However, the Mist might have changed how mortals saw them, aligning the sword's image to the standard pirate sword of the day."

"Oh," I said. I was still weirded out with the whole Mist thing. "So this place will just let crazed fourteen year olds carry swords."

"You'll be trained."

"Trained?"

"To fight monsters," Annabeth said. "They'll continue to come after you, and it'll be much worse that last night."

I was poisoned my giant snake-chicken monster and was on the verge of death. I didn't really want to think about what could be worse than that.

Annabeth continued, "Once you know who you are, it'll be easier for them to know. We have to fight monsters so we can survive in the mortal world. That's what all of this is for."

All of this.

I looked at the camp around me. The climbing wall, canoeing, Pegasi riding, sword training, Greek mythology; all of these crazy amazing things around me were going to teach me how to survive? The idea was so bizarre, I couldn't really comprehend it. But Annabeth explained everything with such conviction that I couldn't help but think that she may be right.

"You can leave your sword here in the shed," Annabeth said. "At least until your determined and have your own chest."

"Determined?" I asked.

"It means that we know who your godly parent is. Since we're not sure, you're undetermined for know."

So many questions bonked around in my head until I was torn out of my thoughts by a boy's voice.

"Annabeth!"

We turned. Two dark haired boys headed our way from across the green. Annabeth regarded the shorter boy quizzically before looking at the other. She smiled so warmly, I thought that the taller boy had to be her boyfriend, Percy.

When the pair got to us, the taller boy grabbed Annabeth by the hand and kissed her on the cheek. "Hey," he said. "I heard what happened. You all right?"

"I'm fine," Annabeth said. "We're taking a tour through camp."

She motioned to me, and the guy looked as though he hadn't noticed me standing there before. He had bright sea green eyes with a care free look that I found strangely familiar. "Percy," Annabeth said, "this is Kaia. Kaia, Percy and Nico."

The shorter boy extended his hand towards me. "Nico di Angelo."

"Hi," I said, and my heart skipped a beat.

Unlike the other campers who wore orange T-shirts, Nico wore a black shirt with dancing skeletons instead. What was once probably olive skin looked ghostly and pale; and his hair was adorably messy.

And God, he was cute.

I realized that my mouth was hanging open like a doofus. He was giving me an expecting look. My ears burned.

"K-Kaia." I shook his hand; it was as cold as ice. "But you know that. You can call me Kai if you want or whatever."

Smooth.

Percy smiled. "Hey, welcome to camp,"

"Thanks."

He glanced down at the sword in my hand, which I was pointing it haphazardly in his direction. I almost forgot that I was holding it.

"Sorry!" I stabbed the sword into the dirt. "There, that's safer, sorta."

They all raised an eyebrow at me, but recovered just as quickly.

"So Nico," Annabeth said after a beat, "I'm surprised to see you here."

"I'm actually only staying for awhile," he said. "I'll be leaving next week."

"Really?" Percy asked. "Where are you going to go?"

Nico shifted on his feet. "I'm going go to the Underworld to see my dad. Check out a few cemeteries. The usual." He didn't meet Percy's eyes. I got the feeling he was going to do more than he let on, but it was none of my business.

"Oh, okay." Percy sounded crestfallen, like he didn't want Nico out by himself, but also like that's what he came to expect. "Well, I'm glad you decided to come. You'll be here for Capture the Flag."

I blinked. "Capture the Flag? Is this normal Capture the Flag? Or some extreme Ninja Warrior type Capture the Flag?"

Percy laughed. "I guess you could say it's the second one."

"Should I be nervous?"

"Not really," Nico said. "Hardly anyone dies."

I looked at him. "Don't say it like that. That's somehow worse."

"You'll be fine," Percy assured me. "Tell you what; you can be on my team and I'll help you out. Who's your godly parent?"

"She's an undetermined, Percy," Annabeth said gently.

Percy's brow furrowed. "Really? How old are you?"

"Fourteen," I said. "Why?"

"The gods were supposed to claim their children by the time they're thirteen. That was the deal that was made." He sounded pretty miffed.

"What deal?"

"Don't worry," Annabeth said to both of us. "With luck, Kaia will be claimed by tonight."

"Yeah," I said, trying to sound upbeat. "That's great."

Annabeth put a hand on Percy's shoulder. "I'm taking her to see Chiron. See you at lunch?"

Percy grinned. "It's a date."

He kissed her again, and I couldn't help but notice Nico wincing, as if he had been slapped.

The big house was a huge four story farm house painted baby blue that was right across from the volleyball court. On the porch, a girl and two men were playing cards at a table. One of the men was in a wheelchair with a blanket over his lap. He had brown hair, a scruffy beard, and wore a brown tweed jacket. The other man was smaller but portlier with a loud Hawaiian shirt with some kind of animal print. A satyr stood beside him, nervously offering a bowl of grapes whenever the man beckoned with a wave of his hand. I tried not to stare at his furry lower goat half, but I couldn't help it.

(I know, I know; I'm rude. But what was your reaction when you saw your first full-blown satyr?)

I wondered why the satyr didn't sit in the extra chair. Then I noticed a pair of cards floated eye-level above the table, like they were being held by an invisible card player.

Um… sure?

"Hayden!" I said, trying to take in all the weirdness.

She looked up from her cards and grinned. "Hey, Kai." She wore the same orange T-shirt that Annabeth had given me along with a fresh new pair of jeans.

"Chiron," Annabeth said, motioning with her hand to point out who was who, "this is Kaia; Kaia, Chiron. And this is Mr. D."

"Hello," I said.

The man in the wheelchair, Chiron, smiled at me. "I suppose it's a tad bit late, but welcome to Camp Half-Blood, Kaia."

The pudgier guy, Mr. D, snorted and tossed some game chips into the center of the table.

"Mr. D," Chiron said patiently.

"Oh, very well," Mr. D sighed, not looking up from his cards. "Welcome, welcome. Words cannot express how happy I am that you've arrived safely. There, happy?"

Words could not express the amount of sarcasm in his greeting.

"Uh, thank you?" I said.

He glared at me with blood shot eyes. His face was fat and puffy like a baby, although not nearly as cute.

"That sounded disingenuous," he retorted.

"I assure you that it wasn't."

Mr. D looked at me for a second, before rolling his eyes and returning to his game.

"You must excuse Mr. D," Chiron said. "I'm afraid I put him in a rather bad mood from winning three games in a row."

Mr. D grunted and reached for the bowl of grapes, making the satyr flinch.

"But no matter," Chiron continued. "From what I've heard you've been through quite a rough night."

I wasn't sure what to say. Do I shrug it off and pretend like it was no big deal, or do I tell the truth, that I was utterly scared out of my mind?

Chiron inclined his head in understanding. "I assumed that Annabeth has explained everything to you?"

"She did, but…"

"Let me guess," Mr. D chimed in, "another little nonbeliever?"

There was a dangerous edge to his tone of voice that made me hesitate answering his question. The satyr shook his head at me, his eyes warning me to stay quiet.

"I can assure you," Chiron said, "that the gods—the ancient Greek gods—are very real." He sat down his playing cards, jotted down some numbers on a legal pad, and grinned. "I believe the game is mine."

Hayden and Mr. D groaned in unison. The invisible hands let go of the cards, dropping them onto the table like they had a bit of an attitude.

"You're too good at this, lord Chiron!" Hayden said.

Chiron's eyes twinkled mysteriously. "Well, I've had plenty of years to practice, my dear."

Mr. D mumbled something under his breath about cheating horse men. I had no clue what that meant, but I didn't question it.

"Chiron," Annabeth said. "I have to go teach Ancient Greek lessons. Would you mind taking over for me?"

"Not at all, Annabeth," he said.

She regarded me. "Don't worry," she said simply, as if those two words conveyed everything she wanted to say. Annabeth inclined her head in Hayden's direction before jogging off the porch and down the yard.

Chiron turned to me and smiled. "Sit, child. We have much to discuss."

I looked to Hayden, who nodded at me reassuringly. I sat down cautiously, wondering if I was sitting on the invisible player. The chair felt like a chair and not a stranger's lap, so I relaxed a bit.

"Katie, was it?" Mr. D asked. He was shuffling the playing cards in his hands.

I frowned. "It's Kaia, actually."

He waved away my response. "Whatever. Can you play pinochle?"

"A little." I said. "Why?"

"Because we need a fourth player," he said, matter-of-factly, passing cards around the table.

"Oh, okay."

We played pinochle for a while in an uncomfortable silence. I knew the rules from years of playing with Nana and Alana since we were nine. So far, I thought I was doing pretty well.

Eventually, I had to break the tension. I figured Chiron could answer some of my questions. "So, Mr. Chiron."

Chiron smiled. "No need for formalities, dear."

"Right." I fidgeted in my seat.

"I know this all can be hard to except," Chiron said, as if he could read my mind. "Gods aren't always easy to believe in."

I laughed dryly. "I can believe that."

Mr. D grunted indignantly. The Satyr behind him looked pale.

"Kai," Hayden said. "Mr. D is a god. You might want to be less…snarky."

I looked at the pudgy man in the tasteless Hawaiian shirt. He was a god?

Mr. D glared at me. "If I were you, girl, I'd listen to your friend. She has some sense."

For an instant, I could've sworn that a purplish fire glowed in his eyes. I couldn't explain it, but a nervous sensation trickled down my spine. God or no god, I didn't want to make this guy mad.

I gulped and mumbled an apology, but Mr. D didn't really seem to care.

"So, Chiron," I tried again, "Hayden and I won't have to stay long, right? What about my parents? What do they think happened to us?"

Chiron rearranged the card in his hands. "It was a simple matter of a phone call. Hayden supplied the telephone numbers, and I called to inform both your school and your parents that the two of you were recruited to tour a private school for, well, gifted students."

"And they believed a crazy lie like that?"

"Of course," he said as if it were no big deal. "The Mist can fool people into believing and excepting almost anything."

"Of course it can," I muttered.

"It'll all make more sense in due time," Chiron said. "Most heroes are skeptical when they first learn of the gods."

"But I have both of my parents and a twin."

Chiron looked confused, but not as much as I expected.

I told him the same story that I told Annabeth. The kind older man listened intently, stroking his beard and nodding every once in a while.

When I was done, Chiron was quiet for a moment. His brows were furrowed, as if contemplating something I said. "Your story sounds familiar."

I frowned. "Seriously? How?"

"The hero Heracles—you probably know him by his Roman name, Hercules—he also had a twin brother, Iphicles, who was not a child of Zeus."

"How is that…?" I shook my head. "Never mind. I don't wanna know."

Chiron chuckled. "That is probably for the best. The gods tend to have, ah, unusual escapades. No offense, Mr. D."

Mr. D shrugged. "None taken. I can't say that you're wrong."

I shivered, and decided not to think too deeply about it.

"So is that the case?" I asked. "One of my parents is not really my parent?"

"Sadly, that seems to be the case," Chiron confirmed.

I swallowed and stared at the game chips in the center of the table. I didn't know whether I believed in all this god business or not, but being told that one of my parents wasn't really my parent with such certainty put a bad taste in my mouth.

"In any case," Chiron continued, "we will get you situated into your cabin as soon as Argus comes back from your school with your belongings."

"What about Hayden?" I turned to her. "Annabeth said you stayed behind to talk to Chiron. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry." She was staring at her cards, probably to avoid looking me in the eye. "I'll explain it later, okay?"

I didn't understand what was so bad that she couldn't tell me. It rubbed salt into the wound to know that she was keeping another secret from me.

Chiron placed his cards on the table and put a hand on my shoulder. "I can't guarantee much, I'm afraid. But know that this camp is safe. Trust in the training and in time, believing will come."

I didn't believe it, but I said okay anyway.

A kind light twinkled in Chiron's eye. He flipped his cards around and tallied up his points on is notepad. "It seems that I've won again."

We played Pinochle for a while after that. And each time we got our butts kicked by Chiron.

Argus and two other satyrs came back with our stuff around late afternoon. I was told that outside food wasn't allowed into camp, but Argus saved my "mortal money." He handed it to me in an envelope and winked the eye on his chin.

Oh, by the way, Argus had a hundred eyes all over his body. Chiron had warned me, but I was still pretty shocked. I hoped he didn't notice me staring at the eyeballs on his feet (but I'm pretty sure he had).

One of the satyrs escorted me to the Hermes cabin. I hoped that Hayden would come, at least to see me off, but she stayed behind so Mr. D could teach her the "art of Pac-Man". I got the feeling that something was up, but I didn't say anything. The satyr carted me away before I could tell the story of how Pac-Man got its name (a funny anecdote I heard from my uncle. Apparently the satyr knew, too).

"Mr. D is a huge Pac-Man fan," he said nervously. "I don't want to see him change you into a dolphin for upsetting him."

"Can't have that," I said.

The satyr took me to the only normal looking cabin at camp. It was a simple wooden cabin, nothing flashy. It looked beaten up and lived in. I got the feeling a lot of campers have been in and out of here.

"The snakes on the pole with wings," I said, pointing at the symbol above the door. "Isn't that the symbol of Hernia? No! Hermit?"

The satyr frowned. "It's Hermes, but yes. The symbol is called a caduceus."

He dumped—I mean left—me with the head counselors of the cabin. The two boys, who introduced themselves as Travis and Connor Stoll, looked so alike I mistook them for twins. They were snarky fast-talkers who looked like trouble makers. In other words, they were my kind of guys.

My other cabin mates were pretty cool, too. They didn't seem like my presence was bothering them much. Most of them had similar features—pointy ears, eyebrows that gave that "oh, really?" expression— that made me think for a moment that maybe they all were brothers and sisters.

All the bunks were full, so I had to share the floor with a few other kids. I plopped my box of belongings and new sleeping bag onto my own little section of the floor and hid my money in my shoe. I didn't know much about Hermes, but I think I've heard about him taking a liking to stealing. I didn't think that those kinds of traits could be passed on, but I wasn't taking any chances.

All of my cabin mates hung around talking and palling around with each other. I wasn't a shy type, but I wasn't too eager to socialize yet. Right then, I just wanted to let the day settle in.

Was this my new life from now? Sleeping on the floor, training to fight monsters and being taught about gods as if they existed. Would I be able to leave? Would I get to see my family again?

Of course I'd get to leave and see my family again. Annabeth said that some campers only visited camp in the summer. I would get claimed or whatever and I'd be able to get back to my old life. No part of me intended on staying at camp permanently.

Looking back, my hopes were stupidly optimistic.

Dinner was held in the open pavilion next to the beach. Every once in a while, a breeze came through and carried the crisp salt-water smell with it. Like the cabins, the tables were sectioned off by campers' godly parent, which explained why some tables were more crowded than others. To my surprise, I saw Mr. D at a table with a few satyrs, and a blonde boy and a girl who looked about ten years old.

In front, Chiron sat on a horse behind a table on a raised section. No, he wasn't on a horse, he was the horse. From the waist up he was a middle aged guy, but waist down he was a white stallion. The sight was so jarring that I forgot to breath.

Chiron was talking calmly to Hayden, who looked pretty nervous. She kept glancing at the other campers who seemed to take notice of her right away.

A kid from the Hermes cabin said to me, "Hey, she's your friend, right?"

"Yes," I said.

"Why does she get to sit up there with Chiron?"

I said that I didn't know. The Hermes kid rolled their eyes. Apparently didn't give a suffice answer.

The Hermes table was more packed than the other tables. We had to squeeze in on the bench like a pack of sardines.

When it looked like the entire camp was there, Chiron pounded his hoof on the table. Immediately, everyone went silent.

Chiron raised his goblet. "To the gods!"

Everyone repeated the cheer. I was a bit late in the cheer and my table mates ending up ribbing me about it.

My goblet was empty, but Connor (or Travis. It couldn't tell them apart yet) told me to ask it for any drink I wanted. I figured there was no harm in trying. "Dr. Pepper."

Instantly, the brown liquid filled my cup.

I grinned and took a sip. The taste was sharper than ordinary Dr. Pepper, but that made it taste all the more great.

Girls in Ancient Greek dresses came up with trays and trays of the most delicious looking food I ever saw: fresh fruits and vegetables, barbeque brisket, pizza, freshly baked bread, you name it, it was here.

My stomach growled in anticipation. I loaded my plate up with a little bit of everything.

Suddenly, everyone took their plates and went towards the brazier of fire that sat in the center. Travis (or Connor) said that at each meal we burned a portion of our food to honor the gods. Apparently the gods liked the smell of burning food. I went along with it; when in Rome, or Greece I guess.

Everyone said a little prayer or the name of their godly parent before scraping in the juiciest parts of their dinner. I thought of what to say, but before I could it was my turn.

I cleared my throat. "To, ah, to whom it may concern: here." I scraped some fruit and barbecue into the fire. A fresh scent caught me by surprise. The smell of wild flowers, an ocean breeze, and a dozen different foods that should smell pretty gross together but didn't floated to the sky on a trail of smoke.

Dinner, of course, was great. I got along well with my cabin mates; we swapped prank stories and joked around with each other.

Every once in a while I'd glance over to Hayden who seemed to be doing better. She was talking to Chiron and seemed to be more at eased with herself.

I noticed Nico and Percy were sitting at their own individual tables. I frowned. They looked lonely, sectioned off from the rest of camp. I wondered why the tables were divided up like the cabins. It didn't seem fair.

About halfway through dinner, a boy at my table was claimed. I almost missed bowing to him with the rest of camp because I was staring at the glowing green and gold wheel of fortune (the symbol of Tyche) that spun over his head, occasionally setting off miniature fireworks before it faded.

When dinner was over, Chiron raised his hand for silence.

Mr. D stood up at his table. He sighed. "Once again, hello to all you brats—I mean campers. I guess I should welcome our two new campers, Katie Fawcett and Haley Kasuboski. And I suppose some of you are wondering why one of them is sitting with Chiron tonight."

He picked up his goblet, and took a nice long sip from it. He casually swished his drink around in his cup as if he had forgotten that he had an audience, or he simply didn't care.

Mr. D looked up at us in dull surprise. "Oh, well, I suppose Chiron will explain."

He sat back in his seat, and I wasn't sure if we were supposed to clap or not.

Chiron cleared his throat. "Thank you, Mr. D. I know some of you are already aware of Kaia and Hayden's rather sporadic arrival last night, though I suppose I should get right to what I know you're all wondering. Hayden sits with me because her divine parent, Lady Thetis, goddess of water, does not have a table nor a cabin built. Construction will go up tomorrow. Until then, Hayden will stay at cabin thirteen."

In that moment, pandemonium broke loose. Everyone was asking a million questions all at once. I looked around at everyone. What was so bad about cabin thirteen?

Through the commotion, I caught Nico's reaction. His mouth hung open almost comically, but he looked just as shocked as everyone else.

Chiron's voice cut above the noise. "Calm, campers, calm. Hayden is merely a descendent of Lord Hades, the first legacy in several years. There is no need for alarm."

That seemed to calm everyone down a bit, but Hayden still looked uncomfortable with everyone's attention directed at her. After a beat, the camp settled into quiet murmurs.

Chiron forced a smiled. "All right then. That's enough excitement for one meal. I think I speak for everyone when I say it's time for s'mores."

Strangely enough, the campfire was the strangest part of the day (okay, it was in the top five). The fire was not only was huge, but it changed colors to reflect the camp's overall mood. At first it started out as a dim purple, then turned into a surreal shade of gold. Like the cabins and the tables, campers were grouped together under banners representing various gods.

In the beginning, everyone wanted to talk to Hayden about her "special situation". She gave them all very short, very vague answers. Luckily, I was able to save her from her adoring crowd and we were able to sit together.

Nico, who was also in the Hades cabin, sat with us, but was quiet for the entire time. He stared solemnly into the flames, the colors danced in the reflection of his eyes.

Some kids with guitars and lyres led the entire camp in a cheesy song about all the monsters on a farm. The cheery mood was rather infectious and I found myself singing along, even though I didn't know the words. Hayden looked quite embarrassed of me. I was glad to spend some time with her since coming to Camp Half-blood. I could pretend everything was normal, that we were at a normal summer camp. That everything was normal.

After the last song, Chiron came forward wishing everyone a good night and dismissed us all to our respective cabins.

Before we cleared out, I was able to talk to Hayden one last time. "Hey, I wanna talk for real, okay?"

She looked unsure about it, but nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, you bet."

She shuffled to the glowing green fires of cabin thirteen along with Nico. I wasn't sure who looked the most uncomfortable.

It was lights out in the Hermes's cabin, but a few of my cabin mates stayed up and were whispering to each other.

I lay awake in my sleeping bag, unable to fall asleep. I was tempted to get my stuffed Panda bear, Chalk, out of my box to use as a pillow, but didn't want to deal with the taunting I would get in the morning.

The day kept replaying in my mind. Monsters, gods, demigods; I didn't really belong here, but everyone I met today acted like being here was perfectly normal; like monsters were an everyday occurrence and the existence Greek gods were a matter of fact.

Then again, maybe they were all crazy.

But as much as I felt that I was in a foreign land, I didn't really feel out of place. Not quite at home, but I wasn't a fish out of water either. A small part of me did believe that everyone was telling the truth; that the gods were real.

Maybe I was the crazy one.

Go with the flow, my dad once told me. It was part of his "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" philosophy. Dad has never given me wrong advice before, so I figured, what the heck? I'll play along until this all blows over.

Slowly, my cabin grew silent until all I could hear were the growls from monsters in the woods, the sound of waves lapping against the shore of the beach, and the occasional snoring from someone in my cabin. My eyelids grew heavy as I started to follow the cabin's example.