Miss Classified: This chapter's so sad!
Maxi: ruff (I've read nothing of this! So don't spoil it!)
Miss Classified: I don't own anything! I only own Shaila, Gabe, Kayla, and the S.T. Chamber! ON WITH THE STORY!
"Chapter 1," Athena read.
Five minutes before she died, Grace Cahill changed her will.
"So what will did she have in mind, Uncle?" asked Amy.
"I do not know, Amy," was Fiske's reply
Her lawyer brought out the alternate version, which had been her most guarded secret for years. Whether or not she would actually be crazy enough to use it, William McIntyre had never been certain.
"So William is saying Grace is crazy?" Hamilton asked in confusion.
"Everyone in the world has their own unique style," answered Athena. "Some people would think their style is crazy, because they're not them."
"Athena is right," said Kayla. "Some people think Shaila has many amazing talents, while others just think she's a mean, lean, fighting machine!"
"I'm not mean, am I, Milady?" asked Shaila.
"No, you are not," answered Kayla. "You just fight back because you love me and you protect me."
Shaila smiled sweetly at what she said.
"Madam," he asked, "are you sure?"
Grace gazed out the window, across the sunlight meadows of her estate. Her cat, Saladin, snuggled beside her as he had through her illness, but his presence was not enough to comfort her today. She was about to set in motion of events that might cause the end of civilization.
Amy clutched her necklace, and looked down sadly.
"Yes, William." Her breath was very painful. "I'm sure."
William broke the seal on the brown leather folder. He was a tall craggy man. His nose was pointed like a sundial so it always cast a shadow over one side of his face. He had been her adviser, her closest confidant, for half her life. They'd shared many secrets over the years, but none as perilous as this.
"What's so dangerous?" asked Ares. "I don't sense any danger here."
He held the document for her to review. A fit of coughing wracked her body.
Amy's grip on the necklace became tighter.
Saladin meowed in concern.
"Such a sweet cat," cooed Demeter
Once the coughing past, William helped her take the pen. She scrawled her weak signature across the paper.
"They're so young," William lamented. "If only their parents-"
"But their parents didn't," Grace said bitterly. "And now the children must be old enough. They are our only chance."
"If they don't succeed-"
"Then five hundred years of work have been for nothing," Grace said. "Everything collapses. The family, the world,-all of it"
William nodded grimly. He took the folder from her hands.
Grace sat back, stroking Saladin's silver fur. The scene outside the window made her sad. It was too gorgeous a day to die. She wanted to have one last picnic with the children. She wanted to be young and strong and travel the world again.
Amy was now on the verge of tears. Fiske and Dan both noticed this. Fiske put his arm around her shoulders and Dan put a hand on her lap.
But her eyesight was failing. Her lungs labored. She clutched her jade necklace-a good luck talisman she'd found in China years ago. It had seen her through many close calls with death, many luck misses. But the talisman couldn't help her anymore.
Amy was now freely crying. She didn't want to hear anymore. She buried her face in her Uncle's chest crying nonstop. Fiske shushed his crying niece
She'd worked hard to prepare for this day. Still there was so much she'd left undone… so much she had never told the children.
"It will have to be enough," she whispered.
And with that, Grace Cahill closed her eyes for the last time.
"Page break," Athena announced.
"That is so sad," remarked Aphrodite.
When he was sure Grace passed away, William McIntyre went to the window and closed the curtains. William preferred darkness. It seemed more proper for the business at hand.
The door opened behind him. Grace's cat hissed and disappeared under the bed.
Saladin seems to dislike me, thought Fiske.
William didn't look back. He was staring at Grace Cahill's new will, which had just become the most important document in the Cahill family's history.
"It still is," Ian said.
"Well?" a brusque voice said.
William turned. A man stood in the doorway, his face obscured by shadows, his suit as black as oil.
"It's time," William said. "Make sure they suspect nothing."
William couldn't tell for sure, but he thought the man in black smiled.
"Don't worry," the man promised. "They'll never have a clue."
"This 'Man in Black' is awesome!" exclaimed Hermes.
Amy stopped crying. She looked up her Uncle her eyes filled with such sadness.
"I agree with Hermes!" Apollo said excitedly. "He's all so mysterious and stuff."
Shaila looked at her watch, and looked at Kayla. They both had a silent exchange and nodded.
"Show them to their rooms, Shaila," Kayla said.
"Yes, Milady," replied Shaila.
"And don't forget to lockdown the S.T. chamber okay," Kayla said.
"Yes, Milady," replied Shaila.
Kayla nodded and walked out of room, the same portion of where she came from opened and into the dark she disappeared.
Shaila watched her employer disappear once Kayla was gone she stood up and clapped her hands. A whole wall came down to reveal 21 numbered doors from one to twenty one of course. Shaila went to a door took out a key card and slipped it through the slot. A keypad came out and she typed a trail of numbers, covering one side with her hand.
"S.T. Chamber Locked," said an automatic voice
"Shaila," whined Apollo and Hermes.
"What?" she said in the same whiny voice.
"Why did you lock the S.T. Chamber?" asked Apollo.
"It's a secret," she replied with a smirk.
"May you show us our rooms please?" Natalie whined. "If we can't find out what that room even is might as well not mind that room."
"Thank you, Miss Natalie for making a point." Shaila said approvingly. "Now, Fiske, you, Amy, and, Dan, share room one"-she handed out the keys- "Oh, and here's a little something for Amy and Dan." She handed out two keys-silver and wooden- and gave the silver one to Dan and the wooden one to Amy. "Those, my little friends, have access to the library and game room." Amy and Dan grinned and nodded their thanks to Shaila.
"Aphrodite, you get room two." Shaila said and handed out a key yet again.
"Holts, you guys get room three, and here are the keys to the gym if you'd like." Shaila said while handing out two keys a copper and gold. "Kabras you get room four. Zeus, you'll have room five and Apollo and Hermes you guys won't mind sharing a room together do you?"
Apollo and Hermes shook their heads. "Well, then," said Shaila. "You guys get to share room six."
"Hades?" Shaila called.
"Over here," replied Hades.
"Well you get room seven, my lord," Shaila said with a smile.
"Poseidon you get room eight, Percy you get room nine with the keys to the arena and pool, Nico you get room ten….." and Shaila kept ranting on which room's which. "Okay you guys, there's arsenal, arena, game room, pool, gym, target shooting room, library, and kitchen. Each one of the rooms given to you was designed to your liking, even the clothing. Gabe and I will be at room zero if you need us. And no one and I mean NO ONE touches, opens, or even enters the S.T. Chamber, you understand okay?"
Everyone nodded in understanding Shaila.
"Okay then, let's call it a night everybody. To your rooms please!"
Miss Classified: That was awesome!
Maxi: ruff! (I certainly agree!)
R&R People!