It seems as though I'd just told someone they were going to die. Percy looked confused and just stood where he was, but Chiron looked uneasy and sad as he looked at me, and he said a little prayer under his breath that I couldn't quite catch.
"Please come with me," the horse man guides me along, Percy and a few other nearby campers give me strange looks.
The walk to the Big House is silent, neither me nor Chiron knowing what to say to the other. We arrive on the front porch and he beacons me towards a small office in the back of the house. Bacchus was no where in sight.
"Now, Ms. Brooks, would you mind telling me why you're here?" He asks me with kindness, and no hint of bitterness or anger in his tone.
I sit in the seat on the other side of his desk.
"Well, I might as well tell you everything," I sigh. "I lived in San Fransisco my whole life up until a month ago. I knew I was a demigod since the age of eight, but I wasn't claimed until two years ago, when I was a little over twelve years old. When I was claimed as a daughter of Neptune, people respected me a little less, due to the history of children of Neptune and how they were very destructive. I had to earn back my respect, and I did so by completing a mission. I was more than successful, and I was named the Centurion of my cohort, the Second Cohort. I led them to victory through many of Camp Jupiter's war games, but one day I used my water power, and a little boy was caught under a structure and drowned. I felt immensely awful... I still do. People at camp hated me for what I did, and I eventually decided that I had leave. I traveled across the country for a month, and I decided to stay here a week ago. I moved in yesterday afternoon, and I met Percy this morning."
It's silent for a few moments after my semi speech. Chiron stares at me, but I can tell he's lost in thought and not looking at me.
"It'll be extremely dangerous for you to stay alone in your apartment," he says, "So if you would like, you can stay and train here, as long as you don't tell anyone about Roman Gods, Camp Jupiter, or anything of the sort."
I know that I should take him up on the offer, but I'm on the fence.
"I greatly appreciate your offer, but I was wondering if I could switch between my home and here?" I ask, and Chiron nods his head. "Thank you sir."
He tells me to have Percy give me a grand tour, and he also says that I can tell Percy about Camp Jupiter. I jog outside and see my half brother near the strawberry fields talking to a faun. No one talked to fauns in Camp Jupiter, so seeing them so interactive with all the campers here is strange.
"Percy!"
I walk over to him and the faun.
"Hey Elizabeth," he greets. "This is Grover. Elizabeth, meet Grover. Grover, meet Elizabeth."
"Nice to meet you," he shakes my hand.
"Likewise."
Grover says he has to go and trots off, blabbering something about needing to pick strawberries or he'll be turned into a dolphin.
His eyes are filled with curiosity, but nevertheless, Percy leads me on a camp tour without a question. He shows around all the training places and other structures, and he eventually shows me all the cabins. I'm intrigued to find that instead of living with their cohort, the campers here live with their siblings.
"Percy, I need to tell you something," I start to pull him towards the shore. "You can't tell anyone. The only reason I can tell you is because Chiron gave me permission."
I sit down on the sand, and Percy follows suit. We both lean against the log, resting our backs against the fallen wood.
"I'm not like you," I tell him.
"What are you talking about? You're obviously a demigod, you got through the borders!"
I sigh.
"You see Percy, you're Greek," I wrinkle my nose at the word. Ever since I arrived at Camp Jupiter, I was told that Greeks were bad, and now here I am talking to one.
"Well duh."
I give a quiet, half hearted laugh.
"I just discovered today that Greek demigods exist. I'm not like you Percy. I'm not Greek... I'm Roman."
Percy looks at me incredulously.
"Camp Jupiter is a Roman camp in San Fransisco, and I lived there since I was eight."
"Wait, so you're telling me that there's a whole other camp that I don't know about?"
"No one here knows about it... except Chiron, of course," I tell him. "And no one at the Roman camp knows about Camp Half Blood."
"Wow," Percy slides down more, using the log as a headrest as he lays down. "So earlier, when you said you were a daughter of Neptune... which Greek God is that?"
I will a nearby puddle to float in the air, and I have it float just above our heads.
"Does that answer your question?"
After a few seconds Percy grins from ear to ear and wraps me in a huge hug.
"I have a sister!"
I hug back and laugh at his antics.
"Wait," he stops hugging me for a moment and becomes serious. "When's your birthday?"
"October tenth."
Percy pulls me into his hug again.
"I have a little sister!"
"Oh, shut up! We're both fourteen!"
We both sit there talking for a bit until a conch horn blows in the distance. I get up thinking there's a threat, but Percy just laughs and tells me it's dinner time. We run to the pavilion, and I'm immediately met with the stares of all the campers. At first I wonder why, until I realize that my father's claimed me... again. The sea green trident floats above my head for a moment and fades away, leaving me dim and standing in front of a few dozen teenagers.
"All hail Elizabeth Brooks, Daughter of N- er, Poseidon, God of the Seas."
Chiron and the camp now slightly, while I'm left standing there awkwardly. Percy grabs my wrist and leads me towards the Poseidon table. After giving away some of my most tender piece to the large bonfire for the Gods, I dig into my big plate of ribs, moaning at the taste of the juicy meat.
"Gods, you're totally my half sister," Percy grins. "I do the exact same thing when I eat ribs."
I grin back and continue devouring my meal. As much as I hate to admit
it, this food is almost as good as Camp Jupiter's. Percy and I finish out plates, and eventually everyone files out to the campfire. I sit next to Percy, and a blonde headed girl is on his other side. She has stormy grey eyes, and she wears a camp t-shirt and a Yankees hat.
"Mets are better," I grumble under my breath.
"Hey Lizzie!," Percy taps my shoulder. "This is Annabeth, daughter of Athena. Annabeth, this is Lizzie, my half sister."
"Don't you dare use that nickname," I glare at him. "And nice to meet you, Annabeth. I'm Elizabeth."
"Nice to meet you too, Elizabeth."
Our small exchange is interrupted by the Apollo campers, who burst into song.
For the next hour, the whole camp eats s'mores and sings random songs. It's more fun than I've had in a while. After everyone gets tuckered out, Percy and I head to the Poseidon cabin. Maybe I'm just being biased, but I think it's the best cabin at Camp Half Blood.
I change into one of Percy's extra t-shirts, which is fairly large on my small frame. I don't mind though, and it smells like the ocean. I jump into my bed on the opposite side of the room as Percy's, and I instantly fall asleep, feeling more at home than I ever have before.
