We walked through the double doors of the high school as a group. In the next few moments, we split up. Jessi and Jaq headed towards the gym and locker room. Jaq was in weight training for his Junior year, and Jessi for his freshman year. Kanna and Masi walked towards the junior high wing of the campus. They were both in their 8th grade year. Cleo and Masi walked toward the science part of the high school campus. Cleo was in Geology and Masi was in Honors Biology. Masi, Ziyad, and Ankh were amazing in anything to do with the human body. If anybody asked, they said it like an inside joke that it was 'in their blood'. It was an inside joke. Their father was Anubis, God of Healing and the Dead. They were our house healers. Together, they could bring someone back from the dead. They had before.
Soon it was just Ziyad, Ankh, and I. Ziyad waved slightly and left Ankh and I at one of the halls for his History class. Ankh and I walked down the hall and turned the corner. I pretended to look at a banner on the wall. Instead, I was checking that nobody from our house were behind us. A few steps later, Ankh did the same. We turned a corner.
"Is anyone following?" Ankh whispered.
I shook my head and said, "No. Do you see anyone?"
Ankh shook his head slightly and answered, "No. We pulled it off again."
I smiled and nodded. In mid-step, our hands linked together. I immediately relaxed and felt Ankh do the same. We don't know why, but for some reason we kept our mini relationship from everyone else in the house. We felt like is was the right thing. We had lost so many in the war that just ended in August. From what we hear, the Son of Hermes gave his life to save the world. We still didn't forgive him for what he'd taken from us.
Ankh squeezed my hand as we walked to our Latin class. Slowly, we moved closer together. Our shoulders brushed together a few times as we walked the last few steps to the class. The sight I saw made me pause for a moment. Walking into the class, were two of the three Greeks from the other day.
"What's wrong, Titi?" Ankh asked.
I moved my head slightly to gesture to the two Greeks. He nodded and we walked into the class. Unlinking hands, we walked to our desks in the back right corner. From there, we could see everything. And everyone. The Greeks were talking to the teacher in a wheelchair. He feigned disability, but Ankh and I knew he was the centaur, Chiron. Annebeth looked up at us when we entered and took our seats. She met my eyes with a slightly confused look. With a smirk-smile, I nodded slightly to let her know she wasn't seeing things. I smiled as her eyes widened and she grabbed the boy's sleeve. He looked at me in surprise and I nodded again. They turned back and talked rapidly to Chiron.
"Old friends?" Ankh asked with a smirk.
"Two of the Greeks Mari and I saved the other day." I told him.
He nodded. The two Greeks walked to their desks, which were near ours. Chiron rolled himself to the front of the class and began to teach. Within a few minutes, a note was passed to me. I looked at Annebeth and she nodded. Opening the note, I half smiled. It thanked Marian and me for saving Annebeth, Percy, and Grover (the Greeks) from our monster. The Greeks greatly appreciated it, but were wondering if our claims of being Egyptian demigods were true. I slipped the note to Ankh and he passed it back, nodding. I respond saying Mari and I were welcome for their thanks, and yes we are Egyptian demigods. I was a daughter of Isis and Mari was a daughter of Sekhmet I passed it back to Annebeth.
The next note from Annebeth asked if the guy I walked in holding hands with was an Egyptian demigod too, and how many of us were there. I said, he is. That is Ankh, son of Anubis. There are 9 of us, but there were much more before your war. The next note came back asking why there was only 9 now and why the Greek war effected us. I told her that many of us joined either the Gods side or Kronos's side and died. Many of them were persuaded by the Son of Hermes to join his side. She responded by saying she was sorry for us and if I meant Luke. I told thank you and I didn't know the name of the Son, but I guess that would be it. Her next note asked if we would eat lunch with her, Percy, Grover, and another boy named Nico.
I paused in my response and leaned over to ask Ankh. He nodded and I told her that sounded fine. She asked where should we meet. I told her between the High school and Junior High wings of the campus. All of us look like Ankh and I. There should be four boys and five girls. Her response was an OK and we'll meet you there. I told Ankh and we continued on in the class without interruption. The next 2 periods went by fast and soon Ankh and I were walking to meet everyone in between the two wings. My agreement with the Greeks was not well met.
"What do you mean they're coming here?" Cleo asked angrily.
"They just want to talk and find out more." I told them calmly, glancing over at Mari.
She was completely ignoring me. After the questions were answered and we got lunch, we walked to where we would meet the Greeks. We sat for a few moments and ate lunch. Ankh and I were elected to talk for us when they came. Soon, we saw them and watched them come over. I guess Annebeth was going to do the talking for they're group because she was the first person to say something.
"Hey, Titi." She told me as she and her friends sat down across from us.
"Hello Annebeth, Percy, Grover." I told them as they sat.
Annebeth paused for a moment, forgetting that we knew their names. I could see it clearly rattled them that we knew who they were.
"This is Nico." She told us, gesturing to the boy wearing all black.
I almost smiled when I noticed Cleo, Masi, and Kanna perk up and look at him closely. I murmured to them in Ancient Egyptian and they relaxed again. When I looked back at the Greeks, I saw that Grover was looking at me strangely.
"I spoke to them in Ancient Egyptian, our native tongue." I told him, "Like you speak in your native Ancient Greek."
Grover nodded slightly and asked, "How do you know who we are?"
I half smiled and answered, "Because we listened and watched. You were friends with a few of our brothers and sisters."
Annebeth asked a question next, "Who? We didn't know about any other demigods until a few days ago."
I rubbed my arm were a black gold armlet rested under my shirt. I felt the rest of us look away sadly and do the same.
"Many, but a few you may recognize. Michael Yew, son of Apollo and Geb, Sonora Wilson, daughter of Bast and Athena, Silena Beauregard, daughter of Aphrodite and Isis, Lee Fletcher, Son of Apollo and Horus, Bianca Di'Angelo, daughter of Hades and Anubis, Cas-" I started to name another before Nico jumped up and interrupted me.
"NO!" He exclaimed, "My sister was not an Egyptian demigod! She was a daughter of Hades. We aren't Egyptian."
I sighed and glanced at Ankh. Ankh rubbed his arm sadly and glanced behind him at Ziyad and Masi.
"We know it's a shock to you, Nico." Ankh told him, "But your sister was our sister too. We only met her once, right before you were born. Last time we visited our father, we talked with her."
Nico shook his head and told us, "Bianca is in the Underworld, not wherever you go to."
Ankh sighed again and told him, "She spends part time in the Duat and part time in the Underworld."
Nico quieted back down as Grover asked, "Are you sure? I knew Michael and Lee their entire lives."
"We are. We feel pain every time a sibling dies." I told him as I gestured to our group, "We were all in abundant pain when Percy and Charles Beckondorf blew up the Son of Hermes's cruise ship. A hundred of our siblings died that moment. Most of them not even our age yet."
The Greeks fell silent in horror. They knew they had killed some demigods, but they didn't know they killed that many. I saw a tear run down Annebeth's cheek. They were silent for a few moments.
"Wow." Annebeth murmured, "We never knew."
I nodded and told them, "We are very good at disguising ourselves. As you saw the other day, our monsters are very hard to kill."
Annebeth nodded and said, "Yeah. What kills them?"
"Pure blessed gold and a mortal blow."
Annebeth nodded. Percy looked at me curiously.
"You said it wasn't just the Greeks and the Egyptians. There were Norse, Aztec, and two Nephililims." He asked.
I nodded and told him, "Yes. Odi and Emer are twin siblings of the Norse God, Loki. Anita is the daughter of Coyolxauhqui and Calico is the son of Quetzalcoatl. Aaron and Corbin are sons of the Angels Gabriel and Michael."
Annebeth's eyebrows raised at that. Grover half whistled. I took a bite of my lunch as the Greeks talked together. After a drink from my water, Annebeth had another question.
"So do your Gods and Goddess's have a place like Olympus is for us?"
"Somewhat. Most Gods stay in the Duat most of the time. Osiris and Anubis stay in the Otherworld most of the time. Thoth is at a University. Bast drops in from time to time. I don't really know where Isis and Horus are. Set was banished to the Duat."
Annebeth nodded and looked over at our group. I saw her trying to recognize the lost siblings in us. Grover looked like he was trying to recognize the girls from the other day. Percy just looked plain confused. Nico was the next to talk though.
"Can you introduce yourselves?" He asked, "It's kinda hard to think of people as that girl or that guy."
I smiled knowingly and nodded.
"I'll let everyone introduce themselves." I told the Greeks, "I am Nefertiti Johansson, Daughter of Isis. Titi works just fine."
I nodded to Ankh and he continued, "My name is Ankh Malapese, Son of Anubis."
Ziyad continued after his brother, "I'm Ziyad Malapese, Son of Anubis."
Masi rolled her eyes slightly and continued, knowing that she should come next, "Masi Malapese, Daughter of Anubis."
Jessi smiled at the Greeks and told them, "Jessi Yew, Son of Bast."
Kanna grinned and told them, "Kanna Resse, Daughter of Hathor.
Jaq muttered, "Jaquin Ohan. Jaq works just fine."
Cleo smiled at Nico, "Cleopatra King, Daughter of Osiris. Cleo works best though."
I glanced behind me at Mari. Mari glared at the Greeks before glancing at me.
With a sigh, she told them, "Marian Drew, Daughter of Sekhmet. Mari is the only thing I respond to."
I sighed and rolled my eyes at her. Annebeth nodded and looked at the others.
"Well you know our names and who our parents are." She said.
I nodded and smiled, answering, "We've felt that if we know who people are, there is less of a chance of getting killed from a mistake."
Grover nodded and asked, "Where do you all live? Or is there, like, a camp where you go."
I felt the others stiffen slightly behind me. I nodded to them, acknowledging before looking back at the Greeks.
"We have a house on the East side that fits us fine." I told them.
Grover nodded, then looked at the others. Annebeth nodded slightly, then Percy did. Nico shrugged, then nodded. Grover looked back at us.
"We have a camp, Camp Half-Blood." Grover started carefully, "If you would want to come, and stay at the Camp with us,…maybe part time or something. I don't know, it might be safer."
I nodded and told them, "We would have to discuss it more, but thank you for your offer."
Grover nodded and said, "We'll give you time to think."
They then got up and walked away. I turned to the others and measured their reactions. Jessi, Jaq, and Ziyad were thinking about it, Cleo and Masi were talking to each other about it, Kanna thinking about it. I looked at Mari and saw her eating and looking at me with a 'it's your decision' look. Ankh looked over at me.
"What do you think?" He asked.
I shrugged and answered, "It may be good for us. The Camp has magical wards that will keep even our monsters out. And we can teach them our ways, and us theirs."
Ankh nodded and blinked to me. He tilted his head slightly to the right. I nodded and tilted my slightly to the left. We entered our private empathy link.
Do you think they'll go with us?, I asked him.
Ankh mentally nodded and told me, Don't worry. We'd follow you anywhere. And it isn't bad for anyone. Sekan can't follow you there.
True, I thought quietly, But what if he can. I'm betting they will separate us according to our parentage, and Anubis and Isis are nothing alike.
Ankh mentally shrugged and answered, You'll be fine. I'll sleep on the floor next to your bunk if I have to if that's what means keeping you safe from that monster.
I mentally smiled to him and told him, Thanks Ankh. I don't think you'd have to. I would probably be in the Athena or Hera cabin.
Ankh mentally smiled and answered, Exactly. You'll be safe and I'll be just a few cabins away.
I mentally nodded. Ok. Back out loud?
Ankh mentally nodded and we broke out of the empathy link. We looked back at the group. Mari looked at us with a raised eyebrow. The rest of the group had finished talking among themselves. I looked everyone in the eyes, trying to see what they thought. They looked at Ankh and I. I looked everyone in the eyes again before saying my decision.
"We will go with the Greeks, during our break in one month." I told them.
