"Look Skye! Momma and Daddy brought you a baby sister!"
I pulled myself up on my tiptoes in order to see over the new crib sitting in the living room.
"Ah! A baby sista!" I squealed.
My parents laughed. Momma rumpled my hair. "Yes sweetie, a baby sister. You can hold her and play with her. She is part of our family now."
I smiled. I loved families. Daddy said I bring families together. He says it's in my blood.
"I luv her, momma, and I luv you and Daddy, too!" I sang while I smiled. They all laughed, even my baby sister, Rory.
My eyes slowly slid open, tears silently rolling down my cheek. Not a day goes by I don't think about Rory.
I forced myself to move. It had been weeks that I had been on my own, but I was still not used to my Dad not being there when I woke up. I packed up my little belongings, stowing a knife in each of my boots.
I checked out of the motel, controlling the mist to trick the manager into believing I paid. I knew I shouldn't take advantage, but I needed to sleep in a bed for a few nights, and that had been my only option.
I was somewhere in Georgia, trying to stay low key. I hadn't been attacked since the night of the hell hounds, but I was starting to get nervous. It felt like something was brewing in the air. I usually could feel trouble. I could feel when something was wrong with the natural order of things.
So of course I did what any demigod would do, I went to practice killing things.
I found a nice field a few miles down the road and figured it was a good enough spot as any. I had become a pro with my knives over the years. I took all my frustration out on them now. I could see Rory's crying face as she was tortured, giving me fuel to work even harder.
I was so focused on my maneuvers that I didn't realize he was watching me.
"Keep your shoulders square. If you get knocked off balance, you'll be dead."
I jumped. "Apollo, you scared me."
"Sorry sugar," he winked, "just helping you out the best way I can at the moment."
I had to smile. "Always such a gentleman, kind sir." I fake bowed.
It was his turn to smile. "I've missed you, Ginger." He never got tired of making a joke about my hair. I mean I guess it was red, but it wasn't THAT bad, more of a dark brownish with a tint of red.
The familiarity hit me hard. I started to cry, and I could tell he had been looking after me because he didn't ask questions, he simply held me close and calmed me down.
"I'm sorry." I blundered. "I'm lost, Lord Apollo. Show me the right direction."
"Skye, everyone is lost every now and then. Its part of life, its part of finding yourself and knowing who you want to be."
"How am I supposed to be anyone?! My whole life you have told me I'm special, but I think you're mistaken! I couldn't even protect my mortal family, let alone anyone else."
His face turned stern, and I knew I crossed a line.
"This pessimism does not suit you. I know your dreams have been getting worse, but you need to move forward, like we always said. I have been training you since your little sister was born, remember? You did everything you could to protect them, but sometimes bad things happen to good people, and it is completely out of their control."
"You've said this before, but what do I do now? Is this what the rest of my life will be like?"
"No, which is why I am here."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that there is a war brewing. You are in Georgia, and you need to be in New York. I have been fighting on your behalf since you were born, and I am finally getting somewhere with the rest of the council."
"What? Why now?"
"Because the gods realize that they need you, at the hearth." He pointed to my heart to emphasize his point.
"Olympus? Apollo I don't care how many gods are on your side, any of the hunters would kill me on sight, let alone the minor gods and Zeus!"
"Not Olympus. You're right about that. I don't know if you will ever be welcome there, unless my sister decides to realize how truly amazing you are." Again, sarcasm with a wink.
He always knew how to brighten my day. I love my father, but my father is mortal. With my godly side, Apollo was like a father figure/ brother figure. He has taken care of me since I was six. He taught me how to fight. He taught me how to pray. He taught me the ancient myths and kept me safe from his sister and other gods who wished me dead.
"So where then? The hearth is Olympus, it always has been."
"Yes, Olympus is the hearth, but your mother can tend the hearth of Olympus. You on the other hand, must protect the demigods at their home, Camp Half-Blood."
I was speechless. Since my family was murdered, I knew the only safe place for demigods was Camp Half-Blood. I also knew that I could never go there. The gods would be able to find me, hunt me. Apollo was always adamant about this.
"I know what you're thinking, Skye, but I have argued on your behalf. The gods are giving you a chance, an opportunity. Mainly, they need you, and sending you to Camp Half-Blood is the only way to get what they want. They are acting like it is a generous act, when really they're saving their own asses."
"So what? You take me to Camp and then I just play along until the threat shows up?"
"For the most part, yes, except for the little itty part about me taking you there."
"Um, Apollo, how in the world am I supposed to find Camp Half-Blood? I know you've taken other heroes there! Why not me?"
"Because you are my favorite, and the other gods know that. If I help you too much they will call it godly interference and you will easily be struck down by one of them. Every hero must find his or her own way, including you."
I felt flustered. How was I supposed to find a camp designed to be impossible to find?
"Ok, where do I begin?" I had a mission, and I was damn well going to succeed. I had failed before, and I refused to do so again.
"I'm sending someone to help you. He's a hero, owes me a favor. You guys are quite opposites, but I think you will get along just fine."
"So where do I meet this hero?" I questioned.
"He will find you."
With that he started to grow bright, and I knew to turn my head the other way.
I was stuck in a field with a few knives, and not a clue about where to find this so-called 'hero.'
I figured the best thing to do was to start moving, so I began trudging through the meadow. I would have run for the work out, but I needed time to think. I wondered what my role would be in this war, how I would succeed. I worried I would freeze up, and I wouldn't be able to do what was needed from me. After all, it's happened before.
That's about the time I got hit by a flying man.
He came from somewhere up in a tree to my left, and pushed me right on my ass, falling on top of me in the process. I took about a half second to react, and another to have him pinned beneath me with my knife to his throat.
He looked about my age, maybe a little older. He had black hair, black eyes, and pale skin. He was built extremely well. My breath was taken from me.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he said. "I don't know why I'm here, all I know is Apollo pushed me into a shadow, forcing me to shadow travel to this place. I had no control, I swear I didn't mean to land on you."
So this was the hero. I sheathed my knife and helped him to stand.
"Sorry. Apollo has a way of not explaining things sometimes. I'm Skye." I stuck out my hand as an offering.
"Yeah tell me about it. I'm Nico, Nico di Angelo." We shook and began to walk.
"So, I guess you're supposed to take me to Camp Half-Blood?"
His eyebrows rose. "Is that what I'm here for?"
"Look I don't know what's going on any more than you do, okay? Apollo is my protector. He said a hero was coming to escort me to camp, considering I've never been and need to go. You tackle me out of the sky claiming Apollo sent you. I'm gonna say it's safe to bet you're taking me to camp." I had my hand on my hip, waiting for him to contradict me.
"Ok, I'll take you. Calm down. I just figured you had been either there or Camp Jupiter since you pinned me in less than a second and that's really not easy to do." I could tell he wasn't being cocky; he was impressed by my skills.
"Nope, trained by Apollo himself, not some camp." I tore my eyes away from his and kept walking. He grabbed my arm from behind.
"Who are you, Skye? No one gets trained by the gods."
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Trust me." I faltered. His eyes bore into mine. I hadn't known this person for more than five minutes, but I wanted to trust him. I wanted to be able to share my secrets. I'm good with bonds, with relationships. I always had been. I was always the glue that pulled people together. Now, I felt like he was pulling me towards him, when usually it was the other way around.
"I'm Skye White, daughter of He-"
A howling cut me off, coming from the woods to the left, the same ones Nico came from.
"We need to go, now," Nico said, which I honestly thought was pointless: we were both already running.
Running didn't matter. Soon monsters surrounded us. We stood back to back, as if we had done this before. For the first time in my life, I had back up.
