AN:
I'm sorry this is not a chapter, but there was a guest, which while not exactly a flame and didn't exactly offend me it did warrant an explanation which should have been common sense from reading the last chapter.
The point was that Melinda being more experienced should have been able to defeat the Minotaur. I'm not saying she couldn't have. But you try being tired out, and despite having healed early from the car wreak brought on from Zeus' lightning, keeping your brother, a satyr and brother's mother protected all at once.
I've stated before Monsters are not effected by most wand wizard spells the way other things are. It take a very powerful spell and more than one depending on skill level and power. Melinda had already expended a lot of energy, and was still hut despite what the pearl can heal.
She got sloppy because she was trying to do more than one thing at once.
The point is I not only wanted to give Percy his victory over the Minotaur, seeing as it is a very well known victory for him in the books, and he had just seen his mother 'killed' but I also wanted it known that Melinda is not superwoman.
She has her flaws, she has her weaknesses. She can't just draw her weapons and with one or two moves defeat a monster like the Minotaur. Especially not after the injuries and energy she'd already expended.
I don't want to upset the guest who wrote the review, but I assure you I am not on anything. I am just making Melinda's character believable, she isn't invincible or all powerful.
I appreciate all the reviews though, and I hope you all understand the reasons why it was Percy and not Melinda to defeat the Minotaur.
When I finish the real chapter I'll edit this chapter to have the chapter below. To those who don't want to check daily to see when that happens just wait until I post chapter six and you'll know this chapter has been edited.
Sincerely,
Perseia.
AN: So here it is, It's not the longest but here it is. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
The Sea's Daughter: The Lightning Thief.
Chapter 5: The Truth, Sort Of.
"She should have woken up by now," a familiar voice said. "The boy woke up two days ago."
"She expended a lot of power and energy," another feminine voice said.
"I don't care, it shouldn't have happened. Not again."
Melinda was able to open her eyes and she could barely make out Luke and Annabeth.
"Again?" Annabeth asked. "Luke, this was different. Melinda isn't Thalia."
"Don't you think I know that?" Luke snapped. "I really like her Annabeth. I couldn't get over loosing her like Thalia. Not her, not again."
That was all she heard before she blacked out again.
The next time she woke up she was startled by sea green eyes, staring down at her in concern and what looked like guilt.
"Percy?" Melinda inquired, sitting up some in the infirmary bed.
xXx
Percy jumped slightly when he saw a pair of similar green eyes flutter open.
He'd been shocked and scared when Melinda had fainted, and he was sure he heard her mutter something, but he hadn't been able to hear her over the wind, rain and thunder.
He'd had to carry both Grover and Melinda towards the big house. It wasn't easy, Grover was rather heavy and though Melinda was lighter then she appeared together it was like carrying a bunch of rocks.
He'd been relieved when a tall blonde boy, and another dark haired boy had come running to help him when he was struggling towards the big farmhouse. The blonde had picked Melinda up quickly, shooting the dark haired boy a look which confused Percy.
Then the other boy, Samuel the boy had introduced himself as, had helped him get Grover to the big house. It was then the exhaustion of fighting the Minotaur and the days events themselves caught up with him.
He'd only been asleep for about four days, Melinda had been out a week.
When he'd woken up Grover had explained what he could, and taken him to Mr. D and Chiron. His first impression probably hadn't been the best but in the three days he'd been apart of camp he already knew he didn't like Mr. D.
He'd never been one to do what was expected of him anyways.
He also knew Luke didn't necessarily like him. He thought the older blonde might have a crush on Melinda, or maybe they were dating? No one had really told him much about his former assistant Latin teacher.
He supposed he didn't blame Luke if he did like Melinda like that. She was very pretty but any sort of crush he might have developed had quickly vanished, because as he got to know her when she was his teacher, it made his stomach sort of sick, like she was more a sister than anything.
He digressed though. He was pretty sure Luke blamed him for Melinda's current state. He couldn't blame him for that either, he blamed himself.
She had been trying to protect them and in had gotten injured and he knew from the whispers that it was uncommon to them for her to not be able to defeat anything she faced.
He got the impression she was one of the best, if not the best in the camp when it came to fighting and power.
She had a lot of experience from what Annabeth would tell him.
Annabeth was the girl at the Big house when he'd collapsed from exhaustion. He hadn't remembered much about her except for pretty blonde hair curled like a princess, but anyone could have made that observation.
She was alright, kind of bossy he supposed but he could see them being friends if she would give him the chance.
He got the impression Annabeth didn't let many past her wise, sort of frosty exterior. From her anger when he mentioned her father the first day he had woken up he had the impression she didn't have the best home life before camp.
He doubted it could be as bad as smelly Gabe though.
After seeing Melinda in action he couldn't help but wonder what she would do if she ever met his step father. He got the funny image of Gabe cowering in a corner like a rat for some reason.
After the first day the guilt of the situation had caught up to him. He'd tried to spend his free time, when she Luke wasn't sitting with her, sitting with Melinda.
One day he was sure he entered just as a older man, early to mid twenties with dark hair and what looked like concerned light colored eyes disappeared.
It was such a quick look he wasn't sure he'd even seen it.
It was mid-day about a week after the whole ordeal, about three days after he'd woken up that she woke up, and that was where he found himself now, staring into bright green eyes and helping the older girl sit up against the pillows of the infirmary bed.
"Melinda, you're awake," Percy said, relieved and grinning.
"Yeah," Melinda said, running a hand through her hair. "How long was I out?"
Percy frowned and thought about it for a minute, to get as close to the right time as possible.
"About a week," he said and Melinda frowned.
"Has anyone explained things to you? Or, to be a bit more personal, fed my animals?"
Percy blinked and then looked over to the foot of the bed where a large snake was curled up.
"You mean the white owl and snake?" he asked.
::I heard my name...:: Sesha trailed off, raising up from her spot on the bed. ::Mistress, you are awake!::
Melinda chuckled as Sesha slithered quickly to her side, curling around her shoulders and – though Sesha would later deny it – knocking her head against Melinda's hand like she wanted attention or a kitten wanting to be petted.
"Helios and Sesha, yes," Melinda told him and he was sure he looked sort of freaked out by Sesha, but he was also intrigued.
::I am awake now Sesha, where is Helios?:: she hissed in question, ignoring Percy's wide eyes and small gasp.
::With the blonde-one. I think the bird brain is growing fond of her, still poops on her occasionally though.:: Sesha stopped for a moment and if she were human she'd appear to be thinking. ::I wonder if that is some sort of bird brain mating ritual?::
Melinda choked on her laughter and then turned to Percy who seemed to have questions written across his face.
"I'm sorry about that," Melinda said. "This is Sesha, my familiar. Helios is another one of my animals."
Percy nodded.
"The owl who hangs around Annabeth," he said. "Uh, Ms. Melinda..."
"It's just Melinda, Mel, or Lin, Percy," Melinda said, smiling. "We're friends now, and I'm not your teacher anymore."
He flushed a little in embarrassment.
"Melinda," he said.
"How can you talk to Sesha? And how did you fight the Minotaur without touching him? You made him fly back without touching him and then after my mom..." He chocked up a little before continuing, "...was gone you had this stick and were shooting lights at him."
"I'm a witch," Melinda said, realizing after she'd said it that she'd probably been too blunt.
Percy blinked, unsure if he'd heard her right. Maybe she'd said bitch, but he couldn't imagine Melinda would call herself that, and he didn't think she was one.
"I'm sorry?" he said, though it came out as more of a question then statement.
Melinda laughed.
"I'm sorry Percy, I didn't mean to just drop that on you. How to explain this..." Melinda trailed off, looking up and thinking of the quickest, easiest way to explain to him.
"Around the world, there is magic. A world that chose to hide themselves away centuries ago around the time of the Witch trials. It was created by Hecate, who is the minor goddess of magic, crossroads, sorcery, witchcraft, and necromancy. She is also one of the goddesses associated with the moon. "
"Are they children of hers?" Percy asked.
"No, not like the demigods here. They are her children in magic I suppose. Unlike her children you might find around camp they have a magical core and access their magic through a wand. I suppose it could be considered a more advanced form, but I guess the only way to find that out is for a child of Hecate and a wand witch or wizard to battle."
Melinda caught her breath.
"I am only a legacy of Hecate, she is my great-grandmother, so I have very little from her. My most powerful gifts from her are a form of telekinesis like you saw that night and Parsaltongue. Snake-speaking. My mother was blessed by Hecate which led her to being a wand witch. I too was blessed but being a demigod awoke some of the more recessive talents that might have skipped me if I hadn't been a demigod."
"Where are your parents?" Percy asked, and regretted it when Melinda's eyes were shadowed by pain.
"Dead," she said softly. "The wizarding world, the one I left in England, that I had been apart of for the last seven years. Going to school and learning, it recently had a war end there. It didn't start then though, it began before I was even born. Then there was this prophecy made and the bad guy, he heard part of it and came after me, to kill me."
Melinda looked at her little brother, even if he didn't know it yet, and blinked back tears.
"It was my fault really. They died because of me, protecting me. My papa, James Potter, he adopted me and gave me an inheritance, a bloody fortune even though I wasn't his in blood. He died first, and then my mother. She didn't have to die, but she sacrificed herself for me, saving me."
Percy looked at her with understanding, but not pity. He didn't like pity and he could tell Melinda probably didn't like it either. Pity wouldn't make anything better.
"Like my mom," Percy said.
Melinda frowned.
"Yeah, but...something didn't seem right about the way she disappeared. Monsters can't do that, it looked more like she was taken before the Minotaur could kill her. Or maybe..." she stopped here before continuing. "...maybe he was always after her."
"Why? She's just a mortal."
Melinda smiled.
"Sally was clear sighted, it's what drew your father to her most likely," she said. "But I think it has more to do with war tactics. From experience someone of great importance is usually taken to drawl you to them. Bait, in other words."
Percy's face went dark, his eyes becoming angered.
"I'll get her back," he muttered and Melinda smiled lightly.
"I'll help you, just don't do anything rash until we know more."
Percy smiled and then furrowed his brow in thought.
"You mentioned my father..." he began, looking at her hopefully. "Do you know who he is?"
Melinda looked at him, knowing she only had two options. Tell him the truth or wait. In the end she knew she had to deny the truth. It wasn't her place to tell him, her father hadn't claimed him yet and she knew why. It was dangerous, even if it was already common knowledge on Olympus whose son he was.
"I'm sorry, I don't."
She regretted lying to him but she knew it was necessary. She only hoped he would learn the truth soon.
