Fourth chapter! Please review, and any ideas are appreciated :)

Chapter Four: Belle

I slept badly, tossing and turning the whole night, and when I woke up, the morning light was grey. I looked at my clock. Six.

I sat up in my tangle of sheets and duvet, and rubbed my eyes. Nico and Arron were still conked out in their beds. Nico was snoring.

I swung my legs out of bed, and pulled on a jumper over my pyjama T-shirt and shorts. Glancing in the mirror, I saw my hair was a mess, and I tried to smooth it down as best I could.

I pushed open the door to Cabin 13 and stepped out into the breezy morning. The sun was just hidden behind the trees of the woods, and the canoe lake looked shiny and inviting. I hopped off the terrace of our cabin and looked around.

I was the only one in the omega-shaped ring of cabins – or so I thought.

I set off down the path towards the lake, planning to benefit from the early time to be by the lake without any of those children of Poseidon there, laughing at me because I'm a Daughter of Hades. I even hoped that the naiads were asleep, instead of splashing around and giggling.

No such luck. There they were, their black hair shining in the water, playing by the shore.

I sat by the edge of the jetty and sighed.

After my meeting with Jack Greye the afternoon before, I had hurried back to Cabin 13 and hid under my covers, silent.

'Belle,' Arron had laid a hand on my shoulder. 'What's the matter?'

'Nothing,' I had sniffed, and wiped my eyes. They could never know about me and Jack, I was still hurting and it was just embarrassing.

I had finally got out of bed for dinner, but I hadn't been in the mood for anything and had spent the whole meal pushing some green beans and barbecue meat around my plate.

I was still confused about Jack – I wasn't sure whether I liked him or not.

I mean, he was pretty gorgeous. He had messy, blond hair and grey-blue eyes that were intelligent, but sad, too. He was a great sword fighter, and very brave in Capture the Flag.

But I didn't know him. As much as I had kept replaying the scene in my head, it wasn't my choice or his to do what we did.

I had just been sleeping on a bunk in the Hermes cabin, and he had arrived, tipsy, and, well…one thing had led to another…

I scowled and threw a stone into the lake. I had never learnt to skim, so it hit the surface once and sunk below the water.

'In a mood, are we?'

I spun round, shocked.

A man was standing behind me. He wore a dark suit the colour of the night and in his hand was a long black staff, topped with a skull. He seemed to radiate power and silent terror, and his eyes were like black flames.

I opened my mouth to say something, but found I couldn't speak. I was angry, confused, happy, bitter, relieved, all at the same time.

'Belle Edwards, Daughter of -' he paused and frowned. 'That is to say, Hades. Er, me.'

'Father.' I glared at him. 'Taken you long enough, hasn't it?'

'I was…busy,' he replied lamely. 'My kingdom has had many more souls since the Battle of Manhattan, and what with Daedalus rebuilding…'

'You couldn't have spared a few moments to talk to me, could you?' I asked, still angry, but it was ebbing away at the sight of my father, who I had waited years for. 'A dream, a letter…something!'

'I am never at ease in the company of the living,' he told me. 'My realm is below, far from the noise of the mortal world. Even at Olympus, I am not welcome. I prefer to keep to myself – ask your brothers!' he hesitated, as if he wanted to say more, then cleared his throat. 'But it is not pure chance that I have come to you now.'

'Why?' I asked. 'What's happening now?'

'That, child, is for you to find out, along with some help. But you must be prepared. What you are about to face is bigger than anything that Percy Jackson saw, bigger than Kronos' army, even,' Hades continued.

My face must have looked a picture, because he hastily said, 'But you are brave at heart, Belle. I know that now, you may not believe me. But your time will come. Your destiny is complicated, but one day, it will, all become clear.'

I bit my lip, thinking about how much I had wanted to leave Camp yesterday. Hades' words had made me think about whether that was really the right thing to do. If a great danger was coming, wouldn't it be best to stay?

'Ah, yes, about your little escape plan,' he said, as if reading my thoughts. 'Do not go. Once they realise you are the one in the prophecy, they will come after you. You must not leave here until the quest is called.'

'The…quest?' I said incredulously. 'What quest?'

'You will see in time, child.' Hades' form began to flicker. He was turning paler, and black flames burned at his feet. He looked at me. 'It is time for me to go, child. Do not forget what I have told you.'

I could barely hear his voice; it was becoming fainter as he grew paler. 'Oh, one more thing,' he said. 'Watch out for their mistress. She grows stronger.'

Then my father melted into the morning shadows and was gone.

For a few moments I stood there, not moving, looking at the place where he had disappeared. He sure had given me a lot to think about. And what was it he'd said at the end? Something about a mistress…

The splashing of the naiads brought me back to reality, and I shivered. Hades had left behind a cold breeze, and a feeling that chilled my bones. I blinked, and checked my watch. The talk with my father had taken longer than it had seemed, and the time read seven thirty, I headed up to the dining pavilion, wondering what was for breakfast.

If I had known what was coming, I wouldn't have been so calm.

Fourth chapter finished – sorry it was a bit short, but that seemed like a good place to end it. Please review!

Essie xoxo