Rumours about my past, my sister, and my locket circled for days after I finally got out of the Big House. I moved into Cabin Eleven with Percy, Luke and the other Hermes kids, and settled into a reasonable routine.
Every morning, I woke up and went to breakfast. I sat beside Percy, the only camper that didn't look at me strange, or ask me how I was still alive. Then I had archery with Chiron and the Apollo cabin, who all insisted on helping me perfect my aim and stance. This was followed by foot-racing with Percy and the naiads, which I appeared to excel at, along with the climbing wall. Luckily, I was also with Percy when we tried canoeing. He laughed loudly and pulled me out of the water when I managed to capsize in the first five minutes.
However, the only sessions I had any real trouble with were Ancient Greek and sword practice. Typically, the first was taught by Annabeth, and the latter was instructed by Luke. Both were the only two people I really didn't want to see.
On the Friday evening, Annabeth had decided that she was too busy training her cabin for the Capture the Flag game the next day to teach me Ancient Greek. Instead, Chiron took the session. I wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad thing. He was a lot stricter, and the questions he asked where much harder. Not only did he expect me to remember every god, goddess and monster, he was determined to teach me about the Titans and everything they'd done wrong. Honestly, I couldn't even say half of their names, let alone remember what they'd done wrong.
When I got confused between Kronos and Krios for the tenth time in the same few minutes, Chiron sighed heavily and decided it was probably time for me to head back to the cabins before curfew. Unfortunately, there was one question that wouldn't let me rest. It had been bugging me for days, but every time I thought about asking him, there were always others there to get in the way.
"Chiron, can I ask you something?" I started cautiously as he closed the book in front of him with a weary expression.
"If you really must," he sighed with a slight smile. "But perhaps you should focus on the questions you can't answer."
"Sure," I nodded. "I just . . . I need to know about Thalia."
Chiron hesitated, not looking at me for a moment. When he did, his expression was torn. "Acacia, I probably told you too much a few days ago," he muttered quietly. "There are some things that heroes must discover themselves."
"I know," I insisted hurriedly. "But I never knew about Thalia in the first place, right, so there's nothing for me to remember."
He debated for a moment, then nodded with a heavy sigh. "Very well. What did you want to ask?"
"She knew who her Dad was."
"That is not a question, Acacia."
"Do you? Know who her Dad was, I mean?"
His lips pursed. "Acacia," he started in warning.
"I know that her Dad and mine aren't necessarily the same per- god," I rushed. "I just wanted to know why she was hunted so much. I mean, no one else here seems to have had the same problem. They all said something about monsters finding them, but never like Thalia. I was just curious."
He sighed again. "You really have a way with words, Miss Grace," he moaned under his breath. "And you're right. Just because one god sired Thalia does not mean the same god fathered you." His eyes were full of warning as he said this. "But as you asked so nicely . . . Thalia's father . . . Thalia was the daughter of Lord Zeus."
I felt my eyes widened a fraction at the mention of Zeus, and I had to clamp my lips together hard to stop myself blurting something I shouldn't know. Chiron stared, waiting for me to relax slightly as more memories rushed through my head painfully. I restrained a wince with difficulty. "Is that why she was hunted down? Because she was Zeus's daughter?"
His lips pursed tightly, but he nodded. "Thalia was hunted because Hades was angry at Zeus for breaking his oath. See, during World War Two, the children of the Big Three went to war. That is, the children of Zeus and Poseidon fought with the children of Hades. Things got out of hand, and the winning side – Zeus and Poseidon – forced Hades to make an oath on the River Styx to never sire demigod children again."
"But Zeus did," I finished with a huge exhale of breath.
Chiron grimaced at me tightly, nodding. "Oaths made on the River Styx . . . there the biggest promises you can make. Breaking it didn't affect Zeus so much – he's immortal, after all. But Thalia . . . Hades let out the worse monsters from Tartarus to terrorise her. The satyr sent to protect her, Grover, did everything he could, but by the time they reached the hill, it was too late."
There was a few moments silence while I tried to digest it all. No matter how Chiron phrased it, I couldn't help but remember what he had said about Hades being angry that I'd been born too. Did that mean I was Zeus's daughter too? Or, perhaps even worse, Poseidon's? Eventually, I took a deep breath. "So you don't know who my father is?"
Chiron frowned at me reproachfully, but he shook his head, and I knew he was telling the truth. "No doubt you will find out one day," he told me. I pulled a face, but didn't argue and bid him goodnight as I turned back toward Cabin Eleven.
The next morning, the Capture the Flag game was all anyone could talk about. It was Athena versus Ares, and Athena had made alliances with Apollo and Hermes, the two largest cabins, whereas Ares was teamed with Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite and Hephaestus. Unfortunately, that meant that I was one the same team as both Luke and Annabeth.
The teams had lined up against the border – the creek – and the leaders were giving out their instructions. Beside me, Percy scowled slightly as Clarisse glowered across at him, drawing a finger over her throat threateningly.
I sighed. "You really know how to make friends, don't you?" His lips twitched a little, but he didn't reply as Annabeth turned toward us. For a moment, her eyes lingered on me. Then she turned toward Percy.
"You, border control. Acacia, you're up front with me." I wanted to complain, but one of the campers gave me a clap on the back and wished me good luck, pushing me toward the front. Percy grimaced, but didn't come to my aid. I was stuck.
Lucky for me, Annabeth had also instructed Luke and Lee Fletcher, the head counsellors of the Hermes and Apollo cabins, to accompany her as well. Being with the three of them, in an enclosed forest, didn't make me feel any better about my situation.
"Split up into teams of two," Annabeth instructed. "They're bound to have the flag on higher ground, somewhere they can see us coming. Unless they really are completely stupid, of course. There are a few places in that direction." She pointed to the left. "Luke, take . . . take Acacia. Check it out. Lee, you're with me."
Again, I wanted to argue with her, but I kept my mouth shut. Luke glanced at me cautiously, jerking his head to the side and leading the way through the forest. We moved as silently as we could, and my hand automatically slipped to the locket around my neck, prizing it open. Luke scanned over the bow and quiver as it strapped tightly around my torso.
"Impressed a god, I hear," he said with a slight smirk.
I shrugged. "Apparently."
"You seem to be impressing a lot of people very quickly."
I couldn't help scowling slightly. Something about the way this guy spoke to me . . . it was exactly the way people spoke about Thalia. Why couldn't this guy get the point? I wasn't Thalia. "I don't remember those three years with my Mum," I said shortly. "I don't remember the Underworld, either, so drop it."
He raised an eyebrow at me. "You really don't like me, do you?"
"I'm not Thalia," I glowered.
"I never said you were."
"Not out loud, no."
He stared at me thoughtfully, seeming to realise he was fighting a losing battle. His lips pulled tightly into a pained smile, and he pointed through the trees. "One of the places Annabeth mentioned is a few minutes that way. We'll get through it quicker if we split up. I'll head this way."
"Fine," I nodded, stalking off through the trees. It was one of the most stupid things I had ever done. As much as Luke irritated me, I was far better off sticking to his side, where most people presumed I was. But somehow, logic went out of the window when I was with Luke. I seemed to forget completely that I was in any danger at all.
It didn't take long before I was brought back to reality through. As I picked my way through the trees, I caught sight of the small hill Annabeth and Luke had mentioned. I knew immediately that the Ares kids hadn't chosen this spot. It was too quiet and unprotected. None of the Ares kids were that stealthy. But, reluctant to return to Luke, I continued through until I was stood on the high ground, scanning the forest. I could just about make out the creek, glistening in the distance as the sun shone down on it brightly.
I had all of three seconds to enjoy the view, before a familiar snarl cut the silence.
I froze on the spot, hand flinching back toward my bow. My heart hammered awkwardly in my chest, and something in my gut gave a sharp tug. Suddenly, the temperature around me dropped well below freezing, causing my ragged breath to hang in the air in front of me. Slowly, I turned on my heel.
A hellhound – with red glowing eyes and wickedly sharp fangs – was creeping toward me, low to the ground like a pouncing lion. It's eyes were fixed on me, and in its jaw, it was chewing on something I recognised instantly. It was the t-shirt I'd been wearing when I first arrived, still stained with my blood and dirt from our incident on Half-Blood Hill.
It became painfully clear what this meant. Someone – someone inside this camp – was trying to get me killed.
The thought made my blood boil. My eyes narrowed, and without thinking, I swiped my hand back to grab my bow. The movement made the hellhound bark loudly, and it skidded forward, leaping straight for my head. I ducked and rolled down one side of the hill, clambering to my feet the second I reached the bottom and bolting into the trees as fast as I could. The hellhound had altered its course in the same second, racing after me with a snarl.
Somehow, I managed to string the bow and arm it with an arrow as I ran. Before I could over think it, I skirted around a tree, pressing my back into the trunk and catching my breath as the hellhound skidded past, its speed taking it too far. Without waiting for it to alter its course again, I aimed and released.
The beast blew up in a cloud of yellow dust with a single screech.
I didn't relax. The hound had left the shirt behind, and my eyes locked onto it furiously. Jaw set, I pushed away from the tree, slinging my bow over my shoulder and bending down to scoop it up. It was definitely mine, and I definitely remembered Daniel telling me that Chiron had replaced it with a CAMP HALF-BLOOD t-shirt because of the state of it. Someone had retrieved it before it was thrown away, probably for this express purpose.
But who in camp would want me dead? What had I ever done to anyone here? As little as I got on with some of them, I didn't see how any of them could despise me that much.
I didn't have time to debate with myself though. As the thoughts rushed through my head, more snarls ripped the air. Cursing in Ancient Greek, I stuffed the shirt into my back pocket. I knew it was probably a bad idea, but I needed it. It was the only proof that accusations of a would-be killer weren't some mad imaginings of my mind.
Still, listening to the amount of hellhounds after me, there was no way I could do this alone. Figuring there was nothing else for it but to find Chiron and sound the alarm, I wheeled back around to the creek and raced through the trees as fast as I could.
I didn't gain any ground on the hellhounds as I moved, but that was the last thing on my mind. I just needed to get into an open space. All the campers should still be armed, and twenty hellhounds – however irritating – couldn't have been a match for a hundred or more campers. Not to mention the satyrs, Chiron, naiads and anything else that took a dislike to the beasts.
As I drew near, I could hear celebrating. I didn't bother debating who'd won. Clarisse could brag about her victory until the sun went down for all I cared. The way I was feeling, I'd like to see the idiot brave enough to push me over the edge.
"QUIET!" I heard someone scream as I ran. I thought it might have been Annabeth. The snarls behind me grew louder with impatience. "Is that . . . oh gods, hellhounds!"
With one last burst of speed, I broke out of the forest. Campers yelled at the sight of me, and I saw Percy splash through the creek, scowling and spinning the sword around in his hand like he'd been using it for years. Behind him, Daniel was trying to push his way through the crowds.
"ACACIA!" Annabeth screamed, clutching her knife tightly.
Wheeling around, I snatched the bow off my back and armed it in one fluid movement. Shouts of protest met my stupidity as I staggered to a halt, aiming straight at the trees I'd just raced out of.
"Acacia, are you insane?" Percy yelled.
I ignored him. The moment the hellhounds slipped into view, I drew the arrow back tightly. All of the beasts seemed to be clambering over each other in a nice, messy little group. Perfect.
My gut gave another sharp twist, and I released the arrow in the same second.
What happened next stunned even me. Thunder rumbled overhead, and the temperature dropped again. Lightning crashed around me, and the arrow whistled through the air. It didn't hit any of the hellhounds. Instead, it slammed into the tree nearest the middle of the group and exploded with a deafening bang.
More screams sounded behind me as lightning flashed one last time, but I hadn't even flinched. Something told me that wasn't the first time I'd ever done that.
There was a moments silence. No one seemed to want to point out what had suddenly become blatantly obvious. Another memory flashed through my mind, sharper than any before. I saw myself, maybe ten years old. I was slumped at a dining table, cuts all down my face and my eyes drooping wryly. In front of me, the woman with blonde hair was crying, muttering about my father as she wrung out a blood-stained cloth.
Chiron's voice was the first to break the silence. "Hail, Acacia Grace . . . Daughter of Zeus."
Something was shining above my head, but I didn't look up. Instead, I dropped the bow I was holding to the ground and pulled the t-shirt out of my back pocket. My hands held onto it tightly, and for a moment, I thought I smelt burning. My hands grew hot and uncomfortable, and I took a calming breath before I incinerated my only evidence.
Gulping hard, I turned to face the crowd slowly, still clutching the t-shirt. Chiron's eyes narrowed a fraction in confusion as he caught sight of it. Just as I opened my mouth to say the words I knew everyone would hate to hear, Percy yelped loudly.
"Acacia, duck!" he instructed, and behind him, more of the campers gasped as they caught sight of whatever it was he'd already seen. I started, instinctively making to turn around to see what everyone was staring at.
Before I'd even turned halfway, Percy had leapt forward and dragged me to the ground. I gasped in surprised, as a freezing wave of water rushed over our heads and crashed toward the forest with a loud smash. The sound of tree trunks crunching under the strain echoed around the creek, but once more, that's not what everyone cared about.
"Gods, tell me there's no more," Percy groaned. I muttered an agreement, shaking myself as I sat up slowly. It was only then that I realised, as he clambered to his feet in front of me, a green, three-tipped spear was hovering above his head.
"Oh," I breathed, eyes wide.
He frowned, but Chiron spoke again. This time, he looked like he might actually collapse. The colour had drained from his face, and his voice was quieter than usual. Still, it carried over the astounded crowd as though he had yelled it at the top of his voice.
"Hail, Perseus Jackson . . . Son of the Sea God."
If Percy's jaw had dropped any lower, I didn't think he'd have managed to snap it up again.