I was still contemplating how to win Hera over when we got back to the train. Though Percy and Annabeth seemed to have had enough time and space to be reasonably civil to each other, neither of them were pleased about taking their seats in our tiny compartment again. Grover purposefully sat between the two of them, munching on a piece of scrap metal and insisting that I spread myself out and get some more sleep before the train stopped again.

"Grover's right, Acacia," Percy grimaced. "You look awful."

"Just what a girl wants to hear," I groaned with a roll of my eyes. "Thank you."

"For once, Percy might be right," Annabeth admitted grudgingly, ignoring the smug smirk that had suddenly crept across Percy's face. "You look like you could sleep for a week, and you've only completed one task. Not to mention the Underworld."

"Please don't," I grumbled, shifting to lay down and close my eyes. Neither of them said anything else, but I could feel their eyes burning through my skin for a moment or two longer.

Eventually though, they turned their attention to the route we needed to take to get to the Underworld while I tried to get some rest. It didn't take half as long as I thought it would to coax myself to sleep, though when I did, I had one of the strangest dreams to date. I wasn't sure what was so strange about it; the content, or the fact it wasn't about someone trying to kill me.

I couldn't make out where I was. Everywhere seemed to have a golden, warm glow that distorted my view, like I was staring through heavily tinted glasses. I thought I might have been stood somewhere in Camp Half-Blood. The twelve smudges in the valley ahead of me looked like they could have been the cabins.

But then, I was also sure I was stood on a wooden deck outside a large, low built building that seemed to be made of wood and glass. I knew that the only building with a deck was the Big House, and that seemed to be stood far in the distance, while I was looking over the cabins. There was nothing built up here in Camp Half-Blood, I was sure of it.

Still, that was where I thought I was, as weird as it sounded. Although, considering I also felt a considerable amount older than my measly twelve years, I gathered my surroundings might not be my only problem. A blur that might have been Sasha was curled up a few feet away under the sun, perfectly relaxed. That in itself was strange; relaxed was one of the few states I'd never seen her in. People were running around down below in the valley, shouting happily to each other. Everything just seemed too . . . happy. Almost . . . perfect.

With no warning, arms wrapped themselves slowly around my waist, and I felt someone's chest press against my back. Despite the fact that this seemed far too intimate a gesture to be anyone I knew, I felt myself rest back against them, tilting my head back to lean on their shoulder. A soft chuckle blew warm air over my skin, and I shuddered as whoever was holding me pressed their lips gently onto my neck.

"Happy birthday, Ace," a quiet voice came, and I shivered again.

Then the golden glow got too bright. Suddenly, it was painful to look at, and my eyes flew open.

I was back in the train carriage. Percy had fallen asleep with his head resting against the window, his mouth hanging up a fraction. Grover was sleeping too, but he'd slumped to the floor, his head leant back against the chair as he snored softly. The only one who wasn't sleeping was Annabeth, who was glaring at a spot of the floor with a look so intense, it worried me slightly.

I cleared my throat awkwardly, pushing myself upright. My chest felt tight and heavy, as though someone had been sat on it. As I reached a hand up to rub it, my fingers brushed against the locket I was still wearing. My stomach twisted when I realised it was hot and uncomfortable to touch, searing my skin. Gulping hard, I slipped the chain from around my neck and stuffed it into my pocket.

"Annabeth?" I started, fidgeting when I heard my voice was hoarse and irritated.

The daughter of Athena jumped a little, blinking once and turning to meet my gaze. "Oh, Acacia, I didn't realise you were awake," she smiled shakily.

"Everything okay?" I questioned, fully aware that my hands were shaky at my sides. I wasn't entirely sure what that dream had been about, but I did know that I wasn't that close to anyone, and I was only twelve.

"Oh, yeah," she nodded furiously. "I was just . . . thinking."

"Sounds ominous," I frowned.

She shook her head at me, taking a deep breath and trying to keep her face straight. "Everything's fine," she insisted. "We'll be fine."

I wasn't entirely sure I liked her tone of voice when she said that.

The train pulled into the station about an hour later. Annabeth took great pleasure in smacking Percy around the head to waking him up, while making sure to be careful with Grover. Sasha, on the other hand, stretched out from her spot beside me and yawned widely, showcasing her teeth right in Grover's face.

"She makes me really nervous sometimes," he admitted quietly. Sasha glanced back at me innocently, but her tail thumped in amusement. Smiling slightly, I followed Annabeth and a grumpy Percy out of the carriage and onto the platform at the station.

Annabeth thought we should contact Camp Half-Blood. Personally, I couldn't stand the idea of standing still. If Hera caught up with us . . . after what happened last time, I wasn't eager to let that happen again. But Annabeth was suddenly talking at us rapidly, going through what we should and shouldn't tell Chiron. Neither of the boys were listening. Grover was scanning the place for something to eat and Percy was trying to yawn without her noticing.

"Are you even listening to me?" Annabeth snapped, clicking her fingers impatiently in my face.

"No," I admitted simply, stepping around her to scan my surroundings. The more I saw, the deeper my frown became. With a twisting stomach, I slowly began to realise I'd been here before . . . worse than that, I thought I'd lived here before.

"Look, you guys go ahead," I said slowly, eyes fixing to the end of the street. "There's a gas station about ten minutes in that direction." I pointed to my left without turning.

"How'd you know that?" Percy frowned.

I ignored him. "There's a self-service carwash a little further on. You should be able to contact Chiron from there. I'm going to find somewhere to eat." The three of them exchanged mystified looks, but Percy immediately shut Annabeth out and frowned at me in concern.

"But what if Hera catches up to you?" he asked

I shrugged as though the idea didn't make my heart speed and my stomach drop. "Then I'm nowhere near you guys," I answered calmly.

Sasha barked indignantly at my feet. You need them my lady, she warned. No matter how annoying Perseus is.

"We're stronger together," Annabeth scowled. "Especially you and Percy. We shouldn't split up."

"Annabeth's right," Grover agreed.

I paused in my tracks and looked back at each of them curiously. Annabeth was desperately trying to keep her face straight, but her eyes glistened worriedly. Grover shuffled in his fake feet, barely managing to stop himself from bleating. Percy just stood with his hands in his pockets, frowning. It suddenly hit me how lucky I really was. These guys were willing to risk their own safety for mine, despite the fact I hadn't even known them for that long. The only trouble was, I needed to do this alone and I couldn't let them get hurt.

I smiled wryly at them. "I'll be fine," I dismissed.

"Acacia," Percy started.

"Seriously Percy, go and update Chiron and I'll meet you back here, I promise." I hesitated at the looks on their faces. "Trust me, please. I can't stand still and wait for something to happen. Annabeth, you know you need to contact Camp, so go do it."

"You shouldn't go alone," she told me, nudging Percy. He didn't need told twice apparently, because he took a step toward me. Sasha barked again, shuffling to my feet, but the others didn't seem to be paying attention.

"No," I scowled. "I said I'll be fine."

"And if one of the gods suddenly decides to test you?" he asked sourly.

"Then there is nothing you can do to help, is there?" I retorted, shrugging. "If I'm going to survive, then I need to cope on my own. Trust me, I can take care of myself."

"That's what Thalia thought too," Annabeth muttered, her bottom lip shaking.

I froze on the spot, face straightening. For a moment, I was speechless. I mean, what do you say to that?

"There's nothing you can do," I finally choked, turning before they could say anything else. I pulled myself around the corner and broke into a run, not really heading anywhere. So when I eventually did stop, I had no idea where I was. Or at least, I didn't for a moment.

I slumped onto a nearby low wall, taking a deep breath and lowering my face into my hands to block out the all-too-familiar sight of the street ahead. Sasha sat back and waited patiently, keeping quiet while I figured things out. Why had I let this happen? Annabeth and Grover had already lost Thalia and I looked so much like her . . . I know that shouldn't make a difference, but of course it did. The second the two of them looked at me, I could see it. Like when I first started at Camp, Annabeth couldn't be around me without tearing up. And now they cared about me as much as they had about Thalia. Would I really let them lose me, too?

Groaning, I jumped to my feet, restless. It took me a few glances for me to figure out why this street looked so familiar. Five houses lined each side of the road, cars parked by the garages and front gardens trimmed to perfection. All apart from one, at the very end.

As if in a trance, I started walking toward it, Sasha hot on my heels. A lump was forming in my throat and my heart was seizing up. If I continued at this rate, I wouldn't have to wait for the gods to kill me. My own heart would do the trick.

"Sasha, stay here," I muttered.

But my lady-

"Sasha please." She whined in protest, but lay down in defeat.

The garden was overgrown and wild, thorny branches sticking out between the planks on the fence. The paving stones leading to the house were crooked and uneven, the front door boarded up. All the windows had been put out and replaced with wood, a notice stuck to each one. Without hesitation, I hurried down the broken, uneven path and stopped abruptly at the door. The notice had a large 'WARNING' wrote on it and my dyslexia could just about make out 'this building is unsafe to enter' wrote underneath it. Still, I gave the door a shove. It swung open with a creepy creak.

The first thing I noticed was the musty smell that hit me like a wrecking ball the second I took a breath. The carpet in the hallway was old and worn, the doormat covered in filth. Wallpaper peeled from the walls and a painting hung lopsided at the end. My stomach twisted as I realised it was a painting of the world divided in three.

I stopped in front of it, unable to hold back a snort. The painted characters of Zeus and Poseidon looked nothing like them, and I prayed to my father that Hades didn't look quite that bad. I couldn't remember if I'd ever actually met him face to face, but if it were possible to be scared to death, I would have been if I saw that in real life. I shuddered, shaking the thoughts from my mind and turning into the dark doorway of the living room.

It was dark, damp and basically disgusting. A thick layer of dust covered everything and there was a pile of rubbish in the corner, where some homeless guy had spent the night. A small, thin line of light managed to squeeze between the gaps in the planks of wood over the windows, making the dust look even worse. I sighed heavily, my eyes burning.

I remembered this house, remembered the fights we had had in this very room. Why hadn't I remembered it was here, in Denver? My mother used to lie down on that very sofa, usually drunk. The broken television in the corner had been a result of Thalia losing her temper at her, and she apparently hadn't felt the need to replace it afterward. Everything that had happened here . . .

Gulping hard, I clenched my fists tightly to stop them shaking and turned toward the kitchen. Cupboard doors were hanging by their hinges, and empty bottles of alcohol were scattered along the work tops. I wasn't sure if they had been left there by my mother or another random homeless person. Right at that moment, I didn't really care.

My eyes locked onto the square table pushed against the wall to the left. A flash memory crept up on me again, the same one I'd had when I'd learnt about the three years I'd spent defending my mother from Hades. I saw how I'd sat in the furthest chair, worn out, battered and bruised after what I could only imagine was a severe encounter with far more than a couple of hellhounds. My eyes were drooping, and my hands wouldn't lie still on the table as my mother tried to wipe the blood off my knuckles. There were tears in her eyes, streaming down her cheeks as she worked silently. Did she realise then that I was only there for her? Did she know how often I wondered about what life would have been like if I'd let Thalia convince me to run away with her?

I didn't realise there were tears in my eyes until I heard footsteps behind me. Automatically, I reached for a sword, but my hand dropped to my side again when I heard Percy curse anxiously. "I thought you were going to talk to Chiron," I said, hurriedly wiping the tears from my eyes.

"I . . . err . . . A-Annabeth told me to find you," he stammered awkwardly. "She's at the car wash with Grover now."

I nodded silently, glancing at him over my shoulder. He was hovering in the doorway, unsure of what to do or say. His eyebrows were creased again, and he seemed halfway between concern and curiosity.

"I can wait outside, if you want," he shrugged.

"Don't worry about it," I sighed heavily, turning my back on the kitchen and slipping past him again. "It's not like there's much to see here anyway."

"And, err . . . where exactly are we?" he asked, and my lips pursed.

"My house," I told him evenly. His eyebrows rose a fraction. "My Mum's house."

There was a slight pause. "What happened to her?"

"Not sure," I admitted with a grimace, hating the way my voice shook. Percy flinched, his eyes meeting mine like he knew how I felt. "Chiron told me she'd died in an accident not long ago, but he didn't go into details. Probably drunk again." I waved a dismissive hand at one of the many alcohol bottles cluttering the abandoned house. "Surprised she lasted this long, to be honest."

"That's a little . . . harsh, isn't it?" he winced quietly.

I scoffed darkly, wiping away fresh tears before they had a chance to fall. "Not really. She wasn't brilliant after she lost one kid, and she was a wreck after she lost the second. There was a reason I put up with all those monsters, after all."

Percy's eyebrows tightened. "You had another sister?"

My throat tightened, but I shook my head. "Brother," I managed. "Long time ago." Glancing at sideways at him, I could tell he wanted to ask what had happened, but didn't dare open his mouth again. My lips tugged into a misplaced, sadden smile. "She lost him when he was two years old," I explained, my voice quivering again. "Thalia and me had only been gone a few minutes."

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"Don't be," I sighed. "Not your fault." Drumming my fingers along the wall, I took a deep breath and started through the hallway, aware Percy was following me. The thought that he felt he needed to make sure I was okay relaxed me slightly, and I found myself wondering if my long-lost brother would have been the same.

At the top of the stairs, I stopped outside the first door. Inside, the room was painted a sky blue, and a small cot stood in the corner where a spinning mobile hung overhead from the ceiling. Dusty stuffed toys had been stuffed inside it, and a woollen blanket was draped over the edge. The name 'Jason' had been sewn into it in blue string.

"Your brother's room?" Percy clarified. I nodded once, sniffing loudly as I pulled the door shut. Just looking at it all made me feel sick.

"Percy, I know this sounds weird but . . . don't mention him, okay?" I muttered, glancing at him with a small frown. "It's hard enough everyone going on about Thalia and the pine tree at Camp, and now Mum . . ."

"I won't say a word," Percy promised, and I knew he'd never break it. I had to restrain an odd laugh at the thought. If only it was as easy for Zeus and Poseidon to get along.

The next room along was quite a bit bigger. I couldn't tell what colour the walls had been because old, worn posters covered almost every inch. They showed pictures of a lot of bands I'd never heard of, and some of Thalia's favourite band, Green Day. A small space had been reserved for childish drawings that had mine and Jason's name scribbled in the corner. There were two beds, one at either side of the room.

The moment I took a step inside, something cracked under my foot and I instantly jumped back. Dust was covering whatever I had broken, yet shards of green glass could be seen poking through the thick layer. Slowly, I bent down to pick it up. My hands shook as I held it, squinting to see it properly. I didn't recognise it, but I supposed I could have forgotten. Frowning a little, I flipped it over in my hand and my insides froze.

On the back of the glass, the image of a peacock feather had been stamped in black ink.