Myka went to Hermes cabin after lunch. Helena wasn't in her room, of course, so Myka sat down on the bottom bunk and waited. Helena would have to return at some point.

An hour later, Myka was bored and a little anxious that she was skipping a camp activity to sit here. But it was only a basketball tournament, not training or chores, so she didn't think she'd be in too much trouble. She distracted herself by investigating Helena's scroll collection. It was fascinating. Helena had scrolls on weaponry and forging, and then she had scrolls of her own handwritten notes. They weren't diaries - Myka wouldn't have read those. They were homemade technical manuals and lab journals. Apparently, Helena spent a lot of time experimenting with her own weapons.

She lost track of time reading about Helena's inventions. She was halfway through the design plans for a grappling gun when the dinner bell rang. Myka jerked her head towards the door at the sound. She had hoped to see Helena, but clearly she wouldn't return until after dinner. Myka began rolling up the scrolls to place them back on the desk where she'd found them.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh geez!" Myka startled and her hand slipped on the bed and she nearly fell off before she regained her balance. Helena stood by the door, her arms crossed over her chest.

"I'm sorry!" Myka said. She quickly dropped the scrolls on the desk, but one tried to roll off and she had to lunge for it to set it right. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I wanted to talk to you, but then you were gone a long time and I got caught up in your designs, and I'm sorry." She hopped off the bed apologetically.

"Why did you want to talk to me?" Helena asked.

Myka's heart still raced from being caught. "Um, because. Because you weren't talking to me, and I wanted to know why."

Helena didn't show if she was mad or not. But she must have been because she also wasn't bouncy or energetic like the previous times Myka had seen her.

Helena said, "Possibly because you're known for breaking and entering."

Myka frowned. "No, I'm not. This wasn't.. you - you, I was looking for you."

"And I wasn't here, and then you waited and went through my things." Helena hoisted herself up on the top bunk and situated herself at the second desk.

Okay, Myka could see where breaking and entering could be applied. "Did you steal my glasses?"

"What?" Helena stared at her.

"Before they were blessed, did you steal them?" Myka asked. "Or did you just find them and give them back to me?"

Helena paused before answering. "I borrowed them because I thought you would like to read."

"I always could read."

"Read without any struggling."

Myka twisted her forefingers against each other. "Did you have my glasses blessed?"

"It wasn't terribly exciting," Helena said. "I never saw your mother or anything."

"But you asked for my glasses to be blessed," Myka confirmed. "That's kind of a big deal."

Helena shrugged.

"Thank you for doing that. They work really goo- well."

"You shouldn't thank me," Helena said. "Your mother didn't do it because I asked. She did it because she wanted to claim you. It had nothing to do with me."

Myka contemplated if this was true.

"Do you like the Athena cabin?"

"Oh yeah! I love it! The cabin's really nice and I got to read all about claiming and blessings today. And I was going to read about the history of the camp next, but now I kind of want to read more about the different kinds of swords. And Katina's going to let me work with the war table tomorrow."

Helena was turned to face her now. She didn't look as mad. "They do have a rather nice war table."

Myka nodded and smiled. "It's so cool. Katina's going to teach me about battle strategy."

"It won't take much," Helena said. "You'll be a natural with strategy."

"Because Athena is the goddess of war and strategy." Myka had read about demigod traits, too. The claiming scrolls listed some information on traits. "Helena, who're your parents?"

"I don't have parents."

"But you know what you're good at, especially because you've been here so long," Myka said. "Doesn't that tell you which god you're related to?"

Helena smirked. "Of course it doesn't. You're forgetting, I'm good at everything."

"Nuh uh."

"I am, too." Helena hopped back down to the floor to stand in front of Myka. "I'm too good at everything I try. It isn't helpful in the slightest to determine my parentage."

Myka huffed. "Well, you're bad at being humble."

"We're demigods. Humility has no use in our world."

Myka ignored that. "And you're good at stealing things."

Helena rolled her eyes. "No, I'm not. This is a camp full of children. Stealing from the others here isn't difficult enough to judge my skill level."

"So, I should make it harder for you to steal from me."

Helena grinned. "You can try." Myka grinned, too.

"But you have to be better at some things."

Helena shook her head. "I don't belong with any of them. I'm nobody's child, and I like it better that way."

"No, you don't." Myka hadn't. She much preferred knowing for sure she was in Athena's cabin.

"I do." Helena pulled herself back onto the top bunk and sat on the edge. "Besides, what cabin could offer my own room with two beds and two desks? None of them. This is better."

Myka glanced around the narrow room. The double-decker desks were pretty cool, and Helena had full sheets on her beds instead of sleeping bags. But she was also by herself and didn't know who had made her a demigod or why she had certain tendencies.

Maybe Helena could tell Myka wasn't convinced, or maybe she wanted to do work instead of talk. "You should eat before dinner is over."

"Oh, right. Okay." Myka shuffled to the door. "Um, see you later?"

Helena smiled and nodded. "I'll see you later."


Myka still thought about Helena as she scooted through the line for dinner. She hesitated at the fire for her sacrifice and decided to try something. She closed her eyes and thought really hard as she scraped some food into the flames.

Please help Helena so she's not lonely. Please claim her.


Myka was high up, flying somewhere or maybe just watching somebody fly. She couldn't feel any wind against her face. Hadn't she been asleep?

Some man flew beside her. He had a messenger bag slung across his chest that stayed resting at his hip. It didn't succumb to gravity and hang down. Myka frowned at it.

"Your mother sent me to you," the man said. "She informed me you were angry with me."

Myka didn't know why her mom would think she was angry. She liked camp now. She wasn't mad about being sent away anymore, if she ever had been. She thought she had just been scared. It had all happened really fast.

"Not your step-mother. Athena," the man said. "Your real mother."

Myka focused on the man. Her real mom had talked to him. Was this Athena's way of talking to her? Was this one of those prophecy dreams she had read about? Demigods had those when something big was going on. But what something big was happening? She'd already been claimed.

"I don't know why I'm talking to you either," the man said. "Your mother wouldn't say. She said you had a problem with me and I needed to speak with you. So why are you so angry with me? What could I have possibly done to offend such a young demigod like you? You've hardly been around yet."

"I don't know."

The man huffed.

"I'm sorry, I don't know," Myka repeated. She was waking up now. Not waking up from the dream waking up, but her mind felt less groggy. "I didn't say I was mad at anyone."

"Then what did you pray to your mother about?"

Myka thought back to the last thing she prayed about. She hadn't sent any requests to her mom. She didn't have a clear idea of how to use prayers and sacrifices, so she'd just been saying thank you. She didn't have anything to ask for.

"Helena," she remembered.

"Helena?"

Myka nodded. "I asked the gods to help Helena."

"Helena Wells?" the man said. "What does Helena need help with? She seems self-sufficient to me."

"She doesn't know which cabin she's supposed to be in because she's never been claimed," Myka said. "I think she's sad. We were both unclaimed, and then I was claimed and she didn't talk to me for a while. I think she wants to know who her dad or mom is even though she says she likes her room."

The man was silent for a time, and he straightened like he was standing in midair. Myka glanced around and realized they weren't flying anymore. They were hovering. For a moment, she panicked and wondered if they were going to fall. She hated the falling dreams.

"Helena's been claimed," the man said.

"Really?" Myka forgot about the haunting falling sensation. "Just now?"

"No, she was claimed years ago."

Myka frowned and slowly shook her head. "No. No she wasn't. Everyone said she's not claimed."

"She's in Hermes cabin where she's supposed to be."

"Because we're all in Hermes cabin until we're claimed."

The man looked stern. "Myka, I've claimed her already."

Oh. Myka's eyes widened and a sliver of fear that had nothing to do with hanging in midair crept through her chest. This man wasn't some random dream figure. It was Hermes himself. She'd been talking to a god.

"I don't know why you think she hasn't been claimed, but if that's the only issue you had, then I'll let you go back to sleep."

"No! Wait!" Myka said. "But she really hasn't been claimed. She doesn't know you're her dad. No one does. Jack didn't know either, and he would know if she's supposed to be in your cabin."

Hermes looked upset. "But I did claim her."

Myka shook her head. "No, you didn't. Or you did and no one saw, maybe."

"Nobody misses a claiming."

Myka didn't know how to argue with a god, but if no one missed a claiming, then Hermes had not claimed Helena. "I'm sorry. She doesn't know you're her dad."

Hermes stared at her long enough for Myka to wonder if she overstepped and infuriated a god. He spoke, "Go home."

Myka woke up.

The room was dark. Myka struggled with her sleeping bag as she sat up. She looked around. The cabin was still asleep. She was still at camp, and she wasn't sure if she had really just spoken with the Greek god Hermes or if that had been a dream.

She knew she was still tired, though. As her heart rate slowed back to normal, Myka felt sleep climb over her again, and her eyelids grew heavy. She laid back down and fell back asleep.


She sat at breakfast the next morning, eating her hashbrowns. She swallowed and turned to Katina. "Was there a claiming last night?"

"A claiming? No. Who is there left to claim?"

"So Hermes didn't claim Helena last night?"

Katina frowned. "No. Why would you think he did?"

Myka shook her head. "Just a weird dream."

"Like a dream dream or a prophecy dream?"

Myka didn't want to say and have the dream become a big deal. She was still scared of the idea that she had talked to a real god. "It had purple cows and my middle school in it."

Katina laughed. "So not a prophecy dream. Gotcha."


Monday afternoon placed Myka at the armory practicing with her sword. Katina, Jordan, and her each worked with a dummy target outside while Bailey experimented with Grant's preferred spear at another. They'd only been out there an hour when a knife spun in to jab Myka's dummy in the neck. Myka stopped and turned in the direction of the throw to see Helena walking towards her.

"Are you throwing knives at me again?" she asked.

Helena smiled. "Just the one. It's more fun than a simple hello." Myka rolled her eyes. "Want to spar?"

"You don't have your sword," Myka pointed out.

"Have you never sparred with knives before?" Helena twirled one in her hand. "I assure you, I won't need my sword."

Myka agreed, feeling awkward about swinging at someone who didn't have the same length of blade. She quickly learned, though, a sword didn't have a natural advantage over a knife. In fact, Myka was at a distinct disadvantage as Helena danced in and out with her knives. Helena would dart in and tap Myka in her armor before she could block. Helena tapped her once in helmet, too which made Myka huff. She pushed herself to be quicker, but Helena was fighting with a knife in both hands. It was more than she could keep track of.

Helena tumbled underneath Myka's swing instead of side-stepping or blocking. What a show-off. The somersault knocked a ink pen out from Helena's pocket, but she didn't pause to pick it up. Myka swung again and Helena deflected it with one knife and tapped her shoulder with the other.

"Struck again," she gloated. Myka tried to push the frustration away so she could focus. Helena swung and Myka blocked it and held the block so Helena couldn't free her knife. Helena twisted and used her other hand to trap Myka's wrist and knock her sword away. Myka dropped her shoulders, disheartened, and moved to pick it up. Helena stepped in her way. Myka stepped back and moved the other way to grab it, but Helena blocked her again.

"What are you doing?" Myka asked.

"Well, a monster won't pause a fight for you to retrieve your sword. Why should I?" Helena lunged, and Myka jumped out of the way. She had to keep bouncing and moving on her toes because Helena wouldn't let her relax. Myka realized she'll have to lead Helena far enough from her sword to allow Myka to make a dash for it.

"There you go," Helena said when Myka jumped from one knife and ducked the other in immediate succession. Then Myka tripped over nothing and fell to her side. She groaned. This always seemed to happen to her at the worst times.

Helena laughed at her clumsiness. "Better get up quick."

Myka glared and then squinted as Helena ran forward and the sun glinted off the pen in her pocket. Myka rolled when Helena jabbed down at her and pushed herself up as Helena recovered. She stumbled backwards and almost fell again before she regained her balance on her feet. The sun reflected off Helena's knives and pen again. Seriously for someone who wasn't wearing armor, she was sure blinding in the sun.

Myka stepped around to get out of the angle of the glare. She focused again on dodging knife blows and designing a path to retrieve her sword, but an idle thought sidetracked her. When did Helena pick up her pen? How did it get back in her pocket? It was a little detail that nagged at her even as Helena advanced on her again.

And Myka's plan wasn't working. Every time she maneuvered Helena out of her way, three swings later, Helena would have reasserted herself firmly between Myka and her sword. If only her sword had been the real Riptide Katina had talked about. Her sword would've reappeared in her hand by now.

Myka's eyes widened. She hit Helena's forearm with her own to ward off another strike and hopped away. Myka's sword was mechanically collapsible like the magical sword Riptide. Didn't Katina say the real Riptide looked like a pen when it was collapsed?

Myka dodged again. New plan: grab Helena's pen. If Helena had Riptide, then Myka would have a sword to fight with again. If the pen was just a pen, well, then, she wouldn't be any worse off than she was right now.

Myka watched Helena's movements, trying to time a lunge for Helena's pocket. Myka had no experience at picking pockets, and she wasn't the most graceful tumbler. If she was tumbling to the ground, she was just falling. But she could snag a speeding dodgeball while falling, so surely she could snag a pen from a pocket, right?

There was the opening. Myka lunged, and since Helena wasn't expecting her to attack unarmed, she held out her arms to keep from accidentally stabbing Myka. It left her pocket even more exposed, and Myka successfully plucked out the pen, though she rolled painfully over her arm as she landed. She took a breath through the pain and then pushed herself up. Helena scoffed behind her.

"What on earth was that meant to accomplish?"

Myka searched for the button to spring out the sword, but there wasn't one. Was the pen really just a pen?

Helena circled around her. "Myka, you can't just stop. You have to get your sword."

But how could it be just a pen? Myka saw it fall out and then it was back in Helena's pocket. She pulled off the cap to double check and suddenly it transformed into a sword.

"Whoa!" So that's what a magical sword looked like.

Helena stood stunned. "What.. what did you do?" Myka didn't think she was talking about the pen-to-sword transformation. Helena's face sunk into a dark glare. "Give that back."

Myka felt too flushed from gaining the upper hand. She stepped back into a fighting stance. "Come get it."

"Give it back!" Helena dropped a knife and reached out with just her hand. Myka ducked back and wouldn't let her grab it.

"You gotta disarm me again."

"Myka, this isn't a game!"

"The monster wouldn't stop and hand over your sword. I stole it!" Myka bounced on her toes. She felt good now that she was armed again. She wanted to duel again. "Come get it back!"

Instead of picking up the knife she'd dropped, Helena flicked out a different one that had been tucked into her clothing somewhere. How many knives did she carry on her?

"Give it back now, Myka," Helena said lowly.

Myka danced forward and tapped a knife with the tip of the sword. "Disarm me first."

Helena lashed out. Myka barely had time to block it and then dodge the next slash. She was getting better at tracking two weapons at once, and boy did Riptide feel good to swing, but each block infuriated Helena more. Their weapons reverberated on a particularly loud collision, and Myka winced.

"Give me back my sword!" Helena demanded. Myka was shocked to see the beginning of tears in her eyes.

Her stomach sunk. She'd messed up. She had done something bad and messed up. She shouldn't have taken Helena's sword.

Myka dodged another swing. She was scared now about having this sword and making Helena so angry. When Helena swung again, she blocked it and then retreated. She was near her own sword now with Helena out of position to block her from grabbing it. When Helena pursued to attack again, Myka reared her arm back and flung Helena's sword far down the field. Then, she dashed the few steps to her own sword, plucked it off the ground, and spun around - to find the tip of Helena's sword at her throat.

Myka gasped. "Wh.. how? How'd you do that so fast?"

"Don't /ever/ take my sword again," Helena said. "Ever."

Grant rushed over. "What are you doing?" He grabbed Helena's wrist and pulled Myka away from the blade. Helena yanked her arm free. "What do you think you're doing?" Grant demanded.

"It wasn't her fault!" Myka said.

"We were only dueling," Helena said calmly. Though traces of fury still showed on her face.

"No, you were threatening another camper. That's not dueling anymore. Hey!" he yelled as Helena began to walk away. He latched onto her arm again. "Don't you walk away or teleport or whatever. You're going to see Chiron."

"Let go of me!" Helena slammed the hilt of her knife into his hand so he'd let go and began to run. Grant moved to run after her, but Bailey yelled out.

"Grant! Grant, look!"

Myka saw it, the gold mark hovering above Helena's head as she ran. "Helena! Helena, wait!" She charged after her. "Helena!"

Helena might have had some supernatural ability to pop across a field and back in two seconds, but in normal running, Myka was faster. She caught up to Helena and called out again, "Helena, wait! Stop."

Helena spun around. "I wasn't threatening you."

"Okay, I know."

"Or I was, but I only wanted my sword. I wasn't going to hurt you."

"Helena, I know," Myka said impatiently. "Now, aren't you going to look up?"

"What?"

"Look up!" Myka pointed, and finally, Helena looked up to see the winged shoe floating above her head.

"What..."

"You've been claimed!" Myka said with a soft giggle. "He claimed you. Hermes claimed you."

Helena stared up at the mark. "But.. why now?"

Myka stared up at the mark, too. She didn't know why Hermes had taken almost two days since her dream to make the claim. It seemed slow for a god. "I guess the gods really do like a spectacle."


Author's Note: (because I forgot it the first time round) This section of the story has come to an end now that all the kids are claimed. I thought this would be a brief(er) fic about Myka and Pete discovering they're demigods, but I fell in love with the setting. So there will be sequels later after I get through NanoWrimo and update Love Spoilers. :) Thank you all for reading!

And to clear up some confusion (because somebody asked as a guest so I can't reply directly). Helena didn't know she was claimed because Hermes honestly didn't claim her. He screwed up his perfect track record. He overlooked her, but still thought he'd claimed her because she was in his cabin already. Greek gods can be as flawed as humans sometimes. ;) I'm sorry I didn't make that clearer. I didn't edit this last chapter carefully enough.