{BOOK 2} Percy Jackson's Sister

Timeout, What's a Demigod?

        I was kind of hoping that the first god I met would be my dad. Percy didn't seem that impressed, I assumed because he's been to Olympus before. All he said was "Um...okay."

      Grover had a completely different reaction. He hurriedly knelt and said, "Thank you, Lady Artemis! You're so... you're so... Wow!"

      "Get up goat boy!" Thalia snapped. "We have other things to worry about. Annabeth is gone!"

      I had been taught never to disrespect a powerful deity, but Artemis didn't seem to take Thalia's anger personally.

     Bianca made a T sign with her hands, "Woah. Hold up. Time out."

      We all looked at her and she seemed to get a little nervous with all the attention, but she continued. "Who..." She pointed at all of us, trying to make sense of things. "Who are you people?"

     Artemis stepped forward. "It might be a better question, my dear girl, to ask who are you! Who are your parents?"

     Bianca glanced at Nico who seemed completely entranced by Artemis.

    "Our parents are dead," Bianca said. "We're orphans. There's a bank trust that pays for our school, but..."

    We all were probably giving her a funny look, knowing that one of her parents was still very much alive.

     "What?" she asked. "I'm telling the truth."

     You are a half-blood," Zoë abruptly broke the news to her. Her accent was heavy and sounded as though she was from extremely ancient times. Even Artemis spoke more modernly than her. "One of thy parents was mortal. The other was an Olympian."

     "An Olympian... athlete?"

     "No," Zoe said. "One of the gods."

      Nico's face lit up. "Cool!"

     "No!" Bianca tried deflating his excitement. "This is not cool!"

     It didn't work. Nico began prancing around in the snow. "Does Zeus really have lightning bolts that do six hundred damage? Does he get extra movement points for-"

    "Nico, shut up!" Bianca put her hands against her face in frustration. "This is not your stupid Mythomagic game, okay? There are no gods!"

     I sympathized with her. I had once believed that gods were all a myth and that monsters didn't exist but then I was abruptly thrown into the real world. The bandage taken away from my eyes in a swift movement, just like we were doing to them.

     Percy, Thalia, and I all exchanged a look, knowing we were feeling the same thing. Percy spoke up. "Bianca, I know it's hard to believe. But the gods are still around. Trust me. They're immortal. And whenever they have kids with regular humans, kids like us, well... Our lives are dangerous."

    "Dangerous," Bianca repeated, "like the girl who fell."

      Any sadness I felt for her shook off of me. "Watch it," I growled.

      Percy looked at me, silently telling me to cool it. They were just trying to figure things out. I simply looked away and sat down on a nearby boulder.

     "Do not despair for Annabeth," the goddess said. "She was a brave maiden. If she can be found, I shall find her."

      "Then why won't you let us go look for her?" Percy asked.

     "She is gone. Can't you sense it, Son of Poseidon? Some magic is at work. I do not know exactly how or why, but your friend has vanished."

     I knew what she meant. If she was still down there, in the ocean, Percy or I could sense her. Dead or alive. By the look on Percy's face, he sensed no more than I did.

   "Oo!" Nico raised his hand as if he were in class. "What about Dr. Thorn? That was awesome how you shot him with arrows! Is he dead?"

    "He was a manticore," Artemis explained. "Hopefully he is destroyed for now, but monsters never truly die. They re-form over and over again, and they must be hunted whenever they reappear."

    "Or they'll hunt us," Thalia offered.

     Bianca shivered, turning to her brother. "That explains... Nico, you remember last summer, those guys who tried to attack us in the alley in DC?"

     "And that bus driver," Nico added. "The one with the ram's horns. I told you that was real."

     "That's why Grover has been watching you," I explained, having leveled my head a bit. "To keep you safe, if you turned out to be half-bloods."

     "Grover?" Bianca blinked. "You're a demigod?"

     "Well, a satyr, actually." He kicked off his shoes that were full of stuffing to keep from falling, revealing his hooves. Bianca turned pale.

     "Grover, put your shoes back on," Thalia said.

      "Yeah dude, you're freaking her out," I added.

      "Hey," he said in defense. "My hooves are clean!"

      "Bianca," Percy said, "we came here to help you. You and Nico need training to survive. Dr. Thorn won't be the last monster you meet. You need to come to camp."

     "Camp?" she asked.

     "Camp Half-Blood," Percy said.I got up from my rock and Grover sat down to put his shoes back on.

     "It's where half-bloods learn to survive and stuff. You can join us, stay there year-round if you like."

     "Sweet, let's go!" Nico started jumping again.

     "Wait," Bianca still looked really confused. "I don't-"

      "There is another option," Zoe said.

     "There is?" I asked

      "No, there isn't!" Thalia said.

     Thalia and Zoë glared at each other. I had never been offered another option other than camp and by Thalia's tone, she didn't like that option. There was some bad blood between her and Zoë, something she hadn't mentioned before.

    "We've burdened these children enough," Artemis told us. "Zoe, we will rest here for a few hours. Raise the tents. Treat the wounded. Retrieve our guests' belongings from the school."

    "Yes, my lady."

     The goddess turned to the di Angelos. "And, Bianca, come with me. I would like to speak with you."

     "What about me?"Nico asked.

      Artemis looked him over. "Perhaps you can show Grover how to play that card game you enjoy. I'm sure Grover would be happy to entertain you for a while... as a favor to me?"

      Grover stumbled over himself, rushing to Artemis' command. "You bet! Come on, Nico!"

     They walked off, Nico rambling on about hit points and rankings and a bunch of other stuff.

     "The nerve of those Hunters!" Thalia stomped her foot in the snow. "They think they're so... Argh!"

     "I'm with you," Percy said. "I don't trust-"

     "Oh, you're with me?" Thalia angrily cut him off. "What were you thinking back there in the gym, Percy? You'd take on Dr. Thorn all by yourself? You knew he was a monster!"

     Thalia continued scolding Percy as I bent down to pick up something from the ground. I dusted off the snow and started at the white Yankees logo of Annabeth's cap. I felt tears form in my eyes. 

      Percy opened his mouth to say something to Thalia but then he saw me, holding Annabeth's cap. He clenched his jaw and looked away.

    "C'mon, Cassidy." Thalia said, wiping a tear from her eye. She grabbed my wrist and pulled me with her, away from Percy.