"He’s the answer." Butch repeated.

I frowned at the blond boy who looked so confused, yet could spout off Roman words and understand terms.

"No, Butch," Annabeth insisted. "He can’t be. I was tricked." She glared at the sky as though it had done something wrong. "What do you want from me?" she screamed. "What have you done with him?"

"Hera, get your ass down here!" I screamed as well. Again, I threw a fire ball, but this time straight up into the air. Nothing happened, the fire just fizzled out.

The skywalk shuddered, and the horses whinnied urgently.

"Annabeth...Nora..." Butch said oddly gentle, "we gotta leave. Let’s get these three to camp and figure it out there. Those storm spirits might come back."

I just nodded. Glitter cantered over, lightly.

"Lady, the chariot won't fit everyone."

"Ya ..If you don't mind, we can take one of them."

"Not at all."

Annabeth dimmed for a moment. "Fine." She fixed Jason with a resentful look. "We’ll settle this later."

I sighed, she wasn't handling this well at all. I don't know why I wasn't falling to pieces. Maybe I was just broken already. She turned on her heel and marched toward the chariot.

Piper shook her head. "What’s her problem? What’s going on?"

"Seriously," Leo agreed.

"We have to get you out of here," Butch said. "We'll explain on the way."

"I’m not going anywhere with her." Jason gestured toward Annabeth. "She looks like she wants to kill me."

Butch hesitated. "Annabeth’s okay."

"You're welcome to ride with me and Glitter, you all won't fit in the chariot." I said glummly. I turned and graceful leapt up onto the back of my horse.

Piper looked like she was ready to murder me.

"You gotta cut her some slack. She had a vision telling her to come here, to find a guy with one shoe. That was supposed to be the answer to her problem."

"What problem?" Piper asked, now glaring at Butch.

"We- we've been looking for one of our campers, who’s been missing three days," I said quietly.

Butch nodded, "Both girls are going out of their mind with worry. They hoped he’d be here.”

“Who?” Jason asked.

"Her boyfriend," Butch said. "A guy named Percy Jackson."

"My brother."

Eyes snapped to me for a moment. And then to Annabeth. I blinked back tears for a moment. "Come on. We need to leave."

Butch ushered them all over to the chariot. They all insisted they would fit. Annabeth and I had a silent conversation. I'd stay at the back and make sure no one fell off.

We took off into the sky. It was. But bumpy and rough, but they seemed to fit alright. Piper kept glancing nervously behind her. I couldn't hear what they were talking about but I figured Annabeth and Bitch could handle their questions.

"Lady...do you find it odd you had a dream where the Greek and Roman goddess appears to you, and then a boy who appears to have some influence of Roman upbringing?"

"A coincidence? No. I think it's planned. Why? I don't know. What's going on? I don't know. But no...nothing in my demigod life is coincidentally."

Behind them, more storm clouds were gathering. The chariot lurched and bumped. And as expected, one of them fell out the back. Glitter was already diving. She shot straight down. I reached a hand out and caught hold of Leo's hand. As Glitter swooped under him, I threw him behind me, onto Glitters back. She slowed down smoothly.

Leo held onto my waist like it was his only hope of survival, his face burried into my back.

"Where the heck are the seatbelts?" He groaned.

"Weren't invented yet." I shrugged.

"I gotta invent some then."

"Seatbelts in a war chariot aren't smart."

He just hummed. He slowly loosened his grip. "Sorry..." He muttered.

"For?"

"Screaming, holding you like a teddy bear...it's all very overwhelming."

"I don't doubt it. My first day I meet my godly father and then vaporized my school bullies, was attacked by my math teacher - who turned out to be my half sister, on my godly side, but was working for the bad guys, and my art teacher way my Coach Hedge...and I met my step brother, who is also my great uncle, on the godly side."

"Whoa. And I thought I had a bad day."

"Just your typical day as a demi god."

"Okay...so explain." He was fidgiting, I could feel his fingers drumming on Glitters battle armor.

"Well...half blood, demi god. Your half mortal and half Greek god. Mortal mom or dad?"

I felt him stiffen, like the subject was not something he wanted to talk about.

"Mom." He finally answered.

"Okay...so your godly parent would be your dad. Though, the odd time you get a same sex couple. My dad is Apollo, god of the sun, archery, prophecy, arts, medicine... Annabeth her mom is Athena, goddess of wisdom. Butch, up there, his mom is the goddess of rainbows."

Leo choked. "His mom is a rainbow goddess?"

"Got a problem with that?" I asked, turning my head to see him. Leo was looking up at the Chariot where Butch had the reins.

"No, no," Leo said. "Rainbows. Very macho."

"Butch is our best equestrian," I said. "He gets along great with the pegasi."

"Rainbows, ponies," Leo muttered.

"He's also very protective of us. So...don't piss him off."

"Wouldn't dream of it." He said, but his mischievous smile said otherwise. I chuckled and shook my head.

"So. Where are you whisking us off to?"

"A safe place, it's called camp half blood. It's a place for demigods-"

Lightning flashed. The chariot shuddered, and someone on the chariot yelled, "left wheel’s on fire!"

Glitter twisted around and I saw dark shapes forming in the clouds, more storm spirits spiraling toward the chariot—except these looked more like horses than angels.

"Nora! No! You have a new one!" I turned my head and saw No Butch shaking his head.

"Leo!" I yelled over the wind. "Hold on, and it's gonna get a bit hot for a moment."

"Uhhh...okay. Never had a girl tell me to hold tighter while it gets hot..."

"Don't flatter yourself, kid." I rolled my eyes. I threw up a wall of heat to shield the chariot. "Go!" I yelled over the wind. The wild horses slammed into my shield of pure heat and they turned into mist which sizes against the shield.

"Just listen to her! Go!" Annabeth yelled.

"I can't hold it forever!" I yelled back. I could feel the storm spirits pushing the wall back towards me. I wasn't strong enough to hold them all.

Butch flicked the reins, and the pegasi put on a burst of speed, and the chariot blurred out of sight.

"You holding on?"

"For dear life!" Leo yelled back.

"Now Glitter!"

She spun around and was gone, chasing after the chariot, I heard Leo scream. And then the next moment she was slowly galloping down to the beach, where a group of campers were waiting. We touched down and were swarmed and everyone was asking questions over questions.

There was a snap noise that echoed off the beach and then wild screams and terrified whinnies of the pegasi. I turned and saw them all crash into the water. Campers ran to help.

"This a regular thing?" Leo asked, "crashing in the lake?"

"More than you would think ya."

"Nora!"

A deep voice rose above the rest I turned and saw Raph pushing his way through the crowd. I slid off Glitter into his arms. I hugged him back tightly.

"Your okay?" He asked.

"Ya. Ran into some nasty Venti. But we're all okay."

"Some what?" He asked pulling away.

"Uhh, some Ánemoi Thúellai." I corrected myself. The Roman word slipped out. Like it was natural. I had a splitting headache for a moment, making me wince. Raph looked at me in concern, but a second later it was gone.

Leo had slipped off Glitters back and ran to his friends. Jason, Annabeth, Butch and now Piper were on shore, surrounded by kids giving them blankets and asking questions. Somebody took Piper by the arms and helped her stand. A detail of Hephaestus campers ran up with big bronze leaf blower–looking things and blasted them with hot air; and in about two seconds their clothes were dry.

A second later the wreckage of the chariot was tossed from the lake and landed nearby with a wet crunch.

I turned and waved a thank you to the niaeds.

"NORA! ANNABETH!"

I groaned. And turned to see Will storming up the beach. He had a bow in his hand and quiver on his back.

"I said you could borrow the chariot, not destroy it!”

"Will, I’m sorry," Annabeth sighed. "I’ll get it fixed, I promise."

"Ya, she'll get it fixed!"

"Nora!" They both gasped.

"What I didn't drive it." I shrugged, giving them both a small half hearted smile. Will rolled his eyes in his I'm- exasperated- with-you-but-I-love-you way and pulled me into a tight hug.

Then he sized up Piper, Leo, and Jason. "These are the ones? Way older than thirteen. Why haven’t they been claimed already?"

"I don't know. Something's off." I agreed.

"Claimed?"  Leo asked.

Before any of us could explain, Will said, "Any sign of Percy?"

"No," Annabeth admitted. I shook my head to confirm what she said.

Drew, the new Aphrodite head Counselor stepped forward, she was tall, with Asian features, dark hair in ringlets, plenty of jewelry, and perfect makeup. Somehow she always managed to make jeans and an orange T-shirt look glamorous. She glanced at Leo, and I could see the answer, and then she fixed her eyes on Jason like he might be worthy of her attention, then curled her lip at Piper as if she were a week-old burrito that had just been pulled out of a Dumpster.

I rolled my eyes. I couldn't stand Drew. She couldn't be more different than Selina.

"Well," Drew sniffed, "I hope they’re worth the trouble."

"Drew." I warned. "Every demigod is worth saving. Shut up."

Leo snorted. "Gee, thanks. What are we, your new pets?"

"No kidding," Jason said. "How about some answers before you start judging us—like, what is this place, why are we here, how long do we have to stay?"

"Jason," Annabeth said, "we promise we’ll answer your questions. And Drew"- she frowned at the glamour girl- "Nora is right, all demigods are worth saving. But I’ll admit, the trip didn’t accomplish what I hoped."

"Hey," Piper said, "we didn’t ask to be brought here."

Drew sniffed. "And nobody wants you, hon. Does your hair always look like a dead badger?"

"Drew!" I yelled, spinning on my heel towards her. I could feel my hands tingling, and I had to clench them hard to keep them combusting into full flames, they did spark a little, though, and she stepped back.

Piper stepped forward, ready to smack her, but Annabeth said, “Piper, stop."

She did. But I was ready to smack her, and I stepped closer.

"One day, Nora. You won't be here and I'll be mine."

"Ha. Good try." I hissed back.

Raph stepped forwards and pulled me away. "Breathe baby." He whispered in my ear, "you know she only says stupid shit to get you riled up."

"She's just so...uh! She reminds me off the bullies who were monsters. Can't I vaporize her?"

"No." He said firmly. He kissed my temple.

"We need to make our new arrivals feel welcome," Annabeth said, with another pointed look at Drew. "We’ll assign them each a guide, give them a tour of camp. Hopefully by the campfire tonight, they’ll be claimed."

"Would somebody tell me what claimed means?" Piper asked.

Suddenly there was a collective gasp. A few younger campers backed away. But I smiled. I figured he was either Hermes or Hephaestus. Floating over Leo’s head was a blazing holographic image - a fiery hammer.

"That," I said dryly, "is claiming." And pointed to the floating symbol above Leo's head.

"What’d I do?"  Leo backed toward the lake. Then he glanced up and yelped. "Is my hair on fire?"  He ducked, but the symbol followed him, bobbing and weaving so it looked like he was trying to write something in flames with his head.

"This can’t be good," Butch muttered. “
"The curse-"

"Butch, shut up," Raph braked.

"Leo, you’ve just been claimed-"

"By a god," Jason interrupted. "That’s the symbol of-

-"Vulcan-" I said, at the same time as Jason. I gasped again, the pain in my head was sharp.

-" isn’t it?” Jason finished.

All eyes turned to him but flicked back to me and bounced back and forth.

Annabeth gave me giving me a weird look, but she answered Jason, carefully. "uh, how did you know that?”

"I’m not sure."

"Vulcan?" Leo demanded. "I don’t even LIKE Star Trek. What are you talking about?"

"Vulcan is the Roman name for Hephaestus," Annabeth said, "the god of blacksmiths and fire."

The fiery hammer faded, but Leo kept swatting the air like he was afraid it was following him. "The god of what? Who?"

Annabeth turned to Will, "would you take Leo, give him a tour? Introduce him to his bunk-mates in Cabin Nine."

"Sure, Annabeth."

"What’s Cabin Nine?" Leo asked. "And I’m not a Vulcan!"

"Come on, Mr. Spock, I’ll explain everything." Will put a hand on his shoulder and steered him off toward the cabins. Will caught my eye and we grinned. Leo was gonna be a handful. I liked him already. Will winked at me and I grinned back.

I turned back to Jason. I furrowed my eyebrows, and drowned. Every time he said something roman or in Latin, I felt a weird shiver down my back. Ever since I had my dream visit from Gaia and Hera or Juno.

Annabeth was also studying him like he was a complicated blueprint. Her eyes flicked to me, and I saw a flash of the old fear and distrust in her eyes. I felt a stab of panic. It was the same look she had given me when she heard my dark prophecy. She finally turned her eyes back to Jason.

"Hold out your arm." She demanded.

On his arm was a tattoo. The tattoo was darkly etched, impossible to miss: a dozen straight lines like a bar code, and over that an eagle with the letters spqr.

"I’ve never seen marks like this," Annabeth said. "Where did you get them?"

Jason shook his head. "I’m getting really tired of saying this, but I don’t know."

"He's telling the truth..." I said quietly. I had a gross taste of sour apple and hot sauce in my mouth. I shivered like I was freezing when I saw that tattoo. My own arm burned, I glanced down, at my arm. There was nothing there, but I could feel the burn. I frowned.

Some of the other campers pushed forward, trying to get a look at Jason’s tattoo. The marks seemed to bother some of them— almost like a declaration of war. I saw Raph's eyes flash dangerously. I felt another stab of fear and panic. I swallowed all those fears and straightened my back.

"They look burned into your skin," Annabeth noticed.

"They were," Jason said. Then he winced as if his head was aching. "I mean … I think so. I don’t remember."

No one said anything. Raph, Annabeth and I had a silent conversation. Annabe nodded and then announced.

"He needs to go straight to Chiron," Annabeth decided.

"Come on Jason." I said. And turned.

"Wait. I think I should escort him." Drew said, stepping forwards. "You already have a boyfriend."

"Back off." I snarled. "I need to talk to Chiron and give a report." I stood straight and glared at her. My eyes flashed dangerously, and she finally backed down.

"Let's go Jason, let's give you a tour." I walked back up the beach and Jason ran to catch up as I sighed heavily and ran a hand down my exhausted face.

"Wellcome to Camp Half-blood, Jason."

🔆