I stepped through the barrier, expecting to feel something, but nothing happened. No warm tingle, no buzz, not even a damp or coolness. Literally nothing happened and I was slightly disappointed. I frowned and looked back.

"That was anticlimactic." I muttered.

"The one and only time you will say that in your demi god life." Percy rolled his eyes.

As my eyes adjusted to the bright beautiful sunshiny day I felt my muscles relax standing in the sun. I could smell the fresh strawberries growing. I swept my eyes across the camp, trying to take everything in.

"So that's the Big House." Percy said pointing to a huge four story tall old farm house with a huge wrap around porch. It sky blue with white trim, like an upscale seaside resort.

"Whoa. That's a big house." I sputtered.

"Why we named it such, it's where Chiron and Mr D stay. Where we have counselor meetings, the infirmary is there, a few offices. Camp head office."

"Got it. Avoid the Big House."

"Exactly." Percy grinned one of his mischievous smirks. "You truly are my sister."

I lifted the corner of my lips. Ripping my eyes away from the house, I looked down at the camp spreed out below me. It looked so perky and happy, yet something felt wrong. There was tension in the air, as if the hill itself were holding its breath, waiting for something bad to happen. I could physically feel the tension radiating off everyone here. It was slightly overwhelming. Frowning I looked back at Percy and Annabeth who was already marching down the hill.

Percy tugged my arm and I followed after them. We walked down into the valley and found the summer session in full swing. My head was swiveling back and forth trying to see everything all at once. We must've been on the north shore of Long Island, because on this side of the house, the valley marched all the way up to the water, which glittered about a mile in the distance.

Between here and there, I simply couldn't process everything I was seeing. The landscape was dotted with buildings that looked like ancient Greek architecture- an open-air pavilion, an amphitheater, a circular arena- except that they all looked brand new, their white marble columns sparkling in the sun.

As we walked Percy pointed out different people and places.

"Most of the campers arrived last Friday. We had to stay for that stupid orientation." Percy grumbled.

I felt the same way, but I shrugged, can't do anything about it. Not worth getting angry. I saw satyrs playing their pipes in the strawberry fields, making the plants grow with woodland magic. I turned and saw other campers were having flying horseback lessons, swooping over the woods on their pegasi. In a nearby sandpit, a dozen high school-age kids and satyrs played volleyball. Kids in bright orange T-shirts like Grover's were chasing each other around a cluster of cabins nestled in the woods. Some shot targets at an archery range.

"Those are the Apollo kids, I'll introduce you in a few minutes."

Others rode horses down a wooded trail, and, unless I was hallucinating, some of their horses had wings.

"So, see that smoke from over there?" Percy pointed, I nodded. "Hephaestus campers, it's the forges," I could hear hammers banging and the sounds of fires roaring.

"Kids make their own weapons for Arts & Crafts." Percy explained.

My eyes went huge, "They MAKE their own?"

"Well ya, their dad is Hephaestus...the god of-"

"-blacksmiths and fire." I finished. I saw a whole bunch of kids having chariot races around a huge track, and over at the lake some kids in a Greek trireme were fighting a large orange sea serpent.

"A typical day at camp." Percy said, inhaling deeply and letting it all out, like he was trying to dispel all the bad from this morning.

"I need to talk to Clarisse," Annabeth said.

Percy stared at her as if she’d just said she needed to eat a large, smelly boot.

"What for?"

"Clarisse? Isn't she the Areas girl who tried to give you a swirly but you exploded the bathroom all over her, and is the mean ungrateful camp bully. Who's dad wants to kill Percy. And tries to beat Percy to a pulp on a regular basis. But other than that, she was just great.?"

"Yes." Percy said seriously, "See Annabeth? She gets it!"

"Great." Annabeth rolled her eyes and glared at me and then her steel grey eyes flicked back to Percy. "We’ve been working on something," Annabeth said shortly. "I’ll see you later."

"Working on what?" Percy asked.

Annabeth glanced toward the forest.

"I’ll tell Chiron you’re here," she said. "He’ll want to talk to you before the hearing."

"What hearing?"

But she jogged down the path toward the archery field without looking back.

"Yeah," Percy muttered. "Great talking with you, too."

I stood awkwardly. Percy had told me Annabeth could get into these moods and refuse to talk. I was noticing she could hold a grudge like nobody's business and if she made up her mind about something she was stubborn as Hera in changing her mind. I let him be broody for a minute. I turned around to look at the camp again.

I was checking out the brass eagle weather vane on top when something caught my eye, a shadow in the uppermost window of the attic gable. Something had moved the curtain, just for a second, and I got the distinct impression I was being watched.

"Hey, Percy? What's up there?" I asked, smacking his arm.

He looked where I was pointing. The brooding on his face morphed into such hatred I actually stepped back. "Just the attic."

"I swear...somebody or someTHING lives there. I can feel it."

"No," he said with finality. "Not a single living thing." He grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards the archery range. "let's go meet your siblings."

He waved a kid down, he was tall blond hair, but cut in a way that was short yet messy. He seemed to be the oldest of the group. He shouldered his bow and jogged over.

"Percy! How's it going man!"

The guy held out a tanned hand wrapped in all kinds of beaded bracelets and leather cuffs and gold chains. His smile was so similar to Apollo's it made me double take, he looked exactly like him, except his gets were more navy and he was wearing an orange Camp Half Blood shirt, which I can tell you Apollo would never be caught dead wearing.

"And who's this?" His navy blue eyes flicked to mine and he smiled. He had a very laid back chill vibe. I extended my dooed hand.

"Eleanora Blofis. Call me Nora."

"She was claimed by Apollo." Percy added.

"I can see that." He chuckled, lifting up my hand, indicating my doodled hand and then pointing to the one Percy just scratched his nose with.

"Oh well ya..." He shrugged looking at the doodles. "Hey! Is there supposed to be me?" He frowned and pointed to a cartoon of boy with ducky floaties and flippers and snorkel mask. I grinned evil at him. He just gave my head a shove. While Lee and I laughed.

"So how do you two know eachother?" Lee asked.

"His mom and my dad are gonna get married." I shrugged.

"Wait. What? Apollo's getting -"

"No!" I groaned. I ran a hand through my hair. "I really hate having to explain this all the time."

"Then say step dad."

"But he's not! Paul has been a dad. Apollo was a sperm donor."

Lee flinched and looked to the sky like he thought we were all gonna get vaporized or something. He looked at me in horror.

"Jeeze Nora! You gotta be more respectful of the gods!"

"Why?" I asked pulling my eyebrows together.

"The gods of Olympus...the Greek gods are great beings that control the forces of nature and human endeavors: the immortal gods of Olympus....are touchy and kinda sensitive, be respectful!"

"But-"

"How about when I'm around be nice." Lee said, "I'd rather stay alive then be vaporized."

I rolled my eyes. Lee sighed, and tried again.

"Okay, so your mortal father and Percy's mortal mother are together?"

"Yes." We said together.

"So step siblings."

"Yes."

"Got it." He nodded, "and you were claimed?"

"Yep."

Lee smiled even bigger, making his eyes light up and he opened his arms wide and swept them over the archery ground, "welcome home sis!"

"I'll leave you here with them. I got some stuff to do. I'll come find you later." Percy said clapping my arm.

"Thanks Percy. And...I'm sorry we blew up the school, and that Rachele chick ruined your date. If there's anything I can do to help. Let me know."

Percy grinned and shrugged.

"It's Annabeth. It'll be fine. Later Sunshine."

"See ya Fish Face."

Percy walked away and I turned back to Lee who had whistled so loudly the kids stopped and turned.

"Capin 7! Come here!" He called.

A group of kids all came over. Big dazzling smiles on their faces and each one with bright peaceful eyes.

"We got a new sister! Everyone say hi to Nora."

There was a wild scramble and I was pulled into hand shakes and hugs and my back was patted.

"Okay! Settle down," Lee called with a chuckle. "So we have me, head councilor, then we have Michael," a shorter boy with Asin features stepped forward and shook my hand. "Then we got Will," a boy who was a carbon copy of Apollo stepped forwards, he had a young face but was tall and already broad, so it was hard to pin point his age, he shook me hand with a warm and welcoming smile. "Then we have Austin," a dark skinned boy with corn rows shook my hand.  "And lastly we have Kayla." A girl with reddish hair with green died tipes and her face covered in freckles stepped forwards and pulled me into a tight hug.

"I finally have a sister! Thank gods!"

"Apollo doesn't have a lot of girls?"

"No." The boy named Will shook his head. "His twin sister Artimis has her hunters, all girls, so to try keep is even, he doesn't tend to have many female offspring."

I made an oh face and then shook my head.

"How old are you? You seem a lot older then most kids who come to camp." Michael said.

"Uh, 14. Going into grade 9. I don't know...Chiron and Miles said it was because my dad didn't know anything about the gods and my paternal godly side. So it kept me safe until recently."

"Whoa." Kayla's eyes were big, "kill any monsters?"

"Ya." I nodded hesitantly.

"Whoa cool!"

"Not really. It was kinda scary. I was with Percy, and some mortal who could see through the mist."

"Red hair?" Will asked.

"Umm ya. How did you know?"

"I've had weird dreams about some girl with wild frizzy red hair. Couldn't understand. Still don't."

"Weird."

"The gift of prophecy takes on a lot of different forms." Lee said nodded. He suddenly clapped his hands, "let's show you the cabin, ya?"

"Oh...okay."

Kayla and Will hooked my arms and escorted me out of the training grounds to the section of camp where a half circle of twelve cabins sat nestled in the woods by the lake. They were arranged in a U, with two at the base and five in a row on either side. And they were without doubt the most bizarre collection of buildings I'd ever seen.

Except for the fact that each had a large brass number above the door (odds on the left side, evens on the right), they looked absolutely nothing alike. Number nine had smokestacks, like a tiny factory. Number four had tomato vines on the walls and a roof made out of real grass. They all faced a commons area about the size of a soccer field, dotted with Greek statues, fountains, flower beds, and a couple of basketball hoops (which were more my speed).

In the center of the field was a huge stone-lined firepit. Even though it was a warm afternoon, the hearth smoldered. A girl about nine years old was tending the flames, poking the coals with a stick.

The pair of cabins at the head of the field, numbers one and two, looked like his-and-hers mausoleums, big white marble boxes with heavy columns in front. Cabin one was the biggest and bulkiest of the twelve. Its polished bronze doors shimmered like a hologram, so that from different angles lightning bolts seemed to streak across them. Cabin two was more graceful somehow, with slimmer columns garlanded with pomegranates and flowers. The walls were carved with images of peacocks.

"Zeus and Hera?" I guessed.

"Yep," Will said.

"Their cabins look...cold and empty."

"Several of the cabins are.No one ever stays in one or two. The big three made a truce not to have kids..."

"But didn't two of them break that truce? Zeus had Thalia, who used to be a tree...and Posiden had Percy..."

Kayla coughed, "yeah...."

"Ahhh." I said, nodding. "They can break their rules, tiny human mortals or demi gods can't. Double standards. Got it."

"Jeeze Nora, you have as much of a death wish as Percy." Lee shock his head with a small smile.

I shrugged. I looked at the next cabin, "Posiden, clearly."

The outer walls of cabin 3 were of rough gray stone studded with pieces of seashell and coral, as if the slabs had been hewn straight from the bottom of the ocean floor.

They nodded. I looked for the next one, expecting black and obsidian, but it was a bright crammed cabin, full of kids.

"Uh, where's the next big three cabin?"

"What?"

"Big three. Zeus, Posiden and Hades. Where's Hades cabin?"

"He...uh doesn't have one." Micheal said.

"Why not? Hera has one and she clearly has no demi god off spring."

My new half siblings and shrugged and scratched their heads, looking away sheepishly.

"Well that doesn't seem very fare. Even Artimis the chast goddess has a cabin!" I frowned and pointed to a small simple cabin that was white marble and silver.

"Ya. Nora something you gotta learn...life with the gods isn't ever fare." Will said quietly.

I frowned. Feeling a burning in my chest that made my fingers tingle. Kayla pulled me further along the tour. Most of the other cabins were crowded with campers.

Number five was bright red—a real nasty paint job, as if the color had been splashed on with buckets and fists. The roof was lined with barbed wire. A stuffed wild boar's head hung over the doorway, and its eyes seemed to follow me. As we passed I could see a bunch of mean-looking kids, both girls and boys, arm wrestling and arguing with each other while rock music blared.

The loudest was a girl maybe thirteen or fourteen. She wore a size XXXL CAMP HALF-BLOOD T-shirt under a camouflage jacket. She was arguing with a guy who looked to be about 16, possibly already older than that, he had the traditional camp half blood shirt on, but it was stretched tight over his shoulders and chest, the sleeves were rolled up showing off his huge biceps that were covered in tattoos.

He zeroed in on me and gave me a smug smirk. He reminded me of all the traditional bad boys in all books I'd read. His dark eyes were broody and intense, making me feel like he was sizing me up.

"That's Clarisse and Raph. He's the oldest Aries camper, but he didn't want head councilor, so Clarisse is."

"How old is he? Why does he look like he's some bike gang leader and he's like in his 20's?"

"He's actually only abiut 16. It's an Aris thing." Kayla shrugged. She leaned in, "he's got the bad boy thing going on and he's kinda hot."

"Okay, Aphrodite." I rolled my eyes.

She snickered and then the group swept their arms wide at the cabin we stopped in front of.

"Welcome to cabin 7, Nora!" Less grinned.

Cabin seven seemed to be made of solid gold, which gleamed so much in the sunlight it was almost impossible to look at. It only took a second for my eyes to adjust. I smiled. A true full smile. It was warm and bright. White pillars of shiny marble at the front of the steps up to the door.

Lee threw the door open and ushered me in. The roof was made of glass, the windows were big and thrown open the white gauzy curtains fluttered in the breeze. It wasn't what I was expecting. It was bright sunny and welcoming. There were doodles and paintings right on the wall. A huge bookshelf full of books and discarded art supplies. Music was coming from somewhere. A huge target was hanging on another wall. Each camper had their own bed and it was specifically tailored to each kid and their specific interests. Kayla pulled me over to the empty bed.

"This will be yours. Right beside me and Will. Looks like Chiron had everything brought in for you."

"Awesome!" I smiled.

"Welcome home!"

I turned and looked at my new family and felt like I was home. And I smiled back.

🔆