"What?" I almost scream. "From me picking a knife?"

"Keep your voice down! That's the knife of Hades." Sera whispers. "Fabled to be made of part of his bident. A really powerful weapon of his. Nobody really knows if that's wholly true, only that it appeared here after the second Titan War last summer."

"So?"

"So that knife... it's cursed, Ellie. Only children of the Lord of the Dead can unsheath it without dying. And you just did."

I stare at the knife latched to my belt. "So... my father is...?"

"Hades. Lord of the Underworld, god of the dead." Sera says solemnly.

I look back up at her. "But that's impossible. You said those three---Posiedon, Hades, Zeus---didn't have kids anymore."

"Well, they weren't supposed to. But Hades is... was... the only one who hadn't so I suppose it's fittin' that you're his daughter." Sera rubs her forehead. "Ellie, this is serious. There aren't supposed to be any kids of Hades---and this means Hades broke his oath, just like his brothers." She looks sadly at me. "No wonder the three Kindly Ones were after you."

"But wait---aren't they his?" I demand. "Doesn't he control them?"

"In a way." Sera agrees. "Maybe Persephone sent them. It also explains why yer eyes are like that." She gestures to my blue-and-black eyes.

"Why?"

"Does your mom have blue eyes?"

"Yeah."

"Then that's your dad's shadows in you. Oh, my gods... that's why Seeder found you knocked out! And why the Fur---" She coughs. "Kindly Ones went after you after all this time! You must'a shadow-traveled!"

"I was just running." I say helplessly. "But... it did feel weird. Like cold. And dark." I shudder thinking back.

"Ellie, this is insane." Sera gawks at me like I'm an entirely different person. Which I suppose I kind of feel like I am. A few minutes ago, I thought my dad was a man who ran away from responsibility, some unknown person who I don't remember at all.

Now---my father is a god. And not just any god. The first one male one. The one ruling over the dead, the darkness. One who never thought to reach out, or do anything to help me when I was growing up. And hasn't even claimed me in the few hours I've been here! Whatever claiming means.

Sera watches me carefully. "Tell ya what, Ells. Put that knife back."

"But I---"

Sera stops me with a hand. "Nobody else'll touch it, I can promise ya that. But I'd rather you get claimed at the campfire, where no one can blame you for something. If you waltzed out with the knife now... I'm just sayin', it wouldn't look very good."

I slide the knife out of its scabbard again, studying it. Just holding it in my hand, it feels right. Like I'm growing stronger just by being near it. As seconds pass by, I feel it start to vibrate. Something inside my tugs, like it's trying to tell me something.

"Ellie, ah... please put tall, dark, and stabby down." Sera snaps me out of it, literally snapping her fingers under my nose.

I sheathe it once more, then unbuckle it and lean it against the wall. "So. What next?"

Sera opens her mouth to answer, but the door suddenly clicks and swings forward. The girl from earlier---Annabeth---comes in with another new girl. This one looks vaguely familiar, like I've seen her on the news somewhere. She looks... unique, is the only word I can think of. Her dark hair is choppy and braided, like she's trying to draw attention to it and away from her gorgeous face. Her eyes are almost dream-colored, changing color as I watch.

Annabeth stops in surprise. "Oh! Sera. And... new girl from earlier."

"Ellie." I hold my hand out to shake. She obliges.

"Sorry about earlier." She clears her throat. "I just... I'm sorry. You find a good weapon?"

"We're going to come back later." Sera jumps in before I can respond. "Ellie said she wasn't feeling totally 100%. Kindly One got her back."

Annabeth's eyes narrow in concern. "Kindly One? Really?"

"Yep. So we'll head back to the Big House, now. Or Ares cabin. Anywhere but here, really." Sera says, ushering me out. "Nice to meet you, new-girl-with-very-strange-eyes!"

"Piper." The girl supplies.

"Bye, Piper and Chase!" Sera barks, still shoving me out. I notice Annabeth is watching her suspiciously, but by then we're gone and Piper is already examining weapons.

"Another new kid?" I guess, since Sera didn't know her name.

"Probably from where Chase went. She had a dream last night about her boyfriend, Percy, ya know... But basing on how non-happy she was, I'm guessing the tip was a dud."

Sera leads me to the rock-lava-whatever wall, and we watch people climb it for a while. Most get singed, but a few manage to scamper to the top. Something's bothering me about this place, something I'm not seeing, something vaguely above my head, but I ignore it. It's a camp with greek gods. What could possibly be so weird I should pay attention?

"Well." Sera finally says, glancing around to make sure no one's listening. "Any questions so far?"

"Yeah. If I'm not claimed yet, where do I stay?" I gesture to the cabins.

"Hermes." Sera answers. "I can take ya there now if ya want. The Hermes crew are a nice bunch."

"Aw, that's sweet." Someone says above us. Sera and I automatically look up, and I realize what was bothering me. A boy with long, dark hair is dangling from the tree branch above us.

And I could sense him.

He drops down. "So, unclaimed?"

"Jay, this is Ellie." Sera says. "Yes, she's unclaimed for now. But that'll probably change by tonight."

Jay grunts. "Good. The last thing Hermes cabin needs is more people."

"C'mon, it's not nearly as bad as it used to be." Sera huffs.

"True. But she doesn't look like a Hermes kid." Jay says. "Maybe Athena? I can tell you're trying to figure me out. Or Ares? You're also clenching your fists. Or whatever is the opposite of Demeter."

"Why Demeter?" Sera asks, and Jay points to my feet. Where I was standing a moment ago on green grass, I'm circled by dead, yellow plant life.

Jay laughs. "I'm sure you'll be put where you belong. Until then." He nods to us then races for the lava wall, leaping up and catching a good handhold.

"Showoff." Sera grumbles. "So let's hope you're not stayin' in Hermes tonight. Jay can deduce a lot about a person just by lookin' at 'em."

"Um, yeah." I shift my feet a bit.

"Stop lookin' so down, Ellie." Sera orders. "C'mon. I know a place where you can almost always find my friends. 'Cept Jay right now, obviously. But the rest of my peeps should be there. C'mon." She tugs me along, away from the lava wall. Someone screams and falls to the ground. Much to my surprise, everyone around them just laughs.

This camp is very weird. 

____________________________

Two things:

YESTERDAY. I. GOT. TO. MEET. SHANNON. MESSENGER. FACE. TO. FACE. 

*SCREAMS WITH ALL THE FURY OF EVERY FANGIRL IN EXISTENCE*

I learned a lot of really interesting facts about Keeper!! AND GOT MY BOOK SIGNED BY SHANNON MESSENGER!!! *squeals* 

Interesting fact: Y'know how Sophie's name is "Sophie" now?!?!?! GUESS WHAT HER ORIGINAL NAME WAS!!!

ALEXANDRA!!!!!

*screams* My sister's name is Sophie, and mine... resembles Alexandra. IT'S INSANE!!!! LIKE WAS THIS SERIES MADE FOR ME OR WHAT!?!?

*screams yet again* *and again* *AND AGAIN*

Okay. Breathe. 

Phew.

Last thing: WHO'S HEARD "FROZEN 2" SOUNDTRACK!?!?! I FREAKING LOVE "Show Yourself", the duet between Idina Menzel and Evan Rachel Wood.