Sera pulls me past the cabins, towards the woods. "Normally, you're not allowed in the woods except for capture the flag." Sera explains. "Especially now. There's a big bad on the loose in here, but it doesn't bother us as long as we stay in our spot." She makes turns that seem to have no coordination, but we finally break into a clearing.

About a dozen, maybe less, people are there. A tiny spring bubbles in the far right, with everyone sitting around it on rocks or on the ground. My gaze is quickly drawn to a pair of girls, one with purple hair and one with blue.

Sera grins. "Guys! Hey!"

Everyone turns to look at her, and a girl with fiery orange hair glares at me. "You brought someone new to the Spring?"

"Yup."

"Fair enough. Carry on." The girl shrugs, focusing on me. "Who is she?"

"Guys, this is Ellie Snow. Newest edition to Camp Half-Blood." Sera says. "Unclaimed. Ellie, this is, and pay attention now, 'cause I ain't repeating. Mal, daughter of Hecate. Evie, daughter of Aphrodite. Endora, another daughter of Aphrodite---and watch for her, she's also got the blessing of Hecate and a little bit of charmspeak. Brit, daughter of Athena. Maira, daughter of Apollo. Don't make her mad---she's a good shot. Ben, son of Apollo. Mahina, daughter of Aeolus. Her sister Kalia, who has the same mom but has a weird past of getting blessed by a Nereid or something, also being a daughter of Apollo. Slight gift of prophecy. Really complicated. Gil, son of Hermes. And Carlos, a son of Athena." She points finally to a boy with black-and -white hair, chocolate brown eyes, and a bucketload of freckles. He smiles easily at me, and I find myself smiling back even though I nearly never smile.

"Great, she's baring our life stories." Endora says calmly, wagging her finger in Sera's direction. She, I would definitely not peg as a daughter of the beauty goddess. She's beautiful, sure, but she kind of reminds me of Piper for some reason---trying to draw attention away from that fact. She has green eyes that are almost hypnotic, golden hair that falls in long locks to her waist, with green streaks. She's wearing a dark green denim jacket and ripped-up blue jeans. But she's also covered in grass stains, and leaves stick out in her hair, dirt on her nose.

As I'm studying her, I notice she's doing the same to me. "Looking for something?" I ask.

She smirks. "Just testing if I can figure out who your parent is. You've got something going on with you, that's for sure." She lazily circles me with her finger. "Something very cold is blocking out whatever I can normally sense in people."

"Something cold?" I repeat, confused.

Endora cocks her head to the right. "A wall... a barrier, of sorts. Around the aura that normally clues me into whoever someone's parents are."

A small shudder runs through my body. She couldn't be sensing my ice, could she?

"Anyway---You think you guys'd be okay with takin' another kid in our group?" Sera asks hopefully.

Mahina, who was on her stomach on the grass, rolls so she's on her back, watching me upside-down. "Does Arson like her?"

"He tried to hug her."

The whole mood changes, and everyone smiles at me. "Then I'm fine if she joins." Ben says.

"Wow, everyone really trusts Arson's judgment, huh?" I murmur to Sera.

"He has a... way of choosing people he trusts." Sera shrugs, moving forward to her friends. "Luke, for example. He was the only one who supported Annabeth when everyone else thought he was evil."

I vaguely remember her mentioning Luke as the boy who sacrificed himself... so I assume Arson was right.

"So... Ellie, right?" Brit asks, tugging on her dark blonde hair nervously. "Is it your dad or your mom?"

"My mom's mortal, if that's what you're asking." I tell her.

She nods. "So, how long've you known?"

"About three hours." I rub my arms nervously. I'm so used to hiding in baggy jackets, but as far as I know, my jacket is still on the chariot. Right now I'm only left with my old, falling-apart jeans and faded Star Wars T-shirt.

Everyone gawks at me. "Wait. You're telling me you just now found out you're a Half-Blood?" Endora says incredulously. "But you've got this... amazing aura around you. Not counting that wall. I can tell there's something powerful underneath, though. There's no way monsters wouldn't've found you before now."

Sera clears her throat. "Um, let's not---"

"What brought you here, if you didn't know?" Mal asks me.

"I'm... not sure." I admit. "All I remember is, I was trying to run. To anywhere."

"Why?" Kalia asks me, her gray eyes flashing. "From something? Or to something?"

"Both." I answer hesitantly. Nobody has seemed to connect my ice part of my powers, even Sera, so I leave it at that. "But... something happened, and I don't remember anything until waking up a few hours ago to Seeder shaking me and three bat ladies chasing after us."

"Three bat---Oh my gods, the Kindly Ones came after you?" Carlos looks impressed. "And you survived!"

I clear my throat, giving a weak smile. "Barely."

A loud horn sounds in the distance, and everyone perks up. "Dinner!" Sera crows. "Excellent. C'mon, Ellie, I'll show you our awesome dining area."

____________________________________

Who's heard "Beautiful Ghosts" Taylor Swift? I think it's gorgeous. 

Also, I need to say it again----KEEFOSTER REIGNS SUPREME!!! FITZPHIE MUST DIE!!!