C H A P T E R
F O U R
" and they read off our names "

Annabeth Chase was still in shock. Denial, even. Because there was no way that she had been Selected. But the day after it was announced, it seemed to still be real.

Alone in her house, she switched on the television and sure enough, the news of the Selection was being broadcasted on every station. Annabeth paused the television as a long list appeared on the screen.

It was a list of the Selected, including their names and castes. Annabeth stepped closer to the screen and squinted as she read it.

Calypso Atlas, Six.

Silena Beauregard, Two.

Juniper Bush, Four.

Stella Capaldo, Three.

Rowan Castellaño, Four.

Annabeth Chase, Four.

Rachel Dare, Two.

Charlotta de Rosa, Three.

Bianca di Angelo, Six.

Esmeralda Eduardo, Three.

Daphne Fitzgerald, Three.

Katie Gardener, Four.

Thalia Grace, Four.

Ella Harpy, Six.

London Hughes, Five.

Clarisse la Rue, Three.

Hazel Levesque, Six.

Willow Livingston, Two.

Bella Marquess, Three.

Piper McLean, Two.

Zoë Nightshade, Four.

Hylla Ramírez-Arellano, Six.

Reyna Ramírez-Arellano, Six.

Hailey Reynolds, Three.

Claire Rosenwood, Two.

Ariana Sanchez, Five.

Camille Sanders, Four.

Arabella Shearon, Three.

Anastasia Steele, Three.

Clara Springs, Four.

Caroline Stadler, Five.

Kira Stone, Two.

Drew Tanaka, Two.

Gwen Thompson, Five.

Kali Tolen, Six.

Annabeth released a shaky breath through a stunned smile. It was real; she was one of the Selected. And, impossibly, so was Thalia. The odds of both of them getting Selected were next to none, but it had happened, somehow. Which meant that the two of them would join Luke at the castle.

They wouldn't be separated. At least, not immediately.

The phone loudly rang, jarring Annabeth out of her thoughts. Cursing under her breath, she fumbled for it.

"Hello?"

Annabeth was greeted with shouting. She winced, and held the phone away from her ear.

"Annabeth!" Luke's familiar voice screamed over the airwaves. "We're all going!"

Annabeth grinned. "I know," she responded, much quieter than Luke. "I saw the news."

"She sounds thrilled," Thalia's muted voice drawled in the background.

"Is Thalia with you? Where are you?"

"At Thalia's house," Luke answered unconcernedly. "But I'll have to be leaving soon. Did you know representatives from the palace are coming to both of your houses today? You have to fill out sheets with personal information about yourselves; it's a big deal."

Annabeth cursed again. "When?"

"In an hour or so? I'm not exactly sure. Is your family home?"

Annabeth's eyes darted to the stairs, as if expecting her parents to walk down. "They're still asleep."

"Are they happy for you?" Luke asked with concern.

Annabeth snorted. "Happy doesn't begin to cover it. They're thrilled that I won't be home for several weeks, so there's one less person to feed. And, I'll be moving up a caste, so I can send them money."

Though she couldn't see Luke, Annabeth knew that he was frowning.

"I don't —"

"It's good, Luke," Annabeth interrupted. "Because I'll be able to help my family. You know my father doesn't have a job, and my mom teaching only makes so much money. It's better this way; we'll all be happier."

There was an elongated pause. "I guess," Luke dubiously responded. Then, his voice brightened as he asked, "Do you want me to come over? Make breakfast?"

Annabeth plucked a pear from the fruit bowl. "Already made it. I'm fine, but you may want to stay with Thalia."

"I don't know if she wants me to."

Though Luke couldn't see, Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Like you weren't already planning to so you could act all defensive when the palace people arrive. Just like a good boyfriend should."

"I'm not her boyfriend!" he loudly insisted.

"Can't hear you!" Annabeth shouted with a smile. "Bye!"

She slammed the phone down with a grin. It was almost too easy to get on Luke's nerves, and it worked every time. Maybe one day, both he and Thalia would swallow their pride and admit to each other how they felt. But that wasn't bound to happen anytime soon.

Annabeth bit into her pear, and mentally planned out her day. There was no way to know how long the palace representatives would be here, and Annabeth didn't know what they needed. With a sigh, she left her half-eaten pear behind, and climbed up the stairs.

Her morning routine was normal. She showered. She brushed her teeth. She got dressed in a nicer outfit than she would normally wear.

By the time she went back downstairs, Annabeth found her father and brothers down there, eating breakfast around the table.

Her father was completely consumed in the newspaper. But his eyes lifted from the printed words in time to see his only daughter walk down the stairs.

"Annabeth!" he exclaimed, beaming. "You look so —"

"Stupid," Matthew, one of Annabeth's younger step-brothers, interjected. Bobby, her other brother, exploded into a fit of giggles.

Annabeth's father gave them both a stern look. "That's not what I was going to say." His attention turned back to Annabeth. "Don't listen to them; they're thrilled for you, too."

"I can tell," Annabeth responded dryly. "Their enthusiasm is overwhelming. But the jokes on them; I won't send back any souvenirs."

Both step-brothers released over-dramatic gasps.

"You wouldn't," Matthew said, clutching at his heart.

"You monster," Bobby agreed, fanning at his face.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "You're both idiots."

Her words were greeted with identical grins. "But we're idiots with a Selected sister," Bobby pointed out.

"A sister who's going to send back a sword she stole from a guard," Matthew added.

"There will be no stealing," Annabeth's father said.

Annabeth winked at the two boys, who gave her clumsy winks in return. She was fond of her step-brothers; they were both surprisingly intelligent and kind, when they had to be. It was their mother she didn't like. Ever since Annabeth was a child, strange things had happened. Dangerous-looking creatures that she had never seen before flocked outside her house. Her step-mother blamed Annabeth for all of it. That was the first time Annabeth ran away and found Thalia and Luke, who both came from broken families. Annabeth had returned to her house, but she always knew she could go to Thalia or Luke if anything ever happened.

"Palace representatives are coming over soon," Annabeth announced as she sat down beside Bobby. "Luke said they need my personal information."

"Well, if Luuuuke said that," Matthew grinned, drawing out Luke's name.

It took all of Annabeth's willpower to not chuck an apple at him. "Yes, Luke, my friend who recently became a guard and would be all-too-happy to show my little brothers his sword if only they were nice to their sister. It's a shame it doesn't look like that will happen anytime soon."

"Matthew was just joking around," Bobby said earnestly, shooting his brother a dark glare. "He's just being an idiot."

Before Matthew could defend himself, the doorbell sounded, causing everyone in the kitchen to freeze.

Annabeth was the first to move; she bolted out of her seat as if she were struck by lightning. She moved towards the door.

"What should we do?" asked Bobby.

"Just act normal. Or as normal as you can," Annabeth responded, making a face at him. Bobby returned the gesture, but Annabeth's back was already turned, her hand already wrapped around the doorknob.

She took a deep breath, preparing herself for what was to come. After this, her life would never be the same. She would go to the palace, become a Three, and have a chance to become a One.

Everything started right now.

author's note
thank you so much for reading! i have a quick announcement to make. i have recently republished my book "recherché", which is my original "the demigod selection" novel. if you like this book, then go check it out! again, thank you for reading you're all amazing! <3