I need a three length blue brick. I push myself up on all fours and begin digging in the pile of LEGOs, but there's not anymore of what I want left. I used them all trying to build my mansion. Determined, I keep digging, making more noise than Daddy would like, but I don't care. I need to this mansion built.
"Ali Ann, sweetie." I look up to the door where Daddy stands with his face serious. "You're getting a little loud."
"May I come color in the kitchen?"
"No, sweetie, I have guests in there."
"You usually let me color in there when you have guests. I'll be really good! I promise!"
Daddy sighs and runs his hand through his hair before coming to kneel in front of me. "Ali Ann, I really need you to stay in here this time." He puts his hand on my head and ruffles my hair, forcing gold curls to get in my eyes and mouth. As I pull them out, he adds, "Just trust me, okay? What are we?"
"A team."
"Always." He leans down and kisses the top of my head and heads back out the door. At the door, he turns back around. "And remember . . ."
"I'll be quiet."
"Why don't you read that book your grandmother gave you for Christmas?"
"Because it's hard for me to read."
"I know, but just try to be quiet, and stay out of the kitchen."
I turn back to my LEGOs. "Yes, sir." As soon as I say the words, I see it: a three length blue brick. I grab it and put it in place when an idea comes to me. I can go anywhere except the kitchen. I get up off the floor and go into the living room.
"She'll be much safer with us, Mr. Winters." That's a girl's voice.
"She's fine."
"How many monsters have attacked?" That's a guy's voice.
"Nothing's happened to her yet."
"She's already attracting more monsters at four years old than I did at sixteen in Tartarus. She needs to come with us." This guy's voice is deeper than the other one.
"Mr. Winters, Alice needs to come with us to Camp Half-Blood. Don't make her run away like I did." There was pause until the woman kept talking. "I was seven years old and the monsters just kept coming. My father and step-mother made it very clear that it was my fault, so I left. I was on my own until two other demigods found me. Alice may not be so fortunate."
"Ali Ann." I freeze, scared that Daddy found out that I was there.
"Excuse me?"
"Sorry, Ms. Chase, but she doesn't answer to 'Alice.' She's always been 'Ali Ann."
"I apologize, Mr. Winters. The point is, if it hadn't have been for Thalia, Luke, and Grover, I would have died. Don't let that happen to Ali Ann."
"It's not going to happen to Ali Ann. I'm not like mortal parents: I can actually protect Ali Ann."
"Mr. Winters, I understand that you have magical abilities . . ."
"It goes beyond abilities, Mr. Underwood. I am a wizard."
"But monsters won't even be able to find her at Camp Half-Blood. She needs to come with us."
There was silence until the other boy's voice spoke. "I think I have a compromise."
"Please tell me, Mr. Jackson."
"Let her stay at Camp Half-Blood until she's old enough to go to your old school. Once she's going to school, she can become a summer camper."
"If she goes to my old school, she'll be going back and forth to England, and there's no guarantee that I can get a job there."
"Ali Ann's mother can get you a job there if you asked her to."
"I'm not using Hecate like that."
"Mr. Winters, we're trying to help you."
I heard Daddy sigh. "I want her with me. She's only four."
"If it helps, we just picked up a young boy her age. His name is Irah. She won't be completely alone. Plus, we just made peace with the Romans, and we have no Big Prophecy. She'll learn survival techniques."
"What is Irah's parentage?"
"His father his Hades, but Irah really isn't like his brother, Nico; he's more like his sister, Hazel. Ali Ann will be perfectly fine."
"Isn't Hades the god of death?"
"The Underworld, but yeah. He's pretty cool if you don't make him mad. He helped us save Manhattan two summers ago. Fun times."
"Percy, you're not really helping. Mr. Winters, she won't be allowed to go on quests until she's proven that she can handle it. We don't have the Oracle anymore to just send whomever she wants on a quest."
"Plus, Chiron makes sure that the campers are as safe as possible. If it makes you feel better, I will personally look after her."
I hear Daddy sigh again. "You're not going to let this go until I agree, are you, Ms. Chase?"
"No, sir, I'm not. She's an extremely powerful demigod, and she needs protection."
"Fine, but I want to go with her."
"I'm not sure . . ."
The girl interrupted the deeper voice with, "I'm sure we can make arrangements for you to visit camp. Chiron will understand that you want to meet everyone and see the grounds."
"Okay. I'll be right back."
I heard the chair on the floor and ran ups the stairs.
"Ali Ann? Ali Ann?"
I had just buried myself in my Legos when my father entered my room.
"Ali Ann, were you listening at the kitchen door?"
I looked up at him and knew that he saw me running up the stairs. I nodded my head. Dad took a deep breath.
"I'll help you pack some stuff."
"I get to go?"
Dad gave me a sad smile. "Yes, baby, you get to go."
I slept almost the entire ride up to New York, but one of the people who came to get me, Percy, woke me up just as we were pulling up to the camp.
"Okay, Ali Ann, are you ready to see the camp? We'll let you meet Chiron and Irah first."
"Who are they?"
Percy knelt down so that I wouldn't have to bend my head all the way back to look at him. "Well, Chiron runs the camp, and Irah is another demigod like you. He's the only one your age, so we're going to let you meet him so that you two can become friends. He's been looking forward to meeting you."
"Okay."
"But we have to meet Chiron first. I'm pretty sure Irah might be with him, though." Percy held his hand out, obviously meaning for me to take it, so I did. When I took his hand, he lifted me up and placed me on his hip. "Let's go see Chiron."
YOU ARE READING
What happens if Camp Half-Blood and Hogwarts collide?
FanficThe daughter of Hecate is also the daughter of a Hogwarts alum. Which world will she decide to embrace? Her mother's or her father's?