𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐑 - annabeth chase

𝐢𝐢. 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫

AFTER I WAVED AT SOME GIRLS DOWN BY THE LAKE, ANNABETH SCOFFED AT ME. "Don't encourage them, " Annabeth warned. "Naiads are terrible flirts."

Percy groaned. "That's it. I want to go home now."

Annabeth frowned. "Don' t you get it, Percy? You are home. This is the only safe place on earth for kids like us."

My heart burned when I heard us. How could we be like this arrogant girl who obviously didn't care for us?

"You mean, mentally disturbed kids?"

"I mean not human. Not totally human , anyway. Half-human."

"Half-human and half-what?"

"I think you know."

"God, " I said. "Half-god." I looked up for a response, but she just nodded.

"Your father is one of the Olympians."

"That's . . . crazy."

"Is it? What's the most common thing gods did in the old stories? They ran around falling in love with humans and having kids with them. Do you think they've changed their habits in the last few millennia? "

"But those are just- " Percy started

"But if all the kids here are half-gods-" I countered at the same time.

"Demigods, " Annabeth said. "That's the official term. Or half-bloods."

"Then who's your godly little father?" I questioned, rolling my eyes. This all felt like a fever dream.

However, I could see her hands tense when I brought it up. I hit her on a sensitive topic, and all of a sudden I felt bad.

"My dad is a professor at West Point," she said. "I haven't seen him since I was very small. He teaches American history."

"He's human." Percy noted.

"What? You assume it has to be a male god who finds a human female attractive? How sexist is that?"

"Who's your mom , then?" I said, making sure to include a tinge of attitude in my voice.

"Cabin six." She said, matching my tone.

"Meaning?"

Annabeth straightened. "Athena. Goddess of wisdom and battle."

"And our dad?"

"Undetermined. No one knows."

I felt the need to strangle the girl, my hands tightening. With every evasive response from her, my frustration grew. I couldn't shake the feeling that she was hiding something crucial from us. What would it take for her to give us a single straight answer?

"Our mother knew." Percy piped up.

"Maybe not, Percy. Gods don't always reveal their identities."

"Our dad would have. He loved her."

I started tuning out of course. What type of god would say they loved a woman, and then leave her as a single mom with twin children?

I only had one thought in that moment.

I hate my father.

ψψψ

I was lost in thought in Cabin 11 when I heard the loud horn. At first, I believed it was some kind of attack, but all the other campers were just walking towards a line up.