𝔅𝔲𝔯𝔡𝔢𝔫 - 𝔉𝔢𝔪𝔒ℭ𝔵𝔏𝔢𝔬 𝔙𝔞𝔩𝔡𝔢𝔷

1. We Go To a Less-Glorified Hogwarts

The Friday before winter break, my mom packed me and Percy an overnight bag and a few deadly weapons and took us to a new boarding school. We picked up my friends Thalia and Annabeth—Percy's crush—along the way.

It was an eight-hour drive from New York to Bar Harbor, Main. Sleet and snow pounded the highway. Percy and I haven't seen Annabeth and Thalia in months, but between the blizzard and the thought of what we were about to do, we were too nervous to talk much. Except for our mom. She talks more  when she's nervous. By the time we finally got to Westover Hall, it was getting dark, and she'd told Annabeth and Thalia every embarrassing baby story there was to tell about us.

Thalia wipes the fog off the car window and peered outside. "Oh, yeah. This'll be fun."

"For sure," I added, taking out my headphones. After our quest to the Sea of Monsters, my youngest brother, Tyson, made me new charms. One was my initial, K, and it would give me a square of ambrosia and a bottle of nectar, another was a star, it was my iPod and portable charger. There was also a wrench that would give me a bandage roll, and then a mountain range, which was just a normal charm.

Westover Hall looked like en evil knight's castle. It was all black stone, with towers and slit windows and a big set of wooden double doors. It stood on a snowy cliff overlooking this big frosty forest on one side and the churning ocean on the other.

"Is this Hogwarts?" I asked. "Just like, less-magical?"

Annabeth started laughing, while Thalia just stared at me. "Oh, yeah, that's right, sorry Thals. I forgot you spent like six years of your life as a tree. We have to watch Harry Potter together."

She frowned at me. "Meanie."

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait?" My mother asked.

"No, thanks, Mom," Percy said. "I don't know how long it will take. We'll be okay."

I don't want her to get hurt.

"But how will you get back? I'm worried, Percy."

I placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll be okay, Mom. If we need to get back, I'll shadow travel us if I need to."

She frowned. "You know I hate when you do that."

"If it's an emergency, its better than death."

Percy smacked my shoulder and sent me a look like: shut the fuck up, you aren't helping the argument.

I shrugged.

"It's okay, Ms. Jackson." Annabeth smiled reassuringly. Her blond hair was tucked into a ski cap and her gray eyes were the same color as the ocean. "We'll keep the twins out of trouble."

My mom seemed to relax a little. She thinks Annabeth is the most level headed demigod ever to hit eighth grade. She's sure Annabeth often keeps Percy and I from getting killed. She's right of course, but it still hurts. Percy was staring at Annabeth, awe in his eyes. I nudged Thalia and we both rolled our eyes.

Great, another time of third wheeling!

"All right, dears," our mom said. "Do you have everything you need?"

"Yes, Ms. Jackson," Thalia said. "Thanks for the ride."

"Extra sweaters? You have my cell phone number?"

"Mom—

"Your ambrosia and nectar, Percy? And a golden drachma in case you need to contact camp?"

"Mom, seriously! We'll be fine. Come on, guys."

I smacked the back of Percy's head. "Say sorry, dipshit!"

"Language."

"He was being rude to you!"