Malaina (Percy Jackson Next Generation) [UNDER SEVERE EDITING]

Chapter 6

M A L A I N A ---

I awoke in a hospital bed. Again.

I opened my eyes and Will Solace was stood beside me writing something on his clipboard. He didn't even have to look at me to know I was awake.

"We have to stop meeting like this Miss James." He said smiling. "When you're feeling alright, Chiron has asked you to go see him in the Big House with Luke."

"Okay, well thank you for nursing me back to health again."

"Any time. Although I do hope I don't see you in here again for a long time Malaina."

***

A few hours later Luke and I headed over to the Big House as instructed. Chiron is stood waiting with Mr D when we arrive.

"Ah Miss Jacobs, Mr Johnson, finally you arrive."

"Actually Sir my name's-" Luke nudges my elbow, silencing me.

"Don't even bother." He whispers.

"Please children, tell me exactly what happened." Chiron says.

So we do. We tell him everything, from when that boy shot his arrow at me to when I passed out. When I told him about how everything was frozen he couldn't look at me anymore.

When we finished, Chiron and Mr D shared a grim look.

"Well," Chiron said in a small voice, "I think I finally know who your the daughter of." Don't think I didn't notice he said 'the daughter of' not 'your godly parent'.

"Who?" Is all I say.
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"Kronos."

Ha ha... I'm evil. 😈 But not that evil, if I was I would have stopped it there...

"What?" I blink at him. Out of the corner of my eye I see Luke tense and look down. Kronos gave his dad hell when he was young, I don't blame him for feeling uncomfortable.

"You are the daughter of Kronos." He says again.

"But that doesn't make any sense! Kronos was defeated twenty years ago! she's sixteen!" Luke speaks up.

"I promise you, we will find out how-"

"How do you even know I'm his daughter, couldn't it just be... I don't know... Something else?" I argue hoping it's not true but deep down I know it is.

"No. He is your father. I could tell there was something different about you from the beginning." I can see tears welling up in my eyes. Then I think of something. "Does that mean I'm your half-sister?"

Chiron laughs, "Yes, yes I guess you are. And you're also half-sister to six of the Olymians."

I didn't think of that. "Well, I guess that's pretty cool."

Before I get to say anything else, the bell rings for dinner.

"Do we have to tell everyone?" I ask in a quiet voice.

"Not if you don't want to. But eventually you will." He says you. Not we. All of a sudden I feel even more alone.

Without another word we head to the dinner hall. Luke lags behind and tears well up again. He's the only friend I have here and now he must hate me.

I sit at the Hermes table the same as always. But nothing feels the same at all. The pranksters around me are happy and tease each other relentlessly, unaware that their day was anything but normal. Luke always stares at me at dinner. He doesn't think I've noticed but I have, today I'm the one staring, while he looks down at his plate sadly, his sister is trying to get him to tell her what's wrong; he ignores her.

I feel nauseous and can't stay in the crowded hall anymore. I excuse myself saying I'm not feeling well and I'm going to bed.

I don't go to bed though. For some reason I end up outside the Big House.

Chiron was stood there, as if he was waiting for me. Beside him stood a tall tanned man who looked a lot like Luke only he had a neat black beard where Luke didn't. And Luke didn't dress quite as eccentrically as this man, with his Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts.

"Ah Malaina, glad you're here, I was just about to come and get you myself." Chiron said as I continued to stare at the Luke look-a-like. Then the Hawaiian man spoke up.

"So you're my little sister? Pleasure to meet you. My name is Poseidon."

"Poseidon?" I say a little dazed. "You're Luke's grandfather. You're a god."

"Yes, I am aware, I've been a god for quite a while now. Anyone who didn't know they were a god after two thousand years would have to be very stupid. And I assure you daughter of Kronos, I am not stupid."

"Well it's good to know the god of the sea isn't stupid. I think we'd all be in a bit of trouble if you were."

He laughs. "And it's good to know my grandson's love interest has a sense of humour."

I didn't know what he meant by that but before I had a chance to ask he said his goodbyes. "Well, it was nice meeting you Malaina, but I must go. I am having an argument with Athena right now and if just figured out a way to win."

Then he disappeared. Of to win his argument, that he probably wouldn't end up winning. I mean, this was Athena he was fighting with.

"What was Poseidon doing here?" I asked Chiron.

"He came to tell me something." He replied calmly. "It's about you. More accurately, how you were born."