Daughter of Athena

Chapter 3

I had new clothes. That was good, but I was sitting awkwardly on that old gray couch rigidly, and I had been for the last hour. 

"Ivee, what is wrong?" Phoenix toddled over and rested her head on my knees, glancing up.

"Oh, just thinking about some stuff, that's all." I smiled down and she considered my words. 

"Come play with me!" I smiled again and let her lead me upstairs. She showed me everything she had in her room, and I played dolls with her until a knock on the door broke her out of her reverie. "Amy says I can't open the door for stangers."

"Strangers?" I asked.

"Yeah! Stangers!" I shook my head, laughing and played with her until another interruption floated through the room.

"Um, Ivory, it's for you?" Amy's voice came up the stairs tightly. I started to leave the room, but Phoenix came over and pulled at my leg. I winced and picked her up, carrying her downstairs with me as I went to the door. 

A head of sleek, straight, black hair raised up to look at me, and her unusually green eyes shocked me. I knew this girl. "Coral?" Her name left my lips as I stared at her. I had met her in school, before I'd left. She was unusual. Coral always wore long skirts that brushed the ground, but she had been a really good friend to me, but she hadn't seen me after I ran away. "It's.. it's been a while."

She looked like she had been running, and she asked if I could step out with her for a minute. Amethyst looked guardedly at me and shut the door as I crossed the doorstep. Her wispy voice floated across the porch. "Ivory- Well, I don't know how to say this. I need you to come with me to a place where you can be safe. I- well, you aren't safe here. They'll get your family too."

"Slow down! I'm safe. I'm finally home, it's been 3 years! Who will get my family?"

"I don't have a long time to explain, so here's a rundown. You are a half-blood. That means you are half mortal, half immortal. Your mother or father is a god/goddess. There are immortal monsters chasing you, hunting you by your half-blood smell. We should have gotten you to camp 2 years ago, but we couldn't find you. The only reason they haven't gotten to you yet is because you've been on the run. I've been watching this house for years, checking in weekly to see if you've been back. I'd about given up hope, but I need you to get to camp now. You're not safe."

I stared at her, dumbfounded. "You expect me to believe that? That I'm a demigod, or whatever it's called, and that there are 'monsters' chasing me? And you've been watching my house?! How do you even do that? How has no one seen you?"

She smiled grimly, as if she'd been expecting that, and lifted up her skirt. Her feet were 3 inches off of the ground. She then took a few steps back- floats back?- and said "Do you believe me now? I'm a water nymph. I live in the coral at the bottom of Long Island. I'm- I'm tired, I'm a long way from home."

I was still in shock, but I realized that she was most likely off her rocker. I backed slowly towards the door and was about to stop when she asked if I had any water. I nodded and grabbed a glass from the kitchen, giving it to her when I stepped outside. She frowned at the small amount, but took it and put her finger in it. Agape, I asked her one of the many questions running through my mind. "What exactly are you doing?!"

"Calling for backup- well, proof anyways. Can you bring out a pot of water?" I turned to get one but she stopped me. "Actually, could you bring it in the morning? I need to rest." I nodded slowly and ran inside, shutting and locking the door. 

I pounded up the stairs and stared into the mirror on my old wall. Was I really "half god"? I didn't think I could be, but it could explain to me what was happening in my family. Why I was the only blonde one. Why I was taller and more athletically built than my family. How my stepmom- Julianne- was my stepmom but my dad never had an affair. Whenever I asked about my mother, he got a distant look on his face as his eyes clouded over. He would say "I don't... remember." Then, he would think for hours about who my mother was, never coming up with more than a memory of me on the doorstep in a golden cradle. That was my biggest life achievement, actually. Being dropped off in a glowing cradle. My dad had a picture and even back 15 years ago I was still as blonde as ever.