I woke up in a soft bed with feather pillows. My shoulder wore a bandage in pristine condition, and there was a very pretty brunette girls sitting close to me, stitching up the tear in my dress's sleeve with golden thread. I watched her mesmerized at the thread. As soon as she finished, it disappeared, leaving no mark, as if saying there was never a rip at all. She looks up and her doelike blue eyes, heavy with mascara and eyeliner, widen. "Just stay here for a moment," she tells me, as she struts out of the room as if it's a catwalk. Within a few minutes the girl, who must be a model or something, returns, bringing with her a centaur in a bright orange T-shirt. The same T-shirt, I notice, as the brunette. It was hard to tell since she wore a flowy vest and scarf with hers. The centaur walks to my bedside, near a strange-looking medical table, and kneels. "What is you name?" he asks.
For a moment I falter. No one has asked me my name in years. Circe's assistants all knew it, and I was hardly ever allowed to speak to the guests. After a few seconds of consideration, I raise my head. "Rose. Rose Chun-Li," I say, "My father was Chinese-American."
"My name is Chiron," he says.
I gasp. "The Chiron? Trainer of heroes?"
"Yes, that one. I still do it, you know. The demigods here are all trained by me." He gestures towards his T-shirt, which has Greek letters on it. It says "Camp Half-Blood".
I fall back against my pillows, to tired to gasp again, smiling contentedly. "I made it."
"Who is your mother, Rose? What do you know about where you are?"
Hesitating, I say "I know...that Camp Half-Blood is a place for demigods to stay, to train, to escape monsters inside its magical borders. That the second Titan War was won by these very heroes. That there is a cabin for each god or goddess's children to stay in."
"And your mother?" Chiron prompts.
I can't tell him. He might turn me away. Then again, if I don't tell him, he'll turn me away....
"Circe. My wicked, horrible mother is Circe."
The girl faints. Chiron rolls his eyes, and takes a small bag of smelling salts out of his satchel. He waves it under her nose, muttering "I swear to Hades, Serefina. Fourth time this week!" Her eyes flutter delicately, and she coughs dramatically. "Seriously, Serefina, you have got to stop this fainting problem of yours."
"Oops...sorry." She shrugs.
"Are Annabeth and Percy okay?" I blurt before Chiron is done putting away the salts. He looks up. "Percy and Annabeth? How did you know?" Before my answer, he looks over his shoulder. "You may go, Serefina. The rest of the Aphrodite children are on the rockwall...or at least they're supposed to be."
Serefina curtsies and leaves. Chiron looks back at me. "Well?"
I tell him my whole story. About living my whole life on Circe's Isle, seeing her transform Percy, having to vanish before I could see what became of him. About escaping, and the battle I'd had with my mother. When I mentioned the Ophiotaurus, he nods. "Poseidon spoke of freeing him now that Oceanus and Kronos aren't a problem."
"So, that's why I'm here. Will you keep a daughter of Circe?"
"You are a half-blood and don't seem to share your mother's vile nature. Yes, you may stay." He grins slyly. "And about Percy and Annabeth...come. Wait in the front hall of the house while I get them."
Satisfied, I slip my feet out of bed, to find my golden gladiator sandals are gone. In their place are a pair of tomato red stiletto heels, with a Post-it saying "Gladiators trashed by blood and water. Hope these are your size. -Aphrodite cabin" in hot pink marker.
I go barefoot.
After a few moments of waiting in the entry hall, Chiron returns with a black-haired boy walking alongside a blond girl. Percy has a sword in its scabbard at his hip, and Annabeth has a helmet under her arm and a shield strapped to her back. He gives a quick salute, and then leaves. "So, you're the daughter of Circe?" Annabeth says. I nod, and Percy shudders. "Bad memories. Very bad memories."
"Yeah," I say sympathetically. I once accidentally turned myself into a dinosaur. Circe had to wipe the memories of all her guests and rebuild three saunas. "The guniea pig thing?"
Percy takes a step back. "How did you know-?"
"I was there," I explain. "invisibly. Glad to know you're okay- your boat never left the island, and I wasn't sure if you were stuck with some slobby kindergarteners. Or you as a mindless zombie in makeup," I say. Annabeth clearly isn't a zombie in makeup now, if the Yankees cap is any indication. Percy smirks and gives Annabeth a noogie. "Good thing, huh?"
"Oh, shut up, Seaweed Brain."
"Glad to see she didn't break you two up," I say.
They share a look, weird expressions on their faces. "Uh, we weren't dating then." Percy says, clearly amused but trying to hide it.
A blush rises to my cheeks. "Oh."
Annabeth takes Percy's hand and leans on his shoulder. "But we are now." Their eyes meet again, both halves of the couple looking incredibly happy. After a second or two they broke away, looking a bit awkward because of me. "How about a tour of camp?"
"Sure. Hold on, an Aphrodite girl lent me some heels I can in no way wear, I'll return them on my way."
I run back, grab the shoes, walk out the door with my first (hopefully) friends.
Suddenly, I trip and jab my left foot into a loose piece of wood, lodging the splinter deep into the bottom of my foot. But I'm not worried about the pain. I've experienced worse at CC's Spa and Resort.
No, I'm worried about the scream that caused me to trip.