Chapter 5

ALYSSA

Alyssa had not expected to get backhanded by a family-sized centaur when she’d left camp on Monday.

“Alyssa, my dear.” Chiron had said when he came up to her after dinner. She looked up at him. If you were just looking at his face you’d think that he was just a normal man, tall, middle-aged with a scruffy beard, but as your eyes traveled downwards, you’d realize he was anything but. From the waist down he had the body of a white stallion, regal and elegant. It fit his demeanor well.

“I need to ask a favor of you.” He said, his voice slow and languid.

“Yeah, whatever you need.” Alyssa responded. She looked over at Cabin 10, where she lived with the other children of Aphrodite. There weren’t as many kids around camp during the school season, but there were still plenty of year-rounders. Almost all of the kids in Cabin 10 were. Children of Aphrodite had a more potent scent than other demigods, only second to the Big Three, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, so they were often targeted by monsters much more than others, so it was much safer to stay within the protective boundary of the camp.

Alyssa was eager to avoid the gaggle of pretty teens sitting around and gossiping, talking about matchmaking around the camp, even for a few minutes more, so she gave Chiron her undivided attention.

Chiron gestured for her to follow him. “You see, this year we have been stretched rather thin. With Kronos defeated, our camp has never been safer, and as such many more satyrs are off in the wilds.”

Alyssa knew about that. A couple of years ago, word had come to the camp that the god of the wilds, Pan, had died. Well, he kind of died again, but that was a story for another time. He had sent back a satyr named Grover with a message. He wanted the satyrs and nymphs to go out and protect the wilds themselves, instead of waiting for him to come back and do it for them, and after the end of the Titan War last summer, many satyrs were leaving camp to go on their own journeys to do just that.

She nodded and Chiron continued. “That unfortunately means that there are not as many satyr protectors to seek out and defend fledgling demigods. All that we can spare are already in the field, but I believe there may be a demigod in a boarding school in Illinois, in a small town near Chicago.”

“So you want me to go and be their protector.” She pursed her lips in thought.

“Exactly. I have a feeling your charmspeaking ability will be very useful.”

Alyssa groaned in her mind. She hated charmspeaking. It just felt wrong to her, being able to manipulate people just by talking. Sometimes it was useful, even necessary, and sometimes she did it without meaning to, but that didn’t make her feel better.

However, despite her reservations, Chiron was giving her a job, an important one, and she couldn’t just turn him down. She turned to the centaur and smiled, nodding in agreement.

Next thing Alyssa knew, she was getting her noggin crushed like a freshly-shampooed walnut. She was honestly glad the centaur had resigned to just kill her. She had heard the story of Atalanta, like most half-blood girls had, and of the two centaurs that she killed. Alyssa knew what they had planned to do to her before she shot them, and she shuddered at the thought. She definitely would have preferred death by head squeezing to that.

It wasn’t anything she’d have to worry about now, because of Alexander Cassidy. He’d nailed the sleazeball right between the eyes with a knife he’d never even held before, and on top of that he was apparently a pacifist. The guy didn’t seem to have a violent bone in his body, unlike his best friend, who always stared at her like she wanted to knock her teeth out just like she had Christian Burton’s

To kill a massive monster like that on your first day as a demigod was insanely impressive. She’d only known one other who’d done that in recent years, and that guy had just saved the world last summer.

Alyssa and Alexander were running as fast as their feet could carry them back towards St. Agatha’s. The flask of divine nectar she’d brought with her had definitely come in handy. She drank as much as she dared, and she felt her broken ribs heal. They were still sore, but she could run, and that was what mattered.

The centaur’s gold figaro chain was bouncing wildly around Alexander’s neck. It was way too big for him, even tall as he was, so it hung down like a string of twenty-four karat Mardi Gras beads. It had been left behind as a spoil of war after the monster had been destroyed, and Alyssa had urged him to take it. He’d insisted on going back to grab the video game he’d bought, and that was under his arm. Alyssa didn’t really agree with that. She understood how much he wanted to please his friend, but was it really worth it when you’re about to charge into a life or death battle? But he’d saved her life, so she was inclined to let him do as he pleased.

“So that guy you were talking to,” Alexander huffed as he ran, “is he a half-blood too?”

“Chiron?” she said. “No he’s not a half-blood. He’s our activities director, and the guy who trained Achilles.”

“I thought that was Philoctetes.” Alexander said.

“Only according to Disney, and don’t go around mentioning that when we get to camp.”

“Why not?” he asked.

Alyssa remembered the last time a new camper mentioned the movie Hercules. Chiron had very loudly cursed the names of Walt Disney and Danny DeVito to an eternity in the Fields of Punishment after calling them some very unsavory names in ancient Greek. The satyrs were so worked up that if it hadn’t been for some lightning fast charmspeaking from the Aphrodite cabin, there would have been a stampede.

“Just…just don’t, man.” Alyssa warned.

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The shuttle bus went back and forth to the school a few times throughout the day, and luckily it was at the stop when they ran up. Alyssa and Alexander sat next to each other at the back of the small bus, huffing and puffing. Alyssa drew a bottle of water from her pouch and took a hearty swig. She offered it to Alexander, who did the same. He cradled the video game box on his lap like it was a toddler. Printed on the front, the god of war screamed as he raised a vicious looking kopis sword above his head, preparing to chop somebody’s head off, presumably. Alyssa had only seen Ares once, but she knew many of his children. She had a feeling they would approve of this depiction of their father.

“Here, let me see that.” Alyssa held out her hand towards the box and started fishing around in her bag.

“What for?” Alexander said. He was trying not to sound defensive, but his hands gripped the box a little tighter.

“Because you can’t lug it around and fight monsters at the same time, and you’ve gotta watch my back. I am not getting killed over a video game. Ah ha! There you are.”

She pulled out a shipping label and a pen from her pouch, followed by a small leather bag.

“Hermes Express?” Alexander read off the label.

“Yep. Hermes is the god of messengers, after all.” Alyssa filled out the form printed on the label and stuck it to the top of the box. She also made sure to write Hold for Alexander Cassidy on the bottom of the label, more for whoever would receive the package than for the god of swiftness. She then placed some gold drachmas from the stipend she’d been given by Chiron into the bag. As soon as she pulled the bag closed, it and the box disappeared. Fwoomp.

“Whoa.” Alexander said, his eyes widening.

“Yep. The guy works fast.” Alyssa smiled and sat back in her seat, grateful to finally take a breather. She needed to be ready for whatever they met back at the school. She hoped they weren’t too late.

Chapter 6

ALYSSA

They may have been too late. When Alyssa and Alexander ran in the front doors they could already hear crashing and the staccato cloppity clop clop, of centaur hooves trying to maneuver around the narrow hallways of a school.

Alyssa cursed in Greek and redoubled her speed. Alexander was quickly overtaking her, a look of determination and anger on his face. Alyssa felt a twinge in her gut and a pang in her heart. He was so concerned for the life of his friend that he was charging into a fight that he was grossly unprepared for. That bravery and the look on his chiseled face made Alyssa’s heart flutter like a caffeinated hummingbird.

She shook her head and focused on the task at hand. Now is not the time, she told herself. Besides, a gorgeous guy like that could be your brother. Ew!

That thought sobered her up real quick. They weaved through the halls, trying their best to follow the noise to its source.

Mavis Petrova then skittered around the corner. Her leggings were shredded. She was barefoot, and her shoulder-length flaxen hair looked like it had been through a blender.

“Run run run!” She cried when she saw them. “It’s right behind me!”

And as if on cue, the second centaur rounded the corner. He was even bigger than the last one. His jet black shire horse body barreled through the narrow hallway, knocking over potted plants, throwing bulletin boards from the walls. His long black duster fluttered in the wind and a matching hat with a wide brim obscured his eyes. The outfit would’ve looked goofy if it wasn’t on a charging centaur.

Alyssa drew her knife and stood her ground, stepping in front of Mavis. Time to be a protector, she thought.

Alexander unclasped the figaro chain and held its length between his hands like a garrote. Mavis looked back and forth between them with a look of astonishment.

“What’re you two doing?” She cried. “There’s a one-ton centaur barreling towards us. Run!”

“He’ll catch us eventually.” Alyssa said. “And then we’ll just have to fight him anyway.”

“Besides. I’ve already killed one of these guys today.” Alexander said, pulling the chain taught. He was trying to sound cocky, but Alyssa could hear the quiver in his voice. “One more shouldn’t be too tough. Right?”

The centaur slowed and stopped, his hooves skidding on the slick tile floors.

“So, you managed to kill Hylaeus? I’m not surprised. He was too greedy, even back then.” The centaur’s voice rumbled in Alyssa’s chest. It reminded her of Chiron. This centaur spoke with the same languid cadence, but she could feel the malignant undertones in his voice, and it chilled her to the bone.

“Hylaeus?” Mavis spoke up. “Like one of the centaurs killed by Atalanta?”

The centaur growled and threw off his hat, revealing stringy black hair and sallow skin. “Do not speak of that wench!” He screamed, stamping his hoof in the ground like he was about to charge again. “I will grind your bones to dust, demigod, for even speaking that name in my presence!”

“Over my dead body!” Alexander yelled, and before Alyssa could stop him, he ran forward spinning the figaro chain like a lasso.

“Fair enough.” The centaur said. He met the charge and gripped Alexander by the throat. He slammed him into one of the steel lockers that ran in long rows along the walls. Alexander dropped to the floor and fell limp, his long hair splayed out around his head. Crimson was spreading through the golden strands.

Mavis screamed. It was a sound that broke Alyssa’s heart and twisted her guts. The girl tried to bolt towards her friend, but Alyssa grabbed her just in time. Mavis was smaller than her, but she was strong. She bucked and kicked and swung her elbows back, trying to catch Alyssa in the temple. All the while she screamed, “Let me go! Let me go!”

In that moment Alyssa knew exactly why Mavis hated her so much. Maybe it was because she was Aphrodite’s daughter, or maybe it was just her own intuition, but she knew without a shadow of a doubt.

The centaur charged. Alyssa hauled Mavis to one side, narrowly escaping getting trampled. She lay on top of the other girl, but as soon as she started to get up her nose erupted in pain. She felt blood begin to flow from her nostrils.

“Get off me!” Mavis commanded, proceeding to call her many horrible names.

Alyssa gritted her teeth and put all her willpower into her voice. “Mavis, stop it. Listen to me.”

Mavis obeyed.

“I know you want to help Alexander. I do too, but we can’t help him if we’re dead. We need to destroy that centaur here and now or all three of us will die! Do you understand me?”

“Yeah, of course.” Mavis responded, as if Alyssa had asked if she wanted to go get a smoothie.

Alyssa got up and Mavis followed suit, getting into a ready stance.

“His hooves are unsteady on this floor.” Mavis said, analyzing the situation. Her grey eyes darted around, as if taking in every little detail. Alyssa had a sneaking suspicion of who her godly parent was. She looked down the hall and realized that the centaur was much farther away than he should have been. He’d gotten tangled up in a banner for the school’s track team. He was slipping and sliding on the slick tile as he ripped at the cloth, trying to line up for another pass.

“He’s too big for the hallways and can’t turn sharp corners very well.” She continued. Her fingers danced through the air as if she were writing equations on an imaginary blackboard. Her observations turned to unintelligible mumbles.

“Follow me.” She finally said, her eyes glimmering madly. “I have a plan.”