Big Cabin, Big House - Excerpt from Daughter of Hera

Clara made her way tentatively up towards the big house on the hill. Although the Hera Cabin was now officially her 'home' there was nothing homely about it. Inside, there was only a gigantic marble statue of her mother, the eyes cold and distant like even Hera had now chosen to ignore her.

"Too late for that, Mum" Clara said, looking up into the night sky as if Hera would suddenly appear. The Queen of the gods was unlikely to materialise in front of her - if she thought the feeling at Camp Half Blood was worse, then the feeling up there in Olympus was probably a thousand times worse….actually make that a million times worse.

The End - Excerpt from Super (Market) Spies

"This is it" Ethan said as we braced ourselves in the hallway. We were standing in a line, all huddled close together, ready to conquer the world, as if we hadn't already. Our catsuits were absent, our gadgets were gone, but we were still a team. 

"Can you not turn this in to a dramatically cheesy moment?" Britt complained. "It's really no big deal."

All four of us turn to stare at her like she's just said that she can communicate with sharks. Britt Sanders saying that what we were about to do was not a big deal, was totally a big deal. 

"This time last year it was your life" Kiwi said giving Britt a look of derision. "You're telling me you're not going to get any fun out of it at all?"

"I guess I just have different priorities this year" she said matter-of-factly, looping her arm around Zeke's waist. He draped his arm around her shoulders protectively, kissing the top of her head. 

"This year is definitely different" I said, squeezing Ethan's hand. He squeezed mine right back. It felt right, for us to be together. There's just no avoiding cliches, is there? "Will you do the honours Kiwi?"

She stepped forward, putting her hand on the door. We all tried to ignore the fact her hand was shaking. Kiwi never got nervous. Ever. "I most certainly will" Kiwi pushed against the doors to reveal the bustling cafeteria on the other side. 

As predicting, everyone in the vicinity turned to look at the five of us like we were the stars of some teen movie. Our summer had certainly felt like a movie, and it wasn't like we were undeserving of the attention. Britt thrived in the spotlight, used to the eyes of the student body following her like a shadow while the rest of us walking indecisively further into the hall. 

When we were about to sit down together it felt like there was a collective intake of breath, as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room at once. We all sat down. The lunch crowd went back to their own business.

It didn't matter as much as we thought that the once most popular girl was sitting with social rejects. Britt was one of us. It didn't matter that she and the not so new kid were now holding hands under the table. Zeke was one of us. Kiwi, Ethan and I? Well, we'd always been here - just not how we are now. 

"Did you feel like celebrities walking in?" Kiwi giggled. 

"All we needed was a red carpet and a wind machine, seriously" I laughed with her, the sound rippling around our group.

"We ARE famous. I have twenty minutes of taped TV footage to prove it" Zeke smiled confidently. Once we'd escaped the clutches of the police station a news crew were right outside, ready to hound us about how we'd managed to stand, stall and stop the heist and defeat an army of robbers and thieves. Not bad for a day's work. 

"We're super" Ethan high-rived Kiwi. 

"Yeah, super spies" Britt added. 

"No, no" I grinned. " Super market spies!" 

Splashing through Puddles - Excerpt from Daughters of Olympus

I held my head high as I trekked through the waist length grass. Who knew there was a swamp on the way to Long Island Sound? I sure didn't. If I did maybe I would have chosen to wear more appropriate shoes; the pink pumps I was wearing were now caked in a layer of mud so thick I'd have to saw my foot off to remove the shoe.

"I really didn't think this through" I moaned to my non-existent companion. It wasn't just my fashion choices that I was beginning to regret. Running away from home was never going to be a Nobel Prize winning idea, but I never knew it would be this difficult...or muddy.

It turns out there was a lot more I didn't know about that I would discover at the end of this miniature quest through the labyrinth swamp. Was there going to be a Minotaur at the centre like my favourite Greek myth? My muddy shoes would make the perfect bull fighting weapon.

Onwards I marched, picking up my heavy feet, exerting a little more effort with every step. The rest of my clothes had become uncomfortably sticky, attaching them to my heaving chest. My breath was short as I travelled at a glacial pace, my bag feeling heavier and heavier as I progressed through the bog.

My invisible companion pointed towards a line of trees in the distance. I was delirious. "The trees would offer shade from this merciless heat" I said, swiping sweat from my brow. "Let's go over there" I continued to walk for another fifteen minutes, the promise of shelter from the sun being the force propelling me forward.

I brought out my hand to touch the rough bark of the tree as if I was blind and needed to feel something to know it was real. In my mental state, it could have been just a trick of the imagination.

"Cruel imagination" I whispered, sinking down so that my back was propped against the trunk. "The tree is real"

With all the strength I could muster, I delved into my backpack in search of my bottle of water. The liquid inside glowed like a crystal, the sunlight distorting the fluid. As the water touched my lips it felt like I was drinking rainbows and happiness, for my mind soon cleared once I was rehydrated.

"This doesn't look much like a campsite" I said. Even though no one could hear me it felt comforting to hear my own voice. I'd been alone for two days and the supplies in my pack were beginning to run out, I checked my purse. You really shouldn't have spent that money on the taxi, I scolded myself. What are you going to do when your food runs out? I had packed like I was going on a two week vacation, so I doubted that my food store was depleting until I looked into the cold pack. A chocolate orange sat by itself, in amongst cereal bar wrappers and crisp packets. Maybe I should have packed an actual orange for the journey?

My planning skills were really lacking.

I felt exhausted, like I'd just run for five hours straight. I'd shoved a cell phone into my skirt pocket but, undoubtedly, there was no reception. I told myself severely that I couldn't phone my father to come and get me. The whole reason I ran away was to keep him safe, away from the trail of destruction I seemed to leave behind me. There was no way I was going home. Not after I'd got this far.

I stretched out my legs, which were covered in inflamed scratches from the long grass. Another thing that I should have packed: allergy cream. I crossed my ankles and tried to make myself as comfortable as possible. My muscles ached, my head hurt, my back screamed. Now's a good time to rest, I thought, there are no threats here.

Spoke to soon.

Just as a closed my eyes, relishing in the tangerine colour of my eyelids, my ears picked up a slow rustle in the grass. There was no breeze.

I couldn't see the source of the sound; my ears were oddly in tune with a world beyond the horizon, I'd always been able to hear things no matter how far away from me. It was the most useful super power I'd heard about when on the run. Too bad it was costing me valid sleeping hours.

The rustling continued, getting closer and closer. My eyes wildly scanned the grass, but still couldn't spot anything unusual. When the noise grew impossibly loud for a small insect to make, I jumped up from my resting position.

It was as if my brain had just switched to battle mode. My muddy feet helped me to stand tall and strong. I bent my knees so I could easily pounce on an attacker. Two days on my own and I was already an expert in survival. Must have been all those books I read.

A hissing sound erupted next to me, and despite my prepared battle position I jumped like I'd been electrocuted. Snakes. I hated snakes.

"Young one" a voice said, with a lisp like their tongue didn't belong in their mouth. "Oh young half-blood"

The voice sent icicles into my heart and frozen my brain as if I'd eaten too much ice cream in one go. As the hissing noises increased, I wondered if the voice was simply in my head. I probably didn't drink enough water and was now having a dehydrated delusion. Snakes can't talk, can they?

I looked at the floor, hoping to spot the slimy speaker to prove my sanity but tripped backwards on a tree root when I looked to the sky.

Before me a horrific monster had formed. It was a woman, or half a woman I should say. She had hair as green as grass, with slit yellow eyes that narrowed menacingly in my direction. Her skin was a scaly gold which glinted in the sunlight. Instead of legs, she had two rolling snakes with forest green skins and flitting red tongues. She wore plated armour around her torso and arms, with a spear clad onto her back. When she stared at me it felt like snake's venom was flowing in my blood.

"Daughter of the sky and the sea" she hissed menacingly. "How I long to kill you"

I spluttered awkwardly, not really taking in what she was saying. Daughter of sky and sea? My dad made pottery for a living! She wanted to kill me? I didn't even know her, or for that matter, even believed she existed!

"Who are you?" I coughed. "What do you want from me?" I kicked myself inside for using the most clichéd damsel-in-distress lines.

"Who am I?!" the woman roared. "How could you not know?" She flicked her hair so it hung like ropes down her back. "I am the mothers of all monsters. I am Echidna!"

"Not really ringing any bells" I said. "Did you say Enchilada?"

"Ha!" she hissed. "Like I haven't heard that one in all my years. You are a half blood, are you not?"

"What's a half blood?" As soon as I said the words it was like something was unlocked in my head. Suddenly a whole host of memories came flooding around me, most prominently one of myself as a baby, being lifted up out of a cotton soft cot and being caressed by a woman of stunning beauty. Surrounding us both was an expanse of sapphire sky and marshmallow clouds. What was that?

"You know what it means. You've had your own suspicions all along." Echidna scowled around the swamp. "Aren't you running from something, something that's been following you since you were born?"

"How did you know?"

"My poor unfortunate girl; you are this close to the camp and you don't seem to have a clue what's going on." Echidna's snake legs wriggled around so I could see their menacing mouths. They spit at me violently, the saliva burning anything it touched. Luckily my muddy shoes protected my feet.

"How do you know that's where I was going?"

"Stop asking questions, it's so repetitive and bland. All half-bloods ask questions: "Can your snakes talk?', 'Why don't you have snakes for hair?', 'Do you really have to kill me?'" she sighed. "I'm tired of answering for others. It's time I answered for myself."

I squirmed.

"I want to kill you and so I will. You will suffer pain sooner or later, but why mess with fate? I'm only saving you from killing yourself eventually"

"I don't understand" I felt scared beyond belief. Emotions gripped me, adrenaline pumped through my veins. This snake woman wanted to kill me and seemed to know more about me than I did.

"I think we should slow down a bit. How about instead of me asking questions we have a nice little chat about me? Then we can talk about you and your bloodlust." I babbled.

Words were never my strong point; hearing them I could do just fine, but forming them myself was another can of worms.

"Well, that does sound nice"

"You think?"

"NO! NOW YOU DIE!" Echidna grabbed her spear and clutched it firmly. Before she even had a chance to move a snake-muscle I was up and running, discarding my backpack, and running for my life.

I heard her battle cry hiss and more slithering as she chased me through the sweeping trees. The tree I was resting next to marked the entrance to a forest of willows and large puddle pools which were all varying shades of brown.

I didn't dare slow down as I heard Echidna gaining on me. I bounded around tree roots and flew over bogs so fast it was as if I was flying. Darting through trees, I quickened my pace, sure that I was losing her.

          Stop, sweetie, said a female voice in my head as I rolled around a tree, changing direction. You’re going the wrong way!

I shook my head in disbelief. I whipped my head around in search of Echidna. I was not falling for the voice inside my head thing ever again. But would Echidna ever call me sweetie? Probably in a patronising I’m-going-to-rip-you-apart-way I guess.

          Stephanie, listen to me. The voice spoke with such forcefulness I stood dead still. You’re not imagining me, I’m real.

I scoffed. As if that proved anything, I thought.

          Walk over to that puddle. The voice instructed. There was no hiss or menace to the words. In fact, the voice sounded like how a teacher would talk to a student, or a mother to a child. I suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to listen to the voice and obey their every command.  

A niggle in my brain told me to think about just following this strange woman's instructions, but I ignored it and walked over to the puddle. It was different to the others; it was so clear and pure I could see my reflection in high definition if I stared into it. There was something special about it, I’d have known even if a soothing voice in my head hadn’t told me so.

          “What now?” I asked the voice, desperate for a quick response. I didn’t know how far behind me snake woman was and I sure as heck didn’t want to find out.

          Look into the puddle. Can you see me? The woman gave a silvery laugh that filled my heart like a lullaby. I tried to look past my own reflection and saw the source of the voice.

Unlike mine, her reflection wavered and rippled, not giving me a crystal clear image. It was sort of like when a television screen goes static. However it was obvious that the woman was blond and had eyes that sparkled like precious gems.

          I can protect you, she said. I believed her. I can take you where you need to go in the blink of an eye. Or you could say in a flash of light! Her laughter sounded again like the ringing of bells. Do you trust me?

I nodded, sure that the woman could see me. 

       Imagine the campsite you're heading for. Imagine it as if you are already there. Think of the smells and the sights and the sounds. Think hard, Stephanie. 

I thought as hard as I could. 

     Now jump into the puddle. 

     "Umm...what?" I furrowed my eyebrows, not sure what the woman meant, however I heard rustling in the trees. Echidna was close, I could almost feel her hatred radiating through the forest. There was no time for second guessing.
I knelt to the ground and stuck my index finger into the puddle. It felt thick like syrup. Intrigued by the texture I stuck my whole hand in. It began to feel unattached from my body; I feared I wouldn't be able to take my hand out again. With one hand stuck in the silver syrup puddle, I used my legs to kick my body upwards into a handstand. 
I turned my head just as something exploded from the bushes but didn't get time to gasp before I was submerged in the puddle and started to fall.

Clara and the Claiming - Excerpt from Daughter of Hera

Clara twirled the peacock feather around in her hand, feeling like the weight of the sky was balancing on her shoulders. (Of course, if you asked around, you could find some demigods that knew exactly what that felt like.) 

The feather shimmered as it touched her palm, the pink glow of last night still faintly glittering around her. If she flicked her hand, specks of glitter floated to the floor. She might have been made to look more beautiful than a daughter of Aphrodite, but her pink aura just made her beetroot blush more prominent when she was claimed. 

A daughter of Hera? What an outrage! Clara only had to close her eyes to remember the shocked and shamed faces of the other campers that night. It was like the image was burned into her back of her retinas as soon as the soft white toga fabric formed around her. 

She was still wearing the toga, the gold belt swinging from her hips, her golden hair that was once clipped away from her face had fallen into her eyes. She was grateful; it hid the red puffiness of her tears. 

As she paced around her empty cabin, her sandals made prints in the dust. The first one, that was what she was told. The first to be a demigod daughter of Hera. It was huge. Colossal. Hera was meant to be the goddess of marriage - it wouldn't go down well in Olympus to find out she had had an affair with a mortal.

What's going to happen to me? Clara thought, twisting a free lock of hair anxiously around her finger. This was bad news, that was for sure. Hardly anyone had said anything to her when she was led to the Hera cabin, a pink tinted temple right next to Zeus's that was filled with nothing but a statue of her mother. 

She had to find answers. She had to find out why she'd been claimed. She had to find Chiron.

Code Names - Excerpt from Super (Market) Spies

“We should have code names” Kiwi said, excitedly clapping her hands as she clipped a spray painted tool belt around her waist.

“We should not have code names” Britt glared at her.

“Code names would be really fun though! I’ve always wanted a code name!” Kiwi took the brush from the dresser top, pretending it was a walkie talkie.  “Fruit Salad to Barbie Girl, come in, come in”

“If we get code names mine is not being Barbie Girl” Britt huffed. She helped Zeke adjust his bow tie that was disguising a microphone. Zeke looked happy with the arrangement.

 “You don’t get to pick your own code name, those are the rules” Zeke said, zipping up the back of Britt’s black cat suit.

 “That’s unfair; I want to be Fruit Salad” Kiwi complained.

 “Is that because your name’s Kiwi?” Ethan laughed. He twisted his shoe laces into a quick double knot then turned around to help me with the clasp of my sash.

 “No. I like the sweet”

 Zeke snorted which caused a ripple of laughter around the room. “Fruit Salad is not a good code name”

 “And Barbie Girl is?!” Britt slapped Zeke’s arm in mock anger.

“I never said that! Don’t slap me I bruise like a peach”

 “Zeke’s code name is now officially ‘Peach Boy’”

 “That’s unfair!”

 “You don’t get to pick your own code name, those are the rules!” I grinned, giving Kiwi a high five. All five of us had finished getting our gear on; now Britt was adding the final touches to our make-up.

 “Don’t come near me with that blush, B” Ethan said, slapping away the make-up brush she was waving in his face. “I demand manly war paint only.”

 “I second that motion” Zeke said.

 “Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer a bit of peach bronzer, Zeke?” Britt poked him gently in the arm this time.

 “I regret talking to you all.” He said, but put his arm around Britt’s shoulders to prove the opposite.

 “What are our code names going to be then?” I asked, applying my own version of Ethan’s manly war paint. “If we’re picking each other’s then we need to be serious.”

 “Code names are not meant to be serious” Kiwi pouted, but agreed to the terms and conditions as if she hadn’t read them.

 “Kiwi, you can be Tooty Fruity” Ethan declared, using a umbrella to knight her. Kiwi took the umbrella then placed it on my shoulders.

 “Meg will be Fruit Cake” she smiled sweetly in my direction. “Nutmeg is a key ingredient after all.”

 “YOUR NAME IS NUTMEG?!” Zeke shouted. Ethan punched him in the side. “Ouch!”

 “Shut up, doofus, you knew that already.”  I held the umbrella over Britt’s head. “I pronounce you Barbie Girl”

 Britt looked upset for a second before her face changed to a fake smile. “I am perfect, aren’t I?” She flipped her hair in a truly cheerleader fashion then grabbed the knighting ‘sword’. “Zeke, you can be my Ken”

 “Ken is my code name? I think I prefer Peach Boy” Zeke protested.

 “OK, Wizard then”

 Finally, Zeke looked at Ethan and christened him ‘Action Man’

I gave a loud whistle once everyone had finished cheering. “It’s spy time!”

 “What a cliché.” Kiwi giggled, but followed as I led the way out of HQ.