"You're like me?" she said suspiciously.

 

"Yeah," Luke said. "We're . . . well, it's hard to explain, but we're monster

fighters. Where's your family?"

 

"My family hates me," the girl said. "They don't want me. I ran away."

 

Thalia and Luke locked eyes. I knew they both related to what she was saying.

 

"What's your name, kiddo?" Thalia asked.

 

"Annabeth."

 

Luke smiled. "Nice name. I tell you what, Annabeth — you're pretty fierce. We

could use a fighter like you."

 

Annabeth's eyes widened. "You could?"

 

"Oh, yeah." Luke turned his knife and offered her the handle. "How'd you like a

real monster-slaying weapon? This is Celestial bronze. Works a lot better than a

hammer."

 

Maybe under most circumstances, offering a seven-year-old kid a knife would not

be a good idea, but when you're a half-blood, regular rules kind of go out the