Chapter 1:

The Secret

I decided to take Daedalus on his offer of studying with him. It was so cool to finally get a chance to work with the architect who made the greatest maze in Greek history, the Labyrinth. I mean he's my greatest hero, after my parents of course. I know what you're thinking; everyone's parents are their heroes. Or some kids just say that to make their parents proud, but my parents truly are my heroes in life.

My dad is an inventor who has a great passion for inventing things. So, I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I grew up living with him, my step mom, and my step siblings. My step mom isn't like that evil step mother in Cinderella, but man do I hate her. My step siblings weren't a walk in the park either. They always touched my things and joked around with me more than I wanted them to. And as time moved on, we drifted farther apart. Especially when I went through changes and these aren't your normal puberty changes.

It started with a big CRASH! Actually, it was right after I had a big argument with my 7 year old brother and stomped my foot on the ground.

"Annabeth, what happened?" asked my dad.

"Nothing Dad, I just dropped a few books from my class."

"Books? How could you read if your dyslexic," he said coming up the stairs.

Damn it! I forgot I was dyslexic.

"Oh, you know just…uhh…trying to overcome…umm…my dyslexi-ness?"

"I can hear how hard your…what the-!"

"Sorry Dad. I really didn't mean to-"

I was stopped abruptly with a tight bear hug.

"I know you're sorry Annabeth and I know you didn't mean to do it. I should have expected this."

"What? You mean you expected a big crater in the middle of my room with no logical explanation at all?"

"No Annabeth, there is a reason for everything. And that reason would be your mother.

"My mother."

I really was confused by this. How could my mother have anything to do with this? She left my father at least 9 years ago when I was just born. Dad barely even mentions her. To me she's just a stranger in the vast, congested world who's been omniscient to me my whole life. The thought of her being relevant to this incident left me puzzled.

"As you know…,"my father began, "your mother and me loved each other very much. We loved one another for our unique qualities. And yes we are very unique people. After all, what do you call the Greek goddess of wisdom?"

"Wait a minute! Do you mean my mother is the Greek goddess, Athena?"

My father nodded his head up and down in reply to my question.

"So…I'm a goddess too?"

"No you are only half goddess. I think they refer to that term as a demigod. I never thought this day would come." He said while rummaging through an old suitcase, but no ordinary suitcase. It had at least seven locks on it. When he finished scrying through many things he pulled out an old baseball cap. "Here it is," he said mesmerizing the old hat.

"What's so fascinating about a stupid hat?"

The words stung my dad like a bee. I could tell the question hurt him because he had an expression that said "how could you say such a thing."

"This hat was given to me by your for safe until your full powers came to. Trust me when I say this, your mother loved you very much. Which is why she had entrusted me to care for you and for her to leave you behind with me?"

"Why did she leave us behind?" I asked curiously.

"She left us behind because being a great Greek goddess became known to many magical creatures who were enemies. Your mother knew that the only way to keep us from getting hurt by those enemies was to keep us hidden. Thus, we now live among humans in the mortal world. Ahh, yes…your mother is a very wise person. After all, they don't call her the goddess of wisdom for nothing."

"You still haven't explained why the hat is so important," I said.

"Well, this is no ordinary baseball cap. It's an invisibility cap."

"With that I broke into a huge storm of laughter.

"You're kidding, right? You can't be serious Dad."

"Ahh…yet, I am." Dad then placed the cap on his head and disappeared instantaneously.

"Dad? Where are you? Where'd you go?!"

"Don't worry Annabeth, I'm right here."

I felt something poke me and turned around. I saw my dad reappear before my very eyes.

"Now do you believe me?"

"Is there any reason not to believe you?"

I realized at that moment that I was not only Annabeth Chase, but I was the daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom. How much sweeter could my life get?

"Annabeth?"

"Yeah."

"This means you can't stay here."

"What?!"