AN: Hey everyone, I hope everyone has a wonderful holidays. Now, I wanted to have more than this chapter finished for today, but a few weeks ago I had a setback. There was some power outages in my area and it fried my thumb drive. I had recently gotten a new computer so all my files were on that drive.

Through quick thinking and luck we were able to recover quite a bit, but I still lost a lot. So I've had to push a lot of what I wanted to do back. Hopefully you all enjoy this chapter. After this we have maybe two more chapters before I start The Sea's Daughter: A Titan's Curse.

I also want to let everyone know that my polyvore and website links are on my profile. Also I have started editing The Forgotten Daughter, TSD: Lightning Thief, and Reborn of Fire. For more there is a note about it on my website.

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The Sea's Daughter: Sea of Monsters.

Chapter 14: The Golden Fleece.

After the shrouds had been burnt, and Tantalus was sent back to Punishment where he belonged, Melinda headed to the Underworld herself. To make the long trip short she Apparated to Los Angeles and took a ride from Charon across the River Styx.

After speaking to Hades shortly about why Tantalus had suddenly reappeared in his domain she had to return to the camp, not wanting to be too far from the wards she'd recently reset. Hades understood and was kind enough to remotely shadow travel her back to the boundary line of Camp Half-Blood.

Entering the camp she headed straight for the Big House. She found Mr. D there talking to Pollux and Castor.

"... make sure she settles in."

Castor and Pollux nodded. "Sure thing dad. Dione doesn't have anything to worry about when she's claimed."

Melinda could only guess what they'd been talking about from the two sentences she overheard. She already suspected Dione was Mr. D's daughter, and apparently he was finally going to claim her – probably at dinner. She didn't speak to Pollux and Castor much, them being closer to Percy's age, but from what she did know it wasn't always easy for them at camp.

Being children of Mr. D some of the campers, usually the unclaimed, were mean to them and treated them like outcast because their father made no bones about his hate for demigods, and they actually got to see their father everyday. They didn't take into account that Mr. D wasn't allowed to favor them or spend actual time with them.

"Good. You should go now, those strawberries wont pick themselves," Mr. D said, and Pollux and Castor left. They waved briefly when they passed Melinda on their way out.

"So, Dione is your daughter?" Melinda asked before walking over and sitting down across from the god of wine. He barely looked up before grunting.

"How did old corpse breath handle Tantalus' arrival?" asked Dionysus, ignoring her question.

He didn't have many demigod children. Mostly because he didn't find women who caught his interest often, and he just didn't like demigods. Sometimes there were rare cases of a demigod who earned his respect, Melinda was one such rare case – even if she was a child of Poseidon. She'd been the one who brought Dione to camp for him when the girls protector, a satyr named Ivan Woods, had sent a distress call back to camp before dying.

Melinda sat down and ran a hand through her hair. "Hades wasn't amused by what Tantalus has been trying to get away with. His attempt to refuse proper funeral rights to the fallen was the last straw, we both know how seriously Hades takes that. I wouldn't be surprised if his punishment got worse – though I don't think there's much more to be done. The curses I gave him should remain unless he seeks to change, and we both know that's as likely as Zeus in a tutu."

Thunder boomed over head and Melinda withheld the urge to roll her eyes. Dionysus snorted into his soda, the image of the almighty King of the Gods in a tutu too much for the wine god.

"Until we can get our centaur to return to camp, I ask that you fill in for him. You're good with the brats," he said. "Speaking of brats, where are yours?"

Melinda was taken aback at Dionysus request, but only had to think about it for a few seconds before agreeing. When asked about the twins she smiled faintly.

"My cousin Andromeda has agreed to watch them until the wards around camp have become more stable, and hopefully Percy and the others will have the Fleece by then."

She didn't want to be separated from her babies so soon after their birth. They were hardly a month old now, but it was safer in England with Dromeda. She wasn't willing to risk their safety and right now wasn't the best time to take them to the Underworld for Hades to watch, which was only possible through loopholes in the ancient laws. With Zeus in such a bad mood it wasn't a good idea to test his patience.

She'd left Sesha on Half-Blood Hill, curled around Thalia's tree. She was still enlarged through the effect of the Elder Wand, which made spells more permanent unless the spell was actively canceled out. For now she would be a guard for camp until they could get something else. Despite Sesha seeming to enjoy her new job protecting the borders, Melinda would miss her familiar if it became permanent. Not to mention Sesha would eventually get bored and probably wonder off.

"Assuming they even return, and with the Fleece at that," said the god of madness as he sorted through playing cards.

Melinda turned a sharp glare onto the god, not bothered at all by the fact she was glaring at someone with enough power to kill her with a look, and Dionysus was considered one of the weaker sons of Zeus on the Olympian council.

"I know they'll return. They're too stubborn not to," Melinda snapped at Mr. D, but part of her wondered if she was saying it just to make herself feel better. It had been nearly ten days since they'd left camp, Thalia's tree was nearly out of time, and she was out of Phoenix tears. She'd given the last drops to her cousin's tree before she'd gone to Hades.

"Hm, maybe but maybe not. Now are you staying to play or not?"

Melinda looked at the cards the man was shuffling and raised a shapely brow. "What's the game?"

Dionysus smirked faintly.

"Poker," replied the god and Melinda smirked in return.

"Game on." She accepted the cards she was dealt.

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She had taken over Master's Archery with Lee Fletcher, counselor of the Apollo Cabin, after Chiron was fired. Truth be told, Mel thought the campers half-feared these lessons because of her bad aim. She wasn't nearly as bad as Percy, but she had Hecate's ichor to offset the seemingly genetic trait of being hopeless with a Bow and Arrow.

There had never been a child of Poseidon who was good at archery, except for Orion and he'd been taught since he could run by his mother (not that Melinda knew that). The myths said the Orion who was favored by Artemis and was the only male she ever hunted with, besides her own brother, was a son of Poseidon.

That was a mistake. Melinda figured the misunderstanding came about when mortals mistook the giant son of Gaea for the half-blood son of Poseidon, also named Orion. One thing was true, both were good with a bow.

In Melinda's case she wasn't a danger to everyone around her like Percy, but she still preferred a sword or polearm to a bow. The only reason she was allowed to help was because Lee was helping out and doing most of the teaching. Where she shinned was teaching polearm and sword lessons, which she'd been asked to take over when Luke left last summer. Since she wasn't a year rounder she wasn't sure who taught it in her absence.

With Tantalus gone Melinda had taken over on Dionysus' request, which seemed to make the campers much more agreeable. The atmosphere in the camp had lightened, everyone felt safer despite the impending sense of doom encroaching on them. Melinda also felt a little more weightless after sending Tantalus back to the Underworld, and sending Leia and Orion to Andromeda's.

She missed them terribly, but she also felt better knowing they were safe. Andromeda had strong wards and there were few monsters in England. Once the issue with the protections around the camp and the Golden Fleece was solved she would bring them home.

"Hey, you alive in there?" Lee asked, walking over to stand beside the senior camper (at least in age).

The Apollo cabin leader had a lot of respect for Melinda. She may have only one bead to signify her years at camp – two come August – but she had experience where it really mattered. She'd survived outside the protection of the camp for seventeen years, no demigod, especially not a child of one of the Big Three, had done that before.

After she'd dealt with Tantalus the camps respect for her had only went up. She was quickly becoming like the big sister or mother bear of the camp, especially for the campers under the age of eleven.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, her arms crossed over her chest.

She was dressed differently from everyone else, since she didn't always wear the camp shirt. Instead wearing knee length shorts, knee length lace up boots, and a black shirt with wide short sleeves. The locket she always wore these days was around her neck. She got away with not wearing the camp shirt while at camp because she was eighteen going on nineteen. Not that it was a completely enforced rule, it was just second nature for most to wear the camp shirt while at camp.

"You just seem out of it," he replied with a shrug.

Melinda sighed and shook her head. "It's just some dreams I've been having recently."

"Demigod dreams?" Lee asked, somewhat concerned but understanding. All demigods had the dreams at one point or another, sometimes they were worse than others.

"Maybe, but don't worry about it," she said, but from the look the other boy was giving her he wasn't so sure about that. She glanced over to where the others were lined up and shooting at the round targets. A few were having more trouble than others. "Come on, we have a lesson to finish."

Melinda didn't wait for an answer, instead she headed for the first demigod who was having trouble, and Lee followed her example.

That night Melinda fell into a restless sleep. Her dreams took her through the lowest points in her past. She saw her parents death, her early childhood at the Dursley's, and everything she'd had to face as the Wizarding Worlds Girl-Who-Lived. Rolling over fitfully in her bunk she found herself on a boat, and it was so real she wasn't sure if she was dreaming or actually there.

"They continue to mislead you," a deep metallic voice said, and she shivered. It sounded like it was right up against her ear, she could almost feel the presence behind her, reaching out as if trying to touch her. She looked around but found no sign of life, it was just her and the sea.

"The Olympians will betray you sooner or later, Melinda. You're children are unusual, bound to be powerful as the children and grandchildren of two of the eldest gods and a Titan. How long before Zeus decides they are too powerful to live?"

"Shut up," Melinda muttered, closing her eyes like a child willing the Boogeyman to go away. "You're wrong... I won't be swayed by your words, grandfather. I will not be used!"

Her magic heated up under her skin, and she felt a pull in her navel like she was using a Portkey, and then she opened her eyes. She was still on the boat but the darkness that had seeped into her father's domain had left, and instead she could see Percy jump off the boat in pursuit of something. Running to the edge of the boat she looked out to spot Percy moving through the water like a fish, heading to an equally as quick blonde. Annabeth, she realized.

Melinda was horrified to see her brother and Annabeth getting closer to the island of the sirens. They were probably one of the deadliest monsters in the Sea of Monsters, if not the most deadly.

"Percy!" she cried, sitting up in bed and nearly knocking her head on the top bunk above her.

She was breathing heavily, and sweat drenched her white tank-top and chest. Her head ached and she threw her legs over the side, noticing the clocked on the wall said it was only four in the morning. Apollo wasn't even up to raise the sun yet.

Helios, the owl who she'd had for over a year now, barked from his spot on the top of Percy's bunk. He tilted his head and sent her a reprimanding look, and she chuckled. She wasn't positive about the other owls Hedwig had, other than Selene and Helios they'd all been sold, but Helios was a lot like her first owl familiar.

"I'm sorry, Helios," she said, and he chirped before tucking his head into his feathers.

He paid her no mind after that and she got out of bed. She usually was up before this, either to feed or change the twins, but with them with Andromeda she was without much to do. She found herself picking up stray stuffed animals she'd received from a few of the cabins or bought herself, and putting them away.

Grabbing her invisibility cloak from her trunk she threw it on, and headed for Half-Blood Hill to see Sesha and keep herself busy by keeping watch at Thalia's tree.

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She fell asleep under Thalia's tree after using every healing spell she knew, which wasn't much to be honest. Still, she tried to slow her cousins deterioration to the best of her ability. In her dreams, or what she thought was a dream, she was on a boat. But this wasn't the same as the one from earlier.

That had been more like a pirates ship, this one was a cruise ship. Looking around her she noticed she was at the stern of the boat, and there was a pool with sparkling fountains that sprayed crystal clear water into the air. A dozen monsters of varying species stood around as if waiting for something.

It didn't take long for her to realize what they were waiting for when she saw two bear-like creatures with a humanoid appearance manhandling two very familiar people – Annabeth and Grover. Luke stood with his sword pointed at her brothers back as he was herded onto the aft deck.

Backbiter was a weapon she was intimately acquainted with. She remembered the end of last summer with clarity she sometimes wished she didn't have. She couldn't stop the sneer from spreading across her face upon seeing the cursed sword, it was more prominent than the spark of bitter pain at seeing her old friend again.

She'd only known Luke for a few months, but they had bonded and quickly became best friends. She'd trusted him nearly as much as she had Hermione, Ron, or Neville. She'd never seen his betrayal coming, but she should have.

"So, the Fleece," Luke mused, never truly lowering his sword. But the two demigods and satyr were now facing the traitor. "Where is it?"

He prodded Percy's shirt and Grover's pants – as if they'd hidden something like the Golden Fleece under their clothes. Melinda scoffed at the ridiculousness of it, and finally moved from her where she was to stand behind Percy. No one had seen her, and she realized they couldn't. Glancing down at herself she realized what had happened.

This wasn't a dream. She'd astral projected herself during her sleep, and the reason they couldn't see her was she'd been wearing the invisibility cloak while she slept. Though it wasn't uncommon to be unseen during an astral projection, but from the little practice she'd had with the natural ability she was usually visible when she astral projected.

She half-listened when Grover got upset and Luke's snarky retort before he finally got fed up with the stalling. She shifted, ready to do what she could to help her three friends. The problem was she was just a projection, she wasn't really there. She couldn't use magic while like this, but she was able to physically interact if she concentrated. With enough time that would become second nature.

"Maybe you didn't hear me." His voice was dangerously calm as he spoke. "Where–is–the–Fleece?"

Luke's tone left no room for argument and the sunlight glinted of Backbiter hazardously.

"Not here," Percy said, with a smug undertone. "We sent it ahead of us. It's over, Luke, you messed up."

Luke's eyes narrowed. "You're lying. You couldn't have..." His face reddened as a horrible truth occurred to him. Melinda realized in that split second what her brother had done and chuckled under her breath – she didn't want to be any louder, unsure if they would or could hear her. "Clarisse?"

"You sent it ahead with Clarisse!? Have you lost your mind?" Luke nearly yelled, and Percy just nodded.

"Yep," Percy said, the tiniest of smirks tugging across his face.

"Agrius!"

The bear giant flinched at the loud angry yell, but answered promptly, "Y-yes?"

"Go below and prepare my steed. Bring it to the deck. I need to fly to the Miami Airport, fast!"

"But, boss –" Agrius tried to say, but Luke cut him off with a scream.

"Do it! Or I'll feed you to the drakon!" The threat was not empty and Melinda's eyes widened.

What on earth was Luke harboring on this ship? She knew now the difference between dragons and drakons and if she were to choose between battling a dragon or drakon, she'd choose the dragon every time. Like Melinda the rest of Luke's crew looked just as spooked, especially the few demigods on the deck.

Melinda let out a sharp breath as she felt herself being pulled away. She didn't want to leave yet. She had to make sure her brother and friends were alright. She groaned as the tugging at her soul got fiercer and she leaned down to whisper into Percy's ear.

"Percy, use his anger against him. Don't let him get to you and don't die, little brother." As she faded away she saw Percy standing a bit straighter, and she was sure his eyes had widened a fraction. He had heard her.

When she woke up she was laying against Thalia's tree, using Sesha's enlarged body as a sort of pillow since the snake had wrapped herself around the dying tree in order to protect it. The sunlight shone down through the remaining pin needles and she had to blink several times to adjust to the light.

"Hey," Sam said, standing above her. His expression was schooled into its usual careless attitude, but she thought she saw a bit of concern flash through his eyes and over his face. "You alright, Sea Witch? You were pretty dead to the world there."

He must have been trying to wake her longer than she'd thought. Melinda stretched her arms above her, and groaned. "Sorry, I was pretty tired I guess."

"Yeah?"

"Hm, I woke pretty early last night so I came here to see Sesha and if I could do anything for the tree. I guess I fell asleep under it."

Sam knew something was bothering his friends but he also knew how stubborn Melinda was. If she didn't want to talk about it there was nothing he could say that would change her mind.

"Well, Mr. D sent me to find you since no one had seen you all day. It's already dinner time," he said and helped Melinda up.

::Mistress, you should go eat. You have been working yourself much too hard.:: Sesha said, turning her head to her. Melinda looked at the golden snake and sighed. She was hungry, but she was also worried.

::Alright,:: she replied. She and Sam left Half-Blood Hill for the dinning pavilion. When they arrived they heard the voices of Percy and Luke.

"– Thalia's tree, Luke?"

"I did, of course," Luke snarled, but as they got closer they realized Luke hadn't noticed them. His back was turned to them. Melinda smirked proudly, realizing her little brother had taken her words and formed a brilliant plan.

"Chiron had nothing to do with it?" Percy asked.

Luke laughed darkly, bitterly. "Ha! You know he'd never do that. That old fool doesn't have the guts to."

"Guts, you call that guts? Betraying and nearly killing your friends? Endangering the whole camp?"

Luke raised his sword. "You don't know the half of it, Percy. I was going to let you and the others take the Fleece... once I was done with it."

That was an odd admission, and she obviously wasn't the only one to think so.

"You were going to heal Kronos," Percy said, and there were some tiny gasp around the pavilion but thankfully Luke didn't notice his audience.

"Yes! The Fleece's magic would have sped his healing up by tenfold. But you haven't stopped us, Percy. You've only slowed us down."

"So you poisoned the tree, you betrayed Thalia, you set us up – all to help Kronos destroy the gods."

"You know that! Why do you keep asking me?" Luke growled, and Percy smirked.

"Because I want everybody in the audience to hear you."

"What audience?" He looked behind him and his goons did the same. They gasped and stumbled back at the sight before them. The entire camp was in a stunned silence. Watching them.

"Well," said Dionysus dryly, "some unplanned dinner entertainment."

"Mr. D, you heard him," Percy said. "You all heard Luke. The poisoning of the tree wasn't Chiron's fault."

"I suppose not," Mr. D admitted with a sigh. "It appears I shall have to reinstate Chiron as activities director. I suppose I do miss the old horse's pinochle games."

"I'm hurt, Mr. D," Melinda said with mock hurt. "I thought we had something special."

"Impudent girl," the wine god muttered, and realizing Chiron was coming back the entire camp burst into cheering.

Luke exploded into rage, but for a moment Melinda's eyes connected with Luke's. In that split second she saw the Luke she'd known a year ago, before he'd betrayed everyone. The message was then cut in half by Luke's sword slicing through it.

Her concern for her brother and friends only increased.