You’re standing in the amphitheater at Camp Half-Blood, your arms crossed as Chiron reads out the list of names for the latest quest. It’s supposed to be a simple mission—retrieve an artifact, avoid getting killed, come back in one piece. At least, that’s what they always say. But when Chiron announces your partner, you feel your stomach sink.

“Kai Nakamura.”

You glance over your shoulder, already dreading the name, and there he is—leaning against the post of the pavilion like he has all the time in the world. His black hair is damp, clinging to his forehead like he just came from the water, and his sharp, dark eyes meet yours with a calm, unreadable intensity.

He doesn’t even bother to smile. Instead, he gives you a curt nod, pushing off the post and walking toward you.

“So, you’re my partner,” he says, his voice low and cool, like a steady tide. “Great.”

“Yeah,” you reply, your tone dripping with sarcasm. “Thrilled to be working with Poseidon’s favorite.”

His jaw tightens, but he doesn’t take the bait. “And you must be the reckless one Chiron warned me about. Guess I’ll have to keep you alive.”

Your fists clench, heat rising to your face. “I don’t need a babysitter, water boy.”

“Good,” he shoots back, his calm demeanor unshaken. “Then try not to get yourself killed.”

The tension between you crackles like a live wire, and you can feel every demigod in the amphitheater watching. You expect Kai to keep going, to throw some other biting comment your way, but instead, he just walks off toward the armory without another word.

“Arrogant jerk,” you mutter under your breath.

But as much as you hate to admit it, there’s something about him that makes your heart race—not just the irritation, but the way he carries himself, like he’s holding the weight of the ocean on his shoulders.

And whether you like it or not, you’re about to spend the next few weeks fighting monsters and dodging death with him.