¹𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀. percy jackson

VI.

ｔｈｅ　ｔｉｔａｎｓ　ｃｕｒｓｅ

THE NEXT MORNING AFTER BREAKFAST, Lucia found Grover and Percy sitting in a meadow watching the satyrs chase the wood nymphs through the snow.

The nymphs had promised to kiss the satyrs if they got caught, but they hardly ever did. Usually, the nymph would let the satyr get up a full head of steam, then she'd turn into a snow-covered tree and the lovesick satyr would slam into it headfirst and get a pile of snow dumped on him.

"I have to tell you two something" Lucia sat down, Percy and Grover looked at her taken aback when she approached them. Percy's eyes flickered to her new Orange Camp Half-blood shirt and looked back up at her with a ghost of a smile. It became nonexistent when she said "I dreamt of Annabeth"

When Lucia told them about her nightmare, Grover started twirling his finger in his shaggy leg fur. "A cave ceiling collapsed on her?" he asked.

"It was dark, I think it was a cave but I'm not sure... What do you think it means?" she tried to press for some answers

"Demigods have weird nightmares all the time luz, it comes with the job description" Percy explained "I don't know what it means but I dreamt the same thing"

Lucia struggled with the idea that Percy and her shared a dream, but after how vivid her dream was and how afraid she'd felt for Annabeth last night she knew it was more than that. she knew she had to push her logical brain aside and come to terms with the fact things are never going to make 100% sense again.

Grover shook his head. "I don't know. But after what Zoe dreamed—"

"Whoa. What do you mean? Zoe had a dream like that?" Percy stopped him

"I... I don't know, exactly. About three in the morning she came to the Big House and demanded to talk to Chiron. She looked really panicked."

"Wait, how do you know this?" Lucia asked

Grover blushed. "I was sort of camped outside the Artemis cabin."

"What for?"

"Just to be, you know, near them."

"You're a stalker with hooves."

"I am not Lu! Anyway, I followed her to the Big House and hid in a bush, and watched the whole thing. She got really upset when Argus wouldn't let her in. It was kind of a dangerous scene."

Argus was the head of security for camp—a big blond dude with eyes all over his body. Lee mentioned he rarely showed himself unless something serious was going on. Lucia wouldn't want to place bets on a fight between him and Zoe Nightshade.

"What did she say?" Percy asked.

Grover grimaced. "Well, she starts talking really old-fashioned when she gets upset, so it was kind of hard to understand. But something about Artemis being in trouble and needing the Hunters. And then she called Argus a boil-brained lout... I think that's a bad thing. And then he called her—"

"Whoa, wait. How could Artemis be in trouble?"

"I... well, finally Chiron came out in his pajamas and his horsetail in curlers and—"

"He wears curlers in his tail?" Lucia snorted "How many does he use? or is it like really huge ones?"

Grover covered his mouth.

"Sorry," Lucia said. "More important things than giant hair curlers, Go on."

"Well, Zoe said she needed permission to leave camp immediately. Chiron refused. He reminded Zoe that the Hunters were supposed to stay here until they received orders from Artemis. And she said..." Grover gulped. "She said 'How are we to get orders from Artemis if Artemis is lost?'"