Sunburn- phoebus apollo

--xv. the fleece works its magic too well

THAT AFTERNOON WAS ONE OF THE HAPPIEST Rhea had ever spent at camp, which maybe goes to show, one never knows when their world is about to be rocked to pieces.

Grover announced that he'd be able to spend the rest of the summer with them before resuming his quest for Pan. His bosses at the Council of Cloven Elders were so impressed that he hadn't gotten himself killed and had cleared the way for future searchers, that they granted him a two-month fur-lough and a new set of reed pipes. They only bad news: Grover insisted on playing those pipes all afternoon long, and his musical skills hadn't improved much. He played "YMCA" and the strawberry plants started going crazy, wrapping around their feet like they were trying to strangle them. Rhea guessed she couldn't blame them.

Grover had said to Percy that he could dissolve the empathy link between them, (something that Percy had told them about earlier in their quest) now that they were face to face. However, Percy told Grover he'd keep it if that was okay with him. He put down his reed pipes and stared at Percy. "But, if I get in trouble again, you'll be in danger, Percy! You could die!"

"If you get in trouble again, I want to know about it." Percy said firmly. "And me and Rhea will come help you again, G-man. I wouldn't have it any other way."

"What he said." Rhea nodded along.

In the end Grover agreed not to break the link. He went back to playing "YMCA" for the strawberry plants. Rhea didn't need an empathy link with the plants to know how they felt about it.

****

Later on during archery class, Chiron pulled Rhea and Percy aside and told them that he'd fixed Percy's problems with Meriwether Prep. The school no longer blamed Percy for destroying their gymnasium. The police were no longer looking for him.

"How did you manage that?" Percy asked.

"I manipulated the Mist. Some day, when you're ready, I'll show you how it's done." Chiron explained.

"You mean, I can go back to Meriwether next year?" Percy asked skeptically. 

Chiron raised his eyebrows. "Oh, no, they've expelled you." Rhea let out a snort at that. "Your headmaster, Mr. Bonsai, said you had--how did he put it?--um-groovy karma that disrupted the school's educational aura. But you're not in any legal trouble, which was a relief to your mother. Oh, and speaking of your mother..."

He unclipped his cell phone from his quiver and handed it to Percy. "It's high time you called her."

Once Percy left, Rhea was about to follow when Chiron called out her name. She turned, tilting her head. 

"If you plan on staying over the year, then our lesson would be the Mist." Chiron said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Rhea's eyes lit up. "Are you serious?"

"Is that a yes?" 

"Yes!" Rhea jumped up and down happily before giving Chiron a hug. "You're the best, Chiron! I'm gonna go before Percy takes up all the time with our mom."

She happily ran in the direction where her brother went, not hearing the fond chuckle of the centaur behind her.