Sunburn- phoebus apollo

--vi. an old dead friend comes to visit

THE NEXT MORNING AFTER BREAKFAST, Percy told Rhea and Grover about his dream. They sat in the 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 poor satyr would slam into it headfirst and get a pile of snow dumped on him.

When Percy told them his nightmare, Grover started twirling his finger in his shaggy leg fur while Rhea started chewing her bottom lip nervously.

"A cave ceiling collapsed on her?" Grover asked.

"Yeah. What the heck does that mean?"

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

"Whoa." Percy raised his hands in a time-out gesture. "What do you mean? Zoe had a dream like that?"

"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."

Rhea and Percy exchanged mystified looks.

"Wait, how do you know this?" Percy asked.

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

"What for?" Rhea raised an eyebrow.

Grover turned redder under her judgmental stare. "Just to be, you know, near them."

"You're a stalker with hooves." Percy said bluntly.

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

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

"What did she say?" Rhea asked curiously.

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—"

"Wait," Rhea interrupted, alarmed. "What do you mean Artemis is in trouble?"

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

"He wears curlers in his tail?" Percy blurted out.

Grover covered his mouth. Rhea sent him an annoyed look.

"Sorry," Percy said sheepishly. "Go on."

"Well, Zoe said she needed permission to leave camp immediately. Chiron refused. He minded 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?'"

"What do you mean lost?" Percy asked. "Like she needs directions?"

"No," Rhea said. "Gods and goddesses.. they don't get lost. But they do get taken. Kidnapped."

"Kidnapped?" Percy looked really confused. "How would you kidnap an immortal goddess? Is that even possible?"

"Yes," Rhea said in a 'duh' tone. "It happened to Persephone."

"But she was, like, the goddess of flowers."

Grover looked offended. "Springtime."

"Whatever. Artemis is a lot more powerful than that. Who could kidnap her? And why?"