Sunburn- phoebus apollo

--iv. i'll follow you apollo

RHEA JACKSON

"The Underworld has two major entrances," Nico explained, once they'd emerged in Central Park just north of the Pond. "You know the one in L.A."

"Charon's ferry," Percy confirmed—and Rhea recalled how they, Annabeth, and Grover had once gone to the Underworld on their first quest several years ago. It was crazy to think how far they've come since then.

Nico nodded. "Most souls go that way, but there's a smaller path; harder to find. The Door of Orpheus."

"The dude with the harp," Percy said—which for him was close enough.

Still, Rhea corrected him, "Dude with the lyre. He used his music to charm the earth and open a new path into the Underworld. He sang his way into Hades's palace and almost managed to get away with his wife Eurydice's soul."

In her opinion, it was one of the most tragic love stories in all of Greek mythology—but had it really been a tragedy when the two of them had eventually died at the end? Regardless of Orpheus's suffering in life, he would be with his wife forever now, wherever they were.

Some couples weren't so lucky.

"So this is the Door of Orpheus." Rhea could tell Percy wanted to be impressed, but oftentimes the stories didn't live up to the legend, and all they could see in front of them now was a boring pile of rocks. She could understand Percy's disappointment. "How does it open?"

"We need music," Nico answered. "How's your singing, Rhea?"

"She's good," Percy said. "Don't you have Apollo's blessing?"

"Yes I do," Rhea said. "And I sung for you at Westover, but that doesn't matter. I hate singing in front of people. Not happening. Percy?"

Frankly, he looked horrified by the suggestion, and Rhea knew why: Percy Jackson was perhaps one of the most powerful demigods in existence—but he couldn't hold a note. Their spring break road trip had attested to that.

"Um, no," he denied predictably. "Can't you just, like, tell it to open? Nico, you're literally the son of Hades."

Nico gave him an evil eye. It was clear he didn't want to do this either. "It's not so easy. We need music."

Percy pursed his lips, before nodding decisively. "I have a better idea."

His better idea turned out to be Grover.

And it was, in fact, a better idea.

For the first time in months, Percy could feel Grover through his empathy link, but it still took the satyr some time to show up. Apparently, he'd been sleeping, covered in dirt, and dreaming about food. It was the most Grover thing he'd done yet, and also the most ridiculous. They'd all been worried about him for ages, and it turned out he'd been here in this park the entire time.

His horns had grown so much they poked an inch above his curly hair, and he was as tall as Percy was now, which sort of bummed Rhea out. She was definitely the shortest out of their friend group—but not as short as Michael, for which she was very grateful. She could still make fun of him without being a hypocrite, and she hoped he never grew so it could stay that way.

Grover, though, seemed to have changed quite a bit in his absence. He no longer seemed to be disguising himself as a human—his hooves were now proudly on display—and his goatee looked fuller, like the encounter with Pan in the Labyrinth had made him into a more rounded individual. Rhea was proud of him; he'd developed since the first time she met him.

"It's good to see you, Grover," she said warmly. "Do you remember Nico?"

He nodded politely at the son of Hades, before he gave her and Percy a big hug. He smelled like fresh-mown lawns, which was a nice change from the burnt cookies that still haunted Rhea's senses—she didn't think she'd be able to leave the meeting with May Castellan behind for a while.