The Forbidden Daughter | PJO Book One

six

CAPTURE THE FLAG

The next morning after breakfast, Ariana told Grover and Percy about her dream. And it turns out, Percy had the same one.

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 head first and get a pile of snow dumped on him.

"A cave ceiling collapsed on her?" he asked the both of them.

"Yeah. What the heck does that mean?" Percy asked.

Grover shook his head. "I don't know. But after what Zoë dreamed -"

"Zoë had a dream?" Ariana asked.

"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?"

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

"That's creepy." Ariana commented.

"What for?"

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

"You're a stalker with hooves." Percy agreed.

"I am not! 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."

Ariana 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?" He 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 pyjamas and his horse tail in curlers and -"

"He wears curlers in his tail?" Ariana laughed.

Grover covered her mouth.

"Sorry." She said. "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?'"

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

"No. I think she meant gone. Taken.
Kidnapped."

"Kidnapped?" Ariana tried to get her mind round that idea. "How would you kidnap an immortal goddess? Is that even possible?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, it happened to Persephone."

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

Grover looked offended. "Springtime!"

"Hey and she's queen of the underworld! Plus she's a badass so let's not offend my badass stepmother."