This Dark Night ― Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase¹

―xxi. the great god pan

The group started struggling through the Labyrinth once more.

"Back to New York," Percy said. "Rachel, can you—"

He froze. Naomi realized why a moment later. A few feet in front of them, Percy's flashlight beam fixed on a clump of red fabric laying on the ground—Grover's Rasta cap.

Percy's hands shook as he picked it up. It looked like it had been stepped on by a huge muddy boot.

There was something else—two sets of footprints. One set big like Tyson's, the other smaller like Grover's. They led off to the left.

"We have to follow them," Percy said. "They went that way. It must have been recently."

"What about Camp Half-Blood?" Nico said. "There's no time."

"We have to find them," Annabeth insisted. "They're our friends."

She picked up Grover's smashed cap and forged ahead.

The tunnel was treacherous. It sloped at weird angles and was slimy with moisture. Half the time they were slipping and sliding rather than walking.

Finally they got to the bottom of a slope and found themselves in a large cave with huge stalagmite columns. Through the center of the room ran an underground river, and Tyson was sitting at the bank, cradling Grover in his lap. Grover's eyes were closed. He wasn't moving.

"Tyson!" Percy yelled.

"Percy! Come quick!"

They ran over to him. Grover wasn't dead, thank the gods, but his whole body trembled like he was freezing to death.

"What happened?" Percy asked.

"So many things," Tyson murmured. "Large snake. Large dogs. Men with swords. But then... we got close to here. Grover was excited. He ran. Then we reached this room, and he fell. Like this."

"Did he say anything?" Percy asked.

"He said, 'We're close.' Then hit his head on rocks."

Percy knelt next to him. The only other time Naomi had seen Grover pass out was in New Mexico, when he'd felt the presence of Pan.

Percy shone his flashlight around the cavern. The rocks glittered. At the far end was the entrance to another cave, flanked by gigantic columns of crystal that looked like diamonds.

"Grover," Percy said. "Wake up."

"Uhhhhhhhh."

Annabeth knelt next to him and splashed icy cold river water in his face.

"Splurg!" His eyelids fluttered. "Percy? Annabeth? Where..."

"It's okay," Percy said. "You passed out. The presence was too much for you."

"I—I remember. Pan."

"Yeah," Percy said. "Something powerful is just beyond that doorway."

❊

Percy made quick introductions, since Tyson and Grover had never met Rachel. Tyson told Rachel she was pretty, which made Annabeth's nostrils flare like she was going to blow fire.

"Anyway," Percy said. "Come on, Grover. Lean on me."

He and Annabeth helped the satyr up, and together they waded across the underground river. The current was strong. Nico and Naomi—both a little wobbly from their respective uses of their powers early—kept each other from getting swept away. Nico was scowling the whole time, but he didn't pull away, which Naomi counted as significant progress in their tenuous sibling relationship.