The Underworld's Child

15 | Love

The next morning after breakfast, Percy pulled Grover and Elora aside. He told them about his dream. They sat in the meadow watching the satyrs chase the wood nymphs through the snow. The nymphs had promised the satyrs a kiss if they got caught, but they hardly ever did. Usually, the nymph would let the satyr get 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.

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

"Yeah. What the heck does it mean?"

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

"Whoa. What do you mean?" Elora asked, alarmed.

"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."

"And how do you know all this?" she asked. The only way it could make sense as if he came across Zoe at three in the morning or if he was stalking the Hunters. "Were you stalking the Hunters?"

Grover blushed. "No... I was sort of camped outside the Artemis cabin."

"What for?" Percy asked.

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

"You are a stalker with hooves," Elora stated.

"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."

Argus was the head of security for camp-- a big blond guy with eyes all over his body. He rarely showed himself unless something serious was going on. If he and Zoe ever got into a fight, she knows her drachma's on Zoe for two reasons. One, it was to support her friend. Two, she was sure Zoe would most likely win.

"What did he say?" Percy 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--"

Sounds like Zoe, alright, she thought, The part where Artemis is in trouble, however...

"--And then she called Argus a boil-brained lout--"

There it is.

"--I think that's a bad thing."

Pretty bad.

"And then he called her--"

"Whoa, wait. How could Artemis be in trouble?" Percy asked.

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

Elora laughed.

"He wears curlers in his tail?"

Percy's question made her laugh harder.

☀︎︎☽︎☾︎☀︎︎

It was a secret well-kept. Elora's father did not have a cabin in camp. She was supposed to stay in the Hermes cabin but considering her godly father was one of the most powerful gods in the pantheon, Chiron and Mr. D made an exception. After her claiming, she'd stay in her room in the Big House, in Artemis's cabin, or sleepovers with Percy in the Poseidon's cabin. Poseidon's a pretty cool uncle under the whole almighty powerful god and ruler of the sea. Though he may be tough on his own son. As proof, she has a framed picture of them building sand castles.

One day, she skipped dinner and it was one in the morning. She went out and walked around the Big House. She found some snacks for her stomach until breakfast when she saw Chiron. He was drinking coffee out of the coffee maker with horse curlers in his tail. At first, she was shocked. Horrified. Then she laughed as loud as she possibly can.