𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐄

𝐗𝐈𝐗

"Percy," Grove's eyes widened. "Are you sure? That lion skin... that's really helpful. Hercules used it!"

"If I'm going to survive," Percy reassured, "it won't be because I've got a lion-skin cloak. I'm not Hercules."

Percy threw the coat into the bay. It turned back into a golden lion skin, flashing in the light. Then, as it began to sink beneath the waves, it seemed to dissolve into sunlight on the water.

The sea breeze picked up.

Grover took a deep breath. "Well, no time to lose."

"Grover, wait!" Selene exclaimed.

She stopped in front of him and placed a kiss on his forehead. "May you return in peace," she whispered to him.

Selene had no idea if this was the right way of blessing someone. She'd done the same for Bianca, but she never came back to give feedback.

So, as far as Selene knew, it could either work or be just a silly kiss.

It probably worked. Grover's eyes widened as if he'd just seen a rare and wondrous sight. His skin turned a shade of green even more vibrant than usual, and his knees began to wobble. "My Lady! Thank you! Thank you!" he exclaimed, bowing his head repeatedly.

He jumped in the water and immediately began to sink. Bessie glided next to him and let Grover take hold of his neck.

"Be careful," Percy told them.

"We will," Grover said. "Okay, um... Bessie? We're going to Long Island. It's east. Over that way."

"Moooo?" Bessie said.

"Yes," Grover answered. "Long Island. It's this island. And... it's long. Oh, let's just start."

"Mooo!"

Bessie lurched forward. He started to submerge and Grover said, "I can't breathe underwater! Just thought I'd mention-" Glub!

Under they went, and Selene hoped her blessing's protection would extend to little things, like breathing.

"What was that?" Percy gently grabbed her arm.

"A blessing."

"How did you learn?"

Her face flushed. Thanks the gods, Zoe interrupted them. "Well, that is one problem addressed," she said. "But how can we get to my sisters' garden?"

"Thalia's right," Percy said. "We need a car. But there's nobody to help us here. Unless we, uh, borrowed one."

Zoe turned to Selene, "I can try to teach thee moon traveling."

"Doesn't it apply to... Moon?" She looked up, "the sky is still pretty clear to me."

Zoe sighed. "Are you dumb?"

"Wait," Thalia said. She started rifling through her backpack. "There is somebody in San Francisco who can help us. I've got the address here somewhere."

"Who?" Percy asked.

Thalia pulled out a crumpled piece of notebook paper and held it up. "Professor Chase. Annabeth's dad.

After hearing Annabeth gripe about running away from her house during hours in their road trip, Selene was expecting her father to have devil horns and fangs. She was not expecting him to be wearing an old-fashioned aviator's cap and goggles. He looked so weird, with his eyes bugging out through the glasses, that they all took a step back on the front porch. He was like Mrs. Dodds but a limited mortal edition.