Percy's POV
Mrs. O'Leary saw me before I saw her, which was a pretty good trick considering she's the size of a garbage truck. I walked into the arena, and a wall of darkness slammed into me.
The next thing I knew I was flat on the ground with a huge paw on my chest and an oversized Brillo-pad tongue licking my face.
Percy: Ow! Hey, girl. Good to see you too. Ow!
It took a few minutes for Mrs. O'Leary to calm down and get off me. By then I was pretty much drenched in dog drool. She wanted to play fetch, so I picked up a bronze shield and tossed it across the arena. Once Mrs. O'Leary went after the shield, Diego the saber-toothed tiger walked up to me and rubbed his head against my leg.
Percy: Hey, Diego.
By the way, Mrs. O'Leary is the world's only friendly hellhound. Theo and I kind of inherited her when her previous owner died, and Diego had been her playmate ever since. She lived at camp, but Beckendorf...well, Beckendorf used to take care of her whenever I was gone. He had smelted Mrs. O'Leary's favorite bronze chewing bone. He'd forged her collar with the little smiley face and a crossbones name tag. Next to me, Theo, and Diego, Beckendorf had been her best friend.
Thinking about that made me sad all over again, but I threw the shield a few more times because Mrs.
O'Leary insisted.
Soon she started barking—a sound slightly louder than an artillery gun—like she needed to go for a walk. The other campers didn't think it was funny when she went to the bathroom in the arena. It had caused more than one unfortunate slip-and-slide accident. So I opened the gates of the arena, and she bounded straight toward the woods.
I jogged after her, not too concerned that she was getting ahead. Nothing in the woods could threaten Mrs. O'Leary. Even the dragons and giant scorpions ran away when she came close. When I finally tracked her down, she wasn't using the facilities. She was in a familiar clearing where the Council of Cloven Elders had once put Grover on trial. The place didn't look so good. The grass had turned yellow. The three topiary thrones had lost all their leaves. But that's not what surprised me. In the middle of the glade stood the weirdest trio I'd ever seen: Juniper the tree nymph, Nico di Angelo, and a very old, very fat satyr.
Nico was the only one who didn't seem freaked out by Mrs. O'Leary's appearance. He looked pretty much like I'd seen him in my dream—an aviator's jacket, black jeans, and a T-shirt with dancing skeletons on it, like one of those Day of the Dead pictures. His Stygian iron sword hung at his side. He was only twelve, but he looked much older and sadder.
He nodded when he saw me, then went back to scratching Mrs. O'Leary's ears. She sniffed his legs like he was the most interesting thing since rib-eye steaks. Being the son of Hades, he'd probably been traveling in all sorts of hellhound-friendly places.
The old satyr didn't look nearly so happy.
Satyr: Will someone—what is this underworld creature doing in my forest! You there, Percy Jackson! Is this your beast?
Percy: Sorry, Leneus. That's your name, right?
The satyr rolled his eyes. His fur was dust-bunny gray, and a spiderweb grew between his horns. His belly would've made him an invincible bumper car.
Leneus: Well, of course I'm Leneus. Don't tell me you've forgotten a member of the Council so quickly. Now, call off your beast!
Mrs. O'Leary barked happily.
Suddenly, I heard hurried footsteps behind me. I quickly turned around and reached for Riptide but calmed down once I saw Theo stop in front of me, bow and arrow in hand.
He calmed down once he saw Nico and Juniper but scowled once he saw Leneus.
Leneus: Make it go away! Juniper, I will not help you under these circumstances!
Juniper turned toward me. She was pretty in a dryad-y way, with her purple gossamer dress and her elfish face, but her eyes were green-tinted with chlorophyll from crying.
Juniper: Percy, I was just asking about Grover. I know something's happened. He wouldn't stay gone this long if he wasn't in trouble. I was hoping that Leneus—
Leneus: I told you! You are better off without that traitor.
Juniper: He is not a traitor! He's the bravest satyr ever, and I want to know where he is!
Mrs. O'Leary barked.
Leneus: I...I won't answer questions with this hellhound sniffing my tail!
Theo: You're lucky he's only sniffing it instead of chewing on it.
Leneus visibly shook as Nico looked like he was trying to not crack up.
Nico: I'll walk the dog.
He whistled, and Mrs. O'Leary bounded after him to the far end of the grove.
Leneus huffed indignantly and brushed the twigs off his shirt.
Leneus: Now, as I was trying to explain, young lady, your boyfriend has not sent any reports since we voted him into exile.
Percy: You tried to vote him into exile. Chiron and Dionysus stopped you.
Leneus: Bah! They are honorary Council members. It wasn't a proper vote.
Theo: I'll let Dionysus know you said that.
Leneus: I only meant . . . Now see here, Jackson, Miller. This is none of your business.
Percy: Grover's our friend. He wasn't lying to you about Pan's death. We saw it ourselves. You were just too scared to accept the truth.
Leneus: No! Grover's a liar and good riddance. We're better off without him.
Theo: Well, where are you friends at? Looks like your Council hasn't been meeting lately.
Leneus: Maron and Silenus...I...I'm sure they'll be back. They're just taking some time off to think. It's been a very unsettling year.
Percy: It's gonna get a lot more unsettling. Leneus, we need Grover. There's got to be a way you can find him with your magic.
Leneus: I'm telling you, I've heard nothing. Perhaps he's dead.
Juniper choked back a sob.
Theo: No, he's not. I know that much.
Leneus: And what makes you so sure, Miller?
Theo didn't say anything. He just glanced at me, and Leneus figured it out.
Leneus: Empathy links. Very unreliable.
Percy: So ask around. Find him. There's a war coming. Grover was preparing the nature spirits.
Leneus: Without my permission! And it's not our war.
I was about to lunge at him, but Theo beat to it as he grabbed Leneus by his shirt and pushed him into a tree.
Theo: Listen here, you old blockhead, because I won't say it twice. When Kronos comes here, and make no mistake, he will, he's gonna come here with packs of hellhounds. He's going to destroy everything in his path—mortals, gods, demigods. Do you think he'll leave you satyrs alone? You're supposed to be a leader. So get off your ass and LEAD! Get out there and see what's happening. Find Grover and bring Juniper some news. Now, GET GOING!
He pushed Leneus hard enough to make him fall on his butt. Leneus quickly got up and then scrambled to his hooves and ran away with his belly jiggling.
Leneus: Grover will never be accepted! He will die an outcast!
When he'd disappeared into the bushes, Juniper wiped her eyes.
Juniper: I'm sorry, Percy. I didn't mean to get you involved. Leneus is still a lord of the Wild. You don't want to make an enemy of him.
Percy: No problem. I've got worse enemies than overweight satyrs.
Theo: He's all talk, anyway. I think we'll be fine.
Nico: Good job, Nico. Judging from the trail of goat pellets, I'd say you shook him up pretty well.
Theo chuckled.
I was afraid I knew why Nico was here (since Theo told me), but I tried for a smile.
Percy: Welcome back. Did you come by just to see Juniper?
Nico: (blushes) Um, no. That was an accident. I kind of...dropped into the middle of their conversation.
Juniper: He scared us to death! Right out of the shadows. But, Nico, you are the son of Hades and all. Are you sure you haven't heard anything about Grover?
Nico: Juniper, like I tried to tell you...even if Grover died, he would reincarnate into something else in nature. I can't sense things like that, only mortal souls.
Juniper: But if you do hear anything? Anything at all?
Nico: Uh, you bet. I'll keep my ears open.
Percy: We'll find him, Juniper. Grover's alive, I'm sure. There must be a simple reason why he hasn't contacted us.
Juniper: (nods) I hate not being able to leave the forest. He could be anywhere, and I'm stuck here waiting. Oh, if that silly goat has gotten himself hurt—
Mrs. O'Leary bounded back over and took an interest in Juniper's dress.
Juniper: Oh, no, you don't! I know about dogs and trees. I'm gone!
She went poof into green mist. Mrs. O'Leary looked disappointed, but she lumbered off to find another target, leaving Nico, Theo, and me alone.
Nico tapped his sword on the ground. A tiny mound of animal bones erupted from the dirt. They knit themselves together into a skeletal field mouse and scampered off.
Nico: I was sorry to hear about Beckendorf.
Percy: How did you—
Nico: I talked to his ghost.
Percy: Oh...right.
I'd never get used to the fact that this twelve-year-old kid spent more time talking with the dead than the living.
I glanced at Theo, who was fiddling with his bracers.
Theo: Did he say anything?
Nico: He doesn't blame either of you. He figured you'd both be beating yourselves up, and he said you shouldn't.
Percy: Is he going to try for rebirth?
Nico: (shakes his head) He's staying in Elysium. Said he's waiting for someone. Not sure what he meant, but he seems okay with death.
It wasn't much comfort, but it was something. I saw Theo smile softly.
Percy: I had a vision you were on Mount Tam. Was that—
Nico: Real. I didn't mean to be spying on the Titans, but I was in the neighborhood.
Theo: Doing what, exactly?
Nico: Following a lead on...you know, my family.
Theo and I nodded. I knew his past was a painful subject. Until two years ago, he and his sister Bianca had been frozen in time at a place called the Lotus Hotel and Casino. They'd been there for like seventy years. Eventually a mysterious lawyer rescued them and checked them into a boarding school, but Nico had no memories of his life before the casino. He didn't know anything about his mother. He didn't know who the lawyer was, or why they'd been frozen in time or allowed to go free. After Bianca died and left Nico alone, he'd been obsessed with finding answers.
Theo: Any luck on that front?
Nico: No. But I may have a new lead soon.
Percy: What's the lead?
Nico: That's not important right now. You know why I'm here. Unless Theo didn't tell you for some stupid reason.
Theo: No, I did.
A feeling of dread started to build in my chest. Ever since Theo told me that Nico first proposed a plan for beating Kronos last summer, I'd had nightmares about it. He would show up occasionally and press me for an answer, but I kept putting him off.
Percy: Nico, I don't know...It seems pretty extreme.
Nico: You've got Typhon coming in, what...a week? Most of the other Titans are unleashed now and on Kronos's side. Maybe it's time to think extreme.
I looked at Theo pleadingly.
Theo: (sighs) I hate to say it, but he's right.
I looked back toward the camp. Even from this distance I could hear the Ares and Apollo campers fighting again, yelling curses and spouting bad poetry.
Nico: They're no match for the Titan army. You know that. This comes down to you and Luke. And there's only one way you can beat Luke.
I remembered the fight on the Princess Andromeda. I'd been hopelessly outmatched. Kronos had almost killed me with a single cut to my arm, and I couldn't even wound him. Riptide had glanced right off his skin.
Nico: We can give you the same power. You heard the Great Prophecy. Unless you want to have your soul reaped by a cursed blade...
I wondered how Nico had heard the prophecy— probably from some ghost.
Percy: You can't prevent a prophecy.
Nico: But you can fight it. You can become invincible.
Percy: Maybe we should wait. Try to fight without—
Nico: NO! It has to be now!
Theo and I stared at him. I hadn't seen his temper flare like that in a long time.
Theo: You alright, Nico?
Nico: (takes a deep breath) Look, all I mean...when the fighting starts, we won't be able to make the journey. This is our last chance. I'm sorry if I'm being too pushy, but two years ago my sister gave her life to protect you. I want you to honor that. Do whatever it takes to stay alive and defeat Kronos.
I didn't like the idea. Then I thought about Annabeth calling me a coward, and I got angry.
Nico had a point. If Kronos attacked New York, the campers would be no match for his forces. I had to do something. Nico's way was dangerous—maybe even deadly. But it might give me a fighting edge.
Percy: Alright. What do we do first?
His cold creepy smile made me sorry I'd agreed.
Nico: First, we'll need to retrace Luke's steps. We need to know more about his past, his childhood.
I shuddered, thinking about Rachel's picture from my dream—a smiling nine-year-old Luke.
Theo: It's a good place to start.
Percy: Why, though? Why do we need to know about that?
Nico: I'll explain when we get there. I've already tracked down his mother. She lives in Connecticut.
I stared at him. I'd never thought much about Luke's mortal parent. I'd met his dad, Hermes, but his mom...
Percy: Luke ran away when he was really young. I didn't think his mom was alive.
Nico: Oh, she's alive.
The way he said it made me wonder what was wrong with her. What kind of horrible person could she be?
Theo: I feel like there's a "but" coming.
Nico: There is. I think it'd be better for you to see for yourselves.
That did not help. At all.
Percy: Okay...So how do we get to Connecticut? I can call Blackjack—
Nico: No. Pegasi don't like me, and the feeling is mutual. But there's no need for flying.
He whistled, and Mrs. O'Leary came loping out of the woods.
Nico: Your friend here can help. (turns to Theo) You remember me shadow travelling you to Texas?
Theo: (shudders) Hard not to.
Percy: Shadow travel?
Nico whispered in Mrs. O'Leary's ear. She tilted her head, suddenly alert.
Nico: Hop on board.
I'd never considered riding a dog before, bur Mrs. O'Leary was certainly big enough. I climbed onto her back and held her collar. Theo got on behind me and wrapped his arm around me.
Nico: This will make her very tired, so you can't do it often. And it works best at night. But all shadows are part of the same substance. There is only one darkness, and creatures of the Underworld can use it as a road, or a door.
Percy: I don't understand.
Nico: No. It took me a long time to learn. But Mrs. O'Leary knows. Tell her where to go. Tell her Westport, the home of May Castellan.
Theo: You're not coming?
Nico: Don't worry. I'll meet you guys there.
I was a little nervous, but I leaned down to Mrs. O'Leary's ear.
Percy: Okay, girl. Uh, can you take me to Westport, Connecticut? May Castellan's place?
Mrs. O'Leary sniffed the air. She looked into the gloom of the forest. Then she bounded forward, straight into an oak tree.
Percy: Theo, how does shadow-travelling feel?
Theo: Dark, cold, weird, and fast!
Just before we hit, we passed into shadows as cold as the dark side of the moon.
Theo's POV
Westport, Connecticut
I really fucking hate shadow travelling. I ended up doing it once last year, and I absolutely hated it.
I still do.
Before I knew it, the shadows melted into a new scene. We were on a cliff in the woods of Connecticut. At least, it looked like Connecticut from the few times I'd been there: lots of trees, low stone walls, big houses. Down one side of the cliff, a highway cut through a ravine. Down the other side was someone's backyard. The property was huge—more wilderness than lawn. The house was a two-story white Colonial. Despite the fact that it was right on the other side of the hill from a highway, it felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. I could see a light glowing m the kitchen window. A rusty old swing set stood under an apple tree.
I couldn't imagine living in a house like this, with an actual yard and everything. I'd lived in a medium-sized apartment my whole life. If this was Luke's home, I wondered why he'd ever wanted to leave.
Mrs. O'Leary staggered. I remembered what Nico had said about shadow travel draining her, so Percy and I slipped off her back. She let out a huge toothy yawn that would've scared a T. rex, then turned in a circle and flopped down so hard the ground shook.
Nico appeared right next to me, as if the shadows had darkened and created him. He stumbled, but I caught his arm.
Nico: I'm okay.
Percy: How did you do that?
Nico: Practice. A few times running into walls. A few accidental trips to China.
Mrs. O'Leary started snoring. If it hadn't been for the roar of traffic behind us, I'm sure she would've woken up the whole neighborhood.
Theo: You need to take a nap, too?
Nico: (shakes his head) The first time I shadow traveled, I passed out for a week. Now it just makes me a little drowsy, but I can't do it more than once or twice a night. Mrs. O'Leary won't be going anywhere for a while.
Percy: So we've got some quality time in Connecticut. What now?
Nico: We ring the doorbell.
If I were Luke's mom, I would not have opened my door at night for three strange kids. But I wasn't anything like Luke's mom.
I knew that even before we reached the front door. The sidewalk was lined with those little stuffed beanbag animals you see in gift shops. There were miniature lions, pigs, dragons, hydras, even a teeny Minotaur in a little Minotaur diaper. Judging from their sad shape, the beanbag creatures had been sitting out here a long time—since the snow melted last spring at least. One of the hydras had a tree sapling sprouting between its necks.
The front porch was infested with wind chimes. Shiny bits of glass and metal clinked in the breeze. Brass ribbons tinkled like water. I didn't know how Ms. Castellan could stand all the noise.
The front door was painted turquoise. The name CASTELLAN was written in English, and below in Greek: Διοικητής φρουρίου.
Nico: Ready?
He'd barely tapped the door when it swung open.
Old Lady: Luke!
She looked like someone who enjoyed sticking her fingers in electrical sockets. Her white hair stuck out in tufts all over her head. Her pink housedress was covered in scorch marks and smears of ash. When she smiled, her face looked unnaturally stretched, and the high-voltage light in her eves made me wonder if she was blind.
Ms. Castellan: Oh, my dear boy!
She hugged Nico. I was trying to figure out why she thought Nico was Luke (they looked absolutely nothing alike), when she smiled at me.
Ms. Castellan: Luke!
She forgot all about Nico and gave me a hug. She smelled like burned cookies. She was as thin as a scarecrow, but that didn't stop her from almost crushing me.
She ended up hugging Percy, thinking he was Luke.
Ms. Castellan: Come in! I have your lunch ready!
She ushered us inside. The living room was even weirder than the front lawn. Mirrors and candles filled every available space. I couldn't look anywhere without seeing my own reflection. Above the mantel, a little bronze Hermes flew around the second hand of a ticking clock. I tried to imagine my grandfather, the god of messengers, ever falling in love with this old woman, but the idea was too bizarre.
Then I noticed the framed picture on the mantel. It was Luke around nine years old, with blond hair and a big smile and two missing teeth. The lack of a scar on his face made him look like a different person—carefree and happy. How could Rachel have known about that picture?
Ms. Castellan: This way, my dear! Oh, I told them you would come back. I knew it!
She sat us down at the kitchen table. Stacked on the counter were hundreds—I mean hundreds—of Tupperware boxes with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches inside. The ones on the bottom were green and fuzzy, like they'd been there for a long time. The smell reminded me of my sixth grade locker—and that's not a good thing.
On top of the oven was a stack of cookie sheets. Each one had a dozen burned cookies on it. In the sink was a mountain of empty plastic Kool-Aid pitchers. A beanbag Medusa sat by the faucet like she was guarding the mess.
Ms. Castellan started humming as she got out peanut butter and jelly and started making a new sandwich. Something was burning in the oven. I got the feeling more cookies were on the way. Above the sink, taped all around the window, were dozens of little pictures cut from magazines and newspaper ads—pictures of Hermes from the FTD Flowers logo and Quickie Cleaners, pictures of the caduceus from medical ads.
My heart sank. I wanted to get out of that room, but Ms. Castellan kept smiling at me as she made the sandwich, like she was making sure I didn't bolt.
Nico: (coughs) Um, Ms. Castellan?
Ms. Castellan: Mm?
Nico: We need to ask you about your son.
Ms. Castellan: Oh, yes! They told me he would never come back. But I knew better.
She patted Percy's cheek affectionately, giving him peanut butter racing stripes.
Nico: When did you last see him?
Her eyes lost focus.
Ms. Castellan: He was so young when he left. Third grade. That's too young to run away! He said he'd be back for lunch. And I waited. He likes peanut butter sandwiches and cookies and Kool-Aid. He'll be back for lunch very soon...
Then she looked at Percy and smiled.
Ms. Castellan: Why, Luke, there you are! You look so handsome. You have your father's eyes.
She turned toward the pictures of Hermes above the sink.
Ms. Castellan: Now, there's a good man. Yes, indeed. He comes to visit me, you know.
The clock kept ticking in the other room. Percy looked at Nico pleadingly as if he was asking if they can leave now, while I looked at Nico and shook my head, silently telling him that we're not going anywhere with this woman.
Nico: Ma'am. What, uh...what happened to your eyes?
Her gaze seemed fractured—like she was trying to focus on him through a kaleidoscope.
Ms. Castellan: Why, Luke, you know the story. It was right before you were born, wasn't it? I'd always been special, able to see through the...whatever-they-call-it.
Percy: The Mist?
Ms. Castellan: (nods) Yes, dear. And they offered me an important job. That's how special I was!
Percy and I glanced at Nico, who looked just as confused as we were.
Theo: What kind of job? What happened?
Ms. Castellan frowned. Her knife hovered over the sandwich bread.
Ms. Castellan: Dear me, it didn't work out, did it? Your father warned me not to try. He said it was too dangerous. But I had to. It was my destiny! And now...I still can't get the images out of my head. They make everything seem so fuzzy. Would you like some cookies?
She pulled a tray out of the oven and dumped a dozen lumps of chocolate chip charcoal on the table.
Ms. Castellan: Luke was so kind. He left to protect me, you know. He said if he went away, the monsters wouldn't threaten me. But I told him the monsters are no threat! They sit outside on the sidewalk all day, and they never come in.
She picked up the little stuffed Medusa from the windowsill.
Ms. Castellan: Do they, Mrs. Medusa? No, no threat at all. (smiles at Theo) I'm so glad you came home. I knew you weren't ashamed of me!
I shifted in my seat.
Percy: Ms. Castellan?
Ms. Castellan: Mom.
Percy: Um, yeah. Have you seen Luke since he left home?
Ms. Castellan: Well, of course!
I didn't know if she was imagining that or not. For all I knew, every time the mailman came to the door, he was Luke. But Nico sat forward expectantly.
Nico: When? When did Luke visit you last?
Ms. Castellan: Well, it was...Oh goodness...The last time, he looked so different. A scar. A terrible scar, and his voice so full of pain...
Theo: His eyes...Were they gold?
Ms. Castellan: Gold? No. How silly. Luke has blue eyes. Beautiful blue eyes!
So, Luke really had been here, and this had happened before last summer—before he'd turned into Kronos.
Nico: Ms. Castellan? This is very important. Did he ask you for anything?
She frowned as if she was trying to remember.
Ms. Castellan: My—my blessing. Isn't that sweet? He was going to a river, and he said he needed my blessing. I gave it to him. Of course, I did.
Nico looked at me and Percy triumphantly.
Nico: (to Ms. Castellan) Thank you, ma'am. That's all the information we—
Ms. Castellan gasped. She doubled over, and her cookie tray clattered to the floor. Nico, Theo, and I jumped to our feet.
Percy: Ms. Castellan?
Ms. Castellan: AAAHHHH!
She straightened. I scrambled away and almost fell over the kitchen table, because her eyes—her eyes were glowing green...and she spoke in a deeper voice.
Ms. Castellan: My child! Must protect him! Hermes, help! Not my child! Not his fate—no!
She grabbed Nico by the shoulders and began to shake him as if to make him understand.
Ms. Castellan: Not his fate!
Nico made a strangled scream and pushed her away. He gripped the hilt of his sword.
Nico: Percy, Theo, we need to get out—
Suddenly Ms. Castellan collapsed. Percy lurched forward and caught her before she could hit the edge of the table. He managed to get her into a chair.
Percy: Ms. C?
She muttered something incomprehensible and shook her head.
Ms. Castellan: Goodness. I...I dropped the cookies. How silly of me.
She blinked, and her eyes were back to normal—or at least, what they had been before. The green glow was gone.
Percy: Are you okay?
Ms. Castellan: Well, of course, dear. I'm fine. Why do you ask?
Percy glanced at me and Nico.
Nico: (mouths) Leave.
Percy: (to Ms. Castellan) Ms. C, you were telling us something. Something about your son.
Ms. Castellan: Was I? Yes, his blue eyes. We were talking about his blue eyes. Such a handsome boy!
Theo: We should go. We'll, uh...We'll tell Luke you said hello.
Ms. Castellan: But you can't leave!
Ms. Castellan got shakily to her feet, and I backed away. I felt silly being scared of a frail old woman, but the way her voice had changed, the way she'd grabbed Nico...
Ms. Castellan: Hermes will be here soon. He'll want to see his boy!
Percy: Maybe next time. Thank you for...Thanks for everything.
She tried to stop us, to offer us Kool-Aid, but we had to get out of that house. On the front porch, she grabbed Percy's wrist and I almost pulled out my sword.
Ms. Castellan: Luke, at least be safe. Promise me you'll be safe.
Percy: I will...Mom.
That made her smile. She released his wrist, and as she closed the front door, I could hear her talking to the candles.
As the door shut, Nico, Percy, and I ran. The little beanbag animals on the sidewalk seemed to grin at us as we passed.
Back at the cliff, Mrs. O'Leary had found a friend.
A cozy campfire crackled in a ring of stones. A girl about eight years old was sitting cross-legged next to Mrs. O'Leary, scratching the hellhound's ears.
The girl had mousy brown hair and a simple brown dress. She wore a scarf over her head, so she looked like a pioneer kid—like the ghost of Little House on the Prairie or something. She poked the fire with a stick, and it seemed to glow more richly red than a normal fire.
Girl: Hello.
My first thought was: monster. When you're a demigod and you find a sweet little girl alone in the woods—that's typically a good time to draw your sword and attack. Plus, the encounter with Ms. Castellan had rattled me pretty bad.
But Nico bowed to the little girl.
Nico: Hello again, Lady?
She studied me and Percy with eyes as red as the firelight. We both bowed.
Girl: Sit, Percy Jackson, Theo Miller. Would you like some dinner?
After staring at moldy peanut butter sandwiches and burned cookies, I didn't have much of an appetite, but the girl waved her hand and a picnic appeared at the edge of the fire. There were plates of roast beef, baked potatoes, buttered carrots, fresh bread, and a whole bunch of other foods I hadn't had in a long time. My stomach started to rumble. It was the kind of home-cooked meal people are supposed to have but never do. The girl made a five-foot-long dog biscuit appear for Mrs. O'Leary, who happily began tearing it to shreds.
I sat in between Percy and Nico. We picked up our food, and I was about to dig in when I thought better of it.
I scraped part of my meal into the flames, the way we do at camp.
Theo: For the gods.
Girl: (smiles) Thank you. As tender of the flame, I get a share of every sacrifice, you know.
Percy: I recognize you now. The first time I came to camp, you were sitting by the fire, in the middle of the commons area.
I furrowed my eyes in confusion. I don't remember seeing this girl even once while I was at camp.
Girl: You did not stop to talk. Neither of you have. Alas, most never do. Nico talked to me. He was the first in many years. Everyone rushes about. No time for visiting family.
Percy: You're Hestia. Goddess of the Hearth.
She nodded, and my eyes widened in surprise.
I didn't ask why she looked like an 8-year-old, since I knew that gods could choose to look however they pleased.
Nico: My lady, why aren't you with the other Olympians, fighting Typhon?
Hestia: I'm not much for fighting.
Her red eyes flickered. I realized they weren't just reflecting the flames. They were filled with flames—but not like Ares's eyes. Hestia's eyes were warm and cozy.
Hestia: Besides, someone has to keep the home fires burning while the other gods are away.
Theo: You're guarding Mount Olympus?
Hestia: "Guard" may be too strong a word. But if you ever need a warm place to sit and a home-cooked meal, you are welcome to visit. Now eat.
Our plates were empty before we knew it.
Percy: That was great. Thank you, Hestia.
Hestia: (nods) Did you have a good visit with May Castellan?
For a moment I'd almost forgotten the old lady with her bright eyes and her maniacal smile, the way she'd suddenly seemed possessed.
Theo: Yeah, what exactly is up with her?
Hestia: She was born with a gift. She could see through the Mist.
Percy: Like my mother. But the glowing eyes thing—
Hestia: Some bear the curse of sight better than others. For a while, May Castellan had many talents. She attracted the attention of Hermes himself. They had a beautiful baby boy. For a brief time, she was happy. And then she went too far.
I remembered what Ms. Castellan had said: They offered me an important job...It didn't work out. I wondered what kind of job left you like that.
Percy: One minute she was all happy, and then she was freaking out about her son's fate, like she knew he'd turned into Kronos. What happened to...to divide her like that?
Hestia: That is a story I do not like to tell. But May Castellan saw too much. If you are to understand your enemy Luke, you must understand his family.
I thought about the sad little pictures of Hermes taped above May Castellan's sink. I wondered if Ms. Castellan had been so crazy when Luke was little. That green-eyed fit could've seriously scared a nine-year-old kid. And if Hermes never visited, if he'd left Luke alone with his mom all those years...
Percy: No wonder Luke ran away. I mean, it wasn't right to leave his mom like that, but still—he was just a kid. Hermes shouldn't have abandoned them.
Hestia scratched behind Mrs. O'Leary's ears. The hellhound wagged her tail and accidentally knocked over a tree.
Hestia: It's easy to judge others. But will you follow Luke's path? Seek the same powers?
Nico: We have no choice, my lady. It's the only way Percy stands a chance.
Hestia: Mmm.
Hestia opened her hand and the fire roared. Flames shot thirty feet into the air. Heat slapped me in the face. Then the fire died back down to normal.
Hestia: Not all powers are spectacular. Sometimes the hardest power to master is the power of yielding. Do you believe me?
Percy: Uh-huh.
Hestia: (smiles) You are a good hero, Percy Jackson. Not too proud. I like that. But you have much to learn. When Dionysus was made a god, I gave up my throne for him. It was the only way to avoid a civil war among the gods.
Theo: It unbalanced the Council. Suddenly there were seven men and five women.
Hestia: It was the best solution, not a perfect one. Now I tend the fire. I fade slowly into the background. No one will ever write epic poems about the deeds of Hestia. Most demigods don't even stop to talk to me. But that is no matter. I keep the peace. I yield when necessary. Can you do this? Can you, Theo Miller?
Percy: I don't know what you mean.
Hestia: Perhaps not yet. But soon. Will you continue your quest?
Percy: Is that why you're here—to warn me against going?
Hestia: I am here because when all else fails, when all the other mighty gods have gone off to war, I am all that's left. Home. Hearth. I am the last Olympian. You must remember me when you face your final decision.
The way she said final did not sit well with me.
Percy: I have to continue, my lady. I have to stop Luke...I mean Kronos.
Hestia: (nods) Very well. I cannot be of much assistance, beyond what I have already told you. But since you sacrificed to me, I can return you to your own hearth. I will see you again, Percy, on Olympus.
Her tone was ominous, as though our next meeting would not be happy.
The goddess waved her hand, and everything faded.