the thunderbolt theft

Mrs. O'Leary saw me before I saw her, which was a pretty good trick considering she's the size of agarbage truck. I walked into the arena, and a wall of darkness slammed into me. "WOOF!" The next thing I knew I was flat on the ground with a huge paw on my chest and an oversize Brillo-padtongue licking my face. "Ow!" I said."

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 muchdrenched in dog drool. She wanted to play fetch, so I picked up a bronze shield and tossed it across thearena. By the way, Mrs. O'Leary is the world's only friendly hellhound. I kind of inherited her when herprevious owner died. She lived at camp, but Beckendorf . . . well, Beckendorfused to take care of herwhenever I was gone. He had smelted Mrs. O'Leary's favorite bronze chewing bone. He'd forged hercollar with the little smiley face and a crossbones name tag. Next to me, Beckendorf had been her bestfriend. 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 awalk. The other campers didn't think it was funny when she went to the bathroom in the arena. It hadcaused more than one unfortunate slip-and-slide accident. So I opened the gates of the arena, and shebounded straight toward the woods. I jogged after her, not too concerned that she was get-ting ahead. Nothing in the woods could threatenMrs. 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 theCouncil of Cloven Elders had once put Grover on trial. The place didn't look so good. The grass hadturned yellow. The three topiary thrones had lost all their leaves. But that's not what surprised me. In themiddle of the glade stood the weirdest trio I'd ever seen:

Juniper the tree nymph, Nico di Angelo, and avery old, very fat satyr. Nico was the only one who didn't seem freaked out by Mrs. O'Leary's appearance. He looked prettymuch like I'd seen him in my dream—an aviator's jacket, black jeans, and a T-shirt with dancingskeletons on it, like one of those Day of the Dead pictures. His Stygian iron sword hung at his side. Hewas only twelve, but he looked much older and sadder. He nodded when he saw me, then went back to scratch-ing Mrs. O'Leary's ears. She sniffed his legs likehe was the most interesting thing since rib-eye steaks. Being the son of Hades, he'd probably beentraveling in all sorts of hellhound-friendly places. The old satyr didn't look nearly so happy. "Will someone—what is this underworld creature doing in myforest!" He waved his arms and trotted on his hooves as if the grass were hot."

You there, Percy Jackson!Is this your beast?"

"Sorry, Leneus, " I said. "That's your name, right?"

The satyr rolled his eyes. His fur was dust-bunny gray, and a spiderweb grew between his horns. Hisbelly would've made him an invincible bumper car. "Well, of course I'm Leneus. Don't tell me you'veforgotten a member of the Council so quickly. Now, call off your beast!" "WOOF!"Mrs. O'Leary said happily. The old satyr gulped. "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 herelfish face, but her eyes were green-tinted with chlorophyll from crying. "Percy, " she sniffled. "I was just asking about Grover. I know something's happened. He wouldn't staygone this long if he wasn't in trouble. I was hoping that Leneus—" "I told you!" the satyr protested. "You are better off without that traitor."

Juniper stamped her foot. "He is not a traitor! He's the bravest satyr ever, and I want to know where heis!" "WOOF!" Leneus's knees started knocking. "I . . . I won't answer questions with this hellhound sniffing my tail!" Nico looked like he was trying to not crack up. "I'll walk the dog, " he volunteered. 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. "Now, as I was trying to explain, younglady, your boyfriend has not sentany reports since we voted him into exile."

"Youtried to vote him into exile, " I corrected. "Chiron and Dionysus stopped you."

"Bah! They are honorary Council members. It wasn't a proper vote."

"I'll tell Dionysus you said that."

Leneus paled. "I only meant . . . Now see here, Jackson. This is none of your business."

"Grover's my friend, " I said. "He wasn't lying to you about Pan's death. I saw it myself. You were justtoo scared to accept the truth."

Leneus's lips quivered. "No! Grover's a liar and good riddance. We're better off without him."

I pointed at the withered thrones. "If things are going so well, where are your friends?Looks like yourCouncil hasn't been meeting lately."

"Maron and Silenus . . . I . . . I'm sure they'll be back, " he said, but I could hear the panic in his voice."

They're just taking some time off to think. It's been a very unsettling year. "It's going to get a lot more unsettling, " I promised. "Leneus, weneed Grover. There's got to be a wayyou can find him with your magic."

The old satyr's eye twitched. "I'm telling you, I've heard nothing. Perhaps he's dead."

Juniper choked back a sob. "He's not dead, " I said. "I can feel that much."

"Empathy links, " Leneus said disdainfully. "Very unre-liable."

"So ask around, " I insisted. "Find him. There's a war coming. Grover was preparing the nature spirits."

"Without my permission! And it's notour war."

I grabbed him by the shirt, which seriously wasn't like me, but the stupid old goat was making me mad."

Listen, Leneus. When Kronos attacks, he's going to have packs of hellhounds. He's going to destroyeverything in his path—mortals, gods, demigods. Do you think he'll let the satyrs go free? You'resupposed to be a leader.

So LEAD. Get out there and see what's happening. Find Grover and bringJuniper some news. Now, GO!" I didn't push him very hard, but he was kind of top-heavy. He fell on his furry rump, then scrambled tohis hooves and ran away with his belly jiggling. "Grover will never be accepted! He will die an outcast!" When he'd disappeared into the bushes, Juniper wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry, Percy. I didn't mean to getyou involved. Leneus is still a lord of the Wild. You don't want to make an enemy of him."

"No problem, " I said. "I've got worse enemies than over-weight satyrs."

Nico walked back to us. "Good job, Percy. Judging from the trail of goat pellets, I'd say you shook himup pretty well."

I was afraid I knew why Nico was here, but I tried for a smile. "Welcome back. Did you come by justto see Juniper?"

He blushed. "Um, no. That was an accident. I kind of . . . dropped into the middle of their conversation."

"He scared us to death!" Juniper said. "Right out of the shadows. But, Nico, you are the son of Hadesand all. Are you sure you haven't heard anything about Grover?"

Nico shifted his weight. "Juniper, like I tried to tell you . . . even if Grover died, he would reincarnate intosomething else in nature. I can't sense things like that, only mortal souls."

"But if youdo hear anything?"

she pleaded, putting her hand on his arm. "Anything at all?"

Nico's cheeks got even brighter red. "Uh, you bet. I'll keep my ears open."

"We'll find him, Juniper, " I promised. "Grover's alive, I'm sure. There must be a simple reason why hehasn't con-tacted us."

She nodded glumly. "I hate not being able to leave the forest. He could be anywhere, and I'm stuck herewaiting. Oh, if that silly goat has gotten himself hurt—" Mrs. O'Leary bounded back over and took an interest in Juniper's dress. Juniper yelped. "Oh, no you don't! I know about dogs and trees. I'm gone!" She went poof into green mist. Mrs. O'Leary looked dis-appointed, but she lumbered off to find anothertarget, leaving Nico and me alone. Nico tapped his sword on the ground. A tiny mound of animal bones erupted from the dirt. They knitthemselves together into a skeletal field mouse and scampered off. "I was sorry to hear aboutBeckendorf."

A lump formed in my throat. "How did you—" "I talked to his ghost."

"Oh . . . right."

I'd never get used to the fact that this twelve-year-old kid spent more time talking withthe dead than the living. "Did he say anything?"

"He doesn't blame you. He figured you'd be beating yourself up, and he said you shouldn't."

"Is he going to try for rebirth?"

Nico shook 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 had a vision you were on Mount Tarn, " I told Nico. "Was that— " "Real, " he said. "I didn't mean to be spying on the Titans, but I was in the neighborhood."

"Doing what?"

Nico tugged at his sword belt. "Following a lead on . . . you know, my family."

I nodded. I knew his past was a painful subject. Until two years ago, he and his sister Bianca had beenfrozen 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 nomemories of his life before the casino. He didn't know anything about his mother. He didn't know whothe lawyer was, or why they'd been frozen in time or allowed to go free. After Bianca died and left Nicoalone, he'd been obsessed with finding answers. "So how did it go?"

I asked. "Any luck?"

"No, " he murmured. "But I may have a new lead soon."

"What's the lead?"

Nico chewed his lip. "That's not important right now. You know why I'm here."

A feeling of dread started to build in my chest. Ever since Nico first proposed his plan for beatingKronos last summer, I'd had nightmares about it. He would show up occasionally and press me for ananswer, but I kept putting him off. "Nico, I don't know, " I said. "It seems pretty extreme."

"You've got Typhon coming in, what . . . a week? Most of the other Titans are unleashed now and onKronos's side. Maybe it's time to think extreme."

I looked back toward the camp. Even from this distance I could hear the Ares and Apollo campersfighting again, yelling curses and spouting bad poetry. "They're no match for the Titan army, " Nico said. "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 hadalmost killed me with a single cut to my arm, and I couldn't even wound him. Riptide had glanced right offhis skin. "We can give you the same power, " Nico urged. "You heard the Great Prophecy. Unless you want tohave your soul reaped by a cursed blade . . ."

I wondered how Nico had heard the prophecy— probably from some ghost. "You can't prevent a prophecy, " I said. "But you can fight it."

Nico had a strange, hungry light in his eyes. "You can become invincible."

"Maybe we should wait. Try to fight without—" "No!" Nico snarled. "It has to be now!" I stared at him. I hadn't seen his temper flare like that in a long time. "Urn, you sure you're okay?"

He took a deep breath. "Percy, all I mean . . . when the fighting starts, we won't be able to make thejourney. This is our last chance. I'm sorry if I'm being too pushy, but two years ago my sister gave her lifeto 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 hadto do something. Nico's way was dangerous—maybe even deadly. But it might give me a fighting edge. "All right, " I decided. "What do we do first?"

His cold creepy smile made me sorry I'd agreed. "First we'll need to retrace Luke's steps. We need toknow more about his past, his childhood."

I shuddered, thinking about Rachel's picture from my dream—a smiling nine-year-old Luke. "Why dowe need to know about that?"

"I'll explain when we get there, " Nico said. "I've already tracked down his mother. She lives inConnecticut."

I stared at him. I'd never thought much about Luke's mortal parent. I'd met his dad, Hermes, but hismom . . . "Luke ran away when he was really young, " I said. "I didn't think his mom was alive."

"Oh, she's alive."

The way he said it made me wonder what was wrong with her. What kind of horribleperson could she be? "Okay . . ."

I said. "So how do we get to Connecticut? I can call Blackjack—" "No."

Nico scowled. "Pegasi don't like me, and the feel-ing is mutual. But there's no need for flying."

Hewhistled, and Mrs. O'Leary came loping out of the woods. "Your friend here can help."

Nico patted her head. "You haven't tried shadow travel yet?"

"Shadow travel?"

Nico whispered in Mrs. O'Leary's ear. She tilted her head, suddenly alert. "Hop on board, " Nico told me. I'd never considered riding a dog before, bur Mrs. O'Leary was certainly big enough. I climbed onto herback and held her collar. "This will make her very tired, " Nico warned, "so you can't do it often. And it works best at night. But allshadows are part of the same substance. There is only one darkness , and creatures of the Underworldcan use it as a road, or a door."

"I don't understand, " I said. "No, " Nico said. "It took me a long time to learn. But Mrs. O'Leary knows. Tell her where to go. Tellher Westport, the home of May Castellan."

"You're not coming?"

"Don't worry, " he said. "I'll meet you there."

I was a little nervous, but I leaned down to Mrs. O'Leary's ear. "Okay, girl. Uh, can you take me toWestport, 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. Just before we hit, we passed into shadows as cold as the dark side of the moon.

To be continued....