Chapter 38

Rhea POV

Banging my head against my cabin door, I groan out in frustration. Their stares are worse than when I first got here.

Annabeth has been huffing round and about. Luke has been staring at me when he thinks I'm not looking, he's calculating.

This morning I woke up with a headache, after a demi-god dream, with a storm brewing outside, showing how upset my beloved Uncle is.

This is where it truly starts, especially with Kronos. I'm fortunate enough that he doesn't know much about me yet. Let him underestimate me.

All of a sudden there is a whirlwind of waves in my cabin, and out of that whirlwind came my brother.

"Triton!" I exclaimed, running to him, tackling him in a hug.

"Good morning Rhea," he greets with a chuckle.

"I've missed you Triton," I say.

"And I, you, little Rhea."

"Not that I'm not glad to see you, but why are you here?" I ask him.

"Dad sent me. The gods are in disarray. They are very upset with dad. He nearly killed Zeus when he found out about you. And incapacitated Ares and Athena when they attacked him," he says.

"And let me guess, they think he wants the throne for himself," I say.

"As always, but they are more concerned about you and what you could do," he replies.

"Me? What can I do?" I ask, scrunching my brows.

He lets out an amused chuckle, "Little Rhea, you really don't know," he states, "sister dearest, you are his firstborn daughter, and he is very protective over you and would do anything for you. If you were to ask him to kill one of the gods, he would. If you were to ask him to keep you in Atlantis, he would without a second thought, regardless of the consequences. You can ask for the world and he will do everything in his power to give it to you," he says.

I gulp down at the implication, taking a breath I say, "That's why they are upset. Of what I could ask dad to do."

"Yes. Father made it quite clear what he would do to anyone who dares to harm you. They might intimidate you, but if they harm you, they know the consequences. Little Rhea, you are already a powerful demi-goddess, now imagine that power combined with the favour of one of the most powerful gods in Olympus."

"I wouldn't ask dad to do anything to start a war," I say nervously.

"You wouldn't need to even ask Rhea. And I will support Father all the way. Amphitrite will stand with us. Persephone will support you, and because she will support you, Hades will too. Aunt Hestia will support you. Do you not see the power you wield? Apollo seems to be on your side as well."

I'm stunned. I don't know what to say. I remember what the Fates told me years ago while I was training with dad and Triton. That their love for me can cause war.

"As you know, Zeus's bolt has been stolen and he demands that you retrieve it. Father and Zeus are fighting in Olympus over this whole situation, you can see their power clashing in the sky," he states.

I groan out, well more like mewl out, sounding exactly like the child that I am, "Why me?"

"It is the only way to keep the peace. The Fates have spoken, Father must not interfere. You must take this path little sister. You will see the Oracle soon."

"I don't want to," I say pouting.

He hugs me and says softly, "I know."

"I have to leave now Rhea, my presence will be noticed if I stay longer," he tells me, still in his embrace. I hold on as tight as I can.

"You can't leave if I hold you prisoner in my arms. As the princess of the sea, I command you to stay," I tell him in my most serious voice.

"So which is it, Oh mighty princess of the sea? Am I a prisoner or a subject then?" he replies amused.

"The answer is whichever one gets you to stay longer," I tell him.

He bends down to eye-level, looking very sympathetic, "I can stay a minute longer, but no more. Your friend, the Satyr, is on his way."

I smile at him, "Thanks Triton."

The moment he left, there was a knock on the door. Opening it up, showing the worried face of Grover.

"Mr D wants to see you," he says.

"Very well, let's go."

"Well, well," Mr. D said without looking up. "Our little celebrity."

I waited…

"Come closer," Mr. D said. "And don't expect me to kowtow to you, mortal, just because old Barnacle-Beard is your father."

A net of lightning flashed across the clouds. Thunder shook the windows of the house.

"Blah, blah, blah," Dionysus said.

Chiron feigned interest in his pinochle cards. Grover cowered by the railing, his hooves clopping back and forth.

"If I had my way," Dionysus said, "I would cause your molecules to erupt in flames. We'd sweep up the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble. But Chiron seems to feel this would be against my mission at this cursed camp: to keep you little brats safe from harm."

"Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, Mr. D," Chiron put in.

"Nonsense," Dionysus said. "The girl wouldn't feel a thing. Nevertheless, I've agreed to restrain myself. I'm thinking of turning you into a dolphin instead, sending you back to your father."

"Mr. D—" Chiron warned.

Please, if he does that, my father will turn him into a crap. Dionysus, Party god of the crabs. I snicker at my thoughts, and everyone in the room looks at me like I'm crazy.

"Why are you laughing Runa Johnson? I'll turn you into a dolphin," Dionysus says and I stop snickering, looking like a deer caught in headlights.

"Uh, I just thought of something funny. Sorry sir," I say, looking down.

"And what is so funny?" he says, sounding really threatening.

"I was thinking of all the tricks I could pull on people if I were a dolphin," I say quickly.

"I'm going to Olympus, if you are still here when I arrive, I'll make sure you can do all those tricks to the people you thought of," he says. How can such a boring looking guy, look so intimidating?

He disappeared and Chiron turned to me.

"Rhea, be careful what you say and do in front of the gods. They are not very forgiving," he says, scolding me.

"I can see that, I'll try my best," I reply. I don't think I'll be able to control myself when gods are being assholes. But Chiron doesn't need to know that.

"Rhea, what do you think of the Hellhound?" He asks.

"It scared me," I said. "If you hadn't shot it, I'd be dead."

"You'll meet worse, Rhea. Far worse, before you're done."

"Done ... with what?" I ask.

"Your quest, of course. Will you accept it?"

I glanced at Grover, who was crossing his fingers.

"Um, sir," I said, "you haven't told me what it is yet."

Chiron grimaced. "Well, that's the hard part, the details."
Thunder rumbled across the valley. The storm clouds had now reached the edge of the beach. As far as I could see, the sky and the sea were boiling together.

"Poseidon and Zeus," I said, looking at the stormy sky outside. "They're fighting over Zeus's bolt."

"How do you know about that?" Chiron asks.

"My brother, he told me this morning," I reply, shrugging my shoulders.

"Triton? He was here?" Chiron asks, looking really worried.

"Yeah, but don't tell anyone. He's not supposed to be here. He warned me and told me I had to go see the Oracle," I reply.

"This is not good. Not good at all. The gods never interfere. Rhea, not only can your brother can get in a lot of trouble if the other gods find out but it's always dangerous when the gods interfere in your life, even your own godly parent," he says.

"My brother can handle himself, Chiron, and so can I. I know how mean the rest of my family can be, how crazy they can get. I've been told. But one thing I know is that my father will protect me no matter what. And if something happens to me, then rest assured, my father will take his vengeance," I replied harshly.

"I don't mean to offend you, Rhea," he says with a sigh, "I'm worried about you and the involvement of two gods in your life."

If only he knew about the others. Grover looks like he is about to shit his pants.

"I'll be fine Chiron, I should probably see the Oracle now, my brother told me that Zeus has demanded that I return his bolt to him," I tell him, hearing a thud. It's Grover, he actually passed out for four seconds.

"Do not take this lightly," Chiron warned.

"I'm not."

"Zeus's master bolt," Chiron said, getting worked up now. "The symbol of his power, from which all other lightning bolts are patterned. The first weapon made by the Cyclopes for the war against the Titans, the bolt that sheered the top off Mount Etna and hurled Kronos from his throne; the master bolt, which packs enough power to make mortal hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers."

"During the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon argued. The usual nonsense: 'Mother Rhea always liked you best', 'Air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters,' et cetera. Afterwards, Zeus realized his master bolt was missing, taken from the throne room under his very nose. He immediately blamed Poseidon. Now, a god cannot usurp another god's symbol of power directly—that is forbidden by the most ancient of divine laws. But Zeus believed your father convinced a human hero to take it."

"But I didn't—"

"Patience and listen, child," Chiron said, "We know that now. Apparently your father made it very clear that you did not take his bolt during their last encounter," he said.

"I can only imagine," I deadpan.

"Then it's time you consulted the Oracle," Chiron said. "Go upstairs, Rhea Jackson, to the attic. When you come back down, assuming you're still sane, we will talk more."

By the window, sitting on a wooden tripod stool, was the most gruesome memento of all: a mummy. Not the wrapped-in-cloth kind, but a human female body shrivelled to a husk. She wore a tie-dyed sundress, lots of beaded necklaces, and a headband over long black hair. The skin of her face was thin and leathery over her skull, and her eyes were glassy white slits, as if the real eyes had been replaced by marbles; she'd been dead a long, long time.

Looking at her sent chills up my back. And that was before she sat up on her stool and opened her mouth. A green mist poured from the mummy's mouth, coiling over the floor in thick tendrils, hissing like twenty thousand snakes. I stumbled over myself trying to get to the trapdoor, but it slammed shut. Inside my head, I heard a voice, slithering into one ear and coiling around my brain

"I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask"

I got up the courage to ask, "What is my destiny?"

"You shall go west, and face the god who has turned.

You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned.

You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend.

And you shall find favour with the sun in the end."

I cried, "Wait! What do you mean?"

Of course, she won't clarify what she said!

My audience with the Oracle was over.

"Well?" Chiron asked me.

I slumped into a chair at the pinochle table. "She said I would retrieve what was stolen."

Grover sat forward, chewing excitedly on the remains of a Diet Coke can. "That's great!"

"What did the Oracle say exactly?" Chiron pressed. "This is important."

"She said I would go west and face a god who had turned. I would retrieve what was stolen and see it safely returned."

"I knew it," Grover said.. . ..

Chiron didn't look satisfied. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, she said: You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend.

And you shall find favour with the sun in the end."

He studied my face. "The Oracle's words often have double meanings. Don't dwell on them too much. The truth is not always clear until events come to pass."

"Okay," I said, anxious to change topics. "So where do I go? Who's this god in the west? Hades?"

"Indeed Rhea," Chiron said. "If Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other in a war, who stands to gain?"

"Somebody else who wants to take over? You think it's Hades," I guessed.

"Yes, quite. Someone who harbours a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world was divided aeons ago, whose kingdom would grow powerful with the deaths of millions. Someone who hates his brothers for forcing him into an oath to have no more children, an oath that both of them have now broken."

If only he knew that Uncle Hades doesn't care anymore that I'm born and that his Helm of Darkness has also been stolen. If only he knew that it was the god of war who started all of this. Maybe I should shift the blame. I don't know if I'm allowed to do that or not. Everyone always disses Uncle Hades, he is really nice once you get to know him.

"What if it isn't him?" I ask, "What if it is someone else?" Don't ask stupid questions, Rhea! That's how Ares will know that you're onto him. I should keep my mouth shut.

Chiron nodded. "The Lord of the Dead is the only possibility unless you have an idea of who else it might be."

"Nope, I don't have a clue," I reply quickly.

A scrap of aluminium dribbled out of Grover's mouth. "Whoa, wait. Wh-what?"

"But if we go, you should know that Hades hates all heroes," Grover protested. "Especially if he has found out Rhea is a daughter of Poseidon... ."

"A hellhound got into the forest," Chiron continued. "Those can only be summoned from the Fields of Punishment, and it had to be summoned by someone within the camp. Hades must have a spy here. He must suspect Poseidon will try to use Rhea to clear his name. Hades would very much like to kill this young half-blood before he can take on the quest."

"Great," I muttered. "That's two major gods who want to kill me," I say, pouting on the inside with the small lies running through my veins. Uncle H won't kill me, Aunt Persie will make sure of that.

Reader, did you know that Zeus was born in Crete? Now you do.

"But a quest to ..." Grover swallowed. "I mean, couldn't the master bolt be in someplace like Maine? Maine's very nice this time of year."

"Hades sent a minion to steal the master bolt," Chiron insisted. "He hid it in the Underworld, knowing full well that Zeus would blame Poseidon. I don't pretend to understand the Lord of the Dead's motives perfectly, or why he chose this time to start a war, but one thing is certain. Rhea must go to the Underworld, find the master bolt, and reveal the truth."

Uncle Hades will be cool with me coming to his domain… Maybe not with the others.

Grover was trembling. He'd started eating pinochle cards like potato chips.

The poor guy needed to complete a quest with me so he could get his searcher's license, whatever that was, but how could I ask him to do this quest?

"Look, if we know it's Hades," I told Chiron, "why can't we just tell the other gods? Zeus or Poseidon could go down to the Underworld and bust some heads."

"Suspecting and knowing are not the same," Chiron said. "Besides, even if the other gods suspect Hades—and I imagine Poseidon does—they couldn't retrieve the bolt themselves. Gods cannot cross each other's territories except by invitation. That is another ancient rule. Heroes, on the other hand, have certain privileges. They can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as they're bold enough and strong enough to do it. No god can be held responsible for a hero's actions. Why do you think the gods always operate through humans?"

"Too true, they don't like to get their hands dirty," I say, shrugging.

"You're saying I'm being used. From what I know, is that they don't like to get their hands dirty."

"I'm saying it's no accident Poseidon has claimed you now. It's a very risky gamble, but he's in a desperate situation. He needs you."

Chiron is taking this way out of proportion; he doesn't know what he is talking about. He makes it sound like dad is using me for his personal gain.

"So let me get this straight," I said. "I'm supposed to go to the Underworld and confront the Lord of the Dead."

"Check," Chiron said.

"Find the most powerful weapon in the universe."

"Check."

"And get it back to Olympus before the summer solstice, in ten days."

"That's about right."

I looked at Grover, who gulped down the ace of hearts.

"Did I mention that Maine is very nice this time of year?" he asked weakly.

"You don't have to go," I told him. "I can't ask that of you.

"Oh ..." He shifted his hooves. "No ... it's just that satyrs and underground places ... well..."

He took a deep breath, then stood, brushing the shredded cards and aluminium bits off his T-shirt. "If ... if you're serious about wanting me along, I won't let you down."

"Thanks, Grover. This is going to be fun," I tell him.

"F.F, Fun…Rhea, I don't like your idea of fun. Bleh…Bleh," he literally bleated like a sheep.

Chiron shakes his head and says, "The entrance to the Underworld is in Los Angeles."

"Oh," I said. "Naturally. So we just get on a plane—"

"No!" Grover shrieked. "Rhea, what are you thinking? Have you ever been on a plane in your life?"

"You're right, that is a bad idea," I reply, thinking of all the ways I'll die on a plane. Plane crash-zapped by lightning. Plane ripped open by lightning, then zapped to death. I wonder how else I'll die in Zeus's domain.

"That's right," Chiron said. "Two companions may accompany you. Grover is one. The other has already volunteered if you will accept her help."

"Gee," I said, feigning surprise. "Who else would be stupid enough to volunteer for a quest like this?"

The air shimmered behind Chiron.

Annabeth became visible, stuffing her Yankees cap into her back pocket.

"I've been waiting a long time for a quest, seaweed brain," she said. "Athena is no fan of Poseidon, but if you're going to save the world, I'm the best person to keep you from messing up."

Cocky much. Dad was right. I'm just waiting for his 'I told you so.'

"If you do say so yourself," I said, snorting. "You have delusions of adequacy."

"Rhea!" Chiron chides. And Annabeth looks red in her face. I can see the smoke coming from her ears.

"What? It's true," I say, turning to her, "Annabeth, that's not a very nice thing to say to me. You don't know me and assume that just because I am Poseidon's kid that I'm not able to do this without you. I do need all the help I can get. I'm not stupid enough to do this alone, but your arrogance might get us killed."

And so we all got ready to leave on our quest, tempers pushed to the side, focusing on our main task at hand.