NOTHING CAPS OFF THE PERFECT MORNING LIKE  a long taxi ride with the boy you like but you're currently upset at.

Percy tried to talk to her, but she gave short responses.  

"Any word on Luke?" Percy asked.

She shook her head. Luke was a touchy subject for her and Percy knew that. Not only were they long term friends before he left camp three years ago to pursue destroying the Olympians, but Selena had dreams about Luke. She thought she wouldn't have to worry about him killing her after he fell off a cliff last winter, but now it's confirmed that he's alive.

Now, as far as they knew, Luke was still sailing around on his demon-infested cruise ship while his chopped-up Lord Kronos re-formed, bit by bit, in a golden sarcophagus, biding his time until he had enough power to challenge the Olympian Gods. In demigod-speak, they call this a "problem."

"Mount Tam is still overrun with monsters," Selena sighed. "Annabeth and I didn't dare go close, but we don't think Luke is up there. I think we would know if he was."

"What about Grover?" he asked,

"He's at camp," Selena answered, "We'll see him today."

"Did he have any luck? I mean, with the search for Pan?" Percy questioned,

Selena played with the beads on her necklace, the way she always does when she's worried, "You'll see," Selena said. But she didn't explain. She didn't know how to.

As they headed through Brooklyn, Percy used Selena's secret phone to call his mom. Half-bloods try not to use cell phones if they can avoid it, because broadcasting their voices is like sending up a flare to the monsters: 'Here I am! Please eat me now!'

But Selena figured this call was important. He left a message on his home voice mail, trying to explain what had happened at Goode. He told his mom he was fine, she shouldn't worry, but he was going to stay at camp until things cooled down. 

They rode in silence after that. The city melted away until they were off the expressway and rolling through the countryside of northern Long Island, past orchards and wineries and fresh produce stands.

The taxi exited on Route 25A. They headed through the woods along the North Shore until a low ridge of hills appeared on their left. Selena told the driver to pull over on Farm Road 3.141, at the base of Half-Blood Hill.

The driver frowned. "There ain't nothing here, miss. You sure you want out?"

"Yes, please," Selena smiled and handed him a roll of mortal cash, and the driver decided not to argue.

Selena and Percy hiked to the crest of the hill. Peleus lifted his coppery head as they approached and let Selena scratch under his chin. Steam hissed out his nostrils like from a teakettle, and he went cross-eyed with pleasure.

"Hey, Peleus," Selena sighed, "Came back sooner than expected."

Below them, Camp Half-Blood looked peaceful— green fields, forest, shiny white Greek buildings. The four-story farmhouse they called the Big House sat proudly in the midst of the strawberry fields. To the north, past the beach, the Long Island Sound glittered in the sunlight.

But something was off. There was tension in the air, as if the hill itself were holding its breath, waiting for something bad to happen. But that had been there since the previous summer.

They walked down into the valley and found the summer session in full swing. Most of the campers had arrived last Friday. The satyrs were playing their pipes in the strawberry fields, making the plants grow with woodland magic. Campers were having flying horseback lessons, swooping over the woods on their pegasi. Smoke rose from the forges, and hammers rang as kids made their own weapons for Arts & Crafts. The Athena and Demeter teams were having a chariot race around the track, and over at the canoe lake some kids in a Greek trireme were fighting a large orange sea serpent. A typical day at camp.

"I need to talk to Clarisse and Annabeth." Selena stated as they made their way through camp.

Percy stared at her as if she lost her head, "What for?"

"We've been working on something," Selena answered. "I'll see you later."

"Working on what?"

Selena glanced toward the forest before sighing, "I'll tell Chiron you're here. He'll want to talk to you before the hearing."

"What hearing?"

But she ignored him and jogged down the path toward the archery field without looking back. She needed to find Annabeth and Clarisse before the hearing.