The taxi ride back to camp was painfully silent. Finley sat with her head propped up by her hand as her elbow rested on the ledge in the car. It was hard to tell what she was feeling according to Percy. Her face was an emotionless mask. 

Despite seeing her a month ago, Percy finally acknowledges the differences she showed after their last quest. He noticed them, of course, but it finally registered in his mind. 

She's what Sally Jackson would call a "beautiful late bloomer." She was cute before, but now she was beautiful. It was almost as if turning fourteen shortly after saving Annabeth and Artemis caused her to truly be beautiful on the outside. 

Her face had become angular, losing all its child-like softness. Her hazel eye became guarded, hiding what she actually felt inside. Small dust of freckles were sprinkled across her tan cheeks. Her long light brown hair that was almost always in a braid happily fell around her face. Golden sunglass were perched happily on the top of her head, keeping her hair from her face. Her nails were painted a dark gold, but the paint was starting to wear off. 

When they got to camp, Finley greeted Peleus, the dragon guarding the Golden Fleece, before turning to Percy. 

"I must meet Annabeth," she declared simply. "I'll see you later."

"Bye," Percy said quietly, but she was already halfway down the hill. 

The moment Finley found Annabeth, who got back from meeting Clarisse, she instantly started ranting. The other Athena campers left their cabin, knowing it best not to cross Finely. 

"Oh no," Annabeth closed her book, setting it aside. "You're angry. Why are you mad?"

"This wannabe Weasley appeared!" Finley flopped onto her best friend's bunk. "She just came through the window! Like who in the Hades goes through a window?"

"You like climbing through windows," Annabeth pointed out. 

"The Litte Muggle Bitch was like, 'You're in sooo much trouble. And you owe me an explanation!'" Finley mocked grumpily. "She knows about halfbloods."

"How-?"

"Apparently, dear little Perseus Jackson decided to try and vaporize her last winter."

"What-?"

"She's like Mama Jay," Finley declared. "She can see through the mist."

"So you didn't go to the movies?"

"No," Finley huffed. "We ran from the cops instead."

"Oh-"

"I swear Ginger Bitch better not be a little rat like Pettigrew," Finley growled. 

"Did you happen to catch her name?" Annabeth asked, trying not to laugh. 

"It's something that starts with an 'R'," Finley shrugged. "It's Rachel, Riley, or Reginald."

Annabeth snorted. 

"I think it's Reginald," Finey declared with a small smile. 

"Where is Percy?" Annabeth asked her light brunette friend. 

"Dunno," Finley shrugged. "I kinda left him at Peleus."

"That was kind of you," Annabeth grinned. 

"I know right! I'm so kind," Finley grinned. She got to her feet. "Well, I've got some stuff to take care of. Might as well do it now seeing as my day off got ruined."

"I can always help you."

"I'm good. You continue to work with Clarisse and Chris." 

Finley left. 

***

Sitting in a stuffy room was not Finley's ideal way to spend her summer. She wanted to go to the beach. She wanted to take a monster-free vacation. She wanted to be a normal teenage girl even if it is for one day.

But she can't. 

She was the one who started planning for weapons they can use. She is the one that constantly checks in with the other demigods. She is the one that works with Hephestus Cabin to make weapons. 

She's the one everyone started running to if they needed something. 

And it was her own fault. 

She originally planned on working to make weapons and look for Nico. However, with her thousands of suggestions and ideas, she was put in charge of weaponry. She wasn't the lead strategist but she was working on weapons and traps to protect camp, meaning she did have to strategize. 

Pain racked her brain as she looked down at the map of camp once more. Instinctively, her hand flew to her temple, rubbing it in hopes of soothing the pain. However, she knew it was more than just a headache. 

For the past six months, Finely has been having visions. She knows they're of the future, but she never gets much from them. They're blurry and nothing more than flashes. She's lucky if she understands something. 

She saw herself sitting in a room with seven other halfbloods. She was clearly older, maybe seventeen. Annabeth sat to her left while Percy was to her right. A girl that reminded Finley of a Cherokee sat across the table. She saw the same girl and boy from her vision back in December. And elfish Latino boy was tinkering with something as he muttered incoherently, almost as if talking to his tools. A second boy with pale skin, blonde hair, and electric blue eyes was saying something. Finley couldn't hear seeing as everything was muddled. 

"Listen, Sparky," she teased. "I'm all for that but-"

The rest of what future Finley was going to say was cut off by the vision fading. 

Opening her eyes after a long moment, she moved to open the file with Beckendorf's blueprints for traps and weapons 

"Sunny?" a voice sounded from the door. 

Her hands were pressed against the desk. Despite standing, most of her weight was on her hands. She lifted her head to see Percy. His black hair was windswept, almost like he just came from the beach. 

"What's up?" she asked, as her eyes scanned the map. 

"Are you coming to Grover's trail thing?" Percy asked, stepping into the room. 

"Yeah," Finley nodded. "That's not until tomorrow."

"No. It starts in ten minutes."

Finley's eyes snapped to him. "No, it's tomorrow."

"It's today, Sunny."

"Alright," Finley tucked the blueprints away. "Let's go then."

The two walked side-by-side in silence. Both were lost in thought. Neither thought of the severity that underlies Grover's trial with the Council of Cloven Elders. 

"I'm sorry we couldn't go to the movies," Percy said alas. 

"Wha-Oh! It's alright," Finley assured. 

"Kelli, the empousa, said that camp was going to burn to the ground," Percy said quietly. 

"That's concerning," Finley nodded. "But she'd have to find a way in. We have patrols in the woods and the border. Not to mention tons of traps and tricks being made to make it difficult."

"I'm just worried is all," Percy declared. 

Together, they plunged into the woods. Nymphs peeked out of the trees to watch the pass. Large shapes rustled in the shadows – monsters that were kept in here as a challenge to the campers. Percy thought he knew the forest pretty well after playing capture the flag here for two summers, but he didn't recognize the area in which Finley was going, through a tunnel of old willow trees, past a little waterfall, and into a glade blanketed with wildflowers. 

A bunch of satyrs was sitting in a circle on the grass. Grover stood in the middle, facing three really old, really fat satyrs who sat on topiary thrones shaped out of rose bushes. Finley has never seen the three old satyrs before, but she guessed they must be the Council of ClovenElders. 

Grover seemed to be telling them a story. He twisted the bottom of his T-shirt, shifting nervously on his goat hooves. He hadn't changed much since last winter, maybe because satyrs age half as fast as humans. His acne had flared up. His horns had got a little bigger, so they just stuck out over his curly hair. Percy realized with a start that he was taller than Grover now. 

Standing off to one side of the circle was Annabeth, another girl Percy had never seen before, Chiron, and Clarisse. The duo made their way over to the small group.  

Clarisse's stringy brown hair was tied back with a camouflage bandanna. If possible, she looked even buffer, like she'd been working out. She glared at Percy and muttered, "Punk," which must've meant she was in a good mood. Usually, she says hello by trying to kill him. 

Annabeth had her arm around the other girl, who looked like she'd been crying. She was small – petite – with wispy hair the color of amber and a pretty, elfish face. She wore a green chiton and laced sandals, and she was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. Her ears were slightly pointed. Her eyes, instead of being red from crying, were tinged green, the color of chlorophyll. She was a tree nymph – a dryad.

"It's going terribly," she sniffled. 

"No, no." Annabeth patted her shoulder. "He'll be fine, Juniper."

"Grover's girlfriend," Finley whispered almost silently. 

"Master Underwood!" the council member on the right shouted, cutting off whateverGrover was trying to say. "Do you seriously expect us to believe this?" 

"B-but, Silenus," Grover stammered. "It's the truth!"

Silenus turned to his colleagues and muttered something. Chironcantered up to the front and stood next to them. Finley remembered he was an honorary member of the council, but she'd never thought about it much. The elders didn't look very impressive. 

Silenus tugged his yellow polo shirt over his belly and adjusted himself on his rosebush throne. "Master Underwood, for six months – six months – we have been hearing these scandalous claims that you heard the wild god Pan speak." 

"But I did!" Grover insisted.

"Impudence!" said the elder on the left. 

"Now, Maron," Chiron said. "Patience."

"Patience, indeed!" Maron said. "I've had it up to my horns with this nonsense. As if the wild god would speak to... to him."

Juniper looked like she wanted to charge the old satyr and beat him up, but Annabeth and Clarisse held her back. "Wrong fight, girlie," Clarisse muttered. "Wait." 

Percy looked relatively surprised when he noticed Clarisse, someone who fights literally everything, said not to throw hands. It also shocked him that Clarisse and Annabeth, who despise each other worked together. 

"For six months," Silenus continued, "we have indulged you, Master Underwood. We let you travel. We allowed you to keep your searcher's license. We waited for you to bring proof of your preposterous claim. And what have you found in six months of travel?"

"I just need more time," Grover pleaded. 

"Nothing!" the elder in the middle chimed in. "You have found nothing."

"But, Leneus –"

Silenus raised his hand. Chiron leaned in and said something to the satyrs. The satyrs didn't look happy. They muttered and argued among themselves, but Chiron said something else, and Silenus sighed. He nodded reluctantly.

"Master Underwood," Silenus announced, "we will give you one more chance." 

Grover brightened. "Thank you!"

"One more week." 

"What? But, sir! That's impossible!"

"One more week, Master Underwood. And then, if you cannot prove your claims, it will be time for you to pursue another career. Something to suit your dramatic talents. Puppet theatre, perhaps. Or tap dancing."

"But, sir, I – I can't lose my searcher's license. My whole life –"

"This meeting of the council is adjourned," Silenus said. "And now let us enjoy our noonday meal!"

The old satyr clapped his hands and a bunch of nymphs melted out of the trees with platters of vegetables, fruits, tin cans, and other goat delicacies. The circle of satyrs broke and charged the food. Grover walked dejectedly towards us. His faded blue T-shirt had a picture of a satyr on it. It read: Got Hooves? 

"Hi, Percy, Finny," he said in a monotone. "That went well, huh?"

"Those old goats!" Juniper said. "Oh, Grover, they don't know how hard you've tried!"

"There is another option," Clarisse said darkly. 

"No. No." Juniper shook her head. "Grover, I won't let you." 

His face was ashen. "I – I'll have to think about it. But we don't even know where to look."

"What are you talking about?" Percy asked. In the distance, a conch horn sounded. 

Annabeth pursed her lips. "I'll fill you in later, Percy. We'd better get back to our cabins. Inspection is starting." 

"That's today?" Finley exclaimed.

"Yeah," Annabeth nodded. 

"I haven't cleaned my bunk!"

"You rarely sleep in your cabin anyway," Annabeth remarked with a small laugh.

"Right . . ." Finley relaxed. 

"I haven't cleaned my cabin!" Percy panicked and made a mad dash for Cabin 3.