DIVINE! | percy jackson

chapter fourteen - the god's graveyard

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
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          ESTELLA PRACTICALLY jumped out of her seat when she saw Percy get dragged from the vehicle.

The God and her friend exchanged (unfriendly) words before he snapped his fingers and turned into a cloud of dust.

In a second's notice, Estella was now outside. The limo, the road, and the restaurant were gone. They stood in the middle of the junkyard.

"What did she want with you?" Bianca asked after Percy just told them he met with Aphrodite as she thought. Her heart sped up when he told her. They locked eyes and she knew that Aphrodite may have had a similar conversation with him as she did with her at the beginning of the year.

"Oh, uh, not sure," Percy lied. He glanced at Estella for a moment. "She said to be careful in her husband's junkyard. She said not to pick anything up."

Zoë narrowed her eyes. "The goddess of love would not make a special trip to tell
thee that. Be careful, Percy. Aphrodite has led many heroes astray."

"For once I agree with Zoë," Thalia said. "You can't trust Aphrodite."

Estella frowned and looked away. If Aphrodite was not trustworthy, did that mean the stories of their prophecy were fake, too? That made her heart hurt.

"So, how do you get out of here?" Percy asked trying to change the subject.

"That way," Zoe said. "That is west."

"How can you tell?"

"Ursa Major is in the north. Which means that must be west."

She pointed west, then at the northern constellation.

"Oh yeah," Percy said. "The bear thing."

Zoë looked upset. "Show some respect. It was a fine bear. A worthy opponent."

"You act like it was real."

"Guys," Grover broke in. "Look!"

They reached the crest of junk mountain. Piles of metal objects shined in the moonlight. The objects ranged from ancient Greek times such as smashed chariots and shields and swords to modern things like cars and refrigerators.

"Whoa," Bianca said. "That stuff... some of it looks like real gold."

"It is," Thalia said grimly. "Like Percy said, don't touch anything. This is the junkyard of the gods."

"Junk?" Grover picked up a crown made of gold. "You call this junk?" He bit off a point and began to chew. "It's delicious!""

Thalia swatted the crown out of his hands. "I'm serious!"

"Look," Bianca said. She raced down the hill and picked up a bow that glowed silver in the light. "A Hunters bow!"

She yelped in surprise as the bow began to shrink and became a hair clip shaped like the moon. "It's just like Percy's and Estella's swords!"

Zoë's face was grim. "Leave it, Bianca."

"But—"

"It is here for a reason. Anything thrown away in this junkyard must stay in this yard. It is defective. Or cursed."