𝙇𝙮𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙨 (𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙮 𝙅𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙭 𝙁𝙚𝙢! 𝙊𝘾) 𝙏𝙏𝘾

Why Does Life Hate Me?

"What did she want with you?" Bianca asked, once Sylvia had told them about Aphrodite. Percy hadn't spoken at all, and still had that strange expression. He was also still avoiding eye contact with Sylvia, which was very much unlike him.

Do not trust her, Fawkes warned Sylvia. All she does is stir up trouble.

"I dunno what she talked to Percy about, and I, quite frankly, do not care," Sylvia said, not exactly truthfully, "but she told me my makeup was, and I quote, 'not suited for a daring and adventurous quest,' so she did it for me."

"Sounds like her. Plus, you look great." Thalia smirked at Percy for some reason. "But what did she say to you?"

"Y-you really do look amazing," Lux said, too quiet for anyone but Sylvia to hear.

What did she actually tell you? Fawkes asked.

So you don't know everything? I am shocked.

Fawkes rolled her eyes. Whatever.

I'll tell you later, Sylvia promised.

"Uh..." Percy glanced at Sylvia for a moment, then looked away. "Just...to be careful in her husband's junkyard. We can't pick anything up, because he's...a hoarder? I think she said that, anyways."

Zoe narrowed her eyes at the two. "The goddess of love would not make a special trip to tell thee that. Be careful. Aphrodite has led many heroes astray."

"I agree with Zoe, for once." Thalia nodded. "You cannot trust Aphrodite."

Grover was looking at Percy funny.

I wonder if those two are in love, Sylvia mused. Aphrodite would probably love that enough to talk to Percy about it, right? 

Sure. Fawkes didn't sound very convincing.

"So," Percy said, "how to we get out of here?"

"That way," Sylvia said, pointing. "West."

"How can you tell?" Percy spoke to Sylvia for the first time in quite a while.

"The sun set that way a while ago," she reminded him. 

"How do you remember that?" 

"My father is literally the god of the sun. If I didn't keep that type of thing in the back of my mind, I'd be embarrassed."

Lux nodded in agreement.

"That makes no sense." Percy crossed his arms. "You just know where the sun is all the time, then?"

"Yeah. I mean, you always know where water is, don't you?"

Percy looked as though he was thinking about that. "I guess..."

"Ares was right. You do have fish for brains," Sylvia noted.

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

They'd reached the crest of a junk mountain. Piles of metal objects glinted in the moonlight: broken heads of bronze horses, tons of weapons, metal legs and arms from human statues, and some more modern stuff, like gleaming gold-and-silver cars, refrigerators, and computer monitors.

"Whoa," Lux breathed. Sylvia agreed.

"That stuff...some of it looks like real gold." Bianca was looking around with wide eyes.

"It is," Thalia said grimly.

Sylvia nodded. "Like Aphrodite said, don't touch anything. This is the junkyard of the gods."