ETERNAL! | percy jackson

chapter eleven - what's on the menu?

CHAPTER ELEVEN
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"ESTELLA SANTOS, am I correct?" Geryon questioned, pacing around her and her friends.

He managed to get Eurytion to tie them up, bound by the wrists and ankles. Their mouths were even gagged with cloth. Geryon's broad, calloused hand reached and ripped down her gag. Estella spat on the ground, glaring at him.

"Luke Castellan will love that I've turned you over to him. I'll be so rich once I'm through with you measly demigods," he said with a nasty smirk.

"Percy will chop off your limbs before that happens," Estella warned. "There's no way you're getting out of this alive."

"I think death is something you need to worry about, little one," Geryon said. "I have lived for thousands of years, dying and coming back from the depths of Tartarus. Once you die, that's it. And by the looks of it, Lord Kronos would rather have you buried in the ground than fighting him."

Annabeth thrashed amongst her bindings in silent opposition. Estella threw her a soft glance, trying to calm her friend down.

"I will die once the war is finished," Estella managed.

Geryon let out a hearty laugh. "You think you and your lover boy can stop the Titan Lord? You must be delusional!"

"Then why did you bound us?" Estella taunted, trying to reverse his tactics. "If you're not scared of a little girl, then let me go."

Geryon waved her off and walked back to the barbeque. "I know your tricks, girl. While you may not be strong, your magic is."

Annabeth stopped squirming, and Estella could feel the heat of her gaze on her face. Geryon was too busy grilling some questionable meat to notice the daughter of Athena's scheming. He even began to hum a merry tune, except Estella managed to catch kill, eat, and torture in the lyrics.

"What?" Estella whispered, as Geryon never assembled her mouth gag back in place.

Annabeth managed to mumble something along the lines of Ma-mic.

"Ma-mic," Annabeth said once more. Her eyes were wide, as if she was trying to speak the words into Estella's mind.

It took the witch a few moments before Estella understood. Magic. Just what Geryon was afraid of. The only problem was, her Grimiore was nowhere in sight.

She tried to think back to her messy handwriting on the pages. All of the notes compiled since knowing she was a demigod. There must've been something she could mutter, allowing them for a chance to escape.

Annabeth used her head to gesture to the Geryon, or rather, the barbecue he tended to. The flames flickered around the meat, allowing Estella to remember the perfect spell.

"Pyre aphiknéomai," Estella chanted in a low voice. She uttered the words over and over, until what she meant came true. Come, fire.

The flames rose until a large wave licked Geryon's skin. The man roared and stumbled back.

"Why you little—" Geryon growled at Estella when he quickly figured out it was not a grill malfunction.

He charged at her, his three large torsos encasing her vision. Estella took a moment to pray to whatever God would listen, hoping for sanctuary.

"Stop!" Percy shouted. "I cleaned the stables."

Geryon halted, smiling sickly. "Did you, now? How'd you manage it?"