𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐄

𝐗𝐕𝐈

"Oh, shut up, Thalia."

"That cluster right there," Grover said, pointing to the left, "that's trouble."

"A monster?" Thalia asked.

Grover looked uneasy. "I don't smell anything, which doesn't make sense. But the acorns don't lie. Our next challenge..."

He pointed straight toward the junkyard. With the sunlight almost gone now, the hills of metal looked like something on an alien planet.

They decided to camp for the night and try the junkyard in the morning. None of them wanted to go Dumpster-diving in the dark.

Zoe and Bianca produced five sleeping bags and foam mattresses out of their backpacks. Selene didn't quite comprehend how they did it, because the packs were tiny, but must've been enchanted to hold so much stuff. She also noticed their bows and quivers were also magic. She never really thought about it, but when the Hunters needed them, they just appeared slung over their backs. And when they didn't, they were gone.

The night got chilly fast, so Grover and Percy collected old boards from the ruined house, and Thalia zapped them with an electric shock to start a campfire. Pretty soon they were about as comfy as you can get in a rundown ghost town in the middle of nowhere.

"The stars are out," Zoe said.

She was right. There were millions of them, with no city lights to turn the sky orange.

"Amazing," Bianca said. "I've never actually seen the Milky Way."

"This is nothing," Zoe replied. "In the old days, there were more. Whole constellations have disappeared because of human light pollution."

"You talk like you're not human," Percy chuckled.

Zoe raised an eyebrow. "I am a Hunter. I care what happens to the wild places of the world. Can the same be said for thee?"

"For you," Thalia corrected. "Not thee."

"But you use you for the beginning of a sentence."

"And for the end," Thalia said. "No thou. No thee. Just you."

Zoe threw up her hands in exasperation. "I hate this language. It changes too often!"

Grover sighed. He was still looking up at the stars like he was thinking about the light pollution problem. "If only Pan were here, he would set things right."

Zoe nodded sadly.

"Maybe it was the coffee," Grover said. "I was drinking coffee, and the wind came. Maybe if I drank more coffee..."

Percy and Selene eyed each other, and instantly understood. They didn't think coffee had much to do with Pan's appearance. "Grover, do you really think that was Pan? I mean, I know you want it to be."

"He sent us help, Percy." Grover insisted. "I don't know how or why. But it was his presence. After this quest is done, I'm going back to New Mexico and drinking a lot of coffee. It's the best lead we've gotten in two thousand years. I was so close."

Selene turned to Percy, "I think I've got a date," she said in a lower tone. "Apollo showed up to me last night."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh. Really?"

"Yea. He proposed teaching me everything he knows if I save his sister."

Percy tried to keep his expression casual, but a subtle crease formed on his forehead. "What did you say?"