TERRIFIED . . . annabeth chase

twenty one.

VAL TRAVELED THROUGH the sea of hastily assembled demigods as she walked through the forum behind Annabeth. Some looked tense, some nervous. Some were bandaged from their recent battle with the giants, but no one was armed. No one attacked.

Entire families had gathered to see the newcomers. Val saw couples with babies, toddlers clinging to their parents' legs, even some elderly folks in a combination of Roman robes and modern clothes. Were all of them demigods? She suspected so, though she'd never seen a place like this. At Camp Half-Blood, most demigods were teens. If they survived long enough to graduate from high school, they either stayed on as counselors or left to start lives as best they could in the mortal world. Here, it was an entire multigenerational community.

Val couldn't stop the bitterness that erupted in her chest. These people got to grow old. She would die in barely more than a month. Try as she might, that fact had corrupted her brain.

At the far end of the crowd, she spotted Tyson the Cyclops and Percy's hellhound, Mrs. O'Leary, which made her happier. They looked to be in good spirits. Tyson waved and grinned. He was wearing an SPQR banner like a giant bib.

In front of Val, the demigods made way for a girl in full Roman armor and a purple cape. Dark hair tumbled across her shoulders. Her eyes were as black as obsidian.

Reyna. That's what her aura said.

Medals decorated her armor. She carried herself with such confidence the other demigods backed away and averted their gaze.

The two girls considered each other. The rest of the crew fanned out on either side. The Romans murmured Jason's name, staring at him in awe. Val was glad she wasn't standing next to him.

Then someone else appeared from the crowd, and Val felt sick.

Percy smiled at Annabeth. His dark hair was swept to one side, like he'd just come from a walk on the beach. He looked tanner and taller, leaner and more muscular.

It physically hurt Val. But she forced herself to keep it down.

The praetor Reyna straightened. With apparent reluctance, she turned toward Jason.

"Jason Grace, my former colleague . . ." She spoke the word colleague like it was a dangerous thing. "I welcome you home. And these, your friends—"

Annabeth surged forward. Percy rushed toward her at the same time. The crowd tensed. Some reached for swords that weren't there.

Percy threw his arms around her. They kissed, and Val immediately felt sick.

Leo turned to her, leaning in.

"Do you need an out?" He asked her. Gods, she loved him.

She nodded, looking around. "There's people behind me. There's no way I can shadow-travel. I'll just ask for a favor from dad."

"You've asked for a lot of favors," Leo noted. "Like, almost as much as the amount of oars are on the ship."

Val giggled. "It's fine, Leo. Lord Zeus allows them to do whatever, since I'm going to die."

He looked troubled by that statement, but they both knew that she wouldn't confess.

She closed her eyes and thought, hey, dad, Cupid. Could one of you please let me throw up while not, like, causing a whole war?

The absolutely polite way that she'd asked for it came true, and Val felt the Mist around her as it clouded her from view. Leo gave her a discreet thumbs up, and she thanked her dad and Cupid, and also to the gods for giving her Leo, and she went to go and put roses in the Roman trash cans. Whoops.