An Impossible Choice|| Lani Jackson Book 2|| Piper McLean

I Don't Know What To Call This

Lani

Sets of couches and low tables were carted into the forum until it resembled a furniture showroom. Romans lounged in groups of ten or twenty, talking and laughing while wind spirits- aurae- swirled overhead, bringing an endless assortment of pizzas, sandwiches, chips, cold drinks, and fresh-baked cookies. Drifting through the crowd were purple ghosts- Lares- in togas and legionnaire armor. Around the edges of the feast, fauns trotted from table to table, panhandling for food and spare change. In the nearby fields, the war elephants frolicked with Mrs. O'Leary, and children played tag around the statues of Terminus that lined the city limits.

With most of my memories returned, the whole scene looked so familiar, yet so completely alien it made me feel weird, I couldn't help but wonder if it was what seasickness felt like.

Reyna, a few of her officers (which unfortunately included Octavian) Annabeth and her crew sat with Percy, me, Frank, and Hazel.

I noticed Annabeth trying not to stare at the new marks on Percy's forearm. Of course, me being me, got sidetracked by Piper. The seriously pretty girl that came here with Annabeth. I was trying to avoid staring at her like Annabeth was with Percy's marks.

She was wearing tattered jeans, a hello kitty shirt, and her chocolate brown hair was cut choppy and uneven, braided down to one side. She seemed like she was trying not to draw attention to herself, but it didn't work. Her eyes were captivating, changing color like a kaleidoscope- brown, blue, and green.

I felt a sharp pain where my soul tie brand was, like Zoe was scolding me all the way from the stars. I tore my eyes away from Piper, feeling both guilty and frustrated. It's been three years since Zoe died and I still struggle with moving on. It makes me feel pathetic.

My train of thought was cut off by Reyna calling a toast to friendship.

After introductions all around, the Romans and Annabeth's crew began exchanging stories. Jason explained how he'd arrived at Camp Half-Blood without his memory, and how he'd gone on a quest with Piper and Leo to rescue the goddess Hera (or Juno, take your pick- she's equally annoying in Greek and Roman) from imprisonment at the Wolf House in northern California.

"Impossible!" Octavian broke in. "That's our most sacred place. If the giants had imprisoned a goddess there-"

"They would've destroyed her," Piper said. "And blamed it on the Greeks, and started a war between the camps. Now, be quiet and let Jason finish."

Octavian opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Piper was a daughter of Aphrodite, she had charmspeak. I noticed Reyna looking back and forth between Jason and Piper, her brow creased, as if trying to decide if the two of them were a couple.

Jason shot Reyna a look and she relaxed a bit, but not by much. "So, that's how we found out about the earth goddess Gaea. She's still half asleep, but she's the one freeing monsters from Tartarus and raising the giants. Porphyrion, the big leader dude we fought at the Wolf House: he said he was retreating to the ancient lands- Greece itself. He plans on awakening Gaea and destroying the gods by... what did he call it? Pulling up their roots"

Percy nodded thoughtfully. "Gaea's been busy over here too. We had our own encounter with Queen Dirt Face."

Percy recounted our side of the story, leaving out a few important details. He talked about waking up at the Wolf House, with no memories except for knowing I was his twin and one name- Annabeth. He also told Annabeth I remembered Zoe. She shot me a look of pity and I looked down at my plate.

Percy told the others how he'd traveled to Alaska with me, Frank, and Hazel- how they'd defeated the giant Alcyoneus, freed the death god Thanatos, and returned with the lost golden eagle standard of the Roman camp to repel an attack by the giants' army.