This Cold Year ― Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase²

―xxiv. naomi makes her father proud

THE FEAST OF FORTUNA was a beautiful mess.

Campers, Amazons, and Lares crowded the mess hall for a lavish dinner. Even the fauns were invited, since they'd helped out by bandaging the wounded after the battle. Wind nymphs zipped around the room, delivering orders of pizza, burgers, steaks, salads, Chinese food, and burritos, all flying at terminal velocity.

Everyone was exhausted, but spirits were higher than ever. Casualties had been light, and the few campers who'd previously died and come back to life like Naomi hadn't been taken to the Underworld. Maybe Thanatos had turned a blind eye. Or maybe Pluto had given them a pass, like he had for Hazel. Whatever the case, nobody complained.

Colorful Amazon and Roman banners hung side-by-side from the rafters. The restored golden eagle stood proudly behind the praetor's table, and the walls were decorated with cornucopias—magical horns of plenty that spilled out recycling waterfalls of fruit, chocolate, and fresh-baked cookies.

The cohorts mingled freely with the Amazons, jumping from couch to couch as they pleased, without care for rank or placement. Naomi changed seats so many times, she lost track of her dinner.

Veterans and family from the city came to join the party, and Naomi got caught up for a good half-hour with Gabriel introducing her to everyone he knew from New Rome ("Yeah, Ben's kid—I know, she looks just like him! Acts like him, too! Third-generation praetor!"). Isaac and Adrien rescued her only to make her recount the scariest parts of the quest to their friends. Delaney and Juliet actually rescued her, stealing her and Percy away to actually eat something and hold a rather intellectual conversation with Theo consisting of babbling and hair-pulling. The twins found them at one point, each with a handful of wildflowers, which they deposited onto Naomi's lap with equally infectious grins.

Now that Naomi had her memories back, she knew she'd never really had a family like this. She'd only been at Camp Jupiter for a few days, but she never wanted to say goodbye to the Pattersons.

She eventually got dragged into judging an arm-wrestling contest between Percy and Kinzie the Amazon. She explained what had happened after they left Seattle—how Hylla had defeated her challenger Otrera in two consecutive duels to the death, so that the Amazons were now calling their queen Hylla Twice-Kill.

"Otrera stayed dead the second time," Kinzie said, batting her eyes. "We have you to thank for that. If you ever need another girlfriend..."

Naomi cleared her throat purposefully, raising an eyebrow at the Amazon.

Kinzie coughed. "Never mind."

Once everyone had eaten and the plates stopped flying, Reyna made a short speech. She formally welcomed the Amazons, thanking them for their help. Then she hugged her sister and everyone applauded.

Reyna raised her hands for quiet. "My sister and I haven't always seen eye to eye—"

Hylla laughed. "That's an understatement."

"She joined the Amazons," Reyna continued. "I joined Camp Jupiter. But looking around this room, I think we both made good choices. Strangely, our destinies were made possible by the hero you all just raised to praetor on the battlefield—Naomi Sakura. And her companion, Percy Jackson."

More cheering. The sisters raised their glasses to Naomi and beckoned her forward.

Everyone asked for a speech, but Naomi wasn't sure what to say. She just thanked them and promised to do everything she could to lead Rome to victory against Gaea, which—judging by the roar of applause that followed—was exactly what they wanted to hear.