Death's Touch | Jason Grace

Eighteen

Cary separated from Frank, Hazel, and Percy and pushed through the group of legionnaires. She met a blonde halfway through the crowd. Some looked tense, some nervous. Some were bandaged from their recent battle with the giant, but no one was armed, obviously. No one tried to attack.

Entire families had gathered to see the newcomers. Cary saw couples with babies, toddlers clinging to their parents' legs, even some elderly folks in a combination of Roman robes and modern clothes.

At the far end of the crowd, Cary spotted Tyson the Cyclops and Percy's hellhound, Mrs. O'Leary who must've stayed out of crowd. They looked to be in good spirits. Tyson waved and grinned. He was wearing an SPQR banner like a giant bib.

Beside her, 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 ob- sidian.

Reyna.

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

Cary recognized something else in her face, too—in the hard set of her mouth and the deliberate way she raised her chin like she was ready to accept any challenge. Reyna was forcing a look of courage, while holding back a mixture of hopefulness and worry and fear that she couldn't show in public.

Cary knew that expression. She saw it every time she looked in a mirror.

The two Romans considered the Greek. The blonde's friends fanned out on either side. The Romans murmured Jason's name, staring at him in awe.

Cary's eyes locked on Jason's electric blue eyes.

Percy appeared on Cary's other side. He smiled at the blonde.

She seemed too stunned to move.

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—"

Cary didn't mean to, but she surged forward. Jason rushed toward her at the same time. The crowd tensed. Some reached for swords that weren't there. Annabeth and Percy did the same.

Jason threw his arms around her. They kissed, and for a moment nothing else mattered. An asteroid could have hit the planet and wiped out all life, and Cary wouldn't have cared. She had her Lighting Boy back.

Jason pulled away and studied her face. "Gods, I never thought—"

Annabeth grabbed Percy's wrist and flipped him over her shoulder. He slammed into the stone pavement. Romans cried out. Some surged forward, but Reyna shouted, "Hold! Stand down!"

Annabeth put her knee on Percy's chest. She pushed her forearm against his throat.

"If you ever leave me again," she said, "I swear to all the gods—"

Percy had the nerve to laugh.

"Consider me warned," Percy said. "I missed you, too."

Annabeth rose and helped him to his feet.

Jason cleared his throat. "So, yeah.... It's good to be back."

He introduced Reyna to Piper, then to Leo, who grinned and flashed a peace sign.

"And this is Annabeth," Jason said. "Uh, normally she doesn't judo-flip people."

Reyna's eyes sparkled. "You sure you're not a Roman, Annabeth? Or an Amazon?"