𝐂œ𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐬é𝐬 [Percy Jackson]

11

The Romans knew how to eat.

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, satyrs (no, fauns, Hadrian thought) trotted from table to table, panhandling for food and spare change. In the nearby fields, the war elephant frolicked with a hellhound, and children played tag around the statues of Terminus that lined the city limits.

Reyna and a few of her officers (including the blond kid Octavian, freshly back from burning a teddy bear for the gods) sat with the crew. Percy joined them with his two new friends, Frank and Hazel.

As a tornado of food platters settled onto the table, Hadrian was flanked on both sides by two Roman demigods. Leo had tried to take a seat next to him, but one of the girls had pushed him aside.

It was almost like since finding out about his parent, his powers had increased ten fold. When demigods didn't know they were demigods, their powers were usually muted to keep them safe from the monsters. Then they were thrust into this world of magic and began fighting for their lives. When they find out all they could do, their powers increased.

He was vaguely aware of talking to them, winking at Leo who scowled. Talking with people, especially flirting was never difficult for him. Occasionally when he actually liked a person he would stumble over his words, but flirting with people he didn't actually like was just fun.

He stopped as Reyna called 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 Leo and coach Hedge to rescue the goddess Hera (or Juno, take your pick—she was equally annoying in Greek or 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," Hadrian pointed out. "And blamed it on the Greeks, and started a war between the camps. Now, shush."

Octavian opened his mouth, but no sound came out. That was the first time Annabeth seemed to react positively to Hadrian's charmspeak.

"So," Jason continued, "that's how we found out about the earth goddess Gaea. She's still half asleep, but she's the one freeing the 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."

She offered to bring my best friend to life. Hadrian thought, but he didn't say it. "She told me about the prophecy in a dream"

Annabeth narrowed her eyes at him again in the infuriating way she always did. If she didn't look so murderous all the time, Hadrian would have thought she was hot.

Percy nodded thoughtfully. Hadrian shifted in his seat, but the son of Poseidon still hadn't recognized him. Hadrian didn't know if he should be relieved or offended. "Gaea's been busy over here, too. We had our own encounter with Queen Dirt Face."

Percy recounted his side of the story. He talked about waking up at the Wolf House with no memories.

Hadrian drummed his fingers on his knee under the table. Every time Percy opened his mouth, it was a struggle to not punch him right then and there. Hadrian wasn't a particularly violent person, but it felt like a slap to the face. The fact that Percy had unknowingly caused Kira's and who knew how many other demigods' deaths. And here he was, being paraded around as a hero. Must be nice living in delusion. 

All these Romans and Greeks thought they were the good guys, but they were no better than Kronos or even Gaea as a matter of fact. Hadrian felt no remorse for them. He just chose the side that would benefit him the most, he didn't see it as a fault. Everyone was selfish, why shouldn't he be?

Percy told them how he'd traveled to Alaska with 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.

When he had finished, Jason whistled appreciatively. "No wonder they made you praetor."

Octavian snorted. "Which means we now have three praetors! The rules clearly state we can only have two!"

"On the bright side," Percy said, "both Jason and I outrank you, Octavian. So we can both tell you to shut up."

Octavian turned as purple as a Roman T-shirt. Jason gave Percy a fist bump.

Even Reyna managed a smile, though her eyes were stormy.

"We'll have to figure out the extra praetor problem later," she said. "Right now we have more serious issues to deal with."

"I'll step aside for Jason," Percy said easily. "It's no biggie."

"No biggie?" Octavian choked. "The praetorship of Rome is no biggie?"

Percy ignored him and turned to Jason. "You're Thalia Grace's brother, huh? Wow. You guys look nothing alike."

"Yeah, I noticed," Jason said. "Anyway, thanks for helping my camp while I was gone. You did an awesome job."

"Back at you," Percy said.

Annabeth interrupted their budding bromance. "We should talk about the Great Prophecy. It sounds like the Romans are aware of it too?"

Reyna nodded. "We call it the Prophecy of Seven. Octavian, you have it committed to memory?"

"Of course," he said. "But, Reyna—"

"Recite it, please. In English, not Latin."

Octavian sighed. "Seven half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire the world must fall—"

"An oath to keep with final breath," Annabeth continued. "And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death."

Everyone stared at her—except for Leo, who had constructed a pinwheel out of aluminum foil taco wrappers and was sticking it into passing wind spirits.

So much for screwing their relations with the romans. Of fucking course Annabeth wanted to look like a smartass. Gods could she never just shut up?

The big kid, Frank, sat forward, staring at her in fascination, as if she'd grown a third eye. "Is it true you're a child of Min—I mean, Athena?"

"Yes," she said, suddenly defensive. Hadrian had never heard her sound like that. Like she was at her wits end, trying to keep everything from falling apart. Hadrian didn't like this new guy talking to her like that. 

Sure he insulted her and scoffed at her and bickered with her. But that was their dynamic in the past few months. He leaned across the table and grabbed a plate of what he hoped was a type of garlic bread, "Why is that such a surprise? I thought the Romans copied the Greek gods, so technically Athena came first"

Annabeth looked at him hesitantly, he regretted being nice and flipped her off. She raised her eyebrows like that's what she was used to him doing. Hadrian couldn't ignore the way Percy's eyes travelled back and forth between them like he was keeping track of a ball during a tennis match, it was honestly quite funny.

"Graecus and their arrogance" Octavian scoffed. "If she's truly a child of the wisdom goddess—"

"Enough," Reyna snapped. "Annabeth is what she says. She's here in peace. Besides..." She gave Annabeth a look of grudging respect. "Percy has spoken highly of you."

The undertones in Reyna's voice took Hadrian a moment to decipher. Percy looked down, suddenly interested in his cheeseburger.

Ooh drama! Reyna had tried to make a move on Percy. That explained the tinge of bitterness, maybe even envy, in her words. Percy had turned her down for Annabeth.

"Uh, thanks," she told Reyna.