The Veiled Legacy | PJO - Book Two

two

LEO WHAT THE FUCK

Ariana was chilling on her own when it happened.

A shrill sound pierced the air. Light flashed in the corner of Ariana's eye. She turned in time to see an explosion blast a new crater in the forum. A burning couch tumbled through the air. Demigods scattered in panic.

Luckily, she wasn't far away from where Reyna and Annabeth were talking and ran over to meet them.

"Giants?" Annabeth reached for her dagger, which of course wasn't there. "I thought their army was defeated!"

"It isn't the giants." Ariana said, making her presence noticed.

Reyna's eyes seethed with rage at Annabeth. "You've betrayed our trust."

"What? No!"

As soon as she said it, the Argo II launched a second volley. Its port ballista fired a massive spear wreathed in Greek fire, which sailed straight through the broken dome of the Senate House and exploded inside, lighting up the building like a jack-o-lantern. If anyone had been in there ...

"What the fuck is happening?" Demanded Ariana.

"Gods, no." Annabeth whispered. "Reyna, it isn't possible. We'd never do this!"

The metal dogs ran to their mistress's side. They snarled at Annabeth but paced uncertainly, as if reluctant to attack.

"You're telling the truth." Reyna judged. "Perhaps you were not aware of this treachery, but someone must pay."

Down in the forum, chaos was spreading. Crowds were pushing and shoving. Fistfights were breaking out.

"Bloodshed." Ariana said.

"We have to stop it!" Annabeth shouted.

Ariana had a horrible feeling this might be the last time Reyna and Annabeth ever acted in agreement, but together the three ran down the hill.

If weapons had been allowed in the city, Annabeth's friends would have already been dead. The Roman demigods in the forum had coalesced into an angry mob.

Some threw plates, food and rocks at the Argo II, which was pointless, as most of the stuff fell back into the crowd.

Several dozen Romans had surrounded Piper and Jason, who were trying to calm them without much luck.

Piper's charmspeak was useless against so many screaming, angry demigods. Jason's forehead was bleeding. His purple cloak had been ripped to shreds.

He kept pleading, "I'm on your side!" but his orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt didn't help matters - nor did the warship overhead, firing flaming spears into New Rome. One landed nearby and blasted a toga shop to rubble.

"Pluto's pauldrons." Reyna cursed. "Look."

Armed legionnaires were hurrying towards the forum. Two artillery crews had set up catapults just outside the Pomerian Line and were preparing to fire at the Argo II.

"That'll just make things worse." Ariana complained.

"I hate my job." Reyna growled. She rushed off towards the legionnaires, her dogs at her side.

"Percy." Annabeth said to Ariana.

Her heart was beating, they couldn't be separated. Not again.

"And Hazel." Ariana agreed, utterly concerned for her sister.

Two Romans tried to grab Annabeth. She ducked past them, plunging into the crowd. As if the angry Romans, burning couches and exploding buildings weren't confusing enough, hundreds of purple ghosts drifted through the forum, passing straight through the demigods' bodies and wailing incoherently.