"Theo!" I hear a distant voice. I'm very aware of the fact that I'm cold, dizzy, and my whole body aches.
I focus my vision, and see Leo's face. He sighs with relief. "She's awake!"
I sit up quickly, and he jumps back, as if he's scared.
"What happened? I was just- Gaea was just-"
"Dude." Leo is crouching a few feet away. "You went full god-mode. You kicked some serious giant-butt."
Hera, who I see is now free, looks at him distastefully. "You finally embraced your power, Theodora."
"What?" I ask. I'm so confused. "I didn't fight a giant."
"Yeah, you did." Piper tells me. She frowns. "You don't remember?"
"That wasn't her." Hera tells her. "That was me."
"You were trapped in the cage." Leo insists. "Theo did that."
"Yes, Theo did. But it wasn't her. It was my power. That breath that gave her life. I gave some of my power to her, and she wielded it today."
I don't feel very godly. Even sitting up is taking every ounce of energy in my body. "I need ambrosia."
Leo runs to his pack and digs through. "I can't find any!"
"I gave the last of it to Jason." Piper sounds guilty. "Sorry."
I look over and see Jason is sitting up very weakly too.
"What happened to you?" I ask him.
"You and Hera. You both, just, started glowing."
Oh my god, I did that? I almost killed Jason? "Oh, dude, I'm so sorry."
Hera scoffs. "I warned him.
"What happened to the giant?" I ask. "Is it too much to hope that I killed him?"
"Yeah," Leo agrees. "I don't suppose that Porphyrion guy just melted and died, huh?"
"No." Hera agrees. "By saving me, and saving this place, you prevented Gaea from waking. You simply bought us some time. But Porphyrion has risen. He simply knew better than to stay here, especially since he has not regained his full power. Giants can only be killed by a combination of god and demigods, working together. Once you freed me-"
"He ran away." Jason finishes. "But to where?"
Hera doesn't answer, but I get a heavy sense of dread. Greece.
"I need to find Annabeth." Thalia says. "She has to know what's happened here."
"Thalia." Jason grips her hand. "We never got to talk about this place, or-"
"I know." Her expression softens. "I lost you here once. I don't want to leave you again. But we'll meet soon. I'll rendez-vous with you back at Camp Half-Blood." She glances at Hera. "You'll see them there safely? It's the least you can do."
"It's not your place to tell me-"
"Queen Hera." Piper interrupts.
The goddess sighs. "Fine. Yes. Just off with you, Hunter!"
Thalia says her goodbyes, and I pull my knees to my chest. I just kicked some more giant butt, and I can't remember? Hera had what-possessed me?
I notice Leo is looking at me warily, like he's afraid. When he notices me looking, he goes back to his usual goofy grin, but I know what I saw. I did something super scary.
"Jason, what happened to you here?" Piper asks him.
Jason shakes his head uneasily. "It's still murky. The wolves..."
"You were given a destiny." Hera tells him. "You were given into my service."
Jaosn scowls. "Because you forced my mom to do that. You couldn't stand knowing Zeus had two children with my mom. Knowing he'd fallen for her twice. I was the price you demanded for leaving the rest of my family alone."
"It was the right choice for you as well, Jason." Hera insists. "The second time your mother managed to snare Zeus's affections, it was becase she imagined him in a different aspect. The aspect of Jupiter. Never before had this happened, two children, Greek and Roman, born into the same family. You had to be separated from Thalia. This is where all demigods of your kind start their journey."
"Of his kind?" Piper asks.
"She means Roman." Jason says. "Demigods are left here. We meed the she-wolf goddess, Lupa, the same immprtal wolf that rasied Romulus and Remus."
That uneasy feeling builds in my stomach. This is Roman land. I'm Greek. Very much Greek. That's why I feel so unwelcome.
Hera nods. "And if you are strong enough, you live."
"But..." Leo looks mystified. "What happened after that? I mean, Jason never made it to camp."
"Not to Camp Half-Blood, no." Hera agrees.
"You went somewhere else." I say. "That's where you were all these years. Somewhere else, for Roman demigods. But, where?"
Jason turns back to the goddess. "The memories are coming back, but not the location. You're not going to tell me, are you?"
"No." Hera shakes her head. "That is part of your destiny, Jason. You must find your own way back. But when you do... you will unite two great powers. You will give us hope against the giants, and more importantly, against Gaea herself."
"You want us to help you." Jaosn says. "But you're holding back information."
"Giving you answers would make those answers invalid." Hera says. "That is the way of the Fates. You must forge your own path for it to mean anything. Already, you four have surprised me. I would not have thought it possible..." She shakes her head. "Suffice it to say, you have performed well, demigods. But this is only the beginning. Now, you must return to Camp Half-Blood, where you will begin planning for the next phase."
"Which you won't tell us about." I grumble.
"And I suppose you destroyed my nice storm-spirit horse, so we'll have to walk home?" Jason asks.
"Hera waves aside the question. "Storm spirits are creatures of chaos. I did not destroy that one, though I have no idea where he went, or whether you'll see him again. Oh!" She waves her hand, and a wolf comes running out of the shadows. "This one has attached himself to you, Theodora."
My friends jump back, but the wolf lumbers over and sits next to me, as if awaiting a command. No way.
"There is an easier way for you to get home." Hera continues. "As you have done me a great service, so I can help you." She looks at me, inspecting me. "You showed promise today, Theodora. But that power you held today was mine. You will not be able to use it again. You must learn to harness your own power before you will be able to fulfill your destiny."
"How?" I ask. "I get dizzy from summoning a bolt of lightning."
"If you are to fight like a god, you must fuel like a god." She shrugs. "Now, Farewell, demigods. For now."
The world turns upside down, and I almost black out.
