Hearts Crossed - Kayla Knowles (2)

Colton III (SON)

Chapter Title: Call Me A Ninja Because I Hide My Secrets Well

I'll be completely honest with you, my mind was filled with thoughts about why exactly Reyna would want to meet with both me and Percy alone, without Luke and Michael with us. It just seemed.. odd honestly. Very, very odd indeed.

Either way, I honestly wish I had my swords or my guns when Reyna walked into the principia, causing me and Percy to stop arguing over something — I forgot exactly what we were arguing about to be honest.

She stormed into the principia with her purple cloak billowing, and her greyhounds at her feet. Percy had been sitting in one of the praetor chairs that he'd pulled to the visitor's side, which maybe wasn't the proper thing to do. I was standing at the corner, leaning up against the wall. Percy started to get up.

"Stay seated," Reyna growled. "You two leave after lunch. We have a lot to discuss."

Yikes, I thought to myself. Hate to be the poor fuck that causes her to go over the edge while like this.

She plunked down her dagger so hard, the jelly-bean bowl rattled. Aurum and Argentum took their posts on her left and right and fixed their ruby eyes on both of us.

"What'd I do wrong?" Percy asked. "If it's about the chair—"

"It's not you, dude.." I said. "Most likely it's something else.."

"You would be correct, Colton. For it is not Percy I am angry at.." Reyna replied. "I just hate senate meetings. When Octavian gets talking..."

I growled at the mention of that asshole. Oh, how I would love to turn that smug face of his into a bloody pulp.

Percy nodded. "You're a warrior. Octavian is a talker. Put him in front of the senate, and suddenly he becomes the powerful one."

He wasn't wrong, that was for sure.

Reyna narrowed her eyes. "You're smarter than you look — just like he does."

We may be rivals — yeah, but as Kayla and Camp Half Blood would tell you, we're both smart and dangerous in our own rights, when we're not either arguing with each other or I'm looking for a fight and Percy is just denying me one.

"Gee, thanks. I hear Octavian might get elected praetor, assuming the camp survives that long."

My stomach felt like it was about to make me puke with that part. May Tyche bless these kids' souls should things ever have to come to that around these parts.

"Which brings us to the subject of doomsday," Reyna said, "and how you — and your friends, especially Colton.." I was sure that Reyna had no clue about the secrets within me right now, and I planned to keep it that way until the time was right. But even so, she knew full well that I would be especially valuable with what was to come. "..might help prevent it. But before I place the fate of Camp Jupiter in both your hands, we need to get a few things straight."

She sat down and put a ring on the table—a band of silver etched with a sword-and-torch design, like Reyna's tattoo.

"Do you know what this is?"

Percy was struggling, but I was quicker.

"The sign of Bellona, the war goddess.. and your mother.." I told her. "Which reminds me, really do need to visit her temple before I leave for my quest."

"Bellona, yes." Reyna scrutinized Percy carefully. "You don't remember where you saw this ring before? You really don't remember me or my sister, Hylla?"

I was so confused right now.

Percy shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"It would've been four years ago."