𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐇 [Jason Grace]

74

𝐉𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐚 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐬.

Leo's new mechanical hoist system had lowered the statue onto the hillside with surprising ease. Now the forty-foot-tall goddess gazed serenely over the River Acheron, her gold dress like molten metal in the sun.

"Incredible," Reyna admitted.

She was still red-eyed from crying. Soon after she'd landed on the Argo II, her pegasus Scipio had collapsed, overwhelmed by poisoned claw marks from a gryphon attack the night before. Reyna had put the horse out of his misery with her golden knife, turning the pegasus into dust that scattered in the sweet-smelling Greek air. Jason had seen the bond between the two, he had seen Reyna before Scipio and after. She had already given up too much in her life, it wasn't fair for Scipio to die.

Jason was tired of his friends dying and him being helpless to stop it.

The praetor circled the Athena Parthenos warily. "It looks newly made."

"Yeah," Leo said. "We brushed off the cobwebs, used a little Windex. It wasn't hard."

The Argo II hovered just overhead. With Festus keeping watch for threats on the radar, the entire crew had decided to eat lunch on the hillside while they discussed what to do. After the last few weeks, Jason figured they'd earned a good meal together—really anything that wasn't fire water or drakon meat soup.

"Hey, Reyna," Dante called. "Have some food. Join us."

The praetor glanced over, her dark eyebrows furrowed, as if join us didn't quite compute. Without her armor, she looked younger, softer. Jason wished she could always be like that. Free of worry. After Tartarus and whatever Damasen had given him for the basilisk venom, Jason had most of his memory back. There were a few things he couldn't remember quite right, but having most of his life back in his own hands felt like a breath of fresh air.

"All right," Reyna said finally.

They scooted over to make room for her in the circle. She sat cross-legged next to Jason, picked up a cheese sandwich, and nibbled at the edge.

"So," Reyna said. "Frank Zhang... praetor."

Frank shifted, wiping crumbs from his chin. "Well, yeah. Field promotion."

"To lead a different legion," Reyna noted. "A legion of ghosts."

Hazel put her arm protectively through Frank's. After an hour in sick bay, they both looked a lot better; but Jason could tell they weren't sure what to think about Reyna dropping in for lunch. He still had trouble looking at her and seeing who she was to these newer campers— their boss. To him, she would always just be Reyna. Simply the ruthless legionnaire and friend he had grown up with.

"Reyna," Percy said, "you should've seen him."

"He was amazing," Piper agreed.

Then there was Piper. In Tartarus, Jason had joked to himself about telling her his feelings for Dante. Well, technically even he didn't know what his feelings were. Just that they were present. And very, very intense.

But now that Piper was in front of him and both his worlds were colliding, the time he spent at Camp Half-Blood and his life at Camp Jupiter, Jason didn't know what to think.

"Frank is a leader," Hazel insisted. "He makes a great praetor."

Reyna's eyes stayed on Frank. "I believe you," she said. "I approve."