You'll Learn to Love Me

Chapter 45: The Nine Niches

The couple had a blanket spread out under a willow tree next to a pond. When Laylana sauntered up, the two met her gaze as she grimaced. 

"Sorry to interrupt. But I might've killed Gleeson if I stayed on the ship any longer. Besides, you promised you'd braid my hair again." 

Piper giggled. "Understandable. No worries. Come, sit!" 

Laylana took a seat next to Piper, her back to her. Piper turned over her cornucopia and spilled out an entire meal—neatly wrapped sandwiches, canned drinks, fresh fruit, and (for some reason) a birthday cake with purple icing and candles already lit. She frowned. "Is it someone's birthday?"

Jason winced. "I wasn't going to say anything."

"Jason!"

"Are you kidding me?" Laylana gaped at him as she handed Piper some hair ties, wincing at the girl pulled on her hair a bit. "You guys throw a massive party for my 17th, and you don't even tell us about yours?" 

"There's too much going on," he said. "And honestly...before last month, I didn't even know when my birthday was. Thalia told me the last time she was at camp."

Laylana paused as she realized that. Jason had been given to Lupa at the age of two. No wonder he didn't really know his birthday until then. He had only reunited with his sister back in December. Laylana's mind wandered as she thought about Thalia and her hunters. She hadn't seen them in months, but part of her did not want to know what Thalia's reaction was going to be to her dating. Even if she encouraged Laylana to do so in the first place.

"July First," Piper said, tying the newly done french braid in Laylana's hair before moving onto the next one. "The Kalends of July."

"Yeah." Jason smirked. "The Romans would find that auspicious—the first day of the month named for Julius Caesar. Juno's sacred day. Yippee."

"Seventeen?" Piper asked.

He nodded. "Oh, boy. Almost the legal drinking age here in Europe." 

Piper and Laylana laughed. Jason had killed so many monsters and saved the world so many times that the idea of him getting drunk in Europe. Laylana tried to imagine what they would be like while intoxicated: she imagined Piper would be a giggly drunk, Laylana would probably be an emotional drunk or the one who decides to go cliff diving while drinking. Jason would probably end up passed out after one beer or glass of wine. He just seemed like a light-weight in her eyes.

"Well?" Laylana urged. "Blow out the candles asshole."

Jason did as he glared at her for the insult. It went quiet after that for a bit. Since they'd left the Pillars of Hercules yesterday evening, Jason had seemed distracted. Hercules had apparently been a pretty huge disappointment as a big brother, and the old river god Achelous had said some unflattering things about the sons of Jupiter. Piper stared at the cornucopia mindlessly as Laylana grabbed a sandwich and ate it.

Jason plucked an extinguished candle from his cake. "I've been thinking."

"About?" Piper asked.

"Camp Jupiter," he said. "All the years I trained there. We were always pushing teamwork, working as a unit. I thought I understood what that meant. But honestly? I was always the leader. Even when I was younger—"

"The son of Jupiter," Piper said. "Most powerful kid in the legion. You were the star."

Jason looked uncomfortable, but he didn't deny it. "Being in this crew of eight...I'm not sure what to do. I'm not used to being one of so many, well, equals. I feel like I'm failing."

Piper took his hand. "You're not failing."

"It sure felt that way when Chrysaor attacked," Jason said. "I've spent most of this trip knocked out and helpless."