ENTRAPPED ₂

44

DESPITE THEIR RELATIVE SUCCESS ON THE BATTLEFIELD AND THEIR COMPLETE SUCCESS ON THE QUEST, MADELEINE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE CELEBRATING. She never felt like celebrating when it wasn't on her own terms, though. She hated parties, though they were good for pickpocketing.

Obviously, the Romans didn't seem to care. The Feast of Fortuna commenced as promised. Campers, Amazons, and Lares crowded the mess hall for a lavish dinner. Even the fauns were invited, since they had helped by bandaging the wounded after the battle. Wind nymphs zipped around the room, delivering pizzas, burgers, steaks, salads, noodles, and burritos, all flying through the air much too fast for safety.

Despite the exhausting battle, everyone seemed to be in good spirits. Casualties had been light, and the few campers who had died during the fight had returned to life, like Gwen. Madeleine had a sharp suspicion that Thanatos had something to do with it. After her recent encounter with the god, this made her deeply angry, though she wasn't going to say anything about it now.

Colorful Amazon and Roman banners hung side-by-side from the rafters. The restored golden eagle stood proudly behind the praetor's table, and the walls were decorated with cornucopias―magical horns of plenty that spilled out recycling waterfalls of fruit, chocolate, and fresh-baked cookies.

The cohorts mingled freely with the Amazons, jumping from couch to couch as they pleased, and for once the soldiers of the Fifth were welcome everywhere. Madeleine was glad for this, but she wasn't much in the mood for socializing or celebrating. She was careworn and tired, and she had a lot of errands to run before tomorrow morning. Especially if the ship really was coming.

Still, she had a few visitors. The first was Dakota, who slapped her on the arm and gave her a roguish red grin. "I knew you could do it, Madeleine!"

"Save it," she told him, but her tone was light. She couldn't help being endeared by the boy, especially after her memories had returned. Castor and Pollux, Dionysus's twin boys. Madeleine couldn't believe she had forgotten them―especially Castor. They had saved each other so many times.

Gwen came and found Madeleine a little while later. They split a chocolate bar.

"I'm glad to see you're doing okay," Madeleine told her. She meant it.

Gwen smiled at her, but there was a small gleam in her eyes. "Ditto."

Kinzie, the Amazon, approached Madeleine's corner. She sat down and batted her eyelashes at the other girl, her dark hair making her eyes shine. "So, Otrera stayed dead the second time. I'm guessing that has something to do with you."

Madeleine shrugged. She was picking around at the food on her plate, not really eating. "I do what I can."

"Well," Kinzie said, "if you ever wanted to think about joining the Amazons... I'd be happy to help you get oriented." She winked.

It took Madeleine a moment. Not because she wasn't used to being hit on, but she wasn't used to being hit on by people from the godly side of things. Mortals, men and women, tried to grasp at her number all the time. But everyone that knew anything about Madeleine knew about Zoe and Ethan. Aside from those two, the only person that had ever managed to catch Madeleine's heart was a god. Nobody hit on her.

"Well," Madeleine said, choosing her words carefully. "That's very sweet of you, but I―" for some reason, her voice got caught in her throat. She hadn't really allowed herself to realize, but Kinzie looked exactly like Zoe. She had the same hard, dark eyes and the bronze skin. The same tight smile, like she wasn't really sure if she was allowed to like Madeleine, but she was doing it anyway. Her hair was shorter and choppier, but it was the same dark brown.