The Forbidden Child

Chapter 28: A Roman Rest Stop Story

Piper POV

"Pipes! Wake up!"

Piper grumbled and slightly opened her eyes. Jason was in front of her, shaking her awake.

"Five more minutes..." Piper drifted off. But before she could fall back asleep, Jason kissed her forehead.

"We might have a lead on one of the missing campers."

That woke her up, well the kiss did but both made Piper very awake. She got up and stretched. Her night in the Fifth cohort bunks were comfortable.

"We got word that a girl that looks a lot like Esther was found wandering in the streets. Her camp shirt was in tatters and she looked like she was on the run. She was last spotted in Los Angeles talking to herself." Jason continued. "We're leaving in an hour, and I brought you breakfast." He hand Piper a banana, blueberry muffin, and a cup of coffee.

Piper smiled. "Thanks, I'll get ready."

*****

Piper met up with the others at the stables. Everyone was excited that there was a chance of rescuing Esther.

"Hey guys I'll be right back. I'm going to update Annabeth," Percy jogged away and came back five minutes later. They were ready to leave.

Jason summoned Tempest and got on top. He offered Piper his hand. She sat behind him, ready to fight any monsters in the way.

Leo and Percy got on top of their pegasus.

"Frank and I will be awaiting your return. Be safe, friends." Reyna wished them well.

Frank, Reyna, and Hazel waved goodbye and the winged horses took off.

Within a few minutes, they were in the sky on their way to LA. Jason said it might take a few hours to get there. Tempest took the lead with the others behind.

"Did whoever told you about Esther's location tell you about any possible threats?" Piper asked.

"No, she was by herself. The people who found her were old campers. They still serve the legion. Fortunately, they didn't sense any threats. They are with her right now." He responded.

Piper enjoyed riding with Jason and took time to take in the view. Soon, they started seeing familiar landmarks.

We're here already? Piper thought. When you have ADHD, time is a messy concept.

"I see the Hollywood sign!" Leo shouted.

"That's where we'll be meeting them!" Jason shouted back. "There's a secret base for the Romans. Almost like a rest stop."

Tempest made way for the white letters and within a minute, they landed behind the famous sign.

"Wow, it isn't as impressive when you're up close," Percy commented.

"Thanks for coming on such short notice," said a tall, lean man. "My name is Heath. And this is Rod." He pointed to an equally tall man that stood a few feet behind him. Rod waved.

Jason went forward and shook their hands. "It's nice to see you guys again. These are my friends Leo and Percy. This is my girlfriend, Piper." They all exchanged pleasantries.

"I don't want to ruin the mood here but where is Esther?" Piper asked, bringing everyone's attention to the matter at hand.

"Ah, yes. The missing camper," Heath said, leading the group towards a hill. "Let me begin explaining where we are first. The legionnaire has several spots along the west coast as a rendezvous point. They are well hidden and only camp members can find them. Esther somehow stumbled into our L.A. location. We saw her probatio plate and knew she was from Camp Jupiter."

Rod, who stood behind the group, said, "But when we found her, she was in a state of chaos. She was obviously traumatized and looked like she had been starved. We gave her some unicorn horn medicine and seems to be responding well. She just needs a few days rest."

In front of the group, materialized an arch. It wasn't there before but when they all passed under it, it was another world.

"Back in the past, the Romans had rest stops for leisurely travel. They offered chariot repairs, food, and rest. But lucky for us, technology has advanced and we can offer more for our fellow Romans." Heath said, leading the way.

"Wow," Piper whispered.

Wow wasn't enough to describe what lay in front of them. Passing that arch was probably like when Harry Potter went through that brick wall. What lay in front of them looked like a plaza. Restaurants and convenience stores were on the right and to the left were stables and banks. The middle road was full of people walking and browsing.

Percy suddenly ran into a bakery and a couple minutes later he came out with the biggest grin. He held up a blue cookie and wriggled his eyebrows.

"Sorry guys, I had to." He said with crumbs jumping out his mouth.

"It's okay, no one can resist Roman baked goods. Follow us, Esther is at the clinic," Rod said.

They walked for a few more minutes and entered a small clinic. The receptionist was a lare, who simply nodded at all the campers. They passed the front desk and entered what seemed to be a common room but for the patients. There were beds along the walls and tables in the middle. The group continued to walk, a few patients glancing their way but not giving them trouble. They reached the end of the room and opened a door that led to a hallway.

Heath turned towards them and said, "This is where intensive care patients are kept. Esther's room is the second on the left. Rod and I will be waiting out here."

"Thank you so much," Percy said and shook their hands. Everyone else followed and watched their new friends walk back out the door.

"Well, let's go see if we can help Esther out," Leo pushed himself in front and opened the door.

"GET OUT. LEAVE ME ALONE. I WON'T LET YOU HURT ME."