RELÁMPAGO, leo valdez

II. the torture of her telepathy

0002. | THE TORTURE OF
HER TELEPATHY

          The Romans sure knew how to have a good time - that's for damn sure. Not a Hecate-cabin-at-3am good time, but still, a good time. The forum had been swarmed with couches and tables until it looked like an Ikea showroom. The Romans milled about in large groups, eating food and laying leisurely across the couches as if they had all the time in the world to enjoy life.

           Reyna and a few of her officers, which unfortunately included Octavian, had sat with them, as well as Percy and his two companions that were still staring at Nadia like she had a purple head. Seriously what is it with these people?

            She didn't get a chance to actually ask because instead, Reyna called a toast to friendship. Nadia raised her orange juice to that from where she sat between Leo and Percy. They all made introductions and when Leo said his name, that Hazel girl looked like she was seasick. Nadia wasn't sure what to think. Sure, she loved making friends and she was ready to do whatever she could to be peaceful and friendly but there was something off about that girl and it wasn't because she was eating shrimp gumbo.

           Jason led the story. He told the Romans all about their quest to save Hera, and how she was trapped in the Wolf House. Reyna had looked incredibly impressed when Jason explained how Nadia had slaughtered Enceladus singlehandedly, and that was enough to make Nadia forget how Hazel stared at Leo. She hoped that her bravery could've been a bridge to connect with Reyna. But Jason made sure to leave out the part with Nadia and Gaea's encounter. It wasn't exactly a fun story to share.

            Unfortunately, Octavian seemed stuck on the fact that Hera, or Juno as he called her, was imprisoned at the Wolf House; he argued, "Impossible! That's our most sacred place. If the giants had imprisoned a goddess there-,"

           "-They would've destroyed her," Piper cut him off with a bored expression. "And blamed it on the Greeks, and started a war between the camps. Now, be quiet, and let Jason finish." Octavian tried to speak but nothing came out as if he was being physically forced to be quiet. Sometimes Piper's charmspeak was just gods' work.

            Jason cleared his throat but continued. "So, that's how we found out about the earth goddess, Gaea. She's still very asleep after Nadia put that spell on her after she was possessed, but-,"

            "I'm sorry, what?"

            Oh gods. Jason had left out the part of the story where Gaea had possessed her because he knew mentioning it wasn't a nice memory for either of them. But now he had let the cat out of the bag and Reyna was looking at her like she'd grown three heads. For a second, Nadia wondered if she had - maybe it was a trick she could do to look like her mom.

             But it seemed Nadia didn't have three heads, instead Reyna was staring in disbelief at her for Jason's comment. "The earth goddess possessed you?"