Invisible ― Jason Grace

i. reunions galore

THE ROMAN CAMPERS assembled in the forum as the warship came to a hovering stop over the city—Camilla didn't really understand at first, but then she realized Terminus must have had a full-blown aneurysm at the sight of a Greek warship trying to land in his city. Honestly, it was a miracle the warship hadn't been blown out of the sky. 

The first to disembark was a blonde girl with wild curls and a stormy gaze. From the way Percy's breath caught as soon as he spotted her, Camilla realized who it was in an instant. Annabeth Chase. Percy's girlfriend. 

The Romans parted for the blonde as she walked through the forum. Some were tense, some nervous. Camilla herself was practically bouncing on her feet, her gaze darting from the blonde to the ladder of the warship, waiting for the blond she was looking for. 

The crowd of demigods parted as Reyna stepped forward. She and the blonde considered each other, the two leaders of the two camps meeting for the first time. Even from a distance, Camilla could see the similarities between the two girls (not physical, of course—they couldn't look any more different on that front). Both girls held themselves with confidence and a sense of pride, their chins raised and their gazes sharp and calculating. There was something about them both that warned against underestimating them. 

Then Camilla's eyes found him. 

He looked a bit different from how she remembered him. Taller, somehow—he'd already been tall when he disappeared. His blond hair was cut the same, though, falling against his forehead in a deliberately messy style. 

The sky blue eyes she remembered so well met hers, and she felt like she was dreaming. 

For a split second, fear tugged at Camilla's heart. What if he'd changed completely in the last eight months? What if he never fully remembered her? What if he'd found better best friends and was glad to have gotten away from her?

That fear was expelled the moment he smiled at her—the faintest hint of a smile, barely enough to qualify, but it was enough. In front of a crowd of scrutinizing Romans watching his every move, it was more than enough.

Reyna straightened. "Jason Grace, my former colleague," she said. "I welcome you home. And these, your friends—" 

The blonde girl surged forward, and Percy ran for her in the same moment, practically stumbling over his own feet to reach her. The crowd tensed, reaching for weapons that weren't there.

Percy and the girl fell into each other like two pieces of a puzzle finally coming together. Beside Camilla, Hazel fanned herself, flushing in embarrassment, and Camilla stifled a laugh. 

Definitely Annabeth.

"Gods, I never thought—" Percy started to say, only to be judo-flipped over his girlfriend's shoulder. 

Frank winced in sympathy as Percy slammed hard into the pavement. 

"Oh," Camilla whispered, blinking in surprise. 

Romans cried out. Some surged forward, but Reyna shouted, "Hold! Stand down!"

Camilla felt like she was intruding as Annabeth planted a knee on Percy's chest. She pushed her forearm against his throat. "If you ever leave me again," she said, "I swear to all the gods—" 

Percy laughed. "Consider me warned," he said. "I missed you, too." 

Annabeth rose and helped Percy to his feet. 

Jason cleared his throat. "So, yeah... It's good to be back." 

Camilla stayed back as he introduced Reyna to the Greeks he'd brought with him. There was Piper, one of the prettiest girls Camilla had ever seen (and a daughter of Venus—no, Aphrodite—which made a lot of sense), and the boy who looked like Hazel's old boyfriend from the forties, Leo. He flashed a peace sign at the Romans like they were old pals, which just made Hazel look even more distraught, as if that was something Sammy would have done.