Catch Fire || P. Jackson

𝟏.𝟎𝟒

The kids in the back rows craned their necks to see Percy. He raised his hand and said, "Hi."

"He's cute." Leaning forward, Austin whispered into Lea's ear.

The girl waved him off. "You say that about everyone."

Austin held his hands up in surrender. "It's not my fault everyone is so good-looking." Lea let out a gentle scoff.

"He seeks to join the Legion," Reyna continued. "What do the auguries say?"

"I have read the entrails!" Octavian announced as if he'd killed a lion with his bare hands rather than ripping up a stuffed panda pillow. "The auguries are favourable. He is qualified to serve!"

The campers gave a shout: "Ave!"

Frank was a little late with his "ave," so it came out as a high-pitched echo. The other legionnaires snickered.

Reyna motioned the senior officers forward. Lea moved in sync with Octavian, seeming like they were one. Octavian, as the Augur, turned to Percy. "Recruit," he asked, "do you have credentials? Letters of reference?"

Lea remembered standing where Percy was. She had clutched the air between her hands tightly. The shadow of Apollo's looming figure heavily outweighed any letter she could've brought. She forced the memory out of her mind.

Percy shifted. "Letters? Um, no."

Octavian wrinkled his nose. "No letters," Octavian said regretfully. "Will any legionnaires stand for him?"

"I will!" Frank stepped forward. "He saved my life!"

Immediately there were shouts of protest from the other cohorts. Reyna raised her hand for quiet and glared at Frank. "Frank Zhang," she said, "for the second time today, I remind you that you are on probatio. Your godly parent has not even claimed you yet. You're not eligible to stand for another camper until you've earned your first stripe."

Frank looked like he might die of embarrassment.

Anger cursed through Lea's veins. It was one thing to embarrass Frank in front of the smaller group that afternoon, but it was a vile thing to do in front of the whole Legion.

Hazel couldn't leave him hanging. She stepped out of line and said, "What Frank means is that Percy saved both our lives. I am a full member of the legion. I will stand for Percy Jackson."

Frank glanced at her gratefully, but the other campers started to mutter. Hazel was barely eligible. She'd only gotten her stripe a few weeks ago, and the "act of valour" that earned it for her had been mostly an accident. Besides, she was a daughter of Pluto and a member of the disgraced Fifth Cohort. She wasn't doing Percy much of a favour by giving him her support.

Reyna wrinkled her nose, but she turned to Octavian. The augur smiled and shrugged as if the idea amused him.

"I will stand for Percy Jackson." Lea took a step back from the group of Centurions so she was instead facing them.

She was not deaf to the rapid whispers that flew through the Cohorts. In her ten years of service, Lea had never stood for another. It was also rare for someone of a high rank to stand for a probatio. Normally, legionnaires stood as a way to gain ground and work through the ranks. She had stood for Frank in private in the Principia with Reyna because she knew no one else would if they knew who he was, but she had never stood in front of the legion for anyone.

There was an icy glare on her face, directed at her Praetor.

Reyna tilted her head in confusion. "What?"

"As a primary Medic and full Legion member in the position of Centurion Senator, I stand for Percy Jackson who carried the goddess Juno across our river and defended our legion from gorgons. I will stand for Percy Jackson."