The Veiled Legacy | PJO - Book Two

eighteen

CELEBRATION

The feast of Fortuna had nothing to do with tuna, which was fine with Ariana. Campers, Amazons and Lares crowded the mess hall for a lavish dinner.

Even the fauns were invited, since they'd helped out by bandaging the wounded after the battle.

Wind nymphs zipped around the room, delivering orders of pizza, burgers, steaks, salads, Chinese food and burritos, all flying at terminal velocity.

Despite the exhausting battle, everyone was in good spirits. Casualties had been light, and the few campers who'd previously died and come back to life, like Gwen, hadn't been taken to the Underworld.

Maybe Thanatos had turned a blind eye. Or maybe Hades had given those folks a pass, like he had for Hazel.

Or perhaps, the underworld god was too scared of his teenage daughter with anger issues to even think twice of claiming innocent souls.

Whatever the case, nobody complained. Colourful 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.

Ariana changed seats so many times she lost track of her dinner. There was a lot of flirting and arm-wrestling - which seemed to be the same thing for the Amazons.

At one point Ariana was cornered by Kinzie, the Amazon. They exchanged phone numbers, though Ariana wasn't sure she wanted to be anything other then friends.

Kinzie old her what had happened after they'd left Seattle - how Hylla had defeated her challenger Otrera in two consecutive duels to the death, so that the Amazons were now calling their queen Hylla Twice-Kill.

"Otrera stayed dead the second time." Kinzie said, batting her eyes. "We have you to thank for that."

She politely thanked her and changed seats.

Once everyone had eaten and the plates stopped flying, Reyna made a short speech. She formally welcomed the Amazons, thanking them for their help. Then she hugged her sister and everybody applauded.

Reyna raised her hands for quiet. "My sister and I havent always seen eye to eye -"

Hylla laughed. "That's an understatement."

"She joined the Amazons," Reyna continued. "I joined Camp Jupiter. But, looking around this room, I think we both made good choices. strangely, our destinies were made possible by the hero you all just raised to praetor on the battlefield - Ariana Parker and her partner in crime Percy Jackson."

More cheering. The sisters raised their glasses to Ariana and beckoned her forward.

Everybody asked for a speech, but Ariana didn't know what to say. She protested that she really wasn't the best person for praetor, but the campers drowned her out with applause.

Reyna took away her probatio neck plate. Octavian shot her a dirty look, then turned to the crowd and smiled like this was all his idea. He ripped open a teddy bear and pronounced good omens for the coming year - Fortuna would bless them!

He passed his hand over Ariana's arm and shouted: "Ariana Parker, daughter of Pluto and Proscenia , first year of service!"

The Roman symbols burned onto Ariana's arm: a skull and a pomegranate, SPQR and a single stripe. It felt like someone was pressing a hot iron into his skin, but Ariana managed not to scream.