𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄° ! jason grace

𝐢𝐢. 𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐂𝐓𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐀𝐍

If there was anything Cress loved more than sword fighting, going to Sephora, and seeing her best friends, it was proving people wrong.

A tall guy with stringy blond hair elbowed his way forward in an entitled way that reminded Cress a little too much like her half-sister Drew.

Aphrodite kids were supposed to love everyone and believe love was for everyone, but Drew wasn't. Only a handful of Aphrodite children had charmspeak: Silena, Cress, and Drew. It was a rare and special ability that could be easily abused, and Drew was one of those people who misused the gift.

Cress was the leader of Cabin 10, and as long as she was at camp, no one like Drew would have a position of power.

"You're letting these intruders into the camp? Reyna, the security risks—"

"We're not taking them to the camp, Octavian." Reyna flashed him a stern look. "We'll eat here, in the forum."

"Oh, much better." Octavian grumbled. "You want us to relax in the shadow of their warship."

He seemed to be the only one who didn't defer to Reyna as his superior, which bothered Cress.

Reyna was so clearly the leader, the Annabeth of Camp Jupiter. And although Cress didn't like judging people based on their looks, Octavian was significantly lacking in muscle and pale and had three teddy bears hanging from his belt, so not exactly the epitome of leadership.

"These are our guests." Reyna clipped off every word. She started, humoring Octavian, but Cress stepped forward.

"I'm sorry, but may I?" She asked carefully, smiling reassuringly at Reyna. She could see how surprised the praetor was, but Reyna nodded and took a step back.

"Octavian, is it?" Cress turned toward the scrawny boy with a charming grin reserved for douchebags that deserved charmspeak. "With all due respect, it seems like your opinion isn't really wanted here. Does it seem like your opinion is wanted, Octavian?"

He said nothing. Noncoherent gurgles left his mouth as his eyes glazed over, as many did under the influence of charmspeak.

"That's what I thought." Cress answered sweetly, patting his shoulder. "Now, please, for the love of the gods, shut up and go away."

Percy cackled, butting in. "Good idea, Cress! Go burn your bears, Octavian."

Octavian nodded, still in a daze as he turned on his heel and left.

Cress glanced back at Reyna, who wasn't even trying to hide her smile.

"I've never seen such a powerful voice from a demigod." Reyna said, her words like applause.

The daughter of Aphrodite smiled genuinely this time at the compliment. "All thanks to my mother."

Reyna raised her eyebrows in approval.

Cress turned around to meet the eyes of Annabeth and Percy, but instead, she saw blue.

The blond boy she had seen looking at her earlier—most likely due to her grand entrance—was studying her again, like she was an open book. It made Cress feel slightly fidgety.

Jason, she remembered from the brief introductions earlier.

He stood tall with his sturdy, athletic build, his presence commanding, as if he demanded respect. He had stormy blue eyes that held an intensity to it that Cress couldn't quite place. His golden hair looked tousled by the mind, framing a chiseled face that was marked with scars of his past victories, as many demigods were.

He looked like a hero through and through, the main character of an ancient myth. He looked thoroughly Roman, with a confidence born from years of training and the weight of responsibility of being raised the way Romans were.