Stay Right Here

xxvii

second is the best

🌊 🌊 🌊

The Feast of Fortuna was bursting with more joy than any other Hadley had experienced. 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 had 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 Pluto had given those folks a pass, like he had for Hazel. Whatever the case, nobody complained.

Colorful 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 reclining 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. Hadley hadn't even tried to sit in the ever-moving crowd.

Percy eventually found Hadley in the sea of celebrating demigods and pushed his way to her side. Her face lit up as she saw him approach and Percy did everything in his power to commit it to memory. She leaned casually against a wall, golden laurels shining in her hair. People would come up to her- sometimes four at a time- to congratulate and apologize to her. Everyone seemed to want Hadley to sit with them at their table like she was the popular girl in a high school movie. She would thank the groveling demigods, looking completely smug as she would turn away like they no longer existed afterward and they would shuffle away. She almost seemed to enjoy it more than the battle.

There was a lot of flirting and arm-wrestling- which seemed to be the same thing to the Amazons. At one point Hadley and Percy were cornered by Kinzie, the Amazon she'd fought in Seattle. Hadley almost felt bad as she denied her offer to join the Amazons. Fortunately, Kinzie seemed to take it well. She told them what happened after they'd left Seattle- how Hylla had defeated her challenger 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. If you ever change your mind... well, you'd make a great Amazon. You could even bring the boy if you want."

"I'll keep that in mind," Hadley said and shot Percy a teasing smile as the Amazon walked away.

Percy raised an eyebrow. "You'll keep it in mind?" 

"Aw, come on." She nudged his side. "I think you'd look good in orange."

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 everyone applauded.

Reyna raised her hands for quiet. "My sister and I haven't 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- Percy Jackson."

More cheering. The sisters raised their glasses to Percy and beckoned him forward. He didn't get much choice as Hadley shoved his shoulders, still cheering and clapping as he glanced back at her.