AFTER THE PIRATE INVASION, they decided to fly the rest of the way to Rome. Jason insisted on taking sentry duty, along with Coach Hedge, who was still so charged up on adrenaline that every time the ship hit turbulence, he swung his bat and yelled, "Die!"
He was unlike any faun Camilla had ever met, and she hadn't yet figured out if that was a good thing or not.
Camilla got a few more hours of sleep, which were blissfully uneventful in terms of nightmares. After Gaea's dream-visit, Camilla was content to sleep without dreams for the time being, though she doubted it would last very long. Demigods always had freaky dreams.
She woke up early in the morning, when the sky was still fairly dark. She got ready for the day, slipping on one of her old Camp Jupiter shirts, worn enough that it was soft and just a little stretched at the collar. She even took the time to French braid her hair into pigtails, keeping it out of her face for the day ahead. They had to be nearly to Rome now—they'd be landing any time now.
And only the Fates knew what they'd be facing in the ancient city.
Camilla stopped by the mess hall and got two mugs of hot chocolate before making her way up to the deck. Jason was standing at the front of the ship. It was still pretty dark, but Camilla could see light at the horizon, and she knew the sun would be rising any moment now.
Jason's lips tilted up when he spotted her, and his smile grew as she handed him a mug. "Thanks, Millie," he said, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her against his side. Camilla was more than happy to lean into his warmth.
She looked out at the landmass ahead of them. She couldn't make out much of the city itself in the darkness, but she knew it had to be their destination—Rome, Italy.
"We should be landing within the half-hour, according to Leo," Jason told her, taking a sip of the hot chocolate. Somehow, his smile grows wider. "Cinnamon?"
Camilla nodded. "It's not Bombilo's, but—"
"It's better," Jason decided.
Camilla doubted that was true, but she took the compliment anyway.
"I never thought I'd actually see this place," Camilla confessed quietly, watching Rome grow closer with every passing minute. "Everyone always talks about how deadly it is here—I never thought I'd have a reason to come."
"Me neither," Jason said. "It's crazy to think that this is where our line of demigods came from. It feels kind of... full-circle, I guess."
Camilla cracked a small smile, but it didn't last. "I just wish we were here for a better reason."
"Yeah," Jason whispered. "So do I."
They watched the sunrise together, in a single moment of peace Camilla wished could last forever.
Eventually, they woke the others, and the whole crew marveled at the sight of Rome as they descended toward it.
"We're setting down in that park," Leo announced, pointing to a wide green space dotted with palm trees. "Let's hope the Mist makes us look like a large pigeon or something."
No cars veered off the road and no Romans pointed at the sky screaming, "Aliens!" The Argo II set down in the grassy field and the oars retracted.
The noise of traffic was all around them, but the park itself was peaceful and deserted. To their left, a green lawn sloped toward a line of woods. An old villa nestled in the shade of some weird-looking pine trees with thin curvy trunks that shot up thirty or forty feet, then sprouted into puffy canopies.
To their right, snaking along the top of a hill, was a long brick wall with notches at the top for archers—maybe a medieval defensive line, maybe Ancient Roman. To the north, about a mile away, the top of the Colosseum rose above the rooftops, looking just like it did in travel photos.
Jason pointed to the base of the archers' wall, where steps led down into some kind of tunnel.
"I think I know where we are," he said. "That's the Tomb of the Scipios."
Percy frowned. "Scipio... Reyna's pegasus?"
"No," Annabeth put in. "They were a noble Roman family, and... wow, this place is amazing."
Jason nodded. "I've studied maps of Rome before. I've always wanted to come here, but..."
Nobody bothered to finish that sentence. The rest of the crew looked as much in awe as Camilla was. They'd made it. They'd landed in Rome—the Rome.
"Plans?" Hazel asked. "Nico has until sunset—at best. And this entire city is supposedly getting destroyed today."
"You're right," Percy said. "Annabeth... did you zero in on that spot from your bronze map?"
"Yes," Annabeth said. "It's on the Tiber River. I think I can find it, but I should—"
"Take me along," Percy finished. "Yeah, you're right."
Annabeth glared daggers at him. "That's not—"
"Safe," he supplied. "One demigod walking through Rome alone. I'll go with you as far as the Tiber. We can use that letter of introduction, hopefully meet the river god Tiberinus. Maybe he can give you some help or advice. Then you can go alone from there."
The pair had a silent staring contest, but Percy refused to back down.
"Fine," Annabeth muttered after a moment. "Hazel, now that we're in Rome, do you think you can pinpoint Nico's location?"
Hazel blinked, as if coming out of a trance from watching the Percy/Annabeth Show. Camilla knew the feeling. "Um... hopefully, if I get close enough. I'll have to walk around the city. Frank, would you come with me?"
Frank beamed. "Absolutely."
"And, uh... Leo," Hazel added. "It might be a good idea if you came along too. The fish-centaurs said we'd need your help with something mechanical."
"Yeah," Leo said, "no problem."
Frank grimaced, and Camilla shot him an apologetic smile.
Piper drew her knife and set it on the rail. "Camilla, Jason, and I can watch the ship for now. I'll see what Katoptris can show me."
"Hazel, if you guys figure out where Nico is, don't go in alone," Camilla said. "Come back and get us. It'll take all of us to fight the giants."
She didn't say the obvious: even all of them together wouldn't be enough, not without a god.
"Good idea," Percy said. "How about we plan to meet back here at... what?"
"Three this afternoon?" Jason suggested. "That's probably the latest we could rendezvous and still hope to fight the giants and save Nico. If something happens to change the plan, try to send an Iris-message."
Everyone nodded in agreement, but Camilla couldn't help but look at Annabeth. Another thing no one wanted to say: Annabeth would be on a different schedule. She might be back at three, or much later, or never. But she would be on her own, searching for the Athena Parthenos.
Coach Hedge grunted. "That'll give me time to eat the coconuts—I mean, dig the coconuts out of our hull. Percy, Annabeth... I don't like you two going off on your own. Just remember: behave. If I hear about any funny business, I will ground you until the Styx freezes over."
Percy smiled, clearly amused. "We'll be back soon," he promised. He looked around at the rest of the crew, and Camilla prayed to any god that was listening that this wouldn't be the last time the crew was together. "Good luck, everyone."
Leo lowered the gangplank, and Percy and Annabeth were first off the ship.
◈
As she waited for her brother and closest friends to return from their individual deadly quests, the last thing Camilla was expecting was a surprise first date.
But it was certainly a pleasant surprise.
Coach Hedge seemed reluctant to let another couple—even one that had only been together for a few days—go off alone, but Piper shoved her newly-acquired cornucopia and a rolled-up picnic blanket against Jason's chest and requested that Hedge teach her some kickboxing techniques, which made the half-goat practically forget Camilla and Jason existed.
Jason quickly pulled Camilla down the gangplank before Hedge got a chance to remember.
"I'm guessing you and Piper planned this?" Camilla asked, following him to a grassy spot in the park.
Jason grinned at her, his sky-colored eyes glistening in the sunshine. "I had to promise to do her chores for two weeks, but it's worth it." He handed her the cornucopia as he moved to spread the blanket out on the grass. "I had to do something special for our first date."
Camilla's face warmed, and it had nothing to do with the summer air.
Camilla had never put much thought into what her ideal date would be like—mostly because she'd never actually been in a real relationship before. There had been a sniffly boy in fourth grade, but that was the extent of her relationship experience, and the only date they went on was to see one of the Shrek movies in theaters.
Now that she was here, a picnic under a willow tree in Rome, Italy, was a pretty cool first date.
They settled down on the picnic blanket, and Piper's cornucopia spilled out an entire meal—neatly wrapped sandwiches, canned drinks, fresh fruit, and (for some reason) a birthday cake with purple icing and candles already lit.
Camilla frowned, confused. "Is it someone's birthday?"
Jason winced. "I wasn't going to say anything."
"Jason!"
"There's too much going on," he said. "And I mean, I didn't even know when my birthday was before last month. My sister Thalia told me the last time I saw her."
Camilla knew Jason's childhood hadn't been great—he'd been given to Lupa when he was only two, raised by wolves and soldiers in the legion before he could even hold a sword. He'd never had an actual birthday, which Camilla had thought was horrible, so ever since they'd become friends, she'd insisted on forcing him to celebrate her birthday like it was his, too.
"July first," she said. "The Kalends of July."
"Yeah." Jason smirked. "The old Romans would find that auspicious—the first day of the month named for Julius Caesar. Juno's sacred day. Yippee."
Camilla didn't want to push it, or make a celebration if he didn't feel like celebrating.
"Seventeen, right?" she asked.
He nodded. "Oh, boy. I'm a year away from being able to actually do anything interesting."
Camilla laughed. "Well? Blow out the candles."
Jason did. She wondered if he'd made a wish—hopefully that he and Camilla would survive the quest and live happily ever after. Or, at least, the realistic demigod equivalent of happily ever after was.
Jason plucked an extinguished candle from his cake. "Do you remember when we tried to make a confetti cake last year?"
Camilla winced. "I'm pretty sure I had cake batter in my hair for three days."
He smiled, no doubt remembering the disastrous baking incident that had gotten them officially banned from the kitchens at Camp Jupiter.
"I've been thinking," Jason said.
"About?"
"Camp Jupiter," he said. "All the years I trained there. It was always about teamwork, working as a unit. I thought I understood what that meant. But honestly? I was always the leader. Even when I was younger..."
"You were the star," Camilla said gently.
Jason looked uncomfortable, but he didn't deny it. "Being in this crew of eight... I'm not sure what to do. I'm not used to being one of so many, well, equals. I feel like I'm failing."
Camilla took his hand. "You're not failing, Jason."
"It sure felt that way when Chrysaor attacked," Jason said. "I've spent most of this trip knocked out and helpless."
"Don't be so hard on yourself," Camilla told him. "There's a reason there's eight of us. We all have our own strengths. Together, we'll figure it out."
Jason studied her. Camilla couldn't tell if he bought what she was saying, but she was glad he could confide in her. She might have struggled with her own self-doubt, but she'd be damned if she let someone else wallow in theirs.
He leaned over and kissed her. The colors of the Roman afternoon suddenly seemed sharper, as if the world had switched to high definition.
"I'm lucky to have you," Jason whispered as they pulled away.
Camilla giggled, unable to hide her blush. "Shut up."
He kissed her again, this time on her cheek. "It's true."
She pushed his face away lightly, her face burning in the summer air. "Fine," she said. "Now, about that cake—"
Her voice faltered. Percy was running toward them, and Camilla could tell from his expression that he brought bad news.
◈
They gathered on deck with Piper and Coach Hedge. When Percy was done, Camilla still couldn't believe it.
"So Annabeth was kidnapped on a motor scooter," Piper summed up, "by Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn."
"Not kidnapped, exactly," Percy said. "But I've got this bad feeling." He took a deep breath, and Camilla got the feeling he was trying hard not to freak out. "Anyway, she's—she's gone. Maybe I shouldn't have let her, but—"
"You had to," Piper said. "You knew she had to go alone. Besides, Annabeth is tough and smart. She'll be fine."
Percy's shoulders relaxed a little. "Maybe you're right. Anyway, Gregory—I mean Tiberinus—said we had less time to rescue Nico than we thought. Hazel and the guys back yet?"
Camilla glanced at the time on the helm control. "It's two in the afternoon. We said three o'clock for a rendezvous."
"At the latest," Jason said.
Percy pointed at Piper's dagger. "Tiberinus said you could find Nico's location... you know, with that."
Piper bit her lip. "I've tried," she said. "The dagger doesn't always show what I want to see. In fact, it hardly ever does."
"Please," Percy said. "Try again."
Piper didn't stand a chance against Percy's seal-pup eyes. "Fine," she sighed, and drew her dagger.
"While you're at it," said Coach Hedge, "see if you can get the latest baseball scores. Italians don't cover baseball worth beans."
"Shh." Piper studied the bronze blade. The light shimmered. Camilla saw a loft apartment with Roman demigods. A dozen of them stood around a dining table as Octavian talked and pointed to a big map. Reyna paced next to the windows, gazing down at Central Park.
"That's not good," Jason muttered. "They've already set up a forward base in Manhattan."
"And that map shows Long Island," Percy said.
"They're scouting the territory," Jason guessed. "Discussing invasion routes."
Light rippled across the blade again. Camilla saw ruins—a few crumbling walls, a single column, a stone floor covered with moss and dead vines—all clustered on a grassy hillside dotted with pine trees.
"I was just there," Percy said. "That's in the old Forum."
The view zoomed in. On one side of the stone floor, a set of stairs had been excavated, leading down to a modern iron gate with a padlock. The blade's image zoomed straight through the doorway, down a spiral stairwell, and into a dark, cylindrical chamber like the inside of a grain silo.
Piper dropped the blade.
"What's wrong?" Camilla asked. "It was showing us something."
"We can't go there," Piper said shakily.
Percy frowned. "Piper, Nico is dying. We've got to find him. Not to mention, Rome is about to get destroyed."
It took Piper a moment, but she picked the knife back up.
Camilla saw two giants in gladiator armor sitting on oversized praetors' chairs. The giants toasted each other with golden goblets as if they'd just won an important fight. Between them stood a large bronze jar.
The vision zoomed in again. Inside the jar, Nico di Angelo was curled in a ball, no longer moving, all the pomegranate seeds eaten.
"We're too late," Jason said.
"No," Camilla said. "We can't be."
"Maybe he's gone into a deeper trance to buy time," Percy suggested. "We have to hurry."
The blade's surface went dark. Piper slipped it back into its sheath.
"We should wait for the others," she said. "Hazel, Frank, and Leo should be back soon."
"We can't wait," Percy insisted.
Coach Hedge grunted. "It's just two giants. If you guys want, I can take them."
"Uh, Coach," Jason said, "that's a great offer, but we need you to make the ship—or goat the ship. Whatever."
Hedge scowled. "And let you four have all the fun?"
Percy gripped the satyr's arm. "Hazel and the others need you here. When they get back, they'll need your leadership. You're their rock."
"Yeah." Somehow, Jason managed to keep a straight face. "Leo always says you're his rock. You can tell them where we've gone and bring the ship around to meet us at the Forum."
"And here." Piper unstrapped her dagger and put it in Coach Hedge's hands. "Keep an eye on us with the blade. And you can check the baseball scores."
That sealed the deal. Hedge nodded grimly, prepared to do his part for the quest.
"All right," he said. "But if any giants come this way—"
"Feel free to blast them," Jason said.
"What about annoying tourists?"
"No," they all said in unison."
"Bah. Fine. Just don't take too long, or I'm coming after you with ballista blazing."
◈