[si vis pacem, para bellum / if you want peace, prepare for war]

To say camp was taking the news badly was an understatement. As soon as Kaden, Kaya, and her troupe of Romans were escorted to the Big House by Chiron, there was instant bedlam in the arena. Whispers permeated the crowd, and Tessa received about half a dozen conspiratorial looks from people she hardly knew.

Because she was a part of this.

Because Kaden was her boyfriend, and he had just proved himself to be the outsider among people who worshipped the very ground he walked on.

It made her stomach sick.

Tessa, keeping her eyes on anything but the people watching her every move, maneuvered her way through the crowd. She needed to find her friends, to find the people who would help her make sense of what was unfolding around them.

"Tessa!" Reese's voice called out.

The daughter of Poseidon whirled around to find Reese dashing towards her, Dale and Sophia flanking him. They all wore identical visages of concern which clashed greatly with their party clothes.

"What is going on?" Reese panted, his blue eyes electric with exasperation. "I've heard, like, four different stories in the past twenty minutes."

Tessa took a breath, ignoring the small group of people that was beginning to eavesdrop on their conversation. "Kaden's Roman," She summarized. "And the members of his camp came to come get him."

"What?" Sophia asked, knitting her eyebrows together. "That doesn't make any sense. Since when is there a camp for Roman demigods, let alone Roman gods to begin with?"

And so Tessa enlightened her friends on what Kaden had explained to her, that when the Greek empire fell, the gods were adopted and altered by the Romans. As soon as the Roman Empire split, the outcome mirrored itself onto modern demigods: a camp in the east for Greeks, and a camp in the west for Romans. Kaden just so happened to be a westerner who had made his way east.

"Damn," Reese breathed. "That's...yeah, I don't even know what to say." He ran a hand through his blond hair, making it stick up in odd places.

"So, what, they're just going to take him back?" Dale asked, voicing the very fear that was slithering its way around Tessa's heart, ready to constrict.

Tessa cast a steely glance around the people who were watching her inconspicuously. She met her best friend's gaze full on. "Not if we have anything to say about it. Kaden might have been at this Camp Jupiter beforehand, but he's been here for the past five years. It should be up to him."

As Tessa spoke, she realized that she was trying to convince herself of that. The Romans worked differently than they did, after all. They had been an empire, and Greece had been a democracy. And if Kaya was the head of this obscure camp, who was to say that what she said went?

What if she's already taken him back? A small, fearful voice said in the back of Tessa's mind.

Her eyes widened, and before she could process what she was doing, she'd kicked off her heels and was shoving her way through the crowd. She felt like she was running out of time, and that with every moment spent contemplating the possibilities, she was wasting time that could be spent preventing them.

"Tessa, wait!" She heard Sophia yell from behind her, but Tessa kept moving. She emerged from the arena and bolted down the paths to the Big House. As always, it loomed on Half-Blood Hill like the pendant of their camp, but now as Tessa approached it, it was the crossroads for two warring empires.

She flew up the front steps of the blue farmhouse, and sprinted into the house. Surprisingly, she didn't have to go too far. The impromptu war council was set up in the living room, and Tessa made two realizations in the split second she'd burst into the room with.

1. Kaden and Kaya were still there.

2. She probably resembled a banshee with the haste and blaze in her eyes.

"Ah, Tessa," Chiron announced, although his voice sounded weary. "Kaya, may I introduce Tessa Brennan, daughter of Poseidon."

Kaya arched an eyebrow, watching Tessa with something that looked like a cross between amusement and disdain. "We've met," She said shortly to Chiron before standing, sweeping across the room with her cloak flicking at her heels. "Poseidon, you say? In my camp, Poseidon is Neptune, a god that we may fear but do not necessarily honor."

Tessa could feel the sting of the meaning behind her words, but thankfully, she didn't let it show. She only smiled a bit too sunnily, her turquoise eyes electric. "As long as you fear me as well, we're on the same page." And with that, she swept further into the room.

Tessa approached the central living room, where Kaden was hunched over in his armchair. His green eyes were filled with what looked to be fear and disappointment, and the latter broke through when he saw Tessa. "Tess, I—"

"So, what's the verdict?" She asked loudly, cutting Kaden off and looking to Kaya. "Are you claiming him as your territory and taking him back to wherever it is you come from?"

Kaya's face was neutral, but Tessa could see the fury that was beginning to rile up behind her dark eyes. Maybe that wasn't the smartest of decisions, but Tessa's fuse had been lit by that point.

"Who are you to barge in here uninvited and demand to know what we have been discussing?" She asked.

Tessa's eyes flashed maliciously. "I could ask you the same question. Now, I'm not going to ask you again. What are you doing here?"

Kaya blinked, no doubt trying to remain calm. "Kaden is a soldier of Rome, and because of that, I insist that he return to Camp Jupiter as soon as possible. He has been missing in action for nearly five years now, and as soon as I received word of his location, I came to be his escort."

Tessa turned to Kaden, who looked as if he was trying to melt into the fabric of the chair. "What do you have to say about this?"

Kaden met her gaze, and Tessa was almost taken aback by the severity within them. He looked to Kaya and stood. "Kaya, I know you. You stood for me when I was eight, homeless, alone. You showed me kindness when no one else did." He took a ragged breath. "While Rome was my first home, it just wasn't the style of life I wanted. I came to Camp Half-Blood to be with my sister, the true daughter of Aphrodite, not Venus, but when I found out that she had joined the Hunters, I stayed here. Then my memory of my life at Camp Jupiter was erased."

"What are you trying to say, Kaden?" Kaya asked calmly.

Kaden met the praetor's gaze forcefully, and if Tessa didn't know any better, she would have wondered if he had held a position of power in Rome had he stayed. He certainly had the diplomacy, the persuasion, the aura that radiated authority. It's why so many kids followed him here, and this wasn't even his home to begin with.

"I'm staying here," Kaden announced. "Camp Half-Blood has been my home longer than Camp Jupiter has been, and the life I've created for myself is one I can't leave behind." He met Tessa's gaze, and for a split second, she returned his smile.

However, it faded when Tessa saw Kaya's cold look. "You haven't completed your ten years of service in the legion," She said smoothly. "This is an issue that will have to be taken up with the Senate, and you know that."

Tessa could see Kaden bristle, and while her boyfriend was strong, he needed some backup. She stepped forward. "If you knew Kaden was gone, why come looking for him now? How did you receive word of his location?"

Maybe it was Tessa's imagination, but she thought she saw a flicker of panic in Kaya's eyes. "My colleague, Alex Devan, had a vision of Kaden recently, standing with a girl who must have been you in Central Park. We deployed scouts to investigate the area, and when we received a location, I came to lead."

"But why now?" Tessa pressed.

Kaya opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a stampede of footsteps.

"Tessa, Kaden, you guys in here?"

"Kaya, I'm sorry I couldn't hold him back!"

The voices called over one another, until two boys emerged into the room. One of them was Reese, and at first glance, Tessa thought Mark was standing beside him. However, it was only a tall Asian boy in gold armor, a frazzled look on his face.

"Jett?" Kaden asked incredulously.

"Kaden!" The Asian boy, Jett, exclaimed.

The boys blitzed one another, and both Tessa and Reese made a sound like a cat being strangled in unison.

"We thought you were dead!" Jett exclaimed, pulling away from his and Kaden's bro-hug.

Kaden shook his head, and upon seeing Tessa and Reese's confused expressions, he cleared his throat. "Guys, I'd like you to meet Jett Tran, son of Bacchus. He's—was—one of my friends at Camp Jupiter."

Reese narrowed his eyes at the Roman. For a second, Tessa thought he was going to join her in the Kaden Defense Squad, but when he spoke, it was anything but sardonic. "You know your dad is the director of our camp, right?"

Jett made a face. "Really?"

"Boys!" Kaya interrupted. She glanced at Kaden and back to Chiron, standing up straighter. "There is another reason why I have come."

"Is it to add us to Rome's territory?" Tessa asked sarcastically.

Naturally, Kaya ignored her. "My camp has been attacked by unknown forces recently, and upon consulting the auguries, I fear we may be on the brink of war. While one purpose of my arrival has been to retrieve Kaden, I desire to have the Greeks as an ally should war ever approach."

A chill ran down Tessa's spine, and when she spoke up, it was without a bite in her voice. "What kind of forces?"

"Various monsters and spirits," Kaya replied, running a hand through her dark hair. "In particular, eidolons."

Instantly, Tessa met Reese's gaze from across the room. So their missions hadn't been coincidences. If eidolons were threatening both camps, they for sure had to be serving some larger force.

"Do you think it's Deimos?" Reese asked. "He escaped Artemis' holds last summer, right?"

"What?" Jett and Kaya asked in unison.

Chiron held up a hand to cut everyone off. "I believe I have a solution to this newfound problem of ours," He said, his voice calm. "Kaden and a group of Greek representatives shall travel to this Camp Jupiter out west, and remain for one purpose and one purpose only: to aid the Romans in preparation for possible war."

Kaya began to speak, and with a stern look for Chiron, her voice died out. Tessa made a mental note to hug the centaur a little tighter next time she got a chance, for that.

"Within that time frame, however long it shall be, Kaden will stand trial in the Senate. As his trainer and an immortal, I will stand in as well. Should the senators of Rome decide to allow him to remain as a Greek, so he shall. If they decide otherwise, then so be it." Chiron concluded. "Any objections?"

Tessa fought to raise her arm, and with a look from Reese and Jett on the other side of the room, she knew they were trying to do the same thing.

Just like that, Kaden could be taken from her? Four years of friendship, of inside jokes, of laughter, conversations, late night walks, hugs, kisses, gifts, all of that, stolen from her. And the thief was standing only a few feet from her.

Tessa met Kaden's gaze, and ever the expert at reading her, he knew exactly what she was thinking. Before he could try to mouth a placation, Kaya spoke.

"That would be excellent, thank you, Chiron," She nodded in respect. "All that reminds now is a task force of Greeks." She turned to Kaden, a smile on her face that was anything but sincere. "Who will you bring with you to our little camp?"

"Tessa," Kaden said instantly.

Kaya's eyes flickered. "I would not approve of bringing a spitfire girl such as—"

"She's my girlfriend," Kaden cut her off, a fierce look in his eyes. "And an exceptional fighter. She's been senior counselor of her cabin since she arrived at camp, and has completed a quest successfully. She's going."

Tessa grinned at Kaya, waving her fingers in a mock wave.

Kaya took a deep breath. "Who else?"

"I volunteer," Reese spoke up. "Aside from Tessa, I've fought alongside Kaden for years. I'm senior counselor of Apollo, as well."

The rest of the group was decided by Kaden and Chiron: Dale and Sophia would join them as well. With a twist of Tessa's stomach, she felt as if she was being issued on another quest, which only brought to light the failures of her past one.

"Very well," Chiron announced. "The task force shall leave in the morning. Let's settle the stay for one month? If further extensions need to be made, I'm only an Iris-Message away."

"A what?" Jett asked, but shook his head, turning to Kaden. "Dude, you've gotta tell me about what I've missed here."

Kaden laughed weakly, and began to speak, but as the group began to disperse, Tessa shot her boyfriend a look and took off.

"Tessa, wait," She heard him say, but she kept moving.

The chill of the wintery night bit into Tessa's skin as she made her way outside, and she'd stepped off the last stair when she felt a hand wrap around hers and pull her back.

"Let go!" Tessa hissed.

"What is up with you?" Kaden asked, his green eyes pleading. "This is good!"

Tessa blinked at him incredulously. "You and I have very different definitions of good." She snapped. "Kaden, did you not realize what is going to happen over there? They could force you to stay! Take you away from here, from us, from me." Her voice cracked a bit and she cursed herself for it.

Kaden exhaled raggedly. "I know," He said, his voice hoarse. "Trust me, Tess, I know. But there's nothing I can do about it now. Everything Kaya said was true; I haven't fulfilled my time of service in the legion. If I had, things would be different, but the only way to settle this is to let the Senate handle it."

Tessa pressed her lips into a thin line, feeling the tears begin to well up. Her overactive imagination was back at it again, and she was trying to picture a life without Kaden. No more midnight walks, no more protective hugs, no more kisses, no more reminders of how much he cared for her. She'd lost her best friend and her mother, she couldn't lose her boyfriend too.

"I can't lose you," Tessa whispered, her voice fragile and delicate. She felt a tear slip down her cheek, and she looked away before she succumbed to her fears before him.

"Hey, hey," Kaden said softly, tilting Tessa's chin up to look at him. A ghost of a sympathetic smile laced his lips. "I'm not going anywhere. It's you and me till the end of the line, Tessa. Forever and always. I promise you that."

Tessa searched his eyes, forcing herself to dwell on his presence before her rather than that of the fears in her head. She needed to get a grip, right? Everything would be fine. Besides, she would be going with him. She'd be with him in this old home of his, the both of them, together, unbreakable.

She didn't speak again. She only leant up and pressed a passionate kiss to his lips as the fireworks of midnight went off in the sky above them. As Kaden kissed back, Tessa could only hope that she could kiss away the fears of this new beginning, kiss away the pain.