Reyna's POV

Annabeth disappeared after Piper started to talk to me. I watch as Percy follows her, seeing the way he goes through walls of people just to reach her. I feel an all too familiar pang in my heart.

I, once upon a time, believed I had a chance in the Selection, that I had a chance with Percy. But ever since I saw the way that he looks at Annabeth, I realized that I won't last. Everything here is just temporary.

"But I really think that our costumes are one of the best," Piper says.

"One of the bests? We definitely have the best theme. Better than the Birds," I say, looking at Drew's dress.

"Well I didn't want to sound vain."

"Trust me, Piper. You are definitely not a vain person," I reassure her.

"Thanks. I'm going to get some punch, do you want some?" She asks, standing up.

"Sure, thanks."

She leaves and I notice that guards are dancing with the Selected girls. Annabeth is with Percy. They're talking and by the way they're dancing, I'd say they're having a good time. The music starts to come to an end and Piper still isn't back yet.

"Excuse me, but was Lady Piper sitting here earlier?" A husky voice asks me.

"Yes," I look up and see a handsome boy with blonde hair and blue eyes, with a small scar over his lip. I do a double take when I look at him, not believing it.

"Jason?" I ask incredulously.

He smiles before hugging me. I laugh into his shoulder. I had no clue that he was a guard, and I haven't seen him around the palace before.

"Since when did you decide to visit me? And when did you become a guard?" I laugh, messing up his hair.

"Since a few months ago. That's when it became official. But I've been training here for years, remember Juno? Ever since I...left," he says, ending the sentence abruptly.

"Well I'm happy for you. Being a guard is a huge honor. I've missed you, though. Life at home was boring without you."

"I missed you too. How's Hylla doing without you at home?"

"Um, she's here. As in part of the Selection. Didn't you watch that Report?"

"No, I was on duty. I didn't even know you were part of it until today."

"Sounds like you need to pay better attention to the 35 ladies who were invited to stay at the palace," I elbow him in the stomach.

"It's not my fault! The only ones I know are Annabeth, Rachel, and Piper."

"How do you know them?"

"Annabeth and Rachel from the newspaper that is always full of awful gossip. And I met Piper on the first day and we've been friends since," he says, a little too lightly for casual conversation.

"Have you now?" I notice Piper returning with the punch cups. "Here she comes now. Would you like to talk to her?"

"Reyna, that's not fair."

"No, no. I understand. I understand so perfectly. If you'll excuse me, I have friends to speak to. Good night, Guard Grace."

"Reyna-"

But I'm already gone. A part of me knows that I'm not being fair to him, but I'm tired of boys discarding me for the next best thing.

Jason used to live right next door to me. We were friends for a long time, teaching each other anything that we would need to know about each other. We were inseparable. At least until Jason ran away.

It wasn't by choice. It was by force. Jason was "promoted" by a lady named Juno, looking for more youth to be guards and servants. I didn't believe they would transform him into a guard, he was too young. They came in the night, breaking into the house after Jason refused to go with her the first time. He was dragged away.

"Reyna! Help me!" his voice calls through the night from his open window upstairs. I'm standing in the damp grass with my white night gown sticking to me. My hair is sticking to the back of my neck.

"I will," I whisper to myself. I head to the palm tree that stands between our houses. I normally use it to climb to his window. Now it's going to be used to save Jason.

"I'm coming ," I mutter as I climb. "I'm coming."

Voices are still spilling out of the window, and I recognize Juno's voice that has been added to the mixture. I slip a little and skin my knee. I curse before continue to climb.

"Reyna! Reyna!" He shouts out desperately. It's all I can do to not reply.

"Is there anyone else in the house?" Juno asks someone unseen to me.

"No, m'am. We made sure that his sister was at the store and we checked the rest of the house. It's empty. Perhaps he's calling to his deceased mother?"

I  finally reach the window sill. Panting, I quietly peek up and look towards Jason's voice. I see a man's back and I duck down again. I couldn't find Jason in the midst of everyone. Gathering up my courage, I grab a tree branch and swing towards the man.

He falls to the ground. Juno looks over to the window, but I'm already inside. I clutch the branch like a sword and swing it in front of me. There's still two guards in the room and they start towards me. I hit the taller one in the neck. I spin around and catch the other one in the side. I kick the tall one's groin and shove the other to the ground.

"How did you...?" Juno asks me, her eyes wide with shock.

"Are you okay?" I ask Jason.

That's when I realize he's not in the room.

"Where's Jason?" I scream at Juno. "Why did you take him?"

"Reasons that you can't understand, my dear. Reasons that are far above you."

"Oh yeah?"

I slam the branch against her head. She falls to the ground in a pile of expensive clothes. I lean down, bracing my knee to her throat.

"Is it above your life?" I whisper to her ear. "Is whatever you're doing more valuable than your life?"

"You...you won't...You're only nine, you could never..." She stutters, blood already leaking out of the side of her head.

"You don't know what I would do for Jason."

I'm about to hit her again when I feel a pair of strong arms around me. I thrash around while one of the guards picks me up.

"Let me go!" I yell at them.

"Dang, if girl's could be guards, she would definitely be hired," he says.

I try to make a connection between us, but he has me positioned so I won't hit anything of him. I'm trapped. And worse, I don't know where Jason is. I go limp in the man's arms.

"Jason!" I shout. The man relaxes a little bit and I retaliate. I kick him in the stomach. He grunts and I swing my elbows to his face. He drops me in shock and I rush down the stairs.

Jason isn't anywhere in this house. I hear voices outside and my heart drops. There may be no way of saving him. I swing open the door and see him.

He has his hands tied behind his back and a gag over his mouth. A handful of guards are surrounding a large white van. He's being forced into the back of it.

"Let him go!" I shout.

"It's just a little girl," I hear a guard mutter. I grit my teeth as one guard heads my way, his hands outstretched.

"I won't hurt you," he says, smiling.

"But I will," I promise.

He looks surprised for a second before he gets a mouthful of  tree branch. The other guards look shocked, but I waste no time in attacking another guard. I know I'm outnumber, that there's too many, but I will knock down anyone who stands between me and Jason.

"Let's just go," a guard says to another.

They stuff Jason into a seat while they head to the front. I run after them, but a guard gets me in the eye with a baton.

The last view I see of Jason is him in the backset of a van, looking at me with utter disbelief.

I thought that would be the last time I would ever see Jason Grace. And it almost was. There was no sight of the young boy. Thalia came home and left that same night. I hadn't seen her since the Selection and I'm pretty sure that she forgot all about me.

Who can blame her. I've tried to forget that night, to forget about Jason. But I can't. No matter what I do, I just can't forget Jason Grace.