𝓢𝓞𝓝 𝓞𝓕 𝓝𝓔𝓟𝓣𝓤𝓝𝓔

EVANGELINE WAS MUCH TOO EXCITED THE NEXT DAY, She woke up that morning and immediately started getting her things ready. Hazel was much faster than her and left to meet Percy and Frank at breakfast. She packed important things like Roman currency, a few vials of powdered unicorn horn, and Flamma Amoris. But she also packed her makeup and skincare essentials, the cutest pink cloak, and her favorite red lipstick.

Evangeline slipped on her boots over her black leggings. She thought they were perfectly crafted for her quest, the supple leather was dyed a rich mahogany hue.

The knee length provided both protection and flexibility, while a delicate heel added a 'touch of Eva' and coincidentally matched the boots that she saw on her mother just the day before.

Intricate stitchings adorned the sides, showcasing a floral design. These boots, both fashionable and functional, promised durability and comfort.

Evangeline was in the middle of tying her hair back into a ponytail when she realized she took a little (a lot) longer than intended. She cursed under her breath, placed her bag on her bed for easy access, and ran out into the streets to make it to breakfast.

She greeted the usual people who were kind to her and admired her. And smirked at those who talked about her victory, especially those in the first and second cohorts who were still bitter about it.

"I hate her. But damn it, she looks hot as hell."

"You're weak!"

"Can you blame me? Look at her!"

She made it to the table where Frank, Hazel, and Percy sat the moment Reyna announced that the senate would now convene in the city. All the campers in togas got up to leave.

"Aw damn." Evangeline shrugged, "Whatevs. I'll survive."

"Here. At least eat this." Percy offered her an apple from his tray of food. "My mom always says breakfast is the most important meal of the day...I think." He frowned,

Evangeline felt for the boy who struggled with his memory, she couldn't imagine how difficult it was to draw blanks on everything dear to you.

She received the apple, tossed it in the air, caught it, and took a bite. "Thank you, Babe, You and your mom have saved me from hunger migraines."

He smirked but tried to keep a straight face, "Anytime, Angie "

"Ugh!" Evangeline whined "Here we go."

Percy furrowed his eyebrows together.

The ghost Vitellius appeared next to him in a purple shimmer. He backed up in surprise. "Bona fortuna, you four! Ah, senate meetings. I remember the one when Caesar was assassinated. Why, the amount of blood on his toga—"

"Thanks. Vitellius." Frank interrupted. "We should get
going."

Reyna and Octavian led the procession of senators out of camp, with Reyna's metal greyhounds dashing back and forth along the road. Hazel, Frank, Eva, and Percy trailed behind. Evangeline noticed Hazel's brother in the group, wearing a black toga and talking with Gwen, who looked a little pale but surprisingly good considering she'd been dead the night before.

Nico waved at Percy, then went back to his conversation.

"Hmm." Evangeline hummed, she felt her powers working, Oh?

Gaydar is going wayyyy off.

Wait, but didn't he just meet him...

I mean, I get it. But damn! That's something!

Oh well, Don't worry Nicky your secret is safe with me. Wait, Nico? No Nicky. Jeez, I really have to start writing names down.

Oh, look a bird!

A lark flew by as Dakota stumbled along in his red-speckled robe. A lot of other senators seemed to be having trouble with their togas, too—hiking up their hems, trying to keep the cloth from slipping off their shoulders. Evangeline was glad to be wearing a regular purple T-shirt and leggings, but she knew she would definitely rock a toga once given the chance. She already knew exactly which merchant she'd buy from.

"How could Romans move, in those things?" Percy wondered.

"They were just for formal occasions, " Hazel explained. "Like tuxedos. I bet the Ancient Romans hated togas as much as we do. By the way, you didn't bring any weapons, did you?'

Percy's hand went to his pocket, where his pen seemed to always be. "Are we not supposed to?'

"No weapons allowed inside the Pomerian Line," Evangeline informed, "Aw no, That's my fault. I should've told you last night."

"The what line?"

"Pomerian," Frank told him. "The city limits. Inside is a sacred "safe zone" Legions can't march through. No weapons allowed. That's so senate meetings don't get bloody."

"Like Julius Caesar getting assassinated?" Percy asked.

Evangeline nodded.  "But don't worry. Nothing like that has happened in months."

Percy raised an eyebrow, "I hope you're kidding?"

She smirked, "Oh, Sure. Kidding."

As they got closer to the city, Evangeline appreciated how beautiful it was. The tiled roofs and gold domes gleamed in the sun. Gardens bloomed with geraniums and irises. The central plaza was paved in white and grey stone, decorated with statues, fountains, and gilded columns. In the surrounding neighborhoods, cobblestone streets were lined with freshly painted townhouses, shops, cafes, and parks. In the distance rose the coliseum and the horse-racing arena.

They'd reached the city limits. On the side of the road stood a white marble statue—Terminus, a god of boundary markers. He was a life-size muscular man with curly hair, no arms, and an irritated expression.

"Is he mad because he was only carved from the waist up?" Percy asked.

Evangeline giggled, "Oh Gods. Are you serious?"

"Very." He mumbled.

"Single file, please!" the statue said. "Have your IDs ready."

Percy looked to his left and right. It seemed that he hadn't noticed before, but a line of identical statues ringed the city at intervals of about a hundred yards.

The senators passed through easily. The statue checked the tattoos on their forearms and called each senator by name. 'Gwendolyn, senator, Fifth Cohort, yes. Nico di Angelo, ambassador of Pluto - very well. Reyna, praetor, of course. Hank, senator, Third Cohort - oh, nice shoes, Hank! Ah, who have we here?'

Hazel, Frank, Eva, and Percy were the last ones.

"Hey," Evangeline said, this is Percy Jackson. "Percy, this is Termini's, the god of boundaries."

"Terminus!" He corrected, for the thousandth time. "New, eh?' said the god. "Yes, probatio tablet. Fine. Ah, weapon in your pocket? Take it out! Take it out!"

Percy looked confused, but he took out his pen.

"Quite dangerous," Terminus said. "Leave it in the tray. Wait, where's my assistant? Cassia!"

A little girl about six years old peeked out from behind the base of the statue. She had pigtails, a pink dress, and an impish grin with two missing teeth.

"Cassia?" Terminus glanced behind him, and Cassia scurried in the other direction "Where did that girl go."

Terminus looked the other way and caught sight of Julia before she could hide. The little girl squealed with delight.

"Oh, there you are," said the statue. "Front and center. Bring the tray."

Cassia scrambled out and brushed off her dress. She picked up a tray and presented it to Percy. On it were several paring knives, a corkscrew, an oversized container of sun lotion, and a water bottle.

"You can pick up your weapon on the way out," Terminus said. "Cassia will take good care of it. She's a trained professional."

The little girl nodded. 'Pro-fess-ion-al.' She said each syllable carefully like she'd been practicing.

Percy glanced at the other three, who didn't seem to find anything odd about this. He didn't seem anxious to hand over a deadly weapon to a kid.

"The thing is," he said, "The pen returns to my pocket automatically, so even if I give it up—"

"Not to worry," Terminus assured him. "We'll make sure it doesn't wander off. Won't we, Cassia?"

"Yes, Mr Terminus."

Reluctantly, Percy put his pen on the tray.

"Now, a few rules, since you're new," Terminus said. "You are entering the boundaries of the city proper. Keep the peace inside the line. Yield to chariot traffic while walking on public roads. When you get to the Senate House, sit on the left-hand side. And, down there—do you see where I'm pointing?"

"Um," Percy said, "you don't have any hands."

"Oh no," Evangeline said,

His marble face turned a dark shade of grey. " A smart alec—"

"Well, he's mostly pointing out the obvious..." Evangeline murmured.

"Well, Mr. Rule Flouter, right down there in the forum —Cassia, point for me, please—"

Cassia dutifully set down the security tray and pointed towards the main plaza.

"The shop with the blue awning," Terminus continued, that's the general store. They sell tape measures. Buy one! I want those jeans exactly one inch above the ankles and that hair regulation cut. And tuck your shirt in."

"Aw man, not the regulation. The long hair suits him." Evangeline complained, "You know what, You're taking up too much of our time. We gotta go. Are you done Terminus?"

"Fine, fine, you may pass," the god said testily. "But stay on the right side of the road! And that rock right there—No, Evangeline, look where I'm pointing. That rock is entirely too close to that tree. Move it."

Evangeline scrunched her face together, "Where?"

"There!"

"I can't see it!"

"I'm pointing straight at it!"

"But you don't—Ugh!" Evangeline huffed, she threw her hands up when she finally found the rock. "Every single time! Every single time this happens!"

"Hey! You should be grateful! Don't forget the times I let you sneak in after curfew to be with—"

"Hey! I moved the damn rock!" Evangeline interrupted, kicking the rock away from the tree and the city. "Stop."

He fell silent for a moment, Why thank you." Terminus said, "Now—"

Evangeline rolled her eyes, "Oh come on! Before I get wrinkles!"

They continued down the path, Terminus still shouting orders at them while Cassia did cartwheels across the grass.

"Is he always like that?" Percy asked.

"Believe it or not. That was him being laid back." She huffed.

Hazel confirmed, "It's true, Usually he's more obsessive. He inhabits every boundary stone around the city,"

Frank said. "He's kind of our last line of defense if the city's attacked."

"Terminus isn't so bad," Hazel added. "Just don't make him angry, or he'll force you to measure every blade of grass in the valley."

"Or make you polish him." Evangeline groaned.

Percy nodded "And the kid? Cassia?"

The red-headed girl grinned. "Yeah, she's a little cutie. Her parents live in the city. Come on. We'd better catch up to the senators."

As they approached the forum, Percy looked around and was clearly struck by the sheer number of people.

College-aged kids were hanging out at the fountain. Several of them waved at the senators as they passed. One guy in his late twenties stood at a bakery counter, flirting with a young woman who was buying coffee. An older couple was watching a little boy in diapers and a miniature Camp Jupiter shirt toddle after seagulls. Merchants were opening their shops for the day, putting out signs in Latin that advertised pottery, jewelry, and half-price tickets for the Hippodrome.

If you don't succeed, Mars had warned, there won't be any camp left to return to. Rome will be overrun, its legacy lost forever.

Evangeline thought about the little girl Julia, the families with kids, the couples on the street with dreams, the people in college, her comrades at camp, and even those silly fauns. She didn't want to picture what might happen to them if this place was destroyed.

We will succeed. We need to succeed. She told herself, This is your biggest challenge yet Eva, don't fail.

"Don't you just love it?" Evangeline asked, watching as he studied her home.

"....Are...Are all these people demigods?" Percy asked.

"Or descended from demigods," Evangeline said. "It's a good place to go to college or raise a family without worrying about monster attacks every day. Maybe two, three hundred people live here? The veterans act like advisers and reserve forces as needed, but mostly they're just citizens living their lives."

Percy nodded, he fell silent for a lot longer than usual.

"Are you okay?" Evangeline nudged him with her elbow, hooked their arms together, and pulled him forward. Hazel and Frank walked behind them. Looking around and pointing around the places in the city.

"Y-yeah." He said, he didn't pull away from her. Allowing her to walk with him through the Roman streets. "I-I just wonder about my home. What it was like. If anyone's waiting for me...I know I remember a name, Annabeth. I know I love whoever she is. And, I know...we've kissed...But now, I also remember the name Sally...And G-Grover? I-I love them too, I think the three of them are close to me...I just want to know what happened, Where they are...I want to know. Because as beautiful and inviting as this place is. It's not mine..."

"It can be." She hummed,

Percy looked over at her. He shook his head and it snapped back to look ahead. She smiled sheepishly and looked forward too.

"I just mean it can be your home. If you want it to be. I know it is hard not remembering your past, I can't imagine how confused you are. but maybe you just need more time? I'm not a doctor or a child of Apollo, but I've seen enough soap operas to know things are unraveling. Maybe once we finish this quest, we can figure out how to get your memories back entirely? I'll help... Even if it does mean I lose my chances because of Annabeth."

He snorted, "And who said you ever had a chance?"

"Oh don't start, you totally want a piece of this." Evangeline asserted. Causing him to laugh harder. "If it wasn't for you being off limits, and you being blindsided to your own life, you'd already have made out with me. Multiple times I think."

"You're real confident about that." His voice got lower, just enough for her to hear him. His breath hit her cheek. "The truth is I think it's you who wants to kiss me..."

She smirked, she turned her head slightly, her amber eyes gazing up at him. "Oh, no one's denying that, Percy."

He cleared his throat, his entire face flushing. He swallowed harshly. "Shit. I was expecting Pretty Boy."

She laughed, a billowing proud, and genuine laugh. "You can't beat the master babe."

Percy looked her in the eye again and gave her a lopsided grin. "Oh shut up. We have a senate meeting to get to Lovebug."

"Lovebug?" She pursed her lips.

"That's my revenge for Pretty Boy." He said cockily.

She flashed her teeth, "Jokes on you. I love a good revenge plot."

The senators made their way to a big white-domed building on the west end of the forum. Evangeline unhooked their arms, not wanting anyone to make assumptions or give Percy and her a hard time. Then she took a deep breath and went inside, Percy, Hazel, and Frank following behind her.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

THE SENATE HOUSE INTERIOR was a semicircle of tiered seats facing a dais with a podium and two chairs. The chairs were empty, but one had a small velvet package on the seat.

The group of four sat on the left side of the semicircle. The ten senators and Nico di Angelo occupied the rest of the front row. The upper rows were filled with several dozen ghosts and a few older veterans from the city, all in formal togas.

Octavian stood in front with a knife and a Beanie Baby lion, ready to murder Evangeline's favorite childhood collectibles.

Reyna walked to the podium and raised her hand for attention.

"Right, this is an emergency meeting," She informed. "We won't stand on formalities."

"I love formalities!" a ghost complained.

Reyna shot him a cross look. "First of all," she hissed, "we're not here to vote on the quest itself. The quest has been issued by Mars Ultor, patron of Rome. We will obey his wishes. Nor are we here to debate the choice of Frank Zhang's companions."

"All four from the Fifth Cohort?" called out Hank from the Third. "That's not fair."

"And not smart." said the boy next to him. "We know the
Fifth will mess up. They should take somebody good. And not someone good at applying eyeliner—someone good at actual fighting."

Evangeline rolled her eyes, she murmured under her breath in annoyance. "I'm good at both thank you very much."

Dakota got up so fast he spilled Kool-Aid from his flask.
"We were plenty good last night when we whipped your podex, Larry! Don't forget my legionnaire was the one that threw you down and made you eat dirt!"

"Aw, Kota." Evangeline grinned.

"I bet she kissed him too and that's why he's defending her now." He told the crowd. Sneering.

"Oh Please, You're just bitter that mom came to visit me specifically." Evangeline scoffed, "Why don't you take that obvious jealousy and shove it up your bony podex!"

"My Podex is not bony!" Larry defended "I do squats you bi—"

"Enough!" Reyna said. "Let's leave Larry's podex out of this. As quest leader, Frank has the right to choose his companions. He has chosen Percy Jackson, Evangeline Bellerose, and Hazel Levesque."

A ghost from the second row yelled, "Absurdus! Frank Zhang isn't even a full member of the Legion! He's on probatio. A quest must be led by someone of centurion rank or higher. This is completely—"

"Cato." Reyna snapped. "We must obey the wishes of Mars Ultor. That means certain...adjustments."

Reyna clapped her hands, and Octavian came forward.
He set down his knife and Beanie Baby and took the velvet package from the chair.

"Frank Zhang, Evangeline Bellerose." He said, "Come forward."

Frank glanced nervously at Evangeline, She nodded and they both got to their feet and approached the augur.

"It is my...pleasure," Octavian approached Evangeline, forcing out the last word, to bestow upon you the Mural Crown for being first over the walls in siege warfare. "Octavian handed her a bronze badge shaped like a laurel wreath.

Evangeline smiled, She took it in her hands and stared in awe. This is just the beginning. She swore,

"Also, by order of Praetor Revna, I am here to promote Frank Zhang to the rank of centurion." He handed Frank another badge, a bronze crescent, and the senate exploded in protest.

"Wait what." Evangeline frowned, "B-But I was going to run after my five years were done—"

She was incredibly disappointed. Not exactly at the fact that Frank was centurion. She knew he could be a natural leader and that he was a great guy and a soldier who just needed some time to fully grow into his potential.

But Evangeline was mad that she had been working tooth and nail for years to get a single medal , and here Frank could become centurion without any of the qualifications because his father came and made him the leader of the quest. I mean, It's nepotism at its finest!

She didn't blame Frank at all. But she knew he hardly even wanted the position. And at this rate—if she kept being overshadowed as a soldier and praised as a beauty queen. She would never be considered for Praetor...

"He's still a probie!' one yelled.

"Impossible!" said another.

"Water cannon up my nose!" yelled a third.

"Hey! That was because of me!" Evangeline argued, though she realized it wasn't that important. She looked down at her mural crown and frowned, somehow the badge felt like it lost its value now that it was in her manicured hands.

"Silence!" Octavian's voice sounded a lot more commanding than it had the previous night on the battlefield. "Our praetor recognizes that no one below the rank of centurion may lead a quest. For good or ill, Frank must lead this quest—so our praetor has decreed that Frank Zhang must be made centurion."

It was in those moments that Evangeline remembered what an effective speaker Octavian was. He sounded reasonable and supportive, but his expression was pained. He carefully crafted his words to put all the responsibility on Reyna. This was her idea, he seemed to say.

Of course, he was going to blame her. He was going to make sure the senate condemned her even though she was making the best decision for the legion and abiding by its rules. It was ridiculous, but Evangeline knew they'd demonize her...

Octavian was telling them, That If it went wrong, Reyna was at fault. If only Octavian had been the one in charge, things would have been done more sensibly.

But, alas, he had no choice but to support Reyna, because Octavian was the epitome of a traditional, male, and loyal, Roman soldier.

Octavian managed to convey all that without saying it, simultaneously calming the senate and sympathizing with them.

Evangeline knew from the moment she met him that Octavian was a dangerous enemy. He was one of the reasons her image was so tainted among the first and second cohorts after all...At first, Evangeline took it as a compliment that he was so threatened by her—but now she was getting sick of it.

A look of irritation flashed across Reyna's face. "There is an opening for centurion," She informed. "One of our officers, also a senator, has decided to step down. After ten years in the legion, she will retire to the city and attend college. Gwen of the Fifth Cohort, we thank you for your service." Everyone turned to Gwen, who managed a brave smile. She looked tired from the previous night's ordeal, but also relieved.

"And Evangeline, once Dakota steps down. You will be the first consideration for Centurion." She nodded, addressing her. "I can assure you that."

Some ghosts and higher ranking yelled out protests.

"That temptress dropkicked me! How can you even think—"

Larry groaned, "Come on Reyna! I thought you would be a better judge of character! She'll make the fifth cohort an even bigger circus—with better makeup maybe but that's—"

"Ridiculous." Octavian huffed.

"Hey, Eva would be a great centurion!" Gwen yelled back,

"She's more than just a beautiful face! She's got a beautiful mind and heart!"

"She gave me a haircut once. So I like her."

"Yesterday, she knocked me down....it was awesome."

Some of Evangeline's higher-ranking friends and colleagues began to yell back in her defense. Her getting a higher position was clearly very controversial in the discussion.

Evangeline shook her head, looked down, and scurried back to her seat. She loved having everyone's attention, but sometimes—she simply couldn't take it.

"Hey," Percy nudged her, "Are you—"

"Perfect. I'm always perfect." She whispered, she stared down at the Mural crown.

I earned this. I've worked my ass off for this and more...

I wish they saw that.

"Enough. I am Praetor. And as praetor, " Reyna continued, "I have the right to replace officers. Once Evangeline has the qualifications and the position becomes available then she has every right to try and become one. And yes, I admit it's unusual for a camper on probatio to rise directly to the rank of centurion, but I think we can agree...last night was unusual. Frank Zhang, your ID, please."

Frank removed the lead tablet from round his neck and handed it to Octavian.

"Your arm," Octavian reached forward.

Frank held up his forearm. Octavian raised his hands to the heavens. "We accept Frank Zhang, Son of Mars, to the Twelfth Legion Fulminata for his first year of service. Do you pledge your life to the senate and people of Rome?"

Frank muttered something like, "Ud-dud."Then he cleared his throat and managed: "I do." The senators shouted, "Senatus Populusque Romanus!"

Fire blazed on Frank's arm. For a moment his eyes filled with terror, and Evangeline was afraid her friend might pass out. Then the smoke and flame died, and new marks were seared onto Frank's skin: SPQR, an image of crossed spears, and a single stripe, representing the first year of service.

"You may sit down." Octavian glanced at the audience as if to say: This wasn't my idea, folks.

"Now," Reyna said, "we must discuss the quest."

The senators shifted and muttered as Frank returned to
his seat.

"Evangeline. I'm sorry—I didn't know—"

Evangeline flashed a smile and ruffled his cropped black hair, "No biggie Frankie. I'm glad you got the opportunity, and I know you'll be a great leader."

"But—"

Evangeline faked an angry look, it was more endearing than anything. "Hey, I said you'll be a great leader. Are you saying I'm wrong? I'm never wrong Franklin."

"Er...Not my name, But..."Frankie smiled softly, "Thanks Eva..."

"Did it hurt?" Percy whispered.

Frank looked at his forearm, which was still steaming.

"Yeah. A lot." He seemed mystified by the badge in his hand—- the centurion's mark—it was like he wasn't sure what to do with it.

"Here." Hazel's eyes shone with pride. "Let me."

She pinned the medals to Frank's shirt.

Percy looked at Evangeline, "Put it on. What are you waiting for?"

Evangeline pursed her lips, "I Just...I kinda feel like a phony." She frowned, "No one thinks I deserve this. Except maybe me..."

"Not true. For starters, I do." He hummed, and grabbed the pin from her hands to gently pin it to her chest. "You're ambitious. You're kind even if you aren't always nice. And you're a natural leader. Forget what they say."

Evangeline looked down at her pin and softly touched it, she sniffled and looked up at him. Her eyes were glassy making her eyes shimmer.

Thank you, she mouthed

He smiled, his heart was beating like a drum.

"Centurion Zhang," called Octavian. "Did you hear the question?"

Frank blinked. He turned away from Hazel. Um...sorry. What?"

Octavian turned to the senate and smirked, like, What did I tell you?

"I wanna knock him down again," Percy whispered to her. She tried to ignore how much she liked feeling him that close, having his breath fanned her ear, his ocean smell filling her senses.

Oh no. Maman was right. I like him.

Fuck, I hate having real crushes!

"Please do." She agreed.

"I was asking," Octavian said like he was talking to a three-year-old, "if you have a plan for the quest. Do you even know where you are going?"

"Uhhh"

Hazel put her hand on Frank's shoulder and stood.

"Weren't you listening last night, Octavian? Mars was pretty clear. We're going to the land beyond the gods—Alaska."

The senators squirmed in their togas. Some of the ghosts shimmered and disappeared. Even Reyna's metal dogs rolled over on their backs and whimpered.

Finally, Senator Larry stood. "I know what Mars said, but that's crazy. Alaska is cursed! They call it the land beyond the gods for a reason. It's so far north that the Roman gods have no power there. The place is swarming with monsters. No demigod has come back from there alive since—"

"Since you lost your eagle," Percy said.

Evangeline scowled,

Larry was so startled, he fell back on his podex.

"Look," Percy continued, "I know I'm new here. I know you guys don't like to mention that massacre in the 1980s—"

"He mentioned it!" one of the ghosts whimpered.

"—but don't you get it?" Percy continued. "The Fifth
Cohort led that expedition. We failed, and we have to be responsible for making things right. That's why Mars is
sending us. This giant, the son of Gaia, is the one who defeated your forces thirty years ago. I'm sure of it. Now he's sitting up there in Alaska with a chained death god, and all your old equipment. He's mustering his armies and sending them south to attack this camp."

"Really?" Octavian said. "You seem to know a lot about our enemy's plans, Percy Jackson."

"Do you ever just unclench?" Evangeline sighed, "Seriously, You need a spa day."

Percy's jaw tightened, his eyes darkened. It dawned on Eva that he was incredibly offended about being called a spy—a traitor. His shoulders tensed beside Eva.

Evangeline whispered low enough for only him to hear her, "He's trying to bait you. He wants to make you look unstable. Trust me, I know you're not a traitor..."

Percy took a deep breath.

"We're going to confront this son of Gaia," he announced, managing to keep his composure. "We'll get back your eagle and unchain this god...." He glanced at Evangeline. "Thanatos, right?"

She nodded. "Letus. in Rome. His old Greek name is Thanatos. But when it comes to Death...we're happy to let him stay Greek."

Octavian sighed in exasperation. "Well, whatever you call him... how do you expect to do all this and get back by the Feast of Fortuna? That's the evening of the twenty-fourth. It's the twentieth now. Do you even know where to look? Do you even know who this son of Gaia is?"

"Yes," Hazel spoke with such certainty that even Eva was surprised. "I don't know exactly where to look, but I have a pretty good idea. The giant's name is Alcyoneus." That name seemed to lower the temperature in the room by fifty degrees. The senators shivered.

Reyna gripped her podium. "How do you know this, Hazel? Because you're a child of Pluto?"

Her brother had been so quiet that Evangeline almost forgotten he was there. Now he stood in his black toga."Praetor, if I may," he said. "Hazel and I ... we learned a little about the giants from our father. Each giant was bred specifically to oppose one of the twelve Olympian gods—to usurp that god's domain. The king of giants was Porphyrion, the anti-Jupiter. But the eldest giant was Alcyoneus. He was born to oppose Pluto. That's why we know of him in particular."

Reyna frowned. "Indeed? You sound quite familiar with him."

Nico picked at the edge of his toga. "Anyway...the giants were hard to kill. According to prophecy, they could only be defeated by gods and demigods working together."

Dakota belched. "Sorry, did you say gods and demigods...like, fighting side by side? That could never happen!"

"It has happened," Nico informed. "In the first giant war, the gods called on heroes to join them, and they were victorious. Whether it could happen again, I don't know. But with Alcyoneus...he was different. He was completely immortal, impossible to kill by god or demigod, as long as he remained in his home territory—the place where he was born." Nico paused to let that sink in. "And if Alcyoneus has been reborn in Alaska—"

"Then he can't be defeated there," Evangeline deduced. "Ever. By any means. Which is why our 1980s expedition was doomed to fail from the start. Michael Varus is a damn fool."

Another round of arguing and shouting broke out.

"The quest is impossible!" shouted a senator.

"We're doomed!" cried a ghost.

"More Kool-Aid!" yelled Dakota.

"Hey!" Evangeline stood, her voice demanding. "Get a hold of yourselves! That quest failed because the prophecy was too early. Because he was a cocky stupid man who thought he could gain glory without thinking of any of the consequences! Get it together and act like Romans! We have to believe it's possible. Or would you rather Terra destroy us all? Destroy our home. Destroy our people. We can't sit by and do nothing. We need to act."

The room fell quiet. As if they were taking in her words.

Frank, Hazel, Reyna, and even Percy stared at her in admiration and pride.

"Evangeline is correct," Reyna called. "Mars has given us this quest, and we have to believe it is possible. These four demigods must travel to Alaska. They must free Thanatos and return before the Feast of Fortuna. If they can retrieve the lost eagle in the process, so much the better. All we can do is advise them and make sure they have a plan."

Reyna looked at Evangeline without much hope. "You do
have a plan?'

She smiled sheepishly. Looking around at the nervous faces. She could easily lie to them but she couldn't do that to her people. "Well...."

Percy interrupted, Evangeline sighed in relief. "First, I need to understand something." He turned towards Nico. "I thought Pluto was the god of the dead. Now I hear about this other guy, Thanatos, and the Doors of Death from that prophecy—the Prophecy of Eight. What does all that mean?"

Nico took a deep breath. "Okay. Pluto is the god of the Underworld, but the actual god of death, the one who's responsible for making sure souls go to the afterlife and stay there—that's Pluto's lieutenant. Thanatos. He's like...well, imagine Life and Death are two different countries. Everybody would like to be in Life, right? So there's a guarded border to keep people from crossing back over without permission. But it's a big border, with lots of holes in the fence. Pluto tries to seal up the breaches, but new ones keep popping up all the time. That's why he depends on Thanatos."

"Thanatos catches souls," Percy guessed, "and takes them back to the Underworld."

"Exactly," Nico nodded. "But now Thanatos has been captured, chained up."

Frank raised his hand. "Uh ... how do you chain Death?'

"It's been done before," Evangeline remembered, "In the ancient times, Sisyphus tricked Death and tied him up. Another time, Hercules wrestled him to the ground."

"And now a giant has captured him," Percy said. "So, if we could free Thanatos, then the dead would stay dead?" He glanced at Gwen. "Um ... no offense."

Evangeline snorted, "Dork."

"It's more complicated than that." Nico denied.

Octavian rolled his eyes. "Why does that not surprise me?'

"You mean the Doors of Death?" Reyna asked, ignoring Octavian. "They are mentioned in the Prophecy of Seven, which sent the first expedition to Alaska—"

Cato the ghost snorted. "We all know how that turned
out! We Lares remember!"

The other ghosts grumbled in agreement.

Nico put his finger to his lips. Suddenly all the Lares went silent. Some looked alarmed, like their mouths had been glued together. Evangeline wished she had that power over certain living people...like Octavian, for instance.

"Thanatos is only part of the solution," Nico explained.
"The Doors of Death...well, that's a concept even I don't completely understand. There are many ways into the Underworld—the River Styx, the Door of Orpheus—plus smaller escape routes that open up from time to time. With Thanatos imprisoned, all those exits will be easier to use. Sometimes it might work to our advantage and let a friendly soul come back—like Gwen here. More often, it will benefit evil souls and monsters, the sneaky ones who are looking to escape. Now, the Doors of Death—those are the personal doors of Thanatos, his fast lane between Life and Death. Only Thanatos is supposed to know where they are, and the location shifts over the ages. If I understand correctly, the Doors of Death have been forced open. Gaia's minions have seized control of them"

"Which means Gaia controls who can come back from the dead," Percy guessed.

"Terra." Evangeline corrected. "Why do they keep using Greek names," Eva whispered over to Frank and Hazel, they shrugged as if he were just as lost.

Nico nodded. "She can pick and choose who to let out—the worst monsters. the most evil souls. If we rescue Thanatos, that means at least he can catch souls again and send them below Monsters will die when we kill them, like they used to, and well get a little breathing room. But unless we're able to retake the Doors of Death, our enemies won't stay down for long. They'll have an easy way back to the world of the living."

"So we can catch them and kill them," Evangeline summed up, "but they'll just keep coming back across."

"In a depressing nutshell, yes," Nico said.

Frank scratched his head. "But Thanatos knows where the doors are, right? If we free him, he can retake them."

"I don't think so," Nico said. "Not alone. He's no match for Gaia. That would take a massive quest...an army of the best demigods."

"Foes bear arms to Death's abode," Reyna said. "That's the Prophecy of Eight ...She looked at Evangeline, and for just a moment her fear was evident on her face.

"If this begins the ancient prophecy, we don't have the resources to send an army to these Doors of Death and protect the camp. I can't imagine even sparing eight demigods—"

"First things first." Percy tried to sound confident, though he could feel the level of panic rising in the room. "I don't know who the eight are, or what that old prophecy means, exactly. But first, we have to free Thanatos. Mars told us we needed four people for the quest to Alaska. Not three but Four. Let's concentrate on succeeding with that and getting back before the Feast of Fortuna. Then we can worry about the Doors of Death."

"Yeah," Frank said in a small voice. "That's probably enough for one week."

"So you do have a plan?" Octavian asked skeptically.

Percy looked at his teammates. We go to Alaska as fast as possible..."

"And we improvise," Hazel said.

"A lot," Frank added.

They all looked at Evangeline.

"And kick-ass, free death, and look good while doing it." She smiled, raising her finger in confidence.

Reyna studied them. She looked like she was mentally writing her own obituary.

"Very well," she said. "Nothing remains except for us to vote on what support we can give the quest—transportation, money, magic, weapons."

"Praetor, if I may, "Octavian murmured.

"Oh, great," Percy muttered to Evangeline. "Here it comes."

"The camp is in grave danger, " Octavian said. Three gods have warned us we will be attacked four days from now. We must not spread our resources too thin, especially by funding projects that have a slim chance of success." Octavian looked at the three of them with pity, as if to say, Poor little things. "Mars and Venus have clearly chosen the least likely candidates for this quest. Perhaps that is because he considers them the most expendable. Perhaps Mars is playing the long odds. Whatever the case, he wisely didn't order a massive expedition, nor did he ask us to fund their adventure. I say we keep our resources here and defend the camp. This is where the battle will be lost or won. If these four succeed, wonderful! But they should do so by their own ingenuity."

"That weasel." Evangeline gritted her teeth. She jumped to her feet with Frank.

An uneasy murmur passed through the crowd. Before they could start a fight,

Percy said, "Fine! No problem. But at least give us transportation. Gaia is the earth goddess, right? Going overland, across the earth—I'm guessing we should avoid that. Plus, it'll be too slow."

Octavian laughed. "Would you like us to charter you an airplane?"

Percy looked nauseous. "No. Air travel...I have a feeling that would be bad, too. But a boat. Can you at least give us a boat?"

Hazel made a grunting sound. Evangeline glanced over in worry. She shook her head and mouthed, Fine. I'm fine.

"A boat!" Octavian turned to the senators. "The son of Neptune wants a boat. Sea travel has never been the Roman way, but he isn't much of a Roman!"

"You're just loud ugly and wrong." Evangeline hissed, "The ancient Romans built large merchant ships and warships. Also, What do you expect? We are short on time. A boat is our fastest option. Do you want us to ride a horse-drawn carriage there to be authentic? would you also like us to use one communal sponge to wipe our asses? like come on Octavian it's called progress look it up." A hoard of giggles erupted in the crowd. Percy smirked as he watched her. "I imagine the Son of Neptune has a way of speeding up our journey and Neptune will be on our side because we have him with us. I see no issue in using a boat."

"Oh, Of course you would. You strix."

"Octavian," Reyna said sternly, her eyes sending him a warning. "a boat is little enough to ask. And providing no other aid seems very

"Traditional!" Octavian exclaimed. It is very traditional.
Let us see if these questers have the strength to survive without help. like true Romans!"

"Ugh." Evangeline frowned. "Wait till I shove flamingo tongue down his throat then we'll see how traditional he wants to be."

"Flamingo tongue?"

"That's one of many fun facts."

More muttering filled the chamber. The senator's eyes moved back and forth between Octavian and Reyna, watching the test of wills.
Reyna straightened in her chair. "Very well," she said tightly. Evangeline wanted to strangle Octavian for putting her in that position. She hated that he made people question her authority, reyna was the best damn praetor. Octavian was a loon. "Well put it to a vote. Senators, the motion is as follows: the quest shall go to Alaska. The Senate shall provide full access to the Roman navy docked at Alameda. No other aid will be forthcoming. The four adventurers will survive or fail on their own merits. All in favor?"

Every senator's hand went up.

"The motion is passed." Reyna glanced at Evangeline before she turned to Frank.

"Centurion, your party is excused. The Senate has other matters to discuss. And, Octavian, if I may confer with you for a moment."

Evangeline was incredibly glad to feel the sunlight on her skin. In that dark hall, with all those eyes piercing through her, she'd felt like the world was riding on her shoulders—she had no idea how true that was about to be.

She filled her lungs with fresh air. The savory scent of fresh bread from the bakery filled her lungs and caused her stomach to grumble. Her ears went pink. She avoided looking at the trio.

Hazel picked up a large emerald from the path and slipped it into her pocket. "So...we're pretty much toast?"

"Ugh! Can we not be so negative." Evangeline frowned, "Negativity gives me wrinkles."

Frank nodded miserably. "If any of you wants to back out, I wouldn't blame you."

"Are you kidding?" Hazel said. "And pull sentry duty for the rest of the week?"

"Exactly, I'm not missing this chance." Evangeline straightened her shoulders, "Someone has to make sure you newbies don't cause too much chaos on this quest."

Frank managed a smile. He turned to Percy.

Percy gazed across the forum. He glanced at Evangeline before looking back at Frank. I'm with you," he told him. Besides, I want to check out the Roman navy."

"...well..."

They were only halfway across the forum when someone called, "Jackson!" Percy turned and saw Octavian jogging towards them.

"What do you want?" Percy asked.

Octavian smiled. "Already decided I'm your enemy? That's a rash choice, Percy. I'm a loyal Roman."

Frank snarled. 'You backstabbing, slimy—" Both Percy and Hazel had to restrain him.

Evangeline stepped forward and almost finished the job when Percy grabbed her and pulled her back by the waist. "Easy there,"

"Aw come on, he deserves to have his ugly face rearranged!"

"Oh, dear, "Octavian said. "Hardly the right behavior for a new centurion and aspiring one. Jackson, I only followed you because Reyna charged me with a message. She wants you to
report to the Principia without your—lackeys, here. Reyna will meet you there after the senate adjourns."

"I am not a lackey." Evangeline scoffed, "I'm a leader, not a follower."

"No one cares what a woman like you has to say," Octavian growled

"Yeah? You won't be saying that when a woman like me stomps on you like the cockroach you are! You're all bold but you sure did cower like a bitch when my mom was here."

Octavian growled, He tried to reach for a weapon that wasn't there. "You're lucky we are in the city legionnaire."

"No, You are." She spat. Her amber eyes pierced into the boy's face like knives.

Octavian rolled his eyes and turned toward Percy who held a scowl on his face. "She'd like a private word with you before you leave on your quest."

"What about?" Percy questioned.

"I'm sure I don't know." Octavian smiled wickedly. "The last person she had a private talk with was Jason Grace. She was the last person to see him. And that was the last time I ever saw him. Good luck and goodbye, Percy Jackson."

Evangeline felt herself become nauseated. Her eyes fogged up and she blinked to prevent water from filling them, the last person Jason saw was not Reyna.

Her heart felt like lead in its ribcage and her hands balled into fists, Octavian knew that would hurt her, and he knew that blaming Reyna for his disappearance would enrage her. Only piling on to her destructive emotions

"Excuse me," Evangeline faked a smile, trying to keep the tremble out of her voice. "I have somewhere to be."

Before anyone could stop or ask her what she was going to do, she ran off deeper into the city.