The Son of Neptune - Chapter 15

PERCY WAS GLAD RIPTIDE HAD RETURNED to his pocket.
Judging from Reyna’s expression, he thought he might
need to defend himself.
She stormed into the principia with her purple cloak
billowing, and her greyhounds at her feet. Percy was
sitting in one of the praetor chairs that he’d pulled to the
visitor’s side, which maybe wasn’t the proper thing to do.
He started to get up.
‘Stay seated,’ Reyna growled. ‘You leave after lunch.
We have a lot to discuss.’
She plunked down her dagger so hard the jelly-bean
bowl rattled. Aurum and Argentum took their posts on her
left and right and fixed their ruby eyes on Percy.
‘What’d I do wrong?’ Percy asked. ‘If it’s about the chair
–’
‘It’s not you.’ Reyna scowled. ‘I hate senate meetings.
When Octavian gets talking …’
Percy nodded. ‘You’re a warrior. Octavian is a talker.
Put him in front of the senate, and suddenly he becomes
the powerful one.’
She narrowed her eyes. ‘You’re smarter than you look.’
‘Gee, thanks. I hear Octavian might get elected praetor,
assuming the camp survives that long.’
‘Which brings us to the subject of doomsday,’ Reyna
said, ‘and how you might help prevent it. But before I
place the fate of Camp Jupiter in your hands, we need to
get a few things straight.’
She sat down and put a ring on the table – a band of
silver etched with a sword-and-torch design, like Reyna’s
tattoo. ‘Do you know what this is?’
‘The sign of your mom,’ Percy said. ‘The … uh, war
goddess.’ He tried to remember the name but he didn’t
want to get it wrong – something like bologna. Or salami?
‘Bellona, yes.’ Reyna scrutinized him carefully. ‘You
don’t remember where you saw this ring before? You
really don’t remember me or my sister, Hylla?’
Percy shook his head. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘It would’ve been four years ago.’
‘Just before you came to camp.’
Reyna frowned. ‘How did you – ?’
‘You’ve got four stripes on your tattoo. Four years.’
Reyna looked at her forearm. ‘Of course. It seems so
long ago. I suppose you wouldn’t recall me even if you
had your memory. I was just a little girl – one attendant
among so many at the spa. But you spoke with my sister,
just before you and that other one, Annabeth, destroyed
our home.’
Percy tried to remember. He really did. For some
reason, Annabeth and he had visited a spa and decided
to destroy it. He couldn’t imagine why. Maybe they hadn’t
liked the deep-tissue massage? Maybe they’d had bad
manicures?
‘It’s a blank,’ he said. ‘Since your dogs aren’t attacking
me, I hope you’ll believe me. I’m telling the truth.’
Aurum and Argentum snarled. Percy got the feeling
they were thinking, Please lie. Please lie.
Reyna tapped the silver ring.
‘I believe you’re sincere,’ she said. ‘But not everyone at
camp does. Octavian thinks you’re a spy. He thinks you
were sent here by Gaia to find our weaknesses and
distract us. He believes the old legends about the
Greeks.’
‘Old legends?’
Reyna’s hand rested halfway between her dagger and
the jelly beans. Percy had a feeling that if she made a
sudden move she wouldn’t be grabbing for the candy.
‘Some believe Greek demigods still exist,’ she said,
‘heroes who follow the older forms of the gods. There are
legends of battles between Roman and Greek heroes in
relatively modern times – the American Civil War, for
instance. I have no proof of this and, if our Lares know
anything, they refuse to say. But Octavian believes the
Greeks are still around, plotting our downfall, working with
the forces of Gaia. He thinks you are one of them.’
‘Is that what you believe?’
‘I believe you came from somewhere,’ she said. ‘You’re
important, and dangerous. Two gods have taken a special
interest in you since you arrived, so I can’t believe you’d
work against Olympus … or Rome.’ She shrugged. ‘Of
course, I could be wrong. Perhaps the gods sent you here
to test my judgement. But I think … I think you were sent
here to make up for the loss of Jason.’
Jason … Percy couldn’t go very far in this camp without
hearing that name.
‘The way you talk about him …’ Percy said. ‘Were you
two a couple?’
Reyna’s eyes bored into him – like the eyes of a hungry
wolf. Percy had seen enough hungry wolves to know.
‘We might have been,’ Reyna said, ‘given time.
Praetors work closely together. It’s common for them to
become romantically involved. But Jason was only
praetor for a few months before he disappeared. Ever
since then, Octavian has been pestering me, agitating for
new elections. I’ve resisted. I need a partner in power – but
I’d prefer someone like Jason. A warrior, not a schemer.’
She waited. Percy realized she was sending him a
silent invitation.
His throat went dry. ‘Oh … you mean … oh.’
‘I believe the gods sent you to help me,’ Reyna said. ‘I
don’t understand where you come from, any more than I
understood it four years ago. But I think your arrival is
some sort of repayment. You destroyed my home once.
Now you’ve been sent to save my home. I don’t hold a
grudge against you for the past, Percy. My sister hates
you still, it’s true, but Fate brought me here to Camp
Jupiter. I’ve done well. All I ask is that you work with me for
the future. I intend to save this camp.’
The metal dogs glared at him, their mouths frozen in
snarl mode. Percy found Reyna’s eyes a lot harder to
meet.
‘Look, I’ll help,’ he promised. ‘But I’m new here. You’ve
got a lot of good people who know this camp better than I
do. If we succeed on this quest, Hazel and Frank will be
heroes. You could ask one of them –’
‘Please,’ Reyna said. ‘No one will follow a child of Pluto.
There’s something about that girl … rumours about where
she came from … No, she won’t do. As for Frank Zhang,
he has a good heart, but he’s hopelessly naïve and
inexperienced. Besides, if the others found out about his
family history at this camp –’
‘Family history?’
‘The point is, Percy, you are the real power on this
quest. You are a seasoned veteran. I’ve seen what you
can do. A son of Neptune wouldn’t be my first choice, but if
you return successfully from this mission the legion might
be saved. The praetorship will be yours for the taking.
Together, you and I could expand the power of Rome. We
could raise an army and find the Doors of Death, crush
Gaia’s forces once and for all. You would find me a very
helpful … friend.’
She said that word like it could have several meanings,
and he could pick which one.
Percy’s feet started tapping on the floor, anxious to run.
‘Reyna … I’m honoured, and all. Seriously. But I’ve got a
girlfriend. And I don’t want power, or a praetorship.’
Percy was afraid he’d make her mad. Instead she just
raised her eyebrows.
‘A man who turns down power?’ she said. ‘That’s not
very Roman of you. Just think about it. In four days, I have
to make a choice. If we are to fight off an invasion, we
must have two strong praetors. I’d prefer you, but if you fail
on your quest, or don’t come back, or refuse my
offer … Well, I’ll work with Octavian. I mean to save this
camp, Percy Jackson. Things are worse than you realize.’
Percy remembered what Frank said about the monster
attacks getting more frequent. ‘How bad?’
Reyna’s nails dug into the table. ‘Even the senate
doesn’t know the whole truth. I’ve asked Octavian not to
share his auguries, or we’d have mass panic. He’s seen a
great army marching south, more than we can possibly
defeat. They’re led by a giant –’
‘Alcyoneus?’
‘I don’t think so. If he is truly invulnerable in Alaska, he’d
be foolish to come here himself. It must be one of his
brothers.’
‘Great,’ Percy said. ‘So we’ve got two giants to worry
about.’
The praetor nodded. ‘Lupa and her wolves are trying to
slow them down, but this force is too strong even for them.
The enemy will be here soon – by the Feast of Fortuna at
the very latest.’
Percy shuddered. He’d seen Lupa in action. He knew
all about the wolf goddess and her pack. If this enemy was
too powerful for Lupa, Camp Jupiter didn’t stand a chance.
Reyna read his expression. ‘Yes, it’s bad, but not
hopeless. If you succeed in bringing back our eagle, if
you release Death so we can actually kill our enemies,
then we stand a chance. And there’s one more
possibility …’
Reyna slid the silver ring across the table. ‘I can’t give
you much help, but your journey will take you close to
Seattle. I’m asking you for a favour, which may also help
you. Find my sister, Hylla.’
‘Your sister … the one who hates me?’
‘Oh, yes,’ Reyna agreed. ‘She would love to kill you. But
show her that ring as a token from me, and she may help
you instead.’
‘May?’
‘I can’t speak for her. In fact …’ Reyna frowned. ‘In fact I
haven’t spoken to her in weeks. She’s gone silent. With
these armies passing through –’
‘You want me to check on her,’ Percy guessed. ‘Make
sure she’s okay.’
‘Partially, yes. I can’t imagine she’s been overcome. My
sister has a powerful force. Her territory is well defended.
But if you can find her she could offer you valuable help. It
could mean the difference between success and failure
on your quest. And if you tell her what’s happening here –’
‘She might send help?’ Percy asked.
Reyna didn’t answer, but Percy could see the
desperation in her eyes. She was terrified, grasping for
anything that could save her camp. No wonder she
wanted Percy’s help. She was the only praetor. The
defence of the camp rested on her shoulders alone.
Percy took the ring. ‘I’ll find her. Where do I look? What
kind of force does she have?’
‘Don’t worry. Just go to Seattle. They’ll find you.’
That didn’t sound encouraging, but Percy slipped the
ring onto his leather necklace with his beads and his
probatio tablet. ‘Wish me luck.’
‘Fight well, Percy Jackson,’ Reyna said. ‘And thank you.’
He could tell the audience was over. Reyna was having
trouble holding herself together, keeping up the image of
the confident commander. She needed some time by
herself.
But at the door of the principia, Percy couldn’t resist
turning. ‘How did we destroy your home – that spa where
you lived?’
The metal greyhounds growled. Reyna snapped her
fingers to silence them.
‘You destroyed the power of our mistress,’ she said.
‘You freed some prisoners who took revenge on all of us
who lived on the island. My sister and I … well, we
survived. It was difficult. But in the long run I think we are
better off away from that place.’
‘Still, I’m sorry,’ Percy said. ‘If I hurt you, I’m sorry.’
Reyna gazed at him for a long time, as if trying to
translate his words. ‘An apology? Not very Roman at all,
Percy Jackson. You’d make an interesting praetor. I hope
you’ll think about my offer.’

Categories: The Son of Neptune