Chapter 10

I finally get claimed...sort of.

After dinner, we were all herded to the center of the camp. Merida was babysitting me but Cato still found his way to me. He grabbed my hand and squeezed it to signal he was there. Victoria gave a speech about how the fire has been missing for so many years and the camp has been deteriorating since then. We need Vesta's flame to repel Nemesis's influence on us. Supposedly it's been hidden in camp Jupiter and tomorrow morning we will attack them and we won't stop until we have retrieved the fire. I wasn't really paying attention until she announced my name. That I would be the one to restore the flame to us and lay waste to the Romans. Cato squeezed my hand one final time before I broke away. People started clearing the way for me but I didn't move.

"No!" I hollered defiantly. Victoria glared at me.

"Excuse me?" She asked.

"You heard me! I will not help you harm the Romans!" I exclaimed.

For the first time since I went with Victoria my amulet pulsed. Victoria glared at me.

"I can't have any errors in this plan." She hissed.

"Bring out the girl!" Victoria barked.

My heart did a nosedive into my stomach as two guards hauled out a small girl in torn clothing. When she lifted her head to face the crowd I saw her bright blue eyes shining like twin sapphires.

"Sapphira!" Cato gasped. Victoria smiled.

"How about now Lamia?" Victoria inquired.

"Let her go she's just a child! She didn't ask for this!" I demanded.

"Just a child? If I remember correctly you were also just a child when you escaped my team four years ago. Why should I show her any mercy? I was just a child when I was brought here. So do we have an agreement? The girl for your cooperation?" Victoria asked.

"Go to Tartarus!" I hollered.

One of the guards delivered a kick to her back. Sapphira cried out and fell flat out on the stage. Another guard reached down and pulled her up by her hair. Another guard punched her square in the face. Sapphira started crying. She let out ear piercing screams.

"You can stop this. All you have to do is bow to me and swear your unconditional loyalty." Victoria suggested. One of the guards went to deliver a kick to the poor girl's chest.

"No," I screamed rushing forward.

As if possessed the hearth in the fire lit up with flames. Big purple flames filled it. I felt myself wrapped in an invisible warm blanket and for a moment the world stood still. I saw a woman standing in the middle of the purple flames and she smiled at me before disappearing. The amulet dimmed a little but still pulsed in response to my anger. My body burned with rage. People desperately scrambled to get away from me. In all the chaos Cato smirked at me like he was trying not to laugh.

"What?" I snapped.

"Look up," He suggested. As plain as day, a red symbol burned above my head. It was hearth.

"Hestia?" I asked him.

"Child of Vesta." Cato nodded.

I looked down at my body. My clothes from Victoria were gone and replaced by a white toga with a gold belt. I was wearing simple leather sandals. The most startling thing was a black curl in my face. My hair was loose and back to black.

"You're burning up," Cato remarked. I didn't feel hot but judging by the people getting away from me I must've been.

"Seize her!" Victoria demanded.

Cato jumped to my defense.

"No this is my fight," I growled.

My arms acted on some new instinct and the fire in the hearth responded and started swirling around me. I threw my arms forward and the flames flew towards Victoria. Sadly she dodged it at the last second and next thing I knew there was some sort of chain wrapped around my wrist.

It felt ice cold like it was draining the heat from my body.

I tried throwing another fiery projectile but it was weaker and suddenly a second chain was on my other wrist. The pain became excruciating like they were trying to suck the very life from my body. The purple flames died down and returned to the hearth until there was nothing left. Victoria approached me with a smile. Cato grunted as I watched them tie him up.

"Nice try my little fire starter. I am always one step ahead of you."

One of the guards tried putting a collar on me but burned his hands badly.

"Curses the old hag is up to her usual tricks. But I'm flexible." Victoria smiled. "Don't you worry. You're mine until the day you die. Resistance is futile little demigod."

She dragged me up onto the podium with her. Cato and Sapphira had been dragged away to gods know where.

"Tomorrow we will defeat the Romans!" She announced. Everyone cheered.

I was dragged off stage. All the fight had gone out of my body. The chains I swear were draining my energy. I tried to get my feet under me but every time I did Victoria viciously yanked the chains making me fall to my knees again. They tried putting me in a jeep but the engine blew up from the heat I was putting off. I was surprised how fast they came up with a solution.

They prodded me into a metal cage and attached it to a jeep. No matter how hard I tried channeling this strange heat barrier I couldn't melt the cage. Whatever it was made of wasn't melting anytime soon. I must've fallen asleep because next thing I know I was loaded into the cargo bay of an airplane.

I still had the stupid chains but at least Cato and Sapphira were chained on opposite sides of the bay. Cato was chained next to my cage with Sapphira on the opposite side. Cato was conscious at least.

"Well, that didn't go as planned."Cato sighed.

"What plan? I didn't know we had one." I argued. My locket still pulsed strongly in response.

"That we try to stop them before they attacked Camp Jupiter," Cato replied.

"In what universe would two highly trained yet unclaimed demigods be able to stop a whole army of highly trained demigods?" I scoffed.

"Not this one." He sighed, hanging his head in defeat. "But you aren't unclaimed anymore."

"I was claimed by a goddess, not a god!" I snapped pulling against my chains.

"Still at least you have some kind of godly lineage." He sighed.

"May I point out I'm still stuck in the Hermes cabin. There is no cabin for Hestia. Unless they put a bed next to the hearth." I huffed. Cato smiled at that.

"So what do you think will happen at Camp Jupiter? Do you think they'll be ready?" I asked.

"Hopefully they are. Reyna was warned now all she has to do is prepare for the worst." He responded. I could tell he was trying to convince himself of that.

"How bad could they really be? I bet the Romans will crush them again just like they did before." I responded trying to cheer up Cato.

He sighed and leaned his head against the wall. I took that as a sign he didn't want to talk. I looked around our surroundings. There were lots of crates but from what I could tell we were the only living cargo. I think this is the most trouble I could be in. That means things can only get better.

I think I've hit the point when the hero is supposedly doomed. Because after we landed I was prodded into another cage and Cato was led a different way.

"He must walk a separate path." Echoed through my head.

I remember Chiron telling us that years ago. Right before he sent Cato away. Could he have known all along? I'm going give him a piece of my mind if so.

I waited in my cage as we roared down the road. I wish I had a window or any source of light. Well, I had my amulet faintly glowing. I think the chains were affecting it as well. The truck stopped and I heard someone undoing the lock on the doors.

The minute they had me outside I realized we were on the edge of camp Jupiter. Just over that hill was all that was left of the Roman Empire. I had to laugh at the irony. We truly had made a full circle. Last time I was injured and on the verge of passing out and now I'm shackled and being dragged in.

The tunnel guards ran into to the tunnel the minute they saw us. Victoria's forces started piling out of the various vehicles and forming ranks. She whispered something to Frederick before she gestured to two guards. Frederick disappeared into the crowd and Victoria yanked me forward towards the hills.

I thought we would use the tunnel but no she just started climbing the hills heading for camp Jupiter. The two guards accompanying us were carrying a giant box. Once we reached the crest and could see all of camp Jupiter the guards put the box down and unlocked it.

The one guy took the chains bound around my wrist and took the loose ends and secured them around Victoria's wrist. I would've chuckled but for the look, Victoria was giving me there was something more to this plan. The second guard attached more chains to my ankles and then using the excess secured Victoria's ankles. They very cautiously secured a set of chains around my neck and with the same chain repeated the process on Victoria. Then they put one around my waist and Victoria's. Something felt terribly wrong. Once they were done securing the chains I felt this presence seeping into my bones.

"You know what to do. Tear them apart until you find the fire." Victoria ordered.

I wanted to scream at her but my body wasn't responding. It started marching down as if it had a mind of its own. The more I fought against it the stronger it got. It was like someone was digging into my very soul the more I tried resisting.

I started giving into the part that told me to just give up I'd already lost. I didn't want to fight anymore, it just caused even bigger problems. Then I felt the locket pulse in protest. Scenes started flooding my vision.

Nico finding me in the woods the same day I found the amulet.

Watching the Senate building empty my first day in camp Jupiter.

Watching Cato talk with Reyna.

Last summer when I hid in the Argo II so I could see Camp Jupiter.

Being reunited with my brother.

My first day in camp Halfblood when I met Annabeth and Percy. "That was awesome" Percy laughed.

Curling up by the fireplace with grandma while she told me Greek myths.

On the train with Cato when I got sick.

"Go to sleep Mia, I'll keep you safe." He said.

Cecilia cursing at Cato for something I don't know.

The anger I felt towards Victoria for taking advantage of me.

Cato and I in the sword fighting arena planning our next step.

"Oh, Mia. It's okay we'll make it. We're in this together." He told me.

Rage pounded into my veins. I was not someone's puppet to be used. I am a demigod of both empires that has to count for something. I turned to face Victoria. She glared at me and the weird feeling got stronger again. I focused on the memories.

"Heros don't just exist in those myths. Maybe someday you'll become a hero just like them. Heroes don't have to conquer great monsters. Sometimes heroes are the people who stand up for what is pure and right in this world." I remember Cato telling me that years ago.

I managed to find my voice. The chains were actually heating up now instead of being cold. I wrapped my hands around them.

"You. Will not. Win." I forced out, willing the memories to overcome whatever she was doing to me.

I saw fear start to bleed into her features. She was actually scared of me. Good because she doesn't know what she's unleashed.

I felt something warm flood my chest. The amulet was glowing bright and pulsing like never before. Fire had encased it and was spreading down my arms and up my throat.

I fought against this mysterious forced she had in me. Fast as lightning the fire reached my wrists and neck and the chains broke away. The others fell away of their own accord. Victoria fell to the ground in an awkward position.

"No, it isn't possible." She gasped, turning as white as my toga.

"Yes, it is absolutely possible for me to break your toys." I retorted, standing over her.

She hadn't moved a muscle beside her mouth.

"Call of your army," I demanded.

The fire curled around my arms and yet it didn't hurt. She spat at me.

I turned down into the valley that housed camp Jupiter and froze at what I saw. The Romans and her army had met right at the Little Tiber and her army was pushing the Romans back. I gave Victoria one last look before running down into the valley. How long had I been up there with Victoria?

"Stop!" I hollered.

No one listened to me. I did something incredibly stupid next. I ran straight into the center of the conflict. All I could hear was the clanging of metal and battle cries. I didn't realize that I was running through the edge of the Little Tiber, soaking my sneakers.

I saw Frederick getting ready to stab Cato. Cato was distracted trying to shield Sapphira from another attacker. My muscles had already tensed during my flight down here and that strange muscles deep inside me tensed as I screamed at Cato.

"No!"

Well if there was any doubt who my father was before now what happened next cleared up any doubt. The Little Tiber exploded and flooded the battle field. As quick as it started it ended. The water rushed to rejoin the river banks and the armies were wiped out.

"Your leader is finished. Surrender while you have the chance." I announced to Victoria's army.

The Romans had collected themselves and reformed ranks. I looked to Reyna for final decision. Cato, Jason, and Frank were whispering to her. She looked at me curiously and then at the army. She whispered something to them.

"Seize the attackers!" She announced finally.

Cato broke away from Reyna and the boys who were still whispering to her and hugged me. I must not be so hot anymore. I did feel a shock from him but hugged him back.

"We did it," I mumbled, into his armor.

"We certainly did Mia," Cato responded nestling his head into my hair.

When we pulled away I gave him a curious look. He seemed way too happy for defeating Victoria. I saw the small spark on his fingers. He noticed at the same time and hid his hands behind his back. He gave me a cheesy grin.

"No way." I gasped.

"Yes, way," Jason responded, walking up.

"Actually I can see it. He kind of looks like Thalia." I teased.

Cato's face made me start laughing. Jason started laughing.

"I have another sister?" Cato asked glaring at Jason.

"It's complicated," Jason replied.

"Yeah right." I scoffed.

"One of you please tell me who this girl is!" Cato argued.

"Thalia Grace is his older sister who used to attend camp halfblood. She is now lieutenant in the hunters of Artemis. So don't worry she'll only beat you up when she meets you." I teased.

"Did you get claimed too?" Jason asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"No." I sighed.

"Then what was with the title wave? I only know one other person who can do that and that's…"

"I swear to the gods if you say his name I'm going to put you in a world of hurt." I snapped cutting him off.

Jason looked at me surprised. He raised an eyebrow at Cato.

"Lamia Ava Smith!" Hollered a female voice.

"Crap," I muttered. Jason smiled at us before making himself scarce. I had forgotten about her.