Hey everyone!

Just a short message. I've recently shifted to another place and I've got loads of work in my hands already. It's been working like a house-elf for the last ten days and I've still got to complete half of the total amount. So please excuse me if the chapters are lousy or short. I'm trying my best to write and keep updating.

Regards,

Silverstriker

Chapter 19

Piper's P.O.V.

Piper back already ached from dragging Percy and Jason alone with her. She didn't want some more stupid things happening, but of course, the eidolons had possessed the crew members. After a bit of hustle-bustle (charmspeaking) she had made them swear on Styx they won't be possessing any crew member. Finally, she got her time alone with Jason. She had been alone for a while with him yesterday at Camp Jupiter, but half the time, she had been freaking out that Jason would be too much appalled by his former home and leave her to join them.

And then there had been the blast. And then, well, it didn't count as being alone with Jason when there were eight other people on the ship, and when they were constantly moving here and there. She finally had a moment But when she finally spoke to him, she said something she didn't know she wanted to ask when they were alone and it could have just been some casual hanging out between the mess they were in.

"You know something about the Mark of Athena, don't you? You and Natalie?"

Piper hadn't even thought she would ask that, but she just sort of blurted it out without even thinking. She could feel Jason's clammy hand, and his anxiousness.

"Uh - well -,"

"I know you do. I saw both of you get all worried when it was mentioned. You just went so pale you looked like you wanted to throw up or something."

Jason hesitated. "Yeah. Yeah, I do. But I'm not sure it's good to tell."

Piper frowned. Surely, Jason could at least share it with her. "Please don't start that sure and not sure thing again. Just tell me. You can trust me with it."

Jason turned red. "No, it's not like I don't trust you. But, let's just say it has been a well-guarded secret even within the Romans. Not all people at camp know about this. It's a legend that has been passed down through generations of Praetors."

Piper waited for him to continue. Jason again stopped for some moments. Then he continued, "Legend has it that it was something the Romans stole from the Greeks. Something sacred to Athena. That not only made Athena's children hate us to the last seconds of their lives, but it also resulted in the ongoing conflict between the Greeks and Romans."

"I don't know much about the Mark of Athena, but I know that a few of Athena's children, chosen by their mother themselves, are told to follow it. To retrieve whatever the thing was. I don't know more. It's Natalie who's more about camp history."

As soon as he said this, another question sprang into Piper's mind. "But why would Romans steal anything from Greeks? And if they did, then where is this thing?"

"As I said, I don't have any idea. But I don't want to talk about this right now," he said, pulling his hand away from hers and running it through his hair. "I promise I'll tell Annabeth and everybody when the time is right. But not now."

Piper knew she was making him uncomfortable, so she said the thing she had wanted to say for a long time.

"I'm sorry. I should have attempted charmspeak better. Maybe we could have sorted things out at that time."

A smile flickered around Jason's face. "No, no. You did the best. Maybe it just wasn't in our luck."

She felt relieved. At least he didn't hold her responsible for all that happened. But somehow, Piper knew that she should have tried better. She was just scared that Jason might forget her. But she knew now that he wouldn't.

"There are a lot of things I want to tell you. Lots of confessions, actually," Jason said after a while.

Piper silently smiled. "There are a lot of things I want to tell you and confessions I want to make too, Sparky."

She ruffled his hair. "Start up."