Leo's POV

"So are we just gonna ignore the fact that knives just appeared outta nowhere?!" Frank shrieked. "Because I find something like that very hard to ignore!"

"Daggers," Peri said immediately in a monotone. "Six inch Imperial Gold daggers with razor edges. Includes a hook at the end of each; most efficient tool for killing Cyclopes."

She glanced sideways at Tyson. "Sorry."

Once again, the table grew completely silent. All eyes were on Peri, but I noticed she never shrank away from the attention.

Reyna narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "How do you know all that? You haven't taken any monster terminology courses or weapons training classes."

Octavian frowned deeply, prodding his ruined oatmeal angrily. He grumbled quietly to himself. "I knew it. I knew it. I always knew there was something off about-"

"No!" Peri cried out, almost urgently. She twirled and fiddled with her blonde bang as she tried to piece her words together correctly. "I'm not entirely sure why I know all that stuff about weapons or why I'm so kick-butt at fighting. . . but I think it has something to do with me being the Omega-Blood.

Annabeth nodded her head. "I agree. I think that we can learn more about Anastasios by observing Peri."

I didn't really like the way Annabeth said 'observing', almost like Peri was some sort of lab rat. Apparently, Peri was thinking the same thing.

"Oi! I'm not some science experiment!"

Annabeth automatically got defensive. "Well, I didn't mean like-!"

"N-n-n-no more boats," Ella the harpy cried out suddenly, picking furiously at her feathers.

"Ella is scared." Tyson wrung his big, meaty hands. His big brown eye was full of concern.

"Titanic, Lusitania, Pax. . . boats are not for harpies." Ella continued, making absolutely no sense.

I squinted my eyes and turned to curly haired Hazel. "Did that chicken girl just compare my ship to the Titanic?"

"She's not a chicken." Hazel looked away from me again. Looks like we're back to square one with that. "Ella's a harpy. She's just a little. . . high-strung."

"Ella's pretty," Tyson nodded. "And scared. We need to take her away, but she will not go on the ship."

"No ships," Ella repeated. She looked straight at Annabeth. "Bad luck. There she is. Wisdom's daughter walks alone-"

"Ella!" Frank stood suddenly, surprising us all. "Maybe it's not the best time-"

"The Mark of Athena burns through Rome," Ella continued, covering her ears and raising her voice. "Twins snuff out the angel's breath, Who holds the key to endless death. Giants; bane stands gold and pale, Won through pain from a woven jail."

It was like someone dropped a flash grenade on the table. Everyone stared at the harpy. No one spoke, and it was so quiet I could hear my own blood pumping in my ears. Annabeth's face was ghostly pale, and she kept making steely glances at Percy. They were hiding something and it bothered me that I didn't know what. I stole a glance at Peri next to me, and she was looking from Percy to Annabeth as if she were thinking the same thing I was.

Something. Is. Up.

Around us, the sounds of the breakfast feast continued, but muted and distant, as if our little cluster of couches had slipped into a quieter dimension.

Percy was the first to break the spell. He stood and took hold of Tyson's arm. "I know!" he said with feigned enthusiasm. "How about you take Ella to go get some fresh air? You and Mrs. O'Leary-"

"Hold on." Octavian gripped one of his teddy bears, strangling it with shaking hands. His eyes fixed on Ella. "What was that she said? It sounded like-"

"Ella reads a lot!" Frank blurted out. "We found her at a library."

"Yes!" Hazel chimed in. "Probably just something she read in a book."

"Books," Ella muttered helpfully. "Ella likes books."

Now that she'd said her piece, the harpy seemed more relaxed. That was probably also due to the fact Peri wasn't summoning daggers to chop her into chicken wings.

"That was a prophecy," Octavian insisted. "It sounded like a prophecy."

I glanced over at Peri as I thought this. She was looking over everyone at the table, gauging their actions and responses to everything. She turned towards me, and her eyes met mine. Just at a glance I could tell she was lost and confused, like she was trying to find her place. Where she fit in in all of this.

I know that feeling all too well.

I gave her a reassuring a smile, and she nodded her head once before looking away quickly.

Annabeth laughed suddenly, but it sounded a bit fake and forced. "Really Octavian?" She scoffed. "Maybe harpies are different here on the Roman side. Ours have just enough intelligence to clean cabins and cook lunches. Do yours usually foretell the future? Do you consult them for your auguries?"

"Oooooh! BURN!" I said, and the Roman officers laughed at Octavian.

"I, uh. . ." Octavian dropped his teddy bear. "No, but-"

"She's just spouting lines from some book," Annabeth continued, "like Hazel suggested. Besides we already have a real prophecy to worry about."

She turned to Tyson. "Percy's right. Why don't you take Ella and Mrs. O'Leary and shadow-travel somewhere for a while. Is Ella okay with that?"

"'Large dogs are good,'" Ella said. "Old Yeller, 1957, screenplay by Fred Gipson and William Tunberg."

I'm not entirely sure if that was a yes or a no, but Percy smiled like the problem was solved.

"Great!" He said. "We'll Iris-message you guys when we're done and catch up with you later."

The Romans looked at Reyna, waiting for her ruling.

Damn! She got them whipped!

"Fine," Reyna said at last after scrutinizing the entire situation for what felt like forever. "Go."

"Yay!" Tyson went around the couches and gave everyone a big hug- even Octavian who didn't look too happy about it. Tyson hesitated when it came to Peri, but she opened her arms to him invitingly. He squealed (which, I think Tyson is too big to be squealing honestly) and glomped her in his huge arms.

Then he climbed onto Mrs. O'Leary's back with Ella, and the hellhound bounded out of the forum. They dove straight into a shadow of the Senate Hall and disappeared.

"Whoa!" Peri murmured next to me.

"Well." Reyna put down her uneaten apple. "Octavian is right about one thing. We must gain the senate's approval before we let any of our legionnaires go on a quest- especially one as dangerous as you're suggesting."

"This whole thing smells of treachery," Octavian grumbled. "That trireme is not a ship of peace!"

"Come aboard, man," I offered. "I'll give you a tour. You can steer the boat, and if you're really good I'll give you a little paper captain's hat to wear. The Argo II is the most amazing warship ever, you gotta check her out!"

Octavian's nostrils flared. "How dare you-"

Peri shot out of her seat faster than ever, silverware flying across the table. "A warship?! I wanna see!"

"It's a good idea," Reyna agreed, nodding her head. "Octavian, go along with them. See the ship. We'll convene a senate meeting in one hour."

"But. . ." Octavian stopped. Apparently he could tell from Reyna's expression that further arguing would not be good for his health. "Fine."

"Yes!" Peri fist pumped. "I call being the Sailor!"

I chuckled and got up.

Then, something weird happened. Honestly, it passed so quickly I'm not sure if it really happened or if I was imagining it.

A cold chill went down my spine. Then, for a split second, it was like I was watching the scene in front of me from someone else's point of view. I cold see myself looking at the table where everyone was gathered at. I could see Peri trying to drag Octavian out of the mess hall as I watched, motionless.

Then it was gone.

I blinked and shivered.

Something is definitely up.

I looked down and saw Annabeth staring at me. I tried playing off what just happened by flashing my signature Leo Valdez smile. She looked away, and I prayed to the gods it had worked.

"Come on, Leo!" I heard Peri call from the mess hall's front doors.

I quickly ran to catch up, trying feverishly to shake off the weird feeling that just passed over me.

As I ran up, I heard Peri talking to an annoyed Octavian.

"Listen, Octopus Head," She told him. "I'm the Sailor, so don't be trying to steal my job, kay? You can be the Cabin Boy! And maybe, maybe, if you work hard at scrubbin' them floors, you'll get promoted to First Rate Cabin Boy!"

She smiled when she saw me. "Hey, Leo! You cool with bein' the Captain? I mean, you did build the Argo, right?"

I smiled a little. "Yeah, I'm the Captain, so you guys have to do what I say or you'll be walking the plank!"

She saluted like a sailor. "Aye aye, Captain!"