A/N: Wow so many views, thank you all very much. There's also been a rise in my profile views :O, feel free to read my other works. Enjoy and leave a review! I'm always looking for constructive criticism to improve my writing~

Chapter 2

"Wasn't that the woman from the meeting with the Greeks from earlier? The daughter of Aphrodite?" Frank asked curiously as Jason returned to his friend. Frank looked down at the bread Jason held. "And didn't you just eat lunch?"

Jason looked back to where he had just came from, but Piper had already left. "Yeah, that was her. Just helping her out."

The words were foreign in his mouth. A Roman helping out a Greek was unheard of. But it was a new time for peace. And what had his Uncle said? Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer. His uncle was a formidable man who had raged and won many battles until he had assaulted one too many innocents and fell on his own sword.

It's your fault. The snide voice in the back of his head remarked. Guilty. Traitor.

"Shut up," he growled.

"What?" Frank asked, startled. "I didn't say anything."

He hadn't meant to speak out loud. "Um, it's nothing. Here, you want this?"

"Um, thanks." Frank took the bread, mystified. But he started munching on it anyways. Hazel was right; Frank had an appetite of that of a centaur.

Jason and Frank explored the town, but they didn't meet the daughter of Aphrodite again. Jason's mood worsened as he thought of what the dark voice in the back of his head had said.

The voice was right, of course. His uncle had been an intelligent strategist and general. His name inspired fear to all his enemies. But the general was not a good man. He treated his servants and slaves like the shit his sandals had stepped on. Food, wine, and women were all he cared about off of the battlefield, and Jason had learned very quickly that the women of the villages his uncle conquered faced dire fates.

It had been a relief when his uncle died. Then a sense of guilt filled Jason whenever he felt that relief.

"Let's go back to the base," Jason announced. Perhaps some sparring practice could take his mind off of those thoughts.

Murderer, the voice whispered once more.

Piper ran as fast as she could. With every escape, she became faster, her legs elongating as her woman's body developed in curves and strength.

It had been a year since she last seen her father.

By now she knew why her beauty was so dangerous, why her father wanted to keep her in hiding for so long.

I'm sorry, Father, Piper thought, burning tears rolling down her cheeks. She had always resented that her father sheltered her, always being overprotective. Too late did she learn that it was out of love that he had to do so, not out of jealousy of her beauty.

An arrow flew out of the dark and pierced her thigh. Piper tried to muffle her cry but her voice was full of anguish as the flare of burning pain spread up her leg.

She was too slow. A net flew wide over her, preventing any escape. She kicked out her legs and fists, ignoring the throbbing pain from her pierced thigh. Then her chin met a sword.

"Another move and your head will be separated from your body." The soldier said.

She was quickly surrounded by other soldiers. Romans, by the looks of it. Dirtied purple garb peeked here and there under stained silver armor.

"What should we do with her, General Grace?" The soldier holding the sword to her chin spoke.

A tall man walked into view. Piper shivered as the man approached. There was something foul about the man. It was the menacing air he gave off from the dark beady eyes.

"Take her."

Hands reached towards her again, collapsing her further into the net. Piper screamed as the wires cut into her skin.

"Piper, Piper!" Hands shook her awake. "It's time to wake up. You decent?"

Piper groaned as sunlight from her open tent flap hit her face. "Yeesh, Leo. Why ask if I'm decent if you're already inside my tent, anyways?" She stifled a yawn.

Leo grinned impishly. "Sorry, Beauty Queen. Now, come on. We're breaking up camp. There's been sightings of a monster army to the east of here and we're being dispatched immediately. Annabeth wants us to scout the area head first, and we're going to combine with some Romans."

"With the Romans?"

The son of Hephaestus shrugged. "You know that not everyone agrees with the alliance. Some of the Romans don't agree, and some of us Greeks don't see eye to eye as well. If we show a combined force, maybe it'll change their minds."

"Fair enough. Now get out so I can change. And stop calling me Beauty Queen!"

Leo flashed another mischievous grin and left before Piper could throw another pillow at him.

Piper took a deep breath as Leo left. She had another nightmare from her past. She had hoped that with time those nightmares would fade away, but with the Romans so close they had increased in frequency.

Her skin buzzed with excitement. Piper pinched her arm, willing her power to diminish. It was that power of hers combined with the cursed gift of beauty from her mother that had brought all her troubles and stress in life. She took a few deep breaths, meditating so her power lessened. It would not due for her to unleash another wave of lust like she did just a few weeks prior on the battlefield.

Collecting herself, Piper got dressed. It was time to face the Romans, her once sworn enemies.

It was an odd sight, the Roman and Greek camps traveling alongside each other to their new destination. Flags of purple and orange were hoisted in the air, signifying the union of the former rivals. Piper's charmspeaking abilities were needed occasionally here and there to settle disputes, but to the relief of the leaders from both camps, they were only minor.

Still, the presence of Romans nearby unnerved Piper. She had a feeling that she could somewhat trust Reyna, who was riding on her pegasus twenty feet ahead. The dark-haired female carried herself with a grace that many nobles would kill to emulate. But Octavian, on the other hand, perturbed Piper. Though he claimed to be a descendant of Apollo, he was like a watered-down version of the sons of Apollo in the Greek camp.

And then there was the one called Jason Grace.

Speaking of him, Piper slid off the bronze metal dragon she was riding with Leo.

"I'll be back," she called to Leo's surprised expression.

Annabeth and Percy, each riding their respective pegasus, raised their eyebrows but didn't say anything as Piper jogged past.

"Jason," she called out.

Jason's anemoi thuellai or storm spirit horse neighed as she jogged up to its side. Flickers of lightning flashed from its mane to its tail as its grey stormy body solidified. Piper resolved not to get too close to the horse.

"Woah, there," Jason calmed his horse down as the horse bucked up. "Sorry about that," he assured Piper. His blue eyes stared down at her curiously. With the sun shining, his golden hair rippled like the rich color of wheat. Piper blinked. He was a handsome man, almost like a prince on a white horse, except that his horse kept materializing in and out of solidness.

Reyna paused her horse, but Jason waved her ahead when the other praetor send him a questioning glance. The female praetor studied the two, as though unsure of what she was seeing, but then she took off with her pegasus. Octavian sent her a sneer as he passed by, all of which Piper ignored.

"No, I apologize. I didn't mean to startle your horse. Here," Piper said somewhat breathlessly. She was still trotting along with the horse until Jason slowed the horse down to a walking pace. They couldn't stop completely or else the procession would be stalled. Piper reached out her hand and Jason instinctively grabbed the copper coin she offered. "Thanks for helping me out the other day."

"Oh, that's okay, I told you not to worry about it." Jason tried to offer it back, but Piper had already retracted her hand.

"No, please do take it. I always repay my debts," Piper smiled.

Jason stared at her for a few seconds. She felt herself get nervous. Did she have a nose hair sticking out or something? Did Leo paint a mustache on her face again and she hadn't noticed? Jason finally grinned and pocketed the copper coin. The scar on his lips stretched, but it only made him look more human and less like an unreachable god chiseled from marble. He looked more comfortable that way. Gods were fickle and sometimes untrustworthy. Piper blinked, getting her thoughts back to rationale.

"I um, I should let you get back to riding." Piper turned to head back to Leo, but Leo, Annabeth, and Piper had long made their way past and were now in the front of the troops. "Oh, drat."

Jason glanced ahead. "Do you want to ride with me?"

"What?"

Her expression must have been comical as Jason laughed out loud. His voice was deep, ringing like the rich sound of clanging golden bells. "It'll be faster. Or you can catch a ride with the Hermes or Mercury troops."

Piper made a face, watching as the Hermes children pickpocketed the Mercury troops and vice versa. The majority of the disputes she had settled that day were caused by the children of the god of thieves.

Jason extended his hand, his smile warm. "Offer still stands."

Piper looked at the hand, chewing on her bottom lip in thought. The logical part of her brain screamed no, that the Roman shouldn't be trusted. But she was a daughter of Aphrodite, where emotion sometimes overtipped the logical. She willed her power to diminish, keeping it under control. Then her fingers were lacing itself with Jason's and he gracefully pulled her into his horse.

At first, Piper was scared that she would fall straight through the horse made of stormy air (Leo would insert some joke about flatulence here) and fall straight on her butt. Somehow the horse was solid enough. She sat in front of Jason, unsure of where to place her hands.

"Here, you can hold the reins loosely."

Piper obeyed gently gripping the leather reins, not too keen on leading on a horse made of mist. She startled as Jason's arms encircled her to stabilize her. His hands held the ends of the reins so she was not truly controlling his horse.

Piper sucked in a quiet breath. She never liked being so close to others, particularly males. It had taken her weeks to get used to Annabeth's and Rachel's hugs, in fear that she would accidentally let loose her power. But now Jason's chest was pressed here and there against her back. Granted, they were both wearing armor that clanked against each other as the horse trotted.

"His name is Tempest," Jason said quietly.

Piper gently stroked what would be Tempest's mane. It felt weird, petting a horse made out of wind and mist. Tempest whinnied, tossing his hair in the air.

"I do believe Tempest likes you." Jason laughed as Tempest neighed again.

"I've never met an anemoi thuellai before, let alone see someone riding on top of one." Piper murmured. But it would make sense that a son of Jupiter would ride such a horse.

"Ah, he's what we would call a ventus. Do you want to see how fast he can go? Hiyah!" Jason cried.

With a triumphant neigh, Tempest kicked off its hooves and Piper found them streaking along the trail. Tempest was fast, but he was also skilled in dodging obstacles. They galloped past soldiers and other riders with ease. Piper found herself laughing. She liked horses, but the Greek army had been lacking in supplies, horses being one of them. She always rode with Leo or Annabeth. sharing their steeds.

"Hiyah!" Jason commanded again and then Piper's heart stopped. Tempest's hooves lifted off the ground and the horse was flying. They circled in the sky, dipping here and there in graceful swan dives.

Piper laughed out loud again, enjoying how the wind tugged at her braid and rushed past her face. "This is amazing!" She said.

Tempest did another swan dive in answer, neighing as he tucked in his hooves.

"Show off," Jason chuckled. "We should head back down to the ground soon. Being in the sky for too long can make you a target-"

An arrow whizzed, striking Tempest in the muzzle. Suddenly the horse dispersed into millions of air particles.

Piper's scream was ripped out of her throat as she found herself hurtling towards the ground.

A/N: Happy end of 2018!