So I'm so busy with school that I only have time to write on the weekends anyway, and I've had such insane weekends lately that I haven't had time, and I'd give you more details but the Internet doesn't need that much personal information about me on it. :P To be fair, I did warn you that the next update was going to be slow. And at least this chapter is really freaking long. Also slightly boring in the middle, in my opinion, but after all the guest messages I got begging for an update, I figured this was better than nothing... Seriously though, there were a lot of guest reviews, and some of them were pretty rude. I understand wanting to know more, but could you please find a nicer way to write it next time? Thanks!

And thank you for all the reviews I got! I'm amazed that we passed 200 with last chapter, and really flattered. Sorry I haven't been responding to them all, but... Well, you saw how long it took me to update. If I had responded to reviews, it would have taken even longer. :/

Also, some of the Tartarus places mentioned in HoH are in this story, but since all those places are part of Greek mythology, I figured it wasn't really a spoiler to include them. Still, if any of you haven't read HoH yet, keep that in mind.

Disclaimer: I own the character interactions, and the plot, and Pria, and that is all.

Quick reminder: This is where Reyna's POV left off way back in the middle of the last update.

Reyna waved a hand in the direction of the Greek camp. "I can promise you that we were all wrong about the Greeks."

Octavian straightened, obviously still trying to retain some shred of dignity. "Oh yeah?" he grumbled. "Then prove it."

Reyna smiled slowly, feeling the recorder press against her leg. "Oh, I will," she said. "With pleasure."

Part XIII

Octavian snorted at her. Gods, she thought. So much for remaining dignified. "Really?" he smirked. "How do you plan to prove such outlandish claims?"

"Oh, the usual way," Reyna said, pulling Leo's recorder out of her pocket. "With concrete evidence."

Octavian frowned at her, thrown off balance by her confidence. "Evidence? What—?"

"Give it a rest, Octavian," Pria—of all people—snapped. "Just let our praetor say her piece before you start ranting and raving, will you? For once?"

That shocked him into silence. Reyna gave Pria an appreciative glance before continuing. "So here it is," she said, turning up the volume on the recorder so even the Fifth Cohort would be able to hear it. "Listen closely," she couldn't resist adding. "You might be . . . astonished at what you hear."

She pressed play.

You want me to tell her the truth?

Instinctively, every demigod and legacy, Greek and Roman, whirled around, weapons raised, looking for Gaea. Reyna paused the device. "It's okay, everyone," she promised. "This is just a recording of Gaea—she's not here. At least not consciously." Which, Reyna realized, was pretty strange. Today was supposed to be one of Gaea's greatest triumphs; she was supposed to be observing the downfall of the Olympians' children. She was supposed to be enjoying every moment of her victory. Once it was clear that she wasn't going to be winning today . . . why wasn't she trying to get revenge?

Unless something else was holding her attention . . . Something like a certain son of Heph—

Stop, Reyna scolded herself. He's probably halfway up Orpheus's steps already. Worrying won't do you any good.

She shook herself out of her thoughts and made sure that everyone was paying attention again. Then she rewound the recorder and pressed play again.

You want me to tell her the truth? Even though everyone knew it wasn't Mother Earth this time, a few of them still jumped. Reyna had to clench her teeth together and hold her back rigid to keep from doing the same. After all, she couldn't show weakness in front of so many demigods. Especially when she was supposed to be their fearless leader. Why would I do that, Leo Valdez? The whole point of my plan is to make sure no Roman knows the truth. What you are suggesting would go directly against that.

Next, Leo's voice came through the device, tinny but still recognizable. It was even harder to hold a reaction back this time. Well, yeah, but didn't you say yourself that there is no way out of here? That we'll be stuck down here until you bring us to the surface to sacrifice us? Isn't it more devious to let Reyna live with the truth until then, knowing that she can't do anything to prevent the destruction that her legion will cause? It'd be like one of those 'Mwahaha you know the truth now that it is too late!' type deals. Very evil.

During the pause that followed, Reyna noticed confused looks from her legionnaires—they weren't used to Leo's unique negotiation skills—and knowing grins from a few Greek demigods. Eventually, the recording of Gaea spoke. Very well, Leo Valdez. I will tell this daughter of war the truth.

Great, Leo's voice said. Do it now.

It is true, Reyna Concessi, Gaea's voice began. Leo Valdez was possessed by an eidolon when he fired projectiles on your camp. He did not do that of his own free will. It was all my plan, so that your legion would get revenge on Camp Half-Blood. So go ahead, trust Leo Valdez. He never wanted to hurt you Romans. He has in fact felt incredibly guilty since that day, even though it was not his fault. You can believe in his intentions, if you like. But it is too late to do you much good now.

Reyna stopped the recording. "You see?" she told Octavian. "There's no reason Gaea would tell me that if it were a lie. What would I have gained from trusting Leo in Tartarus that would also have benefited her? It only would have resulted in escape plans and alliances, which would have made—and did make—her plot to keep us prisoners more difficult. Wouldn't it have been more . . . entertaining for her to watch tensions rise between us, with me getting revenge for his actions on every possible occasion? No, Gaea only told me that for the reason Leo made up. And if that's the only reason, then she must have been telling me the truth." She raised her eyebrows at Octavian. "Do you believe it now?"

To Reyna's satisfaction, the augur still looked shaken from hearing Gaea's voice. He just nodded weakly.

"Good," Reyna said. "But just in case there was any doubt about my disappearance, Leo recorded more evidence for you. Yes," she added, seeing the incredulity spread over Octavian's face, "he was the one who made the recorder. I told you, he wants peace just as much as I do." She gave him her most menacing wolf glare, which she'd picked up from Lupa and her automaton greyhounds. It never failed to throw him off guard. "So just listen."

She played the device again.

You waited until Reyna was alone to take her, didn't you? Leo was yelling. You wanted Octavian to think we Greeks had done this! Being possessed by an eidolon wasn't enough, huh? You had to make sure that every Roman hated every Greek with every ounce of their being! You had to make sure they wouldn't hesitate to kill every one of my friends! You had to make sure they felt no remorse as they killed countless demigods! And . . . oh my gods . . .

Yes, Leo Valdez, Gaea said. Reyna remembered the cold smile on the earth goddess's face and shivered. You are correct on all counts. And your Greek friends won't have a chance to make Camp Jupiter listen to reason. They will have no choice but to retaliate in self-defense. By the time that battle is over, the blood of every demigod will soak the ground of your beloved home. Your prophecy friends will have no allies during their hopeless battle in Athens. Everyone you care about will die. And I will keep you and Reyna Concessi alive just long enough to witness the destruction firsthand . . . before I kill you two as well and rise in all my glory.

Oh, it will be wonderful, she continued. But I wouldn't be too upset. After all, when August 1st is over, and I have won, Greeks and Romans will be together at last, won't they? War doesn't discriminate, godspawn. Both Greeks and Romans will die that day. Their blood will mix on the battlefield. And their souls will mingle in the Underworld.

Hearing the triumph in Gaea's voice, Reyna had to remind herself that her taunts weren't going to pass. She was winning this argument. There wasn't going to be a civil war. Leo would be back soon. Everything was fine.

As if to punctuate her conviction, a horrible crashing noise came through the recorder, making everyone jump in shock. Then the recorder cut off abruptly.

"What was that?" a Greek boy with gray eyes—probably one of Annabeth's brothers—asked, horrified. "What happened just before the recording ended?"

"And if you and Leo were so friendly," a tall, muscular girl with a bandanna added, pushing her way to the front of the Greek line, "then where is he?"

An equally tall, muscular guy came up behind her and frowned, his eyebrows creasing. "Yeah, why isn't Leo with you?"

"Don't worry," Reyna said, with more confidence than she actually felt. "To escape, Leo built a helicopter that was strong enough to fly us out of Tartarus and into the Underworld. Unfortunately, the helicopter was only big enough for one person, but I sent it right back down to him as soon as I got out. He should be here soon—maybe in an hour or so. Most likely, he doesn't know about the Gray Sisters like I did, so he's having more trouble getting transportation out of New York, but I'm sure he'll be fine."

The girl with the bandanna seemed incredulous, but she held her tongue.

"But what about the noise?" the gray-eyed boy persisted. "It sounded awful."

Reyna hesitated, and then looked him at him hard. "Look, kid, I'm not going to lie to you," she said. "Gaea was furious. Leo had just helped the rest of the seven fend off an attack from Gaea's army, even from all the way in Tartarus. He had the upper hand, and she didn't like that, so she dropped a rock on his back—after he had been whipped for sticking up for me." She fingered her braid. "Leo's in rough shape, worse than I am. He's a gods-damned fool for letting me go first, but he's also a genius for it."

She turned to her legion. "Be honest with me," she said. "If Leo had been the one to climb the hill and tell you guys to stop attacking, would you?"

They looked sheepish, but every one of them shook their heads. "Of course not," Reyna said. "You wouldn't have a reason to trust him. For all you knew, he could've been the one that supposedly killed me. You probably would have shot him on sight." She arched an eyebrow. "And that's what makes Leo Valdez a hero. In all fairness, he should have ridden out of Tartarus first. He'd been in there longer, he had been injured more, and the escape plan was his idea. Instead, Leo let me leave because he knew I could do what he couldn't. He knew I could convince you, so he allowed me to do my job—to guide all of you into making the right decisions."

She locked eyes with each and every one of the legionnaires in turn, ensuring that they all knew she valued them. "So? Will you allow Gaea's manipulation to cloud your judgment, or will you stand with the Greeks against the goddess of the earth? Will you choose war, or peace?"

"PEACE!" The cry was practically unanimous. Even Octavian kept his mouth shut.

Reyna allowed a small smile to cross her face. "Thank the gods you didn't go completely crazy while I was gone," she told them. "Now let's get some real work done. We still have an earth goddess to destroy."

Annabeth drummed her fingers on the deck, knee-to-knee with Piper and Hazel, trying not to think about the battle going on at Camp Half-Blood this instant. She did her best not to wonder if Malcolm was remembering the fighting tips she'd taught him, if Clarisse was keeping her promise and making sure he stayed safe, if Nyssa and Jake were using the new machines Leo had helped create in his off-time from the Argo II, and—oh, gods—if all of them were still alive. Instead, Annabeth started to hypothesize what was taking Percy so long to return. Didn't he know he would have work to do to repair this ship? Didn't he realize that his work had to be done so she could start working and feel productive, instead of sitting around uselessly? Didn't he know he would be needed in case monsters attacked? Didn't he—Annabeth fought down the stupid urge to cry. She knew Percy could be the world's biggest Seaweed Brain sometimes. But gods, didn't even he know that she could use his support right now? Couldn't he figure out that much?

Annabeth drummed her fingers faster. Because she was so logical, people often forgot that she had ADHD too, but when she was as worried and—yes, she'd admit it—as scared as she was now, it could get just as strong as Percy's.

Piper looked at her and put her hand on top of Annabeth's, stopping her tapping. "Annabeth," she said gently, "you aren't going to accomplish anything that way."

Annabeth bit her lip and looked down, struggling to maintain her composure. "I know," she said bitterly, "but right now . . . Look, Piper, I know you've only been at camp for a couple of months, but that place has been my home for ten years. The people there are more than my friends, they're my family, and to know that they're in the middle of a war and I'm completely incapable of doing ANYTHING—"

"Stop it!" Piper's sharp voice stopped Annabeth mid-rant. "You think I don't understand? Ann—Annabeth, Lacy and Mitchell are there too. You're not the only one with family at Camp Half-Blood."

For all her intelligence, Annabeth wasn't sure how to respond to that. She sat in numb silence—they all sat there numbly. Eventually, Frank cleared his throat. Annabeth turned to face him. "You know," he said, "maybe we shou—"

All of a sudden, the air between Annabeth and Frank started to shimmer. Annabeth jumped, and then tried to disguise the fear that settled onto her shoulders. She had made Malcolm promise to give her updates whenever he got a free moment, bu—but she had also made Clarisse promise to call her if anything happened to Malcolm. So who was IM-ing her?

As usual, the background of the IM focused first. "Malcolm," Annabeth said hopefully, "how are thin—"

Then the rest of the IM cleared.

Annabeth's mouth dropped open. "Wha—?" she gasped. "Reyna?"

The praetor grinned. Di Immortales, Annabeth hadn't been sure Reyna could smile. "Sorry your brother couldn't make it," Reyna said. "He's a little busy introducing himself to some of my legionnaires. But he said to tell you hi."

Apparently, everyone else was as speechless as Annabeth. "Bu—?" Hazel asked. "I didn—you escaped from Tartarus?"

Reyna nodded.

"And made it to New York?" Frank added.

She nodded again.

"And convinced the legion not to attack?" Jason asked. "Even Octavian?"

Reyna offered up a second smile. "I don't know if Octavian is entirely convinced," she admitted, "but something interesting happened. As soon as everyone realized I was okay, they were strangely less eager to seek retribution for my murder."

For the first time since last night, Annabeth managed a smile of her own. "Weird how those things work out, huh?" she said, but her humor was brief. Even though her brain knew her camp was okay, her body was still keyed up on adrenaline and pent-up worry. Annabeth examined Reyna closely. Relief, confidence, and a little pride were the most obvious emotions on Reyna's face, but the daughter of Athena also picked up on nervousness and a pinch of fear that Reyna was trying to hide. And it was that fear that urged Annabeth to confirm, "So no bloodshed?"

"Everyone's fine," Reyna confirmed. "I got there just in time. Thanks to you, by the way."

"To me?"

"Your stories about the crazy things you and Percy did," she clarified. "I used Orpheus's entrance and the Gray Sisters Taxi to get out of the Underworld and then to Long Island. Never would have made it otherwise."

"I guess you're welcome, then," Annabeth said, starting to smile. "Glad I could help."

"So," Piper said, breaking into the conversation, "where's Leo? Catching up with his cabin?"

"Joking around with Dakota?" Hazel added, gold eyes twinkling. "Bet they'd be fast friends."

"More likely he's eating in the dining hall," Jason grinned. "He's probably going through taco withdrawal."

"Or already back at work, designing a new anti-Gaea superweapon," Frank said. "What's his big idea now? Supersonic potato launchers? Mosquito automatons?"

Everyone laughed except Annabeth. She was too busy studying Reyna's reaction. The more the others talked about Leo, the more obvious Reyna's anxiety and fear became. Annabeth started to get a hard knot in the pit of her stomach. "Reyna," she started to say, "Leo is with you, isn—?"

Just then, a massive splash cut off the rest of Annabeth's words, and she was shocked into silence. Seconds later, a familiar voice rang out. "Reyna! You're okay?"

Annabeth turned around and saw messy black hair, green eyes, and a startling grin.

Gods, it was about time her Seaweed Brain returned.

"So there isn't going to be a war?"

Reyna snorted. "For the sixth time, yes. Romans aren't total idiots, Percy. We can admit when we're wrong. Most of the time."

"I wasn't saying—I didn't mean—I just—I know that." Percy looked sheepish. Annabeth was dying to ask him where the Hades he'd been for so long, but now wasn't the time. Not while Reyna was here, telling them her story and discussing their next steps. After she left, Annabeth could chew her boyfriend out. For now, she'd just appreciate him sitting next to her, his hand on top of hers.

"What I still don't know," Hazel said, "is why Leo isn't with you and talking to us too. Doesn't he know that we've been worried as Styx about him? Doesn't he think we'd like to see him after he's been stuck in Tartarus for a week?"

Annabeth felt Percy stiffen beside her, and she didn't blame him. She was doing the same, and she could see a tense expression on Nico's face as well. Tartarus was no picnic. They'd been stuck there for a week too. Annabeth could imagine the kinds of things Leo had been through, and that only made her more anxious to see him. She needed confirmation that the son of Hephaestus had managed to survive all of that. They all did.

But Reyna didn't look like she was about to give them any. Her face was too serious. "I'm sure he'd love to see all of you too," she said slowly. "If he could."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Piper demanded. "What's wrong with Leo? Is he unconscious? Badly injured? Stuck in the infirmary?"

"No," Reyna whispered. Her voice was so soft . . . And Reyna was always so authoritative. The hard feeling in Annabeth's stomach returned.

"He's not in the infirmary, is he?" Annabeth responded. "He's . . . in a worse place than that."

Hazel's rounded into gold coins. "No." Her voice started out as quiet as Reyna's, but it quickly strengthened. "Reyna, you didn't let him stay behind, did you?"

"I didn't have a choice." Reyna looked so guilty, it was impossible to be angry with her. "He only had time to build an escape helicopter big enough for one person, and I had to go first. The legion never would have listened to him. I sent the helicopter down to him as soon as I reached the Underworld—but he hasn't come back yet."

Everyone stared at her in shock. "But you've been at Camp Half-Blood for over an hour," Hazel said eventually. "You probably sent the helicopter down to him several hours before that. How can he not be back yet? Not unless—"

"Don't say it, Hazel Levesque." Reyna cut her off sharply. Just like that, the hard-faced praetor of Rome was back. "The gods only know how long it took me to ride up in that helicopter, and it probably took an equal amount of time for it to reach Leo again. Then Leo would have to spend that much time again to ride his helicopter out. Then he would have to journey through the Fields of Asphodel and find Orpheus's entrance, like I did—assuming he knows where that is. Otherwise, he might be waiting for an audience with your dad, to try to get transportation back to the surface. Either way, that's a long time to make it up to New York. Then he'd have to get through city traffic, probably without the Gray Sisters' taxi. It's going to take him time to get back, but he's smart. He'll figure it out. There's no need to worry about Leo."

Annabeth frowned, but before she could say anything, Hazel broke in, biting her lip. "Maybe," she said uncertainly, "but I still don't like it. I wish we knew exactly where he was so we could Iris-message him. I won't be satisfied until he's standing right in front of me and I can hug him to make sure he's real."

Everyone nodded, and Annabeth decided not to voice the main concern on her mind. After all, Reyna had just given them hope again. She wasn't going to take that away from her friends. Still, she didn't like the way Reyna had ended her argument. Sure, she had said there was no reason to worry about the prophecy's biggest fire hazard, but Reyna had looked hesitant, and the sentence had sounded unfinished. Almost like there was a word missing at the end.

Annabeth tried not to think about it, but the words echoed in her head anyway.

There's no need to worry about Leo—yet.

"I won't be satisfied until he's standing right in front of me and I can hug him to make sure he's real," Hazel said.

Percy sat there unhappily. Even though the daughter of Pluto had convinced him that he couldn't blame himself for Leo's decisions, sometimes Percy still felt like he should have stayed in Tartarus in Leo's place. Then again, Percy wasn't always a total idiot. He knew that staying in Tartarus probably would have killed him. Leo had been right, going in Percy's place. However, that didn't mean Percy was okay with it. He muttered, "I still can't believe he did that for us. I didn't want him to experience Tartarus like that—I wouldn't wish that on anyone. In fact . . ." He peered at Reyna. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Of course I am," she answered, with her signature confidence displayed on her face. She wore it suspiciously like a mask. "Do I look injured to you?"

"No, you actually look surprisingly unhurt," Percy admitted. He hadn't been talking about physical all-rightness, but he decided to go with it. It was obvious that Reyna wasn't in the mood to let her mask slip off and act human for a while. He figured Reyna was taking Leo's delay harder than she let on. "But you should keep an eye out for an attack. I doubt Gaea's happy that you two escaped and the two camps aren't going to fight anymore."

To Percy's surprise, Reyna shook her head. "I agree she's probably mad as Styx, but I don't think she's going to try anything—not for now, at least. She knows we're going to be strong and incredibly hard to beat now that our camps have joined forces. If anything, she'll probably save her army's strength for August 1st." She gave Percy a hard look. "Still, you guys should be careful about going on land. Since Leo and I are free, Gaea will be looking for two new replacements. Just . . ." She hesitated. "Don't get caught, all right? If we escaped, only to have two of you captured, I don't think either of us could forgive ourselves."

At that, Percy couldn't help but grin. "Wow, Reyna. For a second there, it almost sounded like you were worried about us."

"Why would I be worried, Jackson?" Reyna said, crossing her arms and glaring at him. "You guys are supposed to be the most important demigods of the age; you're bunking in a ship full of impressive weaponry, even if it can't fly; and you haven't seen a single monster attack since you crash-landed. I think you can take care of yourselves." Still, Percy noticed the way she glanced behind them and frowned, as if she was worried a giant sea monster would burst out of the sea and swallow them at any moment.

But he didn't comment on it. "Whatever you say, Reyna," he answered instead, a smile still tugging at the corner of his mouth. "But are you sure you shouldn't be worrying about yourself, at least? I mean, Gaea wouldn't need an entire army to capture just you, and like you said, she still needs two demigods. She already went after you once, which means she wants you for one of her sacrifices. What makes you think she won't try to take you again?"

This time it was Reyna's turn to grin. "Because Gaea's smart. She knows what happened last time she tried to hold me captive. She won't make the same mistake twice."

They talked for at least thirty more minutes. Reyna finally told them the whole story of how she escaped—and Percy noticed a smile on Annabeth's face when she heard about Cerberus chasing after Reyna's shoe—and they in turn described their adventures over the last few weeks. Frank asked once what Reyna's time in Tartarus had been like, but she didn't give a straight answer, and none of them pressed for details. Percy could understand not wanting to relive bad memories. He was still struggling to ward off his own sometimes.

They also decided that once they repaired the Argo II, they would still bring Athena's statue to the Parthenon. Even though Greek/Roman demigods relations had been mended (at least mostly), the Parthenos might still be able to stop the gods' schizophrenia. And as Frank pointed out, they would sure as Hades need some godly assistance when they finally faced Gaea and her whole army head-on.

When Reyna heard just how bad off the Argo II was, she told them she would find a way to get both camps over there. "Not only will you need a demigod army when you face Gaea and her forces, but I'm sure you could use your Hephaestus campers, as well as our Vulcan ones, to speed up repairs," she told Annabeth, "and there are only nine days until August 1st. I'm guessing you could use all the help you can get."

Annabeth snorted. "That would be an understatement."

When Percy asked how Reyna planned to get about four hundred demigods across the Atlantic Ocean quickly, she just smirked and said she had a few ideas. But she added that she was going to wait to mobilize everyone until Leo caught up, since he had been in charge of building the Argo II and would be the best person to head repairs. "Plus," she continued, "we have to wait for him. I mean, he's one of the seven . . . and even if he wasn't, can you imagine him getting here, and nobody's home? Can you imagine surviving Tartarus, just to arrive at a ghost camp?" She shook her head. "He doesn't deserve that. He deserves a massive welcoming committee." Everyone agreed without hesitation, including Percy, but he couldn't help but be surprised by Reyna's reasons for waiting for Leo. He would have expected the ever-practical praetor to mention Leo's prophecy status and mechanical skills, but he never would have guessed that she'd mention greeting Leo with a welcoming committee. It just wasn't her style. Still, Percy didn't comment on that either. He'd had enough experience with Annabeth to know that Reyna wouldn't appreciate it if he called her out.

Eventually, they finished discussing everything. "So just make sure someone else IMs us once Leo gets there," Hazel said.

"Preferably Leo himself," Piper broke in.

"But don't worry if it takes a day or so to get everyone moving after that," Percy said.

"Or even a little longer," Frank added.

"It's not like we don't have plenty to do before you get here," Annabeth continued.

"And Reyna," Percy said, "you don't know how much we owe you for bringing our camps together."

"And we're really glad you're okay," Jason finished. He paused for a split-second before continuing. "Well, you averted a horrible crisis and managed to come out alive on top of it all. That's some A-quality work, Praetor." He said it with the corner of his mouth twitching, like it was an inside joke.

Apparently, Reyna saw it that way too. Her eyes sparked. "What, that's it?" she complained. "I don't get a A+?"

"Eh." She glared at him, and he succumbed to a full-out grin. "Oh, fine. A+." He sobered a little. "But seriously, Reyna, you deserve it."

To Percy's surprise, Reyna didn't smile. Instead, the line of her mouth hardened. "Actually, I don't," she said, so softly Percy wasn't sure he was hearing her correctly. "Not this time. If I had done A+ quality work, Leo would be here with me."

Apparently, Percy wasn't the only one who heard. "Reyna," Annabeth said gently, "it's not your fault that Leo got delayed."

"I know," Reyna said, coldness seeping into her voice. "I'm just stating facts."

Jason frowned. "Reyna—"

"I've got to go," she said abruptly. "I'm sure there's plenty of mediating I'm going to have to do." When she saw the surprise on their faces, her tone softened a little. "But thank you," she added. "For not blaming me." No one needed to ask what they might have blamed her for.

"There's no reason to blame you," Jason told her. "Leo made his own decisions."

"I guess," she said, sounding somewhat unconvinced. "Anyway, I'll Iris-message you guys again soon." Her eyes hardened. "And Leo will be with me next time."

She said it like it was nonnegotiable. Percy couldn't help but admire her confidence. There was no doubt Reyna was born to be a leader.

Everyone talked for a few more seconds, and then Reyna swiped through the Iris message.

All of a sudden, they heard a clattering coming from below deck, and Coach Hedge came trotting up the stairs, a stack of magical food plates in his hand. "You have no idea," he began, his face red with indignation, "how hard it was to find these plates. They had ended up all over this ungodly warship, and it took a lot of time—and frustration—to collect all of them, so you all had better eat something now becau—"

For the first time, Coach noticed that Percy was sitting with the others. "Jackson! Why are you just sitting around? Didn't Annabeth explain all the work you have to do—Why are all of you smiling so much?"

Frank was practically beaming. He was obviously enjoying the coach's confusion. "Oh, nothing," he said. "We just got an Iris message updating us on the status of the battle."

Coach Hedge obviously didn't like being left out of the loop. "And?"

Percy grinned. "Reyna says hi."

In fact, Reyna didn't really care about greeting the middle-aged satyr. She was far too busy all day, being introduced to Chiron, who apparently acted as the Greek far-more-involved version of Lupa; meeting as many Greeks as she could; catching up with legionnaires; introducing Greeks and legionnaires; avoiding minor catastrophes when Greeks and Romans disagreed (especially when Ares demigods were involved); rejoicing when some of them actually became friends; keeping an eye out for one of Octavian's schemes; being amazed when there weren't any; formally discussing plans to mobilize the two camps with some of the Greek leaders (which gave Reyna a bit of a headache; their system of cabin counselors was extremely . . . unconventional); trying not to show her frustration when they couldn't manage to finalize anything (not that that was the Greeks' fault; there was just no perfect idea to move hundreds of demigods across an ocean); and participating in an impromptu "let's-party-because-nobody's-about-to-die-in-the-next-five-seconds-for-once" celebration. (That wasn't the precise name they used for it, but she knew it was what everyone was thinking.) Besides all that, the nagging worry in the back of Reyna's mind grew larger with every moment that Leo didn't show up at the camp's border. She knew she didn't have a real reason to be anxious, but she couldn't help herself. By the end of the day, Reyna was seriously exhausted.

That was one reason she didn't protest too much when Annabeth's brother—Malcolm—offered to let her sleep in Camp Half-Blood's headquarters, known (rather creatively, Reyna thought) as the Big House. For another, Reyna's tent had been packed away somewhere once everyone thought she was dead, and throughout all the excitement of the day, no one had thought to look for it. The rest of the legion would stay camped out in their tents—there was simply no other place to put two hundred fifty demigods—but it would take at least an hour for someone to dig out her things, and although she would never admit it to anyone, Reyna was far too tired to wait another hour. Besides, the Big House had plenty of spare rooms, so she didn't feel like an intrusion. It was also a strong sign of unity for her to sleep inside the camp's borders. And anyway—oh, who was she kidding? She'd just spent five days sleeping on Tartarus rock. For her first night in the mortal world, Reyna wasn't about to settle for a sleeping bag.

Luckily, the Big House had several bathrooms, so Reyna was also able to take her first shower in five days. Strangely enough, after Tartarus and the Underworld and New York City and Camp Half-Blood, hygiene had been the last thing on Reyna's mind all day. Go figure. A small part of her hoped that she hadn't smelled terrible all day—that wouldn't have made the best first impression of the leadership and perfection that Reyna strived for—but the rest of her didn't give a Styx. She had bigger problems—like the fact that it had been a whole day, and Leo still hadn't arrived.

He'll be here soon, she reassured herself. He has to be. That was her last thought before she fell asleep.

Reyna's surroundings were so gloomy, she immediately knew that she was back in Tartarus. Styx. She had hoped the nightmares wouldn't start quite so soon.

Then she frowned. Thanks to Leo, her Tartarus experience actually hadn't been that bad. So why had her subconscious sent her here?

The fog cleared, and Reyna's eyes fell on a boy almost directly in front of her. He was wearing a shredded, vaguely orange shirt over purple bandages and was shivering horribly. Immediately, the dream made sense. One of her scariest moments in Tartarus had been when Reyna had thought Leo's back was infected, and he was possibly dying. If she was going to dream about anything, that hour of fear probably made the short list.

But one thing still didn't make sense. If she was dreaming about that memory, why wasn't the situation exactly the same? Why wasn't she kneeling at Leo's side, a chain around her ankle, fretting over his spasms? And . . . why was he next to a river?

All of a sudden, Leo coughed and spluttered and opened his eyes. His teeth were chattering, his ears, nose, lips, and fingers were tinged blue, and he was soaking wet. Reyna frowned again. None of this was familiar. What the Styx was going on?

"You've d-d-dunked me . . . in th-th-that ri . . . river . . . s-s-so m-many t-t-times," Leo stammered. His teeth clacked too loudly in the silence. "W-w-when are y-y-you . . . g-going to s-s-stop?"

That depends, Hephaestus spawn. Reyna couldn't help but jump. No matter how many times she heard it, Gaea's disembodied voice was hard to get used to. Do you swear on the Styx to tell me the truth from now on? No more tricks, no more lies, no more games?

"I . . . m-m-make n-no p-p-promises," Leo said.

You have always been an insolent fool, Leo Valdez. Dunk him back in.

Leo shuddered. "C-c-come on, G-gaea," he managed. "D-d-don't you th-think . . . that's en-n-nough? Is all th-this d-dunking . . . r-really n-n-necessary?"

Do not complain, godspawn. This is all your own doing. All I need is one oath on the Styx, and this could stop.

"I'm n-not g-g-going to t-tell you a-a-anyth-thing."

That's quite unfortunate for you.

At Gaea's words, a massive Cyclops appeared out of the fog and picked Leo up by one arm. He cried out, and after a moment, Reyna realized why. There was only one reason his other arm could be dangling like that, and why he would cry out when the opposite one is being held. Both Leo's shoulders were dislocated.

Reyna started to get nervous. This was no memory. So what—?

She didn't have time to finish the thought. The Cyclops was holding Leo over the river, and suddenly, Reyna could hear voices coming from it. Pointless, they called out, pointless! Your resistance is pointless! Do you think your friends would be so strong for you? They would turn on you in an instant! Give up! Give in! Save yourself!

"N-no," Leo protested weakly. "That's not—"

You are developing hypothermia, Leo Valdez. Gaea was back. Soon even your fire-user blood will not be enough to protect you.

It's not worth the misery! the voices added. It's a simple oath, just a few short words. Say them with us—I swear on the Styx that—

"G-g-go to hell," Leo ground out, struggling to keep his chattering under control. "Oh wait. Y-you're already h-h-here."

Wait and see, Leo Valdez, Gaea said. I will convince you, one way or another.

Endless torture! the voices cried out. Misery beyond anything imaginable!

The Cyclops dropped Leo into the water.

Reyna reeled through the fog, trying to make sense of what she'd just seen. Maybe it was just her subconscious, showing her worst fear to worry her. Maybe the whole thing was made up. Maybe she would wake up, and Leo Valdez would be walking past the pine tree at the top of Half-Blood Hill.

Maybe—

The fog lifted again. This time, Leo's hands and feet were chained together, those chains were chained together, and that chain was chained to something in the distance. He wasn't going anywhere.

But not from lack of trying. Reyna could see blood where he'd chafed his wrists and ankles struggling to get free. Gods, Leo, she thought involuntarily, you're hurt badly enough as it is. Don't make it worse on yourself. Immediately, she chastised herself for worrying. This was all her sick imagination. Leo was fine. She didn't need to worry about it.

Still, she had to admit that fake-Leo looked like crap. He seemed more bloodied and bruised than ever, and she wasn't entirely sure that his eyes were fully focused. He looked dazed, exhausted, and pained, and even if he wasn't real, it physically hurt Reyna to see Leo like this. At least his shivering had stopped.

Apparently, Leo was surprised to find that his shivering had stopped too. "You stopped sticking me in that river," he said in amazement. "I can't believe it. I thought you said you'd only stop if I—" A horrified look twisted his features, making him look even more battered than before. "Oh, gods," he whispered. Reyna could practically hear his heart pounding, even from three feet away; the fear and anxiety coming off him was that palpable. "Oh, gods, if the river water and hypothermia made me delirious, and I couldn't help what was coming out of my mouth . . . If I blacked out and didn't know what I was saying . . ." Leo was almost hyperventilating at this point. "What if I made the oath? What if I betrayed all my friends? What if I've already given away some important information? Oh my gods . . . GAEA!"

He screamed out the name in complete terror, far worse than Reyna had ever seen from him. It was interesting how he was more scared now than when he'd run off to slow down the army while they'd been escaping, or when he'd told her he would stay behind. He feared betraying his friends more than he feared personal harm. Reyna could relate to that.

"GAEA!" he shouted again. "DID I MAKE THE OATH OR NOT? TELL ME?"

For a moment, everything was silent. Then, not yet, came rumbling out of the darkness. But you're welcome to do it now, godspawn.

Leo slumped in relief. The terror didn't completely leave him, but Reyna could definitely see it lessening. "Generous offer," he said, "but I'll pass."

Suit yourself, Gaea said. I'd hoped the Cocytus would be enough to make you see sense, but I can allow the torture to continue if you wish.

Immediately, Reyna saw Leo's shoulders tense, even though he was trying to hide it. The Cyclops from earlier came back into view and grabbed ahold of Leo's chains.

Don't worry, Leo Valdez. The Cocytus isn't the only awful thing in Tartarus. There are plenty of other terrifying places I can take you to. The worst part about everything, Reyna decided, was how calm and pleasant Gaea's voice sounded, as if they were discussing their favorite desserts or something. Reyna was pretty sure that if they were, Gaea would prefer demigod soufflé.

Let's try Nyx's Mansion next, shall we?

Everything shifted into fog again, long enough for Reyna to convince herself that she was still imagining everything. Then her dream resolved back into an image.

Not that Reyna could see what the image was. The fog had been black, but at least that blackness had swirled a bit. It had had movement. This blackness was thick, heavy, and utterly still.

Until, of course, a scream pushed away some of that blackness, leaving just enough room for Reyna to see Leo.

His back was pressed against some sort of wall, his knees were pulled up to his chest, and his eyes were wide in fear. Every few seconds, he saw something that either made him tremble or flinch. For some reason, Reyna couldn't see any of the things he did, but she figured maybe her subconscious was saving her the horror. Unfortunately, Leo wasn't that lucky.

Reyna just watched, wishing she could do something, while Leo struggled in the darkness. Then something happened—Reyna still couldn't see what—that made Leo lurch to his feet and reach for his toolbelt . . . Just as Reyna realized for the first time that it was missing. Evidently, Leo noticed at the same time she did. He shrank into the wall as the whatever-it-was moved toward him. "Stop," he croaked. "You . . . you don't want to come any closer." Reyna couldn't believe how broken his voice sounded.

"Stop," he repeated, squeezing his eyes shut. "Just . . ." His next words came out in a whisper. "Please don't come any closer."

Suddenly, a noise echoed through the blackness—a cross between a bird screech, a snake hiss, and something else entirely. Leo jumped at least a foot, reflexively opening his eyes as he did, and then let out a hoarse yell and bolted.

"Leo!" Reyna cried out before she could help herself, but the repair boy had already vanished into the blackness. She caught the slightest glimpse of something indescribably awful chasing after him, and she started running after him too, hoping maybe she could comfort him, or protect him, or return his screwdriver, or something—

And then she woke up, gasping, sweating, and maybe (although no one would ever know if she was) crying.

She had been kidding herself to think those dreams were imaginary. Her subconscious never would have tortured Leo that badly, even in a nightmare.

Besides, that wasn't how demigod dreams worked.

Reyna shuddered.

Leo wouldn't be walking across the camp's border anytime soon.