As soon as Reyna saw the Big House, she knew for sure this was enemy territory.

The building didn't look threatening. Just a four story manner painted baby blue with white trims. It looked like the kind of place old people would go to sit on their porch and reminisce on the good old days. Despite that, Reyna felt uneasy being so close. As if in any second the house would come alive and swallow her whole.

Reyna brushed a few hairs from her face, and was now seriously considering cutting it. She had been given a hair tie from Andrew, who only gave it to her because he figured she'd be more pleasant to look at when her hair didn't look like a lion's mane. Her pace was steady and fast now, the limp she had was now nothing more than an afterthought.

When Reyna arrived at the med bay, Angel offered her a strange looking sugar cube. It was orange and shimmered with what looked like gold dust. He told her it was Ambrosia, the food of the gods. It would heal her wounds, but she could only take small doses. Too much, and her body would literally combust. Very reassuring.

Reyna figured the cube would be sweet, but was surprised it had a salty taste. The flavor was almost identical to a dish she must've had when she was a child. A dish made of plantains, cooked with olive oil and garlic, bathed in broth with small chunks of chicharron, or pork.

Mofongo, Reyna remembered. A delicacy in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico.

"Ambrosia tastes different for everyone." Angel had said with a wistful smile, as if he's never tried it before. "What did it remind you of?"

Reyna hadn't answered his question. She was too busy trying to figure out why she suddenly became nervous at the thought of San Juan. Was she born there? What had happened to her? Why was she here now? In the states?

"We're here." Andrew said, breaking Reyna from her thoughts. "The Big House. Camp's headquarters." He gave her a charming smile. Unlike Leo, this guy actually knew how to come off as charming. That didn't stop Reyna from hating his guts.

"I'm not supposed to be here." Reyna muttered before she could stop herself. Every fiber in her body screamed danger! Like she should leave, while she still could.

"C'mon, don't be modest. A babe like you definitely belongs here." Andrew tried to throw his arm over her shoulder. Reyna didn't let him this time. She couldn't help but notice he smelled like pinecones and gingerbread cookies. Must've been a cologne for the holidays. He looked completely unfazed by her gesture. "I've seen a lot of heroes come through here. You definitely got the flare of one."

Reyna tried to be nice. Not to spare his feelings, but because she felt as if the Big House would try to eat her if she tried to pick a fight with this guy.

"Look, I appreciate your interest in me but—"

"Is it that guy…?" Andrew said slowly, he finally looked fazed by her lack of interest. "What's his name? Angel? Please don't tell me you got eyes for that weirdo."

"What?" Reyna felt a little uneasy by the question. She shook her head before she could allow her thoughts to even ponder the possibility. "No, of course not. I'm not interested in dating at all right now. I don't know if you heard, but I recently had my memories wiped?" Reyna raised an eyebrow at him like,

Can you catch a hint?

Andrew, as charming as he made himself out to be, seemed to be a little dense. He did not catch the hint.

"Let me break it down for you." Andrew said, eyeing her strangely. "You can definitely do better than him. A babe like you with awesome looks and obvious talent…" He paused, making it obvious he meant for her to choose him. His eyes lingered above her head, as if expecting something to appear over her.

"Well, since you clearly can't take a hint, let ME break it down for YOU." Reyna said. "I'm. Not. Interested."

Andrew looked stumped, as if he had never been told no before in his life. Before he could give a retort, Reyna heard something gallop towards them.

"Ah, you must be the new arrival." A voice called. Reyna turned to look up at the porch of the Big House, and she coughed in disbelief. In front of her was a man with a full mane of hair and brown beard. He wore a coat that looked professional, something a professor would wear. Then, she glanced below his waist. His bottom half was the body of an elegant white stallion. Reyna couldn't believe her eyes.

"Y-you're a centaur." She said, "You're chiron. The mentor of heroes." The centaur smiled down at her, as if he got that reaction a lot.

Then his face became paler than snow. "You." He gasped, as if he knew her. "You're not supposed to be here."


Reyna found herself walking in the halls of the Big House. Chiron was no longer in his centaur form. He sat in a wheelchair with a blanket obscuring what she assumed were fake legs. Reyna made an actual effort not to remember how Chiron managed to fit his entire horse body into the wheelchair.

Thankfully, Andrew was not invited to the Big House. Chiron asked that he return to his cabin, which he reluctantly agreed to.

The Big House looked like a very big office, decorated like it belonged to a sophisticated history professor. Except inside it looked like a tornado of vines and jungle weeds had passed through. Reyna saw more grape vines then she knew what to do with. Chiron led her to the living room, where the furniture faced a stone fireplace, which crackled with flames. On the way, Reyna noticed many trinkets from different cultures on the walls. The one that stood out the most was an eerily realistic replica of a leopard head on a frame.

Reyna soon realized the leopard was not a replica when it turned to face her, snarling and revealing its sharp fangs.

"That thing is alive?" Reyna cried, her mind unable to think logically. The absurdity of seeing a leopard head mounted on a wall, alive, must've canceled out her ability.

"Apologies." Chiron said, reaching for something in the side pocket of his wheelchair, revealing he had a package of sausages. He threw one into the leopard's mouth, who enthusiastically gobbled the meat. "I forgot to feed him this morning, he's awfully cranky when hungry."

"He's just a head." Reyna said, "Where does the food go after he—"

"Best not to ask questions. The answer will only confuse you more." Chiron explained. He gestured for her to sit on one of the couches. She did so reluctantly. Chiron tried to give her a smile, but Reyna could tell it was forced.

"So…" Chiron started, then gestured at her.

Reyna blinked, realizing she hadn't introduced herself. "Reyna Ramirez-Arellano." She said.

"Young Reyna." Chiron repeated. He placed his palms together. "Would you mind telling me uh, where you're from?"

"I can't. I don't remember who I am or where I'm from." Reyna said, then explained to the ancient mentor her situation. About waking up on the bus with no memories and then arriving at Camp Half-Blood.

"I see." Chiron muttered. "I assume you have questions for me?"

"...Why did you say I shouldn't be here?" Reyna asked quickly. It had bothered her the moment he said it, and every second that the question went unanswered, Reyna became more anxious to leave this place.

"My dear." Chiron began, "Do you know what those marks on your arm mean?"

"What marks?" Reyna asked defensively. Immediately, her hand reached her upper left bicep, as if to shield her tattoo from under her sleeve.

"No need for hostility, I am simply trying to help you." Chiron said, "The letters on your shirt. They are the same as the marks on your arm, yes?"

Reyna felt conflicted, though she sensed he was telling the truth. He really was trying to help her. Reluctantly, she lifted her sleeve, revealing her tattoo. It was the same as when she first saw it back at the Grand Canyon. Four lines, the letters SPQR on the top, a symbol of a sword and torch crossing each other on the bottom.

"I…I don't remember getting this." Reyna admitted.

Chiron hummed in thought, "Do you know where you are? What this place is."

"It's a camp for demigods." Reyna said. "But, this was already explained to me."

"Did you deny it at first?" Chiron asked. "The fact that demigods exist?"

Reyna thought about it, then shook her head. "No. I mean, I was skeptical at first. But now that I'm here, it's almost impossible to believe the gods aren't real. They must've traveled from country to country as the power shifted, like from Greece to Rome."

Chiron smiled at her, like she had hit the nail on the head. "So, you already believe the gods are real, and that you are a demigod. You have already been claimed, haven't you?"

"I'm not sure…" Reyna said, then glanced at her tattoo again. The image of the torch and sword crossing felt relevant. Then she realized she hadn't responded in English. As if off instinct, she responded back to Chiron in latin, who had started to speak it.

"You know latin." Chiron mused.

"But, it's a dead language." Reyna gawked, "The last civilization to speak it was—"

"Most demigods know a few phrases in latin." Chiron said, stopping Reyna from completing her thoughts. "It's in their blood. But to be fluent in latin, they'd have to practice for years. You, my dear, spoke fluent latin."

Reyna tried to wrap her mind around it all. Her speaking latin, the demigods here call the gods by their greek names, when she referred to them by the roman name. Greek, and Roman. Reyna's eyes widened.

I expected such a trick from the Greeks, but never a Roman. She remembered Dylan saying. It all came together. The feeling of danger grew even worse. Now Reyna understood why she felt like she was on enemy territory. It's because she was.

"You are unlike any pupil I have taught, Reyna Ramirez-Arellano." Chiron said, giving her a look like he knew she had put the puzzles together, then frowned. "Your presence here could be a disaster."

"Because I'm not actually a Greek demigod." Reyna concluded.

Chiron nodded solemnly. "I would advise not telling the others of this. It is not yet the right time."

"How do you know?" Reyna asked, her eyes narrowing at the aged centaur. "What is it you're not telling me?"

Chiron's face fell, aging 10 years in a matter of seconds. "My dear, I wish I could say. Alas, I make an oath on the river styx I would never reveal…" Chiron trailed off and frowned, "But if you are here, then that is in direct violation of that oath. I don't understand. Who would've taken such a gamble? To risk—"

The leopard howled, then froze. Reyna turned to look at his wide open maw, then at Chiron, who had stopped mid sentence. His face didn't move at all. As if he were stuck in time.

"What's going on—?"

Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano. A voice called.

For a moment, Reyna thought the leopard had spoken to her. Instead, she watched black smoke spew from its maw.

Venti. Reyna thought before summoning her golden gladius. She was about to attack before the storm spirit could take form. But something stopped her.

The black smoke began to form into a woman in black robes, hiding their face. But their white powerful eyes gleamed in the darkness. The woman had a goatskin cloak over her shoulders, which Reyna recognized immediately.

"Juno…" Reyna said as the name popped into her head.

You would dare attack the queen of the gods, Reyna? The woman chided in an ancient voice. Lower your sword.

Reyna did the exact opposite, though she felt as if she were making a grave mistake in doing so.

Our time is limited. The woman said. ignoring the point of her sword. My prison grows stronger by the hour, but I've managed to bring you here with my remaining strength. This may be the only chance I get to speak with you.

Reyna wanted to ask why this goddess was currently imprisoned.

"You brought me here?" She asked instead. "Then, it was you who took my memories."

It was a necessary evil. Juno said, justifying her actions. It had to be done. I cannot risk having you learn the truth—

"The truth that I'm actually a Roman demigod, not Greek?" Reyna said with narrowed eyes, "If there's a Greek camp, then there must be a Roman one as well." Reyna wasn't sure where that last statement came from. But every fiber in her being believed it. Like that had been her home before Juno kidnapped her and left her in Arizona.

Juno grumbled, which sounded like thunder in her current form. You were always far brighter than my champion, Reyna. The goddess said. It intrigues, and infuriates me.

"You took me from my home!" Reyna exclaimed. "You stole my memories, and threw me at the mercy of the enemy! Who are you to use me as a puppet?!" Reyna pointed her gladius directly at the goddess, completely ignoring that this was Juno, the queen of the gods of Olympus. Answerable only to Jupiter himself.

Insolent child! Juno hissed. Now is not the time for petty squabbles! The giants rise! They will awaken their king, and I will be destroyed! If that happens, Olympus will fall, your memories of my champion, Jason Grace, will die with me!

"Jason…" Reyna muttered. The name rang alarm bells in her head. The image of the person she saw on the Grand Canyon became clear.

She clearly saw his short blond hair. The scar on his upper lip, his handsome face and striking electric blue eyes. The image changed to a vision.

They stood on a green hill, overlooking a beach during a sunset. Jason gave Reyna the smile that made her legs wobble, before handing her a golden coin.

"Take it." Jason said, closing her palm around the coin. "That way, no matter how far we might be from each other, you'll have me at your side. Always."

Yes. My champion. Juno hissed, breaking Reyna from her pleasant flashback. If you wish to see him again, you will find my prison, and free me! You have until the winter solstice. Do not fail me, Reyna.

'Wait!" Reyna yelled, but it was no use. Juno's body began to dissolve, the black mist returning into the leopard's mouth like a reverse burp. The leopard began to cough like it had swallowed a hairball, and the world around her began to move again.

"--So much?!" Chiron said, now unfrozen. He looked around surprised. "Weren't you just sitting? Why do you have your sword drawn?"

"Juno." Reyna said, glaring at the leopard like it was Juno herself. "She's the one taking such a big risk."

Reyna quickly explained what had just happened while he was frozen in time. By the time she was done, Chiron's face aged even more.

"Oh, dear." He murmured, "That's it then. It has begun."

"Would you care to explain what exactly has begun, to me?" Reyna asked impatiently.

Before she could get her answers, the door to the front door flung open, revealing three teenagers rushing towards them. Reyna recognized two as Piper and Annabeth, but didn't recognize the red headed one. Reyna noticed Piper looked at the verge of throwing up.

"What happened to her!" Reyna exclaimed as she rushed towards Piper, leaning over her protectively. She glared at Annabeth and the new girl. "What did you do?!"

"It's…okay." Piper croaked between breaths, like they had run all the way here. "Not their fault…"

"Chiron… Hera cabin. Bad vision." Annabeth said between gasps. The redhead looked the most mystified. She glanced at Chiron, a silent acknowledgement passed between the two. As if something terrible had begun.