Guys, you make me so happy! We made it to 45 which is way farther than any other Preyna stories I've seen. All thanks to you guys! Also, you're reviews have been amazing. Thank you for your compliments! :) I hope the last cliffhanger didn't make you guys too angry. At least it's not as bad as the end of the Mark of Athena. Now that was brutal. Anyway, I'll stop rambling and begin! (Also, I'm so sorry that this chapter took so long to get out! For some reason it wouldn't save the things I wrote, so I had to rewrite whole sections! :( Makes me mad!

Review Shoutouts:

IsItReallyTho: Thanks for all three of your reviews! I honestly thought you could only post one, but here we are. I'm glad you are enjoying the tension in my story and all the events. I really appreciate you! Also, I kinda sorta forgot about Percy's back, so I might say something about it in this chapter. If not, I'll do it in next chapter. Sorry about that!

If you want to be shouted out, please review or PM me! I'm happy to reply! Also, remember my poll that I have up! (Disclaimer: I don't own the Heroes of Olympus :C)

Reyna's POV

Reyna's eyes narrowed as she stared in the distance. Was that simply a seagull, or something else? She couldn't tell, it was too far away…

Reyna had been keeping watch for a bit, and every little thing kept her on edge. Some legionnaires talking a few yards away had made her instinctively unsheath her daggers. She had quickly put them away though, before the demigods saw.

Reyna had sent some legionnaires earlier to inform some of the superiors in New Rome of what Gaea might be planning and to tell Terminus to be on the lookout.

Reyna heard a shrill sound in the air and quickly turned. Her first instinct was that the bird shape she had seen was coming for Camp Jupiter, but when she saw the giant eagle, she relaxed. She hadn't even known that they were here. Jason must've summoned them. Either way, she felt better knowing that the legion's eagle were here to help protect the valley if needs be.

Her dogs barked at the eagles. She held out her hand so that they would calm down. Aurum and Argentum obliged. Reyna wasn't exactly sure why they kept appearing off and on, and she wished that they would stay with her all the time, but she wasn't sure how much control she had over that. Nevertheless, they were here now and she hoped they would stay.

Percy's POV

"Percy? We need to talk," Annabeth said.

Percy paused, dread filling his gut. Had she figured it out? His secret? He and Reyna's secret? No, you're just overreacting, he told himself. But his gut told him otherwise.

"What is there to talk about?" Percy asked, faking a smile. Maybe the noise of his heart thumping hard in his chest would give him away.

Annabeth frowned as if it pained her to talk about this. "Is there something going on between you and Reyna?"

Percy's stomach dropped as if he were on a rollercoaster. He tried to hide his nervous expression. "I-" He began, not sure what to say.

He knew this moment would come eventually, the moment he and Reyna had become more than friends. Annabeth was the smartest person he knew, of course, she would pick up on it. Part of him wanted to lie to her and say, Of course, there's nothing going on between us. You're my only love. Always have been, and always will be.

But the other part of him wanted to tell her the truth and release all the pressure that had appeared once he and Reyna had started their little... "fling."

The lying part won over. Percy wasn't sure if he was glad or disappointed in this.

"Annabeth, no. Of course... of course, there's nothing going on between us. I love you and always will," Percy said.

Annabeth looked unconvinced. "Percy, I-"

Percy stopped her with a swift kiss to her lips. He felt her kiss him back, and relief flooded through him. Maybe she had believed his little lie. Or maybe she hadn't.

She pulled away after a few seconds and stared at him with pleading eyes. Why were they pleading?

"Percy, I've seen the signs. Give me another reason to believe you. Because right now, I'm not sure I do," Annabeth said, frowning.

Percy ran his finger through his already messy hair, thinking of a good reason to give her.

"Annabeth, my fatal flaw is loyalty," Percy said, grabbing her hand. He was trying to act as convincingly as possible. "You'd think I could at least stay loyal to my girlfriend, right?" He gave a weak laugh that even he didn't believe.

"Percy... Percy, I've seen how you act around Reyna. Trust me, I can read people well."

"I know, I know. However I've been acting around her is probably just an effect of my nerves. You know, the quest and all."

Annabeth bit her lip. "I know how you've been feeling about the quest, but-"

Percy was desperate now. He couldn't lose his first love. Did he still love her? He thought so. "Annabeth, please," he interupted. "Please believe me. It kills me to know that you think I'm cheating on you."

Annabeth's eyes looked as if they were getting watery, but she pushed the tears back. "Percy, I want to believe you, I do..."

"Then believe me! Please! I can't lose you," his voice broke, and he realized that all the built up emotion he'd felt towards Reyna and Annabeth was being released right now. The passion with Reyna, the love he felt for both girls, and the guilt he felt over Annabeth. A guy could only take so much.

A single tear slid down Annabeth's cheek. "I... I believe you," she said quietly, looking down at her sneakers.

Percy wrapped his arms around her waist, relieved. But how long could he keep up this charade? He had barely slid by just then, and there was no way he could do it again. And it would happen again.

Percy wanted to feel relieved, but all he could feel was dread.

Annabeth hugged him back tightly, shaking slightly. Percy looked down at her and sighed. He wished Reyna was in his arms right now. He needed to talk to her about this as soon as he could.

Percy pulled away, looking into her eyes and smiling, masking his sadness. "I don't want any more talk about this, okay?" He teased. Percy's tone was happy, but he actually meant these words.

Annabeth sniffled and wiped her eyes, smiling. "O-okay."

"So, we were gonna be on duty, right?"

Annabeth nodded. "Can't be late!"

By the time everyone gathered in the mess hall for dinner, Percy was famished. It had been an extremely long day, what with the battle and all, and Percy wasn't the only one who seemed to think so.

Mostly all of the demigods in the mess hall looked tired and upset. Percy couldn't blame them of course. They were practically in the midst of a war, after all. Percy had been in a war before and it sucked. He had sympathy for these Romans. Of course, they were basically bred for war, but that didn't mean they couldn't be exhausted when it came.

He stood up and walked over to Reyna's table without excusing himself. It wasn't so he could talk to her about his and Annabeth's conversation today, but to propose something to her.

"Reyna," Percy said.

Reyna snapped out of thought abruptly, clearly startled. "Sorry, what?"

"I have a proposition to make," Percy said nervously. He was afraid it would be vetoed.

Reyna raised an eyebrow. "And what is that?"

"Can we let the legion have evenings off of training and assignments? I mean, you've seen how exhausted they've been lately, especially with all these attacks," Percy explained.

Reyna opened her mouth to say something, but instead of arguing, said, "You're right. But, I'm not willing to slack on sentry duty. We'll still keep that up."

Percy nodded, swallowing. "Yeah, of course. Thanks, Reyna."

Reyna smiled at him. Which reminded him…

"Oh, Reyna?" He lowered his voice. "I need to talk to you tonight. Alone."

Reyna's brow furrowed. "Okay. but-"

"Thanks!" Percy interrupted. Gotta go."

Percy turned around and headed back to his table where Annabeth had a wary look on her face. Percy forced a smile at her.

"Hey, I was just asking Reyna if the legionnaires could get the evening off," Percy told Annabeth, trying to reassure her. And the best thing was, it wasn't even a lie.

Annabeth nodded, the muscles in her brow loosening.

Percy sighed as he slid back into his seat, listening in on the conversation between Hazel, Piper, and Leo.

He ate a couple of bites of his cheeseburger, but couldn't stop thinking about his conversation with Annabeth earlier. Afterward, when he and Annabeth had gone on patrol duty, they had barely said anything to each other. Occasionally, Percy would crack a joke, but Annabeth was mainly focused on the horizon, watching for enemies. Or so it seemed.

But no matter how he tried to do otherwise, he kept thinking about Annabeth's inquisition and how she had been correct. He had lied to her. He had lied to his girlfriend. He'd only lied to her a couple of times, but those were for good causes. Was this a good cause?

There were many good things about it, and several bad things as well.

But still, he had lied to Annabeth and not necessarily for a good reason. What would she think when she figured out the truth?

In the very back of Percy's mind, a small voice whispered, Just tell Annabeth! Sure, she'll be upset, but what have you got to lose? You love Reyna more, anyway, right?

Percy wasn't sure who he loved more now. But he had to decide soon.

Annabeth's POV

Annabeth was anxious. Anxious that Percy had been lying to her earlier. Anxious that she would lose her first love. He and Annabeth had been through so much together, and suffered so much, so there was no reason for him to lie to her now, right? She hoped so.

Annabeth knew she was intelligent, but this was something she wasn't sure about. And was her first boyfriend after all, so she didn't know what to expect from a relationship.

The thing was, Annabeth couldn't bring herself to hate Reyna. They both had so much in common, it was hard to dislike the daughter of Bellona, even if she was taking Percy from her. Also regarding the fact if Annabeth went off on Reyna, she would probably endanger the quest that she we soon to embark on. A praetor of Rome is not someone you'd want as an enemy.

Annabeth was good at reading people, but she couldn't figure out Percy and Reyna when they were together. Their stances didn't really change, nor did their words, but maybe Annabeth needed to pay more attention to their faces.

All Annabeth knew was that she was making the decision to trust Percy and his words, at least for now.

Annabeth sighed, picking at her caesar salad. She was barely paying attention to Hazel, Leo, Piper, and Percy's conversation over whether pineapple belonged on pizza.

She straightened her spine and scooted closer to Percy, and felt comforted when he wrapped his arm around her waist. He was hers, at least for now, and she wanted to keep it that way.

Percy's POV

Percy heard the knock on his door a few minutes after he had entered his room himself. He checked the clock. It was a little after 10:30. Curfew was issued at 10:30. Perfect. No one would bother them.

Percy walked to the door and opened it, the sight of Reyna greeting him. He smiled. "Hey."

Reyna raised an eyebrow. "You wanted to see me?"

Percy looked her up and down and wanted to say "Heck yeah, I do," but he held his tongue. "Yeah, come in," he said instead.

He led her over to his bed where she sat down and crossed her legs, her lips pursed.

Percy sat down in front of her, taking her in. She was wearing her pajamas, it seemed. An oversized t-shirt so faded that he couldn't read what it had originally had on it, and gym shorts. Reyna looked so hot in pajamas. He would never tell her that, though.

"Well?" Reyna said expectantly. "What is it?"

Percy tore his eyes from her bare legs and cleared his throat. "What? Oh, yeah. Annabeth… talked to me today."

Reyna's expression remained neutral. "How is that different from any other day?"

Percy bit his lip, attracting Reyna's attention to, well, his lip. He blushed. "Well, she asked about... us."

Reyna's expression fell. "Oh. What did she say?"

Percy grabbed Reyna's hand and squeezed it. "She just asked if there was anything between us. That's all."

Reyna didn't seem to see this as such a small thing. "That's all? Well, what did you tell her?" She looked genuinely worried.

Percy rubbed his pointer finger over Reyna's knuckle, and he could feel the tension in her hand and arm release. He felt good knowing that just a simple touch could give her comfort.

"I denied everything. As far as I'm concerned, she still believes I only have eyes for her," Percy said reassuringly.

Reyna looked unconvinced. "Annabeth's a smart girl. How did you manage to lie to her?"

Percy shrugged. "I know her. I mean, she's my girlfriend after all." He winked but Reyna didn't smile. "I just made myself sound desperate enough, I guess."

"Desperate for her?" Reyna asked softly, lowering her gaze. It wasn't often that Percy caught in her a moment like this. When her guard was down and she wasn't acting like she was trying to run a legion.

Percy lifted her chin, making Reyna meet his eyes. Her cheeks went red at the motion. Gods, she was pretty when her hair was loose.

"Desperate for you. And... Annabeth, though for sure not as much as you," he said. The words shocked him a little bit. He had never clearly stated his feelings over whether he wanted Annabeth or Reyna more, but now he was sure. He needed to be with this praetor.

But that didn't stop him from thinking about how he wanted to hang on to Annabeth for a little longer. Of course, Percy didn't want to be in two relationships at the same time, but he and Annabeth had been through so much together that it just felt wrong to let her go so suddenly. Especially since they had two go on a quest together shortly. If he broke up with her now, it would surely be awkward on the quest.

So when was the right time? And if he went on the quest, how would he be sure that Reyna was safe? And when would he see her again? Percy didn't know, but he preferred to think about the present rather than the future.

Reyna smiled at his words, however. She seemed a little shocked at them herself, but happy. And Percy loved to see her happy, and carefree.

Percy placed a hand on the small of her back and pulled her in close. She leaned in for a kiss, and Percy delivered. She pressed her hands to his back, right on he spot where he'd gotten a bust to the back. He winced, remembering to go to he healers in he morning.

As far as kisses went, this one was light and gentle, not as passionate as some of the previous ones they had shared. Wow. How did they go from Reyna trying to push him into a lake as soon as he'd made a move on her to this? To Reyna actually receiving the kiss.

Percy pulled away, careful not to make her too overwhelmed, and smiled at her, his fingers gently brushing her jawline. She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand so that he cupped her face in his palm.

Percy's heart soared at this little moment between them. It wasn't often he got to spend much personal time with Reyna, and certainly nothing as intimate as this.

"Are you happy?" He asked, breaking the silence.

She opened her obsidian eyes. "What?"

"Are you happy?" He repeated. "With this..." He gestured to them. "With us."

Reyna thought quietly for a moment, fidgeting with a loose thread on her shorts. "Yes. I think I am."

Percy smiled, his expression mirroring Reyna's features.

He leaned in to kiss her nose, watching her startled expression as he did so. She smiled as he pulled away, her arm resting on his bicep.

"Have I ever told you how gorgeous you are?" Percy asked, staring at her. Even in pajamas, the clothes fit on her frame perfectly.

Reyna blinked. "Maybe...? I can't remember."

Percy grinned, a little awestruck at how romantic he was being with her. He usually never had such moments with Annabeth.

"Well, you are," Percy announced. "Beautiful, I mean."

Reyna gushed, though she tried to hide it. "And you're so hot. I mean, handsome."

Percy's smile grew wider. "I'm fine with either one."

Reyna yawned, shattering the intimacy. Percy frowned. "Do you want to head to bed? I'm sure being a praetor is a hard job. Not like I would know."

She smiled a small smile before replying, "I think I'll stay here for a bit. After all, we're alone."

Percy's eyes grew wide for a second, but he laughed. "Yeah, we are."

Percy and Reyna until Reyna finally fell asleep. Percy, being the gentleman he was, picked her up and took her into her room, tucking her into bed.

When he returned to his room, he lay down in bed, sighing. The past 30 minutes had seemed so cliche, and maybe it was. But there was nothing really wrong with cliche, now was there?

And that's a wrap! For this chapter, at least. I promise I'm not done with you guys yet. Hehehehe. Anyway, I really enjoyed writing that little moment between Percy and Reyna. I always do! So much so that I almost got carried away, but I realized the chapter was getting pretty long. But it was really fun to write, so it's whatever! I know you guys liked this chapter, so let me know you're thoughts! Review, review, and REVIEW!