The Praetors office had certainly seen better days. It had become something like a temple to her. Tiles fallen from the mosaic in the ceiling now peppered the floor, along with all the strewn papers and pens. She sat in one of the chairs with her feet thrown up on the table, now covered in nicks and scratches. She closed her eyes and basked in the sweet cacophony she could hear from outside. There were shouts, probably from the gladiator fights some of the campers had taken to staging, bangs coming from somewhere in distance and she giggled when she heard people screaming. She knew Lupa and her pack were circling the camp, snapping to get in. That meant even less than nothing to her. As soon as the old wolf sensed that the camp was truly weakening, she would snarl in contempt and abandon it to its fate.

Alone it would have taken her years to spread her influence but with the help she'd acquired, things were moving along quickly. She breathed deep and a smile touched her lips. She still wanted to take her time. She had not attacked New Rome directly yet because she wanted to them to see their camp fall first. Soon they would try something to save the demi-gods and that's when she would whip the winds of battle and watch the Romans dissolve into civil war.

"Where is he?"

She opened her eyes and Blaine was standing in the doorway. He was wearing his armor again but it was like a bad joke at this point, a mockery of everything it used to represent.

She slipped to her feet and was in front of him before his next blink. She brushed his cheek with her fingers and listened to his ragged breathing. The war was already at work inside of him. He was ripping himself apart.

"We're almost there," she said gently. She was his height now and her black hair pooled at her feet like smoke.

"You said he would come back!" he shouted and pushed past her. He was bent over with both hands on the table as if it was a struggle to hold himself up.

"Of course he will. Who knows," she said walking over and rubbing his back, "he's probably being held at the Greek camp. They won't let him return easily."

"Then we should go get him," Blaine said feverishly. "We'll march on the Graecus camp and bring him back home!"

"We will," she promised, whispering in his ear. "We'll free New Rome and then attack Camp Half-Blood."

She meant it. Why settle for toppling only Camp Jupiter and New Rome? She still seethed with fury when she thought of how the war was averted last time. She would not be jilted again, but first she would crack open New Rome and feast on the destruction.

"Imagine how happy he'll be to see you, how glad," she whispered sweetly. "He'll never want to be without you again."

"So he flies around in space-"

"And time," added Cesare.

"And time," she amended, "interfering in human history?"

"Yeah but he's usually just helping and things get out of control."

"Well I don't think meeting the ghost of your ancient uncle makes you anything like this Doctor," said Teles.

"I said 'kind of''"

"These things happen to demi-gods all the time," she said, dismissing it. "But tell me, you confessed, right? To one of my half-sisters?"

"Teresa," he said, confirming.

He could have lied. He could have told Teresa that Piper let Teles' name slip but he just couldn't. He'd told enough lies and he was just too tired to think of another one. Besides, there was always the chance that Teresa would ask Piper about it and then he'd be back at square one. So, he told Teresa the truth and begged her to keep his secret.

"What did she say?" asked Teles, her eyes wide with concern.

"She was mad but I don't think she'll tell," he said.

"I don't know what my mother will do if she finds out," she sighed.

"Nothing will happen to you. I'm the little mortal she'll zap."

"She wouldn't zap you. She created you and from what you told me she's quite proud of you."

"You said she locked you up because your sisters were taken?" he asked curiously.

"Yes."

"But why didn't the monster, or whoever, take you then?"

"I wasn't there," she said.

"Where were you?" he asked, thinking nothing of it.

"Atlantis," she said. Cesare sat up sharply and looked to the little mist window.

"You were in Atlantis?"

"Yes."

"My grandfather's kingdom?"

"Yes."

"Under the sea?"

"I wasn't there long. It's nothing now," she said, rolling her eyes.

"It means something to me because I've always wanted to see it!" he said, put out. "What were you doing there?"

"Nothing important, I said."

"Teles?"

"I was there at the Prince's invitation," she said dismissively. "Prince Triton, is…courting me."

Cesare felt like he was choking.

"Uh, what?"

"He invited me to show me the kingdom and shower me with gifts. He wants me to be his wife."

"Oh," Cesare said slowly. "So, are you saying yes?"

"I don't know," Teles sighed. "It would be an honor to marry Lord Poseidon's heir I guess."

"Wouldn't you have to leave your sisters?" He asked.

"That wouldn't be so bad if I knew they were safe. I mean they have more fun sinking ships and killing heroes than I do."

"That's cool." He managed to say it casually even though his stomach was tight with panic. "Would he be okay with you traveling the world like you want to? Like would he go to Venice with you?"

"I'm not sure. If not I'll just go without him. He would have to understand that I will not be confined…again," she said that last part with a surprising amount of bitterness.

"My Dad has never had a good relationship with Triton. He said the guy was kind of a douche canoe."

"I'm not sure what a 'douche canoe' is but he does possess a god's arrogance. That's to be expected."

"So has your mom visited you?" Cesare desperately needed to change the subject before he started trying to talk her out of marriage to his uncle in earnest. It wasn't his business.

"She came by this morning to drop off more books and some nectar and ambrosia. She wants me to break Prince Triton's heart first. She thinks that making him pine for me for a few hundred years would be romantic."

"So she is feeding you?" he asked, avoiding the other subject. "The campers thought you were starving, well as much as an immortal can starve…"

"Yes but she refuses to bring me more creampuffs. She says I should watch my figure now that I'm not as active."

Cesare heard her heave a great sigh. Some of her hair fell across her face where he could see. It was a lovely soft green color and he found himself squinting trying to get a better look into the misty little window.

"So, you're starting tomorrow?" She tossed her head and all he could see were her eyes again.

"Yeah but only after I get checked out again at the infirmary."

"In that case you should try to sleep. I want to hear all about your progress."

"Sure, I can't wait to tell you how both my Dads spanked me at sword training," he laughed cynically.

"Things would be better if I could see it for myself." He heard the sadness in her words. It creeped in every time she was reminded of her confinement.

"Oh no," he said cheerfully, trying to lift her spirits. "The only thing worse would be the queen of the sirens watching me faint from using a sword."

She giggled and the sound made the cabin seem brighter.

"For real," he said, "it's bad enough that I know other people will be watching. Let me at least keep my dignity with you."

"Very well, young hero, but I still expect a full report," she said happily.

His Dads were already waiting in the arena when he got there. Percy was sitting on the bench closest to the fighting area and Nico was standing in front of him with his Stygian iron sword thrust into the ground next to him. They were discussing something but broke off when Percy noticed Cesare walking toward them.

"Did you go by the Apollo cabin?" asked Percy.

"Yeah, they gave me a sip of nectar and said I was fine. It was normal exhaustion from overuse of powers."

"Good," said Nico, "We need to see what we're dealing with. Go to the middle of the arena please."

Nico seemed like he was in a grouchy mood so Cesare wordlessly did as he was told.

"Now what?" he shouted back when he reached the middle.

"Let's see these shadows," Nico said.

Cesare hesitated for a moment; curious campers were starting to appear. Rumors of his power and his parents were everywhere so he knew they wouldn't keep away but he wished they would. The looks and gossip didn't bother him when he was just "the new kid" but now they looked at him like he was going to eat them.

Cesare took a deep breath and plunged his sword into the ground. He felt the tug behind his belly button and then a crack split the earth with his blade as the point of origin. It raced across the packed dirt floor of the arena like a zipper, the ground ripping open behind it.

"Careful," Nico said casually from where he stood in front of Percy. "Or we'll be sucked in."

Cesare felt a moment of freezing panic as he realized the fissure was creeping toward them. He concentrated, gripped the sword tighter and it stopped four feet from his Dads. The shadows trickled out, rippling across the ground in tiny rivulets before rising up like a hundred whips ready to snap. Percy let out a low whistle as he looked at them. Cesare's grip tightened again as he held the shadows in place, willing them not to strike. Nico and Percy glanced at each other before Nico started walking out to his son. Cesare tried not to let his shock make him stumble and let go of the shadows. It was like holding back a wave when it would be so much easier to let it crash.

Nico was calm as he walked around the shadows like they were nothing more than trees in his path. By the time his Dad got to him Cesare was gritting his teeth. Nico looked at him, taking in his hands –clutching the sword so tightly that his knuckles were white, his body shaking, and his brow beaded with sweat. Nico knelt down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. There was a glint of light from the skull ring on his father's hand.

"Send them back now," he said gently.

Cesare gave the silent command and the blackness slithered back into the fissure before the rip knitted itself back together. He felt tension ease out of him and Nico pulled the sword away as his hands relaxed. He nearly slumped over on his Dad but held himself up because the crowd around the arena was bigger now. Teresa was there with her sisters hiding behind her like they had tried to duck out of sight. Even Jason had come. His godfather was looking at him with a worried expression. The rest of the campers looked wary if not out-right terrified.

"Well," said Nico. "Your Dad was right. It is pretty cool looking."

The Dining Pavilion was full of anxiety. Cesare could feel it leaking out of everyone. It was probably because they were back to glancing at him and whispering. Sam and the rest of the Ares table were blatantly glaring at him. He ignored them and sought out Teresa who gave him a tiny smile. At least she wasn't as scared as everyone else. His Dad's sat at the Hades table with him. Percy was on his second steak, the both of them looked like they didn't even notice all the attention.

"Cesare, are you listening?" Nico asked, pulling him back to their conversation.

"Sorry," he mumbled and stuffed some strawberries into his mouth.

"I was saying your fissures are too big. Holding opening gaps that big is why you're wearing out so fast. We'll work on making them smaller," said Nico.

"And don't worry about everyone else," Percy said, nudging him with an elbow. "It wouldn't be Camp Half-Blood if you weren't being pointed and stared at."

"Yeah, just ignore it, piccolo eroe," agreed Nico. "They'll get over it soon enough."

"I thought they had gotten over me," Cesare grumbled.

"That was until you went all 'death god of the sea' on them," said Percy with a smirk.

After dinner Cesare said goodnight to his parents. They were back in the Big House and Percy was complaining about the horrors of living in the same house as Mr. D. As he was about to head for the campfire sing-a-long, Cesare caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. It was Lady Hestia tending the hearth in the center of the Green. No one else seemed to notice her and she didn't look bothered by that at all. She sat with her legs folded under her and was wrapped in a brown shawl. She had a faint smile on her face as she used her poker to arrange logs in the brazier.

Cesare walked over carefully. It didn't feel right to ignore her now that he'd seen her. As he got closer he realized how child-like and tiny she was. He knew the gods could appear in any form they wanted but it was still disorienting to see a young girl with such intense eyes.

"Lady Hestia?" he asked, uncertainly.

"Hello," she said, smiling up at him.

"Hi, my name is Cesare Jackson, you've met my Dads," he offered, awkwardly.

"Yes, your father Nico di Angelo came to greet me this morning. He's always been such a sweet child. I'm pleased to see his troubles are over and he's found happiness. Would you like to sit?"

Cesare sat down to her right and tried not to stare. Up close her eyes were like warm embers and he felt like he could stare into them and feel safe forever. She was beautiful and part of it was her modesty. He could see the tumble of her dark hair was hidden by her shawl and her smiles were sweet and gentle.

"Do you feel better now that you're here at camp?" she asked.

"What?" he asked, in confusion.

"I sense that you were lost before," said Hestia.

"Oh, well, yeah I guess. Even with all the whispering I feel better here than at Camp Jupiter."

"You're Greek and this is your home. I know that many of the Greek demi-gods are seeking shelter in New Rome. A place where they can live in safety and have children without constant danger and fear. I understand this desire and while I wish them well, I know they will never be as easy there," she said sadly.

"Trust me, I know that first hand," he agreed.

"I have often thought it unfair, and wished my family's children to be equally cared for. But it is not my place to get involved. I simply tend the fires," she said, giving him another gentle smile.

"Cesare!" He turned to look and saw Andrew waving at him. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah," he called back. He turned again to say goodbye, but in a true god-like fashion, Lady Hestia was already gone.

He tried to slip back to his cabin quickly after the sing-a-long. It was almost worse than being in the dining Pavilion. He sat alone under the Poseidon banner and everyone was still staring and whispering. His aura started to manifest and he was afraid he'd start killing off grass and cracking the ground if it went on much longer. Even the fire felt the tension, burning with a gloomy dull purple color. It was just a little after sunset and everyone milled around talking or slowly finding their way to their beds but he made a bee line for cabin three.

"Running off to talk your new friend?" startled by the unexpected voice, he almost tripped and fell.

"Teresa," he sighed and turned around to face her. She had her hands on her hips and frown on her pretty face.

"Cesare, she's a siren. She's the queen of the sirens! She could be tricking you!"

"Can you keep your voice down please?" he hissed. "I already told you, Apollo charmed the cabin so the sound of her singing can't escape. She's not evil. She's just lonely and sad."

"I still don't like it," she said. "My mother gave strict instructions."

"To keep her safe that's why. Aphrodite doesn't want her searching for her sisters. Whatever took the rest of the sirens is still out there."

That made her deflate just a little. "Promise me you won't open those doors."

"I promise," he said without hesitating. That seemed to put her at ease.

"So, you put on a great show today," she said, with a hint of her usual smile. "Everyone's petrified."

"I hadn't noticed," said Cesare, rolling his eyes.

"If it makes you feel better, I hear the Athena cabin is mostly intrigued."

"That makes sense," he replied with a shrug.

"Maybe if you tried socializing a little more people could get to know you and not just the scary dark tentacles of death."

"You and my Dad, Percy, would get along," he mumbled.

"Seriously, Cesare," she said looking concerned. "The only way to stop being the camp pariah is to stop being the camp pariah. We're talking to people tomorrow." Cesare couldn't help but laugh at the determined light in her eyes.

"Hey," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets, "if you can find people who want to talk to me I got no problem with it."

"You're the only one who thinks no one wants to talk to you," she smirked.

"I think you over-estimate my allure," he chuckled.

"Nonsense, as a daughter of Aphrodite and the world's best Wingwoman my allure estimates are always spot on," she replied, arrogantly.

"If you say so," he said. They both laughed and for a second that's all there was, just him and Teresa laughing together. But Teresa's laughter died away and she suddenly looked very somber.

"Cesare," she began hesitantly, "what is she like?" She thumbed in the direction of cabin two and he glanced at the bronze doors.

He faltered for a moment. How could he sum Teles up? How could he explain her without giving away things he wanted kept just between them? It felt too intimate to share her desire to travel, her worry and anger for her sisters, or how she laughed.

"She's nice, and funny, and miserable in there," he said.

"Ah." She searched his face and whatever she saw there made her take a step back. "I think I should go to bed. I feel a headache coming on."

"Oh, okay."

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said, as she flashed a quick smile and ran off.

Other campers were on the Green now, heading for their cabins. Stars winked in the sky as the Apollo cabin dimmed and the Artemis cabin began to glow bright silver under the moon. Cesare stood there for a while and watched Teresa enter her cabin before shaking his head and leaving the Green.

He could hear a voice calling his name, saying it like some dark prayer. It was familiar and yet unlike anything he'd ever heard. Some part of him knew he was dreaming but that was small consolation. It brushed his ear like a whisper and made his mind flinch back.

"Cesare, Cesare, Cesare…"

His dreams were hazy, like something was trying to reach him, but the sound of that voice slithered up his spine and made him afraid to look. He pushed at his subconscious, trying to reject whatever was reaching out to him. It grabbed at him and wrenched himself away, waking up and tumbling off the bed. He was back up in an instant, panting and covered in a sheen of sweat.

He never got back to sleep after that nightmare. It still felt like every hair on his body was standing on end. The fountain wasn't placing any magical calls at the moment so he showered, brushed his teeth, and cleaned up the cabin a little. Now he was sitting on the floor leaning against the foot of his bed watching Aladdin. He'd grown up watching this movie, and could practically recite it by heart but when it got to the scene right before A Whole New World he suddenly felt annoyed. Aladdin was offering Jasmine a ride on his magic carpet, a chance to get out of her tower and see the world. It sent him straight back to his conversation with Teresa.

He grabbed the remote and shut the movie off. For once, he was grateful that the fountain wasn't working on its own. His conversation with Telese the night before had been a struggle for him – acting normal when he was a mass of confusion inside. He couldn't deny that he had imagined releasing Teles from cabin two and maybe that was what had really aggravated him about Teresa demanding that he promise not to.

He walked over to a window pushed one of the green curtains aside and saw that the sun was rising, the light already beginning to glare off of Apollo's cabin. Only a few satyrs were walking around right now but the campers would wake soon. He stepped outside and went to go sit by the hearth. It was crackling merrily and seemed to burn brighter when he sat down. He tried to remember what Lady Hestia said about being home. It occurred to him that Teresa was right. He hadn't made any true effort to make Camp Half-Blood his home. He liked it better than Camp Jupiter but he hadn't tried to make any new friends replace the ones he'd lost. He lived in cabin three alone, ate at the Hades table alone, and never talked to anyone but Teresa and whoever she pulled near him.

He waited until he saw the first few kids emerge from their cabins before heading over to cabin ten. It was gaudy pink thing like something straight out of a plastic box. He would not be surprised if there was actually an assembly line inside making Barbie dolls. He knocked on the door and Clare answered. She was a cute girl with thick, straight orangey-red hair. She was wearing sweats and a white tank top like she's just gotten out of bed and her skin looked so fresh and perfect that he wasn't sure if it was make-up or not. Somehow she managed to blush as she frowned at him.

"Yes?" she asked in a clipped tone.

"Hi, is Teresa up?"

"She's sick," said Clare. "You probably won't see her today."

"Oh…" he was taken aback by the ice in her stare but maybe she was still angry about him walking away with Kate that day.

"Is that all?" she asked.

"Tell her I hope she feels better," he said, meekly.

"I'm sure," she answered and rolled her eyes. Just as she shut the door he heard her mumble "garçon stupide".

Puzzled, he headed for the Big House and saw Mr. D sitting on the porch with a man in a wheel chair. He knew who it was even though he'd never met him in person. As he approached he saw that there was a board game set up on a table between the god and the centaur. Chiron looked up as Cesare climbed the steps but Mr. D was too busy brooding over his next move.

"Hi, you must be Chiron," he said, extending his hand. "I'm Cesare Jackson." The old centaur grinned and shook his hand warmly.

"Ah, Mr. Jackson the younger, I've wanted to meet you for some time. I've heard a lot about you from your parents of course."

"Freeloaders," grumbled Mr. D without taking his eyes from his game. Chiron ignored him and continued to smile at Cesare.

"They've also told me about your newly developed powers. Of course, your father Nico is more qualified to teach you to control them, but if you ever need help with sword play…"

"Sure! I'd love a lesson from you," said Cesare, happily.

"You're holding up the game, Chaz," Mr. D said, glowering.

"S-sorry sir," he said, and bolted into the house.

Seymour growled at him as he dashed up the stairs. He didn't know which room his parents were in so he froze on the top landing. He considered calling out until he heard a soft giggle float out of the room at the end of the hall. It sounded like Nico so he headed for it. As he got closer he could hear more clearly. Those were definitely his Dad's voices. They were speaking softly to each other and he nearly groaned because he could practically feel the intimacy through the door. As if he wasn't having enough awkward moments lately. He considered turning around and leaving but the selfish part of his psyche won out.

"Hey," he called out. There was a moment of silence that was so uncomfortable it made him grimace.

"Cesare?" asked Percy.

"Yep," he said, with embarrassment. "I just wanted to ask if you wanted to go to breakfast together but I can-"

"Yeah, we'll be down in a second," said Nico. He heard sheets rustle and a heavy sigh from Percy so he went downstairs to wait.

It didn't take them long. He heard them coming down the stairs just as he was tossing Seymour a snausage. Percy was wearing a pair of trashed skinny jeans and a green hoodie that made his eyes pop –most likely worn to please his husband who loved his eyes- and Nico wore black jeans and a black cowl-neck sweater. The rich olive color of Nico's skin seemed lighter today and he had more bags under his eyes than usual.

"Little trip to the Underworld to see my father," Nico said, when he saw Cesare staring.

"Why?" asked Cesare.

"First, to have a little chat with him about letting you keep that sword and not telling me. Second, to see what else he could tell me about it."

Nico opened the door and ushered him out. It looked like the entire camp –with the exception of the Hypnos cabin—was awake. Satyrs were helping Argos haul off the new shipment of strawberries and even some of Demeter's children were pitching in. Cesare could hear the Ares cabin blasting heavy metal music in the distance.

They waved to Chiron and Mr. D –who just scoffed at them—and headed for the Dining Pavilion.

"What did Hades say about the sword?" he asked Nico.

"Whatever Antony could do with the sword was completely unique. The way his power manifested was unlike any other child of Hades."

"Yeah his were more…shadowy," Cesare said, struggling to describe it.

"I wanted to talk to Antony but he's being judged right now and the deliberations are taking a long time because they can't decide if his actions were good for Greek demi-gods or bad. But your power is a variation of his, a mix of your Underworld and water abilities. So, there really wasn't much information."

Campers were flooding into the Dining Pavilion and the line for the breakfast buffet was already ridiculous. Cesare was sandwiched between his Dads in line but he still tried to look around and see if Teresa had made it out of bed after all.

"What is it?" asked Percy, who was standing behind him.

"Teresa is sick but I thought maybe I'd see her."

"Teresa? The daughter of Aphrodite right?" asked Percy. Cesare nodded and turned back around.

The line moved pretty fast for being so congested. Nico got a fruit salad while Cesare and Percy loaded their plates with French toast, bacon, and hashbrowns. Once everyone made their offerings and sat down, Jason stood to welcome Chiron back to camp. Everyone clapped but no one was louder than Jason who looked very relieved to hand the reins back. Piper sat next to him at the head table and giggled at him quietly.

Cesare looked over at cabin ten's table and his spirits dropped when he saw that Teresa really wasn't there. It was silly but not having Teresa there to grin or wink at him from across the tables made him feel like the day was incomplete. It was like being elementary school and seeing that your friend was out sick for the day.

Suddenly he felt bored so he chewed his breakfast and listened to his parents talk about their job interviews and which apartment had seemed best. When he was done he got up and left, throwing a promise over his shoulder to be show up for sword practice. He didn't feel like socializing anymore without Teresa. He kicked rocks as he walked and stared at the ground, his curls falling into his eyes and obscuring his view.

"Don't slouch, dear."

The scent of expensive perfume invaded his nose and when he looked up, Lady Aphrodite was walking next to him. He didn't jump this time but his stomach tightened in alarm. She was wearing a long white maxi dress with a navy print and he was now convinced that she was using her godly powers to keep from spilling out of these plunging necklines.

"Aren't you happy to see me, Cesare?" she asked, smiling.

"I'm surprised to see you, Lady Aphrodite. What uh, what brings you to camp?" He was doing his best not to run away from her, screaming as he went. His palms were beginning to sweat and he wondered if she could hear his heartbeat. If she knew about him talking to Teles he was beyond screwed.

"I was in the neighborhood and I thought I'd drop by."

"Oh, are you visiting your kids? Teresa is sick and she'd probably like to see you," he said, tossing out a subject to distract her.

"Teresa is ill?" she asked, concern giving her a pretty pout. "Unfortunately, I don't have much time. But she must be so lonely in the cabin all by herself. Has anyone taken her some medicine?"

"I'm not really sure," he said.

"Then can you please give her this from me?"

A large pink box appeared in Aphrodite's hands. It was tied with a giant pink bow and had a "get better soon. Xoxo, Mom" card attached.

"Sure, I guess," he said accepting the box.

"Thank you, sweetheart. Now, I have to dash but please run and give her that for me."

The goddess disappeared in a puff of sweet perfume and Cesare just shook his head and made his way to cabin ten.

Frank nudged a curtain aside to peek out of the window. Fauns sat on corners and sidewalks like broken toys. Lares were drifting here and there, looking more like specters from a Dickens novel than hero-ancestors. All the color had been leeched out of New Rome, all the vibrant life. The open air market was deserted as food supplies had grown dangerously low. Children and Legacies of Ceres were doing what they could grow food but they couldn't manage much without the goddess's assistance.

The gods were silent and some speculated that what was happening in Camp Jupiter was tearing at their duel personalities again. They heard nothing from Camp Half-Blood so they didn't know if the gods' Graecus aspects were still functioning, but it was their only hope.

"Frank?" He moved away from the window and looked at his wife. Hazel was modestly dressed in jeans and a plain white t-shirt. He didn't think she needed anything else with her gold eyes and curly cinnamon brown hair.

"It's fine," he said. "Other than fauns and lares there's no one on the street."

She nodded and they turned back to the group assembled in their living room. They had called together their neighbors and friends from their days as legionnaires because none of them could sit and do nothing for much longer. He and Hazel had feared the residents of New Rome would do something extreme and make the situation worse if they didn't try to come up with a better solution.

"We need to get a message to Camp Half-Blood," Hazel said to the room.

"Will they help us?" Holly asked. She was a former legionnaire who had just gotten married. Her husband, a legacy of Venus, sat next to her on their couch.

"Of course they will," Frank answered.

"And there's no way for you to contact your brother?" asked William. His daughter Stacy was a Praetor who had gone missing right before all this started.

"We can't get to the eagles and something is disrupting my Fleecy messages," said Hazel. "But if we find another way to contact them…"

"It's all we would need to turn this around," finished Frank.

"If the Legion was turned, I doubt more teenagers will make a difference," said William.

"Percy and Nico are not teenagers," said Hazel. "And they've been on more quests than anyone else in this room and come through all of them. They're the most powerful demi-gods alive."

"Good thing they left right before all this happened," sneered William. Hazel's golden eyes hardened and Frank glared at the man.

"We are not going to start throwing around doubt, not now. How many times do we need to relearn the same lesson?" Frank said, speaking to everyone in the room. "Roman or Greek, we are all children of the gods, and when there is a threat we have to stick together. Percy Jackson was elected Praetor by some of us in this room, and Nico was Pluto's Ambassador here for years. And they can bring Jason Grace with them."

The room responded to that and focus shifted from William. Frank felt sorry for him. Sophie was upstairs safe and asleep in her bed but if she had gone missing like Stacy then he would be more than a little unreasonable right now.

"So what do we do?" asked Holly.

"We need to get out," Hazel said, firmly.

"Teresa?" Cesare called as he knocked on the door of Aphrodite's cabin.

Everyone was still at breakfast and he wanted to get this over with before Teresa's siblings came back.

"Teresa, if you can hear me I have something from your mom."

He heard movement and the door opened just enough for Teresa to look out. She was wearing light blue silk PJs and holding a piece of tissue over her mouth. Her eyes were pink and a little puffy.

"Hey," he said softly. "Does your head still hurt?"

The look she gave him was unreadable and then she looked down at the pink box in his hands.

"So your mom popped in on me again. I told her you were sick and she couldn't stay long but she wanted you to have this," he said offering it to her.

"Thanks," she mumbled as she reached out to take it.

Now that the tissue was removed from her face he noticed that she had no make-up on. There were bags under eyes and she looked a bit pale but she also looked real.

"How bad is it?" he asked. "I can go over to the Apollo cabin and get something for you."

"No, it's okay. I just need to lie down."

"Just let me know if you need anything. I don't feel like trying to meet people without you so I'm going to sword practice and that's it," he said, shrugging.

"Why? You don't need me to meet people," she said in a low tone.

"This is going to make me sound like a loser but children of the Underworld are usually loners. My Dad always told me that as long I have at least one good friend then I'm doing really well and I have you so…"

He shrugged and let it drop and he tried to blush but probably failed. Teresa looked at him for a second and then smiled weakly.

"I'll probably be better tomorrow so let's see if we can change that theory."

He said good-bye as she kicked the door closed, all the while holding the big pink box like a bomb.