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"Stop that!" Terminus insisted Another small explosion made Leo drop his screwdriver "Weapons are not allowed on Roman soil inside the Pomerian Line"
"The what?" Piper asked
"City limits," Jason translated
"And this entire ship is a weapon!" Terminus said "You cannot land!"
Down in the valley, the legion reinforcements were halfway to the city The crowd in the foru now Annabeth scanned the faces and…oh, gods She saw hi toward the ship with his arms around two other kids like they were best buddies--a stout boy with a black buzz cut, and a girl wearing a Roman cavalry helmet Percy looked so at ease, so happy He wore a purple cape just like Jason’s--the ymnastics routine
"Leo, stop the ship," she ordered
"What?"
"You heard ht where we are"
Leo pulled out his controller and yanked it upward All ninety oars froze in place The ship stopped sinking
"Ter over New Rome, is there?"
The statue frowned "Well, no…"
"We can keep the ship aloft," Annabeth said "We’ll use a rope ladder to reach the forum That way, the ship won’t be on Roman soil Not technically"
The statue see his chin with iinary hands
"I like technicalities," he admitted "Still…"
"All our weapons will stay aboard the ship," Annabeth promised "I assu toward us--will also have to honor your rules inside the Pomerian Line if you tell them to?"
"Of course!" Terminus said "Do I look like I tolerate rule breakers?"
"Uh, Annabeth…" Leo said "You sure this is a good idea?"
She closed her fists to keep the was still there It floated just behind her, and now that Terht she could hear the presence laughing, as if it was delighted by the bad choices she was
But Percy was down there…he was so close She had to reach him
"It’ll be fine," she said "No one will be armed We can talk in peace Terminus will make sure each side obeys the rules" She looked at the reement?"
Terminus sniffed "I suppose For now You hter of Athena Please try not to destroy my town"
Chapter 2
A sea of hastily asseh the forued froiants, but no one was arathered to see the newco to their parents’ legs, even some elderly folks in a combination of Roods? Annabeth suspected so, though she’d never seen a place like this At Ca enough to graduate froh school, they either stayed on as counselors or left to start lives as best they could in the enerational community
At the far end of the crowd, Annabeth spotted Tyson the Cyclops and Percy’s hellhound, Mrs O’Leary--who had been the first scouting party from Caood spirits Tyson waved and grinned He earing an SPQR banner like a giant bib
Soistered how beautiful the city was--the s fountains, the flowers blooods, the architecture--gildedmosaics, monumental arches, and terraced villas
In front of her, the deirl in full Roman armor and a purple cape Dark hair tumbled across her shoulders Her eyes were as black as obsidian
Reyna
Jason had described her well Even without that, Annabeth would have singled her out as the leader Medals decorated her arods backed away and averted their gaze
Annabeth recognized so else in her face, too--in the hard set of her mouth and the deliberate way she raised her chin like she was ready to accept any challenge Reyna was forcing a look of courage, while holding back a mixture of hopefulness and worry and fear that she couldn’t show in public
Annabeth knew that expression She saw it every tiirls considered each other Annabeth’s friends fanned out on either side The Ro at him in awe