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Then someone else appeared from the crowd, and Annabeth’s vision tunneled

Percy smiled at her--that sarcastic, troublemaker smile that had annoyed her for years but eventually had becoeous as she remembered His dark hair ept to one side, like he’d just come from a walk on the beach He looked even better than he had six o--tanner and taller, leaner and more muscular

Annabeth was too stunned to ot any closer to hiht combust She’d secretly had a crush on him since they were twelve years old Last summer, she’d fallen for him hard They’d been a happy couple for fourtheir separation, sorown painfully intense--like she’d been forced to withdraw fro --living with that horrible absence, or being with hihtened With apparent reluctance, she turned toward Jason

"Jason Grace, ue like it was a dangerous thing "I welcome you home And these, your friends--"

Annabeth didn’t ed forward Percy rushed toward her at the same time The crowd tensed Some reached for swords that weren’t there

Percy threw his ar else mattered An asteroid could have hit the planet and wiped out all life, and Annabeth wouldn’t have cared

Percy smelled of ocean air His lips were salty

Seaweed Brain, she thought giddily

Percy pulled away and studied her face "Gods, I never thought--"

Annabeth grabbed his wrist and flipped him over her shoulder He slaed forward, but Reyna shouted, "Hold! Stand down!"

Annabeth put her knee on Percy’s chest She pushed her forearht A white-hot luer expanded in her chest--a tu around since last autuain," she said, her eyes stinging, "I swear to all the gods--"

Percy had the nerve to laugh Suddenly the lump of heated emotions melted inside Annabeth

"Consider me warned," Percy said "I missed you, too"

Annabeth rose and helped hiain so badly, but she ed to restrain herself

Jason cleared his throat "So, yeah…It’s good to be back"

He introduced Reyna to Piper, who looked a little otten to say the lines she’d been practicing, then to Leo, who grinned and flashed a peace sign

"And this is Annabeth," Jason said "Uh, normally she doesn’t judo-flip people"

Reyna’s eyes sparkled "You sure you’re not a Roman, Annabeth? Or an Amazon?"

Annabeth didn’t know if that was a compliment, but she held out her hand "I only attack my boyfriend like that," she promised "Pleased to meet you"

Reyna clasped her hand firmly "It seems we have a lot to discuss Centurions!"

A few of the Roman campers hustled forward--apparently the senior officers Two kids appeared at Percy’s side, the sa around with earlier The burly Asian guy with the buzz cut was about fifteen He was cute in a sort of oversized-cuddly-panda-bear way The girl was younger,curly hair Her cavalry helmet was tucked under her are that they felt close to Percy They stood next to him protectively, like they’d already shared e of jealousy Was it possible Percy and this girl…no The chemistry between the three of the to read people It was a survival skill If she had to guess, she’d say the big Asian guy was the girl’s boyfriend, though she suspected they hadn’t been together long

There was one thing she didn’t understand: as the girl staring at? She kept frowning in Piper and Leo’s direction, like she recognized one of them and theorders to her officers "…tell the legion to stand down Dakota, alert the spirits in the kitchen Tell them to prepare a welco these intruders into the cay blond hair elbowed his way forward "Reyna, the security risks--"

"We’re not taking them to the camp, Octavian" Reyna flashed him a stern look "We’ll eat here, in the forurumbled He seemed to be the only one who didn’t defer to Reyna as his superior, despite the fact that he was scrawny and pale and for so from his belt "You want us to relax in the shadow of their warship"

"These are our guests" Reyna clipped off every word "We elcour, you should burn an offering to thank the gods for bringing Jason back to us safely"

"Good idea," Percy put in "Go burn your bears, Octavian"

Reyna looked like she was trying not to smile "You have my orders Go"

The officers dispersed Octavian shot Percy a look of absolute loathing Then he gave Annabeth a suspicious once-over and stalked away

Percy slipped his hand into Annabeth’s "Don’t worry about Octavian," he said "Most of the Roood people--like Frank and Hazel here, and Reyna We’ll be fine"

Annabeth felt as if someone had draped a cold washcloth across her neck She heard that whispering laughter again, as if the presence had followed her froo II Its ht Part of her wanted to kidnap Percy right now, cliet out of here while they still could