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Piper and Jason took charge of cleaning the lower deck, which had been thrown into chaos during thedown the storage area took theot to spend tiiven Piper a healthy respect for Greek fire She didn’t want any loose vials of that stuff rolling through the corridors in theup the stables, Piper thought about the night Annabeth and Percy had spent down here accidentally Piper wished that she could talk with Jason all night--just curl up on the stable floor and enjoy being with hiet to break the rules?

But Jason wasn’t like that He was hardwired to be a leader and set a good exa the rules didn’t come naturally to him

No doubt Reyna admired that about him Piper did too…mostly

The one time she’d convinced him to be a rebel was back at the Wilderness School, when they had sneaked onto the roof at night to watch a meteor shower That’s where they’d had their first kiss

Unfortunately, that ical lie iether now, in real life, but their relationship had been founded on an illusion If Piper tried to get the real Jason to sneak out at night, would he do it?

She swept the hay into piles Jason fixed a broken door on one of the stables The glass floor hatch glowed froht and shadow that see over, afraid she’d see a randfather’s old stories; but all she saas an occasional school of herring

As she watched Jason work, she ad a door or oiling saddles It wasn’t just his strong arh Piper liked those just fine, but the way he acted so upbeat and confident He did what needed to be done without complaint He kept his sense of huuy had to be dead on his feet after not having slept the night before Piper couldn’t bla a crush on him When it came to work and duty, Jason was Roht about her oddess had told Reyna a year ago, and why it had changed the way Reyna treated Jason Had Aphrodite encouraged or discouraged her to like Jason?

Piper wasn’t sure, but she wished her ular lauy talk--that was just

Aphrodite had paid so much attention to Annabeth and Hazel, it had ot interested in son ItOr as Aphrodite would say, twists and turns

But also, Piper was secretly hurt not to have her mother to herself Aphrodite had barely looked at her She hadn’t said a word about Jason She hadn’t bothered explaining her conversation with Reyna at all

It was al Piper had gotten her guy Noas up to her to ossip as easily as she azine

All of you are such excellent stories, Aphrodite had said I irls

Piper hadn’t appreciated that, but part of her had thought: Fine I don’t want to be a story I want a nice steady life with a nice steady boyfriend

If only she knewrelationships work She was supposed to be an expert, being the head counselor for Aphrodite cabin Other campers at Camp Half-Blood came to her for advice all the time Piper had tried to do her best, but with her own boyfriend, she was clueless She was constantly second-guessing herself, reading too much into Jason’s expressions, his moods, his offhand comments Why did it have to be so hard? Why couldn’t there be a happily-ever-after ride-into-the-sunset feeling all the ti?" Jason asked

Piper realized she’d been lass bay doors, she looked like she’d sed a teaspoon of salt

"Nothing," she said "I s Kind of all at once"

Jason laughed The scar on his lip al all the stuff he’d been through, it was aoodto work out," he proreed "Except I was just saying that to ed "Still, it’s true We’re almost to the ancient lands We’ve left the Romans behind"

"And now they’re on their way to Camp Half-Blood to attack our friends"

Jason hesitated, as if it was hard for him to put a positive spin on that "Chiron will find a way to stall theht take weeks to actually find the camp and plan their attack Besides, Reyna will do what she can to slow things down She’s still on our side I know she is"

"You trust her" Piper’s voice sounded hollow, even to herself

"Look, Pipes I told you, you’ve got nothing to be jealous about"

"She’s beautiful She’s powerful She’s so…Roman"

Jason put down his hale up her arm Piper’s dad had once taken her to the Aquarium of the Pacific and shown her an electric eel He told her that the eel sent out pulses that shocked and paralyzed its prey Every time Jason looked at her or touched her hand, Piper felt like that

"You’re beautiful and powerful," he said "And I don’t want you to be Roman I want you to be Piper Besides, we’re a team, you and ether, really, for et rid of her doubts, any et rid of the SPQR tattoo burned on his forearm