The car jostled making making Rose's teeth rattle in her skull.
"Give it to me," screeched one of the fates. "I can't see to drive!" She let go of the wheel and lunged across the seat to the passenger side, reaching for the eye. The car jerked and swerved with no hands on the wheel.
"But they're demigods," squealed the other, the one with the eye, "let's have a looksie, shall we?"
"Why do you get to look?" demanded the third quite huffily from the middle. "I never get to have any of the fun." Annabeth, clearly sympathizing with the one who 'never has any fun' smucked the other on the back of the head and put her hand out to catch the eye. It landed with a sickening sound in her outstretched palm. She handed it to the middle Fate, looked at her hand in distaste and, when Tessa was distracted, wiped her hands clean on the back of Tessa's sweater.
"Let's look," cooed the middle fate. "I see," she mumbled, "I see... nothing. What did you do to it?" she demanded of her sister, taking the eye out and banging it on the dashboard the way someone might try to restart a malfunctioning flashlight.
"ME?!? Why does it have to be my fault?" she whined.
"You had it last!"
"The mortal had it last!" snapped the other.
"Let me see," said the one who had been driving quite precariously. Reluctantly her sister's handed over the eye. "Curious," she mumbled popping it in and looking down her nose at them the one someone wiht glasses would. "I can see them fine. Annabeth Chase, yes indeed, pleasure to meet you again my dear. Who are these fine friends of yours? Quite the gathering. Alanna Harrell, yes I remember you, you're string was so pretty, a teal color I think... if I had a kitchen to paint I would definitely paint it that color," she sighed.
"Clotho," Marcus murmured.
"Indeed I am, boy. Indeed I am. Marcus Jacobs, who would have known you would be the one to know us by name? Afterall your string was such a dull color..." Marcus scoffed angrily and crossed his arms. "Kidding my dear!" she chimed. "We had jokes even in Ancient Greece." Then she cackled heartily laughing so hard her eye popped out and the middle one scrambled and shoved the eye in.
"I see you, Alanna Valdez," she cheered and then her face turned stormy. "Where did you go? The lot of you are gone from my sight! Have you no future? Perhaps it is your fate to die in this car..." Then she cackled as heartily as her sister and the Fates didn't dare look to the demigods until they were parking the cab. Then it was only to extend a long bony finger to collect a golden coin from Annabeth.
***
Rose stood awkwardly staring up at the starry night sky. It was a beautiful and peaceful evening in the middle of the summer and crickets chirped happily in the grass.
"I've got a bad feeling about this place," Annabeth muttered.
The overpass rumbled occasionally with a truck and Rose became even more confused, "Didn't you ask the Fates to drop us off at Camp Jupiter?"
"We ARE at Camp Jupiter," Annabeth muttered. "Let's go."
Though Annabeth looked grumpy and squared her shoulders like she was getting ready to face an opponent (or strong winds), the tunnel looked to Rose like, well, a tunnel. It was graffitied and the ground was wet and soaked her shoes. Rose shivered lightly against the breeze and without a second thought Marcus slund his jacket over her shoulders. Everyone was quiet, seeming to wait for something to jump out. Jamie behind them limped along behind them, Annabeth had fed her ambrosia so her leg wasn't quite broken anymore but it still seemed to pain her. They were almost in a clearing when they noticed their welcoming committee hidding in the shadows. Though she extended her arms in welcome Rose noticed Annabeth's hands tighten on her knife.
"Annabeth," she nodded, "and friends? Would you like to introduce yourselves?"
"Reyna," Annabeth snapped.
"This is Alanna, Tessa, Jamie, Piper and Rose," Marcus said gesturing with a shy smile. "I'm Marcus."
Reyna nodded to acknowledge his introduction and narrowed her eyes at Piper. "Hello again, Piper," Reyna spat.
"I didn't know, Reyna. I've asked your forgiveness," Piper shrugged.
"We Romans aren't known for our fogiving nature," Reyna sighed as though she wished they were and wanted to be a better person. "Come, though," she said waving to Marcus and the rest to follow, "I have a feeling there are things to be discussed. The other Praetors will be waiting."
"She seems nice," Rose said sarcastically once Reyna was out of ear shot.
"I know doesn't she?" sighed Marcus. Rose rolled her eyes, snorted and walked up to the girls. Surely the girls glowering at her back would make better conversation then the boy kissing the ground at her feet.
***
"You mean Jason Grace is missing also?" a Praetor asked crossing his arms over his chest. "So much for Camp Half-Blood being safe for demigods."
"I would like to point out," Tessa said with a chuckle polishing off a bag of popcorn she'd brandished from somewhere, "that Jason Grace has disappeared on our watch, but he has disappeared on yours as well."
The Praetor lunged to his feet. "You come into our house and insult us?"
"You started the name calling!"
"Kill them all, Reyna!" he hollered. "They were right! Greeks and Romans should be kept apart!"
