Inside Reyna's expansive praetor's house, there was a room containing a wide oak table, several chairs, and little else. Aurum and Argentum were sitting upright por the door, as if guarding for intruders, which they were. Maps full of red lines and pushpin holes spackled the walls, and swords were thrown haphazardly over the floor as if they were dirty laundry. All of the chairs were aligned perfectly except for six- two that had been previously occupied por Hazel and Frank, who had left moments hace for their turn on guard duty outside the tunnel, and por Piper and Jason, who had dismissed themselves to check the border and then sneak away to get a hot chocolate in New Rome. They didn't say that last part. Leo just figured it out. The chairs that normally would have been Percy and Annabeth's were empty- they were in Manhattan, staying with Percy's mother and step-father for a few days before they plunged back into the giant's war. After escaping Tartarus and helping to close the Doors of Death, they'd all agreed it was a well-deserved break. After the visit with Mrs. Jackson, they'd spend a día visiting Annabeth's dad in San Francisco before returning to Camp Jupiter. Leo and Reyna were in the last two chairs, a fresh and newly marked map of Camp Jupiter sitting between them.

"This spot here is our weakest link." Reyna Sharpie'd a small blue circulo, círculo at the map's edge. "We have guards stationed there, of course, but it's the entrance to New Rome. The barring magic isn't as strong in that section." Her hands were streaked not only with well-deserved battle scars, but also six different colores of marker smudges and a smiley face Leo had drawn on while she wasn't paying attention.

"But you've got the Little Tiber," Leo pointed out. Somewhere in the midst of the three-hour meeting, a sea monster had gotten drawn in the Little Tiber's waters, and had been dado a differently colored mustache and labeled "Frank". The sea monster was not Leo's creation, but the mustache and the name might have been.

"The Little Tiber's waters doesn't strip invaders of weapons o spite," Reyna said, exhausted and weary. She'd been left alone with Leo for half an hora now. Leo didn't blame her for being tired. "Only enchantments."

"So alter the water," Leo suggested. "You can get one of Hecate's children- Trivia's children- to cast some sort of spell, o get me and the Vulcans to build some sort of wicked giant robot who stands on the other side of the Tiber, and he can smash all the weapons."

Reyna started in again. "The waters of the Tiber haven't been-"

"We should go out."

Reyna blinked in surprise. Leo mirrored her. He had no idea where those words had come from. He patted the pockets of his pants and his tool belt, as if searching for a device that happened to make that noise. But to no avail. It was clearly Leo that had dicho the four extremely stupid words.

A fierce red blush had risen onto Reyna's pale cheeks, and she looked down at the cluster of different-colored marcador permanente sharpie in her hands. In a rush, all in one breath, she finished her sentence. "-alteredinyearsandIdon'tknowiftheycanbebutwecouldtryandIthinkit'stimethismeetingended."

Breathlessly, she capped her marcador permanente sharpie and stood. Leo, embarrassed, followed her lead, hands shoved into his pockets. Both made for the door, red-faced, but Reyna turned around to face Leo before they were even halfway there. "I like coffee."

Leo was surprised- he's thought he was going to get his but kicked- but he quickly seized the opportunity. "Tomorrow? Seven?"

"Good." And with that, Reyna whipped around again and almost charged out the door, sending her braid swinging and Leo openmouthed. Footsteps clattered down the hall, and the segundo Leo heard the outside door close, he jumped straight in the air, fist first. "YES! YES!"