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Much like Camp Half-Blood, the Romans’ bowl-shaped valley was hidden from the eyes of mortals. Unlike Camp Half-Blood, an entire miniature society was nestled inside this ring of verdant hills.

The Little Tiber etched a glittering blue crescent around the western half of the valley, emptying into a crystal-clear lake right in the center, dotted with triremes and fishing boats.

Just across the river from where Nico stood, the fortifications of Camp Jupiter itself looked as formidable as ever: high wooden walls with sentry towers at each corner, surrounded by a moat lined with sharpened stakes. Inside the walls, identical barracks lined theVia Principalis—everything neat and orderly. Nico could see soldiers of the Twelfth Legion bustling about on their daily routines—marching in columns, polishing their armor, sparring with swords and spears. If a legionnaire from ancient Rome had materialized inside Camp Jupiter, they would have felt right at home. The Twelfth Legion had constructed their base exactly like every Roman legion had for the entire history of the empire.

To the north stretched the Field of Mars—a vast training ground that was part construction zone, part war-game playground, part postapocalyptic wasteland. Nico had almost died on that field a couple of times. The Romans took their training exercises seriously.

To the south, the vast complex of monuments and shrines on Temple Hill glittered in the sunlight. Smoke rose from the altar of the largest temple to Jupiter Optimus Maximus. Somewhere below that, Nico knew, literally in Jupiter’s shadow, crouched a much smaller shrine to Pluto—the Roman alter ego of Nico’s father.

Finally, Nico’s eyes drifted east, across the lake, to the real jewel box of the valley: New Rome. It was a small city, housing barely more than a few thousand, but it was built to have everything a discerning Roman citizen might want. The Forum would be full of merchants and shoppers this morning, Nico imagined, between the gold dome of the Senate House and the gleaming white Colosseum. Somewhere in the city, amid the winding streets, gardens and villas, cafés, and theaters, Nico’s friend Tyson the Cyclops ran a bookstore with his girlfriend, Ella the harpy. Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase would be attending classes at New Rome University.

The idea warmed Nico’s heart, but it also made him feel a little wistful. The Romans did one thing very well: theyplanned. This valley wasn’t just a training camp. It offered a home for life to anyone who graduated from the legion. Demigods could live here forever, follow their dreams, get married, raise a family—whatever they wished, all in relative safety.

It was the ultimate lesson in being present, Nico thought. Staying put. Living life. All those things Mr. D had been trying to teach him. Maybe that’s why the place made him feel so uncomfortable.

“Welcome to our camp,” said Yazan proudly.

“You’re kidding me.” Will gave Nico an accusatory look. “Thisis Camp Jupiter? You did aterriblejob describing it!”

Nico shrugged. “I still prefer our slice of woodsy chaos. But yeah, this place is gorgeous.”

Savannah marched over to a nearby sentry hut. She hefted a bronze horn and blew a signal blast that echoed across the valley. A moment later, a horn answered from Camp Jupiter. The Decumanian Gate swung open, and a mounted figure galloped up the road in their direction.

Nico grinned. He recognized that brown stallion, the rider’s flowing purple cloak, her praetorian armor, her long dark curls.

He was glad he’d recovered from his shadow-travel, because he actually had the energy to run down the hill to meet her. “Hazel!” he cried.

Arion, her superfast steed, covered the distance between them in seconds. Hazel swung down from the saddle with the grace of a seasoned cowhand and ran to embrace Nico.

He buried his face in his sister’s shoulder and held her tightly. She smelled of sweet, freshly turned earth.

Images flashed unbidden through his mind:

Bianca in the Lotus Hotel.

His mother gazing at him lovingly.

Apollo outside the Big House.

He pulled away and discovered Grief sitting on his shoulder, its tiny appendages stretching toward Hazel as if it, too, wanted a hug. Arion whinnied in alarm. Hazel gasped and stepped back, her hand closing around the hilt of her spatha. “Nico, what is that?”

“It’s okay!” Nico told her. “They’re with me!”

She kept her grip on her cavalry sword.“They?”

The rest of the cacodemons came tumbling down the hill, followed by Will, Yazan, and Savannah.

“Hazel!” Will beamed like he was having the best day of his life. “Nice to see you again! Say hello to the Cocoa Puffs.”

The cacodemons formed a bouncing, yipping semicircle of fuzzy darkness at her feet.

She took her hand off her sword hilt and knelt like she was about to pet a cute dog. “The Cocoa Puffs? Oh my gods, they’readorable! What exactly are they?”

“That’s a long story,” said Nico. “I can tell you la—”

She extended one finger toward the single-eyed, urchin-like Puff.

“Wait!” Nico said.