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"HOW OLD IS THALIA NOW?" he asked.
"Hard to say," I said. "She was a tree for a while. Now she's immortal."
"What?"
His expression was so shell-shocked, I couldn't help but laugh. I decided messing with Jason was fun. I should do it more.
"Don't worry. It's not something all children of Zeus go through. It's a long story, but ... well, she was out of commission for a long time. If she'd aged regularly, she'd be in her twenties now, but she still looks the same as in that picture, like she's about ... well, about our age. Around sixteen."
Jason frowned. "What's her last name?"
"Grace," I said. "Thalia Grace. You know, in a weird way, she's your sister."
Suddenly Jason's fingers seemed to go numb. The picture fluttered to the floor.
I immediately knelt down to face him, worry slipping through the mask I really didn't have to keep around him. "You okay?" I asked.
It wasn't hard to see the thoughts flashing through his mind. The realization along with doubt. A hint of darkness. What could he possibly know about my best friend, Thalia?
"What is it?" I pressed.
When he finally shifted his focus to me, I could see the trust in his blue eyes. It struck me, and I was surprised though I didn't let it show. How could he trust me? But didn't it make sense? He did after all, jump off the Grand Canyon skywalk without a second thought, just to save me.
But he's just like that. He is a good person, down to the bone. I wondered if anyone had ever taken advantage of it.
Jason grabbed my hands, seemingly without thinking. "You have to swear not to tell anyone else," he said.
"Jason—"
"Swear it," he urged. "Until I figure out what's going on, what this all means—" He rubbed the burned tattoos on his forearm. "You have to keep a secret."
I nodded, not hesitating, "All right. Until you tell me it's okay, I won't share what you say with anyone else. I swear on the River Styx."
Thunder rumbled, even louder than usual for the cabin. Jason picked up the photo from the floor. "My last name is Grace," he said. "This is my sister. We had the same mom."
My mask slipped back on, like a defense mechanism. His eyes searched mine, trying to see the reaction that I locked away. Jason looked regretful that he told me. Did he think I was upset?
Inside, I was really just confused and a tad dismayed. What did this mean? Zeus had another child behind the other god's backs? How come Thalia never told me?
"Angelique, say something," he whispered.
"I—"
Then the doors of the cabin burst open. Half a dozen campers spilled in, led by the bald guy from Iris, Butch. "Hurry!" he said, and I could tell that his expression was a mix of excitement and fear. "The dragon is back."
