DISCLAIMER: Guess who owns PJatO. And HoO. Go on. Take a guess.
No, it's not us, silly! We know we're awesome, but geez. Way to lay on the flattery. Rick Riordan owns the series.
READ: This is the third installment of the Daughter of Darkness series. If you have not read the first two books, we ask that you go to our profile and read Rebels and Rejects first, respectively. Thanks.
oOo
It was all but a riot.
In other words, under control. But that would only last as long as Octavian wanted it to.
Reyna was all too aware of the fact. It tasted like salt-coated pennies beneath her tongue. The streets of New Rome had been flooded with citizens and the no-longer-armed Twelfth Legion, marching between the mob of pedestrians with brisk pace and straight posture and worry on their faces. It was easy to pick out the soldiers; their eyebrows were down and their faces grim with determination, and the citizens' in panicked pouts. Save the veterans themselves – quite a bit – who looked just like the Legion save their age.
They swarmed through the cobblestone roads, calling that cursed name.
It felt like acid on her ears. Worse so was the same word from Octavian's throat.
"Come on! Have we searched the southern sector? Well, then go! Our First Praetor is depending on us!" he barked. Like he was in a place to give orders to more than his Cohort.
But a cold ball settled inside Reyna; she had a duty, and she had a city to save. She caught Dianna's sharp eye and gave a jerking nod towards the border. "Have we checked the Fields of Mars?"
"I don't think so," Dianna said, catching on quickly. She fell into step behind her Second Praetor. "And if we've sent a patrol, it's quite behemothic. It could use a few others."
"I was thinking just two," Reyna said sternly. "Signal your second and come with me."
Dianna wouldn't have ever dreamed of protesting. She turned and waved to Jeremiah. Upon his return indication, she hurried to catch up with Reyna.
There was silence as they walked the outskirts of New Rome.
The olive-and-myrrh fragrance of the city had been tainted with smoke. The cobblestones no longer gleamed and gave a crisp clacking sound with each step. Rather, the sharp tang of burning torch oil and the dull thuds were disheartening. She could feel her energy sapping with each step and every last breath.
She shook her head. No, no, not yet; she had lives and beyond them the world depending on her. This was the game she played. Be the leader.
She enjoyed it at times, of course. Now was not one of those times.
And if she must be honest, she was just as worried about the city as she was about Jason.
Once they had crossed the borders and tread well into the bleak, dusty, wildflower-smelling Fields of Mars, Dianna quit following behind and drew level with Reyna. She moved in the way Dianna usually did; formal but perky, in jerky movements, constantly shifting, like she had more energy than she knew what to do with. When they were out of earshot by the fivefold, she spoke.
"Are you okay?"
"I am fine," Reyna said. "As fine as the situation permits. What matters is that we deal with this the best we can."
"You've already sent out patrols for him, alerted Hylla, and sent messenger eagles scouting. And you've visited every temple. I even spoke to my father. I'd say we're handling it just fine."
"That is not the problem I meant, and you know it."
Dianna's mint-green eyes fell to the sandy ground. "…Yeah. Yeah. That ugly little idiot back there running his mouth off."
"Octavian is anything but an idiot," Reyna growled, though the last thing Dianna did was underestimate her enemies. "I can promise you that."
If Reyna was planning on discussing legal plans, though, or plans she could trust in front of the Senate Octavian informally dictated, she would have done so. And Dianna knew this well. "So what are we planning to do about it?"
Warmth flooded Reyna at that. The immediate we, the blind agreement, the trusting oath. The fact that she still had a few clever and loyal soldiers assured her that she was doing her job as a Praetor. "I actually don't know yet, but I figured you could offer advice."
Dianna sent a wary glance over her shoulder. "My advice? Why?"
"All my plans involve you."
"Ah. I see," Dianna said grimly.
Reyna turned and motioned to New Rome. The chaos on the streets was obvious, even from where they stood. "You saw what Octavian did back there. It hasn't even been twenty-four hours, and he's turned his gifts against me. He was commanding citizens and his First Cohort and your Third and even Dakota's Fifth. And he did it in that way of his. The way that makes people listen."
Dianna shrugged and jumped from foot to foot. "Did you expect something different? You know he wants power, and you've seen the amount he has during the Senate meetings."
Reyna groaned. "Octavian is good for the Senate. His motives might be self-centered, but the outcome is a great rhetoric, and a great rhetoric can convince a crowd of anything. He's what keeps spirit alive when times are down and holds us together in the hard nights between battles and makes the loyalties and closeness thrive among our ranks. In every speech he gives, he uses the Legion to give himself credibility, and therefore gives credibility to the Legion. But for the armies? Octavian with that much power wouldn't be food for us or for New Rome. And endangering New Rome is crossing the line. I can't have it. He almost had too much power as it was before Jason went missing."
Dianna's spare energy burst into use as she jumped eagerly, drawing a dagger faster than Reyna could blink. A wicked grin had crossed her face. "What do you have in mind, noble Brutus?"
Reyna sighed and waved the knife away. "Not that, Dianna. Not that. That is not good for Rome, either."
The blonde sighed, disappointed, and sheathed the knife. One pink-and-blue painted fingernail began to twirl her hair around her small digits. "Aw."
But she knew better than to protest.
Reyna shook her head. "No, it just wouldn't work. It would be a terrible crime on our part, anyway. Romans trust one another."
"Like he deserves any of our trust!" Dianna burst.
"Be quiet! He has done the same amount of good for this Legion as you have and I won't turn my back on service!"
Dianna nodded and shut her mouth quickly.
"The best intentions have yet to bless him, but I think it's time to fix that," Reyna sighed. "Look, Dianna; we can't let him become First Praetor in Jason's stead. And by what just went down in that city, that's exactly what he plans to do."
"So find Jason. You can send out some of our more… privately talented soldiers." Green eyes glinted eagerly. "You should send them out. They're dying to prove themselves."
"Absolutely not. We need them stationed at the Wolf House where they are," Reyna chided. "I was thinking about something else."
A dark flash lit Dianna's eyes. "Ah. …I see."
"Do you want to try?"
"I've wanted to be Praetor for years, Reyna. No offense to you or Jason, but I've always set my goals higher than reasonable."
A sad smile crossed Reyna's face, and she had the odd sensation once more that Dianna was her daughter. She'd always been like that – technically not that much younger than her and Jason but easy to see that way because she was short and so giddy. So eager. Jason and Reyna had never been a couple, but they had always seen themselves as Dianna's parents. It wasn't like the girl's real mom and dad had ever been around.
"I'll have to keep quiet about supporting your campaign," Reyna mused, "as I'm not supposed to show bias or approval. The Legion and the city will vote. But we must do all we can to drive this cause home and put you in the Praetor's chair beside me. Failure is not an option, understood?"
"Yep!" Dianna yelped, bouncing up and down and clapping her hands.
Reyna sighed. Yep, her daughter alright.
"Your chances against Octavian," she warned, "even with my covert help, are not great. Don't take heedless risks."
Though she wouldn't be Dianna if she didn't take those risks, the girl nodded seriously. "Right. Of course. …Does this mean you've already given up on Jason's return, then?"
The words struck home. Reyna flinched and stared at the ground.
Dianna's voice didn't soften, which wasn't very convincing of her sincerity. "He's not helpless, you know. Wherever he is I'm sure he's still alive."
"I haven't given up," Reyna said tiredly. "I just… I just have to face reality. In case he does not return in time, we must be sure that Octavian doesn't assume command."
"You're not alone. We all miss him."
Reyna sighed heavily. The weight of the day was pushing down on her like a ton of bricks. But there was one last thing to decide.
She looked Dianna up and down, at the wild but sincere green eyes and the curly blonde hair and the bright clothes and neon fingernails. At the grim expression on her face. At the way she still bounced on her toes. And last but definitely not least, on the black tattoo on her left forearm. Five bars, five years of service. And the black silhouette of a three-headed dog.
She let out a long breath. No, she couldn't tell the last of her plans to Dianna. It wasn't fair to the girl. She had a political race to run and needed that energetic mind of hers to focus. She could, if she wanted to. And she could do a good job. But she was up against Octavian and needed to give all the concentration possible.
Not to mention the news of Bree's banishment would just be painful and unfair.
"You leave," she said, "the searching to me. I'll find Jason and slip you what help I can. You just focus on winning that election."
A twinge of regret twisted in her stomach as Dianna took the news without question like the loyal soldier she was and saluted. A good friend, a willing veteran, and Reyna had just denied her information she'd have killed to get. "Yes, ma'am. For Rome."
Reyna's lips twitched glumly. "For Rome."
oOo
Nyx: Guess what day it is.
Nic: No.
Nyx: It's Friday.
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The cover for Rejects shall be done this weekend. It will go up asap. It is not my best work, as I've had plenty of time but it's still been rushed, and I used different styles for many of its components, but it's pretty good. The cover for Redeemable will be MUCH simpler. Please do R and R, guys! Thanks!