Ever since Tartarus, Annabeth lived on the edge. A wrong movement could set her off, and she had been struggling to keep it under control. It was easier when she was awake, but when someone grabbed her shoulder while she sleeping, she lashed out with a kick.
Someone grunted from the kick, and Annabeth kicked their legs out from under them. She pinned the person a moment later and forced her dagger against their throat. It took her a moment to hear the person's pained breathing. Annabeth's eyes took a few moments to adjust to the darkness.
"Annabeth, it's me," Reyna wheezed. The pain was clear in her voice, and she was wheezing miserably. It only took Annabeth one second to stand. She turned on the light and turned back towards Reyna.
The daughter of Bellona curled up on her side. Annabeth couldn't tell if it was from the pain in her chest or if it was a tactic to avoid the bright light. One of Reyna's hands gripped her purple shirt, as if she could transfer the pain to it. Her other hand slipped into the pocket of beige shorts that definitely didn't belong to her.
"I'm so sorry," Annabeth began. She gently pulled Reyna to her feet and sat her down on the bed. Reyna painfully laid back and placed a hand to her ribs. Her eyes closed tightly, but there was no sign of anger on her face, just pain. "I was sleeping and freaked out. I didn't mean to kick you."
"You have a strong kick," Reyna commented. The pain was gone from her voice. Annabeth offered her hand, but when Reyna didn't take it, all Annabeth could do was sit by her. They were both silent for a few moments. The daughter of Athena listened to her friend's wheezing as it slowly turned to normal breathing.
Annabeth bit her lip. She glanced down at her friend. How was she suppose to tell Reyna about what had happened in her dream? Would Reyna even believe her? If there was one thing the praetor would never believe, it was that family would betray her.
"Hylla attacked me," Reyna said. Annabeth turned to look at her. There was no emotion on Reyna's face, but her voice gave away all of her pain and heartbreak. The daughter of Bellona took a shaky and pained breath.
"What happened?" Annabeth asked quietly. She didn't know whether to comfort her friend or just remain silent. Reyna laid her head back and closed her eyes. After a moment, she opened her eyes and looked at Annabeth.
"The fight was even for awhile. Hylla managed to get enough kicks in that she broke my ribs. After that, she was pretty much in control. She tried to concuss me, so I wouldn't remember the fight and the fact that my own flesh and blood betrayed me. Obviously, it didn't work."
Annabeth stood and offered her hand. It took Reyna a moment to grab her hand. Annabeth slowly pulled her friend to her feet. Reyna visibly bit her tongue to keep from crying out. It only took her a moment to collapse onto the nearest bed. Standing was clearly not in the cards for the daughter of Bellona.
"How long have you had PTSD?" Reyna asked. Annabeth turned to stare at her friend. The praetor looked like she had gotten zero sleep and had spent plenty of time brooding. Her eyes showed all of the anger and pain that her face hid.
"I don't," Annabeth began. Sure, there had been horrible moments in her life, but she didn't have PTSD. Reyna looked at her. It was clear that she didn't believe Annabeth.
"A lot of people suffer from PTSD. It's not something to be ashamed about, and it helps to talk about it. Trust me on that one," Reyna said. She slowly moved and made room for Annabeth. The daughter of Athena slowly sat down.
"I know I should talk about it, but it just freaks me out," Annabeth mumbled. She brought her knees to her chest and hugged her knees tightly. Reyna watched her for a few moments. The two met eyes.
"I kept in my own demons for years," Reyna began. She took a deep breath and winced. "When the pirates took Hylla and I, they wanted to make sure that we knew they were in charge. They had me whipped in front of the other attendants, and my sister."
Annabeth's eyes widened in surprise. She knew that the pirates had wanted revenge, but she didn't think they would have been that cruel. Reyna slowly sat up and turned her back to Annabeth. The daughter of Bellona slowly lifted her shirt.
Annabeth stared at the scars on Reyna's back. The scars had faded after years of healing, but it wasn't hard to imagine what they had been like before. Regret ran through her. If they hadn't freed the pirates, Reyna would never have been used as a message.
"I'm sorry," Annabeth said. Reyna pulled her shirt down and looked at the daughter of Athena. There wasn't much emotion on Reyna's face, and she didn't look upset. That didn't stop the guilt from spreading in Annabeth's chest. "If I had known they would have done that, I would have found a different way to free Percy."
"I've kept this hidden for years. Whenever anyone asked me, I would lie and say I was attacked by a monster. The only person I really talked to was Nico. When I told him, it felt like a great weight had been lifted off of my chest. After you begin to tell someone, it gets easier," Reyna said.
"Later," Annabeth promised. She took a deep breath and tried to think about Tartarus. Panic started to fill her chest. Annabeth quickly looked at the wall and started to run through the names of her favorite architectures. It managed to slowly calm her down. "I don't think I'm ready to talk about it now."
"You take as long as you need," Reyna said. She slowly laid back down and exhaled painfully. Annabeth leaned against the wall and examined the bare room. There was nothing besides their bags and the three beds. For a few minutes, the two stayed in comfortable silence.
"How long was I asleep?" Annabeth questioned. She felt rested, even if she was on edge. It was easier to turn her mind back to the quest and focus all of her energy on that. Anything was better than those dark thoughts. Annabeth quickly looked at Reyna and tried to focus on her friend's face.
"I'm not sure," Reyna replied. She shifted and groaned. "All I know is that we have three days left in our deadline. I also know that Hylla has to be involved in the shield, which would mean the Amazons are also involved. That's why she attacked me."
"How are you handling what Hylla did?" Annabeth asked. Reyna looked at her. The answer was written clearly on her face: Reyna was heartbroken. It was clear she didn't understand why her sister would attack her.
"Hylla said she was saving me from my fate, but that doesn't make any sense," Reyna said. "We all know that you only get closer to fate the more you try to avoid it. I think she was just trying to justify her actions to herself."
"Where do we go from here?" Annabeth wondered. She thought it was best to change the subject and get Reyna's mind off of her older sister. Reyna laid her head back and seemed to be thinking. Before she could respond, the door opened.
Annabeth turned towards the door. She smiled as she saw Piper. The daughter of Aphrodite smiled at them and adjusted her sling. It didn't look like she was in any pain, which was a good thing. Piper looked at Reyna and smiled.
"The demititans want us for breakfast and a discussion," Piper said. Annabeth nodded and stood. She held a hand out to Reyna. The daughter of Bellona grabbed her hand, and Annabeth gently pulled her friend to her feet. Pain appeared on Reyna's face.
"Are you sure you want to go to the meeting?" Annabeth asked. Reyna looked at her and raised an eyebrow. Annabeth nodded and knew she shouldn't have asked a question like that. The three left the room and started to walk down the hallway.
As they walked, Reyna told them about her fight with Hylla. It was clear that Reyna didn't remember all the details of the fight and seemed to have some memory loss. When Reyna finished her story, Annabeth told them everything she knew about the demititans. When her story was finished, they had made it to a cafeteria.
Piper led them into the large room. Annabeth looked around the cafeteria. A few demititans were sitting at tables and eating. As soon as the demititans saw the demigods, they stopped eating and started studying them. Annabeth didn't show any emotion on her face. She knew the demititans were sizing them up, but it didn't take long for them to return to eating.
The four demititan leaders sat at a table in the corner of the room. Sarah had earbuds in and was using her utensils as drumsticks. Alex sat next to her and was silently drawing into a notebook. Thorn and Oliver were both eating food. There was three untouched plates that Annabeth assumed was set out for them.
"I believe I owe you a thanks," Reyna said, as she looked at Thorn. The demititan looked at her and nodded. He motioned for all of them to sit. There was two demititans on each side of the table, and it looked like an attempt to be friendly and act like they weren't divided.
Annabeth and Piper sat next to Oliver and Thorn. The two demititans had stopped eating and were watching them in interest. Reyna examined Alex and slowly sat next to her. The only sign of pain on Reyna's face was her lip twitching slightly.
"You should eat. We promise it's not poisonous," Sarah said. Annabeth slowly grabbed a plate and ate a few bites. She wasn't really in a mood to eat, but it seemed best to appease the demititans. It was also a good thing that the food tasted pretty good.
"We have much to talk about," Alex began. She examined each of the demigods carefully. Her gaze focused on Reyna for the longest time. Reyna returned the gaze and almost seemed to be challenging Alex. "We want to discuss the box, and we want to find the location of the shield."
"What are you going to about the box?" Piper asked. She was awkwardly trying to cut her pancakes using only a fork. There was determination on her face, which made Annabeth a little nervous to offer help. "It must have been really important, if you sent Reyna and I to find it."
"At the moment, the box is a secondary priority," Thorn replied. He finished his plate and pushed it away. "It is unfortunate that we were unable to get the box back, but hopefully, the Amazons won't be able to open it."
"It doesn't matter if the Amazons can already open it or not," Reyna interrupted. "When my sister was distracted, I opened the box and slipped the contents into my duffel bag. That's why I had Piper take my duffel bag and come back here."
"Wait. You, a Roman demigod, opened the box?" Alex asked incredulously. She looked at Reyna with a new look. After a moment, the daughter of Bellona nodded. Alex sighed and rubbed her face. "This just got a lot more complicated."
"What is so important about this box?" Annabeth questioned. She studied Alex. "We held up our end of the bargain and brought back what was in the box. I believe we have earned a little bit of trust and a lot of explanations."
"Reyna, are you the only one who touched the box?" Alex questioned. She leaned forward and studied Reyna in even more interest. When the daughter of Bellona nodded, Alex almost seemed to glare. "Are you absolutely sure?"
"Yes," Reyna said. One hand moved to touch the vial on her necklace. Annabeth had almost forgotten that it existed. Sarah's eyes focused on the necklace.
"Rhea is a lot more involved than we thought," Sarah commented. She winced as Alex seemed to elbow her. Alex turned her head towards Sarah, but Annabeth could just feel the scathing look that was being given.
"If we are going to find the shield, we must trust each other," Piper said. Reyna looked at all of them and nodded. She shared her story of how Rhea had saved her from the drakon and the conversation that the two shared afterwards.
"She called you the one," Thorn commented. He nodded. "That is a pretty big title. You should wear it proudly and carefully. It is odd that a Titan would mark a demigod like that, even if the Titan is Rhea."
"Does anyone have any idea what Rhea was talking about, or was she just doing that stupid things that all the immortals love to do? Why can't they ever just give us a straight answer?" Sarah wondered. Annabeth wondered the same thing.
"My mother, Athena, told me that the shield was being used as a distraction," Annabeth added. Her eyes focused ahead. "I wish we could learn what the thief wanted us to be distracted from, but Ares won't allow us to do that. It's logical to assume that since Hylla wanted the box, she is involved with the shield."
"We don't have any proof though," Reyna muttered. She clenched her plastic fork, and it started to bend. The anger showed on her face for a few moments, but her eyes were cold. Reyna dropped the fork and sighed. "A divine had to be involved in the theft, and Hylla has only one divine she answers to."
"Your mother can't be involved," Piper said. Reyna slowly looked at them. Her face did nothing to make Annabeth feel better. Piper glanced at Annabeth, and a silence filled the large room. It was clear the other demititans were listening in. "Would Bellona be involved?"
"With my mother, there is no telling," Reyna said. She leaned back. "Mars said he was having trouble with my mother. I don't think my mother would stoop to the level of taking his shield to anger him, but she would steal it if it distracted us and gave her an advantage."
"Bellona has no reason to steal the shield," Annabeth interrupted. "My mother and her were talking in one of my dreams, and it seemed like they were on good terms. Athena would not work with Bellona, if Bellona had stolen the shield. Besides, deception is not her strong suit. She would just stab Ares and get it over with."
The words seemed to strike a chord with Reyna. She nodded and looked back down at her food. Only a few, small bites had been taken. Her fork was now completely bent on the plate. Reyna looked around the table, and a heavy silence started to settle.
"If I can make a suggestion, we should strike the source," Oliver began. Everyone looked at him, and he shifted awkwardly. "We know that the Amazons have been scouring this area, and we now know that they have rented a hotel not far from here. If we can get inside, there is a chance we can find information about the shield."
"If the Amazons see a demititan, they would kill us on sight. There's no way we can go near that hotel," Alex argued. She seemed to think for a moment. Alex looked at the three demigods, and a smile came to her face. "But, we do have demigods here."
"Hylla did try to concuss Reyna, so she wouldn't remember the fight," Annabeth began. She looked around. Her friends both glanced at her. "We can use that to our advantage. Hylla would probably keep up the pretenses and allow Piper or I inside."
"I can go with you," Reyna protested. Annabeth looked up at the daughter of Bellona. She knew Reyna's pride would never allow her to sit out while on a quest. They couldn't afford to take any more risks though. They needed Reyna to rest and heal up.
"You are too injured to help us, and if I had the choice, Piper would stay here, so she can rest," Annabeth said. Piper went to protest, but Annabeth held up a hand. "Hylla wouldn't find it odd if I was the only one there, and it might lure her into a false sense of confidences."
"What if Hylla decides to just take you as a hostage?" Reyna interrupted. "You can't go without any backup. Hylla would have no problems taking you as a hostage, if it gave her more control."
"I won't allow her to," Annabeth promised. "We are running out of time on our deadline, and we have no clue where the shield even is. You have to trust that I know what I am doing and can do it safely."
Reyna looked away but nodded. She rubbed her forehead and sighed tiredly. Piper glanced at Annabeth, and the concern was clear in her eyes. Annabeth did her best to focus on the nearest wall. The demititans had been completely silent during their debate.
"Annabeth doesn't have to be alone," Sarah began. "I could go with her and claim that I was sent by Camp Half-Blood to help, after what happened to Reyna and Piper. I know for a fact that no Amazons know that I exist."
"It's not happening," Alex interrupted. She gave Sarah a stern look and crossed her arms. Sarah sent her a reassuring look. The two had a silent debate that ended with Alex looking away and almost pouting.
"It would be nice to have you as backup," Annabeth said to Sarah. The demititan seemed like she was the most trustworthy. Even if Sarah was going to betray her, she would either do it on the way to the Amazons or with the Amazons. Something told Annabeth the two groups were not allies at all. Soon, she would learn who her true ally was.
"Before you two go, we should see what was pulled from the box," Thorn stated. He leaned back in his seat, and his gaze settled on Reyna. "May I retrieve your duffel bag and bring it back here?"
"Left pocket," Reyna answered. After a moment, Thorn nodded and stood. He quickly hurried out of the cafeteria. The six of them sat in silence as they waited for Thorn's return. Other demititans in the cafeteria sent glances their way.
Thorn finally returned holding a piece of cloth. He sat it down at the table, before returning to his seat. For a moment, they all stared at the piece of cloth. Everyone seemed hesitant to show what was inside. Reyna finally grabbed the cloth and uncovered the item.
As Annabeth saw the blade, her breath caught in her throat. The blade was made of Celestial Bronze and steel. She had seen the weapon before, when it was intact. Annabeth stared at the weapon for a very long time, and she had flashbacks to the battle of Mount Olympus.
"That's Kronos' blade," Alex whispered. She reached a hand forward to grab it but hesitated at the last second. Reyna looked around and almost seemed confused. It occurred to Annabeth that Reyna probably didn't know Kronos by his Greek name, but it didn't really matter.
"So, that leaves us with a very important question," Thorn said. He looked around one more time and cleared his throat. "We have a piece of Kronos' sword, so how many more are there? And, who else has the other pieces?"