Hey, reviews are showing again! I don't think I'll be able to reply to them all as there's so many but I will right a big sort of reply addressing the questions and stuff- also, gotta love protective Reyna and offended Zoe.
Big reply:
Sorry for any typo's lol, and yeah, it would not have been good for Percy down there given the levels of trauma she has- and I feel like it'd be worse because she's trying to pretend that she's doing better than she is. And honestly- it's not my favorite bit but I didn't want to just completely skip over it and I couldn't figure out how to alter it lol.
Reyna wasn't happy.
Honestly she'd have preferred to stay on the cruise ship. And that had been very annoying- she and Calypso had been forced to keep shooing little kids off of the Athena Parthenos which the mist made them see as a water slide.
That had been better than where their next jump landed them.
They appeared ten feet in the air, hovering over a restaurant courtyard that Reyna recognized. She and Bianca dropped onto a large birdcage which promptly broke, dumping them into a cluster of potted ferns along with three very alarmed parrots. Coach Hedge hit the canopy over a bar, Calypso thudding on top of him. The Athena Parthenos landed on her feet with a THUMP, flattening a patio table and flipping a dark green umbrella, which settled onto the Nike statue in Athena's hand, so the goddess of wisdom looked like she was holding a tropical drink.
"Gah!" Coach Hedge yelled. The canopy ripped and he and Calypso fell behind the bar with a crash of bottles and glasses. The satyr recovered well. He popped up with a dozen miniature plastic swords in his hair, grabbed the soda gun and served himself a drink as Calypso dragged herself to her feet, wincing slightly.
"I like it!" He tossed a wedge of pineapple into his mouth. "But next time, kid, can we land on the floor and not ten feet above it?"
Bianca didn't answer. She was shivering and swaying- and Reyna rushed to her side, forcing herself not to panic as the daughter of Hades' legs gave out beneath her.
Reyna grabbed for Bianca's shoulder- and she felt pure terror flood through her as her fingers passed right through heras if she was no more than a shadow.
Less than a second later Bianca hit the arm that Reyna threw out to catch her, and she felt solid to the touch again and Reyna almost sobbed with relief at that as she swept her other arm under Bianca's legs, holding her bridal style.
What was that? Had she imagined it? Was- Bianca had been pushing herself so much lately. Was she killing herself? Becoming shadows herself?
She stared down at Bianca's face- she was pale, her skin cool, there were bags under her eyes and her head lolled onto Reyna's shoulder.
"Is she okay?" Calypso asked, her voice filled with concern.
"She's exhausted." Reyna's eyes drifted to the cuts on Bianca's arm. Reyna had stitched them up herself but they were still swollen and red- and she knew they had to be painful. "She needs red."
"Of course." Calypso nodded. And Reyna looked around, her eyes scanning the courtyard.
The place seemed deserted, though she didn't understand why. This time of night, it should've been packed. Above them, the evening sky glowed a murky terracotta, the same colour as the building's walls. Ringing the atrium, the second-storey balconies were empty except for potted azaleas hanging from the white metal railings. Behind a wall of glass doors, the restaurant's interior was dark. The only sound was the fountain gurgling forlornly and the occasional squawk of a disgruntled parrot.
"This is Barrachina," Reyna said.
"What kind of bear?" Hedge opened a jar of maraschino cherries and chugged them down.
"It's a famous restaurant," Reyna said, "in the middle of Old San Juan. They invented the piña colada here, back in the 1960s, I think."
Coach Hedge belched. "Well, it looks like we're staying for a while. If they haven't invented any new drinks since the sixties, they're overdue. I'll get to work!"
"Here." Calypso gave Reyna a gentle smile, setting down her pack and grabbing the fabric from the canopy to try and pad the ground and make a makeshift bed.
As soon as the makeshift bed was made Reyna was gently setting Bianca down.
Meanwhile she could hear Hedge rummaging behind the bar.
Reyna whistled for Aurum and Argentum. After their fight with the werewolves, the dogs looked a little worse for wear, but Reyna placed them on guard duty. She checked the street entrance to the atrium. The decorative ironwork gates were locked. A sign in Spanish and English announced that the restaurant was closed for a private party. That seemed odd, since the place was deserted. At the bottom of the sign were embossed initials: HTK. These bothered Reyna, though she wasn't sure why.
She peered through the gates. Calle Fortaleza was unusually quiet. The blue cobblestone pavement was free of traffic and pedestrians. The pastel-coloured shop fronts were closed and dark. Was it Sunday? Or some sort of holiday? Reyna's unease grew.
Behind her, Coach Hedge whistled happily as he set up a row of blenders. The parrots roosted on the shoulders of the Athena Parthenos. Reyna wondered whether the Greeks would be offended if their sacred statue arrived covered in tropical bird poop.
Of all the places Reyna could have ended up … San Juan.
Maybe it was a coincidence, but she feared not. Puerto Rico wasn't really on the way from Europe to New York. It was much too far south.
Maybe it was her connection with Bianca- they'd been sharing strength after all. Maybe Bianca had been unknowingly drawn here.
Her dogs picked up on her agitation. They prowled the courtyard, snarling at shadows. Poor Argentum turned in circles, trying to aim his sideways head so he could see out of his one ruby eye.
Reyna tried to concentrate on positive memories. She'd missed the sound of the little coquí frogs, singing around the neighbourhood like a chorus of popping bottle caps. She'd missed the smell of the ocean, the blossoming magnolias and citrus trees, the fresh-baked bread from the local panaderías. Even the humidity felt comfortable and familiar – like the scented air from a dryer vent.
Part of her wanted to open the gates and explore the city. She wanted to visit the Plaza de Armas, where the old men played dominos and the coffee kiosk sold espresso so strong it made your ears pop. She wanted to stroll down her old street, Calle San Jose, counting and naming the stray cats, making up a story for each one, the way she used to do with her sister. She wanted to break into Barrachina's kitchen and cook up some real mofongo with fried plantains and bacon and garlic – a taste that would always remind her of Sunday afternoons, when she and Hylla could briefly escape the house and, if they were lucky, eat here in the kitchen, where the staff knew them and took pity on them.
On the other hand Bianca wanted to leave immediately but- her gaze drifted to Bianca.
She looked so very small and helpless that Reyna's heart twisted.
"Sit with her." Calypso's voice was soft, "I can stand guard."
And Reyna nodded, sitting down next to Bianca slowly, brushing the girls hair out of her face gently.
She hated how much she worried about the other girl. She wasn't used to it.
Gods but what would happen if Bianca kept pushing herself for seven more days- she kept thinking about that moment, when her fingers had passed through Bianca's shoulder as if she was made of shadows-
The sound of a blender startled her out of her thoughts.
"You want a smoothie you two?" Coach called out, "This one is pineapple, mango, orange and banana, buried under a mound of shaved coconut. I call it the Hercules-"
"That-" the vice came from the balcony above them and to the right, it was unfamiliar, with an unfamiliar accent, "Would be a very foolish name-"
Reyna's gaze snapped upwards, focusing on a girl clad in silver leaning on the railings of the balcony, even from this distance Reyna could tell she was beautiful, long braided hair, a glint of silver at her forehead.
And Calypso was beaming. "Zoe! My sister you came!"
"I got Bianca's signal." the voice was slightly tight, as if she was trying to hide her concern. "We have been tracking you four. I am glad indeed to see thou Calypso." and then the girl was leaping over the railings of the balcony, "Strictly speaking thy should be capturing you- but under the circumstances I have decided to do things my way." she landed elegantly and straightened up, her eyes moving to Bianca quickly. "Is she well?"
"Exhausted." Reyna eyed Zoe wearily. The girl might be Calypso's sister but Reyna didn't know her. Didn't trust her either. Not yet anyway- and Bianca... whatever it was between them, Bianca hadn't been sure how Zoe would react to her.
"Zoe-" Hedge started to speak but Zoe held up her hand.
"Now is not the time Satyr. Thou shalt stay out here." her eyes flicked between Reyna, Calypso and Bianca, lingering on the daughter of Hades far longer than Reyna liked. "You three must come with me- it's good to see you again Calypso- and our healers can help Bianca-"
"Uh huh." Reyna shifted slightly, but- Bianca had been the one to suggest contacting them, "I guess we don't have much choice-"
"If thy do not trust me then know that you can trust your sister-" and Reyna's eyes widened in shock and realisation at that. HTK. That was what the Amazons had taken to calling her sister. Hylla Twice-Kill. And Reyna quickly slipped her arms beneath Bianca's back and her legs, scooping her up bridal style once more.
"I should have known." she paused, "You know each other."
"We hunters and Amazons have a mutual understanding." Zoe's nose crinkled slightly. "Sometimes the Amazons send recruits our way. And sometimes there are girls who do not wish to be maidens forever who we send to the Amazons."
"And you came here to help us."
"I gave Bianca a necklace some time ago. Before she left the hunt. I did not imagine she'd ever use it-" there was a hint of concern in Zoe's dark eyes as they flicked to Bianca, "And when we realised that Orion was hunting you it troubled us greatly. This is one of the Amazons' most secure strongholds. We hoped that we'd be able to intercept you here."
"Intercept us?" Calypso paused, "Did you pull us off track during Bianca's shadow travel?"
"Not us hunters. But yes. It was the only way. There shall be girls watching thy Satyr friend- the Amazons would not care that he is a Satyr they would not let him past the security. And the Parthenos shall be guarded. Thou can trust me on that." she pressed her fingers to her lips, letting out a piercing whistle and a moment later a girl- she was stocky, built like a wrestler with ginger hair shaved on the sides.
"Meet Phoebe. She is our tracker and healer- one of our must skilled huntresses-"
"Bia." Phoebe's voice was horrified and she moved quickly towards Reyna and Bianca. "Set her down- it will not take me long to help her."
And- there was genuine concern in the girls gaze so Reyna carefully set Bianca down again. "Listen- you mentioned my sister-"
"She will wish to see thou." Zoe said smoothly. "I can escort you to her. Phoebe. Once thou have finished healing Bianca you have the netting?"
"Of course." Phoebe nodded, carefully crouching next to Bianca, pressing a hand to her forehead before she pulled a bottle of something from a pocket and pressed it to the daughter of Hades lips.
"I'm not going anywhere without Bianca." Reyna said suddenly, "With all due respect Zoe-"
"Reyna-" Calypso frowned, "My sisters hunters-"
"I don't know them. And I- I am not leaving Bianca behind. I don't know any of you. How can I trust people I don't know with her safety-"
"Bia knows us." Phoebe sounded offended, "Or are you saying-"
"I am saying that either Bianca comes with me or I don't go. Even if it means that I don't get to see my sister."
Zoe blinked, a stunned look on her face before she let out a sharp little breath- she was clearly offended, but Calypso stepped forward, holding her hands up quickly. "Zoe, Reyna just cares for Bianca. She's been lending her strength, it's only natural. She is protective."
And that made Zoe's hackles lower slightly, though she didn't seem happy. "I shall summon another hunter to show you to your sister then, once Bianca has woken. Calypso, you and I shall talk too."
