I've had this idea running through my head for some time now, and it wouldn't leave me alone. It's not necessary to have read One Day a Week to understand this story as it just gives some backstory to a character introduced there. This takes place before the Heroes of Olympus.
I was debating making this a two-shot but decided to keep it as a one-shot. I hope everyone enjoys.
Considering Reyna and Hylla just started talking again, Reyna wasn't too excited to be on a mission with her sister. One couldn't just ignore a summoning from a goddess though, especially if that goddess was one's mother. And, she was a goddess of war. Reyna could see all of the bad things that would happen if she didn't go meet her sister, but she was going to complain the entire time.
Reyna never had the chance to complain. Ever since her father died and she stumbled upon the shores of Circe's island, she kept her mouth shut. She didn't complain when the pirates took them hostage. She didn't complain when they broke free, and Hylla parted ways with her. And, she didn't complain upon finding her way to Camp Jupiter and diving headfirst into all of the training that came with it.
Personally, Reyna felt like she earned the chance to complain. A sigh left her as she shifted on the Pegasus that she was riding. Her armor felt heavy on her shoulders or maybe that was just dread. Reyna wasn't sure how working with her sister would go. It would either be a bonding moment or the thing that broke their relationship.
Reyna sighed and saw the sign for the small town that she was supposed to go to. That was the only direction Reyna had been given. Go to this old, decrepit town that was probably haunted and work with your sister. That was all her mother said.
Well, Bellona didn't say anything. Instead, this fancy letter with golden ink appeared on her desk. She showed it to her fellow praetor, and he was all too happy to be rid of her for the next week or so. Reyna didn't think she was that bad at her new role, but she was sure that the other praetor didn't like her too much
He was an ass anyway, so it wasn't like Reyna cared. He kept trying to hit on her. When would he get the hint that Reyna wasn't into anyone that was three years older than her? She wasn't even sure if she was ready to date or do anything else. Reyna was only fifteen after all. There was plenty of time.
Reyna looked up as the small town came into sight. There was a grand total of about ten buildings. One looked to be some kind of motel. Another was a bar. The rest were either general good stores or houses. Reyna directed her Pegasus to land on the roof of the motel.
Reyna dismounted Scipio and fed her Pegasus a treat. She spoke, "Explore. I'll whistle if I need you."
Scipio nuzzled her face, and Reyna smiled. The Pegasus took off. Reyna walked towards the edge of the roof and glanced down at the fire escape that led to the ground. She would be able to see into each window. Reyna reached inside her pocket to grab the key that her mother had put with the letter. It was the room where she was supposed to meet her sister.
Reyna gently stepped onto the fire escape and tested how sturdy it was. Then, she looked at the windows. Most had a curtain. One window showed a couple that was cuddling in bed and watching some kind of movie. Another had a girl dancing around, and if the thumping was any indication, she was listening to music.
Reyna moved down to the next floor and glanced through the only window that had the curtain open. Her gaze focused on her sister. Hylla was pacing back and forth. She wore a set of leather armor, and there was a golden belt around her waist. Right. She got that by becoming queen of the Amazons.
A knock on the window caught Hylla's attention, and she stared. Reyna made a lifting motion, and after a few moments, Hylla walked towards the window. She opened it and spoke, "You have a room key for a reason."
"Hello to you too," Reyna said. She climbed into the window and closed it behind her. Reyna carefully took off of her backpack and looked at her sister. Hylla was rubbing the ring on her finger and was pacing back and forth. There was worry on her face.
"What is this all about?" Reyna questioned. She placed the backpack next to her sister's duffel bag. Hylla sighed, and there was a knock on the door. Reyna quickly grabbed her sword. Hylla gave her another look.
Hylla walked towards the door and opened it. She grabbed her wallet, said a few words, and then passed money to the person standing outside the door. When Hylla turned back around and closed the door, she was holding onto a box of pizza.
"I figured that you came right over," Hylla muttered. She set the pizza down.
"I did," Reyna admitted. Her stomach growled at the smell of the food. She walked towards the pizza box and grabbed a slice. Hylla did as well, and they both ate quietly.
Reyna wasn't quite sure what to say. They weren't back to the having casual conversations portion of their relationship, especially since Hylla just abandoned her to go to the stupid Amazons. It was fine though. Reyna definitely didn't just lay in bed at night and think about it.
Reyna finished her first slice and grabbed another. Hylla did the same, but neither of them talked. Was there really an emergency? Or, was this their mother's way of trying to get them to bond. Force them into a small room, and the two would either kill each other or talk.
"So," Reyna said after she finished her second slice. She looked at Hylla. "Why am I here?"
"Mother needs help," Hylla said. She stood and walked towards the window. When Hylla didn't continue, Reyna slowly stood. She walked towards her sister's side. Hylla pointed at the building across the way. Now that Reyna was closer, she saw the building was more like a warehouse than a general goods store.
"Did something happen to mother?" Reyna questioned.
"Not to mother," Hylla said. She sighed and placed both hands on the windowsill. "Mother has a demigod that does assignments for her."
"Like we're doing right now?" Reyna asked. She raised an eyebrow in confusion. Hylla grabbed the ring on her finger and played with it. The two shared the same nervous habit, but Reyna didn't see what there was to be nervous about.
"In a way," Hylla answered. She didn't elaborate, and a sigh left Reyna. This was like pulling teeth.
"Hylla, why am I here? Why did mother pull me away from Camp Jupiter?" Reyna questioned. She was tired of this waiting game. Reyna wanted to know why she had been dragged out here.
"This demigod means a lot to mother," Hylla said.
"Another sibling we don't know about?" Reyna questioned. She crossed her arms.
"No," Hylla answered. "This demigod reached out to mother, and mother helped save her life. In exchange, she helps mother with keeping monsters in check or even just running simple errands. I think she was supposed to stop by Camp Jupiter. Then, she was ambushed."
"Is she captured?" Reyna questioned. She wasn't sure how good of a team they would be. If they forgot about all of their issues and worked together, the two were not subtle. They were a sledgehammer taken at the wall. Sneaking around was not their forte.
"In a way," Hylla said. Reyna took a deep breath. These half-answers were really getting on her nerves. "She wasn't captured. We think she was possessed."
"Possessed?" Reyna asked. A frown came to her face, and she uncrossed her arms. "How does someone become possessed?"
"There is a couple of different ways, but evil spirits are the most obvious answer," Hylla said. She pointed to the building. Reyna followed her point and saw a person standing outside. They were wearing a full set of armor, but it was colored black. Their helmet had been replaced with a hood. "That's Arria. Mother helped her out of a bind, and she helps mother out."
"How did she get possessed?" Reyna wondered. It was too far to make out this Arria's features, especially with the hood.
"We think an enemy of hers sent an evil spirit, or the Titans that she was investigating found her," Hylla replied. She leaned on the windowsill. "That's an old Amazon base, but we were planning on having a war meeting there."
"And, you think she's going to kill the people at the meeting," Reyna said. Her gaze moved to Hylla. "Is she that good?"
"I won't be there, so yeah. That's why we have to stop her now, but we can't kill her," Hylla said. She turned around. "It all depends on what kind of evil spirit is possessing her, but mother is sure that it is one that must be removed with holy water and a ritual."
"Holy water. This sounds like a joke," Reyna muttered. She watched Arria kneel by the front door of the building and easily pick open the lock. "You should also get better security."
"You should shut up," Hylla countered. Reyna rolled her eyes. "I have almost everything ready for the ritual. We just have to subdue her and bring the things over to the base. We're going to need somewhere quiet."
"Why don't you start carrying things over," Reyna said. She lifted the window and started to climb out. "I'll subdue Arria."
"Not without me," Hylla said. She grabbed Reyna's arm. "I'm serious, Reyna. I don't want you rushing in alone. Arria is an amazing fighter, and she won't be in control of her actions."
"Fine," Reyna muttered. She climbed back into the window, and Hylla closed it. Reyna leaned against the windowsill and stared at the ground. Hylla turned and walked into the bathroom. "Where are you going?"
"I'm finishing the ritual!" Hylla called. Reyna shook her head and glanced back out the window. If there was going to be a war meeting in that building, there was still time before it happened. That was why Arria was there, to prepare and make a plan. Probably to also trap the place or even rig it to blow. This wasn't something they could just wait around with.
Reyna turned back towards the window and slowly lifted it. Even though it made no noise, she still looked back at the bathroom. Hylla didn't come rushing out to tell her to stop. Reyna carefully climbed out the window and closed it. Then, she turned and hurried down the fire escape.
Reyna darted across the street and focused on the building in front of her. There were no windows on the outside of the building. There was the front door, but Reyna would be a fool to walk through there. She placed a hand on her sword and moved around the back of the building.
The back of the building had another door, but it looked locked as well. Reyna carefully tried to open the door, but it didn't budge. She looked down at the lock and then looked around. Her gaze focused on the window above the door. It was large enough to climb through.
It would be a good distraction as well. Reyna looked around and grabbed a brick. She lifted it a few times and then threw it up at the window. Reyna ran around to the front of the building and made it to the door. She carefully opened it and was relieved to find that Arria hadn't locked it.
Reyna opened the door and stepped inside. She closed the door behind her and looked around. There were boxes and crates everywhere. Behind those were a large table that had numerous chairs around it. Reyna looked down and saw a few duffel bags on the ground. It seemed like Arria was planning something.
Reyna knelt by the duffel bags and carefully opened one. She studied the glass jar. It held some kind of black powder in it and was sealed tightly. There were more jars in the duffel bag. Reyna placed the jar back down and heard footsteps further away from her.
It took a moment for Reyna to move on to the next duffel bag. She opened it, only to find nothing inside. This bag could be used to stuff information or other items from the base inside. Either way, Reyna had to stop this woman.
Reyna carefully made it to her feet and inched along the wall. She kept the crates in her line of sight. The sounds of footsteps had disappeared. Where had Arria gone? Reyna made her way to the back of the building and focused on her surroundings.
The brick that she had thrown was on the ground along with shards of glass. Reyna felt a tingle on the back of her neck. She whirled around and was kicked right in the jaw. Reyna's knees turned to jello, and she collapsed. Halfway to the ground, a knee slammed into her stomach, driving the wind out of her despite her armor. The helmet was pulled from her head in one swift movement, and before Reyna could react, it slammed into her face.
Reyna collapsed onto her back and groaned in pain. A heavy weight settled on her chest. Reyna blinked a few times and looked up at a hooded figure. The figure pressed the hilt of a dagger into her throat. It wasn't hard enough to cut off Reyna's oxygen, but it was uncomfortable.
"Arria?" Reyna choked out. She saw the eyes underneath the hood narrow. "Just put the dagger away."
"You're not Hylla," Arria said in Latin.
"I'm not," Reyna replied, but Arria obviously didn't appreciate the English, since she pressed the dagger hilt deeper into Reyna's neck. This time, it did cut off her oxygen. Reyna hissed and reached for the knife at her side. She slashed at Arria.
Arria dodged backward, and Reyna shoved her away. She scrambled to her feet and unsheathed her sword. After a coughing fit, Reyna spoke in Latin, "You're looking for Hylla, right? Why do you want her?"
"To kill her," Arria answered. She flipped out a spear and held it in one hand. Reyna studied the woman in front of her. Arria was slightly taller than her, and the spear would give her a longer reach. Most of Reyna's practice was against other Romans with swords and shields. This was going to be a challenge.
"I guess I have to stop you then," Reyna commented. She grabbed the shield that was strapped across her back and held it in front of her. The two circled each other. Arria struck out with her spear, and Reyna caught the attack on her shield. She stabbed forward with her sword.
Arria used the shaft of her spear to block the sword and then tear Reyna's arm away. Reyna barely used her shield to avoid another jab from the spear. Reyna backed away and adjusted her grip on her sword.
"So, is this how you fight with a demon to help you?" Reyna questioned. "Or, is it holding you back?"
Arria chuckled and spoke, "I would not worry about that, Roman."
Arria's voice had changed. It was more demonic now, and it sent chills down Reyna's spine. She resisted the urge to shiver. Arria pulled back her hood. Her eyes were completely black. Reyna gripped her sword once again.
"You're going to want to let go of this demigod," Reyna said. "Or, you're in for a world of hurt."
"You're not Queen Hylla. I don't think I have to worry about you," Arria said. Reyna glared and threw her shield at Arria. It hit her right in the chest and caused her to stumble backward. Reyna stabbed forward, aiming for Arria's shoulder. Arria barely caught the blow on her spear, and Reyna was shoved away once again. To end the fight, she would have to get closer.
Arria kept the distance between the two of them. Reyna pressed her attack. She was slowly pushing Arria backward towards a narrow part of the walkway. The cluster of crates would catch Arria's spear and hinder her. Although the possessed demigod was on the defensive, she seemed calm and confident.
As they made it back towards the cluster of crates, Arria brought her spear forward, but it cut into a crate and caught onto it. Reyna grinned and stabbed her sword towards Arria's hand. Arria let go of her spear and retracted her hand. Reyna's sword slammed into the crate, but she was lucky enough that it didn't catch.
A heavy weight slammed into Reyna, and she hit the ground hard, losing her grip on her sword. Arria punched her in the face. Reyna returned the punch, catching Arria right in the mouth. She shoved Arria backward and scrambled to her feet. Her hand moved to the dagger strapped to her waist, but it was gone.
Reyna took a step back and focused on her dagger. It was in Arria's hand. Arria slashed forward, and Reyna dodged. She found herself on the defensive this time, trying to dodge the rapid strikes, stabs, and jabs that Arria delivered.
As Arria's moves became slower, Reyna caught the dagger and disarmed Arria. The dagger clattered to the ground, and Reyna spoke, "Guess you aren't that good."
"Am I?" Arria asked. Her question was followed by white-hot pain in Reyna's side. Reyna slowly looked down at the dagger that was buried in her side. "I don't think you should have been so focused on just one weapon."
Arria shoved Reyna to the ground. Reyna was already scrambling backward before she hit the ground. Arria didn't press the attack. Instead, she turned towards the spear and grabbed it from the crate. The spear retracted into itself to become half the size that it was.
Reyna slowly made it to her feet and placed a hand to her side. She felt blood trickling down her armor, but as long as the dagger wasn't removed, the wound shouldn't be fatal. It would still hinder her fighting ability, and Reyna had made the mistake of underestimating her opponent.
Arria threw the spear with rapid speed. Reyna flung herself against the wall and felt the spear pass by her arm, leaving a small cut. Arria grabbed Reyna's fallen sword and spoke, "I'll give you the honor of choosing how you die. Would you like to be on your feet or your back?"
"I should ask you the same thing," Reyna muttered. Arria smirked and stabbed forward. Reyna dodged to the side and saw Arria turn the stab into a slash. The praetor jumped backward and heard the blade hit the wall. As soon as Reyna's feet hit the ground, she almost doubled over from the jolt of pain.
Reyna gasped and took a few more steps backward. Arria easily closed the distance between the two of them and went on the attack once again. Reyna was forced to dodge or use her gauntlet to catch the blows. Each hit to her gauntlet felt like it was going to cut through her armor, and she knew that it was only luck that it hadn't.
That luck was going to run out soon. She needed to end the fight. Reyna caught another blow on her gauntlet and grabbed Arria's wrist. She pulled Arria close and slammed a knee into her stomach. Reyna disarmed Arria, but the demigod slammed her into the wall.
A yell left Reyna as the dagger was jolted again. She hissed and slammed her knee upwards and into Arria's chest. Upon slamming her knee upwards again, Reyna heard a crack. Arria hissed in pain and pulled away. Reyna grabbed her and slammed her into the wall.
Reyna fell to her hands and knees. She moved her hand to the dagger at her side before slowly moving to a sitting position. Reyna scooted towards her sword and grabbed it. Arria had collapsed to the ground, but she was already stirring and making it to a seated position. Reyna looked at her and spoke, "Do you want to call it a draw?"
"I will kill you demigod," Arria promised. She stood and smirked. "Your mother's favorite demigod is going to kill you."
"I don't see my sister anywhere," Reyna commented. A look of anger appeared on Arria's face. "Why don't you let go of this demigod and fight me demon, monster, or whatever you are to demigod?"
"I like this body," Arria stated. She looked down at herself, and that smirk came back to her face. "Maybe, I'll subdue you and take your body. Then, I'll kill this demigod, find your sister, and do the same to her. Can you imagine the queen of the Amazons turning on her people and helping the Titans take over the world?"
"Honestly, I've never been one to think about things that will never happen," Reyna stated. She made it to her feet and cradled her side again. Fighting this demon was more complicated than she thought it would be, and the pain in her side was bothering her more and more with each passing second. She needed to end the fight now. "Instead of spouting fantasies, why don't you come back to reality?"
"Gladly," Arria said. She grabbed her spear from the ground, but she winced in pain as she reached down.
"How are the ribs feeling?" Reyna asked. Arria stabbed forward with her spear. Reyna deflected and swung her sword. Arria rolled under the attack.
"How does the side feel?" Arria sneered. Reyna swung her sword only to be dodged again. As Arria dodged to the side, she swept with her spear. It extended, and Reyna jumped over the attack. She gasped as she landed on her feet and jolted the dagger. A foot slammed into her gut.
Reyna doubled over and saw the spear flying upwards. She brought both arms in front of her chest to block the spear. It bounced off of her gauntlets, and she slammed her shoulder into Arria's ribs, driving her into the wall.
Reyna pulled away just enough to stand up straight. She followed it up with an uppercut that snapped Arria's head back against the wall. Reyna threw another punch straight forward, and Arria ducked underneath it. A hiss of pain escaped as one of her knuckles broke.
Arria suddenly grabbed onto her wrist and gripped it tightly. Then, she slammed the blunt end of her spear upwards. Reyna hissed as she felt an odd crack. Arria winked at her and snapped Reyna's wrist downwards, breaking her forearm.
A yell escaped Reyna, and she tried to pull away. Arria grabbed her and slammed her against the wall. She placed her lips to Reyna's ear and spoke, "How badly do I need to break your arm before you tell me where your sister is?"
Reyna didn't answer, and she laid her head back against the wall. Then, she slammed her forehead into Arria's. The demigod stumbled backward, and Reyna tackled her into the crates.
Reyna choked on another yell and collapsed to the ground. She slowly reached out for Arria's spear and managed to wrap her fingers around it. There was the sound of movement behind her. Reyna turned and slashed out with the spear. A hand caught it and jerked it out of her grasp. Hylla flipped the spear and slammed the blunt end into Arria's temple.
Arria collapsed to the ground, and Hylla looked back at Reyna. There was fury in her eyes, and she threw the spear near Reyna. It slammed into the wall near Reyna's head and cracked it. The queen of the Amazons turned back towards Arria.
Reyna scooted back until she hit the wall. She cradled her forearm and hissed in pain. It took a few painful seconds to carefully removed her gauntlet followed by her vambrace. There was already bruising on her forearm, and it was tender to the touch.
A few curses left Reyna, and she ended up biting her tongue. Her hand moved down to her side. It seemed like the wound was still bleeding. A rag was thrown at Reyna, but she didn't look up. She just carefully placed it to her side.
"Why can't you just listen for once?" Hylla demanded. Reyna didn't answer. "Are you going to throw a fit and act like a child?"
"Why don't you get the stupid things we need for this?" Reyna muttered. After a few moments, she looked up. Hylla glared down at her before shaking her head. Reyna watched her sister kneel next to Arria and tie her hands behind her back. Arria stirred and opened her eyes, but she looked out of it.
"Can I trust you to not walk off when I turn my back?" Hylla demanded. Reyna didn't answer. Instead, she looked away. "That's what I thought."
"I'm sorry, okay?" Reyna muttered. "I thought I could handle her, and I almost had it won."
"You really look like the winner," Hylla said. She walked towards Reyna and knelt by her. Hylla grabbed Reyna's arm and examined it. Then, her gaze moved down to the wound on Reyna's side. "Stand guard. I'll be right back.
Reyna stared ahead and sighed tiredly. The sky was darkening, and it looked ready to start raining. Reyna shivered and winced in pain. While she stood guard over someone who didn't even know where they were, Hylla had gathered a pot of weird water, a backpack full of items, and something that looked like a bible from the hotel and brought them over to the warehouse.
After Hylla set up some of the supplies, she searched Arria for any more weapons and tied her to a chair. Then, she took care of Reyna's side and arm. The wound on Reyna's side wasn't as bad as she feared, and unicorn powder helped heal the worst of it. Her forearm had been set, and medicine would have it back to normal in two or three days.
Once Reyna was back on her feet and willing to help her sister, she had been shoved outside and told to stand guard. Reyna questioned who she was supposed to look out for, and Hylla just told her to shut up. Then, she turned back inside and went to work.
Reyna wasn't sure what Hylla was doing, and the one time that she opened the door was accompanied by screaming. Reyna decided to go back outside and mind her own business. Guard duty hadn't been that bad. It just reminded her of her earlier days at Camp Jupiter, and she had been able to zone her mind out while still looking for threats.
The few mortals that passed by didn't stop to look at her. Reyna figured they just saw some teenager hanging outside and assumed she was up to no good. If anyone heard the screaming, they didn't question her about it. Reyna couldn't hear the screaming either. She figured that the walls were soundproof. Otherwise, the cops were probably going to get called.
An hour or two passed with Reyna just standing there. It wasn't until she heard a door open that she turned her head. Hylla looked at her and motioned with her head. Reyna pushed herself off the wall and walked inside. Her sword was back at her side, and she had strapped her shield across her back.
The two of them stepped into the warehouse. Her gaze moved around. The evidence of her fight with Arria was still there. Reyna walked towards the spear and grabbed it with her good hand. She carefully removed it from the wall and almost fell backward attempting to do so.
Reyna studied the spear. It didn't have a wooden shaft. Instead, it seemed to be made of some kind of metal, but Reyna had seen it retract. She would bet it could also extend to the size of a regular spear. It looked longer now than when Arria had retracted it. A small laugh escaped Reyna.
"What's so funny?" Hylla questioned. She moved to Reyna's side.
"Nothing," Reyna said. She played the scene over in her head again. It wasn't Arria snapping part of her arm down on the spear that broke her arm. It was the spear extending and slamming into her arm as it was being brought down. The momentum was what caused the break, and Reyna was impressed. It wasn't something she would have thought of.
Reyna examined the spear and then walked towards the middle of the room. Arria was sitting in a chair and staring at the ground. She hadn't said a word since Reyna stepped inside. There was a small frown on her face as she looked downwards.
"I believe this is yours," Reyna said, and she held out the spear. Arria looked up. Her gaze focused on Reyna. The girl said nothing as she reached out and grabbed her spear. "Arria, right?"
"Yes," Arria said after a moment. Now that she wasn't possessed, her voice was soft. There was an accent that Reyna had never heard before. It seemed like Arria tried to hide it but struggled to. She spoke Latin, but it wasn't crisp and clear like the other Romans at Camp Jupiter. She couldn't have gone to the camp then, so where had Bellona found her?
"Arria, what happened?" Hylla questioned. She stood by Reyna and crossed her arms. Arria looked at the ground and swallowed painfully. "I'm not mad about all this. I just need to know what's going on."
"I infiltrated a forward camp," Arria said after a few moments. She sighed tiredly and closed her eyes. "I found out some information about the plans of the Titans, but before I could bring it back, a monster found me. I was able to flee, but I had to stop and stand my ground. That was when everything changed, and something took over."
Arria looked down and continued, "I was trapped in my own body. They told me how I was going to kill your top Amazons with a homemade bomb and then kill you,. I'm sorry, Queen Hylla."
"It wasn't your fault," Hylla said softly. She knelt in front of Arria and grabbed her hands. Reyna studied her sister. This was a tenderness that Reyna had not seen since she was a kid. At least Hylla was being nice to someone for once. "Are you feeling okay?"
"I will be," Arria answered after a few moments. Hylla stood. "I should take my leave."
"No. You're going to stay here for the night. You too," Hylla said, and she turned towards Reyna. Before Reyna could protest, Hylla held up a hand. "You're both hurt, and I already paid for two nights in the hotel. I'm going to get my money's worth."
"I don't want to intrude," Arria began.
"Your life will be easier if you just agree with Hylla and then sneak out in the middle of the night," Reyna stated. She saw the look that her older sister gave her, and she smiled. Hylla held up a whistle, and Reyna stared at her. "Wait."
"You can have it back in the morning," Hylla stated. "Now, I need to clean up this mess. You two get back to the hotel room and get some rest."
Reyna rolled her eyes but didn't argue. She carefully collected her gauntlet and vambrace from where she had left them. Arria did the same for her armor and weapons. Then, the two turned and left the warehouse. Part of Reyna wanted to steal the whistle back from her sister, but she knew Hylla would quite literally put her to sleep.
The two of them walked back towards the hotel in silence. If Arria was thinking about bolting, she seemed to think better about it. As they made it across the street, Reyna motioned to the fire escape. Arria watched her in confusion, but she followed behind without another word. Reyna carefully climbed up the ladder of the fire escape and walked up the stairs.
"There is a front door," Arria began.
"This is quicker," Reyna said. She walked towards the window and tried to open it, but she wasn't able to with one arm. Arria moved to her side and opened the window. Reyna climbed into the window, and Arria followed behind. She closed the window.
Reyna carefully took off her shield and sword. She placed them on a table and slowly started to take off her armor. It was difficult with one arm, and if she moved too quickly, she would jolt her arm. Arria stepped next to her and spoke, "May I?"
"I can get it," Reyna muttered. Arria didn't say a word. She just stepped away and stood there silently. Reyna gave her a look. "Seriously. You don't have to fawn over me. I'm not some kid."
Arria stiffened and then turned away. She started to take off her armor. Reyna glanced back. Arria's movements were slow, and if she lifted her arms too high, she would shoot a hand towards her ribs. Reyna sighed and finished taking off her armor. Then, she headed towards Arria.
"Let me," Reyna ordered. Arria froze and looked at her. She didn't argue though. Reyna carefully helped Arria slip out of her breastplate. They made eye contact. "Do you have medicine?"
"I don't need any," Arria whispered. Reyna placed the breastplate down on the table and looked at Arria.
"You need medicine," Reyna said. "I don't care if you hurt me or not. It's not something I'm going to let you beat yourself up for. You need medicine and rest. As much as I hate to say it, I need rest as well. I would rather Hylla not forcibly tie us to the bed either."
Arria nodded. Reyna helped the demigod take off the rest of her armor. Arria was tense with every moment, but she didn't complain. She just gritted her teeth and bared through it. When they were finished, Reyna set their armor on the table.
"Did you bring a change of clothes?" Reyna asked. Arria shook her head. "I brought some things. I'm sure we can find something that fits you."
"I don't want to impose," Arria began.
"You're not," Reyna said. "Go take a shower and be careful. I'll take one after you're done. Then, we'll get you some medicine and sleep."
"I can take the ground," Arria said. Reyna looked behind her, and she realized there was only one bed.
"If Hylla stays here as well, she'll kick both of us to the floor. If she has her own room, you and I are sharing the bed," Reyna said. Arria nodded even though she looked reluctant. "Go shower."
Arria nodded and turned away. A sigh of relief left Reyna. When she usually ordered her legionnaires to do something, they would give her attitude before doing it. Arria just did what she was told. Why couldn't the rest of the Romans be like her?
Reyna grabbed a change of clothes for Arria and gently knocked on the bathroom door. It opened, and Reyna handed the clothes off. Then, she walked back towards her bag. After grabbing a change of clothes for herself and putting it near the edge of the bed, she laid back on the bed and groaned painfully.
The day had taken a lot out of her. All she wanted to do now was rest. There was only one pillow, and she would use it until Arria was done. Reyna rested her head against the pillow and closed her eyes. Before she knew it, a hand gently grabbed her shoulder.
Reyna's eyes snapped open, and she slowly lifted her head. Arria spoke, "The shower is all yours."
Reyna nodded and slowly sat up. She looked around the room. There were two new backpacks, and Reyna could see her armor inside one. Arria spoke," Hylla has her own room. She ordered Chinese food."
"Try to get some rest before it comes," Reyna said. She stood and took her shower. Despite the pain in her arm, she was able to shower without much issue. When she was done, the Chinese food was waiting for them. Arria had a plate that she was pouring food on.
Upon seeing Reyna, Arria silently offered up the plate. Reyna took it with a grateful nod. She grabbed a fork and sat on the bed. Arria only grabbed an egg roll and sat at the table. The room was quiet as the two of them ate.
"You don't have to punish yourself by not eating," Reyna said. "You only attacked me because the demon was controlling you."
"I'm just not hungry," Arria said softly. Reyna nodded and frowned. She focused back on her food, and when she was done, she threw it in the trash. Reyna walked towards her duffel bag and grabbed a spare jacket.
Reyna glanced at the sky outside. It was rather dark, and she felt completely exhausted. Arria looked like she felt the same. Reyna patted the bed next to her and carefully folded up her jacket. She laid on the bed and rested her head on the jacket.
"You can use the pillow," Arria said after a moment.
"Come lay down and use the pillow," Reyna ordered. Arria looked down. "I'm not the one with the concussion. Come on."
Arria reluctantly nodded and walked towards Reyna. She laid on her back and groaned softly. Reyna studied Arria. There was a haunted look in the girl's eyes. She seemed wary and like she wouldn't be able to sleep. Reyna didn't know her that well, and she wasn't into the whole comforting thing. That was why she turned her back to Arria and closed her eyes.
Hylla had been vague about Arria's exact nature. Reyna's best friend, Jason Grace, was a champion for Juno. He was someone that the goddess would love to flaunt around. Something told her that Arria was not a champion for Bellona. She did dirty work for the goddess. But, how dirty was that work?
It did worry Reyna that she had not heard anything about this demigod before. Hylla seemed to know her well, and it sounded like Bellona trusted Arria. Why was Reyna being kept out of the loop? Was there more to this demigod than what a first look showed?
Reyna also didn't like that Arria was supposed to go to Camp Jupiter when she was infected with the demon. What if Bellona had not found out? What kind of chaos could Arria have caused? Reyna sighed and shifted. She winced as she jolted her arm. Bellona and Hylla seemed to trust Arria, and that was part of the problem.
Reyna had never heard of Arria before today, and if Arria had gone to Camp Jupiter without any interruptions, what would have happened? Why was Arria going to Camp Jupiter? Was it to spy on Reyna for Bellona or something else? Sure, Hylla and Bellona trusted Arria, but that didn't mean much to Reyna.
The other problem was that Reyna wanted to talk to Arria more, and she wasn't sure why. Reyna kept to herself at Camp Jupiter especially after she became a praetor. The only person she really talked to was Jason. A small smile came to Reyna's face as her thoughts drifted to her best friend.
When they were centurions, Reyna and Jason would talk alone late into the night. She would always focus on the scar on his lip, and they would make funny stories about how he got it. Reyna was sure that he tried playing with a knife or something equally dangerous. Jason insisted it was a training scar.
When Jason heard this story, he would chide her for underestimating her opponent. Reyna would tease him for sleeping in and not being able to help her. That was the second problem though. When Reyna talked to Jason, she felt this fluttering, like butterflies, in her stomach. As soon as Reyna turned on her back and looked at Arria, she felt those same butterflies.
Arria's eyes were closed, and it looked like she was asleep. There was a painful rise and fall of her chest every time she took a breath, but she looked more relaxed. Reyna gently brushed some of the hair out of Arria's face. She examined the small bruises from their fight, and those butterflies got a lot worse.
Reyna swallowed painfully. What was she thinking? From what she heard, Arria was close to her mother, almost like the right hand of the goddess. Reyna couldn't afford to get close to Arria. Despite those thoughts, it still took Reyna a minute to roll onto her back and stare up at the ceiling. There weren't many people that Reyna wanted to get close to in her life, but even with her doubts, Arria was one of them.
"Damn it," Reyna muttered. She placed her hand to her face and sighed. These thoughts and conflicting emotions were only going to make her more confused. For now, she would focus on the information that Arria had found. It could be used to help Camp Jupiter with their Titan problem. This would give Reyna and Arria a chance to work together, and Reyna would be able to see if the demigod was trustworthy or not.
Reyna's eyes moved to the side, and she studied Arria one last time. Arria looked relaxed and peaceful. Just looking at her made Reyna's heart race. Reyna sighed and forced her eyes closed. As she slowly drifted off to sleep, she couldn't get her mind off of Arria and thoughts about what the future might hold.