A.N.: Hoo boy this one got long. Hope you've been enjoying these past couple of chapters as much as I have! Remember to follow along with the soundtrack if you're into that sort of thing; music is probably my biggest influence in writing, so the songs I've included are often actually what inspired the story, not the other way around.
17
Reyna
"How about this?"
Reyna looked up from the notebook in her lap to see Mason sat on a rock, leaned over with his chin on his hand in a mimicry of the Thinker sculpture, a matching expression of deep thought on his face.
She shook her head. "Not your style," she said, toying with the pencil in her hand. "I need something more… you."
Mason sat up, ruffling his hair. "And what exactly is me?"
Reyna shrugged. "Just… relax. Don't think about it. Sit as you normally would."
He shifted awkwardly for a good fifteen seconds.
"You know, now I'm trying to think how I normally sit."
She rolled her eyes. "Is it really that difficult to sit still and act normal?"
"I haven't exactly ever had a portrait done before, you know," Mason said, still adjusting his legs. "And I think most artists give a little more helpful directions than "act normal."
Reyna smiled, glancing up to where the sun was shining down between the trees. The two of them had taken a walk together through the forest, stopping at a small open meadow near the tiny creek. Seeing the pristine spot had spurred her to convince Mason to let her practice drawing, specifically by drawing him. They had both taken up seats on rocks a few feet apart.
"Well, you must remember that I am an amateur," Reyna said, lightly sketching some kind of outline down. "And so I don't know of much else to say other than 'be still.'"
"Still, you're the artist. If you want me to do something specific, just tell me. What do you think seems natural for me?"
Reyna thought for a moment. "Stand up."
He obeyed, looking at her expectantly.
She gestured behind him. "Lean against the tree."
He did so.
She looked around the ground for a moment before finding a rock suitable for what she was thinking, then picked it up and handing it to him. "Hold this," she said, before turning to return to her seat.
The sight of him standing there with a rock in his hands and a look of confusion on his face would have made for a great image, but it wasn't what she was going for. "Hold it as if it were a cup of coffee."
He nodded, cupping the rock with both hands.
Still not entirely satisfied, Reyna continued, "It's the morning, you're in your kitchen, and you have a guest over who you've just handed a second cup of coffee to, and you're leaning against the counter with your own cup, listening to them talk."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Even though you don't drink coffee," she added.
Mason chuckled, but otherwise stayed still in his relaxed pose, and Reyna, finally satisfied with her subject, went to work at drawing him.
She was indeed still an amateur, and she found herself erasing and redrawing many times over, and settling for imperfect lines whenever that took too many times. It was still energizing, though, and she felt a warmth of small-scale excitement over this new hobby she had taken up. There was something cathartic about the process; the combination of movement and emotion, requiring physical control as well as creativity.
"So when do you want me to take a sip of my rock?" Mason said after a few minutes.
Reyna shook her head with a small smile. "Whenever you want, sun-face. Just don't complain about the taste."
"What's with the nickname, by the way?"
She looked up from the notebook. "What?"
He looked at her. "'Sun-face.' That's at least the third or fourth time you've used it."
She scratched her neck. "Oh… I'm not sure. I suppose it just slipped out once, and it seemed fitting?" she said, blushing slightly. "Do you mind it?"
Mason chuckled. "Oh, no, I don't mind. I was just curious. Trust me, there are much worse things I've been called. Teenage boys basically consider name-calling a competitive sport."
Reyna huffed as she returned to drawing.
"Still, I think the worst thing I've ever been called is just my actual full name," Mason continued. "Have you ever had a parent call you by your full name? That's terrifying. I still remember when I was just sitting in my room, doing homework, and I heard someone downstairs call out, 'Mason Jackman! You get down here right-'"
Reyna's head jerked up, a look of incredulous disbelief on her face. "Your name is Mason Jackman?" she said, drawing out the words.
Mason looked to her in surprise and trepidation at her suddenly changed tone. "Uh… yeah. Wh- why?"
Her mouth opened and closed again as she stared in his direction, trying to make sense of it. She looked up to the treetops and the sky, as if to question the gods above on what mischievous deity had brought such an odd and personal coincidence upon her. Her exchange with Tabitha about luck came to mind, and Reyna considered that maybe what she had said about luck happening for a reason wasn't that far off after all.
"Rey, is everything okay?" she heard Mason say, and she looked back to see he had taken a tentative step towards her. "I don't know what my name has to do with anything, but… do you want a minute?"
She shook herself out of her stupor. "No, it's fine. I'm fine, it's just…"
"Do you… know that name?" he asked, seeming equally sympathetic and curious.
She set the notebook down on the rock beside her. "Not exactly."
They remained there for a moment in silence, both unsure of what to say. Finally, Reyna spoke up softly. "At Camp Jupiter, in the legion, there are two praetors that act as the legion's leaders. One male and one female, both elected by the Council."
Mason nodded as he sat down on the rock a couple feet away from her.
"It's been this way for as long as Camp Jupiter has existed, as neither the Council nor anyone else has had a reason to change it. However, some consistencies also carry on through tradition and natural causes just as much as rigid policy. One of those consistencies is that the two praetors very commonly become… involved with one another."
Mason nodded again, understanding.
Reyna rubbed her wrist. "Of course, I was never a stranger to this fact, and whether I wished for it or not, that thought was impossible to ignore entirely. Especially when my fellow praetor would end up being someone that I wholeheartedly believed deserved the position."
She glanced to Mason, not making eye contact. "Do you remember what I told you about the war with Gaea and the Greeks? About the Seven demigods?"
He nodded.
She took a deep breath. "There were two demigods among them that served alongside me, if briefly. They were fierce warriors… and fiercer friends." A shiver traveled through her despite the warm weather. "But ultimately, neither of them could stay… to be either." A knot formed in her gut. "One of them was Jason Grace. The other was…"
"Percy Jackson," Mason finished quietly, connecting the dots. "Jason, Mason. Jackson, Jackman."
Reyna let out a small huff. "So, I hope you understand it's not you. The similarity is just a… an oddly reminding coincidence."
They sat there for a moment as she contemplated everything. She wasn't quite sure what had spurred her to share all of that, as it was still a pain that hadn't diminished entirely, exacerbated further by Aphrodite's biting omen that she would not find love where you wish or where you hope, and that no demigod shall heal your heart. It didn't matter how much she was able to steel as a praetor or how little she convinced herself that it mattered in the grand scheme of everything; it still hurt to be let down and then be told by the goddess of love that it was meant to be. And now she was living with someone whose name was an ironic reminder of that fact.
The possible implication of her explanation dawned on her, and she glanced at Mason to try to tell what he had thought of it, but he seemed mostly unreadable, looking off into the trees in thought. She wondered if he would try to reassure her by saying something about how she deserved someone better or something similarly sympathetic. Instead, after a moment, he stood up. "Well, should I get back in place?"
Reyna nodded absentmindedly, picking the notebook back up as Mason returned to the tree. As she began sketching again, glancing up and down between the page and Mason, she couldn't help but feel as though she were looking at him differently than she had been five minutes ago.
(|- - - - -[H]- - - - -|)
A couple days later, as the two of them were tending to the flower garden, they found themselves in one of their deeper conversations.
"Do you ever feel… scared of growing older?" Mason asked as he gently examined a red flower.
Reyna looked up at him. "You mean of dying one day?"
"Not exactly. More like… time passing, and things changing. The feeling that things are moving too fast and you've already missed out on so much. Regrets, I guess."
She nodded. "I suppose so. I would say that it has more to do with the regrets in the past than a fear of the future, though."
"Regrets of things you did or things you didn't do?"
She thought about it. "Both."
Mason nodded. "Same."
They paused for a moment.
"You know," Mason said. "It's funny, I don't think I am actually afraid of getting older."
Reyna raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I do regret some things, but as far as the future goes, I feel more… excited than anything. About what comes next, and all the new places and people, and how I'm going to change. Especially once I met you, and was given the Torch," he said, gesturing to where the Torch was sitting on the ground near them. Some days he preferred keeping it close by rather than in the cave. He chuckled. "Of course, it's a bit… different now. Now that we're here. Still, even here, I think I'd rather still grow older than be stuck as an eighteen-year-old my entire life."
They had never really talked about the fact that they were still aging, but he had clearly had the same thoughts about it as her. Reyna hummed in agreement.
She noticed his demeanor shift to be a bit more somber before he looked at her. "What happens when… one of us…"
He didn't finish the sentence, but she knew. Reyna hadn't wanted to think about that detail of them being stuck on Ogygia and still aging. Even if that was a long, long way off, if they were really trapped on the island for the rest of their lives, it was an inevitability. One of them would be the first to go. At this point, Reyna couldn't fathom what life here would be like alone, and the prospect of it becoming that way only after years and years of company was downright frightening.
She wasn't quite sure who she would want it to be. Mason didn't deserve to go, but he also didn't deserve to carry that burden of guilt and loneliness.
"I've watched friends pass," she said quietly after a moment. "Sometimes abruptly." She looked at him. "Perhaps age is the most forgiving way to go."
His eyes looked to hers with intent and compassion. "How do you do it?" he asked softly.
Reyna took a deep breath. "I'm still learning. It's never easy, looking your people in the eye before leading them into battle, knowing full well that some of them may not make it." She swallowed. "That's the burden I must carry. But I make sure that all of them choose to follow me. I refuse to send in soldiers under a cause they don't believe in. If I know that they choose to potentially lay down their life… then I grant them the respect of doing the same."
She paused. "In the end, I think we all choose to live for something. Choosing to die for it, though; that is honorable. As much as it pains me to, I cannot deny anyone that choice."
After a moment, she looked to Mason, who was staring at her with an odd look on his face.
"Could you do something for me?" he said.
"Of course," she said, slightly confused at the apparent subject change.
He reached back to pick the Torch up from the ground, holding it in one hand and reaching out with his other in a silent request.
She raised an eyebrow, but still reached out to grab his hand. "I can help, but didn't we already try this?"
"Don't use your power."
She blinked. "What?"
"Just… stay like this for a moment, alright?"
She nodded slowly, glancing down to their hands. Before, she hadn't thought twice about it, but now that she wasn't doing it for the sake of her ability, it felt more intimate than pragmatic, and she couldn't help but feel her face turn red.
Mason closed his eyes, and Reyna followed suit, trying to focus on anything other than the warmth of his hand in hers. She heard his steady breathing as they sat there in the dirt, the afternoon sunlight pouring down on them. A part of her desperately wanted to activate her power, almost out of instinct, but she pushed it back, wanting to give Mason a chance at whatever he was doing.
After a minute, she opened her eyes, and was a little startled to see Mason had done the same, looking at her with a surprising softness in his eyes. Her awkward uneasiness swelled, but she found that she couldn't look away.
Just as she was about to break away and say something, she felt a rush of hot air hit the side of her face, and as the two of them broke eye contact, they both turned to see a newly formed flume of fire coming up from the top of the Torch.
They both stared in shock at the flame as it flickered, their jaws hanging open.
"Hah!" Mason exclaimed, flinging his free arm out in triumph. He looked to Reyna, his eyes sparkling and a wide grin on his face. "We did it!"
Reyna couldn't help but put on a confused yet genuine smile. "I guess so."
Mason leapt up to his feet, then stumbled a little as the fire ended up a bit closer to his face than he expected. He pumped his hands. "Oh, man! Yes! Gah, that's so satisfying! Come on!" he said as he held out his hand for a high-five.
Reyna rolled her eyes as she stood up, but indulged him with a smirk nonetheless, a satisfying clap ringing out as their hands met. "But… how?" she said as she watched him do a little victory spin.
Mason shook his head, still a bit breathless from the excitement. "It's… hard to describe. I was trying for the longest time to just focus on it really hard, but I realized it was way more complicated than that." He looked over the Torch in his hand. "I did have to focus, but then I think I also had to… let go, too. Let it happen instead of making it happen." He snapped out of his small daze and turned to grin at her again. "But still, we did it!"
Reyna chuckled at his enthusiasm. "I'm still not entirely sure what I did to help."
It was hard to tell with the warm light of the Torch across his face, but Mason may have blushed as he ruffled his hair. "Uh, trust me. You did. It's… complicated."
She gestured to the Torch. "So, is this a capability you'll always have now, or will we need to do… whatever that was again each time?"
He scratched his head. "Well, Hestia said I should protect the flame until I learn how to use it. So, hopefully I can do it again."
"Should we try?"
Mason hesitated.
"We can always just do that again if you can't," she reassured him.
"Right. Right, okay. Let's see…"
As he spoke, the flame suddenly went out, a thin wisp of smoke trailing up from where it had been. Mason titled his head. "Interesting…" he said, then closed his eyes. After no more than five seconds, the Torch lit up again with fire, burning with the same intensity as before.
Mason laughed. "Yes! Ah, that's good to know."
Reyna smiled as she reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. "Well, I can't pretend that I understand all of what this means, but nevertheless, good work."
Mason beamed, looking at her with an overflowing pride and warmth. "Thank you." He looked back to the Torch. "You know, I have the feeling that this is barely even the beginning of what this thing can do."
(|- - - - -[H]- - - - -|)
Leo left today.
As much as I may have liked to say I'm glad he's gone, I just can't.
It was sudden. We had simply been on the beach, eating dinner and conversing. He had been saying something terribly naïve and foolish when the raft had just appeared right before us on the sand. The idiot had nearly missed his chance, and he would have, if not for me.
I have tried not to think about it too much in these past hours, but it is nearly impossible not to. I thought I had understood, well, feelings enough to not be too surprised when the raft did arrive. The last time, I had been dreading its arrival for at least a day before it came, and I knew full well why it had. This time, though, I feel like I have more questions and doubts than I did at the beginning. Particularly about myself.
I have decided I do not know what love is. You might think I would be an expert on the topic, given that I quite literally have a curse that guarantees that I fall in love multiple times, but if anything, that has muddied the waters of my understanding even more than they would have been otherwise. It surely isn't something infallible and stable, as what I thought may be love has crumbled at least three times thus far. It cannot be complete and utter infatuation and attraction, evidenced by both the lack of those elements this time around, and their quickly disappointed presence the previous times. I'm not even sure it can be a deep understanding of one another, since I am not sure I have ever reached that point.
Leo promised me that he would return to set me free. As much as I hate to admit it, there is a flicker of hope inside my chest, against all logic and reason. I wonder how long it will be this time until that flame dies.
The sun is almost up. I need to sleep.
I don't think I can.
(|- - - - -[H]- - - - -|)
Later that evening, Reyna and Mason were sat around a hearty campfire in the sand of the beach, enjoying a light picnic dinner while looking out over the water. Mason was in a bubbly mood, and he was excited to be able to actually use the Torch, using it to light the bonfire before setting it down in the sand. The warmth of the fire perfectly balanced out the ocean breeze and cool evening air, and the berries and cooked vegetables were unbelievably fresh and tasty.
All in all, it was perfect.
Once they were full, they sat in content quietness for a while, gazing out over the ocean. The rhythmic sound of the waves and the crackling of the fire cast a mesmerizing serenity over them.
Reyna realized then, as she glanced at Mason, that perhaps she would be content with spending the rest of her life here.
After a few minutes, Mason stood up. "Hey, let's go."
Reyna glanced up to him. "What?"
He gestured towards the water. "This beach is perfect, and the water is, too. Why haven't we ever gone swimming? Come on!"
She smiled, but waved her hand. "You go ahead."
He gave her an exaggerated frown. "Suit yourself," he said with a chuckle before running down the sand towards the water. Reyna watched as he leapt into the water, wading through until it was up to his waist before ducking down and dunking his head in. His head came up a moment later, his hair flinging water into the air before settling on his face. The cotton shirt and pants he wore were now soaked and clinging to his body. Even from the distance, she could see his bright smile as he looked back to her.
He waved to her. "The water's perfect! You're missing out!"
She considered it for a moment. Then she thought "why not," and stood up to join him. She tentatively dipped her feet into the water. It was quite nice, and not cold at all.
Mason's smile was almost blinding. "You know, I've never actually been to the ocean before."
"That's a shame," she said, still only ankle-deep in the water. "But now you have, I suppose."
"I guess so," he said, looking out across the water. "Although I'm not sure which ocean this even is."
"It may not be any that we know of. If this island exists outside of our own world, then this sea likely does as well."
"Weird," he said. He turned to her. "Is that as far as you're going? You should get in, get the whole experience."
She glanced down at her jeans and Camp Jupiter t-shirt. "I think this is enough."
Mason shook his head disapprovingly, then gave a mischievous smile. "What if I bring the water to you?" he said, cupping his hands.
Her eyes narrowed as she glared at him, unable to keep the corners of her lips from curling up. "You wouldn't dare."
"Really? I think you underestimate me," he said as he slowly reached down into the water. "Last chance to-"
He was interrupted by Reyna kicking a spray of water across his face. He spit out some water and looked back to her with wide eyes. "Well now you're just asking for it," he said, before splashing her with a handful of water.
What followed was a mighty naval battle for the ages, with attacks and counter-attacks fired from both sides. It raged on for a lively minute or so until an unspoken truce was called, both sides breathless and suffering from many battle wounds in the form of damp hair and soaked cotton.
Reyna stood up straight and wrung out her long hair, and Mason shook his out like a golden retriever. The sunset reflected off the water, painting the horizon in a soft orange-pink color, like a juice made from fresh grapefruit and tangerine dripping down into the ocean.
The two of them looked at each other, laughing gently in the moment. Then Reyna saw Mason's eyes glance behind her towards the beach, and his expression shifted suddenly, his eyes widening and his smile fading into a jaw hung open. Confused, she turned to see what he was looking at, and her breath caught.
There on the sand, standing beside the bonfire that was still burning bright, was a small figure in a brown cloak.
(|- - - - -[H]- - - - -|)
The girl smiled as the two of them approached, still dripping with ocean water.
"Hestia," Mason said breathlessly. "How…"
"Hello, Mason. Hello, Reyna," she said, nodding to each of them. Reyna nodded in a bow, unsure of what to make of the goddess. She knew of her, particularly as her Roman counterpart Vesta, but only on a basic level. Now that the goddess was stood before her, she was surprised to see her in the form of a young girl, mostly unassuming at first glance. Still, there was a mystical air around her that made her identity as a goddess undeniable.
"It took me quite some time to find you," Hestia said, looking to the fire. "But your newfound understanding here helped me significantly. I must say, even I am surprised you picked it up this quickly."
Mason ruffled his hair, flinging water droplets around him. "Thank you. I… had help."
"I can see that," she said, looking to Reyna and nodding. "Daughter of Bellona, thank you for accompanying my friend here."
Reyna nodded. "If I may, what are you doing here? I wasn't aware that anyone knew where we were, let alone that they would be able to come here."
"We did not know, and I would not have been able to, if not for the Torch." She gestured to Mason. "I am tied to its flame, and so I could not find you while it was dark. However, once the fire was lit, it was a simple matter of following its beacon. This island may still be hidden away, but its magic is not what it used to be. As I am sure you've seen."
"So why are you here?" Mason asked.
Hestia gave him an amused expression. "To take you home, of course," she said, gesturing towards the beach behind them. Reyna and Mason both turned to see a wooden raft, complete and sturdy, resting on the sand just out of reach of the waves. "Or at least to give you the choice to."
They turned back to the goddess with dazed expressions. "You mean…" Mason said.
Hestia nodded. "There is more to be done. But as I've said before, that burden does not lie solely and irreplaceably on one individual's shoulders." She looked around them - to the pristine beach, to the tall trees, to the path leading into the garden. "You've made a home here, whether you intended it to be permanent or not. I am not going to rip that from your hands if you choose to keep it."
Reyna turned to look at Mason, and he did the same, the two of them searching for something in the other's eyes.
"I will leave you to discuss it, if you need. I must leave you now, but the way back will always be here," she said, gesturing to the raft. "You need but climb aboard and it will take you home. Always remember where the fire truly burns, and you will never be lost."
As she spoke, the fire grew to a roaring blaze, and Reyna and Mason both shielded their faces against the heat. After a moment, it died down, and Hestia was gone.
They both stood in silence, staring into the crackling fire as the last scatterings of sunlight stretched across the sand. Finally, Mason sighed and turned to her.
"Well, you ready?"
Reyna blinked. "What?"
He looked at her as thought she was missing something obvious. "To go. To get out of here."
She searched his face. "I would have thought you wanted to stay," she said quietly.
"I thought you wanted to leave," he said with a similar quietness and furrowed eyebrows.
Did she? She thought she had understood, well, feelings enough to not have any doubts if the raft did arrive. Even if months – maybe even a year – had passed, she still had responsibilities. It didn't matter if Camp Jupiter would have had to reinstate a new praetor in her place, or if the curse on Camp Half-Blood had passed, or even if everyone had forgotten her – she needed to do everything she could to protect her people, her friends. It was where she belonged – fighting for the lives and freedoms of demigods.
So why did she feel like she didn't know what she wanted to choose?
Mason took a single step towards her, reaching out his hand before hesitating and dropping it. "Rey…" he said breathily. "I don't know exactly what you're thinking, but… if you think that I'd resent you for saying we need to leave, or that… your friends would reject you for leaving them, or something… that's not-"
"It's not that simple," Reyna said, staring down at the sand.
"What do you mean?"
She clenched her fists, still not looking at him.
"Hey, can you look at me?"
She managed to lift her eyes to his.
"You are the strongest, bravest, most selfless, and… well, coolest person I have ever met. I am not going to leave without you, and I am not going to stay here if you leave." He looked around them. "I'm not going to lie, this place is essentially my dream. Even just a year ago, I might have said that this place was everything I ever wanted." His eyes landed on the bonfire. "But a couple years before that, I would have said the same about the house my parents gave me. And I was wrong about that. So I would be wrong to say the same of this place." He looked back to her. "I don't know if we belong here. What I do know is that I would follow you for as long as it takes to get to where we do. I promise. If you really think that it's here, I would never deny you that. But I'm pretty sure you don't think so."
Reyna didn't have to search her thoughts for long before she realized he was right.
(|- - - - -[H]- - - - -|)
(music: Bloom (Acoustic) – Dabin & Dia Frampton)
It didn't take long for the two of them to prepare to leave, but they still took their time. They both decided they probably didn't need to bring much of anything, so there wasn't much packing to be done. Still, they both separately walked among the garden and the cave, taking it in for the last time. Remnants of their stay here still lingered in small places, like the bundle of pillows on the floor that hadn't been used in weeks, or the half-empty bowls of fruit sitting around on counters, or the poorly woven and patchy quilt Mason had tried to make. The garden was as vibrant as ever thanks to their diligent caretaking, from the multicolored flowers, to the ripe vineyard, to the lines of vegetables and fruit. Now that the sun had set, the Moonlace flowers had begin to glow, little specks of moonlight shining among the soil.
Eventually the two of them reconvened at the beach. Reyna had her golden weaponry, a pencil, and the clothes she had arrived to the island in. She had decided to leave the notebook behind, setting it in the drawer where she had found it after reading the last entry. Somehow it seemed like the right thing to do, even though a part of her still hurt to leave her drawings behind.
Mason also wore his original clothes, and in one hand held the Torch, which he had lit to see in the dark as they prepared, and in the other he held a tiny clay pot with a single flower of Moonlace. She raised an eyebrow.
He shrugged. "It seemed right."
They climbed onto the raft, and it shifted as soon as they were both on, automatically pushing itself into the water. As they made their way out into the ocean, they both looked back to Ogygia, the island now darkened under the moonlight. Even from the short distance, the body of land looked like little more than a shadow in the night, slowly fading off into the horizon. The sails of the raft lurched in the ocean wind, carrying them forward into the unknown.
No words were spoken. They both sat, the raft lit by the warm light of the Torch and rocking along the waves. The stars shone above, the night sky clearer than she had ever seen before. Once the island was out of view, Reyna realized just how exhausted she felt, and soon found herself laying across the wood. Mason must have felt the same, as he put the fire of the Torch out before laying down, still holding onto it with both hands.
(|- - - - -[H]- - - - -|)
Leo returned today.
Against all odds, he did it. Atop a mechanical dragon, no less.
I feel as though I have an infinite well of things to say, but I will keep it brief. Leo seems eager to leave, and I likely have him beat in that regard.
I am going to leave this journal behind. As I said before, I wrote these things for you, whoever you are, and now the prospect of you reading this may not be so unfeasible after all. So if you do find this, I hope that something I've said here stays with you.
I'm still not sure I know what love is. Part of me feels as though I am only one step closer to understanding. But that one step is real; it's the most real thing that has happened to me in all my years of imprisonment. It's a step I've taken with a single word:
Promise.
Leo swore to me that he would return, and he did. Apparently, he was reckless enough to make it a binding oath, but I think his words would not have meant any less if he did not. That promise is what kept alive that little spark of hope inside me, and it's what gives me the courage to step off the sands of this island with him. Because I know, without any doubt, that his promise still lives. It was not fulfilled the moment he landed before me. It was not a promise that he would come back to me.
It was a promise that he would always come back to me.
Perhaps that is love. Not a desperate need to be alongside each other for every hour of every day or a rush of lust and attraction, but the certainty of knowing that they will return to you, and that you can always return to them. That even if time, or distance, or even a duty to save the world keeps you apart, there will always be a shelter to come home to from the storm.
I do not know where we will go, or what we will do. I do not know if I will be mortal when I leave this island. I do not even know how we will feel about each other in the coming days. But if I do know one thing, it is this: my home is no longer here.
It now soars on metal wings, in hands that carry fire.
(|- - - - -[H]- - - - -|)
"Well, the sun's up… and we're… here?"
Mason's groggy voice stirred Reyna from her sleep as she pried her eyes open, leaning up from where she had been laying. The air was chilly, and the raft was bathed in evening sunlight as it swayed on the water. She looked up to see Mason sat beside her, rubbing his eyes as he glanced around them. The raft jolted slightly as it made contact with something, and they both turned to see that they had reached land, their raft having reached the edge of someone's lakeside backyard.
That someone's backyard was Mason's.
They both looked to each other with expressions of mild surprise as they shook off their sleepiness and stood up to depart. Once they had their few belongings, they stepped off the raft, and as they did, they watched it slowly float back out into Lake Michigan. Once it had drifted a good distance off, they turned to slowly walk up to the house. They were both in a daze, both from their sleep and the first set of different surroundings they had seen in months.
Mason unlocked the back door with the keypad, and they both walked in, setting their things on the table. They moved around slowly, taking it all in.
As Reyna sat at the table, Mason walked down the hall into another room, leaving her to her thoughts. It was a bizarre feeling, being back. It almost felt like coming back from the dead, inhabiting a body that had been lying dormant. Minor ambient aches and worries that she hadn't felt in some time began to creep back into her, leaving her wondering if the island actually did work some kind of magic on them which was now gone.
"Uh, Rey?" Mason's voice called out from the hallway as he made his way back towards the kitchen. He was holding a mobile phone in his hand, staring at the screen like it was telling him he had flowers for ears. "How long were we gone?"
"I'm not entirely sure. By best guess would be at least eight months, but I lost track fairly quickly. Why?"
"Well… according to my phone… and the internet…" he trailed off, shaking his head in disbelief.
She narrowed her eyes. "What is it?"
"It doesn't make any sense, but…" He looked up at her. "We were gone for about six hours."
They both were silent for a moment.
"What?" Reyna whispered. "That means…"
Mason nodded absently, staring out the back door to the evening sky. "Camp Half-Blood can still be saved. And Camp Jupiter's attack hasn't even happened yet."