Chapter 10

The three of them ate in silence an awkward essence in the air, Reyna refused to look at either of them whereas Damien couldn't help but look up at her, stealing glances, memorising the way her hair fell in cascades down her shoulders, how even when she sat on her bed her posture was so regal and strong, he knew that she had found the drawing he had done of her, but she didn't say anything.

He dropped his eyes again remembering last night and how she had pulled away from him, he felt a pull in his chest a tightening of his lungs, he placed a hand on his chest and felt the hollow emptiness of an un-beating heart.

Hazel's glowing eyes darted between the two, she was getting a little fed up with the will they, won't they situation, she understood that from both sides there were feelings but also reservations about their own personal problems. But she couldn't sit here in silence much longer, she cleared her throat

"So this Greek guy Thamyris, he is our best lead?" she asked looking at the demigods either sides of her

Damien looked up to Reyna's beautiful dark eyes again, Reyna swallowed and pulled her gaze from the son of Letus

"At the moment yes but he is a mortal and has been dead since ancient times" she picked at her food, not really feeling hungry "It seems impossible, but it is the strongest connection to Euterpe, everything about him just fits almost perfectly apart from the fact that he is dead"

Hazel thought for a moment before her eyes landed on Damien, her golden eyes formulating a plan "Well there is one way to know for certain if he is truly in the Underworld"

Damien looked up from his food and met her eyes, he did not like the way she was looking at him, like he was a tool she needed to use

"Why she looking at me like that?" he asked Reyna but held Hazel's golden gaze

Reyna watched Hazel closely, indeed seeing the signs of her mind working

"Hazel?" she began "What are you thinking?"

Hazel smiled a little at Damien, but it was a sad smile, like she was sorry to ask this of him "We need to contact someone who would know if anyone used the doors of death to free Thamyris from the Underworld and there is only one that would know for certain"

Reyna understood instantly, her eyes going to Damien too, knowing that he would not like this but Hazel was right, it was the only way to know

His eyes golden brown eyes shifted between the two women "I'm not gonna like this am I?" he asked with a sigh, leaning back against the wall, ready to hear their plan

"Damien" Hazel started looking a little bit shy "We need you to contact your father, Letus"

Damien stared at her for a moment before nodding slowly "Yep, knew I wasn't going to like it" he muttered looking down at his food, nudging his burger "It won't work"

Both girls had heard the tone, both saw the sadness and anger mixed in his eyes, his jaw clenching

"What's wrong" Reyna asked watching his features carefully,

Damien sighed and looked up at the Praetor's kind brown eyes "I prayed for his help back in San Diego, I asked him to give me strength or even to take me from this world"

Reyna felt her heart tighten at his words and the hurt he tried to conceal in his voice, she couldn't even imagine what he had gone through, to be pushed so far that he prayed for death, the Praetor could feel her eyes stinging, but swallowed back her sorrow

"And he ignored my pleas, as I was being broken and beaten over and over again, my father left me to rot at the hands of that Greek psychopath" Reyna could see the hurt and anger in his eyes as he spoke of his father "He never uttered a word..."

His gaze returned to his food taking a deep breath, calming himself slightly "So why should he come now? Why would he listen to a single damnare word I have to say" His voice was filled with venom towards his father and the three fell silent

Reyna couldn't really blame him for feeling resentment for his father after everything Damien had to go through alone, not many gods spoke to their children an awful lot, but they could hear when their child was in need and for Letus to just ignore Damien's prayers it was plain cold, maybe the god of death just didn't care.

"Cant your dad find out?" Damien's voice brining Reyna out of her own mind, he was obviously trying to get the focus off of him

Hazel shrugged, exhaling after hearing Damien's story "He doesn't really have much to do with the doors of death... it mainly Letus, I can ask but I don't know what the reply will be if any" she wished she could give him a better answer

Damien nodded then excused himself, walking into the bathroom his shoulders heavy with anger and sorrow, he rested his hands on the edges of the sink, his head hung with the weight of everything.

Seeing him leave the door open, Reyna stood and followed ignoring the look on Hazel's face, she needed to check on Damien and keep him calm

"Let me know if you hear anything from Pluto" Reyna muttered to the smaller Demigod, Hazel nodded, knowing that was Reyna's way of asking her to leave, giving her and Damien some privacy, she left, closing the door softly behind her.

Reyna leaned on the door frame for a moment watching as Damien splashed cold water on his face, he looked at himself in the mirror and caught sight of the Praetor behind him, they watched each other again for a long moment neither knowing what to say,

Eventually Reyna broke eye contact and looked out of her bedroom window on the far side of the room, the sun was just about setting, she had an idea, it was risky but seeing the way Damien was now locked away in her room having been through so much, she allowed her eyes to fall on his handsome features again, seeing he had turned and now faced her, watching her closely

"Be ready in an hour" Reyna said before returning to the main room, her cheeks heating from Damien's intense gaze "But for now take a moment"

Damien closed the door stepping back and sitting on the cold floor, head in his hands, reaching into his pocket he pulled out a torn photograph, his eyes stinging as he looked down at the smiling blonde, he ran his finger over her face, Elena

He had stolen it from Elliot's mansion when he escaped, after a moment he replaced it into his pocket sighing and leaning his head back against the wall. He couldn't believe that now he was back in Camp Jupiter, back with Reyna, he had never thought he would see her again.

And already he had screwed up and Reyna was risking her job once again, he wondered if under different circumstances they would have ever met again? He couldn't deny that he was making his way back to San Francisco, back to Reyna.