Chapter 14

Damien waited alone in Reyna's room late into the evening, he started to wonder where the raven haired Praetor had gotten to, with the new information she had uncovered that Thamyris had indeed escaped from the Underworld and they needed to find Hyacinth, he thought that the three of them would've been in the process of making a plan, but here he was sitting alone. He couldn't even do any research himself because the only information they had kept up in Reyna's room was on Thamyris and it only stated that he had caught the eye of Apollo's former lover.

Damien began to pace the small room, he was getting agitated being locked away, he longed to be out on the roof again, but he had promised Reyna that he would not step foot out of the room. He could not relax, he was too afraid of falling asleep and giving his mind over to Elliot once more, he knew it was foolish, it was only a nightmare, he had faced monsters in the past and leapt from great heights without breaking a sweat. And now he was afraid to close his eyes

He dropped to the floor and started working out trying to keep his mind off everything, he pushed himself harder and harder, forcing his mind to focus on his burning muscles rather than the deep brown eyes that filled his mind and rejected him.

Then his mind wandered to last night when she took him up on the roof, when her fingers entwined with his, the rush of warmth that had flooded him, that made him think that he didn't need a heartbeat to feel things again.

He pushed himself up and stood looking around the room, he had tried not to snoop, it was Reyna's private room and by what Hazel had been saying, no one at camp was allowed in this room. This is where Reyna could be herself, Damien smiled to himself as he thought he was one of the few to have seen the softer side of the normally stoic faced Praetor.

But his smile dropped as he remembered the look on her face when he had left them in San Francisco

Salvum itineribus

"Safe travels" he muttered to himself, the last words she had said to her before he had walked away from her.

He sat at the desk silently wondering if he had just stayed with her, returned to Camp Jupiter would things have been different? He dropped his head into his hands, part of him wish he could turn back time to that night and do it all differently, but he knew that he needed to get the answers to his unanswered questions. He had hurt her and he felt like there was no coming back from that

The opening door had him on his feet in an instant, he turned to see the golden eyes of Hazel as she entered and closed the door softly behind her,

"Where's Reyna?" he asked hoping he would see her again

Hazel dropped her gaze slightly "She has to finish some work and asked me if I would bring you some food" Damien noticed the bag in her hand, which she placed on the table "What happened earlier?" she asked eyeing up the son of Letus

Confusion flashed over Damien's features "What do you mean?"

Hazel exhaled shortly and walked towards him "Reyna was fine this morning and now she is acting strange and a little distant" she jabbed a finger at his chest "And the only person she has seen in between is you, so I am gonna ask you again, what have you said to my friend?"

For a small girl she was definitely intimidating as she stood almost a foot shorter than him, her golden eyes glowing as she frowned up at him.

He raised his hands in surrender "I didn't do anything… I don't think so anyway" he thought back "She was acting a little strange before she came to tell me about Thamyris"

She squinted up at the taller demigod "How so?" she questioned him

"Well, she barely looked at me and then" he sighed sadly "It was like she couldn't get out of this room fast enough"

Hazel stared at him for a long time, trying to tell if he was telling the truth, she eventually nodded knowing that Damien was an honest guy and he would never do anything to intentionally hurt anyone, especially Reyna

"Okay, I just don't know what is wrong with her" Hazel said as she sat herself down on the bed

Damien came to sit beside the smaller woman "Is she angry at me for leaving?"

Hazel shrugged "I don't think she was angry, I just think she was hurt" she looked out across the room "She dived back into work, shut herself away in her office more than usual, I was the only one she really talked to and even then it wasn't about anything apart from the camp"

Damien closed and rubbed his tired eyes, taking a deep breath "I wish I could make it up to her somehow" he muttered sadly

Hazel looked over to him "Don't leave her again" she said simply but sincerely

Damien met her gaze "What if she doesn't want me here?" sadness in his voice "What if I'm too damaged?"

Hazel rolled her eyes "There is no such thing as too damaged Damien, everything has a way of working itself out if you are willing to try" she placed a hand on his arm "I have to go but eat up and try to be there for her even if she tries to push you away… that's if you are serious about making a life here Damien"

Damien nodded and watched the girl leave, he locked the door behind her and returned to sitting at the desk, he picked up another piece of paper, grabbing a pen he began to sketch. He abandoned the food and drew late into the night, those eyes that he had memorized long ago.

He didn't even notice when the sun was beginning to rise, Reyna had still not returned.