Chapter 33

Reyna went to step into the space, but Damien's hand latched around her arm, she looked back up at him, his golden eyes glowing back at her

"I don't like this" he said honestly "Let me go first"

"Damien" she said slowly, like she was saying it for the thousandth time "As Praetor-

"As Praetor your life is more valuable than mine" Damien finished

Reyna shook her head "That's not how it works, no life is more important than another"

Damien stepped closer to her so only she could hear him "Your people rely on you Reyna, they need you to return and in chess you send the pawns in first"

Reyna couldn't deny his logic but she couldn't let him risk his life, not Damien

"We go together" she whispered back, making sure he knew that her word was final

It looked like he wanted to argue back but held his tongue, he just held her gaze, she took that as his agreement

"You three hang back just encase, Damien and I will go ahead" she muttered to the others before turning away and slowly making her way out into the open cavern, Damien staying close by her side, weapons ready in hand

Euterpe continued her soft singing in the middle of the icy hall, her eyes were closed, she like her sisters was dressed in the old Grecian robes, but she didn't have the glow like the rest of the muses, her power must be draining from being held captive here

"Why isn't she moving?" Damien asked looking up at the muse, she didn't appear to have an visible restraints

Reyna shook her head "I have no idea" she scanned the room again, it still seemed to quiet, the vast room empty apart from the demigods and the muse

The two of them stayed close to the wall as they made their way around, they came to a stop in front of the muse

Reyna shook her head and scanned the room again "I have no idea"

"Euterpe?" Reyna called softly

There was no response, the muse kept her eyes closed

Reyna scanned the floor in front of them, checking for any other faun magic, she saw none and took a cautionary step forward, her blade tight in her hand, out of the corner of her eye she could see Damien mirroring her movements, she was glad to have him with her.

The two of them edged closer "Euterpe?" Reyna called again a little louder, but it was as though the muse ignored them or couldn't hear them, lost in her lyrics

"What's wrong with her? Why does she just keep singing?" Damien asked as he watched as the muse sang out the sad melody of whatever ancient song she had chosen

"Touching isn't it?"

The sudden voice had Reyna whirling around searching for the source, her instincts kicking in, blade ready in her hands, her dark calculating eyes scanning the surroundings but with the muse's singing and the echoing voice bouncing off the walls she couldn't tell exactly where it was coming from.

"She is trying to sing to her sisters" the voice continued

Damien too was looking around, his eyes landing on a figure skulking in the shadows on an icy ledge, he couldn't make out any features due to the lack of light but he knew this was no ally, Damien came to stand between the figure and Reyna

"Reyna, we have company" he muttered

Reyna turned to see the same male figure looming above them

"Beautiful singing isn't it?" the figure said "Perfect" his voice echoed, he seemed to take a moment to appreciate the melodically sound before sighing

Reyna stayed quiet so Damien did the same, his eyes just watching carefully for any threats

"The ice acts almost like sound proofing… that's the modern term is it not" silence answered him, he exhaled bored with the lack of conversation "You can tell your friends to come out of the tunnel, they are already surrounded" he waved his hand in the direction of the hiding place of the others

Damien glanced back to see the other three being pushed from the tunnel, Markos looked like he was going to rip someone apart, his mouth snarling at the women who pushed at him, forcing him and the others into the open, Hazel and Annabeth being dragged along behind him. And soon the cavern was filled with female guards, all pointing their weapons at the demigods

Reyna kept her eyes locked on the shadowy figure "You are Thamyris" she said aloud

The figure stepped out of the shadows and into the torch light, Reyna's eyes widened as she took in his appearance, a deep scar was torn across his throat, still angry and red like it was still healing and where his eyes should have been were dark pits of emptiness, more scars surround his lids. They must have been his punishment from Apollo, Reyna didn't think it would be so literal, the gods had powers to punish people, but this… this was done with anger

"Yes" he smiled, his pale skin pulling tight over his bone structure "I don't believe we have had the pleasure Miss…?"

"Reyna Ramirez Arellano" she answered bluntly "Daughter of the war goddess Bellona, Praetor of the twelfth legion of Camp Jupiter" she stated

"Ah, Roman" he still had a slight smile on his face "I should have known from your voice, strong, authoritive undertones, forgive me as you can see my eyes are not what they used to be" his smile faded as he gestured to the black holes

"Release her" Reyna ordered, getting back to the task at hand

"No" he replied simply "A debt needs to be paid, you and your friends have one chance to leave and between you and I, I would take it, there will not be a second Praetor Ramirez Arellano"

"Not without Euterpe" Reyna countered "The world of mortals and gods depend on it"

Thamyris sighed heavily "I really hoped you wouldn't have said that" he clicked his fingers and the women guards with weapons surrounded the group, forcing them tighter together "Take the men to the dungeons" he ordered

"Just kill them now" echoed a new voice, this one gruffer than Thamyris

Damien turned his eyes to the new comer, this guy was shorter, almost the same height as Hazel, he had curly horns protruding from his hair and shaggy goat-like legs with hooves that tapped across the icy ground, what had Reyna called them at Camp Jupiter… Fauns? This must have been the guy who had set the magical traps

"Marsyas don't be so brash" Thamyris scolded him

Marsyas shot him a dangerous look "Brash? They have come to foil what we have planned, they have gotten this far, just get rid of them now and be done with it"

"No, I have an interest with their leader" he turned his head slightly in the direction of the women "Separate the males from the females"

He smiled at Reyna "Come ladies, let's have a little chat" he bowed slightly and gestured for the guards the take the girls one way

"No!" Markos growled as he turned on the women guards but he was easily outnumbered and was disarmed, so too were Damien and the others.

Damien's golden eyes shot up to Reyna and locked with hers, he tried to take a step towards them but was held back by multiple hands, he strained against them but these women were stronger than they seemed, he needed to get to Reyna

He dropped his weight and kicked out at the guards legs, causing her to drop, he then rolled backwards and pulled out of the other grip, he flipped himself up onto his feet and bolted for Reyna who was being pulled away,

He was two feet from her when something hard struck the back of his head the force buckling his knees, dazed on the floor he looked up to see the faun standing over him,

"Nice try boy" he grunted

Damien was hauled to his feet again but his eyes couldn't focus properly for a moment, something warm trickling down the back of his neck, his head felt like lead, his eyes searched for Reyna

"Reyna" but he was already being dragged backwards away from her, he could hear Markos grunting, still trying to break free. Damien watched until Reyna was taken out of view, her eyes still watching him.