Reyna was still shaking inside from Jason holding her and whispering into her ear, his lips just barely touching it. His best partner. Their last stand. Calm down, Reyna told herself. After all you've gone through, you can't afford to die just because he hugged you. Steeling herself, Reyna turned to face the terrifying storm.
"Strike him with lightning," she said to Jason. "It worked once. It could possibly work again." Jason nodded, lacing his fingers with Reyna's. Taking a deep breath, he concentrated. Reyna felt a sizzle. A spark. But nothing more. Jason concentrated again, trying to call upon lightning like he always had. But still, to no avail.
"What's going on?" Jason hissed in frustration. "It's never failed before, and now, when I need it the most, it doesn't work!" Suddenly, an evil laugh resonated in the air.
Oh, son of Jupiter. Ever so stupid. Your father defeated me once, you know.
He defeated me with the very weapon that you are trying to use against me right now. And do you think I would let that happen a second time? No…I am smarter than that. Jupiter defeated me in Greek form, he defeated me as Zeus. But he will fail as Jupiter. He will fail.
Reyna sensed Jason tense beside her. This wasn't good news. She'd had it planned all the way to here, to this moment. And now it was lost. How were they going to defeat Typhon if lightning didn't work? Weapons couldn't. He was too powerful. Jason was obviously thinking the same thing.
"How are we going to do this?" he asked her.
"I don't know." Reyna hated saying those words. She wanted to say a different three, considering this was going to be one of her last moments alive.
I love you.
Reyna reached out and took Jason's hand.
"There's still hope."
Typhon laughed, even more evil than Echidna's.
I shall leave you to die slowly, demigods. I shall kill you with pleasure.
Reyna really hated griffins. Typhon called them, and they jumped out from his swirling tornado, shocking her and Jason. Whipping out her sword, Reyna began slashing and stabbing at griffins randomly. There were too many, and it was a lost cause. Jason was struggling too, trying to defend off three at once. Typhon laughed again.
See how easily I can crush you? See how easy that was? But no, that's no fun. I have to kill you myself in the end, but not before more enjoyment. Let's see what we can bring forth.
The world shimmered before Reyna's eyes, and then she was looking upon it again. Except the storm was getting bigger, rising, and in the very center of it, she saw the top half of Typhon's body. It was huge, unbelievably big. Unable to draw away her eyes, Reyna stood there, with sword in hand, waiting for what Typhon had to offer next. Suddenly, something lashed out from the rising storm. Reyna couldn't even tell what it was. One moment she saw it fly through the air, the next moment, Jason lay dead on the ground.
"No!" she screamed, her chest tightning, fear filling her stomach in a way she had never known. Scrambling over, she knelt down beside Jason's side.
"Jason…" Tears lingered at her eyelashes, threatening to fall. "I'm so sorry. I should have known, saved you…" Tears were now streaming down Reyna's face. He couldn't be dead, this wasn't happening. "I never even got to really tell you that…that…" Another scream pierced the air. Jason's scream. Reyna leaped up. Somehow Jason was kneeling down, beside…
Reyna's jaw dropped in shock. Jason was kneeling beside her dead body.
"Jason!" she gasped. And the spell was broken. Jason's head snapped up, saw her, and didn't even bother to contemplate what had just happened. Running over, he flung his arms around Reyna.
"I thought," he gasped, trying to catch his breath. "I thought you were dead, and I–"
"I know," Reyna whispered, holding onto Jason. "I did too." They were both crying. Jason reached up, wiping away Reyna's tears with his thumb.
"I don't know what I would've done if you had died," he whispered back, his lips closer than they had been the previous second. Reyna felt that charismatic tugging, wanting to lift up her head just the slightest bit, tilt it sideways, and–
Oh, how fun it is to play around with young love. Typhon spoke out again. Reyna felt herself become extremely angry, and she could tell Jason felt the same. His hand tensed on hers.
"So you think it's okay to just make an illusion, and have us think the other was dead? Do you really–" Jason shook his head in frustration. "It's completely not okay to just take Reyna away from me like that, and to have it end up as a trick…You miserable monster, you horrible thing."
"Jason, stop!" He couldn't keep going. If he did, she was sure he was going to really get killed this time. And Reyna couldn't let that happen.
"I don't care," he heaved. "Don't you understand?" he asked, turning to Reyna. "I don't know how you felt when you thought that I was dead, but I felt terrible. And you," Jason snarled, turning back to Typhon, "are going to pay." Reyna closed her eyes for a slight second, a billion thoughts rushing through her mind all at once. She thought Typhon's words. Oh, how fun it is to play around with young love. Jason's closeness to her, clinging onto each other, holding each other while they tried to stop their tears. His lips had almost touched hers. And the smallest glimmer of hope had shone its ray of sunshine on Reyna, the smallest glimmer of hope that Jason still loved her. Reyna forced all that to the back of her mind. She couldn't afford to think like that right now, not when Jason was about to lunge–
"Jason!" This time, he did lay unmoving on the ground. But Reyna wouldn't be fazed by that. She wouldn't let it defeat her. After all they'd been through, she was determined to succeed. For him. Jason. The boy she loved more than the universe had stars.
Daughter of war, Reyna told herself as she turned and faced Typhon's growing figure alone. Fighting with her sword and spear, she attempted to force him back into Tartarus. It was futile.
Praetor of the Twelfth Legion, she reminded herself, calling upon the magical powers of Aurum and Argentum. Just as magically, they came, appearing at her call. She fought with them until Typhon knocked both down at once.
"No!" Reyna screamed, feeling her eyes sting. But Jason, magically getting up from his fall, was already stumbling over, tending to them.
Reyna had nothing now, nothing to defend herself from the still rising figure of Typhon.
Almost nothing. Almost, but not quite.
Jason Grace.
And with the strength of her love, with sheer will and force and the thought of Jason, Reyna pushed Typhon back into the deep, dark pits of Tartarus.
Typhon had been defeated. But as he sunk back, a whispering voice sounded in the air.
You may have defeated me, child of war. But I can still abide in a small, final victory. I can still leave you defeated though you defeated me. I can still take away what made you succeed…
"Jason!" Reyna screamed from out of nowhere. Everything moved as if in slow motion. Jason saw a giant cage descending from above, and then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Reyna's figure. She slammed into him, knocking him over and away.
And the cage that would have caught him and sent him to Tartarus caught Reyna instead.
"Reyna!" Jason screamed, an unearthly sound that rose above all else. He reminisced all the times he had with her; perhaps those years were the best of his life. He remembered how he had broken her so completely when he had left. And in his mind, he heard the voice of Bellona, the voice of Echidna.
You would succeed but for the son of Jupiter standing by your side.
Only now, too late, Jason realized what that meant.
"It's fine," she whispered, so that Jason had to strain to hear.
The cage sunk lower and lower, now the base was completely covered.
"Reyna," Jason gasped, tears streaming down his face. "Give me your hand." Understanding completely, she placed her hand in his without a word, closing her eyes and concentrating. Jason felt warmth in his hand, and he drew in all of power as he tried his best to call upon lightning one final time.
Jason drew in his memories of Reyna. He remembered how she had beaten him in three seconds flat in their first battle. He remembered how when he finally beat her, she had ranted about how he had cheated, and he'd called her a bad sport. He remembered sitting with her on top of the hills, watching the sun set and the stars rise, and wanting to take her hand. He remembered all the promises he made that night, before he disappeared. He remembered how he had held her hand and told her he would never leave.
The cage was sinking further and further, at such a pace. Reyna now strained to hold onto Jason's hand, and if he didn't do it quickly, she would be gone. Calling upon all he had, keeping in mind how much he loved the girl he was holding onto, Jason concentrated. And at the exact same time that lightning flashed, the cage went under.
Reyna awoke to find herself in a dark place. She attempted to adjust to the lighting, but it was pitch black. Rising up from the ground, her feet led her to a ferry. Charon stood there, ready to lead her across. Once she had taken the ferry, she was presented to Rhadamanthus, Minos, and Aeacus. Which was which, she couldn't tell.
"Elysium," one hissed immediately. Another nodded. Reyna felt a slight bit of relief, but something wasn't right.
"Wait," the third said. "You died in noble honor…and since it was such a close call, therefore you may have the rarest of choices ever given. You may be taken to the one place of your greatest desire…be it the Elysium, your home, or…somewhere else. However, be careful where you choose…since it may just result in your death again." Camp Jupiter jumped immediately into Reyna's mind, but what she was unaware of was that something had been in there before…a place she always longed to be.
Jason collapsed on the ground in tears. Reyna was gone. Gone. Forever.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry." Jason stared at the ground where Reyna went under. A final, evil laugh echoed in the air. The quest had been completed, Typhon defeated. But none of it mattered anymore, since Reyna was gone. Stumbling up, Jason tried to calm himself. He hadn't even told her, plain and simple, that he loved her. He had said he loved fighting beside her, but he hadn't said the simple three words of I love you to Reyna. He had never said it to the person he loved most in any world. Reyna had died thinking he was in love with Piper, and believing she was only just his best friend. But she wasn't. She was anything and everything he ever wanted and ever needed, more than he could ever ask for. And now she was gone. Because of him.
Jason figured he would take the same route out, through the Doors of Orpheus which Reyna had opened with her beautiful voice. But that was going to be the hard part. Pluto wouldn't let him go a second time.
Jason hadn't yet walked ten steps before he encountered Pluto again.
"YOU!" he roared. "WHERE'S THAT OTHER GIRL?"
"Shut up!" Jason snarled. "Don't you dare ever mention her."
Pluto laughed, standing up.
"She's gone, isn't she?" Jason took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
"Does that make you happy? The fact that she's gone?" His voice, against his will, began to rise.
"Yes," Pluto replied, with a wicked smile.
"Then let me go," Jason said evenly. "Let me go, unless she comes back." Pluto thought about it for a while, and nodded, ever so slowly.
"All right then," he smiled. His smile and nod freaked Jason out more than anything, and he began to think that Pluto knew something he did not…
Slowly, Jason began to climb the tunnel, keeping his eye on the light and not turning back, ever. Ten steps away, nine, eight. Seven, six, five. Four, three–
Reyna materialized out of nowhere into Jason's arms.
"No," he gasped, almost bursting into tears. "Anytime but now, no." Reyna leaped up, and a scream from Pluto was heard. If only Reyna had come back just three seconds later, then they would have been safe and sound, outside of the Underworld, in the sweet sunlight of Central Park. But Pluto had known, or else he would never have agreed.
"I said I would let you go if and only if she never appeared again…And now I will never let you go, ever," he hissed. "I will take you both, but her first." Jason's grip on Reyna's hand tightened even further. No, he thought. I will save her somehow. I won't let her leave me again.
The last thing Reyna heard before she was thrown out of the Underworld was Jason's scream.
"Get the hell away from my girlfriend!"