Reyna didn't think much of Seattle.
It was a city, that looked like every other American city she'd seen so far, except maybe taller and wetter. There didn't seem to be anything in it that made it special enough to house the Amazons. Also, Seattle was big. Lengthwide, widthwise, and heightwise. Reyna wondered how on Earth they were going to find the warrior women in the massive grid of streets.
Hylla solved that problem rather quickly by holding a hand out and yelling, "Taxi!"
She and Reyna piled into the back seat. The driver drew back the little glass window and asked gruffly, "Where to?"
"Amazon headquarters," Hylla answered, not looking up from the bag she was rummaging through. The taxi driver nodded and replaced the window panel.
"Is he a demigod, too?" Reyna asked.
"Probably not," Hylla said.
"But he knows where the Amazons are."
"The Amazons run a company called Amazon," Hylla explained, like Reyna was being tedious. "It's how they generate income. They sell things across the United States, and maybe other places too."
The taxi stopped at a traffic light and Reyna watched the rain hitting the window. Even the rain was different here than in Puerto Rico. Here the rain came down in little, cold droplets, not in warm splashes. Actually, a lot about America seemed colder to her. Maybe it was because she grew up in Viejo San Juan. She had always thought of that as a somewhat cheerful place. Cheerier than this city, anyway.
"Why would they take us in?" Reyna asked. It was a question that had been nagging at her for a while, since before the attack on the highway.
"They want to recruit," Hylla said. "They need warriors."
"Salespeople."
"Shut up."
"How did you go from wanting to stay on Circe's safe little island to joining a cult of warriors?"
"They aren't a cult," Hylla snapped. "And Mom told me to go there."
Reyna froze. "Mom? You spoke with Mom? When?"
Hylla shrugged. "Back in Washington, D.C. Why, hasn't she said anything to you?"
That could have been a genuine question, but it was laced with barbs that stuck in Reyna's skin. Underlying Hylla's tone was a clear message: Mom must like me better, then.
"You're older," Reyna murmured, not realized she'd spoken out loud until Hylla replied, "Exactly."
That stung too. Bellona would always like Hylla better, because Hylla would always be older.
Before she could wallow in that for too long, however, the cab driver pulled up to the curb and said, "Here y'are, miss."
It looked like an office building to Reyna, and she almost thought that they'd come to the wrong place except for the large letters that spelled out 'AMAZON' on the building's front door. Or doors. Inside, Reyna could see a large front desk manned by a young woman in a black pantsuit. She was watching them curiously, and maybe just a little bit coldly. When she saw Reyna staring back even more coldly, she went back to sorting papers on the black granite surface of her desk.
"Come on," Hylla said, tugging Reyna towards the doors.
"My least favorite two words ever," Reyna muttered.
"No, that's 'shut up'," Hylla corrected. Now she was even telling Reyna what Reyna liked.
The woman at the desk looked up in ernest as they entered, tossing a few more papers on a pile before interlacing her fingers and turning to them. "May I help you?"
"Yes," Hylla said bluntly, walking right up to the desk. Looking like hell, she still projected an aura of strength. The woman behind the desk didn't seem intimidated, to her credit, but she did rise to meet Hylla's challenging advance toward her. "Is this the headquarters for the Amazons?"
"This is Amazon's central establishment, yes," said the woman, clearly referring to the company and not the ancient warrior cult-but-not-a-cult. Her name tag read 'KINZIE' and she was no older than Hylla, now that Reyna was seeing her up close. The two stared each other down aggressively.
"Not 'Amazon', 'the Amazons," Hylla corrected. "Ever heard of them?"
Just when Reyna thought that the girl wasn't going to answer, she replied, "How were you referred to us?"
"My mother told us where you were," Hylla said.
"Your mother?"
"Bellona."
The girl looked visibly shocked for longer than Reyna would ever have allowed herself to look. Her eyes went from Hylla, to Reyna, then back to Hylla before she went over to her desk and pressed a button. There was a brief buzzing sound. Then doors on either side of the main room swung open, and half a dozen armed guards, all women, poured in.
"Relax, relax!" Kinzie the receptionist called as both Reyna and Hylla drew weapons of their own. All the guards put their weapons away, a clear sign of peace. Reyna followed their example. Hylla did so more slowly, but did end up sheathing her knife. "You came looking for us, so here we are. They'll take you down to see the Queen."