The other Grace/HoO fanfiction

(15) Family Reunion

Thalia blinked and studied Jason carefully.

"My gods! She told me you were dead!" She hugged him tightly. "Thank Artemis, it is you. That little scar on you lip- when you were two, your sis- nevermind, I'm so glad you are alive."

"W-wait," Jason stammered. "Who told you I was dead? What happened?"

A white wolf stepped forward before Thalia could reply. The hunter looked at it in the eye and it was almost as if she could communicate with it. After a few seconds she nodded.

"My wolf is telling me I don't have much time, and she's right. But we have to talk. It's cold let's get inside the cave."

Once they got inside, Piper tried to sit down but she collapsed. Thalia imidiatly rushed at her side.

"What's wrong with her? Ah- nevermind I see. Hypothermia." She turned at Leo and Layla. "You and the girl. Take her to my friend at the entrance. Ciara is an excellent healer."

Layla out of curiosity wanted to stay. Leo hoelwever pulled her hand. "Come on. These two need to talk." He said.

Layla knew that Thalia needed time with her brother and she respected that. Moreover, staying would mean explaining everything to them and she wasn't sure she could do that.

"Fine." She said and proceeded to help Piper stand up, carrying her towards the entrance. Leo was about to follow but Jason asked him to stay with him. Of course, Layla felt a little jealous Jason hadn't ask for her support although she hadn't expected him to.

"Lay her down inside the tent." The hunter at the entrance, Ciara, said. How had she manage to set the big silver tent up in less that five minutes she didn't know. Hunters never failed to amaze her.

"So, how is it like to be a Hunter?" Layla had always wanted to ask somebody this question. She had even seriously  considered joining the hunt. She hadn't yet simply because immortality seemed like too much to her.

Ciara smiled. "Joining the hunt was the best desicion in my life."Why? Do you want to join?" She said handing her a silver card. Layla took it and put in her jacket's pocket wondering if hunters always carried cards like that around.

"I'm not sure. No offense but being Immortal sounds boring."

"I understand. I was like that at first."

"What changed your mind?"

Ciara signed. "My family kicked me out of our house in Rome."

"Oh, you lived in Rome. I've always wanted to go there." Saying unimportant and irrelevant things in the most serious situations is talent not many people have. Apparently, Layla was one of them.

"It's a beautiful city. I lived in a big black house with a big garden full of trees and birds. We even had a fountain near the house, the biggest fountain in Rome at that time. And the Roman Market was near. It was amazing." Ciara said with a sad smile.

"Why did they kick you out?" Layla knew it was rude to ask suck personal questions, but her curiosity beat her manners.

"I found information about a poison, a very powerful sleeping potion, and I was fancinated by it so I tried to brew it. Matteo, a friend of mine found out and accused me of being a witch. And I'm asking you, are these people that make these - these sleeping pills these days called wizards? No, they're called scientists."

"You were accused of being a witch?"

"Yeah. You probably already know about how badly they treated women in medieval Europe."