The Shadow Summoner | Book Three - PJO Universe

eleven

REYNA HAS A LAUGH ATTACK

Reyna, Ariana and Meg were waiting for Apollo at the camp's front gates, though Ariana barely recognized the former.

In place of her praetor's regalia, she wore blue running shoes and skinny jeans, a long-sleeved copper tee, and a maroon sweater wrap.

With her hair pulled back in a braided whip and her face lightly brushed with makeup, she could've passed for one of the many thousands of Bay Area college students that nobody would think twice about.

Ariana supposed that was the point.

"What?" Reyna asked Apollo.

Apollo realized he'd been staring. "Nothing."

Meg snorted. She was dressed in her usual green dress, yellow leggings, and red high-tops, so she could blend in with the many thousands of Bay Area first graders- except for her twelve-year-old's height, her gardening belt, and the pink button pinned to her collar that displayed a stylized unicorn's head with crossed bones underneath.

Ariana wondered if she'd bought it in a New Rome gift shop or somehow gotten it specially made.

Either possibility was unsettling.

Reyna spread her hands. "I do have civilian clothes, Apollo. Even with the Mist helping to obscure things, walking through San Francisco in full legionnaire armor can attract some funny looks."

"No. Yeah."

"Can we go now?" Ariana asked impatiently.

Reyna put two fingers in her mouth and let loose a taxi-cab whistle so shrill it cleared out his Eustachian tubes.

From inside the fort, her two metal greyhounds came running, barking like small-weapons fire.

"Oh, good," Apollo said, trying to suppress his panic-and-run instinct. "Your dogs are coming."

Reyna smirked. "Well, they'd get upset if I drove to San Francisco without them."

"Drove?"

Ariana was about to say In what? when she heard a honk from the direction of the city. A battered bright red Chevy four-by-four rumbled down a road usually reserved for marching legionnaires and elephants.

At the wheel was Hazel Levesque, with Frank Zhang riding shotgun.

They pulled up next to them. The vehicle had barely stopped moving when Aurum and Argentum leaped into the bed of the truck, their metal tongues lolling and tails wagging.

Hazel climbed out of the cab. "All gassed up, Praetor."

"Thank you, Centurion." Reyna smiled. "How are the driving lessons coming along?"

"Good! I didn't even run into Terminus this time."

"Progress," Reyna agreed.

Frank came around from the passenger's side. "Yep, Hazel will be ready for public roads in no time."

"Just to be clear," Ariana spoke, looking directly at Hazel with a terrified expression, "I'd never get in a car that you're driving."

Ariana had many things to ask: Where did they keep this truck? Was there a gas station in New Rome? Why had they been hiking so much if it was possible to drive?

Meg beat them to the real question: "Do I get to ride in back with the dogs?"

"No, ma'am," said Reyna. "You'll sit in the cab with your seat belt on."

"Aw." Meg ran off to pet the dogs.

Frank gave Reyna a bear hug (without turning into a bear). "Be careful out there, all right?"