Run.
The word exploded in her mind, the only thing keeping her going, keeping her feet from stumbling. It played over and over, a prayer and a mantra and a life all rolled in one.
Something crashed through the bushes behind her, something large and furious and utterly terrifying. Reyna didn't get scared easily, but she was afraid, bone-deep chills.
Suddenly, the forest she was crashing through dissolved into a pool of darkness. She could see her own reflection in it--wide black eyes, hair escaping her hasty braid. Her face flickered, the black eyes melting away to a cooler brown, her hair totally escaping and turning the color of the Earth. Then the reflection's eyelids snapped shut and a voice echoed in her mind.
I may be asleep... the voice murmured, threading through Reyna's thoughts, but my people still do what I need above. You have yet to completely get rid of me, Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano. Reyna's jaw clenched, and the reflection curled her lips into a mocking smile. Do not fret, my dear, for you never will truly get rid of the earth mother...
Reyna gasped, awake again. Her dreams had been progressively getting worse ever since Nico had arrived, and now she was seeing Gaea? There was something even more wrong than she had first thought. She needed to find Percy, and she needed to fix Nico.
***
Unsurprisingly, Percy was not at all against Reyna going on her field trip. He did hesitate a second when she asked him to take her role as praetor, though."Are you sure? Why not Jason?"
"Well, he isn't fully a part of this camp anymore, is he?" Reyna said. "He wouldn't be my first choice." Maybe she was being a little harsh?
"Fine," Percy acquiesced, sighing. He dragged a hand through his mess of black hair, his green eyes a bit unfocused. "And is Frank okay with all this?"
"Yes," she said. Reyna had found Frank and gotten his fumbling permission to take temporary leave of her praetor duties. He had blushed furiously when she had asked him if it was alright, and he had asked her several times if it was really okay that he would mostly be taking over. There was pride in him, though, when he finally accepted her firm yes.
"Okay, yeah," Percy said. He half-smiled. "Have fun. And just don't give up on him, okay?"
Reyna patted his arm. "Relax, kelphead. I got this." She definitely hoped she did.
I really hope so.
YOU ARE READING
Darkness and Duty
RomansaBecause Reyna and Nico are life. (Yes, I also ship Solangelo. They're adorable!)