The Fate of Olympus | Reynabeth [✓]

6. Leaving Camp Jupiter, Part I

Annabeth and Reyna finished packing their bags. They were standing in the shade of an oak tree. Annabeth replayed Nerio's not-so-subtle secret message in her mind. She'd mentally decoded:

Noirs = Norse mythology

Bravo Oscar Sierra Tango Oscar November = Boston

Walk Like an Egyptian = Egyptian mythology

Mike Echo Mike Papa Hotel India Sierra Tango November = Memphis, TN

Using phonetic code was a bit of a risk, as phonetic code was pretty common among anyone who used radios and telephones. It wasn't much of a code, but Annabeth figured that Nerio had made up the message on the spot, hoping that no one eavesdropping would be able to remember and decipher her words. Luckily, Annabeth had never forgotten something she heard. 

"How's the boyfriend situation?" Reyna asked, double-checking that her Imperial gold dagger was in her magic bag from the Hunters.

Annabeth detected a not-so-subtle edge in Reyna's voice.

"I just talked with Percy," said Annabeth. "He's surprisingly fine that he can't come with me. I said he needed to focus on staying in class for once. He's happy for...me. Percy and I can operate independently, you know. We're not chained at the hip."

"Whatever," said Reyna.

"Frank's going to do a good job running Camp Jupiter," said Annabeth soothingly. "You ran things by yourself for way longer."

"Those were difficult times. I would never wish that kind of pressure upon anyone, especially not Frank. He's been through enough hearta..."

Annabeth waited for Reyna to finish her sentence until she realized how momentous the word that was hanging in the air: heartache. It wasn't the right word; there was no reason for Frank to feel heartache upon Reyna's departure.

Annabeth did something that she wouldn't have expected herself to do. She hugged Reyna.

"Those were trying times. You made it. You don't need a man to validate you," said Annabeth.

"I...never said that."

Annabeth released her from the hug. "You didn't need to."

The legion often thought that Reyna hid her emotions, but Annabeth could read her now. She was gobsmacked. It felt kind of good to surprise a stoic leader like Reyna.

"The love goddess was right. The only thing you need to heal your heart is you, not someone else. Time, perseverance, and focusing on learning what makes you happy is what will heal your heart."

"I know it's not a fair comparison, Annabeth, but..." Reyna looked at her feet. "Piper tried to tell me that a mortal or a god would come to heal my heart. It felt like a hollow hope, even then."

"That's because she's not mature or smart."

"Let's get this quest over with," Reyna said quickly, marching up the hill toward Terminus.

Annabeth ran after her, uphill, toting her own duffel bag full of survival gear and snacks. Unfortunately, it was not a magical bag, so Annabeth had to carry the entire weight of it by herself.

Terminus, the handless bust, popped into existence on the crest of the hill. "Whoa!"

"Two demigods, leaving the perimeter," said Reyna, who had hardly broken a sweat.

Annabeth tried to hide the sound of her heavy breathing. She wasn't out of shape; she'd just spent the past few months indoors studying.

"The two of you need to stay here," said Terminus. "Annabeth has a midterm in just two weeks! People say summer classes are less challenging than they are in the autumn, but that's just propaganda to maintain a bell curve for the grade distribution. And Reyna needs to run the legion."