Reyna's POV

The air was cool in the morning and I had stopped shivering at some point in the night. I wasn't sure why until I woke up early the next morning. Needless to say it was a little surprising to find Thalia and I tangled together but I didn't move. According to Jason some days she was a morning person, other days not so much and you never knew what you were going to get.

I had an arm slung across her side and one of my legs was awkwardly positioned between hers. But most embarrassing of all was that Thalia's face was pressed against my chest while my other arm rested beneath her head. My heart was the only thing I could hear and I waited anxiously praying she would wake up. When she didn't I took matters into my own hands.

"Thalia wake up!" She sat bolt up right looking around alert and ready.

"What?" She asked. I fought the urge to laugh and instead thanked the gods that my arm was free and no longer fuzzy feeling.

"Nothing," I said smugly sitting up and stretching.

"Well thanks," She grumbled. "I could have slept. I was rather comfortable."

"Yeah well we have to get a move on. We have to get to that base." I was already grabbing our bags.

"Whatever you say." Thalia rolled her eyes and stood up. "I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" I asked with a frown.

"Do you really want to know?" She asked with a smug expression.

"On second thought never mind." With a small shiver I turned my back and set to work on rolling up the sleeping bag. A few moments later I was outside waiting for Thalia to return. At last she jogged into view.

"Alright let's do this." She said already in better spirits. I figured it had to do with the possibility of seeing her friends. In all honesty I was excited too. Maybe some of Hylla's friends were there as well.

"I glanced at the map once again. We have to head east," Thalia smiled, pointing off into the distance. "So that way."

"How did you know?"

"Open skies," She shrugged. "Makes it easier to feel directions."

"Feel directions?" I laughed.

"It's no different than Percy knowing stuff about the Ocean." She explained taking her bag from me.

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to be rude." I replied as Thalia shrunk the tent back down into a thin silver square and stuffed it into her pocket.

"I know. Now follow me." She said and started to walk with a bounce to her step. With a sigh I followed. She lead on connecting us back to the main road. Cars drove by at quick speeds blowing up trash and dirt. At one point a rock flew up from a tire and I watched Thalia yelp and hold her face in her hands.

"Fuck!" She cursed.

"You good?" I asked resting a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at me and I noticed a cut on her eyebrow causing blood to run down her face. "I take that as a no."

"You think?" She asked sarcastically. "Let's get away from the road these people don't know how to drive."

"They're staying in their lanes," I noted, before realizing that probably wasn't too helpful.

"Yeah but they sure as hell are breaking the speed limit." Now that I could agree with. She sat down and I set to work on fixing the small cut. The thing about head wounds was that they bleed a lot no matter how small they were.

"Hold still." I sighed rinsing out the wound with water from one of the few water bottles we had.

"Thanks for the water boarding." She quipped spitting water at me.

"So immature." I rolled my eyes and at last the wound stopped bleeding. "Now get your butt up we still have to go a good ways."

"Aye aye captain." She saluted before getting back up and this time walked a good ways away from the road. The sound of flapping came from over head and I looked up to see the Pegasi. They landed a few paces in front of us seeming refreshed from a good night's rest.

"Alright are you ready?" I asked running a hand through the main of the pegasus. She snorted and stomped her foot. Something Scipio used to do. It was usually a yes or a hell to the no. "I'm assuming it's a yes."

"Woo hoo more flying," Thalia said, as sarcastic as ever.

"Are you always a negative person?" I asked hopping on the pegasus.

"Honey electricity is a negative charge," Thalia said, snapping her fingers.

"Actually it depends. Sometimes it's a purely positive charge other times the atoms mix to form a combination of charges," I explained with a smile. She rolled her eyes and climbed on behind me. "Be of use and tell me where to go wide sky lady."

"Wow you're pushy," Thalia scoffed but agreed. The journey was under way again and we made our way towards the city.  She seemed less afraid when focusing on something such as directions. I imagined it kept her from imagining all the horrible ways she could fall to her death.

"Okay I can't tell you where the base is I only have general directions," Thalia said. I nodded and we landed on the flat roof of a building over looking the city. A cool breeze whipped loose strands of hair around my face. Thalia slipped off and turned in a circle studying the terrain. I walked closer to the edge of the building and pulled out the map trying to pinpoint the general location of the thumbtack.

"Reyna." Thalia said and I turned to see her standing carefully at the edge of the building. She waved me over. Shuffling on the rooftop I stood next to her. Her dark hair blew about like crazy and her piercing blue eyes scanned the crowd of people like an eagle waiting to snatch its prey. "There."

I followed where she was pointing to see a tall lanky man in dark black clothes walking, his pale skin sticking out in the light. Behind him three dogs walked sniffing the ground. Two girls were next to him on either side walking tensely. "I can't see close enough."

"Hang on," Thalia said, closing her eyes. I studied her face, her eyebrows were drawn together in concentration and her breathing was shallow. "Give me your hand."

"What?" I asked.

"Give me your hand. Like before when I showed you my visions." She said hurriedly holding her palm out. I nodded and fitted my hand into hers. "Close your eyes."

I did as told much to my disliking and the outside world faded away. Slowly everything began to appear in my head as a clear colorless image of the city. Everything was outlined by moving white lines.

"Air currents," Thalia explained.

"Like what you used to see the invisible monster?" I asked.

"Exactly," Thalia nodded. The view narrowed until I was focused on the walking figures. The tall lanky man glanced about almost nervously and the dogs sniffed the air. I studied the faces of the girls something tugging at the back of my mind.

"Thalia I think..." I paused wanting to be sure of what I saw. "That's Maya and Lee."

"Who?" She asked.

"My sister's friends. I remember them but why are they..." The tall lanky man turned his gaze settling on us. His hand twitched and raised up to his ear. His mouth began to move and I snapped my eyes open. "That's Lycaon. The mist is disguising him!"

"Fuck. He spotted us. He must have been tipped off. But how?" Thalia asked opening her eyes and dropping my hand. I turned scanning the nearby roofs but saw nothing.

"I don't know-" It was a familiar impact. The force of a car slamming into the front of me and the world spinning as if I were free falling. I gathered my senses enough to realize I was headed for the ground. The only thing that stopped my momentum was slamming onto the back of the Pegasus.

I glanced up to see Thalia shield ready and spear on hand squaring off against the strange monster. It'd come from no where. It shifted into a basilisk and lunged at her foot. She barely managed to step out of the way before it sank its teeth into her ankle.

I leapt off the Pegasus and rolled to my feet having landed back on the roof thanks to its help. Blade in hand I swung at the basilisk. It coiled up retreating from the blade before changing into a chimera.

"Seriously?" Thalia yelled, and I turned to see that three wolves had managed to get on the roof as well.

"We need to keep an eye on Lycoan," I warned, dodging the poison from the snake head.

"I know that," Thalia snapped, stabbing at a wolf.

"Come on, we gotta ditch these guys!" I yelled over my shoulder at her.

"What do you want me to do?" She asked rolling to the side.

"Maybe use your powers?" I asked using the flat of my sword to bat the snake head away.

"Alright duck!" Thalia yelled and I dropped to the ground. She rotated the spear in her hand and slammed the end into the ground. There was a loud bang making my ears ring. I watched as the chimera and wolves went flying backwards. The thunder wave having shot them off the edge of the building.

"Nice," I breathed, getting to my feet. There was another loud crackle and for a moment I thought it was after shock. The sound repeated and I looked seeing a crack appear in the roof. "Thalia."

Her eyes widened as the roof caved in. I yelped as the floor gave out and crumbled beneath my legs as spider cracks webbed outwards. It paused for a moment and I glanced around to see Thalia on the floor beneath mine nursing a wounded shoulder. I stood thinking everything was fine only for everything to cave at once.

I could hardly make anything out. There were clouds of dirt, rubble raining down, and something impaled my leg during my fall. Landing painfully on my side I felt myself being dragged. I glanced up to see Thalia dragging me by the back of my shirt away from the mass of rubble.

"Can you stand?" She coughed. I nodded struggling to my feet. I tried to walk when something flared in my leg. I looked down to see an iron rod protruding from my thigh.

"Hang on." I gripped it and pulled hard with one hand crying out in pain as it made a sucking noise and came free. "Do you see Lycoan?"

"Over there. You're not supposed to pull those types of things out of your body," Thalia chastised, pointing at a tall black haired, pale ,and greasy haired man wading through the crowd that had gathered. Hylla's two friends made eye contact with me and one message was clear. Help.

"Go!" I said.

"What?" She asked looking around quickly.

"I can't run right now but you can. Besides the monsters will be back. I'll buy you time," I insisted.

"No!" She said almost angrily. "We aren't splitting up anymore."

"We have to," I argued, limping through the rubble.

"Not happening Arellano," Thalia argued, and just like that she picked me up and ran. "Where to?"

"Go left." I said as she picked up speed plowing through the crowd. Blood gushed from the wound and I could only imagine how she managed to carry me with a wounded shoulder.

I could hear people behind us screaming and I could picture the pursuing monsters in my head. Thalia had sweat forming on her brow as she skidded around a corner stumbling a bit. "I can see them."

We hurried down a side street towards a building. Up ahead I could see Lycoan and Hylla's friends. At first they appeared to be free but as I looked closer I could see a sort of silver bracelet on each of  their wrists.

"Hang on," Thalia warned. She took a deep breath and at first I had no idea what she was doing but when she exhaled her breath was a powerful wind that knocked Lycoan clean off his feet. He landed with a growl his shades falling off and the mist disguising him failed.

Thalia rested me on my feet and I leaned heavily on my opposite leg.

"Let them go!" Thalia demanded her spear in hand. Lycoan scrambled to his feet his teeth bared.

"Figures you'd show up. Such impeccable timing," Lycoan growled. "I thought you were out of commission."

"What can I say? Cupid isn't as good as he thinks," Thalia said her eyes dangerous.

"Doesn't matter. Looks like you're cornered," Lycoan chuckled and sure enough the wolves and chimera appeared at the opening of the side street.

"Not quite." A new and familiar voice sounded. I glanced up to the roof of a house and my heart skipped a beat.

"Hylla?" Maya asked in awe and her silver bracelet sparked sending a current of electricity through her body. She dropped to the ground shaking.

Hylla sneered and raised her own spear. "Now that's not nice."

Lycoan growled angrily and shifted lunging at Maya, his jaws snapping. Without thinking I sprang forward tackling him to the side. I cried out in pain as gravel found its way into my wound. There was the taste of iron and suddenly Lycoan was smoking in my grip. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he toppled over sideways. His body twitched for a moment until he crawled to his feet.

"Do not touch them," Thalia said angrily and dragged me to my feet. Her gaze was hard causing a chill to run down my spine.

Lycoan howled loud and piercing into the sky. Hylla had managed to put the wolves out of commission. But she was pinned to the wall by the monster which changed from a chimera to an empousai.

Thalia turned prepared to strike it when it moved in a flash knocking her backwards. She landed painfully on her wrist a loud pop could be heard. The monster crawled on top of her and I could see Thalia freeze. A sort of glass like look came over her eyes.

"What's it doing?" I asked Hylla. Hylla's gaze hardened and she wielded her spear.

"Trying to seduce her." She marched over and grabbed it by the back of the neck only for it to shift into yet another form. Hylla kicked it backwards and dragged Thalia to her feet. "Reyna the bracelets."

I nodded going to Maya first who was unconscious. Using the edge of my blade I pried it off. Lee had remained frozen in shock and snapped out of it as I took her bracelet off. Thalia still seemed out of it but managed to keep the monster at bay.

Hylla picked Maya up. "We need to get far away from here."

"There's a secret way out," Lee said.

"Lead on." Hylla ordered and Lee jogged out of the side street. The rest of us followed and I managed to keep pace by limping. Thalia was gingerly babying her wrist.

Howls were resonating in the back ground. Thalia glanced at me from the corner of her eyes and I could see a brief moment of worry. I grabbed her uninjured hand and squeezed it. "You good?"

"Yeah I'm good," She nodded, the glazed look finally fading. She tugged me along until we had made it out of the city. The howls disappeared in the distance and I collapsed on the ground breathing heavily. We were hidden behind miles of road.

"Gods," Thalia said sitting down. Hylla panted setting Maya down who had recently awoken.

"Hylla...what the hell?" I breathed. She smiled lightly at me.

"I realized I made a mistake letting you two go alone," Hylla said between breaths. "I figured you'd kill each other or be killed cleaning up my mess."

"Yeah well thanks," Thalia said but she looked slightly shaken.

"Not a problem." Hylla said resting her hands on her hips. "What was that monster?"

"No idea," replied.

"It's not a monster," Lee said shaking her head. She was a pretty girl of mixed Asian heritage. Her eyes were bright and observant, her chin length hair dark black.

"What do you mean?" Thalia asked her.

"All I know is it's not a monster." Lee said.

"That doesn't make sense it clearly looked like one," I said trying to think.

"Lee's right. That dick was calling it by a name," Maya agreed.

"What name?" Hylla questioned.

"I don't remember," Maya sighed looking down. She was small but lithe with translucent green eyes. She was a daughter of Nemesis. Lee was a daughter of  Ares. It amazed me that they'd been captured considering their heritage. Then again I'd been captured. No one was safe  at this point.

"Doesn't matter," Thalia said. "The point is we didn't find the base. All we did was ruin a building. There could be others back in the city who need our help."

"Agreed but we need to heal," Hylla said. "And we need a plan. No more rushing into things. Seriously Rey I thought you'd think things through."

"Maybe I've been spending too much time with Sparky," I said smiling at Thalia.  The corners of her mouth twitched up in a smile. I turned back to Hylla. Her head was tilted slightly, a family trait of ours which only really happened if we were studying something. "What?"

"Nothing," She said quickly. "We should camp here."

"I got the tent but it's small," Thalia  said standing up. She set the thin silver square down and mumbled a word causing it to expand.

"You two stayed in there?" Hylla asked looking at the small room sized space.

"Yes. Why?" I asked seeing a slight smile play at her lips.

"How'd sleeping arrangements go? Did you put Thalia outside?" Hylla asked me

"Er no...why would I do that?" I frowned.

"Cause Thalia cuddles in her sleep," Hylla smirked. Thalia's cheeks flared up a deep red.

"And how would you know this?" I asked with a frown crossing my arms.

"Cause Jason told me. He tells a lot of things. He's gotta get back at Thalia somehow. She tells everyone his embarrassing stories,"  Hylla said smirking. I sighed and glanced at Thalia.

"I am going to kill him. He can't keep his mouth shut about anything!" Thalia frowned then looked at me. "Please tell me I didn't, you know..."

Maya and Lee watched curiously, amused expressions on their faces.

"You um....you did," I said, and a completely mortified expression covered her face.

"I am so sorry!" She said causing the rest of us to laugh.

"It's fine. Hylla's the same way," I said smirking. She gave me a death glare but I just laughed it off.

"Well any of you guys know how to deal with broken wrists?" Thalia asked hopefully. All of them shook there heads.

"I have a general idea of how," I said.

"Let me guess some class you had to take?" Thalia asked sarcastically.

"Actually yes. We have to take a general field medic class. It's required so doctor Ramirez Arellano is here," I said walking into the tent and getting the first aid kit. Inside were small rations of ambrosia. I passed a small piece to everyone who needed it.

"I don't know about you but Im going to find good food," Hylla said stretching.

"Don't go alone," I said sternly.

"Relax little sis I won't," Hylla laughed.

"We'll come," Maya promised, gesturing to herself and Lee. Hylla nodded and after telling us which direction they were going in, headed out. I pulled out some bandages and searched for a good stick or two to make a splint. Once everything was ready I pulled Thalia's hand into my lap.

Her fingers were shaking slightly and I had to lace mine with hers to keep the rest of her hand steady. After resting the sticks on either side of her wrist I let go of her hand and wrapped it tightly. She winced looking away.

"All done," I said.

"Thank you," She sighed looking at my work. "Not bad."

"Told you it'd be fine," I mused, cleaning up. She rolled her eyes and layed down on her back. With nothing else to do we watched the sunset bath the sky in colors no artist could ever truly paint.

The sound of a branch snapping signaled the arrival of Hylla, Maya, and Lee. They each held big bags of fast food.

"Who knew they had Mc'Donalds all the way out here?" Hylla asked pulling out food. Thalia's lip curled up at the sight of all of it.

"What?" I asked her curiously.

"Nothing it's just been ages since I've had a lot of fast food." She explained.

"Yeah, her and her little virgin friends like to eat healthy," Hylla teased, earning a smack on the arm from Thalia.

"Is that why you're so fit?" I asked jokingly.

"I exercise!" Thalia said defensively while Maya and Lee laughed.

"I'm kidding," I smiled, taking food from Hylla and eating hungrily. Thalia laughed and got food as well. It was sort of a bittersweet moment because in the back of my head I couldn't help but think about our friends who were locked away somewhere unable to have a simple fast food meal.

Thalia stole some of Hylla's fries earning her a bruise to the arm. Maya and Lee fought over the last drink. In all it was sweet. That night we crowded into the tent and passed out form junk food overload.