Missing

Torture

Reyna's POV

Hylla was asleep when woke and part of me had thought that maybe everything had just been a dream. Even Luke but I was wrong. I was still in the cell with damp air choking me slowly but surely. My body still burned and my eyes could hardly focus on anything. I felt my wound gingerly and winced as pain flared in my neck. It wasn't healing that was bad. Hylla said it was infected which only made the healing process harder. Small amounts of nectar could only do so much when your wound was self destructive.

"Don't touch it," Hylla scolded, startling me. I hadn't noticed that she was awake. Meeting her worried gaze I noticed that her eyes were duller than usual and I was reminded of her situation. She'd been here longer than me. It was no Siri died that stress and poor conditions had gotten to her. She grasped my hand in hers staring blankly at the ceiling. "Ten seconds till breakfast."

"What?" I croaked swallowing back pain as I spoke.

"The schedule. They follow a routine." Sure enough there was a pounding on the door.

"Stay back and don't interfere!" A gruff voice ordered. The scraping of the lock sounded and the door creaked open revealing a man in a guards uniform only he wasn't holding food. Two more guards dragged another body in the cell tossing him on the floor his head cracking against the ground. The door was slammed shut leaving Hylla and I stunned. Hylla was the first to do anything. She approached the being and he stirred. Rolling onto his back he opened his eyes and gasped for air. A side of his face was swollen and bloody. In fact it looked like gold blood.

"Who are you?" Hylla demanded. The man simply groaned out a name. "Who's Fawn?"

"Hylla," I warned. She glanced at me seeing my soft expression. Swallowing tightly she backed away still watching him. The man stayed on the floor for a long time before he finally dragged himself to a wall where he struggled to his feet. His eyes were a familiar piercing blue despite his mangled appearance. I felt a twisting in my stomach but I wasn't sure what it was; disappointment, relief, comfort?

"You," he gasped gesturing to me. Hylla frowned stepping between me and the man.

"What about her?" Hylla grumbled. The man shook his head his knees wobbling as he collapsed back onto the floor. He hardly had the strength to remain upright on his knees. He gave me a look I wasn't quite certain about. It could have been pity, happiness, or relief. Sucking in a whale breath a small smile twisted his bruised features.

"Your friend..." He rested his back against the wall. "She's alive."

"What's he talking about?" Hylla asked looking at me quizzically.

"Thalia?" I mumbled my neck throbbing. The man nodded. "Sila?"

"That's my name." He laughed lightly. It was a deep sound filling the space with a sort of melancholy air.

"Im clearly missing something." Hylla frowned. Sila closed his eyes letting out a pained breath of air.

"My name is Sila. Your friend Thalia Grace is alive. She's with a young friend of mine. She's trying to find you but I was stupid and tried to fix the problem without endangering her life. I came for you but obviously it didn't work out." He gestured to his appearance. "I should have known he would react in such a poor manner."

"Who?" Hylla demanded.

"Food!" A voice interrupted slipping in a single tray with a small bit of bread and a cup of water. Hylla made a move for the door as the man retracted his arm. She kicked it hard catching his hand between the wall and the door. "Agh!"

"Thanks but we're having a discussion it's rude to interrupt." The guard slammed the door shut cursing and clutching his probably now broken hand. Hylla stooped down and picked up the tray making her way back to me. She offered me the bread but I shook my head. My stomach felt like a roiling pit of acid. I wouldn't be able to keep it down. "No, you don't get to refuse it. We're not playing this game like we did when we were younger."