Blood of Olympus FanFic {completed}

16: REYNA (BONUS CHAPTER)

CH 16-REYNA

Looking around her, Reyna once again felt desperate.

All she could see were trees. Trees, trees and more trees.

Sighing, she unwrapped the aluminum foil around the "offering" for her mother. It was a large piece of cheeseburger - thankfully, they'd brought along three plates and three goblets that supplied endless food. The cheeseburger was Reyna's offering for her mother - honestly, she hadn't felt that hungry at lunchtime.

She tossed the food into the weak fire in front of her and knelt.

"O, Bellona, adducetque miserere precesque supplicis accipere filia," she muttered in Latin. A prayer and a cry for help to her mother.

She looked at the sky. It was clear and bright. No clouds. Just dazzlingly bright. 

"Lorem auxilium, mater." (thanks for your help, mother) Reyna mumbled sarcastically.

"Reyna! He's doing it again!" came a low-pitched cry from behind Reyna.

Reyna sighed. Gleeson Hedge had kept up a constant moan for food all throughout the past few days. The hazy IM they had managed to get into Camp Half-Blood was not enough, apparently.

"Be right there," she called, and stepped through the foliage.

Hedge was eating some broth that had some green stuff in it. Nico was eating the same thing, and he gestured to a third bowl for her.

It actually looked alright, she thought, spooning it up, and tasted all right too.

Until...

She turned over a leaf and a bright eyed, completely boiled, green bug stared back.

"Ewww!" she screeched, upsetting the bowl. "Gross!"

"Aw, sorry Rey." Nico flicked the bug out of her food. "You can finish it now."

Reyna sighed. "Don't call me that, Nico. And no thanks." She reached for her emergency pack of Tic-Tacs that was in her bag.

"Foooooood," moaned Hedge.

"Shut up." And Reyna meant it.

"Wanna try getting another IM back?" Nico asked, all too cheerfully. His eyes brightened as he added, "and we could try getting one through to Percy too."

"Why?"

"I don't know, just to make sure he's okay... that they're al okay."

"They must be." Reyna didn't even want to think about it. "C'mon, now. Border patrol, we'll leave Gleeson here."

"Where are you going?" The satyr's face concentrated as he slid his head onto the makeshift bed pillow. 

"Patrol," Reyna said.

"Okay..." Gleeson winced. "If... hurt you... holler... be right there."

Reyna nodded, as the satyr's face crumpled, and Nico grabbed her hand, squeezing tightly.

Reyna didn't mind though: with him, holding hands felt natural.

"Sure," Nico said, his voice tight. "Bye, Gleeson."

Reyna and Nico set out to the woods, walking as softly as they could manage, not talking. Reyna felt that her eyes could not cry any more tears (yes, she did cry) but she just felt empty.

Empty.

SIghing softly, she focused on walking. Staring at her feet. Then-

"Wow!"