Missing

Love?

Reyna's POV

Getting back to camp was a long and laborious game of chess so to speak. We'd settle down to rest and hear the howl of the approaching enemy and have to run a good distance farther than planned. Or we'd settle down and rest a good while and be unaware that we were much farther ahead than planned. Nevertheless Lycoan always found a way to catch back up.

We'd had a few close encounters but I noticed a change in our fighting. Everyone fought like they were possessed by the devil, wild and angry. It was nearly terrifying to look at. We managed to push them back but I had a feeling they were only trying to slow us down. Here we were battered and bruised with blistered feet and numb legs finally on the outskirts of the city but they refused to kill us.

"Come on not much farther," I encouraged. Maya had grown tired of carrying Louise so I now had the small red head clinging to my back.

There were grumbles of protest but in the end no matter how exhausted any of us were we made our way towards camp. The relief of finally seeing the border was enough to make a few of them smile but others looked grim and sad. I knew why, it was hard to avoid the strong sturdy pine tree that guarded the border. We all knew where it had come from and now it served as a reminder to those who looked as though the wanted to curl up in a ball and forget the world.

Next to the tree though was the Parthenos that radiated power in its purest form, passing it on the way into camp caused my strength to surge for the slightest moment before it came crashing down again.

Everything was as it should have been. Campers milling about, satyrs and nymphs smiling and happy. There were only a few differences. Sila's tall figure stood out on the volley ball court as a few campers tried to beat him and little Fawn was running around with a few Hermes kids who had water balloons in their hands. It would have been a happy scene to know they were fitting in nicely upon returning with Grover from the outside world but I didn't know them like Thalia did.

No one appeared eager to actually go down the hill or to encounter their friends. We were perfectly content with staying up here. Except that couldn't be allowed. Setting Louise down I left the group and made a straight shot towards the Big House. I ignored anyone who approached or attempted to talk to me.

Taking the steps in one stride I knocked lightly on the door. Sure enough the familiar and warm face of Chiron greeted me with his typical fatherly smile.

"Welcome back." He said opening the door wider. "I'm assuming the mission was a success? Are the others settling in?"

"It was," I said, moving inside to lean on the table. There was a moment of silence and I knew immediately he suspected what happened.

"What happened?" His tone was cautious but gentle. I didn't want to explain because I knew if I did I wouldn't be able to keep from crying in my exhausted state but he needed to know.

"We found everyone," I said, still not turning to look at him. "For the most part."

I launched into a lengthy explanation about our quests, the new gods we'd run into, their desire for revenge and plans to take us out, how the remaining Hunters and Amazons wouldn't be coming home.

"I'm so sorry," Chiron spoke hardly above a whisper. "I'm assuming your sister and Thalia didn't take it well?"

My grip tightened on the edge of the table until my knuckles turned white. "Thalia was one of them Chiron."

I glanced up to see his face pale drastically. He looked sick, as sick as I felt. His eyes were cast to the floor, his eyebrows pulled together and somehow he seemed a thousand years older.