Happily ever after? (After Blood of Olympus)

Chapter 18

XVIII

REYNA

Reyna didn't like travelling through air at all.

Not that she was afraid of heights or anything. She just didn't like it. It reminded her of shadow-travelling. Getting out of the plane was the best thing that had happened to her all day.

'Hey. You alright?' Jason asked Reyna as they walked out the airport.

'Jason, you've asked me about a hundred times since morning. I'm fine, and I don't care about Troy. I swear.' Reyna replied and plastered a smile on her face to make him believe.

'We're not talking about Troy. You seem kind of sick. Was it the flying?'

'Oh... that. Yeah, I'm okay. I don't really like flying ever since-' Reyna started and Jason finished her sentence for her.

'Ever since you shadow travelled.' He said and Reyna nodded. Piper patted her back and smiled.

'You feel like you don't fit in do you?' Piper asked and Reyna shook her head.

'I feel the same way when I'm with my siblings. Left out.'

'Don't worry Piper. You're the best daughter of Aphrodite, though I personally hate your mother. No offense.'

'None taken, and thank you.' Piper said and smiled. 'Anytime you want to talk about anything... I'm here.'

'Thanks Piper. It's nice to know that someone has my back.'

'Anytime.' Piper smiled wider than before and ran beside Jason who was by then frustrated with the fact that none of the cabs stopped for him.

'Is Italy always like this?' He grumbled.

'Let me try.' Piper said and waved her hand.

'Sorry, no rides ma'am.' The driver said and looked away. She was wearing a bandanna and cooling glasses. She would have fit as that Ares girl Clarisse's sister. She also seemed to be in a hurry.

'Could you please give us a ride?' Piper asked with big puppy dog eyes. The driver immediately nodded and they got in.

'You've definitely got a way with your words Piper McLean.' Reyna said and smiled.

'You bet.' Piper said and turned to the driver. 'The Colosseum please.'

'What? How did you?' She said getting back to his senses.

'You were the one who let us get in.' Piper said and looked at him as if nothing unusual had happened.

'Very well then.' He mumbled. 'Are you sure? Isn't there a hotel or something you have to go to?'

'Nope. Straight to the Colosseum. We're art addicts. Monuments are first priority.' Jason said and Piper smirked.

'Art addicts?' She mouthed out and Jason smiled. He touched the tip of her nose and she giggled. Reyna found all this really cute, but would there be a day when all this would happen to her?

They maintained silence through the car journey except for Jason's occasional yawns. That guy needed sleep. And then all of a sudden.

'Oh my gods! I see it! The Colosseum!' Piper exclaimed pointing out the window and the monument was visible in a distance. The woman driving the cab smirked.

'Pfft. Tourists.' She said and looked ahead, but then the situation took a turn. Well, all of them took a turn. The driver drove in the opposite direction and Jason shrieked.

'Lady! The Colosseum is that way!' He yelled and she just smirked.

'I know sweetheart.' She said. 'Let's just say that road is blocked and I'll get you there in no time.'

'Stop the car!' Piper yelled in suspicion and the driver stopped. She turned around and looked at the through her glasses. There was something definitely weird about her.

That's when Reyna noticed it. A soft hissing sound. The Bandanna! The glasses! It all fit!

'Guys! Get out of the car! That's a gorgon!' Reyna yelled and jumped out of the car. Piper and Jason followed. Not a moment passed, and the driver got out of the car too. She unwrapped her bandanna and ugly snakes stuck out from where her hair should have been.it.wasn't any gorgon. It was Medusa.

'But Percy killed you!' Jason said and it was such a stupid statement that Reyna wanted to pause the fight and punch him.

'Fool! No one can actually kill! I will resurrect no matter what!' Medusa said.

'Right...' Jason said coming back to his senses.

'Now... I'll just finish you off.' Medusa said smirking and took off her glasses.

'Cover your eyes!' Reyna yelled and all of them did as she instructed.

'Peasants.' Medusa said and laughed. 'You do know that you will have to open your eyes sometime or the other right?'

'You may be able to kill us with your eyes, but your fighting skills aren't a match to the three of us.' Jason said and Reyna nodded.

'Let me see, me, my snakes and my ability to turn anyone into stone against three blind demigods. I'll take my chances.' Medusa said and roared with laughter.

'Oh it's not going to be that easy!' Reyna said and launched forward with her sword and aimed at the snake haired woman. Medusa must have dodged, because Reyna couldn't feel anything touch her sword. She cursed the blindness and dark. And promised herself that she would do something great for the blind people once this whole quest was done.

'Ha. You missed.' Medusa said and laughed.

'Consider it a part of our plan.' Piper said and stabbed Medusa with Katoptris. Medusa screeched in pain but held on to her soul.

'I'm not going to let a tiny cut kill me!' She said and laughed. What an idiot Reyna thought. She was leading them to her. She was digging her own grave by talking this much.

'Oh, you'll be damn sure it isn't a small cut alright.' Jason said and stabbed her. Was it stabbing or chopping, Reyna didn't know. She heard a loud shriek and felt the air warm around her. She took the risk of opening her eyes and peeked. Medusa was just a pile of ashes on the ground.

'Nice job guys.' Reyna said and grinned at Jason and Piper.

'That was one ugly driver.' Jason said disgusted and looked at the car behind them.

'You can drive?' Reyna asked curiously and Jason nodded. 'Then I guess it's the Colosseum we're going to. And properly this time.'

'Get in the car girls. Today, your savior is going to be... to be...' Jason stuttered not able to come up with a cool name.

'Thunder pants?' Reyna suggested and Piper laughed.

'Not funny.' Jason protested. Piper and Reyna shared a laugh and Jason joined them after a moment.

A/N I have no excuse. Actually I do. Two words. Writer's block. TOT and I'm extremely sorry that you had to put up with this crappy chapter after a long wait. Fight scenes aren't my thing. :P And I just found out that apparently in Italy, you can't just wave a taxi. Well. Fiction is all about the impossible becoming possible right? :P

Vote and comment if you think it was okay. I don't know. The fight scene lowered my confidence it great amounts.

-Bhavna