Stay Right Here

xix

queens are excellent at treason

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Hadley wondered how long it would take for her to find where they took Percy and Frank. How many guards there would be. How fast they could run out of the warehouse. What Hazel could do since they were so far underground. Unfortunately, planning had never been a talent of hers. And even though she was a skilled fighter without her weapon, she was no match for an army of well-armed Amazons. But maybe today would be the day her mother favored her.

Hylla was armed just with a dagger- easy enough to beat- and seemed to be reading their thoughts. "Forget about escape. Of course, we'd respect you for trying. But we'd have to kill you."

"You can try," Hadley challenged instinctively.

Hazel nudged her arm. "Thanks for the warning."

Hylla shrugged. "The least I can do. I believe you come in peace. I believe Reyna sent you."

The queen studied the necklace she'd taken from Percy.

"It's complicated," she said. "Amazons have always had a rocky relationship with other demigods- especially male demigods. We fought for King Priam in the Trojan War, but Achilles killed out queen, Pentheslea. Years before that, Hercules stole Queen Hippolyta's belt- this belt I'm wearing. It took us centuries to recover it. Long before that, at the very beginning of the Amazon nation, a hero named Bellerophon killed our first queen, Otrera."

"You mean the lady-"

"-who just left, yes. Otrera, our first queen, daughter of Ares."

"Mars?" Hazel asked.

Hylla made a sour face. "No, definitely Ares. Otrera lived long before Rome, in a time when all demigods were Greek. Unfortunately, some of our warriors still prefer the old ways. Children of Ares... they are always the worst."

"The old ways..." Hazel trailed off.

Hadley had heard the rumors about Greek demigods, and Romans leaving for the Greek way of doing things. Octavian believed they were plotting against Rome. A small part of her believed it (the Greek demigods, not the evil plotting). When she first heard the rumors, she had wondered if anyone knew more about the old way of doing things, and why someone would leave the legion to pursue them.

"So the Amazons are a mix of Roman and Greek?" Hadley asked.

Hylla continued to examine the necklace- the clay beads, the probatio tablet. She slipped Reyna's silver ring off the cord and put it on her own finger. "I suppose they don't teach you about that at Camp Jupiter. The gods have many aspects. Mars, Ares. Pluto, Hades. Being immortal, they tend to accumulate personalities. They are Greek, Roman, American- a combination of all the cultures they've influenced over the eons. Do you understand?"

"I- I'm not sure," Hazel stammered. "Are all Amazons demigods?"

The queen spread her hands. "We all have some immortal blood, but many of my warriors are descended from demigods. Some have been Amazons for countless generations. Others are children of minor gods. Kinzie, the one who brought you here, is the daughter of a nymph. Ah- here she is now."

The girl with auburn hair approached the queen and bowed.

"The prisoners are safely locked away," Kinzie. "But..."

"Yes?" The queen asked.

Kinzie swallowed like she had a bad taste in her mouth. "Otrera made sure her followers are guarding the cells. I'm sorry, my queen."