Remembered | Jeyna

Chapter 12 - Home

-Reyna-

It was Terminalia, a holiday Terminus insisted the Romans celebrate every year. Probably because it was all about him.

Terminus asked for presents and offerings, but otherwise the day was free, none of the normal duties had to be done.

Reyna wasn't sure what to do with herself.

Fortunately Jason had planned the whole day.

That morning he ran into her cabin and clasped her hands. He spun her around. "Today is our day!"

Reyna laughed and let go of his hands. "How so?"

Jason smiled like he knew all the secrets in the world. "Well, we're going to spend the whole day together, no one else, just us."

Reyna liked the way he'd said 'just us.' "And how are we going to do that in a camp full of people?"

"Like this."

Jason scooped her up into his arms and flew out the open door. Reyna was strong but Jason was stronger.

Reyna held on to him tightly as they soared higher. She knew every other person in the camp was pointing up at them and spreading rumours about a budding romance between the praetors but for once she didn't care.

Reyna laughed as Jason spun them around in the air.

"It's been too long since we spent time together, just the two of us." He whispered in her ear.

"Would it be possible to spend some of that time on the ground?" Reyna asked, being so high made her slightly nervous.

"Don't you trust me?" Jason pouted.

Reyna punched him lightly on the arm. "Not one bit."

When they were back on the ground Jason said, "First, I'm making pancakes."

The day was a blur of holding hands, kisses on foreheads and cheeks, Jason flying her out the door everytime he felt offended, burnt pancakes, throwing food and finally collapsing on Reyna's bed together.

"How did you like our day?" Jason asked her.

"It was wonderful." Reyna murmured.

She was sleepy and contented.

"How about a movie?" Jason went rummaging through her shelves and pulled out an old Disney movie that he'd given her soon after she'd come to camp.

Reyna nodded and watched Jason set up the small TV in the corner.

The TV wasn't connected to the internet, it couldn't show actual TV, it was useful for movies only.

Jason looked more rugged in the dim light, his eyes darker than usual.

Reyna stood, not being able to stare at him any longer. She was worried she would do something stupid.

She threw together two hot chocolates, with too much chocolate and too many marshmallows.

Jason curled up next to her on the bed and took his hot chocolate without a word.

The movie began but neither of them were really watching it.

Reyna knew that any other praetor would never have broken the rules like she was. Any other person would have thrown Jason out of the room and read some boring history book instead of watching a Disney movie.

But Reyna couldn't bear to have him leave.

Attachment was dangerous in her line of work, any day Jason could die, or she could. How would that help either of them.

Yet Reyna wasn't about to let go of this boy who had finally touched her heart after so many years of pretending she didn't have one.

Maybe this was wrong and dangerous, but maybe it was exactly what Reyna needed to keep herself feeling alive. She could breath properly when Jason was around, she could make sense of the mess in her mind, she felt like a real person around him, she could forget about how awful the past had been and think about how amazing the future would be with Jason in it.

Reyna turned to him, he hadn't even been watching the movie, he was staring at her.

Neither of them could stop it.

They kissed and Reyna knew that she would do anything to stay with this boy.

This boy was home.

It hadn't been a dream that time.

Reyna had purposefully brought back the memories of that day.

Sitting on the back of Scipio, alone in a world she didn't know memories of Jason were all she had to keep her going. She had to believe that he still cared for her like she did for him.

She had to believe that daughter of Aphrodite wouldn't take Jason away from her.

Reyna was ready for the monsters when they came.

They were winged like Skippy, they looked like griffins but Reyna was too busy trying to kill them to name them.

Reyna slashed her gladius at the nearest one, grazing it's wing.

Skippy lashed out with his hooves.

They had been close before but now Reyna and Skippy were a team.

They were so much better at destroying the monsters that came after them.

But even though they were getting better they still got injured in almost every attack. Reyna's clothes were in tatters after she'd been using them for bandages. She was pretty sure she looked terrifying, sleep had been almost nonexistent and she had wounds everywhere.

Skippy was her main priority though, she would patch him up first, Reyna needed him, he was the thing between her and the dark waters beneath them.

Skippy flew under the griffins and came up on top of them, bashing one with his flailing hooves. Reyna sliced the other two down.

She flicked her bloodstained hair out of her eyes and gritted her teeth.

Reyna wasn't going to let monsters get between her and Jason.

Nothing was going to stop her.

Skippy plummeted towards the water.

Reyna screamed. 

***

[ artwork by viria ]