ABOVE THE GODS

FIFTY-SEVEN

VERONICA FELT LIKE she was intruding on a very private moment.

She wished Thalia had invited Veronica along with her to check the perimeter or even sent her back to the boys. Anything would have been better than standing in whatever fathomable tension she was wading in.

Veronica retreated from Reyna's side, taking a larger interest in the Amazon warehouse stock around them rather than whatever awkward conversation the sisters would be having.

Hylla walked around the table. Veronica couldn't lie, Reyna's sister looked good in her black leather pants and a black tank top. Around her waist glittered a cord of gold Labyrinthine links—the belt of the Amazon queen.

The daughter of Jupiter guessed that Hylla was twenty-two now, but she could've been mistaken for Reyna's twin. They had the same long dark hair, the same brown eyes. They even wore the same Silver ring with the torch-and-spear emblem of their mother, Bellona. The most obvious difference between them was the white scar on Hylla's forehead. Veronica almost mistook it for a worry line, but after years of observing things out of the ordinary, picking out the difference between worry lines and scars came easy to her.

"Well?" Hylla prompted. "No warm words for your sister?"

"Thank you for having me and Veronica abducted," Reyna said. "For shooting us with a tranquilizer dart, putting a bag over our heads, and tying us to chairs."

Veronica shifted uncomfortably. Well, she thought. There was no way she'd get out of any conversation now.

Hylla rolled her eyes. "Rules are rules. As a praetor, you should understand that. This distribution center is one of our most important bases. We have to control access. I can't make exceptions, especially not for my family."

"I think you just enjoyed it."

"That too."

Veronica wondered if Reyna's sister was as cool and collected as she seemed. She found it amazing, and a little scary. And, so long as her thoughts were safe, the energy and authority that radiated off of Hylla was rather attractive to the blue-eyed blonde.

"Those initials on the reservation sign at Barrachina," Reyna said. "HTK. Hylla Twice-Kill, your new nickname. A little joke?"

"Just checking to see if you were paying attention," Hylla answered.

Veronica furrowed her eyebrows. "But then that means you knew that we would land in that courtyard. How?"

Hylla shrugged, looking at the girl. "Shadow-travel is magic. Several of my followers are daughters of Hecate. It was a simple enough matter for them to pull you off course, especially since Reyna and I share a connection."

Veronica nodded slowly, accepting this answer. Was she upset that Reyna's ridiculously hot sister pulled them away from their quest? Yes. Was she about to throw a fit about it? Definitely not.

Besides, it wasn't her complete right to be mad at the queen of the Amazons. Reyna, however, was a different story.

Veronica watched as her friend tried to keep her anger in check. The slight tension in her jaw, her fists that curled up but then were released as Reyna wiped her palms on the sides of her pants. If Veronica hadn't known Reyna any better, she would say that the girl was more nervous than angry.

"You went to a lot of trouble," Reyna noted. "The queen of the Amazons and the lieutenant of Artemis both rushing to Puerto Rico on a moment's notice to intercept us--I'm guessing that's not because you missed me."

Phoebe chuckled. "She's smart."

"Of course," Hylla said. "I taught her everything she knows."