There are no words for how grateful I am to everyone who has stuck with me as I wrote this book. You are all awesome peoples. Thank you for everything, and I hope you enjoy the final chapter. And as always, Keep Writing.
-Karazorel257
Reyna's POV
The clearing was completely silent as all the huntresses took in the situation. Eve stared at Reyna with a look of pure triumph in her eyes. The tension in the air could be cut with a butter knife. Artemis, thank the Gods, was the one that broke it.
"Eve," her voice broke. "Orion killed many of my huntresses and many amazons as well. He wasn't going to stop-"
"SHUT UP!" Eve snarled at Artemis and the Star Demons growled with anger. "I don't care what you have to say. I don't care about the huntresses, I just want that girl." Eve pointed at Reyna. "Give her to me, and I'll leave you in peace."
"Is that what all this has been about?" Artemis questioned. "The werewolves? The attacks on us and the amazons and Camp Jupiter? All of this was for Reyna?
"She killed the man I loved!" Eve yelled. "When I found out he was dead, it was from Lycaon. I tracked him down because he had worked with Orion on Gaea's side, I had to know what happened to him. When Lycaon told me some Roman Praetor had killed him, I vowed revenge. Lycaon saw it as an opportunity to team up together and get revenge on Artemis, but I didn't want revenge on Artemis."
Eve took a step toward the huntresses. Thalia tightened her grip on her bow and stepped closer to Reyna protectively.
"But I indulged him so I could formulate my plan." Eve paced the space in front of the girls. "I summoned the Teumessian Fox so Lycaon could distract you. His stupid little plan to ambush your camp and trap you all was idiotic, but I just needed him to stall you for a while. The Teumessian Fox attacked those towns on his orders, but when he failed the Fox came back to his master, me. I just needed time to summon my perfect creations."
"I created my creatures so that I could attack all the places most dear to you, starting with Camp Jupiter." Eve looked right at Reyna. "When I found out you left Camp Jupiter and joined the Hunt, I had to start attacking the amazons. The hunt moves around so often I never knew where you were. But I knew someone with the same last name as you ruled the amazons, so I had my creatures attack their outposts to draw you out."
"I must admit, I never expected you all to summon Laelaps. When you used that dog to track the Fox to my lair, my creatures were able to protect me, but I realized then that because I used my blood in the ritual to create my creatures, my daughter was able to feel them since she also has my blood. So I knew the only way I would get to you, was if I just let you come to me. And here you are."
Reyna finally found her voice. "Orion wasn't a man." Reyna shook with nerves. "He was a giant. I couldn't even kill him without the help of a God or Goddess. I'm sorry that I hurt you, but Orion was a mass-murdering giant that had to be stopped."
The huntresses rallied around Reyna, standing their ground. Eve looked like she wanted to strangle her. The Star Demons growled and opened their mouths to show their jagged teeth.
"As I said," Eve said softly. "Give her to me, and I will leave you in peace. There will be no need to fight. I have no quarrel with you."
"If you have a quarrel with one of my huntresses, then you have a quarrel with the entire hunt." Artemis stepped out in front of the group and placed her arm out toward Eve as if she was about to teleport her away.
Eve was quicker. She whisked a book from behind her back and slammed her hand onto one of the pages. Just like that, Artemis disappeared with a flash. The huntresses gasped in shock.
"ARTEMIS!" Zoe launched herself at Eve, who simply backed away smugly. "What hast thou done to her?!!"
"Relax, little huntress." Eve shut her book. "It's just a simple teleportation spell. It will repel her for a while, but only for about an hour. She is unharmed, she is a Goddess after all. I told you, I have no quarrel. Just give me the Roman and I will leave in peace."
"You'll have to get through me first!" Thalia's hands jolted with lightning, her bow sparking with electricity. Daria unsheathed her sword and pointed it at Eve's neck.
"Fine," Eve shrugged. "Don't say I didn't try to do this the easy way."
"Mother!" Olive stood up from the ground, her face blotched with tears. "Please. Leave my friends alone!"
"I'm sorry, Olive." Eve said. "But your father must be avenged, surely you understand?"
"No!" Olive cried. "Father spent his life trying to get revenge on Artemis, and look where it got him! Please mother, don't make the same mistakes he did. It's the reason he left us in the first place. Please."
Eve shook her head. "She will pay for what she has done. And you will all pay for protecting her!" Eve thrust her hand out, and the Star Demons attacked.
The huntresses released their arrows, but they shot right through the demons. Of course, only light could defeat them.
Helena cast blasts of light with her hands using bursts of magic. Sara lit up as bright as she could with her Apollo sunlight, charging at the demons. Thalia shot out lighting from her hands as fast as she could. They were only demigods, they couldn't keep this up forever.
"Yes, my creations!" Eve had her hands in the air, controlling the Star demons. Swirls of shadow surrounded her, and the air pulsed with dark magic. "Get her, bring her to me!"
Reyna shot arrow after arrow, but the demons were too many and too strong. Reyna and the other huntresses that could not produce light huddled together, while Helena, Sara, and Thalia stood outside of them, protecting them.
Reyna watched as Thalia shocked one of the demons. When the lightning hit the creature, its shadows dissipated and the demon shrieked in pain. That was it.
"Thalia!" Reyna yelled over the battle noise. "The Oracles paintings! Remember the lightning storm in Rachel's paintings?! If you make a storm big enough, you could destroy all of them at once! Your lightning, its heat and its light, it hurts them!"
Thalia turned around to look at her, Helena covering her back. The huntresses left the huddle to help them, taking out flashlights from their packs, and shining them at the Star Demons.
"I've never made a storm that big!" Thalia cried. "I get worn out just from small strikes, there's no way I'd have the strength to do something like that!"
"Maybe not alone." Reyna said. "But I can give you strength."
"Absolutely not." Thalia stepped up to Reyna and put her hands on her shoulders. "Reyna, you've already lost too much strength, you can't give any more!"
"This won't end until we destroy them!" said Reyna. "Eve will keep on hurting people to get to me, I can't allow that. You have to let me do this. You have to let me end it."
"Daria can give me strength, she has the same powers as you!"
"I will not allow my sister to succumb to the same fate I have. And besides, she is unconscious." Reyna pointed to where Daria had fallen in the clearing. Huntresses surrounded her with flashlights. Eve was pushing the demons to their limits. The dim flashlights were no longer holding them back. Helena was running out of strength to keep up her light magic, and Sara had long since passed out from the energy it took to keep her light this long.
"Please Thalia," Reyna pleaded. "We have to do it now!"
Thalia's blue eyes filled with tears. She opened her mouth as if she had something else to say, but decided not to.
"Don't you dare die on me, do you understand?" The wind picked up as Thalia held up her hands to start the storm. Air funneled around their feet, and lightning sparked through the darkened sky. "I can't lose you."
"You won't." Reyna held out her hand. "I promise."
Thalia took Reyna's hand as the storm brewed.
Reyna dug deep inside herself, finding the strength within her. She thought of Hylla when she used to sing her lullabies at night. She thought of the first time she held her niece, and the love that she felt. She thought of the time she was made praetor of the 12th legion and the belonging she had known. She thought of Nico, Annabeth, and Percy, and Frank and Hazel, all of her friends. Their faces flashed before her. She thought of her first run with the hunt. She thought of her first flight on her beloved Scipio, Jason flying right beside her, making sure she didn't fall off.
But most of all, she thought of Thalia. She thought of Thalia offering her a place to belong after Jason's death, and her constant stress. She remembered Thalia giving Reyna her first bow, trusting her as her council. She remembered how Thalia had taken care of her when she had gotten a cold spell, and when she was losing her strength. And finally, she remembered their talk in the woods, when Thalia had sung to her.
Reyna let her strength flow through her and into Thalia. Thalia let out a scream as she increased her storm tenfold. Lightning burst all around them dangerously, but Thalia did not let it touch the huntresses. The Star Demons squealed in pain, and burst out of existence right when Thalia's strong lighting hit them, their shadow melting into the ground.
"NO!" Eve shrieked. "What are you doing?! STOP!"
Reyna's vision went fuzzy. Her head felt so light, as if it wasn't on her shoulders. Her ears rang with a high pitched sound. Reyna let go of Thalia's hand and the last thing she felt was her head hitting the grass.
***************************************************
When Reyna awoke, she was in some sort of hospital bed. Her head lay on a soft pillow, and silk, white sheets covered her. A soft sound made its way to Reyna's ears. She turned her head slightly.
Thalia had claimed a very uncomfortable looking chair next to her bed. She was fast asleep and snoring, her hand held onto Reyna's tenderly.
Reyna smiled softly. "Thalia?" She croaked. Wow, how long had she been out? Her voice felt like it had not been used in a long time.
Thalia's eyes snapped open and she gasped. "WILL!!! SHE'S AWAKE, COME QUICK! HYLLA! SHE'S AWAKE!" Thalia yelled.
"Gods of Olympus, Thalia, must you be so loud?" Reyna grimaced.
Will Solace and Nico Di-Angelo rushed into the room. Nico kissed her on the forehead, and Will instantly started checking her vitals.
"Never scare me like that again!" Nico scolded her.
"Hey, I'm the one who should be lecturing her, it's my job." Hylla strolled into the room. She bent down and wrapped her arms around Reyna.
"I'm so glad you're alright." Hylla kissed her cheek. "You gave us all quite a scare. Poor Thalia has been sleeping in that chair ever since the huntresses brought you back here."
"Where exactly is here?" Reyna questioned.
"We are in New Rome's infirmary." Thalia explained. "After we defeated the Star Demons, you passed out. We brought you here to treat you. I called Nico and Hylla to tell them how you were, and they insisted on coming to see you. Nico won't let anyone but Will take care of you."
"Nico." Reyna raised her eyebrows at her friend.
"What?" Nico shrugged. "My best friend deserves the best."
"How long have I been out?" Reyna asked.
"Three days. Gods, Reyna, we thought we were going to lose you." Thalia looked like she was about to cry. "When we brought you here, your strength was fading fast, and you weren't getting better. When Artemis found us, she- she had no choice, Reyna. You have to understand."
Reyna felt different. She felt like she did before she joined the hunt, before she became immortal.
"She had to take my immortality, didn't she?" Reyna said. "She released me from my vows."
"She didn't want to kick you out, honest!" Thalia insisted. "You're better now, your healing naturally, it was what's best for you."
Reyna nodded. "It's alright, I understand. She saved me." Reyna looked up at her friends and her sister. This was all she needed, right here. Of course, her and Thalia would probably have to go their separate ways.
Wait a minute.
"Thalia?" Reyna got a good look at her for the first time since she had woken up. Thalia had her hair in two short braids. She wore her signature black leather jacket, with a purple Camp Jupiter shirt under it. The familiar glow of Thalia's immortality, however, was not there. "You look different. Where's your hunter's gear?"
Thalia gave Reyna a little smile, and her eyes lit up. Something about Thalia looked familiar to her. Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes were bright. Weight and stress seemed to have been released from her shoulders. She looked just like Reyna had felt when she had joined the hunt, like she felt the excitement of having no idea what she was going to do tomorrow.
"Thalia, you didn't." Reyna's eyes widened.
"I quit the hunt." Thalia shrugged. "It was time."
"I-" Reyna didn't know what to say. She didn't have to say goodbye to Thalia. She could live the rest of her life with every person cared most for. Reyna left the hunt, but Thalia had chosen to stay with her. Reyna felt more overwhelmed with emotions than she had ever felt before. She threw her arms around Thalia and sobbed into her shoulder.
"Oh my Gods, Reyna! Are you okay?" Thalia hugged her back reassuringly.
"I-I'm fine, s-sorry." Reyna let her go. "I just- you're staying?" She said breathlessly.
Thalia chuckled. "The hunt is a great family, a great home." Thalia said. "But I've got to stop running from my life. I need to live it. Zoe was always the one who should be leading the hunt by Artemis's side. I'm going to go to school here in New Rome with Percy and Annabeth, and be a counselor at Camp Half-Blood in the summertime. I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet, but I'm gonna figure it out. I'm going to find my purpose. But right now, my purpose is to stay right here and make sure you get better, that I know for sure."
Reyna smiled and wiped her nose on her sleeve.
"And Reya and I will be moving into our new home soon." Hylla grasped Reyna's hand. "We'll be close by if you need anything."
"I-" Reyna started.
The huntresses burst into the infirmary before Reyna could say anything. Even Artemis made her way inside.
"Reyna! You're awake!"
"Oh my gosh! We were so worried!"
Daria crushed Reyna in a hug and Olive patted her on the back. Daria had on a Camp Jupiter shirt and jeans, not her usual hunting attire. Her immortal glow was not there either.
"Daria?!" Reyna exclaimed. "You left the hunt too?"
Daria nodded enthusiastically.
"She's an Amazon now." Hylla placed a hand on Daria's shoulder proudly. "I offered her a place among us. I don't know what she went through in her life, but I think that I can help her. She is our sister, and I want her to be close to us. As my sister, she is a princess among my people. Besides, I need a babysitter."
"I can babysit." Reyna told her.
"Sure you can."
"I can."
"Mhm."
"Ahem, Reyna?" Artemis stepped toward Reyna's bed. "I told the girls that we could stay until you woke up. I'm afraid we must go. Eve is contained for now, I have dealt with her. But we must continue the hunt for the Teumessian Fox, it is still out there."
Thalia stood up from her chair, and hugged Artemis fiercely. Artemis had tears running down her cheeks.
"Being your lieutenant was my greatest honor." Thalia said. "Thank you for everything you have given me."
Artemis clung to Thalia. "You will always be my sister." Artemis said. "That will never change. No matter where life may take you, I will always be watching over you."
Artemis reluctantly let go of Thalia, and kissed her forehead. The two stood in silence for a moment, taking each other in. Zoe clapped Thalia on the shoulder.
"I'll take care of them, I promise." Zoe said. "I've made Olive my new second in command. After the loyalty she showed to us in the fight against her mother, I could think of no one more deserving."
Reyna laughed and smiled at Olive. "Congratulations, Olive!"
"Thank you," Olive grinned. "I had a few ideas on how to solve our recruiting problem. After we find the T-fox, we're headed to Europe to find new recruits there."
"Yes, demigods do not only live in the U.S, we are going global." Artemis placed her arm around Olive and Zoe. "Come on ladies! We have work to do!"
Reyna watched the huntresses leave. They had given her a home when she really needed one, and now she was back where she belonged.
"Thalia, would you help me up?" Reyna held out her arm. Thalia looked like she wanted to protest, but Reyna gave her the praetor stare that even Thalia was afraid of. Will, Nico, and Hylla left to bid the hunters farewell with the other Romans.
Thalia took Reyna's arm and heaved her to her feet. Reyna leaned on Thalia heavily as she led her outside the infirmary.
"I can't go very far." Reyna admitted. "But I just want to see one place."
The sun was setting as the two girls made it to Reyna's favorite place, the Garden of Bacchus. The grapes smelled ripe and sweet and the crickets chirped their songs. The sky turned an array of purple and orange dancing across the clouds. A soft breeze blew Reyna's hair out of her face.
"It's beautiful here," said Thalia. "I can't believe I get to live here now. You're going to live here too, right?" Thalia's eyes looked hopeful.
"You're stuck with me, Thals." Reyna laid her head onto Thalia's shoulder as they watched the sunset. "A Roman's word is her law. We're staying together. Whatever life throws at us, I know we can do it together."
Thalia nodded. "Together."
Fin.