The Fate of Olympus | Reynabeth [✓]

14. ⚔ Reyna

They got on another plane, financed by Camp Half-Blood, for their diplomatic mission to Boston from LaGuardia. It was only an hour-long flight, but Reyna was vigilant as ever, watching for monsters. There were none again. Or maybe Reyna couldn't see them. The Mist was a powerful thing.

She watched everyone's body language, trying in vain to catch a monster in the act. She watched as a flight attendant took off her high heels to put on flats. Reyna was jumpy. The cramped, crowded plane didn't help either. She didn't feel as nervous on the first plane ride, but it felt like they were due for a monster attack.

Annabeth reached across the aisle, where she was sitting, and touched Reyna's hand. "It's okay," she said. "There are a lot of people here. It's okay."

Reyna nodded, took a deep breath, and tried to relax. Even if there was a monster here, they probably wouldn't attack them outright on a plane with so many mortals around.

Reyna opened her compact mirror from her bag from the Hunters of Artemis to try to see behind her, but it didn't make her feel any safer. She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed to Bellona for protection. She also prayed to Athena, for good measure.

Her thoughts turned to their quest. If she was being honest, Reyna struggled with Annabeth's plan and its justification. Annabeth definitely had a tendency to think she was right too much.

Tearing down the entire system was so wrong that Reyna didn't understand how anyone could think otherwise. Reyna understood that the gods were not interested in demigods' wellbeing, but that could be changed. It couldn't be achieved by overthrowing the gods; it could be achieved by aligning the gods' interests with demigods' needs. Changing the system from within could work. Overthrowing the people in charge, like a revolution? That was too...radical for Reyna's taste. Besides, the gods weren't some kind of distant puppet masters. The gods were family. Families were difficult, but families were worth it.

Or so she was told constantly by people who'd had stable family lives. Come to think of it, maybe family values were part of Annabeth's theory of the gods' cosmic lie.

"Reyna, we're going to be okay."

Reyna tried for a smile at Annabeth. "Yeah. I know."

Annabeth took a deep breath through her nose and closed her eyes, like she was meditating again.

Reyna thought about what Annabeth had talked about at Camp Jupiter regarding Reyna's heart, how Reyna needed to find self-love before romantic love.

Relying on someone with wisdom was more comforting than relying on someone with a silver tongue. She never had to worry that Annabeth would charmspeak her. Reyna trusted Annabeth with her life.

They got off the plane. The flight attendant wearing flats was waiting in the terminal. The only mortals around were a hundred yards away, walking in the opposite direction. Reyna stopped in her tracks and put a protective arm in front of Annabeth. Why had only one of the flight attendants gotten off the airplane? 

~~~

A/N: Please vote, comment, and follow! Thank you for your support.