The Blood of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus, #5)(59)

‘We intend to find out,’ Hylla said. ‘Once Orion is taken down, your quest will be much easier. We’ll send you on your way with our blessings.’

‘We could use more than your blessings,’ Reyna said. ‘Amazons ship things all around the world. Why not provide safe transport for the Athena Parthenos? Get us to Camp Half-Blood before August first –’

‘I can’t,’ Hylla said. ‘If I could, sister, I would, but surely you’ve felt the anger radiating from the statue. We Amazons are honorary daughters of Ares. The Athena Parthenos would never tolerate our interference. Besides, you know how the Fates operate. For your quest to succeed, you have to deliver the statue personally.’

Reyna must’ve looked crestfallen.

Phoebe shoulder-bumped her like an over-friendly cat. ‘Hey, not so glum. We’ll help you as much as we can. The Amazon service department has repaired those metal dogs of yours. And we have some cool parting gifts!’

Celyn handed Phoebe a leather satchel.

Phoebe rummaged inside. ‘Let’s see … healing potions. Tranquilizer darts like the ones we used on you. Hmm, what else? Oh, yeah!’ Phoebe triumphantly produced a rectangle of folded silvery cloth.

‘A handkerchief?’ Reyna asked.

‘Better. Back up a little.’ Phoebe tossed the cloth on the floor. Instantly it expanded into a ten-by-ten camping tent.

‘It’s air-conditioned,’ Phoebe said. ‘Sleeps four. It has a buffet table and sleeping bags inside. Whatever extra gear you put in it will collapse with the tent. Um, within reason … don’t try to stick your giant statue in there.’

Celyn snickered. ‘If your male travelling companions get annoying, you could always leave them inside.’

Naomi frowned. ‘That wouldn’t work … would it?’

‘Anyway,’ Phoebe said, ‘these tents are great. I have one just like it; use it all the time. When you’re ready to close it up, the command word is actaeon.’

The tent collapsed into a tiny rectangle. Phoebe picked it up, stuffed it into the satchel and handed the bag to Reyna.

‘I … I don’t know what to say,’ Reyna stammered. ‘Thank you.’

‘Aww …’ Phoebe shrugged. ‘It’s the least I can do for –’

Fifty feet away, a side door banged open. An Amazon ran straight towards Hylla. The newcomer wore a black trouser suit, her long auburn hair pulled back in a ponytail.

Reyna recognized her from the battle at Camp Jupiter. ‘Kinzie, isn’t it?’

The girl gave her a distracted nod. ‘Praetor.’ She whispered something in Hylla’s ear.

Hylla’s expression hardened. ‘I see.’ She glanced at Reyna. ‘Something is wrong. We’ve lost contact with the outer defences. I’m afraid Orion –’

Behind Reyna, the metal doors exploded.





XXIV


Reyna


REYNA REACHED FOR HER SWORD – then realized she didn’t have one.

‘Get out of here!’ Phoebe readied her bow.

Celyn and Naomi ran to the smoking doorway, only to be cut down by black arrows.

Phoebe screamed in rage. She returned fire as Amazons rushed forward with shields and swords.

‘Reyna!’ Hylla pulled her arm. ‘We must leave!’

‘We can’t just –’

‘My guards will buy you time!’ Hylla shouted. ‘Your quest must succeed!’

Reyna hated it, but she ran after Hylla.

They reached the side door and Reyna glanced back. Dozens of wolves – grey wolves like the ones in Portugal – surged into the warehouse. Amazons hurried to intercept them. The smoke-filled doorway was piled with bodies of the fallen: Celyn, Naomi, Phoebe. The ginger-haired Hunter who’d lived for thousands of years now sprawled unmoving, her eyes wide with shock, an oversized black-and-red arrow buried in her gut. The Amazon Kinzie charged forward, long knives flashing. She leaped over the bodies and into the smoke.

Hylla pulled Reyna into the passageway. Together they ran.

‘They’ll all die!’ Reyna yelled. ‘There must be something –’

‘Don’t be stupid, sister!’ Hylla’s eyes were bright with tears. ‘Orion outfoxed us. He’s turned the ambush into a massacre. All we can do now is hold him back while you escape. You must get that statue to the Greeks and defeat Gaia!’

She led Reyna up a flight of stairs. They navigated a maze of corridors, then rounded a corner into a locker room. They found themselves face to face with a large grey wolf, but before the beast could even snarl Hylla punched it between the eyes. The wolf crumpled.

‘Over here.’ Hylla ran to the nearest row of lockers. ‘Your weapons are inside. Hurry.’

Reyna grabbed her knife, her sword and her pack. Then she followed her sister up a circular metal stairwell.

The top dead-ended at the ceiling. Hylla turned and gave her a stern look. ‘I won’t have time to explain this, all right? Stay strong. Stay close.’

Reyna wondered what could be worse than the scene they’d just left. Hylla pushed open the trapdoor and they climbed through … into their old home.

The main room was just as Reyna remembered. Opaque skylights glowed on the twenty-foot ceilings. The stark white walls were devoid of decoration. The furniture was oak, steel and white leather – impersonal and masculine. Both sides of the room were overhung with terraces, which had always made Reyna feel like she was being watched (because often, she was).