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They’re singing “Deck the Halls”...
Reyna walked through New Rome through the celebration on Christmas Eve as everyone cheered, drank, and celebrated the holidays. It wasn’t super common for Demigods to practice religions, but Christmas felt less religious than most holidays so New Rome offered to host a shared celebration with Camp Half Blood.
“Weeee…! Wish you a merry Christmas! We wish you a merry Christmas! We wish you a merry Christmas…” Some Greeks sung together, their voices clashed awfully and some of them sang “we miss you a merry Christmas,” but Reyna didn’t make her comments aloud. It was well past midnight and Reyna felt she needed to keep watch over everything. Gods forbid someone burns down the tree.
In the middle of the grand celebration was a tree nearly fifteen-feet tall, it was glowing and beautiful and Reyna couldn’t deny that it was beautifully put together. The Apollo kids had done wonderfully, and turns out the Athena kids had more crafty abilities than she originally gave credit.
But, Reyna couldn’t get ignore the hollow feeling in her chest.
“Ven aquí, mami.”¹ her father said to her, and she ran to him. Before he was angry and jumped at the sight of his own shadow, he was her papá. He tucked her in at night, read her stories, promised to chase away the monsters.
He’d tell her to come close and he’d hug her. Put up a tree with her and Hylla even though they didn’t believe in God, he didn’t want them to be left out. Every kid in the neighborhood had a tree, so they had a tree.
“¡Mis nenas se merecen lo mejor!”² He’d tell them, laughing as they danced together. The good memories were spotty, she was young. However, they were there. She remembered Hylla’s laughter, their dad’s smile—she remembered how they looked before it faded.
¹Come Here, mami…
²My girls deserve the best…
But it’s not like Christmas at all.
Reyna watched the Demigods pass gifts. They smiled and cheered when they were given exactly what they wanted. Reyna had gotten some gifts. Annabeth gave her a purple sweater, Piper gave her a beautiful dagger with a dragonfly handle, Percy gave her a jar full of jelly beans. She smiled and thanked them, guilt at her up inside knowing she didn’t get them anything in return.
“It’s fine, Reyna. You’ve done enough for us!” Piper said once she noticed how Reyna’s face fell upon receiving something. Reyna smiled and thanked her, placing the dagger in her pocket. It was truly a beautiful weapon, she sadly didn’t prefer daggers as her weapon of choice. They were convenient, but not her favorite.
She received gifts before, every year legionaries received some sort of gift, and as praetor she was often given something for Christmas—typically by someone who had a big favor to ask, but still a gift none the less.
As it neared one AM Reyna decided she’d rather head home than stay around. She was getting tired, and just because it was soon going to be Christmas didn’t mean she’d be allowed to slack. Gravel crunched beneath her feet as she walked, she knew the road home better than anyone.
Sometimes Reyna wished she was at home. If she could even call any place home, but she wished she was in San Juan with her papá and sister. She missed it, being home. She didn’t miss what it turned into, but she missed it.
English was her third language. She learned Spanish first, then Latin, and finally English. She felt clumsy at times when she spoke, but what was worse was when she started to feel comfortable in it. The more she spoke English the more she felt Spanish slipping away, and it pained her. Few people in New Rome spoke Spanish and she didn’t like going to Camp Half Blood, so she didn’t know the Spanish speaking population there.
I remember when you were here,
She used to stay up at night, hearing Hylla sneak over to her room, on the room before slipping through the window. Their dad was spiraling by then, seeing enemies in the portraits that once lined the halls that he slashed with the saber that sat above the mantel in their living room.
The two of them would talk for hours, and even though Hylla was way more mature than Reyna, they managed to find something and anything to talk about. Reyna would yawn but deny being tired. Trying to get any more time with her sister, but by the third time Hylla would laugh and tuck her in. Reyna was eight, so she thought she was far too old for this by now. Hylla ignored her though, and Reyna would be glad she did every time.
Hylla tucked her in, kissed her forehead, and promised to keep the monster away. She promised to always be there and always protect Reyna from him and anything else that threatened to hurt her.
Reyna believed her, she believed her up until Hylla refused to go to the Wolf House. Reyna would never forget the sight of her sister’s back turned as she walked away. She wasn’t there to scare the monsters away anymore, and she felt stupid for ever believing she would.
And all the fun we had last year.
Reyna remembered opening gifts with her papá, but soon after only with Hylla. She’d smile and thank them for whatever it was. It could have been a rock and she would have been happy.
On Circe’s Island they couldn’t do Christmas, Circe was very strict on that point. No religious holidays that were related to the Gods or to her. So, they didn’t celebrate much.
Still though, the day of Christmas Reyna would wake up and somehow magically on the end of her bed, wrapped in a plum cloth, was a gift for her. Reyna can’t remember if her favorite shade of purple was always plum or if it became plum because of the gifts. Still, that day Hylla would act as if nothing had happened, but she’d whisper to Reyna, “Feliz Navidad, mami…”
Circe’s Island was the last Christmas Reyna spent with her sister. No more gifts, no more whispered conversations, nothing. Sometimes Reyna wondered if she had only killed her father in San Juan or if a part of Hylla was there too, and that’s why Reyna didn’t seem to recognize her sister anymore.
Pretty lights on the trees, I’m watching them shine.
Reyna walked the empty road to her home. It was a beautiful night, the stars twinkled and winked in the sky above her. She could hear an owl cooing in the distance and it brought a smile to her face. Perhaps they were having a better Christmas than her. She thought to herself. A tear fell down her cheek but she quickly wiped it away.
Behind her she could still hear the laughter of those celebrating and the tree managed to still light up the path in front of her. Specks of red, blue, yellow, and green littered the grave path.
Reyna could remember the night walks with Hylla. When their father’s temper had gotten specifically bad and Hylla would help sneak Reyna out the house. Reyna could hear the coquí frogs, and the city illuminated the path in front of them. Reyna would look up at her older sister and smile, her two front teeth missing, with no care for where they were going.
Sometimes they’d walk around different neighborhoods, looking at the houses and Hylla would tell her, “Me llevo este y nos vamos a juyir de él.”³ Reyna would nod and smile, hoping for it to be true. She hoped they could stay in Puerto Rico and he could get help. They’d leave for a while, but they’d come back once he got better.
³I’ll get this one and we’ll get away from him…
You should be here with me,
Reyna used to dream of them all together as a happy family. The whims of the Gods didn’t concern her, the only thing that mattered was her family—her papá and Hylla. Now she couldn’t think of them without her heart breaking slightly.
The iridescent grave crunched beneath her feet as tears welled in her eyes. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve before the tears could even escape. The cold bit at her nose and infested her fingers. The sun had long since abandoned the Earth and only the moon’s cold gaze was left.
A stray cat jumped out of a bush ten feet from Reyna and rushed across the path, and only moments later a kitten followed after.
After a couple more minutes Reyna’s house entered her sight and Reyna sighed at the sight of her sanctuary. The breath became a frosty thing in front of her immediately.
Will you please come home?
Reyna walked towards the door and opened it. The room was chilled and engulfed in darkness, but once she turned on the lights it brightened not only the room but her body as well. Warmth took her in and her eyes found comfort in the various fixtures in her house.
What really gained her attention however was the box sitting on the floor. It was around ten feet from the door and sat perfectly wrapped in plum wrapping paper with a golden bow on top.
“Feliz Navidad, mami.” A voice said from behind her. Reyna didn’t have to turn to know who it was. It was the voice that promised to keep the monster away, the voice that defended her to their father, the voice that never ran out of things to say to keep Reyna entertained.
Reyna turned and tears couldn’t stop themselves from rushing from her eyes. She sighed at Hylla who stood feet away in a leather trench coat and gloves. Reyna couldn’t tell you if she moved or Hylla did, but all she knows is that she was wrapped around Hylla. Tears streamed around her face and her voice cracked as she spoke, “Hylla...”