โโWho is Aunt Rosa?โ Hazel asked.โ
Leo didnโt want to talk about her. Nemesisโs words were still buzzing in his ears. His tool belt seemed heavier since heโd put the cookie in thereโ which was impossible. Its pockets could carry anything without adding extra weight. Even the most fragile things would never break. Still, Leo imagined he could feel it in there, dragging him down, waiting to be cracked open.
โLong story,โ he said. โShe abandoned me after my mom died, gave me to foster care.โ
โIโm sorry.โ
โYeah, wellโฆโ Leo was anxious to change the subject. โWhat about you?
What Nemesis said about your brother?โ
Hazel blinked like sheโd gotten salt in her eyes. โNicoโฆhe found me in the Underworld. He brought me back to the mortal world and convinced the Romans at Camp Jupiter to accept me. I owe him for my second chance at life. If Nemesis is right, and Nicoโs in dangerโฆIย haveย to help him.โ
โSure,โ Leo said, though the idea made him uneasy. He doubted the revenge goddess ever gave advice out of the goodness of her heart. โAnd what Nemesis said about your brother having six days to live, and Rome getting destroyedโฆany idea what she meant?โ
โNone,โ Hazel admitted. โBut Iโm afraidโฆโ
Whatever she was thinking, she decided not to share it. She climbed one of the largest boulders to get a better view. Leo tried to follow and lost his balance. Hazel caught his hand. She pulled him up and they found themselves atop the rock, holding hands, face-to-face.
Hazelโs eyes glittered like gold.
Gold is easy,ย sheโd said. It didnโt seem that way to Leoโnot when he looked at her. He wondered who Sammy was. Leo had a nagging suspicion that heย shouldย know, but he just couldnโt place the name. Whoever he was, he was lucky if Hazel cared for him.
โUm, thanks.โ He let go of her hand, but they were still standing so close, he could feel the warmth of her breath. Sheย definitelyย didnโt seem like a dead person.
โWhen we were talking to Nemesis,โ Hazel said uneasily, โyour handsโฆI saw flames.โ
โYeah,โ he said. โItโs a Hephaestus power. Usually I can keep it under control.โ
โOh.โ She put one hand protectively on her denim shirt, like she was about to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Leo got the feeling she wanted to back away from him, but the boulder was too small.
Great, he thought. Another person who thinks Iโm a scary freak.
He gazed across the island. The opposite shore was only a few hundred yards away. Between here and there were dunes and clumps of boulders, but nothing that looked like a reflecting pool.
You will always be the outsider,ย Nemesis had told him,ย the seventh wheel.
You will not find a place among your brethren.
She might as well have poured acid in his ears. Leo didnโt need anybody to tell him he was odd man out. Heโd spent months alone in Bunker 9 at Camp Half-Blood, working on his ship while his friends trained together and shared meals and played capture-the-flag for fun and prizes. Even his two best friends, Piper and Jason, often treated him like an outsider. Since theyโd started dating, their idea of โquality timeโ didnโt include Leo. His only other friend, Festus the dragon, had been reduced to a figurehead when his control disk had gotten destroyed on their last adventure. Leo didnโt have the technical skill to repair it.
The seventh wheel.ย Leo had heard of a fifth wheelโan extra, useless piece of equipment. He figured a seventh wheel was worse.
Heโd thought maybe this quest would be a fresh start for him. All his hard work on theย Argo IIย would pay off. Heโd have six good friends who would admire and appreciate him, and theyโd go sailing off into the sunrise to fight giants. Maybe, Leo secretly hoped, heโd even find a girlfriend.
Do the math,ย he chided himself.
Nemesis was right. He might be part of a group of seven, but he was still isolated. He had fired on the Romans and brought his friends nothing but trouble.ย You will not find a place among your brethren.
โLeo?โ Hazel asked gently. โYou canโt take what Nemesis said to heart.โ He frowned. โWhat if itโs true?โ
โSheโs the goddess of revenge,โ Hazel reminded him. โMaybe sheโs on our side, maybe not; but she exists to stir up resentment.โ
Leo wished he could dismiss his feelings that easily. He couldnโt. Still, it wasnโt Hazelโs fault.
โWe should keep going,โ he said. โI wonder what Nemesis meant about finishing before dark.โ
Hazel glanced at the sun, which was just touching the horizon. โAnd who is theย cursed boyย she mentioned?โ
Below them, a voice said, โCursed boy she mentioned.โ
At first, Leo saw no one. Then his eyes adjusted. He realized a young woman was standing only ten feet from the base of the boulder. Her dress was a Greek-style tunic the same color as the rocks. Her wispy hair was somewhere between brown and blond and gray, so it blended with the dry grass. She wasnโt invisible, exactly, but she was almost perfectly camouflaged until she moved. Even then, Leo had trouble focusing on her. Her face was pretty but not memorable. In fact, each time Leo blinked, he couldnโt remember what she looked like, and he had to concentrate to find her again.
โHello,โ Hazel said. โWho are you?โ
โWho are you?โ the girl answered. Her voice sounded weary, like she was tired of answering that question.
Hazel and Leo exchanged looks. With this demigod gig, you never knew what youโd run into. Nine times out of ten, it wasnโt good. A ninja girl
camouflaged in earth tones didnโt strike Leo as something he wanted to deal with just then.
โAre you the cursed kid Nemesis mentioned?โ Leo asked. โBut youโre a girl.โ
โYouโre a girl,โ said the girl. โExcuse me?โ Leo said.
โExcuse me,โ the girl said miserably.
โYouโre repeatingโฆโ Leo stopped. โOh. Hold it. Hazel, wasnโt there some myth about a girl who repeated everythingโ?โ
โEcho,โ Hazel said.
โEcho,โ the girl agreed. She shifted, her dress changing with the landscape. Her eyes were the color of the salt water. Leo tried to home in on her features, but he couldnโt.
โI donโt remember the myth,โ he admitted. โYou were cursed to repeat the last thing you heard?โ
โYou heard,โ Echo said.
โPoor thing,โ Hazel said. โIf I remember right, a goddess did this?โ โA goddess did this,โ Echo confirmed.
Leo scratched his head. โBut wasnโt that thousands of yearsโฆoh. Youโre one of the mortals who came back through the Doors of Death. I really wish we could stop running into dead people.โ
โDead people,โ Echo said, like she was chastising him. He realized Hazel was staring at her feet. โUhโฆsorry,โ he muttered. โI didnโt mean it that way.โ
โThat way.โ Echo pointed toward the far shore of the island.
โYou want to show us something?โ Hazel asked. She climbed down the boulder, and Leo followed.
Even up close, Echo was hard to see. In fact, she seemed to get more invisible the longer he looked at her.
โYou sure youโre real?โ he asked. โI meanโฆflesh and blood?โ
โFlesh and blood.โ She touched Leoโs face and made him flinch. Her fingers were warm.
โSoโฆyou have to repeat everything?โ he asked. โEverything.โ
Leo couldnโt help smiling. โThat could be fun.โ โFun,โ she said unhappily.
โBlue elephants.โ โBlue elephants.โ โKiss me, you fool.โ โYou fool.โ
โHey!โ
โHey!โ
โLeo,โ Hazel pleaded, โdonโt tease her.โ โDonโt tease her,โ Echo agreed.
โOkay, okay,โ Leo said, though he had to resist the urge. It wasnโt every day he met somebody with a built-in talkback feature. โSo what were you pointing at? Do you need our help?โ
โHelp,โ Echo agreed emphatically. She gestured for them to follow and sprinted down the slope. Leo could only follow her progress by the movement of the grass and the shimmer of her dress as it changed to match the rocks.
โWeโd better hurry,โ Hazel said. โOr weโll lose her.โ
They found the problemโif you can call a mob of good-looking girls a problem. Echo led them down into a grassy meadow shaped like a blast crater, with a small pond in the middle. Gathered at the waterโs edge were several dozen nymphs. At least, Leo guessed they were nymphs. Like the ones at Camp Half-Blood, these wore gossamer dresses. Their feet were bare. They had elfish features, and their skin had a slightly greenish tinge.
Leo didnโt understand what they were doing, but they were all crowded together in one spot, facing the pond and jostling for a better view. Several held up phone cameras, trying to get a shot over the heads of the others. Leo had never seen nymphs with phones. He wondered if they were looking at a dead body. If so, why were they bouncing up and down and giggling so excitedly?
โWhat are they looking at?โ Leo wondered. โLooking at,โ Echo sighed.
โOne way to find out.โ Hazel marched forward and began nudging her way through the crowd. โExcuse us. Pardon me.โ
โHey!โ one nymph complained. โWe were here first!โ โYeah,โ another sniffed. โHe wonโt be interested inย you.โ
The second nymph had large red hearts painted on her cheeks. Over her dress, she wore a T-shirt that read:ย OMG, I <3 N!!!!
โUh, demigod business,โ Leo said, trying to sound official. โMake room.
Thanks.โ
The nymphs grumbled, but they parted to reveal a young man kneeling at the edge of the pond, gazing intently at the water.
Leo usually didnโt pay much attention to how other guys looked. He supposed that came from hanging around Jasonโtall, blond, rugged, and basically everything Leo could never be. Leo was used to not being noticed by girls. At least, he knew heโd never get a girl by his looks. He hoped his personality and sense of humor would do that someday, though it definitely hadnโt worked yet.
At any rate, Leo couldnโt miss the fact that the guy at the pond was one super good-looking dude. He had a chiseled face with lips and eyes that were somewhere between feminine beautiful and masculine handsome. Dark hair swept over his brow. He mightโve been seventeen or twenty, it was hard to say, but he was built like a dancerโwith long graceful arms and muscular legs, perfect posture and an air of regal calm. He wore a simple white T-shirt and jeans, with a bow and quiver strapped to his back. The weapons obviously hadnโt been used in a while. The arrows were covered in dust. A spider had woven a web in the top of the bow.
As Leo edged closer, he realized the guyโs face was unusually golden. In the sunset, the light was bouncing off a large flat sheet of Celestial bronze that lay at the bottom of the pond, washing Mr. Handsomeโs features in a warm glow.
The guy seemed fascinated with his reflection in the metal. Hazel inhaled sharply. โHeโs gorgeous.โ
Around her, the nymphs squealed and clapped in agreement.
โI am,โ the young man murmured dreamily, his gaze still fixed on the water. โI amย soย gorgeous.โ
One of the nymphs showed her iPhone screen. โHis latest YouTube video got a million hits in like, anย hour. I think I was half of those!โ
The other nymphs giggled.
โYouTube video?โ Leo asked. โWhat does he do in the video, sing?โ
โNo, silly!โ the nymph chided. โHe used to be a prince, and a wonderful hunter and stuff. But that doesnโt matter. Now he justโฆwell, look!โ She showed Leo the video. It was exactly what they were seeing in real lifeโthe guy staring at himself in the pond.
โHe is sooooo hot!โ said another girl. Her T-shirt read:ย MRS. NARCISSUS. โNarcissus?โ Leo asked.
โNarcissus,โ Echo agreed sadly.
Leo had forgotten Echo was there. Apparently none of the nymphs had noticed her either.
โOh, notย youย again!โ Mrs. Narcissus tried to push Echo away, but she misjudged where the camouflaged girl was and ended up shoving several other nymphs.
โYou had your chance, Echo!โ said the nymph with the iPhone. โHe dumped you four thousand years ago! You areย soย not good enough for him.โ
โFor him,โ Echo said bitterly.
โWait.โ Hazel clearly had trouble tearing her eyes away from the handsome guy, but she managed it. โWhatโs going on here? Why did Echo bring us here?โ
One nymph rolled her eyes. She was holding an autograph pen and a crumpled poster of Narcissus. โEcho was a nymph like us, a long time ago, but she was a total chatterbox! Gossiping, blah, blah, blah, all the time.โ
โI know!โ another nymph shrieked. โLike, who could stand that? Just the other day, I told Cleopeiaโyou know she lives in the boulder next to me?โI said:ย Stop gossiping or youโll end up like Echo.ย Cleopeia is such a big mouth! Did you hear what she said about that cloud nymph and the satyr?โ
โTotally!โ said the nymph with the poster. โSo anyway, as punishment for blabbing, Hera cursed Echo so she could only repeat things, which wasย fineย with us. But then Echo fell in love with our gorgeous guy, Narcissusโas if he would ever notice her.โ
โAs if!โ said half a dozen others.
โNow sheโs got some weird idea he needs saving,โ said Mrs. Narcissus. โShe should just go away.โ
โGo away,โ Echo growled back.
โIโmย soย glad Narcissus is alive again,โ said another nymph in a gray dress. She had the wordsย NARCISSUS + LAIEAย written up and down her arms in black marker. โHeโs likeย the best! And heโs inย myย territory.โ
โOh, stop it, Laiea,โ her friend said. โIโmย the pond nymph. Youโre just the rock nymph.โ
โWell, Iโm the grass nymph,โ another protested.
โNo, he obviously came here because he likes the wildflowers!โ another said. โThose are mine!โ
The whole mob began arguing while Narcissus stared at the lake, ignoring them.
โHold it!โ Leo yelled. โLadies, hold it! I need to ask Narcissus something.โ
Slowly the nymphs settled down and went back to taking pictures. Leo knelt next to the handsome dude. โSo, Narcissus. Whatโs up?โ
โCould you move?โ Narcissus asked distractedly. โYouโre ruining the view.โ
Leo looked in the water. His own reflection rippled next to Narcissusโs on the surface of the submerged bronze. Leo didnโt have any desire to stare at himself. Compared to Narcissus, he looked like an undergrown troll. But there was no doubt the metal was a sheet of hammered Celestial bronze, roughly circular, about five feet in diameter.
What it was doing in this pond, Leo wasnโt sure. Celestial bronze fell to earth in odd places. Heโd heard that most pieces were cast off from his dadโs various workshops. Hephaestus would lose his temper when projects didnโt work out, and heโd toss his scraps into the mortal world. This piece looked like it might have been meant as a shield for a god, but it hadnโt turned out properly. If Leo could get it back to the ship, it would be just enough bronze for his repairs.
โRight, great view,โ Leo said. โHappy to move, but if youโre not using it, could I just take that sheet of bronze?โ
โNo,โ Narcissus said. โI love him. Heโs so gorgeous.โ
Leo looked around to see if the nymphs were laughing. Thisย hadย to be a huge joke. But they were swooning and nodding in agreement. Only Hazel
seemed appalled. She wrinkled her nose as if sheโd come to the conclusion that Narcissus smelled worse than he looked.
โMan,โ Leo said to Narcissus. โYouย doย realize that youโre looking at
yourselfย in the water, right?โ
โI am so great,โ Narcissus sighed. He stretched out a hand longingly to touch the water, but held back. โNo, I canโt make ripples. That ruins the image. WowโฆI amย soย great.โ
โYeah,โ Leo muttered. โBut if I took the bronze, you could still see yourself in the water. Or hereโฆโ He reached in his tool belt and pulled out a simple mirror the size of a monocle. โIโll trade you.โ
Narcissus took the mirror, reluctantly, and admired himself. โEvenย youย carry a picture of me? I donโt blame you. I am gorgeous. Thank you.โ He set the mirror down and returned his attention to the pond. โBut I already have a much better image. The color flatters me, donโt you think?โ
โOh, gods, yes!โ a nymph screamed. โMarry me, Narcissus!โ โNo, me!โ another cried. โWould you sign my poster?โ
โNo, sign my shirt!โ โNo, sign my forehead!โ โNo, sign myโโ
โStop it!โ Hazel snapped. โStop it,โ Echo agreed.
Leo had lost sight of Echo again, but now he realized she was kneeling on the other side of Narcissus, waving her hand in front of his face as if trying to break his concentration. Narcissus didnโt even blink.
The nymph fan club tried to shove Hazel out of the way, but she drew her cavalry sword and forced them back. โSnap out of it!โ she yelled.
โHe wonโt sign your sword,โ the poster nymph complained.
โHe wonโt marry you,โ said the iPhone girl. โAnd you canโt take his bronze mirror! Thatโs whatย keepsย him here!โ
โYouโre all ridiculous,โ Hazel said. โHeโs soย fullย of himself! How can you possibly like him?โ
โLike him,โ Echo sighed, still waving her hand in front of his face. The others sighed along with her.
โI am so hot,โ Narcissus said sympathetically.
โNarcissus, listen.โ Hazel kept her sword at the ready. โEcho brought us here to help you. Didnโt you, Echo?โ
โEcho,โ said Echo. โWho?โ Narcissus said.
โThe only girl who cares what happens to you, apparently,โ Hazel said. โDo you remember dying?โ
Narcissus frowned. โIโฆno. That canโt be right. I am much too important to die.โ
โYou died staring at yourself,โ Hazel insisted. โI remember the story now. Nemesis was the goddess who cursed you, because you broke so many hearts. Your punishment was to fall in love with your own reflection.โ
โI love me so, so much,โ Narcissus agreed.
โYou finally died,โ Hazel continued. โI donโt know which version of the story is true. You either drowned yourself or turned into a flower hanging over the water orโEcho, which is it?โ
โWhich is it?โ she said hopelessly.
Leo stood. โIt doesnโt matter. The point is youโre alive again, man. You have a second chance. Thatโs what Nemesis was telling us. You can get up, and get on with your life. Echo is trying to save you. Or you can stay here and stare at yourself until you die again.โ
โStay here!โ all the nymphs screamed.
โMarry me before you die!โ another squeaked.
Narcissus shook his head. โYou just want my reflection. I donโt blame you, but you canโt have it. I belong to me.โ
Hazel sighed in exasperation. She glanced at the sun, which was sinking fast. Then she gestured with her sword toward the edge of the crater. โLeo, could we talk for a minute?โ
โExcuse us,โ Leo told Narcissus. โEcho, want to come with?โ โCome with,โ Echo confirmed.
The nymphs clustered around Narcissus again and began recording new videos and taking more photos.
Hazel led the way until they were out of earshot. โNemesis was right,โ she said. โSome demigods canโt change their nature. Narcissus is going to stay there until he dies again.โ
โNo,โ Leo said. โNo,โ Echo agreed.
โWe need that bronze,โ Leo said. โIf we take it away, it might give Narcissus a reason to snap out of it. Echo could have a chance to save him.โ
โA chance to save him,โ Echo said gratefully.
Hazel stabbed her sword in the sand. โIt could also make several dozen nymphs very angry with us,โ she said. โAnd Narcissus might still know how to shoot his bow.โ
Leo pondered that. The sun was just about down. Nemesis had mentioned that Narcissus got agitated after dark, probably because he couldnโt see his reflection anymore. Leo didnโt want to stick around long enough to find out what the goddess meant byย agitated. Heโd also had experience with mobs of crazed nymphs. He wasnโt anxious to repeat that.
โHazel,โ he said, โyour power with precious metalโ Can you just detect it, or can you actually summon it to you?โ
She frowned. โSometimes I can summon it. Iโve never tried with a piece of Celestial bronze that big before. I might be able to draw it to me through the earth, but Iโd have to be fairly close. It would take a lot of concentration, and it wouldnโt be fast.โ
โBe fast,โ Echo warned.
Leo cursed. He had hoped they could just go back to the ship, and Hazel could teleport the Celestial bronze from a safe distance.
โAll right,โ he said. โWeโll have to try something risky. Hazel, how about you try to summon the bronze from right here? Make it sink through the sand and tunnel over to you, then grab it and run for the ship.โ
โBut Narcissus is looking at it all the time,โ she said. โAll the time,โ Echo echoed.
โThatโll be my job,โ Leo said, hating his own plan already. โEcho and I will cause a distraction.โ
โDistraction?โ Echo asked.
โIโll explain,โ Leo promised. โAre you willing?โ โWilling,โ Echo said.
โGreat,โ Leo said. โNow, letโs hope we donโt die.โ