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Chapter no 8 – LEO

The Mark of Athena (The Heroes of Olympus #3)

โ€ŒLEO PSYCHED HIMSELF UPย for an extreme makeover. He summoned some breath mints and a pair of welding goggles from his tool belt. The goggles werenโ€™t exactly sunglasses, but theyโ€™d have to do. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. He used some machine oil to grease back his hair. He stuck a wrench in his back pocket (why exactly, he wasnโ€™t sure) and he had Hazel draw a tattoo on his biceps with a marker:ย HOT STUFF, with a skull and crossbones.โ€Œ

โ€œWhat in the world are you thinking?โ€ She sounded pretty flustered.

โ€œI try not to think,โ€ Leo admitted. โ€œIt interferes with being nuts. Just concentrate on moving that Celestial bronze. Echo, you ready?โ€

โ€œReady,โ€ she said.

Leo took a deep breath. He strutted back toward the pond, hoping he looked awesome and not like he had some sort of nervous affliction. โ€œLeo is the coolest!โ€ he shouted.

โ€œLeo is the coolest!โ€ Echo shouted back. โ€œYeah, baby, check me out!โ€

โ€œCheck me out!โ€ Echo said. โ€œMake way for the king!โ€ โ€œThe king!โ€

โ€œNarcissus is weak!โ€ โ€œWeak!โ€

The crowd of nymphs scattered in surprise. Leo shooed them away as if they were bothering him. โ€œNo autographs, girls. I know you want some Leo time, but Iโ€™m way too cool. You better just hang around that ugly dweeb Narcissus. Heโ€™s lame!โ€

โ€œLame!โ€ Echo said with enthusiasm. The nymphs muttered angrily.

โ€œWhat are you talking about?โ€ one demanded. โ€œYouโ€™reย lame,โ€ said another.

Leo adjusted his goggles and smiled. He flexed his biceps, though he didnโ€™t have much to flex, and showed off hisย HOT STUFFย tattoo. He had the nymphsโ€™ attention, if only because they were stunned; but Narcissus was still fixed on his own reflection.

โ€œYou know how ugly Narcissus is?โ€ Leo asked the crowd. โ€œHeโ€™s so ugly, when he was born his mama thought he was a backward centaurโ€”with a horse butt for a face.โ€

Some of the nymphs gasped. Narcissus frowned, as though he was vaguely aware of a gnat buzzing around his head.

โ€œYou know why his bow has cobwebs?โ€ Leo continued. โ€œHe uses it to hunt for dates, but he canโ€™t find one!โ€

One of the nymphs laughed. The others quickly elbowed her into silence. Narcissus turned and scowled at Leo. โ€œWhoย areย you?โ€

โ€œIโ€™m the Super-sized McShizzle, man!โ€ Leo said. โ€œIโ€™m Leo Valdez, bad boy supreme. And the ladiesย loveย a bad boy.โ€

โ€œLove a bad boy!โ€ Echo said, with a convincing squeal.

Leo took out a pen and autographed the arm of one of the nymphs. โ€œNarcissus is a loser! Heโ€™s so weak, he canโ€™t bench-press a Kleenex. Heโ€™s so lame, when you look upย lameย on Wikipedia, itโ€™s got a picture of Narcissusโ€” only the pictureโ€™s soย ugly, no one ever checks it out.โ€

Narcissus knit his handsome eyebrows. His face was turning from bronze to salmon pink. For the moment, heโ€™d totally forgotten about the pond, and Leo could see the sheet of bronze sinking into the sand.

โ€œWhat are you talking about?โ€ Narcissus demanded. โ€œI am amazing.

Everyone knows this.โ€

โ€œAmazing atย pure suck,โ€ Leo said. โ€œIf I was asย suckย as you, Iโ€™d drown

myself. Oh wait, you already did that.โ€

Another nymph giggled. Then another. Narcissus growled, which did make him look a little less handsome. Meanwhile Leo beamed and wiggled his eyebrows over his goggles and spread his hands, gesturing for applause.

โ€œThatโ€™s right!โ€ he said. โ€œTeam Leo for the win!โ€

โ€œTeam Leo for the win!โ€ Echo shouted. Sheโ€™d wriggled into the mob of nymphs, and because she was so hard to see, the nymphs apparently thought the voice came from one of their own.

โ€œOh my god, I am so awesome!โ€ Leo bellowed. โ€œSo awesome!โ€ Echo yelled back.

โ€œHeย isย funny,โ€ a nymph ventured.

โ€œAnd cute, in a scrawny way,โ€ another said.

โ€œScrawny?โ€ Leo asked. โ€œBaby, Iย inventedย scrawny. Scrawny is the newย sizzling hot. And I GOT the scrawny. Narcissus? Heโ€™s such a loser even the Underworld didnโ€™t want him. He couldnโ€™t get the ghost girls to date him.โ€

โ€œEww,โ€ said a nymph. โ€œEww!โ€ Echo agreed.

โ€œStop!โ€ Narcissus got to his feet. โ€œThis is not right! This person is obviously not awesome, so he must beโ€ฆโ€ He struggled for the right words. It had probably been a long time since heโ€™d talked about anything other than himself. โ€œHe must be tricking us.โ€

Apparently Narcissus wasnโ€™t completely stupid. Realization dawned on his face. He turned back to the pond. โ€œThe bronze mirror is gone! My reflection! Give me back to me!โ€

โ€œTeam Leo!โ€ one of the nymphs squeaked. But the others returned their attention to Narcissus.

โ€œIโ€™mย the beautiful one!โ€ Narcissus insisted. โ€œHeโ€™s stolen my mirror, and Iโ€™m going to leave unless we get it back!โ€

The girls gasped. One pointed. โ€œThere!โ€

Hazel was at the top of the crater, running away as fast as she could while lugging a large sheet of bronze.

โ€œGet it back!โ€ cried a nymph.

Probably against her will, Echo muttered, โ€œGet it back.โ€

โ€œYes!โ€ Narcissus unslung his bow and grabbed an arrow from his dusty

quiver. โ€œThe first one who gets that bronze, I will like youย almostย as much as I like me. I might even kiss you, right after I kiss my reflection!โ€

โ€œOh my gods!โ€ the nymphs screamed.

โ€œAnd kill those demigods!โ€ Narcissus added, glaring very handsomely at Leo. โ€œThey areย notย as cool as me!โ€

Leo could run pretty fast when someone was trying to kill him. Sadly, heโ€™d had a lot of practice.

He overtook Hazel, which was easy, since she was struggling with fifty pounds of Celestial bronze. He took one side of the metal plate and glanced back. Narcissus was nocking an arrow, but it was so old and brittle, it broke into splinters.

โ€œOw!โ€ he yelled very attractively. โ€œMy manicure!โ€

Normally nymphs were quickโ€”at least the ones at Camp Half-Blood were

โ€”but these were burdened with posters, T-shirts, and other Narcissusโ„ข merchandise. The nymphs also werenโ€™t great at working as a team. They kept stumbling over one another, pushing and shoving. Echo made things worse by running among them, tripping and tackling as many as she could.

Still, they were closing rapidly. โ€œCall Arion!โ€ Leo gasped. โ€œAlready did!โ€ Hazel said.

They ran for the beach. They made it to the edge of the water and could see theย Argo II, but there was no way to get there. It was much too far to swim, even if they hadnโ€™t been toting bronze.

Leo turned. The mob was coming over the dunes, Narcissus in the lead, holding his bow like a band majorโ€™s baton. The nymphs had conjured assorted weapons. Some held rocks. Some had wooden clubs wreathed in flowers. A few of the water nymphs had squirt gunsโ€”which seemed not quite as terrifyingโ€”but the look in their eyes was still murderous.

โ€œOh, man,โ€ Leo muttered, summoning fire in his free hand. โ€œStraight-up fighting isnโ€™t my thing.โ€

โ€œHold the Celestial bronze.โ€ Hazel drew her sword. โ€œGet behind me!โ€ โ€œGet behind me!โ€ Echo repeated. The camouflaged girl was racing ahead

of the mob now. She stopped in front of Leo and turned, spreading her arms

as if she meant to personally shield him.

โ€œEcho?โ€ Leo could hardly talk with the lump in his throat. โ€œYouโ€™re one brave nymph.โ€

โ€œBrave nymph?โ€ Her tone made it a question.

โ€œIโ€™m proud to have you on Team Leo,โ€ he said. โ€œIf we survive this, you should forget Narcissus.โ€

โ€œForget Narcissus?โ€ she said uncertainly. โ€œYouโ€™re way too good for him.โ€

The nymphs surrounded them in a semicircle.

โ€œTrickery!โ€ Narcissus said. โ€œThey donโ€™t love me, girls!ย Weย all love me, donโ€™t we?โ€

โ€œYes!โ€ the girls screamed, except for one confused nymph in a yellow dress who squeaked, โ€œTeam Leo!โ€

โ€œKill them!โ€ Narcissus ordered.

The nymphs surged forward, but the sand in front of them exploded. Arion raced out of nowhere, circling the mob so quickly he created a sandstorm, showering the nymphs in white lime, spraying their eyes.

โ€œI love this horse!โ€ Leo said.

The nymphs collapsed, coughing and gagging. Narcissus stumbled around blindly, swinging his bow like he was trying to hit a piรฑata.

Hazel climbed into the saddle, hoisted up the bronze, and offered Leo a hand.

โ€œWe canโ€™t leave Echo!โ€ Leo said. โ€œLeave Echo,โ€ the nymph repeated.

She smiled, and for the first time Leo could clearly see her face. She really was pretty. Her eyes were bluer than heโ€™d realized. How had he missed that?

โ€œWhy?โ€ Leo asked. โ€œYou donโ€™t think you can still save Narcissusโ€ฆโ€ โ€œSave Narcissus,โ€ she said confidently. And even though it was only an

echo, Leo could tell that she meant it. Sheโ€™d been given a second chance at life, and she was determined to use it to save the guy she lovedโ€”even if he was a completely hopeless (though very handsome) moron.

Leo wanted to protest, but Echo leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, then pushed him gently away.

โ€œLeo, come on!โ€ Hazel called.

The other nymphs were starting to recover. They wiped the lime out of their eyes, which were now glowing green with anger. Leo looked for Echo again, but she had dissolved into the scenery.

โ€œYeah,โ€ he said, his throat dry. โ€œYeah, okay.โ€

He climbed up behind Hazel. Arion took off across the water, the nymphs screaming behind them, and Narcissus shouting, โ€œBring me back! Bring me back!โ€

As Arion raced toward theย Argo II, Leo remembered what Nemesis had said about Echo and Narcissus:ย Perhaps theyโ€™ll teach you a lesson.

Leo had thought sheโ€™d meant Narcissus, but now he wondered if the real lesson for him was Echoโ€”invisible to her brethren, cursed to love someone who didnโ€™t care for her.ย A seventh wheel.ย He tried to shake that thought. He clung to the sheet of bronze like a shield.

He was determined never to forget Echoโ€™s face. She deserved at least one person who saw her and knew how good she was. Leo closed his eyes, but the memory of her smile was already fading.

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