The Titan's Daughter

Chapter 5

I dragged Leo and Nico to the top of the hill toward a big tree. Then I noticed what was around the tree. I pointed to the dragon, not wanting to wake it.

"It's fine Sunshine, as long as we don't touch that," he pointed to a sparkly golden cloth hanging in the braches, "Pelios wont try to touch us." I was not at all relaxed but as we waked by the dragon didn't appear make any moves towards us. We crossed the pine tree with what appeared to be a golden tapestry draped through the branches. I looked down over the hill as Leo attempted to heave Nico past the tree and I saw him.

I have to admit my heart did a summersault in my chest when I looked down at him. Percy Jackson was playing basketball with a good-looking blonde boy. I watched him gracefully dunk the ball and do a spunky victory dance. Then a beautiful blonde girl walked down towards the boys and took Percy's hand. She kissed him. I turned away. This was probably the girl he had talked so much about in his sleep. Annabeth. I had never met her but I didn't like her at all. But I didn't need to think about him. I had Leo now. Leo had not left me and forgotten me. Leo came back for me and left his old life. He died to come back and save me. I didn't need Percy no-good Jackson.

Leo and I helped black-eyed Nico stumble down the hill. None of the campers appeared to notice us until a boy ran towards us. He was a burly boy who looked to be about 16. He had the face of a baby but the body of an ox or a bear. He was not what I would call handsome. He eagerly ran up and grabbed Leo in a bear hug.

"Valdez!" he shouted as he lifted Leo off the ground. "You were dead?" he set Leo down, perplexed, "How did you, why... You went down in a flaming ball. You sacrificed yourself... How could you be..." Leo smirked.

"Long time no see big guy." He said, "You didn't think Gaea and a ball of fire would be enough to take down old Leo Valdez did you?" He raised his eyebrow. "Lypsie, this is Frank, I told you about him." I racked my brain.

"Frank Zhang age 16 can turn into giant goldfish and ferrets?" I asked.

"That's me," Next to Leo, Frank was huge but clearly uncomfortable. He didn't seem to be as thrilled to see Leo now that the shock of Leo's survival had passed. I could sense a tense history between the two. "Well Valdez," Frank said, "You should go see Chiron."

Walking through the camp took a very long time with everyone who came up to Leo. Everyone seemed ecstatic to see Leo alive and well. There was one girl who seemed especially exited to see him. She had untidy hazel hair and she was shorter. She had an odd accent she extenuated different parts of her sentence than most of the mortals I have heard.

"Leo!" she said, "Why I thought you were dead! We all cried and searched for days! What you did was so heroic... I can't believe..." She fanned her face as though she was flushed. She couldn't stop staring at Leo. Leo noticed it too and took my hand.

"This is my Calypso," he said, "Calypso, this is Hazel. She was on my quest to stop Gaea." I raised my eyebrows to Leo. He had never mentioned a girl named Hazel to me. She seemed really ruffled that he was back and alive. Had these two had a history that Leo didn't want me to know about?

Hazel looked behind me and saw Nico, "Not him too!" she looked terrified. "I couldn't bear it if he, he's the only family I have..." Leo didn't say anything. He let go off my hand and turned to keep walking. I followed him but looked back at Hazel. She gazed at Leo as if she still couldn't believe he was alive.

"Why didn't you tell me about that girl?" I asked.

"She didn't really matter to me. You didn't need to know about her." He shrugged.

"You are a terrible liar."

"Ok fine, its quite complicated and I didn't want to explain it."

"Well you better," He sighed.

"She resurrected from the dead and her old boyfriend from the 40s was like my great grandfather Sammy and so she is still in love with him but not me and I look just like him and so its kinda weird and stuff and I thought she was really pretty or whatever and she's dating Frank and that's why he doesn't like me..." He proceeded to tell me about Hazel's past.

"Ok gear brain, that was a long story." He looked up at me. "We should keep going,"

We made it to a large house with a centaur, a satyr, and a pudgy middle-aged man sitting on the porch.

"Chiron..." I said and I knelt.

"Why the fair Calypso," Chiron said as I stood, "I have not seen you since the Golden Age. A pleasure as always."

"Well I take it you already know Lypsie," Leo said. Chiron didn't seem remotely surprised to see Leo. "We need your help with a, Nico problem." Leo pushed Nico forward.

"Oh dear," said Chiron when he saw Nico's coal eyes, "Not again..."