Would that I ──── Leo Valdez [2]

7: Echo, Narcissus and Zayn Malik

─────"Who is Mrs. Wilson?" Hazel asked. 

"A foster parent we stayed at" Vincent said shortly. "Like I said, she was pretty shitty. But we already got our revenge on her, so to speak"

Leo winced as he remembered the way the Wilsons' house had gone up in flames. 

"Oh. And who's Aunt Rosa?"

Leo didn't want to talk about her. Nemesis's words were still buzzing in his ears. His tool belt seemed heavier since he'd put the cookie in there—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.

"Long story," he said. "She abandoned me after my mom died, gave me to foster care."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well..." Leo was anxious to change the subject. "What about you? What Nemesis said about your brother?"

Hazel blinked like she'd gotten salt in her eyes. "Nico... he 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 Nico's in danger... I have to help him."

"Sure," Leo said, though the idea made him uneasy. He doubted the revenge goddess ever gave advice out of the goodness of her heart. "And what Nemesis said about your brother and Vincent's dream guy having six days to live, and Rome getting destroyed... any idea what she meant?"

"He's not my dream guy" Vincent grumbled. "But yeah. what's up with the whole Rome getting destroyed?"

"No idea," Hazel admitted. "But I'm afraid..."

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. Vincent had to help him up and they found themselves atop the rock, holding hands, face-to-face.

Vincent's eyes glittered like gold but Leo knew they were a beautiful hazel, which was ironic since the girl was watching them with raised eyebrows. 

Gold is easy, she'd said. He wondered who Sammy was. Leo had a nagging suspicion that he should know, but he just couldn't place the name. 

"Um, thanks." He let go of Vincent's hand, but they were still standing so close, he could feel the warmth of Vincent's breath. Vince didn't seem to think twice about it, which honestly hurt more than anything else. 

Leo knew this was just a silly little crush. Vincent would never like him back, not in the way Leo liked him. He knew Vincent's type, he had seen the kind of guys Vince got flustered around. Lityerses, Percy, Will Solace from the Apollo cabin, hell even Jason was more Vincent's type than Leo. 

He couldn't help the way his stomach clenched. 

"When we were talking to Nemesis," Hazel cut through his thoughts, "your hands... I saw flames."

"Yeah," he said. "It's a Hephaestus power. Usually I can keep it under control."

"Oh." 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 I'm 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.