Learning to Trust (A Leo Valdez Love Story)

Chapter 14

KYRA'S POV

      Kyra was sitting in the back of a taxi, nervously squished in between Leo and Piper. The closeness between them made her uncomfortable, but what made her more uncomfortable was the fact that the taxi might not be able to travel all the way up the mountain where she would then have to fight a giant in order to save Piper's dad. 

      The cab made a lurching motion and a gurgling sound as it slowly stopped. 

      "Far as I can go," the cab driver said. "You sure about this? Gonna be a long walk back and my car's acting funny. I can't wait for you."

     Kyra hopped out quickly behind Leo. 

      "We're sure," Leo said, looking warily at the cab. Kyra looked down and saw why. The tires were slowly sinking into the road, and although she didn't know very much about cabs, or about anything normal really, but she was fairly sure that was not supposed to happen. She looked down, avoiding the taxi driver's eyes. Her and Leo's feet were already sinking into the ground. She picked them up slowly and looked back up to her friends.

      Leo went to pay the cab driver. It appeared he was feeling generous, as he handed him a large portion of money from what Aphrodite had given them. 

      "Keep the change and get out of here quick." Leo said. 

      The driver hesitated momentarily as he looked at Kyra. "Hey," he said. Kyra looked up, startled. "You sure you're okay sweetie? You look a little, umm hurt." he asked concerned, now looking warily at Leo beside her, obviously seeing her bruises and the scared look in her eyes. 

      "I-I'm fine." Kyra said back. 

      "Okay. But you be careful now. If someone is hurting you, there are people who can help." he finished with a reassuring smile before speeding off the way they came.

      "I know," Kyra whispered as she looked at the people who saved her once more. Leo smirked at her and she gave him a small smile back. 

      "That's Titan land," Coach Hedge said. "Bad place Jason trust me, this is as close to 'Frisco' as we wanna get." Hedge told Jason who had just seemingly been remembering this place. Apparently he had lost his memories before he, Leo, and Piper had found Kyra. 

      Jason looked to the Titan Land with such a longing look that it made Kyra uneasy. If that place really was bad like Hedge had said than why was Jason so connected to it? A place that was supposedly evil and filled with enemies? Could Kyra truly trust him? No. Of course she could, he had been nothing but kind and understanding toward her from the moment Leo had gotten her out of her chains. What was she thinking?

      "Hey guys," Leo said, looking down at his feet, "Let's keep moving." Kyra looked down to her own feet where the earth was rising above her ankles now. 

      "Gaea is stronger here," Coach grumbled. He popped his hooves free from his shoes and handed them to Leo. "Keep those for me Valdez, those are nice."

      Leo snorted. "Yes sir, Coach. Would you like them polished too?" Kyra giggled slightly behind her hand. 

      "That's varsity thinking Valdez," Coach nodded. "But first we better hike up this mountain while we still can."

      "How do we know where the giant is?" Piper asked.

       Jason pointed up toward the peak where a cloud of smoke was drifting across the summit. "Smoke equals fire," he said. "We better hurry." 

***

      Kyra was feeling pretty winded and exhausted by the time they were halfway up the mountain. She could usually run without trouble, but with the sun beating down on her and the earth pulling at her feet, she was struggling. She wanted to roll up her sleeves, but didn't want anyone to see her scars. She was ashamed of them and didn't want her newfound friends to judge or pity her anymore than they already were. She was pretty sure her bare arms with scars and bruises littering them, along with some unpleasant words carved into her skin, would not make her appear friendly or approachable, certainly not normal. 

      By the time they reached the top of the mountain, the heroes were covered in dirt and sweat. Kyra felt the letter she had read in her dream on the inside her boot and couldn't help thinking about it. She couldn't believe what it had said. Surely it was false, but Apollo confirmed that everything in the letter was true. She hadn't told the rest of the group yet, for the same reasons as before. 

      Finally Jason crouched behind a rock wall, he gestured for the others to do the same. Leo crawled up next to him, Kyra slowly following behind. Piper had to pull Coach Hedge down.

      "I didn't want to get my outfit dirty!" Coach complained. 

      "Shh!" Piper shushed him. 

      Reluctantly the satyr knelt. 

      Just over the ridge where they were hiding, in the shadow of the mountain's final crest, was a forested depression about the size of a football field where the giant Enceladus had set up camp. 

      There seemed to be construction equipment all around the camp and there were fallen trees surrounding it. The giant was so huge, ugly, and large that Kyra didn't even want to look at him. 

      She forced herself too anyways. If she was going to be any help in this fight than she had to know what she was up against. He was about thirty feet tall, almost as tall as the treetops and was focused on a purple bonfire, he seemed to be chanting something under his breath. His muscular chest was plated in bronze armor, decorated with flames, and each of his biceps were three times bigger than Kyra. His skin was bronze but sooty with ash. 

      From the waist down he was even more terrifying. His legs were scaly green and he had claws instead of feet. In his hand, he held a spear the size of a flagpole. Every so often he would dip the end into the fire, making it turn a burning red. Kyra shivered. 

      "Okay," Coach Hedge said. "Here's the plan."

      Leo elbowed him. "You are not charging him yourself!"

      "Aww, c'mon!" 

      "Look!" Piper choked back a sob. 

      Just visible from the other side of the bonfire was a man tied to a post. His head was slumped like he was unconscious.

         "Dad," Piper whispered brokenly. 

      Kyra swallowed harshly, choking back tears. Maybe if they hadn't wasted time saving her, than Piper's dad wouldn't have to go through this torture. Kyra was used to it, but this poor man didn't deserve this. Kyra knew how it felt to be tortured and locked away. She wouldn't wish it on anyone and would have taken his place in a heartbeat in order to save Piper and her dad the heartbreak. 

      "There's five of us," Hedge whispered. "And only one of him."

     "Did you miss the fact that he was thirty feet tall!" Leo angrily whispered. 

      "Okay, so you, me, and Jason distract him. Kyra and Piper sneak around and free her dad."

      They all looked at Jason.

      "What?" he said. "I'm not the leader."

      "Yes," Piper replied. "You are."

      Kyra had no doubt about it when she was rescued that Jason was the leader of this group. His persona just screamed leader and he seemed calm under pressure from what she could tell. 

     "I hate to say it," Jason said. "But a distraction is Piper's best chance." 

      Not a good chance, Kyra thought. Not a survivable chance, but their best  chance. 

      They couldn't sit here all day and talk about it though. Kyra's knees had already been completely swallowed by the dirt. 

     Kyra watched Leo as he quickly took in the construction equipment around him and got a crazy look in his eyes. 

      "Let's boogie," he said. "Before I come to my senses." 

      Oh no.