Haunted || Leo Valdez

61 - Leo Possesses Possessing Spirits

Leo agreed with Nemesis about one thing: good luck was a sham. At least when it came to Leo's luck.

Last winter he had watched in horror while a family of Cyclopes prepared to roast Jason and Piper with hot sauce. He'd schemed his way out of that one and saved his friends all by himself, but at least he'd had time to think. And he'd had Rebecca's help, too.

Now, not so much. Hazel and Frank had been knocked out by the tendrils of a possessed steampunk bowling ball. Two suits of armor with bad attitudes were about to kill him. His girlfriend had been knocked out by one of the aforementioned suits of armor and now had a gash on her head to accompany the scars she'd gotten from the wolves last winter.

Leo couldn't blast the suits with fire. Suits of armor wouldn't be hurt by that. Besides, Hazel, Frank, and Rebecca were too close. He didn't want to burn them, or accidentally hit the piece of firewood that controlled Frank's life.

On Leo's right, the suit of armor with a lion's head helmet creaked its wiry neck and regarded Hazel and Frank, who were still lying unconscious.

"A male and female demigod," said Lion Head. "These will do, if the others die." Its hollow face mask turned back to Leo. "We do not need you, Leo Valdez."

"Oh, hey!" Leo tried for a winning smile. "You always need Leo Valdez!"

He spread his hands and hoped he looked confident and useful, not desperate and terrified. He wondered if it was too late to write TEAM LEO on his shirt.

Sadly, the suits of armor were not as easily swayed as the Narcissus Fan Club had been.

The one with the wolf-headed helmet snarled, "I have been in your mind, Leo. I helped you start the war."

Leo's smile crumbled. He took a step back. "That was you?"

Now he understood why those tourists had bothered him right away, and why this thing's voice sounded so familiar. He'd heard it in his mind.

"You made me fire the ballista?" Leo demanded. "You call that helping?"

"I know how you think," said Wolf Head. "I know your limits. You are small and alone. You need friends to protect you. Without them, you are unable to withstand me. I vowed not to possess you again, but I can still kill you."

The armored dudes stepped forward. The points of their swords hovered a few inches from Leo's face.

Leo's fear suddenly made way for a whole lot of anger. This eidolon in the wolf helmet had shamed him, controlled him, and made him attack New Rome. It had endangered his friends and botched their quest.

Leo glanced at the dormant spheres on the worktables. He considered his tool belt. He thought about the loft behind him—the area that looked like a sound booth. Presto: Operation Junk Pile was born.

Then, before he could even make a run for it, Rebecca jumped up, rolled, between Wolf Head's legs, and sprung up, slashing off Wolf Head's sword arm. the arm and the sword hit the ground with a loud clatter.

"I'll hold them off," she told Leo. "You do whatever you need to do."

"Thanks," Leo said. "You're the best. I--"

"Go!" Rebecca ordered. Leo saw the hint of a smile on her face.

He lunged for the stairs and bounded to the top. The suits of armor were scary, but they were not fast. As Leo suspected, the loft had doors on either side—folding metal gates. The operators would've wanted protection in case their creations went haywire...like now. Leo slammed both gates shut and summoned fire to his hands, fusing the locks.