YOU ARE IN LOVE ↬ leo valdez x reader, book 2

18. you can hear it in the silence

In front of Hazel, the air rippled. The Mist thickened, creating a doorway, and four people stepped through. Frank, Nico, Piper, and Jason—all with their swords drawn, came to the rescue.
"Sorry we're late," Jason said. "Is this the guy who needs killing?"
"These damn one liners."

Old Mate Clitoris wasn't having the best day of his life. Our crew attacked him from every direction—Leo shooting fire at his legs, Frank and Piper jabbing at his chest, Jason flying into the air and kicking him in the face. Each time the giant's smoky veil started creeping around one of them, Nico was there, slashing through it, drinking in the darkness with his Stygian blade.

Percy and Annabeth helped one another onto their feet and held their swords but by the words of Doctor Y/N, they were not permitted to attack. Really, it wasn't needed. Especially when I had to show them my excitement of their return. I tried not to be too rough since they had quite literally been at Death's doors, but I gave them both hugs.
"Hey Y/N!" Percy sent me a lopsided grin. Annabeth glared daggers at him before pulling me into another hug.
"We've missed you." I said solemnly. They bowed their heads before turning to observe the battle.

The giant was surrounded. Clytius snarled, turning back and forth as if he couldn't decide which of us to kill first. Wait! Hold still! No! Ouch! The darkness around him dispelled completely, leaving nothing to protect him except his battered armor. Ichor oozed from a dozen wounds. One last time Jason flew at him, kicking him in the chest, and the giant's breastplate shattered. Clytius staggered backward. His sword dropped to the floor. He fell to his knees, and the demigods encircled him. Only then did Hecate step forward, her torches raised. Mist curled around the giant, hissing and bubbling as it touched his skin.

"And so it ends," Hecate said.
It does not end. Clytius's voice echoed from somewhere above, muffled and slurred. My brethren have risen. Gaea waits only for the blood of Olympus. It took all of you together to defeat me. What will you do when the Earth Mother opens her eyes?
Hecate turned her torches upside down. She thrust them like daggers at Clytius's head. The giant's hair went up faster than dry tinder, spreading down his head and across his body. Clytius fell without a sound, face-first in the rubble of Hades's altar. His body crumbled to ashes.

The goddess Hecate faced Hazel. "You should go now, Hazel Levesque. Lead your friends out of this place."
Hazel gritted her teeth. "Just like that? No 'thank you'? No 'good work'?"
The goddess tilted her head. Gale the weasel chittered—maybe a good-bye, maybe a warning—and disappeared in the folds of her mistress's skirts. "You look in the wrong place for gratitude," Hecate said. "As for 'good work,' that remains to be seen. Speed your way to Athens. Clytius was not wrong. The giants have risen—all of them, stronger than ever. Gaea is on the very edge of waking. The Feast of Hope will be poorly named unless you arrive to stop her."

The chamber rumbled. Another stela crashed to the floor and shattered. "The House of Hades is unstable," Hecate said. "Leave now. We shall meet again."
The goddess dissolved. The Mist evaporated.
"She's friendly," Percy grumbled.
The others turned toward him and Annabeth, as if just realizing they were there.
"Dude." Jason gave Percy a bear hug. "Back from Tartarus!"

Leo whooped. "That's my peeps!"
Piper threw her arms around Annabeth and cried.
The reunion of our Argo II crew was wholesome, despite the ceiling shuddering. Cracks appeared in the remaining tilesColumns of dust spilled down. Unstable architecture was going to be the death of me (no seriously, if I didn't get out in time).

"We've got to get out of here," Jason said. "Uh, Frank...?"
Frank shook his head. "I think one favor from the dead is all I can manage today."
"Wait, what?" Hazel asked.
Piper raised her eyebrows. "Your unbelievable boyfriend called in a favor as a child of Mars. He summoned the spirits of some dead warriors, made them lead us here through...um, well, I'm not sure, actually. The passages of the dead? All I know is that it was very, very dark."

"We'll have to shadow-travel," Hazel said.
Nico winced. "Hazel, I can barely manage that with only myself. With seven more people—"
"I'll help you."
An entire section of tiles peeled loose from the ceiling.
"Everyone, grab hands!" Nico yelled. "Everyone, grab hands!" Nico yelled. We made a hasty circle, my hand clamped on Leo and Piper's. I slowly dissolved into shadows.

We appeared on the hillside overlooking the River Acheron. The sun was just rising, making the water glitter and the clouds glow orange. The cool morning air smelled of honeysuckle. The beautiful countryside didn't mask the lurching feeling of ickiness that overcame my entire self after the shadow travel, unfortunately.
Nico realized that he was holding Percy's hand and quickly let go. Leo staggered backward.
"You know...I think I'll sit down." He collapsed. We all joined him, sitting around and exchanging stories.

Frank explained what had happened with the ghostly legion and the army of monsters—how Nico had used the scepter of Diocletian, and how bravely Jason and Piper had fought.
"Frank is being modest," Jason said. "He controlled the entire legion. You should've seen him. Oh, by the way..." Jason glanced at Percy. "I resigned my office, gave Frank a field promotion to praetor. Unless you want to contest that ruling."
Percy grinned. "No argument here."
"Praetor?" Hazel stared at Frank.
He shrugged uncomfortably. "Well...yeah. I know it seems weird."

"It seems perfect." Leo clapped Frank on the shoulder. "Way to go, Zhang. Now you can order Octavian to fall on his sword."
"Tempting," Frank agreed. He turned apprehensively to Percy. "But, you guys...Tartarus has to be the real story. What happened down there? How did you...?"
"We'll tell you the story," Percy promised. "But not yet, okay? I'm not ready to remember that place."
"No," Annabeth agreed. "Right now..." She gazed toward the river and faltered. "Uh, I think our ride is coming."

The Argo II veered to port, its aerial oars in motion, its sails catching the wind. Festus's head glinted in the sunlight.
"That's my boy!" Leo yelled, standing up and jumping. I grinned at his proud little face, pure joy written in his eyes.
As the ship got closer, Hazel saw Coach Hedge standing at the prow. "About time!" the coach yelled down. He was doing his best to scowl, but his eyes gleamed as if maybe, just maybe, he was happy to see us. "What took you so long, cupcakes? You kept your visitor waiting!"

"Visitor?" Hazel murmured.
At the rail next to Coach Hedge, a dark-haired girl appeared wearing a purple cloak, her face so covered with soot and bloody scratches that she was unrecognizable. Reyna.