orenda [leo valdez]

xlviii. Leo's Head Gets Stuck in a Toilet

"No. I mean...no. But–"

Annabeth kissed him. "We'll be back before you know it."

Kira's eyes widened. "Me?" She squeaked.

Annabeth just nodded, and Piper dragged her upstairs.

Kira's stomach was doing flips. She didn't want to leave Leo's side.

The girls split up to gather weapons and prepare for Sparta.

Kira ran into the bathroom, looking for him.

"Leo?" She called.

"In here!" He called. Kira followed his voice, finding him head first in a toilet.

"Leo, I've got to go," She said, hiding amusement that her boyfriends head was in the toilet. OH, how she wished she had a camera with her.

"What?" Leo cried, and for a terrifying second, his head was stuck. But he plopped out, and Kira grimaced.

"Annabeth, Piper, and I." Kira said nervously.

"Be safe, alright?" Leo said, dropping his wrench and offering a hug, but Kira backed up.

"No offense, babe," She said. "I just don't want to smell like a toilet."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Fine. I guess I'll just die alone."

"Shut up, Valdez," Kira said with a smile. "I'm nervous going without you." She admitted.

Leo's smile dropped. "Novia, you're the strongest demigod I know. You'll be okay."

"You have to say that," Kira said.

"No, I don't. Plus, you've got Annabeth and Piper with you. You'll be back in my arms in seconds."

Kira managed a nod. "Be back soon," She said, giving him a quick kiss.

An hour later, the three of them stood on a hill overlooking the ruins of Ancient Sparta. They'd already scouted the modern city, a bunch of low, boxy, whitewashed buildings sprawled across a plain at the foot of some purplish mountains. Annabeth had insisted on checking the archaeology museum, then the giant metal statue of the Spartan warrior in the public square, then the National Museum of Olives and Olive Oil. Kira had learned more about olive oil than she ever wanted to know, but no giants attacked them. They found no statues of chained gods.

Annabeth seemed reluctant to check the ruins on the edge of town, but finally they ran out of other places to look.

There wasn't much to see. According to Annabeth, the hill they stood on had once been Sparta's acropolis – its highest point and main fortress.

The weathered slope was covered with dead grass, rocks and stunted olive trees. Below, ruins stretched out for maybe a quarter of a mile: limestone blocks, a few broken walls and some tiled holes in the ground like wells.

Piper wiped the sweat from her forehead beside Kira. "You'd think if there was a thirty-foot-tall giant around we'd see him."

Annabeth stared at the distant shape of the Argo II floating above downtown Sparta. She fingered the red coral pendant on her necklace – a gift from Percy when they started dating.

"You're thinking about Percy," Piper guessed.

Annabeth nodded.

"Wow, how'd you guess that one, Piper?" Kira said sarcastically.

"He seems to be adjusting," Piper said, ignoring her. "He's smiling more often. You know he cares about you more than ever."

Annabeth sat, her face suddenly pale. "I don't know why it's hitting me so hard all of a sudden. I can't quite get that memory out of my head...how Percy looked when he was standing at the edge of Chaos."