Ignis // Leo Valdez

Last Few Minutes

Kyra's POV ^^^^

Pretty. That was the first thing I thought when I saw her. She was simply...perfect. In every way.

I remember that exact moment in Las Vegas when I was digging through a dumpster outside a buffet restaurant for food. Of course, no one saw me like usual. It had been a year since Baba died and I was homeless and starving. It had also been a year that no one had seen me since I just lived in the shadows. It was a suitable life for a filthy, pathetic, disgusting Nyx kid.

That was until they walked out of that infamous casino, accompanied by... well... I don't really remember. A monster, a fury maybe, in a black, crisp suit. The two small kids were about to get into the sleek, expensive car when they whipped their heads towards me like they knew, or felt, my presence. I remember the exact moment when their eyes locked onto mine, the first eyes I'd seen in a year. Gorgeous black eyes. And just like that I was hooked onto them.

I shadow traveled into the trunk of the car and followed them up to that cursed boarding school and stayed with them ever since. Half the time I was there they thought I was weird ghost but I explained I was demigod and they could've been too. I found out later I was right. I can still account the first time I spoke to her and she hit me upside the head with a book, hard, thinking I was a murderer. I think that was the moment I started having a crush on her. And then later, I had completely fallen for her.

I loved how when she smiled, a rare blessing, how her nose scrunched up or how her eyes shined when she was really happy. In all her grace and beauty, I was astonished when she secretly pecked my lips before she left on the quest with the Hunters of Artemis. The last time I would ever see her again. Alive, I mean.

"Wait for me, okay?" That was the last thing she said to me before the quest. We had promised when she got back I would officially join the hunters and I could shadow jump us both back to Nico when he needed us. That was the plan. Our plan.

And I waited. Even when Percy came back and told Nico she was dead. Even when she told me that I had to move on. Even when she was reincarnated. I waited.

I couldn't move on and I think I was the reason Nico couldn't move on. I forced him to grieve her with the constant reminder of her by me sticking around because I was too pathetic to leave him alone. Because that would mean I would be alone. I selfishly couldn't go back to isolation, not after finally getting attached.

A piece of my heart still belonged to her, I still missed her like hell, and it still hurt me not having her around but everyday it hurt a little less. I can live with that feeling. I got used to that feeling.

When I had finally let go of her, I met him. Gods, he's an idiot. A goofy, cute, smart, idiot. I hate him and I hate that he can me smile like an idiot. When I looked at him I realize I am not just some monster made from another monster or something that's only useful when I fix people but a person. A real person not some stupid curse to be around. He looks at me like I am the only person in the room. Just thinking about that stupid look he gives makes me want to cry, laugh, and scream in my pillow like a cliche hormonal girl. It's disgusting to think about.

And after all of that, after all I did to survive, I am dying from overuse of my powers. I can't catch a break, can I? I mean sure, I might be a blood thirsty monster but come on!

At least they wouldn't miss me. Elly and Jace have each other and their other friends. Piper has Jason, Hazel has Nico and Frank. Nico would probably be relieved to find out I had died, and Leo...he would move on, I'm sure. He could find a much prettier, smarter, livelier girl and be happy without me, probably happier. They all would. I had done my job the only way I could, to help entertain them as much as I could for the time being until I left. They were ready for me to leave.