The hidden passenger

7.

    Echo gestured for them to follow and sprinted down the slope. Delta could only see where she was by the movement of the grass and the shimmer of her dress as it changed to match the rocks.

"We'd better hurry," Hazel said. "Or we'll lose her."

They found the problem—if you can call a mob of pretty girls a problem, like seriously they were pretty. Echo led them down into a grassy meadow shaped like a blast crater, with a small pond in the middle. Gathered at the water's edge were several dozen nymphs.

They were all crowded together in one spot, facing the pond and jostling for a better view. Several held up phone cameras, trying to get a shot over the heads of the others.

"What are they looking at?" Leo wondered.

"Looking at," Echo sighed.

"One way to find out. " Hazel marched forward and began nudging her way through the crowd. "Excuse us. Pardon me."

"Hey!" one nymph complained. "We were here first!"

"Yeah," another sniffed. "He won't be interested in you."

The second nymph had large red hearts painted on her cheeks. Over her dress, she wore a T-shirt that read: OMG, I <3 N!!!!

"Uh, demigod business," Leo said, "Make room. Thanks."

The nymphs grumbled, but they parted to reveal a young man kneeling at the edge of the pond, gazing intently at the water.

"Oh, ew. He was brought back with you? That's awful." Delta said to Echo.

"Awful." Echo replied.

The guy at the pond was what one would call a good-looking dude. He had a chiseled face with lips and eyes that were somewhere between feminine beautiful and masculine handsome. Dark hair swept over his brow. He might've been seventeen or twenty, it was hard to say, but he was built like a dancer—with long graceful arms and muscular legs, perfect posture, and an air of regal calm. He wore a simple white T-shirt and jeans, with a bow and quiver strapped to his back. The weapons obviously hadn't been used in a while. The arrows were covered in dust. A spider had woven a web in the top of the bow.

In the sunset, the light was bouncing off a large flat sheet of Celestial bronze that lay at the bottom of the pond, washing the man's features in a warm glow.

The guy—Narcissus—seemed fascinated with his reflection in the metal.

Hazel inhaled sharply. "He's gorgeous."

Around her, the nymphs squealed and clapped in agreement.

"Don't feed into the Ego," Delta whispered to Hazel.

"I am," Narcissus murmured dreamily, his gaze still fixed on the water. "I am so gorgeous."

One of the nymphs showed her iPhone screen. "His latest YouTube video got a million hits in like, an hour. I think I was half of those!"

The other nymphs giggled.

"YouTube video?" Leo asked. "What does he do in the video, sing?"

"No, silly!" the nymph chided. "He used to be a prince, and a wonderful hunter and stuff. But that doesn't matter. Now he just...well, look!" She showed them the video. It was exactly what they were seeing in real life—Narcissus staring at himself in the pond.

"He is sooooo hot!" said another girl. Her T-shirt read: MRS. NARCISSUS.

"Narcissus?" Leo asked.