Learning to Trust (A Leo Valdez Love Story)

Chapter 21

KYRA

      Kyra felt like she couldn't breathe. Her chest was tightening as she felt herself begin to hyperventilate, her vision getting blurry. This couldn't be happening. She found her gaze meeting Leo's and the rest of her friends who looked at her both in concern and confusion. 

      She felt her mind spinning as she tried to calm herself down. They were going to hate her now. She hadn't necessarily lied to them, but she hadn't told them the truth of what had happened to her either. Sure, there hadn't really been time, and if she knew Khione was an enemy of theirs she would have told them what she had done to her. But she couldn't help but feel ashamed as she begin to break down in front of her new friends.

      Kyra hadn't felt more afraid or devastated in a long time. She thought that she would finally be safe. Leo had rescued her from Medea, and she had assumed her previous captors would not find her. She was wrong. She looked back, meeting Khione's cold stare, as she smirked evilly at Kyra as if she could read her thoughts.

      Now Thalia was frozen at their feet. They were surrounded by monsters. They had approximately five minutes until the king of the giants busted out and destroyed them. Khione was back and looked hungry for vengeance. 

      On top of all this, Kyra's worst memories were flooding back. She couldn't stop seeing what Khione did to her. She hurt her in more ways than one. It was fun for her and nobody did anything to stop it. Despite everything Kyra had gone through, she'd never been as close to death as she was right now.

      Khione smiled, her dark eyes glittering as a dagger of ice grew in her hand. 

      Kyra sucked in a quick breath and found herself moving closer to Leo. She had felt what that dagger can do before, and she did not want to go through that again. 

      "What've you done?" Jason demanded.

      "Oh, so many things," the snow goddess purred. "Your sister's not dead, if that's what you mean. She and her Hunters will make fine toys for our wolves. I thought we'd defrost them one at a time and hunt them down for amusement. Let them be the prey for once."

      The wolves snarled appreciatively. Kyra frowned. She felt like she should do something but all she could focus on was the cruel gleam in Khione's eyes and the pain she felt as she relived some of her worse memories: being locked in a cold room with no windows, feeling her body slowly shut down as she neared hypothermia, water from an icicle dripping into fresh wounds as she begged Khione to stop hurting her. 

      "Yes, my dears." Khione kept her eyes on Jason, moving to Kyra quickly. "Your sister almost killed their king, you know. Lycaon's off in a cave somewhere, no doubt licking his wounds, but his minions have joined us to take revenge for their master. And soon Porphyrion will arise, and we shall rule the world."

      "Traitor!" Hera shouted. "You meddlesome, D-list goddess! You aren't worthy to pour my wine, much less rule the world."

      Khione sighed. "Tiresome as ever, Queen Hera. I've been wanting to shut you up for millennia." Khione waved her hand, and ice encased the prison, sealing in the spaces between the earthen tendrils.

      "That's better," the snow goddess said. "Now, demigods, about your death—"

      "You're the one who tricked Hera into coming here," Jason said. "You gave Zeus the idea of closing Olympus."

      The wolves snarled, and the storm spirits whinnied, ready to attack, but Khione held up her hand, and Kyra flinched back instinctively causing Leo to look over at her, concern and worry flashing in his eyes. "Patience, my loves. If he wants to talk, what matter? The sun is setting, and time is on our side. Of course, Jason Grace. Like snow, my voice is quiet and gentle, and very cold. It's easy for me to whisper to the other gods, especially when I am only confirming their own deepest fears. I also whispered in Aeolus's ear that he should issue an order to kill demigods. It is a small service for Gaea, but I'm sure I will be well rewarded when her sons the giants come to power."