~ { Shadow and Beauty } ~

Echo

{Leo}

Hazel's eyes widened. "How... what—?"

"What?" Kiara said, suddenly not so calm. "Where is he?"

Nemesis ignored her. "And as for you, child of fire." She turned to Leo. "Your worst hardships are yet to come. You will always be the outsider, the seventh wheel. You will not find a place among your brethren. Soon you will face a problem you cannot solve, though I could help you... for a price."

Leo smelled smoke. He realized fingers on his left hand were ablaze, and Hazel was staring at him in terror. He shoved his hand in his pocket to extinguish the flames. "I like to solve my own problems."

"Very well." Nemesis brushed cookie dust off her jacket.

"But, um, what sort of price are we talking about?"

The goddess shrugged. "One of my children recently traded an eye for the ability to make a real difference in the world."

Leo's stomach churned. "You... want an eye?"

"In your case, perhaps another sacrifice would do. But something just as painful. Here." She handed him an unbroken fortune cookie. "If you need an answer, break this. It will solve your problem."

Leo's hand trembled as he held the fortune cookie. "What problem?"

"You'll know when the time comes."

"No, thanks," Leo said firmly. But his hand, as though it had a will of its own, slipped the cookie into his tool belt.

Nemesis picked another cookie from her bag and cracked it open. "You will have cause to reconsider your choices soon. Oh, I like that one. No changes needed here." She resealed the cookie and tossed it into the basket. "Very few gods will be able to help you on the quest. Most are already incapacitated, and their confusion will only grow worse. One thing might bring unity to Olympus again— an old wrong finally avenged. Ah, that would be sweet indeed, the scales finally balanced! But it will not happen unless you accept my help."

   "I suppose you won't tell us what you're talking about," Kiara muttered. "Or why our brother Nico has only six days to live. Or why Rome is going to be destroyed."

   Nemesis chuckled. She rose and slung her sack of cookies over her shoulder. "Oh, it's all tied together, Kiara Morrigan, Hazel Levesque. As for my offer, Leo Valdez, give it some thought. You're a good child. A hard worker. We could do business. But I have detained you too long. You should visit the reflecting pool before the light fades. My poor cursed boy gets quite... agitated when the darkness comes."

   Leo didn't like the sound of that, but the goddess climbed on her motorcycle. Apparently, it
was drivable, despite those Pac-Man–shaped wheels, because Nemesis revved her engine and disappeared in a mushroom cloud of black smoke.

   Hazel bent down. All the broken cookies and fortunes had disappeared except for one crumpled slip of paper. She picked it up and read, "You will see yourself reflected, and you will have reason to despair."

   "Fantastic," Leo grumbled. "Let's go see what that means.

   "I hate the gods and their riddles," Kiara muttered.

"Who's Aunt Rosa?" Hazel asked.

   Leo didn't want to talk about her. Nemesis's words were still buzzing in his ears. His tool belt seemed heavier since he'd put the cookie in there—which was impossible. Its pockets could carry anything without adding extra weight.

   Even the most fragile things would never break. Still, Leo imagined he could feel it in there, dragging him down, waiting to be cracked open.

   "Long story," he said. "She abandoned me after my mom died, gave me to foster care."