Halcyon [Leo Valdez x Reader]

Auburn and Ivory

Everything always goes wrong. Are you surprised as I say this?

The mission was going well enough. Party of ghosts in Ithaca, sneak in disguised by Hazel's mist, get intel, skedaddle.

Annabeth and Piper joined me as we trekked uphill, dressed as Greek serving maids. Piper’s mahogany hair was pinned up in a braided spiral. Silver bracelets adorned her arms. She resembled an ancient statue of her mom, Aphrodite, which I found a little intimidating.

  I glanced uphill. The summit was still a hundred yards above. Hazel decided to dress me as a war veteran, so I was covered head-to-toe in armor that weighed, like, a million pounds. I already wasn't in the best shape, but the Mist made me feel even worse, like I had a thousand aching wounds and scars.

  “Worst idea ever.” I leaned against a cedar tree and wiped my forehead. “Hazel’s magic is too good. If I have to fight, I’ll be useless.”

  “It won’t come to that,” Annabeth promised. She looked uncomfortable in her serving-maiden outfit. She kept hunching her shoulders to keep the dress from slipping. Her pinned-up blonde bun had come undone in the back and her hair dangled like long spider legs. Knowing her hatred of spiders, I decided not to mention that.

  “We infiltrate the palace,” she said. “We get the information we need, and we get out.”

  Piper set down her amphora, the tall ceramic wine jar in which her sword was hidden. “We can rest for a second. Catch your breath, Water Girl.”

From her waist cord hung her cornucopia – the magic horn of plenty. Tucked somewhere in the folds of her dress was her knife, Katoptris. Piper didn’t look dangerous, but if the need arose she could dual-wield Celestial bronze blades or shoot her enemies in the face with ripe mangoes.

  Annabeth slung her own amphora off her shoulder. She, too, had a concealed sword, but even without a visible weapon she looked deadly. Her stormy gray eyes scanned the surroundings, alert for any threat. If any dude asked Annabeth for a drink, I figured she was more likely to kick the guy in the bifurcum.

  I tried to steady my breathing.

  Below us, Afales Bay glittered, the water so blue it might’ve been dyed with food coloring. A few hundred yards offshore, the Argo II rested at anchor. Its white sails looked no bigger than postage stamps, its ninety oars like toothpicks. I didn't like looking at the ship much. All I could think about was Leo. Leo and his stupid fake girlfriend.

  “Stupid Ithaca,” I muttered.

  I supposed the island was pretty enough. A spine of forested hills twisted down its center. Chalky white slopes plunged into the sea. Inlets formed rocky beaches and harbors where red-roofed houses and white stucco churches nestled against the shoreline.

  The hills were dotted with poppies, crocuses and wild cherry trees. The breeze smelled of blooming myrtle. All very nice – except the temperature was about a hundred and five degrees. The air was as steamy as a Roman bathhouse.

  It would’ve been easy for me to control the water and surf to the top of the hill, but nooo. For the sake of stealth, I had to struggle along as a hacked-up soldier.

  “You sure this is the right hill?” I asked. “Seems kind of – I don’t know – quiet.”

  Piper studied the ridgeline. “The ruins are up there,” she promised. “I saw them in Katoptris’s blade. And you heard what Hazel said. “The biggest –” “

  “ “The biggest gathering of evil spirits I’ve ever sensed,” “ I recalled. “Yeah, sounds awesome.”

  After battling through the underground temple of Hades, the last thing I wanted was to deal with more evil spirits. But the fate of the quest was at stake. The crew of the Argo II had a big decision to make. If we chose wrong, we would fail, and the entire world would be destroyed.