They would've died five times on the way to the door if not for Leo.
First it was the motion-activated trapdoor on the sidewalk, then the lasers on the steps, then the nerve gas dispenser on the porch railing, the pressure-sensitive poison spikes in the welcome mat, and of course the exploding doorbell.
Leo deactivated all of them. It was like he could smell the traps, and he picked just the right tool out of his belt to disable them.
"You're amazing, man," Jason said.
Leo scowled as he examined the front door lock. "Yeah, amazing," he said. "Can't fix a dragon right, but I'm amazing."
"Hey, that wasn't your—"
"Front door's already unlocked," Leo announced.
Piper stared at the door in disbelief. "It is? All those traps, and the door's unlocked?"
Leo turned the knob. The door swung open easily. He stepped inside without hesitation.
Before Jason could follow, Piper caught his arm. "He's going to need some time to get over Festus. Don't take it personally."
"Get over it?" Ada asked incredulously. "He lost his best friend. You don't get over that in ten minutes." Ada kicked at the floor. She really needs a pillow to scream into.
Ada could see the guilt on Jason's face. She almost felt bad, almost. Ada didn't forget what he said to Leo.
"I know you want to apologize to him, but now isn't the time. He'd explode, literally." Ada told Jason, rendering an understanding nod. He turned to Piper.
"Piper," he said, "I know I was in a daze back in Chicago, but that stuff about your dad—if he's in trouble, I want to help. I don't care if it's a trap or not."
Her eyes were always different colors, but now they looked shattered, as if she'd seen something she just couldn't cope with. "Jason, you don't know what you're saying. Please—don't make me feel worse. Come on. We should stick together."
She ducked inside.
"Together," Jason said. "Yeah, we're doing great with that."
Ada first impression of the house: Dark.
From the echo of his footsteps he could tell the entry hall was enormous, even bigger than Boreas's penthouse; but the only illumination came from the yard lights outside. A faint glow peeked through the breaks in the thick velvet curtains. The windows rose about ten feet tall. Spaced between them along the walls were life-size metal statues. As Ada eyes adjusted, he saw sofas arranged in a U in the middle of the room, with a central coffee table and one large chair at the far end. A massive chandelier glinted overhead. Along the back wall stood a row of closed doors.
"Where's the light switch?" His voice echoed alarmingly through the room.
Don't see one," Leo said.
"Fire?" Piper suggested.
Leo held out his hand, but nothing happened. "It's not working."
"Your fire is out? Why?" Piper asked.
"Well, if I knew that—" Leo's distain was interrupted by Piper.
"Okay, okay," she said. "What do we do—explore?"
"Hell nah." Ada returned, picking up a stone to see if she could start a fire.
Leo shook his head. "After all those traps outside? Bad idea."
"Leo's right," he said. "We're not separating again—not like in Detroit."
"Oh, thank you for reminding me of the Cyclopes." Piper's voice quavered. "I needed that."
YOU ARE READING
𝓢𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓴𝓼 || Leo Valdez X OC
Romantizm"All the señoritas ask for my name, obviously. Leo Valdez." Ada scrunched up her nose at that comment, sloshing the liquid around the can. Ada told him to turn around real quick,and he actually did. She cracked the monster in his face and it shot l...
