RECLUSE - (n) a person who lives a solitary life and tends to avoid other people.
MAISIE ELLIOT WAS ANGRY.
Angry at the world.
Angry at the Gods.
Angry at the demigods who seemed to move on too fast.
And when forced onto a quest with three stranger...
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MAISIE'S EYES SLOWLY OPENED
She faintly heard Piper and Jason calling Leo's name. Her head felt fuzzy. Where was she? What happened?
She looked down and noticed a body under her, arms wrapped loosely around her waist. His warm brown eyes locked to hers. She could faintly see the small specs of gold that were littered around his iris. Their noses touching, faces inches apart. She could feel the warmth that flooded from his body onto her cold one.
She didn't realize where she was until she heard Jason's voice ring out.
"Leo? Maisie? Where are you guys?"
Maisie scrambled away from Leo, practically throwing herself off of him. Leo said nothing. He only sat up. His face glowing red. Piper and Jason approached from their side.
"What happened to you?" Piper pointed to Leo. Who seemed to burn up more. Literally. Parts of his hair were on fire.
Leo began to try and stand, spitting out a clump of frozen grass in his mouth.
"Stay still." Piper ordered. "You both rolled pretty hard when— when Festus—"
Festus. Maisie had remembered now.
"Where is he?" Leo demanded. He stood ti his feet and helped Maisie stand.
"Seriously, Leo, Maisie," Jason said. "You both could be hurt. You shouldn't—"
Then they both saw the wreckage.
Festus had disintegrated. His limbs were scattered, tail hung on the fence, his body plowed a trench across the lawn. Only his neck and head were somewhat intact.
"No," Leo sobbed. He sprinted to his head and pet what had remained.
"You can't go! Please don't go." Leo pleaded. "You're the best thing I've ever fixed."
A shiver went down Maisie's spine. This scene had hit a little too close to home with her. Her eyes flashed with tears for a second, but they were quickly gone.
"It's not fair," Leo croaked.
Festus began to creak, in a pattern Maisie couldn't recognize.
"Yeah," Leo hoarsely whispered. "I understand. I will. I promise."
The dragons eyes went dark, and Leo began to openly sob in front of his friends. Piper gave him a hug from the side while Jason patted his shoulder. Maisie wanted to comfort him; she had dealt with similar grief before. But she couldn't bring herself to walk forward.
Jason was the first to speak. "I'm so sorry, man. What did you promise Festus?"
"Something my dad told me," Leo said. "Everything can be reused."
"Your dad talked to you?" Maisie exclaimed.
"When was this?" Jason asked.
Maisie's body felt cold again and a bitter taste formed in her mouth. How was it that Leo Valdez had only been claimed, like two days ago? And now could speak to his godly parent. Maisie yearned for attention from her mother, as well as many other campers did. They had tried for years for even a speck of attention from their parent. This just didn't seem fair.
