Burning Passion: A Leo Valdez Love Story

Chapter 5

"Can we just call them storm spirits? Venti makes them sound like evil espresso drinks."

"Well," I said. "Do you think she'll like it?" I held up the bracelet we had been working on for an hour. It was beautiful, admittedly, but not really my style. Then again, jewelry in general wasn't my style. I'm a practical girl. I haven't worn a skirt or dress since my mom's friend wedding three years ago-and mom'd had to threaten to take away my cell phone just to get me to agree to wearing it.

"I think she will," Louis replied. He looked down at it. It was made of silver, with little pink (it was Louise's-Louis's little sister-favourite color) gems all aroumd it.

"She's crazily girly," he told me. "She'll love this."

"Great! Do you still need me?" I asked.

"No, not anymore. Thanks, Naia," he said, looking into my eyes. I resisted the urge to laugh. He was trying so hard... too hard, if you ask me.

"Well then, see you around," I said, smiling. Then I ducked around him and walked outside.

I looked at the other buildings. I was loving Camp so far. It was really fun. I hoped I'd be good at some of the activities. Even if I had sort-of designed the bracelet, Louis had done all the work. I was awful at arts and crafts.

I felt like exploring, so I walked towards the Big House.

When I got there, I felt a sudden urge to walk inside. Almost as if I had no control over my body, I walked inside and went up the stairs to the attic. Strangely, the house was empty.

When I got there, I encountered a woman. She had golden-blonde hair, paper-white skin, and eyes the color of black liquorice.

"W-who are you?" I asked, stepping backwards.

"I am Hekate," she said. "Your mother made a deal with me once. And now, here you are, to fulfill it."

"What was the deal?" I asked.

She regarded me. "First, I must tell you. You are a legacy of Apollo, but he was not your mother's only godly ancestor. He is further back in your family tree."

"So?" I asked.

"She was not only a legacy, as most people believe," Hekate said. "She also had a godly parent."

"Oh, really? And who is that?" I asked.

"I am," Hekate said. "I had Apollo claim her because of the prophecy. She would have been killed if they had known who she really was... and she is not even the one they want."

"What do you mean?" I exclaimed. "What prophecy? Who would they have thought mom was?"

"The prophecy. A roman legacy who was also a child of a god, would bring the camp to ruins. Everyone would have thought that was her, because there were no other legacy/demigods before her. In fact, there are only three in the entire history of demigods: her, that horrible little boy Frank Zhang, and you."

"Oh... okay..."

"And you are special," Hekate said. "You have three different godly ancestors. You are the most powerful demigod to be born. Ever."

I was speechless.

"Yes. And you have no fatal flaw, unlike Frank Zhang."

Who was this Frank person anyway? I needed to meet him, apparently.

"So, uh... what's the deal?" I asked nervously.

"I need you to help me," she said. "When your mother was at camp, she was terribly poor. Her family were dead because they starved. She didn't want to live like that. So she made a deal with me. I would grant her fame and riches, and her firstborn child would fulfill her side of the deal. So what you are going to do is assist me in taking control of the camp."