Fire and Ice (A Leo Valdez fanfic) [2017]

Chapter 16: Eira ❄

SHE DIDN'T KNOW HOW LONG she'd been running. She soon found herself in a dark alley somewhere in the streets of Manhattan. She was looking around, wondering which way to turn, when a gust of wind blew her hair into her face and a girl's voice said, "Hello, Eira."

Eira whirled around, shoving her hair out of her face. Behind her stood a tall woman in a white Greek-style dress. She had jet black hair and icy blue eyes. Her hair was braided in an ornate bun with a blue ribbon. Eira could feel her powerful aura. This was a goddess.

"Who are you?" she said softly, even though she had a guess.

"Haven't you figured it out?" the woman said with a cold smile. "I am Khione, daughter of Boreas, goddess of snow. And, of course, your mother."

Eira stared at the snow goddess. "M-Mom?" she stammered. Of course she'd been expecting it. But after all these years of wondering who her mom was and why she'd left, she felt like her mom should have shown up sooner.

"Why didn't you help me?" she snapped. "All this time I've been living on the streets? You couldn't have sent me a sign or something? Why now-- claiming me, at camp, surrounded by demigods who hate you and now they hate me?"

Khione's lip curled. "Those demigods... they are not worth your time. Not friends."

"Wait... you've met demigods from camp before. Who?" Eira remembered Leo, Jason and Piper and their reactions when she'd been claimed.

Khione's lip curled with disgust. "Three of them. Insolent little brats. They thought they could defeat me."

"But they did, didn't they?" Eira asked.

"Yes," Khione said regretfully. "Twice. I thought I could finally finish them off. Jason Grace, Piper McLean, and Leo Valdez."

"Leo! You met him?" Eira exclaimed.

"Yes. He defied me with his fire, as if he could defeat a goddess! And Piper-- the horrible little brat! She took advantage of my brothers and used charmspeak to take us down. You're not like them."

"No, I'm not," Eira snapped. "And they've made that pretty clear."

"They aren't trustworthy, any of the demigods, especially those three. Have they given you any trouble?"

Eira thought back to the events in the clearing. "Yeah. All of them. They hated me because I was claimed by you."

"See? You don't belong with them." Khione took a step forward and smiled at Eira. "Do you know what we could do together? The possibilities are endless. I can take you back to my palace in Quebec, and we could rule together. You could use your powers freely."

It sounded amazing. Using her powers freely? Ruling alongside her mother? But why did the demigods hate Khione? What about Leo-- didn't he mention that Khione had tried to kill him?

A large aircraft-- probably either a hang glider or a small plane-- flew by. Khione glanced upward and flicked her hand in that direction. Eira pondered how Leo had come to hate her mother so passionately. Finally she asked, "Leo said that you tried to kill him. Piper and Jason hate me because I look like you. Why do they hate you?"

Khione's brows furrowed. "I've never been fond of humans myself, or demigods. Those three were defiant of my power, and I had to put them in their place. I froze the wiring of their dragon's brain. They fell out of the sky. Unfortunately, they survived."

Eira could hear the bitterness in Khione's voice. She was shocked. How could this woman talk about her friends in that manner? They weren't exactly her friends, but still. She couldn't go with her mom.

On the other hand, Khione-- Eira refused to think of this woman as "Mom"-- was offering her what she'd never had, what she'd hoped to find at Camp Half Blood: freedom. At home, she'd promised not to use her powers. Her aunt had hated her with a passion and was always looking for an excuse for kicking her out of the house. At camp, she'd been afraid that the campers would think her a freak, and that came true. But so far, all her powers had done was damage. She weighed the possibilities in her mind. 

Before she'd fully made her decision, a flash of bronze from behind Khione caught the sunlight, shining into Eira's eyes and blinding her for a few seconds. She shielded her eyes and stared at what was going on behind her mom. The thing that had flown by earlier-- it wasn't a plane or a hang glider. It was a dragon.

Festus glided in a circle, a safe distance above Khione and Eira so that Khione couldn't see. On Festus's back, Leo made eye contact with her. Eira fixed her eyes on Khione, determined not to draw attention to the dragon flying above them. She made her decision.

"I'll join you," she said loudly. "I want to rule with you. I don't care about the stupid camp." She grinned savagely.

Khione's face broke into a cold smile. "I knew you'd see reason." She held out her hand, and Eira shook it. Keeping her eyes fixed on Khione's cold hand in hers, Eira slipped off her silver ring and awkwardly tapped the jewel three times with her free hand. Khione jumped back as Chionothyella elongated into a full size silver blade.

"You thought I would give up on Camp Half Blood, did you? Maybe they won't accept me, but I know enough. You hate demigods. You tried to kill my friend. Who says it wouldn't just be a matter of time before you get bored and turn me into an ice cube?"

Khione's face was even paler than usual. "How-- how dare you! You would defy me, a goddess, your own mother? Your power is no match for mine! How can a mere demigod with inferior powers she can barely control hope to defeat a full goddess?" She took a menacing step forward. Suddenly a wall of fire blasted between them. Eira stepped back, ready for it. Khione stumbled back from the flames, nearly tripping over her dress.

Leo Valdez emerged from the flames, his face and clothes streaked with ashes. Eira had never been so glad to see him. "She can't," he said. "Not alone. But with Bad Boy Supreme by her side--" he flashed his trademark grin and Eira felt her heart throb-- "she's got a fighting chance."