Burning Passion: A Leo Valdez Love Story

Chapter 12

"Yes!" Leo yelped. "Absolutely. I am Dionysus."

{LEO}


"Naia!"

I'd ran into the room where they were keeping her as quietly as possible.

She didn't move.

I rummaged through my tool belt, looking for something that'd break the lock.

I found a bolt-cutter and some other things and got to work.

After a minute if stressful work, the door was open and Naia could get out-hypothetically. She was kind of passed out.

"Naia, it's me, Leo. You gotta get up, girl."

She moved a bit and turned around to face me, her eyes blinking groggily, trying to focus. "What...?"

"The maenads attacked and kidnapped you, and you were knocked out," I said. "Did you use the necklace?"

"I did, and then they put some kind of a spell on it so I couldn't use it anymore," she said slowly, wincing as if it pained her to talk. "Oh, gods, I have a headache..."

"Come on, we've got to go. I'll try to fix your later."

I offered Naia my hand and she took it. I pulled her up. We stared at one another for a brief moment, and a tingly feeling shot up my arm from where my hand was.

"Where's Lou?" she asked, bringing me to my senses.

"Oh, uh... she's gone to deal with the maenads," I told her.

"She's okay?" Naia peered at me.

"Last I checked."

I looked out the doorway. "We should go now."

"Yeah, we should, shouldn't we?" Naia said, frowning.

She walked ahead, back straight.

"Naia, what is it with you?" I asked annoyedly.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, sometimes, you're friendly enough, and other times you're damn hostile. Are you... jealous of Louise?"

"No! She's my best friend. I don't give a crap about who she dates, as long as she's happy and all that! What did you think?"

"Do you like me?" I blurted.

"What?!?"

"You know what I mean," I said.

"No! Gods! I barely even like you as a friend!" she exclaimed, a look of utter disgust on her face, like mine when a machine went haywire.

"Thanks a lot," I said sarcastically.

"You're welcome," she replied in the same tone. And then started to walk away, putting a hand to her temple every so often and wincing.

We walked in silence the rest of the way. I wanted to say something to her, but I couldn't seem to form the words. So I just kept silent.

"I can hear Lou talking out there with some other people," Naia warned me, "so don't make any loud noises. Let's just try to get out without them noticing and Lou will be able to follow."

I nodded. It was dark in the passageway and her odd purple eyes glowed eerily.

"Okay," I said. "I'll count to three, and on the third count, we run."

Naia nodded.

"Ready?" I asked. "One, two-three!"

And then we ran out of the room. I shot a glance at the maenads, making sure they didn't notice us.

They had.

Damn, I should've known it wouldn't be this easy.

"Who is that boy and what is he doing with our sacrifice?" Babette hissed... or maybe it was a wail. She marched up to us, and gasped when she saw my face. Her eyes went wide. "You! The annoying boy who captured me!"

"Babette," I groaned. "Great."

"Don't you dare talk to me in that insolent tone!" she shreiked. "I am the servant of Dionysus! Bow down before me!"

She took a swig of her bright red drink and gurgled, then grinned at me psychotically. "Now I shall wreak my vengeance, at last! I show no mercy to ugly, scrawny boys like you."

Baby, I invented scrawny! I thought, but I didn't say it aloud.

"Sure. Do what you want. But you'll regret killing me, if that's what you wanna do. You can't just let go of a Leotastic catch like me." I wiggled my eyebrows.

Babette slapped me. Hard. "Shut UP!" she cried. "I am the one who decides your fate!"

Naia stepped up to Babette. "I am the daughter of Dionysus. I order you to let us go."

"Never!" Babette hissed. "We are more important to him! It took him sixteen years to claim you!"

Naia glared at her. If it had been directed at me, I would have done anything she told me to. But I guess since Babette was virtually indestructible, nothing scared her.

"Let us go, unharmed, or I will kill every last one of you." She spoke in a quiet, menacing, tone.

Babette glared at her. "Ha! Puny demigod. No one cares for you."

Naia rolled her eyes, trying to look unconcerned, but I figured Babette had struck a nerve, because she didn't retaliate.

"You've never met your lord Dionysus. Your mother is a crazy woman and doesn't care about you. One of the ones you could have loved are dead, and the other is with your best friend, who you only just found again, and now doesn't understand you. No one will miss you if you die! No one!" She laughed madly and chugged her Kool-Aid.

Naia stared at her. "I..."

"We care about you, Naia," I said, taking her hand and squeezing it quickly.

"She's lying, Naia, don't listen to her. Everyone loves you," Lou called.

Naia stared at Babette. "You will let us go," she said clearly, loudly, "or I will kill you. The choice is yours."

Babette laughed and grabbed Naia and me roughly. "We need a sacrifice! I'm not going to let you go!" She giggled. "And your friends here can watch you die."

She started to walk away, dragging Naia and I with her.

"Bring the other one!" she ordered. I looked back and watched as two of the maenads grabbed Lou by the arms.

We were carried to a stage, where a big altar stood.

And on the altar was a razor-sharp, bloody, sacrificial knife.

Babette flung me at two other maenads and carried Naia to the altar.

"Wait!" someone cried. I looked in the direction of the voice.

"I will take her place." It was Adonia, the senior maenad. "One so young does not deserve to die."

She walked up to the altar and took the knife.

Naia stared. "Why are you doing this?"

"'Twas I who angered the Lord Dionysus by choosing to cease to be a maenad. I no longer want this life. I did not want to die, but if anyone should, it shall be I."

And then she lay down on the altar. "I have one last wish. They go free."

Babette nodded, looking puzzled.

And then Adonia plunged the sword into her chest.

There was a moment of stunned silence in the room. And then Naia ran toward us. "They're not going to let us go this easy," she whispered. She grabbed Louise and my wrists and ran out.

☆★☆

"Do you think they'll come after us?" Louise asked, panting.

We'd ran for about an hour, trying to get as far away as possible.

"Maybe," Naia said.

"Probably," I said seriously. Then I remembered something. "Naia, you said your necklace wasn't working?"

"No. Like I said before, they must have put some sort of spell on it, or something."

"Right..." I knew nothing about magic, apart from stuff Cabin 9 used. But I figured there was something different about this kind.

"I'll see what I can do," I told her.

"Who gave you the necklace anyway?" Louise asked. "It's awesome."

"Oh..." Naia replied.

"Just tell me!!" Louise exclaimed.

"I did," I said finally. "For her birthday."

Louise looked kind of dissapointed. "Why didn't you make me one?"

"Because... er..."

"Don't tell me you like her better!" she gasped.

"No! How could I?"

"Thanks a lot," Naia said.

"Sorry. But what I mean is, we're not really very close like you and me... and... I asked you of you wanted one like that, remember?" I blurted.

"No! And if you had, why didn't you make one for me?"

"You said you didn't want weapons from me, because they were too unromantic."

"Oh yeah... now I remember." Louise looked embarrassed. "Oops," she said sheepishly.

I laughed.

"Come to think of it, it's a pretty necklace... but not really my type. And you were-wait, I-was right. Very unromantic."

Naia and I laughed. Louise was so cute, in an odd way. That was probably the fastest mood change I'd ever seen in my life.

"Anyway," said Naia, clearing her throat. "Shall we keep going?"

"I think so," said Louise. Then she hugged Naia.

"What's that for?" Naia asked, laughing.

"I'm just glad you're safe and sound," Louise replied. "I'm a touchy person, okay?"

Naia grinned up at her-she was several inches shorter than Louise, who was pretty much taller than me-and patted her on the head.

"Okay," Louise said. "Let's go!"

☆★☆

Later that night we decided to rest in a cold, dark part of the Labyrinth. It was the least likely place to hide, and if the maenads were still chasing us, that would hopefully throw them off.

Or not...

"I'll take first watch," Louise said.

"Okay," Naia and I replied.

Naia lay down with her bag clutched against her. Louise'd managed to find her stuff in a room full of old backpacks and quest equipment-and other things that lead to me believing there had been other demigods captured by them.

I wouldn't want to have hung around with the maenads, that's for sure.

I lay down, within a few feet of Louise and across from Naia.

I looked at her face. She was so much less guarded-looking, much younger, in her sleep. A strand of cinnamon-colored hair fell across her cheek, and I felt an urge to push it out of the way.

What was I thinking? I was dating Louise!

Ugh. I'd had this conversation in my head before. It was getting tiresome.

But how much longer could I go on until Louise wanted to be serious? I'd have to break up with her, and that would ruin our friendship, probably.

But even though I hated myself for it, I was suspicious that I liked Naia more.

And staring across at her in the near-darkness made me almost sure of it.

☆★☆

A while later I was woken by Louise. "Time to protect us, baby," she said, kissing my forehead.

I yawned and sat up. "Okay. Get some sleep."

Louise lay down where I'd been. After ten minutes she sat up again.


"Hmmph. I can't sleep," she said.

"Try harder!"

"I can't, I can never sleep," she said. "But, well, get used to it. If I have my way, we'll be together for the next few millennia," she said cheerfully.

I forced a laugh.

"What is it now?" she asked, puzzled.

"Nothing. It's just, uh..."

She raised her eyebrows. "You do like me, right?"

"Yeah! Of course!" But I probably didn't sound convinced.

"What is it? Tell me, Leo. I need to know."

"Yeah, umm..." I smiled awkwardly. "I just... I like you, but..."

"But what?"

"I don't want to get too serious," I blurted finally. Dang, was that the breakup line already?

"It's because of Naia, isn't it?" she said.

"What?"

"Don't avoid it, Leo, I can tell. I wasn't positive of it, but from today, I am now. I get it. I really do. I'll move on, I always do, just ask Naia." She gave a short laugh. "But we'll still be friends, right?"

"Of course we will. I really like you, Louise. But... not like that."

"Okay." She said finally. "So I guess this is official?"

"Yeah. I guess so." I said finally.

"I've had so many worse breakups," Lou reflected. "Jeez, this was a piece of cake."

I grinned. "So, I guess we're clear now?"

"Yup. But just know, if you and Naia start dating, I'm inventing a ship name for you," she said, smiling.

I was amazed how easily she'd taken it. I admired her a lot for it.

I chuckled. "Is that a threat?"

"What do you think?" Lou asked.

I grinned, feeling more at ease than I had since I'd met Naia.

☆★☆

That morning, I woke up to the sound of Naia and Lou talking.

I guessed Lou had told her about the breakup. Thinking about it, I felt bad. But I also felt like a big weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

"Leo," Lou said cheerfully. "You're awake. Eat something and then we have to go find the smart dude."

Naia laughed. "I think we should pay him a bit more respect, Lou."

"What? We don't know his name!" Lou pointed out.

"Well yeah, but... just promise me not to call him that when we get there."

Lou nodded seriously, but of course I knew she wasn't really serious. That girl never was.

"Any idea who this "smart dude" is?" I asked.

"Nope," they responded in unison.

"We'll figure it out eventually," Naia said. "We have to."

☆★☆

AND SO, THE AMAZING MYSELF HAS UPDATED THIS.

Yippee, I got a request for romance! I didn't exactly do that, but I did get Lou out of the way.

And so onto the breakup. Was that okay, or should she have stormed away and freaked out OR just started to cry and all that crap? TELL ME I GOTTA KNOW!!!!! (Of course, I want Lou's personality to be stronger than before, so I think this worked, but perhaps not.

And I tried, yes I did, to make the maenads crazier. How'd I do? And did y'all like Adonia's sacrifice?


I bet you all are pleased with me. No cliffy! Haha!

Leo quote from (surprise) @xxCopyCatxx. Thanks again! =D

@hades_ made the beautiful new cover. Thanks!!!!!!!! :D :D

Okay, all for now. Tell me what you thought!

COMMENT, VOTE, ADD TO READING LIST...

PS: if the link works, there's a video of Josh Hutcherson singing this ice cream truck song... I can't stop laughing, honesty...

PPS: sorry if it was a bit short.