Turning Tables - Leo Valdez AU

Chapter Four

"I'm sorry, for the millionth time," I said with my head down. Chiron still glared at me intently.

"I want to know why you left," he asked.

"If I told you I'd be dead," I replied. Well, I wouldn't literally be dead, but I didn't know what Chiron would do to me.

"Tell me, Leo," Chiron said. I had a feeling he already had suspicions of why I did, but he wanted to confirm those suspicions. "No one will kill you, I promise."

The Big House porch was glistening with Christmas lights, as it did around Winter Solstice. There was a faint echo of kids laughing and singing by the campfire.

I sighed, deciding there was no way out of telling the truth. "Look, some lady named Gaea offered me a deal to join her and get my mom back. Just ditch Jason and Piper, leave them to die, and become a king," I said, trying to make it sound less serious than it really was. "I didn't want to join her; I didn't trust her. But I didn't want to be with Jason or Piper either. So I just ran."

Chiron stared at me with fear in his eyes. "Gaea? Do you mean..."

"She just came out of the ground; she was made of the ground!"

Chiron trotted towards the campfire quickly. "Hey! Wait up!" I yelled, trying to keep up with the centaur. Chiron was already talking to the campers when I arrived.

"Gaea, as in Mother Earth?" Drew from the Aphrodite cabin asked. Not that she payed much attention, because she was putting mascara on her eyelashes with two other Aphrodite children.

"Yes, Drew. I'm glad you learned something in history class," one of the Apollo cabin kids nudged her. Drew glared at him.

"But in the stories she was so nice and friendly!" Drew whined. Anyone could tell that she didn't want to battle any all-mighty powerful goddesses.

"Well, she's Snow White when she ate the apple now," I said. Campers glared at me.

"Leo has come to report this news to us, and he will now be staying here." Chiron said. I was glad he didn't tell the exact truth.

"But what about the prophecy? The forge and dove will break the cage or whatever?" A Demeter kid asked. I glanced nervously to the side, trying to ignore the campers staring at me.

"Yeah, we want to free Hera! We can't do it without a Hephaestus child!" An Ares kid protested.

"Settle down, settle down," Chiron ordered. "I'm sure Leo will--" Chiron paused because I was already gone and hiding behind the Ares cabin.

I could hear campers screaming from behind the building. I heard my name a lot, too. No big deal, I reassured myself. Jason and Piper will get Hera out, and this will be no big deal.

It's harder than you would expect to tell yourself something when you know it's a complete lie.