The Valdez side-effects

Chapter 9

We ran into the big house.  "Chiron!  They've been attacked!" I yell as I burst into his office. 

Chiron looks up from his desk and as soon as he sees me screaming and covered in ash whith my feet torn to shreds.  Connor Stoll sit in the chair across from Chiron and he looks up at me frowning. 

I almost strangle Chiron for just sitting there staring, but Nico holds me back.  From the corner of my eye I see Mr. D sipping a can of diet coke.   They seems unconcerned.  "Hello?  Are you people stupid?"  I scream. 

"Miss Kain." Chiron stands up.  "Come with me.  You too Mister di Angelo."

He leads us out of of the office and down the stairs.   He opens the door under the stairs leadung down to the basement and gestures for us to go down. "Are you serious?" Nico snarls. 

"Please wait down here and we will deal with the situation."  Chiron pushed us through the doorway and before we can get out again, he slams the door shut.

I bang on the door.  "Let us out!" I scream.  Nothing happens.  I run down the stairs and into small room.  It isn't exactly super luxurious.  I see a small window right above the bed and run over.  The window isn't big enough for us to crawl through but if I could get someone's attention...

I look out the small window but no one is near by. 

"Already tried that."  A voice says from the back of the room.  Both Nico and I turn and see a scrawny blonde boy in purple roman robes sitting on a red couch. 

"Octavian?" Nico scowls. 

"Yes hello Nico." Octavian says snarkily. 

The tingling sensation of last night appears in my head again.  I see Octavian reaching for an imperial gold knife at his side.  I grab the lamp on the side table deside me and hurl it at his head.  It smashes on the wall a few inches above his head and the colourful glass showers down on him.  "Don't touch the knife."  I say in a low, threatening voice. I jump down off the bed and fix him with a glare.  "If you do I'll smash your head in for real next time."

I see Octavian swallow and bring his hand away from his side.  I keep my eyes on him and walk over to Nico. 

"Leigh, lately you've known about this kind of stuff a lot."  Nico whispers. 

"What kind of stuff?" I still haven't looked away from Octavian.

"You've know when there was someone, or something, about to pull a weapon on us."  He says turning me towards him. 

At that moment the tingling makes a peak.  I whirl around, pressing the stone on my necklace all at once and deflect Octavian's knife that was sailing towards me.  I grab his wrist and punch him the nose.  He groans and stumbles back a few steps.  Blood leaks through his fingers and he lets out a ear splitting war cry before running st us again, his knife raised. 

As he tries to slash at me, I duck and drive my elbow into his stomach then kick him as hard as I can in the chest.  He let out a wheeze and crashes back into the wooden table.  He falls and dosen't move anymore.  Gods, if Leo was asleep right now, I hoped he saw that. 

I turn back to Nico and brush off my hands and my pants.  "Holy Hera, Leigh."  His eyes are wide. 

"What?" I shrug.  "I warned him." 

Nico holds back a laugh. I stroll over to Octavian and pluck his dagger out of his hand then over to tge bad and curl up in it.  Nico comes and lays down beside me. 

"You ok?" He asks. 

I shake my head.  "I wish I could stop feeling all of this pain." 

"Are you hurt?" Nico touches my shoulder. 

"No.  I mean... here." I tap the spot above my heart.

Nico makes me look him in the eyes.  "So you don't want to love Leo anymore?" He asks.

"What?  No!" I search his dark eyes to see if he was joking. He wasn't.  "I miss him too much, that's all." 

"You miss him because you love him."  Nico shrugs.  "So basicly, when you say you don't want to miss him anymore, you're basicly telling me you don't love him." 

"I do love him." I say, almost offended.

"It might hurt to miss him, but that hurt is the biggest sign you love him with all your heart." 

I let out a breath.  "I guess your right." 

I lay back down and close my eyes.  My head spins and I find it hard to stay awake. 

I slip off into sleep.

"Leigh." A voice says.  My head spins as I open my eyes.  "I know you can't see or hear me right niw but..."

I see a ghostly shape of Leo. My mind dosen't understand.  He stands there at the foot of the bed looking uncomfortable.  "I'm ok... for now.  I just wanted to say I'm proud of you for beating Octavian up because frankly, he deserved it."

The figure of Leo swims in front of my half open eyes.  "Next time, do me a favour and blow him up with the balistae from the Argo II."

He turns back towards Octavian whonis still unconscious on the floor.  "And you, you touch her again and I will burn all of your precious hair off your head."

Nico stops breathing for a second beside me and then starts up again.  His forehead is pressed up against my shoulder and his mouth in slightly open.  He looks so much younger in sleep. I slip his head off my shoulder and sit up.  My eyes lock with those of the ghostly Leo's. He dosen't think I see him and I seriously think I am hallucinating.

I blink several times and rub my eyes, he is still there when I open them.

I swing my legs over the side of the bed and cautiously walk over the where the possibility-not-real Leo stands.  I reach a shaking hand out to where he stands and it passes right through his chest.  "Leo?" I whisper? 

He frowns.  "You can see me?" He asks. 

I nod.  "How..?"

Leo shakes his head, his eyes wide.  "I don't know.  This is a dream for me, but this is real time for you."

His image shimers and disappears for a second.  "Gotta go."  He grins.  It makes me feel partially relieved.  "Love you."  He says. 

"I love you too." But he is gone before the words leave my mouth.