The Valdez side-effects

Chapter 12

I wake up when I feel someone tap me on the shoulder.  I look up and see Chiron standing over me.  The infirmary is now silent and only Leo and Frank are laying in cots.  Frank's eyes are locked on me as I get up.  I unlocked my fingers from Leo's,  who still hasn't moved.

I am hesitant to leave Leo, but Chiron leads me out of the infirmary and to his office.  I slow down when I see Hecate sitting comfortably in a chair.  "Did I do something wrong?" I ask. 

Mr. D snorts.  "No, it's actually something your father did wrong."

"Oh, so now I have to pay for it?"  I say trying nit to sound to snoty. 

Chiron motions a chair next to Hecate and I sit down hesitantly. She fixes me with her freaky-all-black eyes.  "Hello, grandaughter."  She snarls. 

"What?"  I feel my body temperature drop.

Chiron paces im front of us. 

"Yes, Leora."  He seems very stressed.  "Your mother was a demigod, a daughter of Hecate.  She was never claimed because,  well because we didn't have the laws we have today.  It seems tour mother was unconsciously manipulating the Mist in such a way, the monsters never found her.  And that is why you are alive today." 

"But-" I start to object.  My mother could never be a demigod. 

"You're what, fifteen now?"  Chiron asks.  I nod.  "Well most demigods of your caliber would have been found and killed by this age without proper protection.  We assume your mother was also protecting you.  And the day you were attacked by the bull, you were away from your mother, weren't you?" 

"Yes but-"  I want to tell him that this couldn't be right because my mother was away for a year in Afghanistan.  And if my mother was a demigod and she had me with a god, what would that make me?

"You are more of three quaters of a god." Hecate says from beside me like she read my mind, and since she was the godess of magic, she probably did. 

"I'm not leaving camp."  I say quickly. 

"We are bringing you to Mount Olympus." Mr. D says.  "They are going to make you a full godess so you can't start a new breed on your own.  It was stupid of your father to do what he did." 

"No!"  I scream and jump up.  "I don't want to becaome a godess!  That's not ok!"  I try to run for the door but Chiron holds me back.  He puts me back on the chair and two thick vines spring up from it's sides and wrap around my wrists. 

"The reason you have been able to tell when you were going to be attacked lately is because your Hecate blood has been coming into effect."  Chiron says. 

"I don't want to become immortal, ok?"  I try to reason with them. "Unless you make everyone I care about immortal."

Mr. D sighs impatiently.  "She dosen't want to becaome a godess, why make her?"  He looks at me.  "We just can't let her have any children, that could be disastrous."  He speaks as if he knows I will live to an age that permits me to have kids. 

Hecate looks at me.  "Please." I feel like I am on the verge of tears.

"Fine.  Remember, it was your father who ruined your life.  Now I will go and visit my children."  She dissapears in a puff of golden smoke. 

Mr. D leaves as well and I am left alone in the office with Chiron.  The vines release my wrists.  He leans down so his face is at the same height as mine.  "You will end your relationship with Leo."

He says. 

I shake my head.  "You can't make me do that."

"The gods can."  He says before walking out of the office. 

"I'm not afraid of them!  I nearly have as much power as they do!" I call after him. 

I sit there for a few seconds and then remember Leo.  I run back to the infirmary.   Leo still hasn't moved.   I take his hand and shake him gently.  "Leo you need to wake up.  I need to tell you something important."  I say softly. 

I feel something in my head, it's like a soft crackling sound.  I turn to see if someone is going to attack me, but no one is there.  As soon as I had let go if Leo's hand, the crackling stopped. I frown and gently put my hand on his and it starts up again. With a jolt, I realise I am reading his mind.  I shake him again.  "Leo."  His mind works.

Leo.  I hear my own voice inside of Leo's head.  Yes, Leora.  He thinks.  I need to wake up and see her.

"Yes you do." I urge. 

"Very impressive." Hecate says from behind me.  "Even purebred Hecate demigods can't do that until they are at least seventeen."

I drop Leo hand and his brain feed drops away with his hand.  "You want me to end it with him."

Hecate nods. "It's for the best."

"How?  How can I do it without breaking his heart?" I ask, my own voice cracking.

"The same way you made him like you.  Use your own feelings."  She takes a step towards me.

"What? I don't know what you mean." I swallow back fear. 

"You liked him so much, your emotions were implanted in his mind every time you touched him and made him feel the way you did.  He dosen't really love you."  There is an edge to her voice.

I feel like I have been stabbed through the heart.  I sit on the floor and brace my head between my keens.  I feel a big hand on my back.  "What do you know?" I hear Frank yell.  "You haven't even seen them together!"

I hear Hecate laugh. "But I do know what I can do." The there is no other sound from Hecate. 

"He does love you Leigh." Frank says. I look up at Leo's dormant face. 

"We'll see." I say.  I take Leo's hand one more time. "Tell me, Leo, in the back of your mind, dig deep and tell me if you really do love me or not?"

Leo's eyes snap open and lock on mine imediatly.  "Yes."  He says. 

That didn't answer my question.  I hold back tears.  "Ok."  I whisper and sit back down on the floor.  This past year might all have been a lie and I can't take that.