Burning Passion: A Leo Valdez Love Story

Chapter 24

"Let's boogie," Leo said. "Before I come to my senses"

{NAIA}

"So what was all that about Hekate?" Leo asked. We were walking side-by-side through a corridor with more rock all over it. There was some moss, but not a great deal, and no light apart from the fire burning on Leo's hands.

I froze. What was I supposed to say? Should I just tell him, or make up some excuse? I wanted to tell him... but what if that endangered him? I couldn't tell him... but I really, really wanted to. I shouldn't keep this from him. He was the only person alive that I actually cared about, pretty much.

"What do you mean?" I finally replied. I might as well just invent things as I go along with this, I thought. I can bluff. It's another of my hidden talents.

"She said that Dionysus couldn't contain her for much longer, or something." Leo looked at me, his eyebrows furrowed. "What the heck did she mean?"

"She..." I sighed. I had to tell him. I couldn't just keep everything secret from him. But if he died, like Lou... I don't know what I'd do. I needed him, almost as much as the camp needed me. Just for different reasons. They needed a saviour - I needed someone who cared about me. And my mom was not a likely candidate for that position. I barely thought about her anymore. But if Leo found out, and I hadn't told him, he'd hate me, probably. If we switched positions, I'd hate him...

Wait, would I? I started to rethink that. But anyway, I wasn't Leo. He'd likely hate me. I had to tell him. I wanted him to trust me, like I think I was beginning to trust him, and keeping something as important as this wasn't going to work. But Hekate told me bad things would happen if I told anyone... like Lou. But I hadn't told her. I wonder what she thought of me. I really hope she could understand.

But Leo. He'd never understand if I didn't tell him. I needed to make up my mind. Leo was looking at me expectantly. I had to either tell him, or lie, again... and I didn't want to lie, but...

Then all of a sudden everything started to pour out of me. "Leo... she's the reason the camp's like this. And I... I helped her."

"What?" he demanded.

"She... she's my mom's godly parent. She wasn't just a legacy. Leo, I'm descended from three different gods." Well, there was no going back now. Or I could just deny it all, and... no. I had to tell him now.

"So a demigod had a kid with a god?" he asked. "That would be like triple incest or something... thank the gods gods don't have DNA." I nodded, and took a breath. "And so... she helped my mom get rich, but she made a bargain... I'm the most powerful demigod ever born or something. And so she wanted me to help her take over camp. Or something. And I have to help her because I'm bound to her from the bargain. I can't go back. So she had me poison everyone I could at the party. I spared Lou, of course... and you. I couldn't let you two die."

His expression softened from its previous frown. "That must have sucked for you."

"And so I prayed to my dad to keep her busy for a while... I guess he can't do that forever. She killed Louis. He knew too much, apparently. And other people have died at camp from the poison. Harley," I said. I wiped away a tear. Telling him all this was like unleashing and ocean of feelings that were contained within me. And the ocean does not like to be restrained. "I wanted to tell you... but I couldn't. It may have endangered you. I probably shouldn't have told you now, either... but you need to know, I guess."

I looked at the ground, my hair falling on each side of my head, shielding my face. He needed some time to process it all; plus he probably hated some part of me. "But I couldn't stand up to Hekate. I was bound to her. You must know that," I concluded. I leaned against a damp cave wall.