𝐎𝐏𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒༄ • Jᴀsᴏɴ Gʀᴀᴄᴇ

Chapter 37

Hazel and Leo were talking about something, but Freya was to focused on her own thoughts. Remembering what Medea said made her also recall her quest, and in turn, Jason. Just the thought of him made her feel squeamish. There was so much between them, so many things they needed to talk about but couldn't. And besides the fact that they had their issues before Leo had fired on Camp Jupiter and it had all went to shit, there was also the fact that Jason was probably still in bed unconscious. 

She probably shouldn't have thought about that. Now she was even more overcome with worry, and it did for a great distraction. And that's the last thing she needed. Especially since she had a suspicion getting that celestial bronze was not going to be easy. 

"-We should keep going," Leo was saying. 

"I wonder what Nemesis meant about finishing before dark." Hazel glanced at the sun, which was just touching the horizon. "And who is the cursed boy she mentioned?" 

Below them, a voice said, "Cursed boy she mentioned."

Freya startled. At first, she saw no one. Then her eyes adjusted. She realized a young woman was standing only ten feet from the base of the boulder. Her dress was a Greek style tunic the same color as the rocks. Her wispy hair was somewhere between brown and blond and gray, so it blended with the dry grass. She wasn't invisible, exactly, but she was almost perfectly camouflaged until she moved. Even then, Freya had trouble focusing on her. Her face was pretty but not memorable. In fact, each time Freya blinked, she couldn't remember what she looked like, and she had to concentrate to find her again.

"Hello," Hazel said. "Who are you?" 

"Who are you?" the girl answered. Her voice sounded weary, like she was tired of answering that question. 

The three of them exchanged looks. With this demigod gig, you never knew what you'd run into. Nine times out of ten, it wasn't good. A ninja girl  camouflaged in earth tones didn't strike Freya as something she wanted to deal with just then. 

"Are you the cursed kid Nemesis mentioned?" Freya asked.

"But you're a girl," Said Leo.

"You're a girl," The girl said. 

"Excuse me?" Leo said.

 "Excuse me," the girl said miserably. 

"You're repeating..." Leo stopped. "Hey Freya, wasn't there a myth about-" 

"A woman who repeated herself? Yeah, Echo. I don't remember it all that well, but I think she was cursed by a goddess?" 

"Cursed by a goddess," Echo confirmed. 

"Poor thing," Said Hazel. 

"Poor thing," Agreed Echo. 

Leo scratched his head. "But wasn't that thousands of years...oh. You're one of the mortals who came back through the Doors of Death. I really wish we could stop running into dead people." 

"Dead people," Echo said, like she was chastising him.

Hazel was staring at her feet. 

Leo blinked in realization. "Uh...sorry," he muttered. "I didn't mean it that way."

 "That way." Echo pointed toward the far shore of the island. 

"You want to show us something?" Hazel asked. She climbed down the boulder, Leo and Freya following after. Even up close, Echo was hard to see. In fact, she seemed to get more invisible the more you stared at her. 

 "You sure you're real?" Freya asked. "I mean...flesh and blood?" 

"Flesh and blood." She touched Freya's face and made her flinch. Echo's fingers were warm.