Daughter of Neptune, Book one

XLV

Leo's pov

It took a few minutes for that to settle in. Then the other Hephaestus campers started asking questions all at once. Who were the other four demigods? How long would it take to build the boat? Why didn't everyone get to go to Greece?

"Heroes!" Chiron struck his hood on the floor. "All the details are not clear yet, but Leo is correct. He will need your help to build the Argo II. It is perhaps the greatest project Cabin Nine had even undertaken, even greater than the bronze dragon."

"It'll take a year at least," Nyssa guessed. "Do we have that much time?"

"You have six months at most," Chiron said. "You should sail by summer solstice, when the gods' power is strongest. Besides, we evidently cannot trust the the wind gods, and the summer winds are the least powerful and easiest to navigate. You dare not sail any later, or you may be too late to stop the giant's. You must avoid ground travel, using only air and sea, so this vehicle is perfect. Jason being the son of the sky god and Tori and..."

His voice trailed off, but I figured Chiron was thinking about his missing student, Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon and Tori's brother. He would've been good on this voyage, too.

Jake Mason turned to me. "Well, one thing's for sure. You are now senior counselor. This is the biggest honor the cabin has ever had. Anyone object?"

Nobody did. All my cabinmates smiled at me, and I could almost feel my cabin's curse breaking, our sense of hopelessness melting away.

"It's official, then," Jake said. "You're the man."

For once, I was speechless. Ever since my mom died, I'd spent my life on the run. Now I'd found a home and a family. I'd found a job to do. And as scary as it was, I wasn't tempted to run—not even a little.

"Well," I said at last, "if you guys elect me leader, you must be even crazier than I am. So let's build a spankin' hot war machine!"

Then, there was a knock on the cabin nine door. When Nyssa opened opened it, Tori was on the other side.

"Hey, everyone. Leo, can I borrow you for a second, privately?" She asked.

"Yeah. I'll be right back, guys." I said and followed the door.

Tori's pov.

"Tori, where are you taking me?" Leo asked.

"Somewhere private," I answered and continued to walk.

"Guess what, I am now the Hephaestus cabin head counselor!"

"That's amazing, Valdez! Good for you."

We had finally reached the clearing. "Here we are, finally. Now, I have to talk to you about something that I just need to get out."

"Tori, what's going on with you?" Leo asked me.

"It's about the kiss," I said.

"Tori, I thought we dropped this," Leo said, but he sounded angry, like he was hiding something. "Like I said, it was just a kiss, nothing more than a distraction."

"The kiss—" I froze, this felt like a mistake, he started to walk away. But I had to say it, if I didn't I'd never forgive myself. "The kiss meant something to me. Something deep and stuff–why do I have to be so bad with this feelings stuff. The point is, this kiss meant something to me and I think I like you!"

Leo turned around and look at me for a couple seconds like what.

I frowned. "This was a mistake. I—I knew I shouldn't have done—" I was about to walk away when Leo grabbed my wrist and pulled me so we were very close to each other, and I mean like, kissing close. "—this." I finished.

"Tori, I'm sorry. I should've told you. I like you, a lot." Leo smiled nervously, gods, he's so adorable. "I never told you because, I was scared. We had a friendship and I didn't want to ruin it."

"I'm sorry too. I didn't know what you'd say, so I never said anything either because, I was scared too."

"Tori Jackson, I want to be with you."

"I want to be with you too, Leo Valdez."

Then we kissed, and it was glorious.

It was like electricity coursing through me. It was indescribable. Then, because the universe can't let me be happy. I got more of my memories back during the kiss. Normally that would be a good thing, but of course, these memories just happen to be about my ex-complicated friend who I had a relationship with that involved kissing. That friend is also dead now.

I broke off the kiss. "Leo, I—I—I'm so sorry." And I ran. That entire relationship came flooding into my head and it was too overwhelming.

Here's a quick summary of my dead ex. There was once a boy. We had love in our relationship more than friends would. We loved each other, but we had duties to the people we were loyal to. We hurt each other in so many ways, it like twisting of the knives that we stabbed each other in the backs. His name was Sherlock, well, that was my nickname for him. He broke my heart.

With Leo, it reminded me of him and what happened to him in the end. If the same were to happen to Leo, I would never survive. To put my heart out there on the battlefield of love, I can't do it. Not again.