The Fire In Me (A Leo Valdez Love Story)

The Most Epic Chapter Where Everything Explodes!

I just laid there, in utter surprise. Eris led Harmonia to the platform, and sealed her feet with the goo. Harmonia blasted them, but her magic was ineffective. She cried and begged Eris to let her go. Eris just sneered, and with one flick, everyone was down on their knees. 

She walked around, flicking our noses and flipping our hair, as if we were her playthings. 

"You want to know why I'm so bitter? Why Harmonia is here? Why Hephaestus obeys me?!" Leo flinched, then yelled out in pain. Several ribs must have been broken! My arms weren't fairing either. Cuts ran down my arm, causing massive bleeding. My vision was getting darker. 

Eris smiled. "All your questions can be answered with one word." She paused to lift Percy's shaggy hair to whisper in his ear, although we could all hear her. "Power." 

Harmonia shrieked in anger. "You will never have power! You don't deserve it!" The effort of yelling caused her to sink to her knees, and she trembled. 

Eris left Percy, and walked over to Harmonia, only to strike her across a cheek, leaving deep gashes. They healed fairly quickly, but scars remained, and dribbles of ichor remained on her face. Harmonia did not cry out. She did not have the strength. 

I started crying. Why did this happen? I felt so ashamed and in grief for my friends. How could I have been captured so easily? Why did Leo have to come save me?! 

Because he loves you, something whispered in my head. I could have sworn it was a my dad's voice. I looked over at Leo, who was cringing in pain, but he looked up at me, and a spark emitted from his fingers. 

I gasped. He did love me! I had never seen it that way! I mean, I knew he liked me, but to truly love someone was a true sacrifice. A true vow of loyalty. A vow of honor! 

I slowly brought myself up to my feet, though I wobbled. Jason looked up at me, but made no sound. He begged with his eyes for me to stop, but I took a step forward. And another. Soon, I was face-to-face with the goddess of chaos. And I wasn't afraid. 

I soon was, however, when Eris grabbed my throat. I struggled, but my feet left the ground as Eris lifted me over the heads of my friends. She gestured towards them. 

"Do you see this, Laura Howard? Do you see the evil inside them?" Tears came to my eyes. What was she doing? 

"You think these are your friends? Do you think they could last one day without the help of Order? These creatures would betray each other at the drop of a hat!" 

Suddenly, Jason's eyes narrowed, and when he looked up, all I saw was hatred. Not the kindess or honesty or humility I knew. This was the angry side of Jason. And it scared me. 

Jason spit out at Piper. "What makes you think you're special enough for me to keep dating you? It seems you don't care about me either way!" 

Piper fell back, but immediately rose again, this time to her feet. She picked up Jason, and punched him. She screamed, "For the last time, it was a mistake! Why do you have to hold a grudge?! I HATE YOU!" She punched him again, and he stumbled back, but he shot her with a voltage strong enough to kill a mortal. I screamed for them to stop! Some of the others joined in, but slowly, the worst of each one came up to the light. 

Nico had steaming tears in his eyes. He ran up to Percy, and held him against one of the hot cauldrons. Percy yelled in pain. 

"Why did she have to die, Percy," Nico yelled. "Why did you let her die? Didn't you promise? You promised!" He lifted up a ball of Greek fire, but Percy shoved him back and raised the lava from the cauldron. He threw it at Nico, but a ball of shadows surrounded Nico, shielding him.