Heroes of Olympus 03 - The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

Author:Rick Riordan [Riordan, Rick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Legends; Myths; Fables, Action & Adventure, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, General, Other, Fiction - Young Adult
ISBN: 9781423140603
Google: 8HF6tgAACAAJ
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Published: 2012-10-02T11:46:47+00:00

They were left alone at the ridge, which must have meant Aphros really did trust them. While the centaur and the mermaids went off to fetch Frank, Leo and Hazel floated above the hill and gazed down at the underwater camp.

Hazel told him how the mermaids had warmed up to her right away. Aphros and Bythos had been fascinated by her story, as they had never met a child of Pluto before. On top of that, they had heard many legends about the horse Arion, and they were amazed that Hazel had befriended him.

Hazel had promised to visit again with Arion. The mermaids had written their phone numbers in waterproof ink on Hazel’s arm so that she could keep in touch. Leo didn’t even want to ask how mermaids got cell-phone coverage in the middle of the Atlantic.

As Hazel talked, her hair floated around her face in a cloud—like brown earth and gold dust in a miner’s pan. She looked very sure of herself and very beautiful—not at all like the shy, nervous girl in that New Orleans schoolyard with her smashed canvas lunch bag at her feet.

“We didn’t get to talk,” Leo said. He was reluctant to bring up the subject, but he knew this might be their only chance to be alone. “I mean about Sammy.”

Her smile faded. “I know…I just need some time to let it sink in. It’s strange to think that you and he…”

She didn’t need to finish the thought. Leo knew exactly how strange it was.

“I’m not sure I can explain this to Frank,” she added. “About you and me holding hands.”

She wouldn’t meet Leo’s eyes. Down in the valley, the Cyclopes work crew cheered as the temple roof was set in place.

“I talked to him,” Leo said. “I told him I wasn’t trying to…you know. Make trouble between you two.”

“Oh. Good.”

Did she sound disappointed? Leo wasn’t sure, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

“Frank, um, seemed pretty freaked out when I summoned fire.” Leo explained what had happened in the cave.

Hazel looked stunned. “Oh, no. That would terrify him.”

Her hand went to her denim jacket, like she was checking for something in the inside pocket. She always wore that jacket, or some sort of overshirt, even when it was hot outside. Leo had assumed that she did it out of modesty, or because it was better for horseback riding, like a motorcycle jacket. Now he began to wonder.

His brain shifted into high gear. He remembered what Frank had said about his weakness…a piece of firewood. He thought about why this kid would have a fear of fire, and why Hazel would be so attuned to those feelings. Leo thought about some of the stories he’d heard at Camp Half-Blood. For obvious reasons, he tended to pay attention to legends about fire. Now he remembered one he hadn’t thought about in months.

“There was an old legend about a hero,” he recalled. “His lifeline was tied to a stick in a fireplace, and when that piece of wood burned up…”

Hazel’s expression turned dark.

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