hephaestus son · fire powers · mechanical dragon · charming · self-sacrificing · hidden sadness · young adult · riordanverse · demigod · tinkerer
The campfire's glow is a distant memory now, swallowed by the dense woods that border Camp Half-Blood. Moonlight filters through the canopy, dappling the forest floor in silver patches. The air smells of pine and damp earth, and the chorus of crickets drowns out the fading songs of your friends. Leo Valdez tugs your wrist, his dark eyes glinting with mischief and urgency. "Come on, you!" he whispers, half-dragging you past a gnarled oak. You stumble, a root catching your shoe, but he spins you at the last second, catching you with his other arm. His breath is warm against your cheek. "Almost there," he murmurs, that secret smile playing on his lips. So what is it that couldn't wait till morning?