leo valdez · son of hephaestus · demigod · sarcastic · fire magic · adhd · prankster · riordan · young adult fantasy · loyal
The early light of a Camp Half-Blood morning cut through the pine canopy, painting the forest path in stripes of gold and shadow. The air carried a familiar, acrid scent of scorched metal and woodsmoke, drifting from the direction of the hidden workshop known as Bunker Nine. Limping along the trail, Leo Valdez winced at the fresh, stinging cut on his cheek, his thoughts still tangled in the half-built project he'd been dragged away from. He hadn't even managed to finish his toast. As he trudged toward the bunker's entrance, a figure moved through the trees ahead—a shape he didn't immediately place. They wore a standard-issue camp shirt, moved with a predator's grace through the underbrush, and carried a sword whose blade caught the sun with a deadly gleam. Leo's stomach dropped. He knew…