"'Time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone."


A/N: Many thanks to ViscountessAberowen. I am definitely going to try to finish this (don't worry- there are a TON more chapters) by the time that "The Sun and the Star" comes out in May (right? May?). Happy Reading.


The stairs were gone. Crumbling ash and cinders.

Leo leaned against a still intact wall, his vision swimming as his lungs ached. Breath rasped in his throat, and he wiped a hand over his face, smearing soot and grime across his face. Leo slowly sank to the floor, resting his head against his knees and closing his eyes against the oppressive smoke and hazy air.

Just for a second. I'm just…I'm just going to rest for a second.

Leo's breath became more shallow. He didn't realize when he drifted off– only realized he had when he jerked awake to a wash of cold overtaking him, running like ice water from his neck to his waist. He twisted sideways and fell, shoulder crashing into the wood floor. The son of Hephaestus groaned, trying to remember why he was in a burning building in the first place.

Grace.

Leo sat up straight as if he'd been shocked, panic jolting through him.

Grace.

The ice-cold feeling drifted from his back and along his shoulder and down his arm until it reached his fingertips. From there it held, increasing in coolness and pressure.

"I'm going," Leo mumbled, unsure if it was Mrs. Gugaitis or Grace's dad. "Haven't you seen, though? The stairs are gone."

The temperature dropped further and Leo felt a shiver work through his muscles. "Alright, alright, alright." Leo pushed himself to his feet slowly, exhaustion threatening to overwhelm him. "I'm going," he grumbled to the air. He gestured ahead of him. "Lead the way?"

The cold air flowed down his left arm and pooled in his fingers. Wearily, he turned left in the hallway and trudged forward until the cold spread over his whole body again. Leo stopped abruptly and waited. Several moments passed before the cold drifted down toward his right fingers. He stared at the wall and door in front of him.

"That's just a closet. It's not going to get me upstairs." Leo coughed into his elbow, gagging on the force with which the air was expelled from his lungs. The cold sensation grew in his fingertips until he was sure his hand would freeze solid.

The son of Hephaestus stepped forward and flung open the door. A dingy yellow mop bucket on wheels took up one of the corners while cleaning supplies cluttered a bookcase leaning against the wall. A rusted extension ladder lay on its side on the floor. Above a mop sink, an open and squared-off hole disappeared into the darkness.

Leo took a step further into the room and crossed to the sink, looking up into the black emptiness. He saw nothing. Frowning, he stepped away and looked about the room again. But the cold spread over his body once more before shooting up to his head.

His eyebrows rose and he addressed the empty room, "Up there? You want me to go up there? ¡Ni cagando!"

The cold grew in intensity until Leo winced, shaking his head to try to clear it. "Fine! Fine. Just stop."

The demigod sighed and, feeling his energy nearing its limits, pulled the old ladder upright and moved it into a higher position until it leaned on the opening. Leo hesitated only a moment before setting his hands on the rungs and began to climb.

Once in the rafters, Leo settled his weight onto one of the wooden beams and peered into the space between the ceiling of the first floor and the floor of the second.

Still pitch black. No openings. What in Hades does it want me to do?

Out loud, he said, "See? There's not a way through–"

The cold settled in his chest and almost made him unbalanced with the force of it. He sighed. "Forward it is."

Leo reached a foot out until it rested on the next beam, acutely aware that even if he weren't in a burning building, one wrongly-placed foot could send him crashing through the ceiling. He was five beams across when he ran into flimsy metal, hitting it with a loud thunk.

"Ow! What the–?" It took a moment for Leo to register what was in front of him. And then a smile crossed his face. He tested his hand against the HVAC system. It shifted, one side weak. "Thank the gods for lazy contractors."

Leo braced himself against one of the vertical support beams and balanced on one leg to kick at the metal enclosure that ran heat and AC to the room above. After three kicks, the HVAC came back from its anchors with a metallic screech. Leo pulled it the rest of the way from the enclosure, letting it rest against the beam. He scrambled on top of it and pushed against the double-wide floor grate. The old brittle plastic snapped and he pulled himself up, wincing as the jagged edges dug into his skin.

Leo caught his breath as he settled into the room– a bathroom– before rising to his feet and exiting into a blazing hallway. He raised his arm and covered his face at the sudden brightness and heat. An explosive cough burst from his mouth and he staggered. Once Leo regained his composure, he looked up. Although several doors lined the hallway, he didn't need to check each one– his ghostly compass led the way to the last door on the right.

Leo entered the room and closed the door hurriedly behind him– his last line of defense once the fire followed him. A small window on the right wall showed him the small garden at the back of the property and the roof of the connecting kitchen.

Grace sat huddled between her bed and the wall, knees drawn up toward her chest and arms snaking around her legs. A photo sat on the ground in front of her. Three people smiled up from behind the cheap plastic frame: a woman with red hair and a ready smile, a younger and happier looking version of Grace's dad, and an 8-year-old Grace. The demigod didn't look up as Leo coughed.

"You shouldn't be here." The girl's voice was thin and flat, devoid of emotion. "You should leave."

Leo felt like hacking up a lung as he coughed, bent double and tried to catch his breath. Wheezing, Leo croaked, "Sounds like a good idea. Let's go."

Grace didn't move.

"Come on. We have to go, Grace. The whole building is going to collapse."

"I know. So go." Her voice was cold.

Leo stepped further into the room. "I'm not leaving without you if that's what you're trying to get me to do."

Finally, Grace looked up, a sneer already plastered on her face, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Get out of here! Are you stupid or something? Leave already!"

Leo ignored the girl and walked toward her. "Get up, Grace. Please don't make me force you."

Grace continued to glare at him. Leo scowled back and reached out, one arm snagging the picture from the floor and the other wrapping around Grace's wrist. "Come on. We're leaving."

The girl tried to pull her hand from Leo's grasp, hitting him with her free hand. When the son of Hephaestus still wouldn't let go, Grace leaned forward and sank her teeth into his arm.

Leo yelled in pain and let go. He stared at Grace in shock. "You bit me. The building is on fire and you bit me."

Grace's eyes brimmed with tears. She reached forward and yanked the picture from Leo's other hand. "I'm not going. Okay? So just leave." She held the frame to her chest and sat on the edge of the bed, coughing as the tears finally began falling. "I want to die. So just…just let me, okay?"

Leo stood frozen on the spot, his heart pounding heavily in his chest. Acutely aware of his and Grace's quickly dwindling window of escape, Leo hesitated before stepping forward and sitting beside the girl. He looked down at the picture.

"Is that your step-mom? The one who got killed by the snakes?"

Grace nodded shakily, angrily wiping a hand across her face. The tears kept falling.

"She saved you though, right?"

Grace's face twisted. "She died because of me."

Leo tapped his fingers gently against his thigh.

I love you. I love you. I love you.

"And your dad–"

"Don't talk about him!" A hysterical tone edged its way into Grace's voice.

Leo pressed on, "Your dad is gone now, too."

An ugly sob ripped from Grace and she wailed, "It's my fault! If–if I wasn't me, he'd be alive! And happy!"

"No, Grace." Leo reached out and wrapped a gentle hand around Grace's. "It's not your fault."

"It is," Grace hissed, ripping her hand from Leo's. "Gloria's dead because of me. My dad is dead because of me. We wouldn't have even been here if it wasn't for me."

Grace's voice fell and Leo had to lean in to hear the next words that fell from her lips.

"I got him killed. He should hate me. I hate me."

"He doesn't."

"And what would you know about it?" Grace spat the words as if they were venom.

Leo sat still for a moment, trying to quell the stab of pain in his chest. He licked his lips and said quietly, "My mom died in a fire that I started trying to save her." He hesitated before adding, "I was eight."

Grace's face seemed to freeze. She didn't look at him, but she didn't move away either.

"I know what it's like to hate yourself. To feel so much…anger and grief that it would feel better to be dead. Easier. Less exhausting. I'm not gonna pretend that what happens next is a piece of cake– because it's not." Leo paused, almost sensing the fire creeping down the hall and blazing on the other side of the door. He licked his lips and continued.

"Some days you'll wish you were dead. Others…it will hurt but more like a toothache. And it won't be a steady path to getting better. It's more like a rollercoaster of good and bad days. But you just keep putting one foot in front of the other."

Leo suppressed a cough, pain stinging in his throat and pressure building in his chest. Words seemed to swim through his mind, his own nightmares bobbing to the surface. And comforting words spoken with care echoed through his thoughts.

The gathering smoke stung Leo's eyes but he stayed sitting next to the now orphaned girl. "Grace. Your dad loved you. More than anything. I know he wants to see you safe. He wouldn't want you blaming yourself. He loves you so much, Grace."

Grace's face crumpled and she leaned heavily into Leo, sobs grating from her throat. His arm came up around her shaking shoulders. The pair stayed that way for a few moments before Leo said, "I really think we need to get moving, Grace. Don't you?"

Grace sat up straight and nodded while running the back of her hand under her dripping nose. Moments later her eyes widened with real panic.

"There's no way out, Leo."

Leo froze in the middle of rising to his feet and looked at the girl cautiously. "What do you mean?"

"I mean the fire– it's everywhere. I don't see our lines continuing– our fates." Her voice grew quiet– tiny, small, and desperate. "We waited too long."

Leo tried to force his growing panic back but his breath began to come in short bursts. He coughed and felt pain sear through his lungs. He shook his head. "No. No, there has to be a way out."

He turned and dashed to the door but hesitated as he put his hand on the doorknob. He licked his lips and asked, "Grace? Can you come here?"

The girl hastened to Leo's side with a harried look. When she stood beside him, Leo said, "Can you feel the doorknob? Is it hot? I…I can't tell. It doesn't hurt me."

Grace didn't question him but wiped a sweaty palm against her jeans before reaching out to do what the son of Hephaestus asked. Almost immediately she snatched her hand back to her, cradling it against her chest.

Leo groaned. "I'll take that as a yes. How am I always getting myself into these situations?" Leo rapped his knuckles none too gently against his forehead. "Think, Leo. Think!"

Perhaps it was the smoke or exhaustion or panic, but Leo's mind seemed to shut down.

"What about the window?" Grace's voice was still small and unsure.

Leo looked at her and then to the window. It was small and even Grace would have issues getting out. But it was their best option. Leo breathed in deeply only to begin coughing again. He waved the other demigod on, motioning to open the window.

Once the window was open, Leo croaked out, "Let me go first. If there's any weak spots in the roof, I don't want you falling through."

Grace nodded and watched as Leo forced himself through the small opening. The son of Hephaestus winced as the edge of the window dug into his shoulders and hips.

That'll definitely bruise.

Leo toppled over the edge of the window and fell hard onto the rooftop. When he didn't tumble straight through and into the burning interior, he cautiously stood and called out to Grace, "Come on. It's alright!"

Leo held onto Grace's arms as she wormed her way through the small opening, grimacing as the window frame bit into her skin.

"Easy does it. There we go." Grace half-fell, half-launched herself the rest of the way from the window. The momentum carried her forward and Leo fell backwards under her weight, Grace landing in a heap on top of him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Grace quickly rolled to the side as Leo wheezed in pain, taking a moment to collect his breath. "What…what now?"

Leo pushed himself to his feet and reached a hand down to help Grace to hers. "We get off the roof."

Leo looked around. They were on a small patch of roofing that covered the right wing of the first floor. The front of the building– the parking lot where he had left Nico– wasn't visible. The son of Hephaestus moved slowly, testing patches of roof with his toes before gingerly trusting them with his weight. Grace followed steadily behind him, fearful eyes darting to imagined weak spots. Once they made it to the edge, Leo turned to the girl.

"Alright. Just like the window, okay? I'm going down first and then—"

"But how are we getting down? There's no ladder." Grace craned her neck until she could see over the gutter of the roof. She paled and quickly looked at Leo.

"I don't think there's anything for it but to jump. I know it's not—" Leo's words were lost as Grace's voice rose in disbelief.

"Jump? Are you kidding me?"

"Do you want to burn to death," Leo snapped. "Do you? Eventually, this roof will collapse and it's not going to care whether you're on it or not. So, yeah. We gotta jump."

Grace's face turned white and she brought her other hand up to clutch at the picture frame she still held and nodded. "Okay."

Leo took a shaky breath. "Okay."

It was much easier telling the girl they had to jump. It was another thing committing the act. Leo peered over the edge of the roof much as Grace had done. A thrill of fear made him glance away. He saw Grace watching him closely and he did his best to give her a smile and nonchalant, "Here goes nothing."

As the son of Hephaestus dropped to his knees near the edge and carefully swung his legs over, the wind picked up almost knocking him from the roof. Leo thought he could hear screams and shouts in the sudden gale. More air meant worse flames. Shoving his panic down, Leo focused his attention on the task at hand. His arms strained with the effort to lower himself slowly and cautiously with the eventual plan to drop to the ground.

The gutter had other ideas. The metal groaned and buckled, tearing away from the building with a screech. Grace screamed as Leo swung wildly. He barely had time to register what was happening before he slammed into the side of the building and let go, falling the rest of the way to the ground, the breath driving out of his lungs in a whoosh.

"Leo? Are you okay?" Grace's hysterical voice reached him on the ground and he could not answer as he struggled to fill his chest with air. After several agonizing seconds, Leo wheezed and groaned in pain.

"I'm– I'm alive," Leo croaked, almost wishing he wasn't. His right side felt like it was on fire from where he had crashed into the building so great was the pain. If he hadn't broken something, it would be a miracle. He closed his eyes and called up to Grace, ignoring the stabbing agony in his chest. "You coming?"

"Like you did? No thank you."

"What?" Leo cracked one eye open blearily. "That? That was just…flare."

Grace didn't answer but, above the wind, he thought he heard her snort. Leo closed his eyes again and tried not to wince as he called, "Hurry up. Before the wind gets worse."

The daughter of Lachesis clutched the framed photo to her chest, bent her knees, and jumped. She hit the ground hard and Leo heard a soft pop. Grace cried out and toppled sideways, her ankle rolling beneath her.

The wind died suddenly. The pair of demigods remained where they lay. Leo licked his lips and called out, "You good with resting for just a second? Because I'm good with resting for a second. How are our fates looking? The wall isn't going to, like, suddenly come away from the wall and crush us, is it? No lightning to electrocute us or anything?"

There was silence before Grace's weary voice answered, "Nothing– nothing immediate."

"Ah. Good." Leo coughed. "Nothing like imminent death versus potentially avoidable death."

She didn't laugh. Leo closed his eyes. "How's that ankle, Grace?"

Her voice was strained when she spoke, "Think I broke it."

"Broken ankles can be fixed." Not burned corpses. "I'm glad you came with me."

When Grace didn't speak, he asked, "Can you do me a favor? I don't– I'm not entirely sure how your gift works or anything. But, I left Nico near the parking lot– I think Sonny and Brittany should be with him. And maybe Miles and Celia and Viktor. Can you– can you check on him? He wasn't doing so hot when we got here."

Still no answer. Leo cracked an eye open and turned his head so he could see her. "Grace? Did you–"

"Shh." The son of Hephaestus could see the girl's face contorted in concentration. She frowned and opened her eyes. "You sure he's supposed to be out front?"

An icy fear crawled up his spine. He groaned and rolled onto his side before pushing himself onto all fours. He forced himself onto his feet and swayed as black dots clouded his vision.

"He has to be there. How far are you actually able to sense people? Are you sure–"

"I'm sure," Grace interrupted. "Nico's not on the entire block. Neither are Celia or Miles."

Panic surged through Leo. He limped toward Grace and helped her to her feet. He slung an arm around her waist as she leaned against him for support and, together, the two made their way through the garden and to the front of what remained of Dayspring.

Sirens sounded in the distance as the pair rounded the corner. A shriek pierced the air and, before Leo could identify the source, he saw Brittany dashing toward them, tears running down her face as she approached.

She halted in front of them, holding her arm awkwardly against her body as she looked them over. Brittany opened her mouth to speak but was stopped as Grace, still clutching her picture frame, let go of Leo and flung herself at Brittany.

Heavy sobs rang from both girls as they held each other and Leo stared in shock at Grace's display of affection.

"I'm sorry! I tried to wait but you didn't come out. And–and, I was so worried! I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." Brittany's words didn't phase the daughter of Lachesis. Grace remained silent but tightened her grip on Brittany.

Leo scanned the crowd behind the two girls. People milled about as two fire engines pulled up to the scene. Viktor hurried across the parking lot to where the three children stood, a young man in a paramedic uniform by his side.

Before the older man could speak, Leo bombarded him with questions. "Where's Nico? And the kids? What happened? Are they okay? Are they safe? I don't–"

"¡Por Dios! They're gone– he's gone. Something–something took them into the sky and they're gone. Miles and Celia, too." The old man was shaking as the paramedic approached Leo. Another two paramedics began to hurry over with two stretchers.

"Come on, kid. We gotta check you out. You too," the first paramedic said to Grace who was still holding Brittany. "You can talk to your friends while we give you a once over."

Brittany disengaged from Grace and led the other girl over to one of the two gurneys while the paramedic tried to force Leo to sit down on the other. But Leo ripped himself away from the man and kept trying to get information from Viktor.

"What do you mean? What took them? Like– like an animal or person or something?" Leo glared at the paramedic who stubbornly looked back and reached for the demigod again, holding his shoulders and pushing him down onto the gurney. Leo sat with a frustrated groan.

"I don't have time for this. I have to go!"

But the paramedic ignored him and pulled a stethoscope from around his neck and proceeded to listen to Leo breathing. He frowned for a moment before pulling it away. "You're not going anywhere, kid. We need to get you to the hospital. How did you two get out? The first floor is completely compromised."

Grace spoke up from her own gurney. "We jumped."

The woman checking over Grace snorted. "Well, that explains your ankle. Can you wriggle your toes for me?"

"Did you jump too," the paramedic– his nametag read "Garrett"– asked.

"I– no. I kind of…fell?" Leo tried to shrug but hissed in pain.

Garrett glanced at him sharply. "Sit up straight for me, please. As straight as you can."

Leo did as he was asked and the paramedic gently worked his way from Leo's neck to his shoulders and down each arm before touching the demigod's ribs. Leo made a sound of protest and tried to pull away. Garrett frowned.

"Yeah. You're definitely coming to the hospital. You might have bruised a few ribs– or broken them. Maybe even damaged other bones. So, come on. Legs up." But Garrett had already hoisted Leo's legs up to the gurney for him and raised the safety bars. Grace's paramedic– "Lydia"– had already done the same and was wheeling her to the single remaining ambulance.

Leo twisted his head to look at Viktor. Sonny had managed to find them and was standing beside the ex-stuntman and Brittany.

"Viktor! Do you have any idea where they went? I don't–"

"Union Station." Sonny looked at Leo with his dark eyes. "Someone yelled out Union Station before the things took them."

Leo watched the trio of Dayspring survivors as he was wheeled away.

Gods damnit, Nico. I don't even know if you're okay.

"–have to wait for the next ambulance. We borrowed the gurney off the fire truck but they're…well, they're gonna be busy for a while. So, just don't you worry. Your friend is going ahead of us and we'll be right behind her."

Leo sat helplessly on the gurney, unsure of what to do or how to get out of going to the hospital he and Grace very obviously needed. He watched as Grace got loaded into the ambulance. The two paramedics who were with her shut the back doors and climbed into the cab, starting the engine.

Leo thought frantically.

Can't just leave Grace here. The demigods were targeted. Who knows if it was aimed at one in particular. Maybe all of them? Shit, shit, shit. Think, Leo! Think!

Before he could formulate a plan, he heard Brittany scream for help.

"I think he's having a heart attack! Someone, please! Help!"

The two paramedics jumped out of the ambulance and raced back toward Brittany and Viktor who was lying motionless on the ground. Leo tried to get up from the gurney but Garrett pushed him back.

"You stay here. We'll help him but you gotta stay put." Garrett gave him one hard look and then he was gone, racing to help the old man. Leo watched him go, feeling more and more helpless every second.

"Come on," a quiet voice said hear his elbow. Leo let out a startled yelp and looked around.

Sonny.

The young boy held out a hand. "Come on, Leo. Let's go."

"But," Leo said, glancing back toward Viktor. Sonny followed his gaze and smiled impishly.

"Don't worry about the old guy. He's not really dying."

Leo let himself be helped off the gurney. "What…what are you guys doing though?"

Sonny began to quickly walk toward Grace's ambulance. "Brittany and I aren't dumb you know. We might not know everything but after the museum, we know something's up with all you guys. And Viktor didn't take much convincing. Not after tonight. Miles always swore you rode in and out on a dragon. Maybe he's right. Maybe you can save him. And Celia. And Nico," he added as an afterthought.

The pair reached the ambulance. Leo pulled open the driver door and hoisted himself inside. He hesitated and looked down at Sonny. "I'll try my hardest. But…"

"I know. Bad things happen. And usually to good people. That's what mom says." Sonny looked back at the burning building of Dayspring. The flames were still dancing even though the firefighters were trying to contain it. He looked back at Leo, his eyes haunted and dark. "Just try."

Leo nodded and Sonny stepped back so the son of Hephaestus could shut the door. The engine rumbled as Leo put the vehicle into gear and pressed his foot on the gas. The ambulance rolled forward.

Leo watched in the side mirror as Dayspring became smaller and faded into the distance behind him.


"'Time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone."~ Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy