Hello, you lovely people who read this.
It will be another six days before I get HoH, and I'm so mad at Amazon!
But never mind...
I don't know when I'll be updating this next, because I feel like it's going kind of badly.
So, yeah...
Hope you enjoy the chapter anyway.
IDOA

Chapter twenty-seven: Breaking through

Leo, being the quick minded, witty demigod he was, immediately found the right response to this statement: "You what?"
He looked at Penelope as if he'd never seen her before, as she blushed furiously and mumbled: "I like you", not meeting his eyes.
Leo was so dumbfounded, he said the first thing that came into his mind right then, which was of course not what he was probably supposed to say:
"They think you're a daughter of Pluto."
Penelope stared at him, her eyes flashing "Excuse me?"
"The demon things. They think you're Hazel." he explained.
What he really wanted to say was something entirely different, but his mind had suddenly formed a plan.
"You didn't get doused in some thick liquid, did you?" he asked Pen, who shook her head, her face completely void of emotions now.
Leo suspected she was hurt, and he hated leaving her words hanging out there like that, but this couldn't wait.
"Good. I need you to bend the bars."
"What?!" Pen asked incredulously.
"Bend the bars. Hold them and conjure up those purple flames you told me about. It's a Hecate power, they'd never expect it."
Penelope looked at him. "I don't know if I can do it" she confessed.
"Don't over-think it." Leo told her, making his voice sound steady and sure. "Grab the bars."
Penelope did so.
"Now think about all the energy inside you flowing into your hands." Leo went on
"Let's it out, channel it. Feel the strength."
He had no idea if this was how it would work for Pen, but he had to try anyway.
For a few moments nothing happened, even though Penelope's face was set in high concentration.
But then, her hands started to glow, a deep purple, tinged with dark blue. She pulled at the bars and they bent easily, creating a hole big enough for her to slip through.
She did so, and then grasped hold of the bars in front of Leo, her hands still alight with the purple fire-light-energy, whatever it was. When she met Leo's eyes, he swore hers flashed purple, like that time at the camp fire all those weeks ago. But this time he was sure he hadn't imagined I.
It was kinda intimidating, but Leo grinned madly anyway as he climbed through the gap that Penelope had just made. They stood before each other, listening.
There were distant footsteps outside the door and Leo knew they didn't have long before the
Eurynomos came back and took them to a new, stronger prison.
It was already a miracle they had left them unguarded in this room. Perhaps they were a bit dim.
Soon they would come to get them, however, first there was something he needed to do right now.
"What do we do n-" Pen started to say, but never got to finish the sentence as Leo suddenly pulled her close and kissed her, right on the mouth.
It lasted only a moment, but it was the best kiss Leo had ever had, her lips soft and warm under his.
When they broke apart, Leo couldn't help but grin.
Gods, how long he'd wanted to do that...
But now they had to focus on getting out of here alive, and so he explained the rest of his plan to Penelope, who nodded in agreement, her cheeks a little pink.
She moved to stand underneath the window, submerging into complete shadow, but not before the moonlight hadn't caught her hair, giving it an oddly purplish shine.
Leo felt kind of disappointed that he hadn't been able to tell Penelope everything he wanted to say, but hopefully there would be time for that later.
And maybe, just maybe, there would also be time for another kiss, only a proper one this time.