LEO'S POV

Have I mentioned that I have a huge crush on Peri?

Because I do.

Every time she grabs my hand I clam up and lose my train of thought. Not to mention my heart beats a million times faster, and I have to physically restrain myself from kissing her and—

"Hmm, now if I was a secret passage," Peri hummed softly, "where the heck would I be?"

"Oh right!" I remembered suddenly why we were here. "Secret passage."

I could sometimes figure out how a machine worked by putting my hand on it. I'd learned to fly a helicopter that way. I'd fixed Festus the dragon that way (before Festus crashed and burned). Once I'd even reprogrammed the electronic billboards in Times Square to read: ALL DA LADIES LUV LEO…accidentally, of course.

Now I tried to sense the workings of this ancient building. I turned toward a red marble altar-looking thing with a statue of the Virgin Mary on the top. "Over there," I said.

I marched confidently to the shrine. It was shaped sort of like a fireplace, with an arched recess at the bottom. The mantel was inscribed with a name, like a tomb.

"The passage is around here," I stated. "This guy's final resting place is in the way. Raphael somebody?"

"Famous painter, I think," Hazel added.

I shrugged. I had a cousin named Raphael and didn't think much of the name. I wondered if I could produce a stick of dynamite from my tool belt and do a little discreet demolition; but I figured the caretakers of this place probably wouldn't approve.

"Hmm, ya know, I think I smell some Celestial Bronze over here." Peri said encouragingly. "Let's check it out."

"Hold on…" I looked around to make sure we weren't being watched.

Most of the tour groups were gawking at the dome, but one trio made me incredibly uneasy. About fifty feet away, some overweight middle-aged dudes with American accents were conversing loudly, complaining to each other about the heat. They looked like manatees stuffed into beach clothes—sandals, walking shorts, touristy T-shirts and floppy hats. Their legs were big and pasty and covered with spider veins. The guys acted extremely bored, and I wondered why they were hanging around.

They weren't watching me. I wasn't even sure why they made me nervous. Maybe I just didn't like manatees.

Forget them.

I slipped around the side of the tomb and ran my hand down the back of a Roman column, all the way to the base. Right at the bottom, a series of lines had been etched into the marble—Roman numerals.

"Heh," I said. "Not very elegant, but effective."

"What is?" Frank asked.

"The combination for a lock." I felt around the back of the column some more and discovered a square hole about the size of an electrical socket. "The lock face itself has been ripped out—probably vandalized sometime in the last few centuries. But I should be able to control the mechanism inside, if I can…"

I placed my hand on the marble floor. He could sense old bronze gears under the surface of the stone. Regular bronze would have corroded and become unusable long ago, but these were Celestial bronze—the handiwork of a demigod. With a little willpower, I urged them to move, using the Roman numerals to guide me. The cylinders turned—click, click, click. Then click, click.

On the floor next to the wall, one section of marble tile slid under another, revealing a dark square opening barely large enough to wiggle through.

Peri gasped, clearly impressed. "Leo, you're amazing!"

I beamed with pride on the inside, but shrugged casually like a cool guy. "No biggie."

"Romans must've been small." I looked at Frank appraisingly. "You'll need to change into something thinner to get through here."

"That's not nice!" Hazel chided.

"What? Just saying—"

"Don't worry about it," Frank mumbled. "We should go get the others before we explore. That's what Piper said."

"They're halfway across the city," Peri reminded him.

"Besides, uh, I'm not sure I can close this hatch again." I said in agreement. "The gears are pretty old."

"Great," Frank said. "How do we know it's safe down there?"

Hazel knelt. She put her hand over the opening as if checking the temperature. "There's nothing alive…at least not for several hundred feet. The tunnel slants down, then levels out and goes south, more or less. I don't sense any traps…"

"How can you tell all that?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Same way you can pick locks on marble columns, I guess. I'm glad you're not into robbing banks."

"Oh…bank vaults," I muttered. "Never thought about that. How come I never thought of that?"

"Forget I said anything." Hazel sighed, but Peri looked amused. "Look, it's not three o'clock yet. We can at least do a little exploring, try to pinpoint Nico's location before we contact the others. You three stay here until I call for you. I want to check things out, make sure the tunnel is structurally sound. I'll be able to tell more once I'm underground."

Frank scowled. "We can't let you go by yourself. You could get hurt."

Peri crossed her arms. "I'm not a fan of you going alone either."

"Guys, I can take care of myself," Hazel insisted. "Underground is my specialty. It's safest for all of us if I go first."

"Unless Frank wants to turn into a mole," I suggested.

"Or a prairie dog." Peri added brightly. "Those things are awesome."

"Shut up," Frank mumbled.

"Or a badger." I continued.

Frank jabbed a finger at my face. "Valdez, I swear—"

"All of you, be quiet," Hazel scolded. "I'll be back soon. Give me ten minutes. If you don't hear from me by then…Never mind. I'll be fine. Just try not to kill each other while I'm down there."

Peri gave a sarcastic, "yes, mom," before Hazel dropped down the hole and disappeared.

Frank, Peri, and I did our best to block the view as best we could. We stood shoulder to shoulder, trying to act casual, like it was completely normal for three teenagers to hang around Raphael's tomb.

Peri stood between me and Frank, her fingertips brushing mine. Even that tiny bit of contact made me feel slightly at ease.

So I focused on my crush and the berry scent that her hair gave off and her soft skin lightly caressing mine and her sparkling eyes when she looked up at me and stealing glances at her lips when she didn't.

Because it was much safer than focusing on how Hazel's time was slowly winding down and Nico's would be soon as well.