Magnetism • Luke Castellan

VIII

I'd always found sunsets to be peaceful, but this particular sunset didn't give me that same feeling. This one felt more like impending doom, like watching our fate slip into nothingness.

It was not a pleasant sensation.

I was soon joined by Nikita, exchanging last words and some plane tickets with Chiron before we headed off, beyond the borders of camp. Argus drove us across Long Island to JFK International Airport.

The process of getting to the plane was incredibly long and stressful, and after getting yelled at by TSA in security, stopping for snacks, and accidentally passing our gate, we made it and had boarded the proper plane.

" You know, I guess it's a good thing Zeus doesn't care about us one bit, because we can fly to Los Angeles without getting shot out of the sky. Meanwhile the poor kids won't even have reached Ohio." Nikita spoke up from beside me, where she was settling in to the window seat she insisted on having.

As angry as her statement made me, I knew she was right. If Zeus knew what I had done... well let's just say being on his bad side right now would make our task a billion times harder. As if it wasn't already.

" Yeah. Safe for now..." I trailed off quietly, realizing I shouldn't have said anything. It was too late, as Nikita had already latched on to my words.

" What have you been up to lately? You've been cryptic and off and you keep glancing over your shoulder as if you're about to get caught redhanded." She interrogated me, turning in her seat so she faced me. I sighed and let my eyes meet hers, which immediately started digging through mine to get answers.

" Listen, it's no-"

" Luke. We're in this together whether you like it or not. If you don't tell me I'm going to dig until I find out what you're hiding, and I'm sure you'd like that even less." Nikita said bluntly, cutting me off. I knew her words were dipped in truth, but I still wished to put it off for as long as possible.

" If I tell you now it'll get us killed." I spoke abruptly, triggering the end of the conversation as Nikita seemed to stop, switching to sorting through her thoughts. I let out a little breath of relief, although short lived as I knew I couldn't avoid the truth for forever.

I had to tell Nikita Stormund that I was the lightning thief, working for Kronos, and planning to overthrow the gods. I almost prayed to the same Gods for protection. I'd certainly need it once she found out.

The flight wasn't as long as I'd expected. We slept through part of it, and swapped ideas for the rest. Nikita told me Maya's theory about Ares and Aphrodite hiding something as well, and it made sense. I had a lingering suspicion about what it could be, tucked in the back of my mind, but it was so far out of the ballpark that I didn't bother voicing it to Nikita.

When we stepped out of LAX international airport, it wasn't a bright and sunny morning like you always saw advertised about LA. No, it was pouring rain, the sky dark like the sea, a storm brewing on the horizon.

Unlike all the regular people of Los Angeles, we knew the double meaning.

" They fight like cats and dogs. It must be exhausting to be apart of that family. Oh who am I kidding! I'm sure my father is loving this." Nikita spoke from my side as I looked down at her with an amused smile.

" Oh I know he is." I spoke with an air of certainty. After I'd been caught by the war god, Kronos had to step in, manipulating him through his dreams, convincing him that the stolen weapons would create a "lovely" war he could enjoy.

Hell, if I keep his daughter alive and we run into him on Olympus, I wonder if I could bribe him to give them back.

That thought led me directly to another unpleasant one. Not only had I stolen Zeus' Masterbolt, I also stole Hades Helm of Darkness, and we were about to head right into the lions den.