Luke (sequel to 'Say You'll Remember Me')

Chapter 8

It's nearing six, and it still haven't moved from the foot Percy's bed. I clutch his stuffed horse, it's the only thing I have left to hold on to. The note lies discarded across the room; I don't need it, everything has already been memorized. "Show up to Olympus and be my martyr, or I'll fling your son off of the Empire State Building." It's not exaxtly a tough message to understand. Will just sits respectfully right outside of the door frame in the hallway. He hasn't said anything since reading the note, but everytime I shift or move, I can see him tense or prepare to move. He's concerned and sympathetic, but likely doesn't know how to help. I can't blame him, it's been nearly a decade-and-a-half, we're hardly more than strangers. The silence is more comforting than any words he could say, there's an undertone of sympathy to it; I imagine this is the solidarity and comfort I'd give hit-and-run victim if encountered on the street. Just strangers who ran into each other at the worst time.

He's probably torn up inside, blaming himself for not showing up and warning me in time, part of my brain doesn't say that he's wrong. But if Annabeth planning something big, there was no way that we would have been able to avoid this. It was inevitable. Besides, the camp, chiron, our -no, not mine anymore- his friends, they're all gone now. I was too preoccupied to even realize that. He's here on his own, he wouldn't have been blamed for not coming and trying to save us, especially when he's likely being hunted down as it is. He came anyway.

"What do we do now?" I ask, my voice coarse from disuse. I don't know if I'm asking him or myself.

Will lifts his eyes from the floor, shocked by my outburst. "I don't know, we don't have much of a plan."

"Well we can't stay here," I sigh, looking behind him at Norman's huddled figure.

"No, I doubt that the attackers will come by looking for you, since they left her note for you, but we can't hide a body for two weeks. Somebody will come looking for your husband."

I hadn't even thought about that. I jump to my feet and run to my room. They took everything that was mine; all of my clothes and personal things were gone, but they didn't take anything else from the house.

"They framed you," he says calmly from behind me. His warm hand falls on my shoulder, "she wants you on the move, tired, easier to find. Even easier if there's a police search for you. She has guards all over the city, we're going to have to get out of here."

"Why are you helping me, Will? This is a dangerous fight, and I'm not going to win."

He just sighs, pulling his hand back and looking down towards the ground. "Luke, I already lost my fight and my home, I have to do something. We're the only two left, we have to help each other."

"Yeah, I guess we do."