First Lie || Deception Book I ||

The Thief Pt. 2

So, Luke had stolen the bolt and the helm, I reflected as I stood in the elevator.

Honestly, based on the luck I'd had so far, I wasn't even that surprised.

I'm sure you're thinking right now, How are you not lucky? You've grown up on Olympus and didn't have to run from monsters every then second! HOW IS THAT NOT LUCKY? Among demigods, you've hit the jackpot!

Yeah, I get it. But really, think of it this way. Gods don't do things just out of the kindness of their hearts. I wasn't stupid. I knew that I was expected to do something, and soon. And then something would be huge if I'd been raised on Olympus. Even Percy, who was a child of the big three, didn't have that upbringing. Whatever it was (I was betting my entire library that it had something to do with a prophecy), it would be world-changing if the gods had gone to such lengths to keep me safe.

Anyway, Luke was the thief. Well, now my mission had a target.

I didn't want to do this. This was ironic since I'd been so eager to do this when the idea was presented to me. Now, I wished that I'd never taken up the offer.

This was ridiculous. You have a mission to do! I yelled at myself. Don't let your feelings get in the way! I braced a hand on the side of the elevator, blocking out the stupid songs playing, and sorted myself out. Luke being the thief doesn't change anything, except now the thief has a face. Your mission still stands. It's still the most important. Heck, you're talking about the end of Western Civilization, I chided.

That thought dragged me out of my wallowing and by the time the elevator stopped, I was completely collected, at least on the outside, though inside, I was still a mess. Pushing the thoughts to the back of my mind, I stepped out of the elevator.

After reaching street level, I shadow-walked back into the foyer of the Big House at Camp-half Blood. Of course, Chiron was there. And I wasn't feeling like talking right now. The only thing I wanted to do was curl up with a book and lose myself in someone else's story.

"You have some explaining to do," Chiron commented.

I sighed. "I can't tell you."

"Why? What's wrong, child?" Chiron asked.

I sat down on the sofa. "It's complicated. And confidential."

"By whom?"

"I think you know," I replied.

Chiron nodded, his eyes solemn. "Hermes delivered a letter a few minutes before you arrived." He handed it to me.

I took it gingerly and broke the seal.

Clari,

Whatever you do, don't tell Chiron. You can tell him that Mr. D sent you to do something, but DON'T TELL HIM. Not until next year, when you've left camp.

I know you're also busy, but do me a favour and watch over my daughter.

Athena

"Annabeth?" I asked, glancing up. "Isn't she at camp?"

Chiron sighed. "She, Percy, and Grover are on a quest to the Underworld to retrieve the bolt from Hades."

"What?" I jumped to my feet. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Percy went up to the Oracle right after Mr. D went to talk to you. Annabeth volunteered. And you weren't there."

I rubbed my eyes. How was I supposed to watch over Annabeth, Percy, and Grover if I wasn't with them?

"Now, now, Rianna," Chiron said. "They can take care of themselves. Especially Annabeth. She'll keep them on their toes."

"I know," I muttered.

"So, are you going to tell me or not?" Chiron asked.

I shook my head. "It's not my decision to make."

He nodded. "Very well. Well, Rianna, thank you."

Nodding at the dismissal, I memorized the letter and tossed it into the fireplace.

The second I stepped out of the Big House, someone wrapped a pair of hands around my eyes. "Guess who?"

Shit. The last person I wanted to see at the moment, after everything. I wasn't sure I could look at his face and not spill everything. Guilt was ripping at me right now and I could feel the lies I'd woven tightening around me. Get a grip, I told myself. Now's more vital than ever.

I plastered a slow smile on my face. "Luke. I could have cut your head off."

He stepped back and I turned around to face him. Luke smirked. "Nah, you wouldn't have."

He nudged me down the steps, following, as I walked towards the cabin. "So, where were you?"

"In the Big House," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Where else would I be?"

"What were you doing in there?" Luke asked.

I sniffed. "Stuff."

"Really?"

I nodded, my face straight. "Really."

"Stubborn," Luke sighed. "Whatever. Oh, I forgot to tell you. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover went off on a quest."

I nodded. "Chiron told me."

Luke watched me carefully, his blue eyes piercing.

"What?" I said. We'd reached the cabins, and I was about to open the door to the Hermes one when Luke gripped my wrist and led me to the edge of the woods. "Luke, what are you doing?"

I think I knew what he was doing. Let's hope it's that, I thought, suppressing a shudder.

"Can I trust you?" Luke asked me.

"Well, everyone says yes when someone asks them that," I replied. "Do you think you can trust me?"

"Do you want me to trust you?"

"Yes," I stated firmly. "I hope I've passed that. But it's up to you."

No, he really couldn't trust me.

I met his unflinching stare with my own. "Do you trust me?"

"If I tell you about something I've done, let's say . . . an act of treason, would you rat me out?"

"It depends on what you did," I replied.

"What if, hypothetically, I betrayed my parents because they neglected me and hated me?"

"Of course not!" I said. I took his hand. "That's up to you." I met his eyes wryly. "We have personal experience in that area. I would likely do the same thing."

"Really?" Luke asked.

I squeezed his hand. "I told you about my life. I hate my mother for leaving me and my father for treating me like a freak. I can't say I like the rest of the gods either. They're all the same."

My lips twisted in a cold smile. "They don't care about anyone besides themselves."

Lies, lies, lies. Even though the gods were a bit finicky and did sometimes neglect their children, they did love them. I knew that. But they did need improvement. Every time I was awoken from sleep through nightmares in the dream world from terrified demigods, I felt pangs of guilt and flashes of anger.

"What would you do to get back at them?" Luke asked me, squeezing back.

"Anything," I said bitterly. "So many of us. We both got claimed, but others haven't."

"You're thinking of Allison, aren't you?" Luke said.

I nodded.

Luke sighed. "It sucks. Everything sucks royally."

"Yeah, it does."

We looked out at the rest of the camp from the edge of the woods in comfortable silence.

Finally, Luke faced me and took a deep breath. "Okay, Ri. I have something to tell you."

***
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