Blade's Edge || Deception Book II ||

Chapter 10: Meeting In the Stateroom Pt.2

Judging from the look on Percy's face, I knew he didn't understand what was happening right now either, but, regardless, he took a step forward. "Leave her alone. And leave Tyson out of this."

"Rrright, your father claimed him," Luke said, chuckling. "I heard. And yeah, we know all about it. Plus your coordinates. . ."

"30, 31, 75, 12," I supplied, keeping my voice flat.

Luke nodded. "Right. I'm not entirely without friends at camp, you know."

"Spies," Percy deadpanned, his gaze flicking back to me.

"Call them what you want," Luke shrugged, brushing it off. "But seriously, Percy. Just how many insults from old Sea Beard can you take? Do you really think he cares for you any more than he cares for this monster?"

A growl rumbled through the room, and I pinned a warning gaze on Tyson, who was clenching his fists like he was going to sucker-punch the living daylights out of Luke.

Luke just grinned, smiling crookedly at the trio. "You're being used. All of you. Just pawns in the game of the gods, dispensable, replaceable, utterly irrelevant. You, more than all."

"Rianna, please," Percy said, turning to look at me. "I know you don't want this. Why are you here? You've helped us so much in the last year. You saved me from Mrs. Dodds, brought me to camp, stayed behind so Grover and I could make it past the border, taught me how to spar-"

"Shut up," Luke snarled, all flippancy vanishing from his figure as he tensed. "Shut up!"

Percy ignored him, his gaze burning into mine. "We raced across the lake together, sang at the campfire, did so much together."

Every word cut through me like blades of glass, slicing and shredding, and I knew that if it were real, rivulets of red would be streaming down my body. I felt like my heart was actually bleeding.

"You were my friend," Annabeth added, her grey eyes a perfect picture of pain and betrayal. "Last summer was nearly perfect. What changed?"

I said nothing, struggling to keep my facade, as I took a step forward, my heart cracking. "You just don't understand, Percy, Annabeth," I replied, my voice soft, but not weak. I came to a stop by Luke's side, and placed my hand on his shoulder, feeling him relax a little.

"It's like what Luke said. Sometimes, things have to be destroyed so they can be rebuilt."

Percy flinched back like I'd actually slapped him, and I saw the betrayal finally flow up and sweep away any lingering hopes that he'd been clinging to.

I'm sorry, Percy, I thought. But this is the only way.

"I tire of both of you, and it's clear that you won't join us. Such a pity," Luke sighed, slumping against the sofa in mock disappointment. "We could have used such brilliance. No matter. Ri, what should we do with them?"

Luke turned to face me, his blue eyes clear with the underlying meaning.

We were in the stateroom. Kronos was literally in the corner. Percy and Annabeth had just tried to turn me back.

I needed to prove my loyalty, once again, that it was with him.

"Feed them to the drakon," I suggested, grinning slightly. "It's probably hungering for something other than mortal flesh."

Luke smirked, waving Oreius over. "You heard her. Bring them to the drakon."

"Hehehehe!" Oreius laughed idiotically, stumbling forwards toward the trio.

"Stay," I warned Agrius as he also moved to go along with his twin. "We still have things to discuss."

Agrius grumbled something indistinguishable, but remained at his post, scowling, as Luke nodded and Oreius ushered Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson out at spearpoint with another three security men.

"Don't fail me. Make sure the drakon is fed," Luke ordered as the door closed.

The last thing I saw was Annabeth's sharp gaze and nodded my head imperceptibly when our eyes met.

She smirked.

The door closed.

Luke sighed, standing up, his pleasant expression immediately dissolving into a scowl. "For fuck's sake! Why can't Annabeth and Percy just get their heads out of the Olympians' toga?"

"Luke, chill," I said. "Don't let them get to you."

He sighed, raking his hand through his blond hair in frustration, and shot me a smile. "Sorry. I couldn't help it."

"Are you okay?" he asked me, his blue eyes concerned. "I hope that they didn't say anything that would . . . cause you to rethink your decision."

There it was. That underlying warning in his gaze. Luke trusted me, but he still needed me to reaffirm that I was here to stay.

To stay by his side.

"Of course I'm fine," I lied, smiling at him. "It was all a lie to begin with, anyway. Percy and Annabeth may have been my friends last year, but they're allies of my enemies now which makes them my enemies."

"So, don't worry, Luke. I'm not going anywhere. Besides, if I did, you'd be a lost puppy, and we can't have that, can we?" I added, smirking, and tapped him on the arm playfully. "And, just to reaffirm that you need me, duel in the arena after?"

Luke grinned, the shadow vanishing from his face. "Of course. Be prepared to lose, though."

I turned back to Agrius, who was staring ahead at the wall with a blank look on his face.

"Agrius," I said, noting how he jerked around to look at me so fast I swear he'd probably given himself whiplash. "Can you-"

Just then, I heard a giant splash, sudden screaming, a large boom, and then . . . silence.

Then, the alarms started blaring.

I lunged for the door, flung it open, and was almost trampled by a horde of monsters streaming towards the deck, the red energy lights flashing overhead.

"They've escaped, haven't they," Luke sighed, grabbing his sword. "I swear to the gods when I get my hands on Oreius, that brute, I'm going to skin him alive and throw him to the drakon."

"This was your plan in the end, right?" he added as we sprinted towards the dock, following the convergence of demigods and monsters alike. "For them to escape to get the Fleece because we both know that Clarisse is, well, doomed to fail."

I nodded, turning a corner. "Of course. Why else would I have sent them with Orieus?"

We emerged into the open ocean air on the platform looking over the deck and surveyed the crowd of monsters milling down below and the cluster of demigods standing warily in the corner.

Luke turned to me, his eyes appraising, "Nice work, Ri. Now, we'll have them when they emerge from the Sea. And, well, if they fail, no casualties on our end. Let's see how this plays out."

My thoughts exactly, I thought, smirking, as I watched the sea glitter in the sun, which was almost at the zenith of its path, and, drawing rapidly away, now barely just a speck in the blue, the orange speedboat with three figures crouched in it.

The play has begun, so let's see how this will end. 

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