Blade's Edge || Deception Book II ||

Chapter 25: In the Ruins of Othrys Pt.I

"Atlas is waiting for us," I said as their black gazes remained blank. "You don't want to keep him waiting."

"Very well," Erytheia said. "Skirt around the edge of the garden. Ladon is trained to protect the tree and will not attack unless you approach it."

Luke nodded and made as if to step forward, but hesitated. I risked a glance at him and saw that he was pale, his scar stark against his face, and his blue eyes held a kernel of fear.

I squeezed his hand in comfort, reminding him that this time, he wasn't alone. I was here.

Luke squeezed back, letting me know that he got my message, and we headed to the outskirts of the garden. I felt a ripple pass through the air as the Hesperides faded back into shadow, but not before I heard Aegle whisper, so quiet I barely caught it, "The wind is shifting, daughter of shadow."

A phantom cloud suddenly seemed to block the warmth of the fading rays and I fought down my shiver as I quickened my pace, refusing to glance over my shoulder as the lilting voices of the Hesperides filled the shadows behind us.

We passed through the garden with no surprises, Ladon remaining asleep, and headed up to the top of the mountain.

"The ruins of Mount Othrys," I breathed as we crested the hill and the ruins spread out before us. As I took in the sight of columns and blocks of black granite and marble piercing through the earth, broken statues of bronze scattered haphazardly in the ruins that had once been magnificent in its glory of bloodshed and terror, a strange feeling washed over me. It was both in part apprehension, dread, hatred, and horror, yet a part of me couldn't help but marvel at the dark beauty of this place. No matter what, Kronos had had a taste for luxury and I could only begin to imagine the opulence of this place had it been in its former splendour.

Which means you'll have to keep dreaming, I thought, since that's never going to happen.

The two of us weaved our way through the rubble, through jagged columns, cracked archways, and shattered stone, our footsteps on the fractured marble floor the only sound among the drifting fog.

"Wait," Luke whispered suddenly, holding a hand in front of me. "Hold on." He crouched down behind a block of marble and I followed, squeezing in next to him.

"Why are we whispering?" I whispered back, glancing at him.

"He's waiting, right around this corner," Luke replied. "A couple things before we step out. One, this is Atlas. A Titan. The General. Please, please, please try to be more . . . " Luke paused as he searched for the right word, his gaze fixed wryly on me. "Just . . . don't talk to him the way you talked to Mr. D last year, alright? I don't want you to die."

"Oh, so you want me to treat him like the haughty prick he is, right? Grovel and all that?"

Luke pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, "If you have to put it that way, then yes."

"Ay ay, captain," I said. "Jeez, you have so little faith in me."

"Can you blame me, when I heard you call one of the Olympians a 'basted purple wino'?"

"Can we please forget that?" I winced, biting down a laugh. Maybe that had been a bit too much, even if it was true. Thank the gods Dionysus hadn't been around to hear me curse him after he'd condemned me to a week of bed rest last year because I'd have been permanently turned into a dolphin.

"Anyways, number two," Luke continued, bringing his gaze to mine. "To him, we're nothing more than a commander and lieutenant."

"I know that," I muttered, meeting his gaze. "It's Atlas. Of course we're going to-"

"No, you don't understand," Luke hushed, his gaze fixed on mine with burning intensity. "Ri, if Atlas even gets a whiff of anything, he will make me kill you on the spot. Do you understand? You could die today. If it wasn't for a direct order from Kronos, I would never have brought you here."

Oh. Oh. No wonder Luke had been abnormally quiet on the way here, no wonder he'd held my hand like today was the last day he'd ever see me. Because it might very well be. I swallowed, my throat dry as the implication of what he was saying hit me. Dread swirled up but I shoved it back down and nodded, reaching up to cup his face. Luke shivered slightly as my fingers brushed over his jagged scar. "Trust me," I whispered. "I'm not dying today. There's so much more I want to do, so much more I want to see, with you, to die at the hands of a stupid-ass titan who's stuck under the sky like an ant."

Luke choked out a laugh, his eyes fluttering shut for a moment before he opened them again, his blue eyes dazzling. "And what if he makes me kill you as a test of loyalty?"

"I'll just have to prove that I'm more valuable alive than dead," I shrugged. "Don't worry, Luke, I'll be fine. Just trust me," I said softly, reaching for his hands and squeezing them in mine. "Trust me."

I almost choked on those two words, the irony of what I was saying not lost on me. Trust me.

I mentally shook myself. Now is not the time to be thinking about that, I scolded. You have a gods-damn Titan right around the corner! Focus, Clari.

"Okay," he replied, staring at our hands. "Okay." 

Silence fell between us and seemed to stretch on forever, but I made no move, sensing that there was more. 

"I'm so grateful that you're here with me," Luke suddenly said, burying his head into my shoulder. "Seriously. If it weren't for you, I think I would have fallen apart by now. I'm scared of what will happen soon. I never meant to go this far."

"Luke!" I said, alarmed by his sudden action. "What in the name of Zeus are you talking about?" Luke didn't reply, only tightening his grip around me. "Just promise me that you'll never leave my side. Please."

All thoughts eddied out of my head in a flash. What the hell was going on?

"I'm not going anywhere," I replied, confused. "Luke, what are you talking about?"

"Just promise me," he mumbled.

"Okay, okay. I promise. Now, come on," I said, letting go and standing up. "We don't want to keep him waiting."

Luke stood up, taking a deep breath, and turned to me.

I bit down my shock at the impassive expression on his face, the iciness in his gaze as he looked at me. "Are you ready?"

Even his voice was flat, cold, nothing more than the voice of a commander to a lieutenant.

Blinking over my initial surprise, I slipped into my own mask, keeping my face blank and my eyes filled with cruel cunning, my voice detached, feeling a phantom frigidness wrap around me and nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good. Let's go."

***

Guys, school's starting next week for me. 

So I'm apologizing in advance if my updating schedule might become a bit chaotic. Cuz life happens. 

Anyways, I hope it won't come to that because I'm not the type of person to procrastinate (I know, shocking) but I still do it sometimes so this is the sorry for all those times I can't seem to pull my head out of my books and do my homework. 

Fingers crossed it doesn't come to that, but who knows. 

Good luck to anyone whos still in school, and let's hope we don't flunk! :) 

Thank you for reading, good luck, and don't forget to comment and vote! I love you guys.