Blade's Edge || Deception Book II ||

Chapter 33: The Bane of Olympus Pt. I

The grin on my face slipped off and I shrugged, turning away from Luke to meet Artemis' gaze as she raised her head, her silver eyes fixed on me. "That's kinda eww," I joked, turning back to him. "If I was your sister . . ."

"Th-that's not what I meant," Luke sputtered. "I only meant-"

"I was just joking," I said, patting his arm. "Chill. And I know I'm a multi-talented person."

"Botany?"

"I wasn't lying about that. I actually do know medicine."

Luke looked doubtful but he shrugged. "Well, I learned the hard way of underestimating you."

"What are you doing?" he asked as I walked closer to the goddess, stopping a few metres away, and sat down, my back against a boulder jutting up from the ground.

"I think I'll stay here and keep watch on our prisoner until Atlas returns," I replied without looking at him. "He believed me now, but if he returns to find me gone again, I doubt I'll be as convincing as this time."

"Do you want me to keep you company?" Luke asked, though I could tell from his tone that it was half-hearted.

Because we both knew that despite the apologies, his secret had driven something that went far deeper than just a betrayal of trust between us. My heart was still bleeding and it still felt like shards of glass were embedded inside and, even as I yearned for his warmth, I could barely bring myself to look him in the eye. I felt like I was being ripped in two, and having here wasn't easing the pain like it would have normally. Not when he was the cause of it.

"I think I'll be fine by myself," I replied. "You can go take care of whatever you need to do. Keep the monsters in line."

"Yeah," Luke murmured. "And for what it's worth, I'm really sorry."

I didn't reply, words I couldn't speak lodged into my throat, staying silent as Luke walked slowly towards the ruins of the palace, the fog shrouding the mountains swallowing up his figure. I couldn't help but think of how he, the things that made Luke Luke, would be swallowed up too by the presence of Kronos.

I fought off my shudder and took a deep breath, turning back to the goddess of the hunt.

"Before you ask," Artemis grunted, "I'm fine, and no, I forbid you from using your magic to help me. I saw what you did for Annabeth, and that was already enough."

"But I-"

"No."

"Can't I please just do something useful?" I pleaded. "I can't bear just standing here and seeing all of you suffer. I can't just stand here and watch you like. . . like this." I stabbed my dagger into the ground. "It's killing me,"

"You're already doing enough," Artemis said sympathetically. "I know it's hard, but if anyone can do it, Clari, it's you."

"You guys keep saying that," I muttered. "But I don't know how much longer I can last."

"As long as necessary," Artemis replied. "You volunteered for this, remember."

I grunted. "I know. But-"

"Is it the boy?" Artemis interrupted, eyeing me carefully.

"I-what?" I sputtered, completely caught off guard. "What about Luke?"

"You love him," she said bluntly. "Right?"

"What?" I blurted, jerking around to face her. "You know, he is the enemy."

Artemis sighed. "Clari, you might be able to lie to Zeus and get away with it, even Hermes, but when have you ever lied to me and gotten away with it? I know you too well."