"What are you doing out here? It's dinner time." The voice breaks the silence I was currently thriving in, and I don't look up as I pluck another petal from the flower in my hands.
I can see the outline of a figure sitting down next to me, but I ignore them as I continue to pluck the petals from the blossom, letting them fall to the ground. They don't speak as I continue my destruction, ripping the once beautiful flower into pieces.
"It wasn't your fault." They say after a moment, and I stiffen, my jaw clenched so tightly I thought it would break a tooth.
I drop the ruined flower into the dirt, my hands tightening into small fists. "Yes it is. They're terrified of me now." I mutter angrily, my mind flashing back to the picture of the campers faces, all of them looking at me with newfound terror.
"You didn't mean it. They'll get over it." They murmur, and I feel them place a soft hand on my back that I instantly shy away from.
"Don't....I don't want to hurt you too." The words sound so broken and unsure, and I hate them as soon as they come out.
I look over to my left, looking into the blue eyes that were shining with nothing but pure concern. "You won't hurt me. Not on purpose." He says the words so confidently that I'm half tempted to believe them too.
I sigh, shaking my head. "Is my dad...how mad was he?"
"He was more annoyed than anything else. He fixed everything and then went back to the Big House. Said to give you space to calm down." The last part hits me in the chest, and I'm reminded once more to lock up my emotions into a tiny bottle and seal it so tightly it can never be opened.
"I guess it's a good thing my father will always been around to clean up my messes." My tone was bitter and dry, and I reach down to pluck another pristine flower from the ground in front of me.
"Dani—"
"No." I interrupt sharply, clutching the flower in my palm as I stand up. "I hurt people Luke. If my father wasn't there... They have a right to fear me. I don't know what the fuck I'm doing."
I let the flower fall to the ground as I feel my emotions rush through me at an intense speed. With them comes a deadly fire that rushes through my blood, and I stumble backwards.
My head spins and churns, and before I can fight the feeling down, it explodes, overwhelming my body and blurring my thought. "Luke. Leave." My voice comes out strained, and I take another step back as my hands begin to shake.
He doesn't move.
"No. I'm not leaving." I step back further as he stands up, his hands raised in a calming manner as he slowly approaches. "You're in control Dani. I trust you."
I shake my head, holding my hands against my chest as I felt the power in my chest grow. "I—I can't." my entire body was shaking at this point, and I don't know how much longer I could hold back.
Luke ignores me, taking another step closer. "Push it out Dani. Don't let it control you." His voice is so calm compared to the raging war going on inside me, and I try to listen, to take over the monster that was throwing a fit.
"I don't know how." I say through gritted teeth, using every bit of my strength to keep the power constrained inside, to not let it out. The rushing fills my head and blankets my senses, and I can't make sense of what is left or right.
Push it out...
It should be easy, but as much as I push and shove, the raging storm doesn't waver, and it seems to laugh at my pathetic efforts. I can't hurt Luke.. I won't.
The determination is what fuels my next move, and I use it to strangle the storm, to cut it off and force it as deep down as I could. The rising anger I had felt before goes with it, and I seal it in a tight box, locking it away for what I can only hope is forever.
The fog leaves my head, and my senses return to their full force. I can still feel the storm lingering, a threat, and a promise. "I-You should probably still stay back...I don't know if I really got rid of it." I murmur, my voice shaking as much as my hands were.
Luke smiles, shaking his head. "I'm not goin no where kid. Never."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
──── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──── ≪
The monsters threw us roughly onto the deck of ship that was covered with monsters. Luke was standing tall in front of us, his sword brandished in front of him. "And so, the Fleece." He mused, walking back and forth in front of us. "Where is it?"
He uses the tip of his sword to move Jackson's shirt, and then pokes Grover's jeans. "Hey!" Grover protests, moving backwards. "That's real goat fur under there!"
"Sorry, old friend." Luke says with a smile. "Just give me the Fleece and I'll leave you to return to your ah, little nature quest."
Grover rears his head back, his shoulders shaking. "Blaa-ha-ha!" He bleats loudly. "Some old friend!"
Luke lips curl up into a sneer, and he presses the tip of his sword against Grover's chest. "Maybe you didn't hear me." He says in a deadly calm voice. "Where—is—the—Fleece?"
"Not here." Jackson speaks up, a smug smirk on his face. "We sent it on ahead of us. You messed up."
Luke whirls to look at Jackson, his eyes narrowing as he observes him carefully. "You're lying. You couldn't have..." I can see the moment where he connects the dots, and his face visibly pales. "Clarisse?"
Jackson's smirk widens, and he nods his head. "You trusted... You gave..."
"Yep."
"Agruis!" The beast of a man behind us flinches from the pure anger in Luke's voice, and he takes a tentative step forward.
"Y-yes?" His voice quivers as he looks at Luke, as if he had the power to smite him right then and there.
Luke's face was turning red as he looked the man over quickly. "Get below and prepare my steed. Bring it to the deck. I need to fly to Miami Airport, fast!"
"But boss—"
"Do it!" By now, Luke's face was a bright shade of red, and I watched as a vein in his forehead pulsed. "Or I'll feed you to the Drakon!"
The words jolted the monster into action, and he rushed towards the stairs. Luke began to pace in front of the large swimming pool in the center of the ship, his hands balled into fists and his mouth letting out low curses as he walked.
I had never seen him like this—not even when he came back from his quest. I've seen him angry plenty of times, but nothing like this. "You've been toying with us all along." Jackson accuses, and I look over at the boy with wary eyes. "You wanted us to bring you the Fleece and save you the trouble of getting it."
Luke rolls his eyes, his scowl deepening. "Of course, you idiot! And you've messed everything up!"
"Traitor!" I watch as Jackson flings a single, gold drachma at Luke's head, which he easily avoids. The coin runs through a spray of water before clattering not the pool. "You tricked all of us!" He continues, his hand reaching into his jean pockets to remove his infamous pen. "Even DIONYSUS at CAMP HALF-BLOOD!"
His specific choice of words caused me to furrow my brows, but everything quickly clicked into place when I noticed the water begin to shimmer and shift behind Luke. He's contacting camp...He's going to get Chiron back.
Luke doesn't notice the trick, and he rolls his eyes as Jackson uncaps his sword, holding it in front of him in a threatening manner. "This is no time for heroics, Percy." Luke admonishes. "Drop your sword, or I'll have you killed sooner rather than later."
I keep my eyes on Luke, refusing to draw attention the image on display behind him. I could tell that Jackson was going to try and take as much information he could before revealing the audience we now had. "Who poisoned Thalia's tree Luke?" Jackson demands, not lowering his sword.
"I did, of course." I don't miss the sort of boastful way Luke says it, like he was proud to have been responsible for destroying his friend's legacy. "I already told you that. I used elder python venom, straight from the depths of Tartarus."
"Chiron had nothing to do with it?" Jackson presses, and Luke snorts.
"Ha! You know he would never do that. The old fool wouldn't have the guts." The anger pooling in my gut threatens to explode, but I press it down, knowing what would happen if I were to let it loose.
"You call it guts? Betraying your friends? Endangering the whole camp?" Jackson questions, and I know that this question was more for himself rather than for my father.
Luke cocks his head to the side, raising his sword. "You don't understand the half of it. I was going to let you take the Fleece...once I was done with it."
The words make Jackson hesitate, and I purse my lips. There couldn't be a good reason why Luke would give us the Fleece to use on Thalia. As much as I would like to say that he truly wanted to save the tree, I know that wouldn't be true.
The Luke I knew is gone, consumed by the hatred and anger that had been festering in him for years. "You were going to heal Kronos." Jackson murmurs, and even hearing the name sends shivers running down my spine.
Luke grins. "You're smarter than you look Percy. The Fleece's magic would've sped his mending process by tenfold. But you haven't stopped us. You've only slowed us down a little."
The image of the golden sarcophagus flashes in my mind, and my body is wracked with chills. "And you poisoned the tree, you betrayed Thalia, you set us up—all to help Kronos destroy the gods."
"You know that!" Luke exclaims, his jaw ticking. "Why do you keep asking me?"
"Because I want everybody in the audience to hear you." A smug look crosses Jackson's face as Luke narrows his eyes, his sword wavering in the air.
"What audience?" He demands, and he slowly turns, looking behind him at the fountain. His reaction was priceless, and I can't help but grin as he stumbles back at the sight of not only my father, but the entire camp sitting at the dining pavilion, not a soul making a single noise.
My eyes were trained on my father, who seemed to look at everything but at me. "Well, some unplanned dinner entertainment." He drawls smoothly, raising his goblet to his lips and taking a long drink.
My mouth waters at the thought of some Coke, and I'm going to consume at least half a dozen cans as soon as I'm back at camp. "Mr. D you heard him." Jackson persists, now completely ignoring Luke. "You all heard Luke. The poisoning of the tree wasn't Chiron's fault."
"I suppose not." My father sighs, looking tired.
Tantalus was seated beside him, his gaze focused on a burger that had been placed in front of him. "The Iris-message could be a trick." The man points out absent-mindedly, more focused on entrapping his food rather than the conversation occurring in front of him.
My father gives the man a cold look. "I fear not. It appears I shall have to reinstate Chiron as activities director. I suppose I do miss the old horse's pinochle games."
It was at this moment that Tantalus made a move for the burger in front of him, and for the first time in millennia, the food didn't jump from his reach. "I got it!" He shouted happily, completely forgetting that he had just been fired.
"We are no longer in need of your services, Tantalus." My father drawls, and the words seem to get the man's attention.
"What? But—"
"You may return to the Underworld. You are dismissed." A look of pure shock and disbelief crosses Tantalus's face as he shakes his head, clutching onto the burger for dear life.
He gives my father a pleading look. "No! But—Noooo!" My father snapped his fingers, and the man made a mad dash to bring the burger in his hands to his mouth, but he was too late.
The now flattened burger fell to the table in front of an empty chair, and the dining pavilion erupted into cheers and shouts.
My father finally looked at me, and he gives me the barest of nods, a confirmation of my dark fears. It is all he is able to give before Luke cuts through the mist with his sword, his eyes filed with fire as he glares daggers at Jackson.
"Kronos was right, Percy. You're an unreliable weapon. You need to be replaced." I don't know what the words mean, but I don't have time to think as a horn is blown behind me, and I watch with my hand on my bracelet as more and more warriors and monsters filter onto the deck.
They make a circle around us, each of them decked out in full Greek armor and accessorized with brass tipped spears that they point at us threateningly. Luke's smile turns sinister as he looks at Jackson. "You'll never leave this boat alive."
I can see Jackson scramble for a plan to get out of the situation, and I remember the subtle nod my father had given me just seconds ago.
Oh gods.
I drop my hand from my wrist, willing my face to remain calm as I cross my arms over my chest, raising a brow. "Unfortunately, I'm the first person up for the murder of Barnacle Boy here, so you'll have to get in line." My voice comes out tighter than I wanted it to, but it gets Luke's attention, and that's all I need.
His eyes soften when he looks at me, but the emotion vanishes just as quickly as it had come. "Dani...You know more than anyone that I'm doing the right thing. The gods have ruled long enough."
I clench my jaw, and I crack open the jar that I had closed so many years ago, barely opening it more than an inch. "I know that destroying the world is worse than what they have ever done." I counter in a cool voice, and Luke shakes his head.
"We're not destroying the world. We're making it better. Can't you see that? Dani...I can help you. Come with me, and you'll never have to worry about your curse again. You have the power to destroy the gods, their cowardice is why you have that stupid curse in the first place." His voice was as smooth as silk, and I knew that it would be oh, so easy to give in to him.
I could pretend that it was like old times...but the dream would end eventually. "Don't do this, Luke." I warn, and I can see his eyes flash.
"What about your mother? What would she say?" He jabs, and I suck in a sharp breath. I can feel my small jar begin to crack from the energies and emotions contained inside, and I grit my teeth.
"Don't talk about her." I hiss, and I can see Jackson take a step back closer to Annabeth and Grover. Just a few more seconds.
"You're father is the reason she's dead. Join me, and we can avenge her, and make sure that it never happens again. Come on, kid."
The nickname is the final crack in the small glass jar, and I feel everything that had once been bottled up inside explode. I feel everything at once—and the emotions mix with the power roiling in my blood to increase it tenfold.
I let the anger burn in my blood, allowing it to fuel the energy as I lift my head. Whatever Luke seems to see in my eyes causes him to stumble backwards, and I smile.
My entire body was encased in a warm blanket of heat, and it simmered around me like a shield. "Jackson. Take the others and get out." My voice almost didn't sound like my own.
"What? N—"
"Percy. Go." I dared a single look at him, and he looked like leaving me here was the last thing he wanted to do. But maybe it was the fact that I had used his first name, or maybe it was whatever he saw in my eyes, because he turned towards Annabeth and grabbed ahold of her wrist, preparing to run.
When I turn back to look at Luke, he was standing in front of me with a half-raised sword, his eyes wide with fear. "Dani—Dani calm down. I can help you."
I laugh, rolling my eyes. "You said I could destroy the gods." I muse, and I slowly raise my left hand, pretending to look at my cuticles. "Now I'm going to destroy you." The heat surrounding my palm increases, and I watch as a ball of flickering purple flame appears above my now open palm.
"That's new." I muse, and they are the last words I say before I lower every blockade, every rope and hold I had over the raging storm inside of me, and the world descends into chaos.
My newfound fire disappears as I let the energy that had been tangled inside of me free in waves, and it has an instant effect. The guards that were once standing around us in a 'threatening' circle are now screaming and clutching their heads.
Some run around the room in circles, their mouths saying nothing but nonsense. It was horrifyingly empowering to see them scrambling around as their minds were turned against them.
I stumble for a moment as I turn back towards Luke, my balance momentarily thrown off kilter. My body was still tired from the injuries I had sustained on the island, and my little 'explosion' wasn't helping anything. But I have to make sure that Luke doesn't stop Clarisse from getting the Fleece to camp.
Luke was seemingly unaffected by the madness that was lingering in the air. He was frozen to the spot as he looked at the chaos around us, his mouth open in shock. When he notices my stare, he narrows his eyes. "You proved your point Dani. Now stop this. We both know you can't hurt me."
I push down my anger for a moment, my teeth griding against one another. "I can't let you go and stop Clarisse." I say, trying to ignore the fact that I wasn't denying a word he was saying.
He smiles, and it's the same smile that I had seen almost every day. "You're just a pawn Danae. Your father is using you, so he doesn't have to get his hands dirty."
I close my eyes, my anger now fading away completely as a new emotion takes its place. "You said that you knew I'd come to you...Well now I'm going to give you the same words. You'll come to me, not as you are now, but as you used to be."
My voice breaks as I say the last line, and I ignore the sting in my chest as I let my energies loose one, final time. As the energy leaves, it feels like it's tearing out a hole, and I vaguely remember the searing pain before the world fades to nothing.
≫ ──── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──── ≪
Not sure how I feel about this one, buttttt oh well. We have one more chapter before the end of the book! I was definitely expecting this book to be shorter (considering it's my least favorite and its kinda short itself, but we're siting at a hefty 43,863 words right now. (This is the sole reason to my lack of updates to my other works oops)
Either way, I hope you guys enjoyed! Vote/comment and give some love if you did! Thanks for reading lovelies. (3375 Words)