It had been 4 days since Percy escaped the Princess Andromeda. Lilith had made no attempt to escape, instead she chose to IM her father, telling him that she was fine and that she was on a mission.
Hades had pressed her for more information, but she simply sent him a sweet smile and say, "I'll be fine, Papa. I promise. I'll see you once I'm done, okay?"
And that was the end of the conversation. Lilith hadn't attempted to escape not because she couldn't, she could easily Mist travel or shadow travel back to camp, but it was much safer if she wasn't there anyways, the monsters wouldn't sense her.
Lilith sat on the bed on one of the rooms in the Princess Andromeda that Luke had provided for her. It was quite large, and it was nice. He had tried to talk to her multiple times but the girl simply turned away and ignored him.
Speak of the devil, the door to her room opened and there he was, standing with a guilty expression, once again.
"Li."
Lilith simply threw a glance his way before turning back again, knees pressed up against her chest. She heard the boy sigh, and felt the bed dip beside her.
"Can we talk, please?"
"What do you want, Luke?" She finally spoke to him, the first time after Percy left.
"You have to understand why I'm doing this." He pleaded.
"I understand the reason behind it, but what I don't understand is how you can throw all your morals away with how you're doing it." She said, softly.
Luke seemed surprised at the tone of her voice, and he gently reached out to grab her hand, "I'm sorry."
She didn't reply to him.
The boy sigh, before his hands gently gripped her chin, turning her head towards him. The first thing Luke noticed were her watering eyes, he seemed to have that effect whenever Luke tried to talk to her. It seemed that his betrayal had hurt her more than he thought. Luke was her first friend ever.
"Look at me."
Lilith turned to him and blinked her tears away.
"Why do you want me to join you?" She finally asked,
Luke seemed to tense at the question, "I don't want you to get hurt."
"Don't lie to me." She whispered.
"I can't tell you."
"Okay." Lilith nodded in understanding before prying his hands away and slipping under the covers, away from him.
Luke sat there for a few moments, looking at her back, before sighing. He reached over and pressed a kiss on her forehead, setting down a neatly-wrapped box. "Happy early birthday, cupcake."
With that, he left the room.
---
"So what now?" Percy asked Chiron. "We just let Luke sail away with Lilith? He's got Kronos aboard that ship. Or parts of him, anyway."
Chiron knelt, carefully folding his front legs underneath him. He opened the medicine pouch on his belt and started to treat his wounds. "I'm afraid, Percy, that today has been something of a draw. We didn't have the strength of numbers to take that ship. Luke was not organized enough to pursue us. Nobody won."
"What about Lilith?" Percy questioned, "She's still with Luke. He's basically imprisoned her there."
"Percy, Lilith is more than capable enough to take care of herself. If she wanted to leave, she would've left by now."
"Then why is she still there?"
Chiron sent him a grimace. "Percy." He started. "The only reason Lilith was there was to make sure you got out of that ship alive."
"What?" He whispered. Percy wouldn't be able to forgive himself if anything happened to his cousin because of him. Lilith was the sweetest girl he had ever met, and he didn't want to lose her either.
"The Olympians had a meeting a few days ago. Your father admitted he had asked Lilith to look after you in the Princess Andromeda. The only reason you got out of there without the monsters or anyone else follow you was because Lilith stayed."
"M-my father? Why?"
"Because he cares about you, Percy."
"That doesn't mean he should sacrifice someone else to save me!" The boy snapped,
"Your father didn't sacrifice Lilith to save you." Chiron told him gently. "Luke has an attachment to Lilith. He wants her in his army too, He won't do anything to hurt her."
"He's keeping her there!"
"Lilith stayed because she wanted to try and change his mind. She's still trying."
"He won't change his mind, Chiron. He's too angry." Percy shook his head.
"It doesn't hurt to try." He offered the boy a small smile, "If Lilith wants to leave, then she will leave, I promise you."
There was a moment silence after that
"But we got the Fleece!" Annabeth said, trying to clear up the tense atmosphere. "Clarisse is on her way back to camp with it right now."
Chiron nodded, though he still looked uneasy. "You are all true heroes. And as soon as we get Percy fixed up, you must return to Half-Blood Hill. The centaurs shall carry you."
"You're coming, too?" Percy asked.
"Oh yes, Percy. I'll be relieved to get home. My brethren here simply do not appreciate Dean Martin's music. Besides, I must have some words with Mr. D. There's the rest of the summer to plan. So much training to do. And I want to see ... I'm curious about the Fleece."
---
"Li. I brought you dinner." Luke sent her a small smile. Lilith had missed her birthday, it was the first birthday she hadn't spent with her family.
She honestly had no idea why she hasn't left yet, but something inside her knew. She missed Luke. She wanted him to come back, and she's going to keep trying to get him to come back.
"Thank you." She replied with a small voice, walking towards the boy who placed the food down in the small table, sitting down across from her.
It had been about almost three months that she stayed with Luke. It had been the longest she had been without seeing her father, but apparently he was also busy dealing with the monsters that had escaped in the Underworld. She IM'ed him constantly, and he always asked her to come back home, but she kept on refusing, telling him she wasn't giving up on Luke.
Hades had been annoyed, but he couldn't make his daughter do anything, so he gave up and instead just kept on pestering her.
Luke looked at the girl as she ate her dinner, zoning out.
"Why haven't you left yet?" The question brought the girl out of her own thoughts. She sent him a questioning look.
"I know you can leave if you want to, Li. I know you didn't come here with Percy." Luke told her knowingly,
Honestly, Luke had no idea what the girl was capable of, but if Kronos wanted her, then surely she was powerful, right? But oh- he had no idea just how powerful she was.
"Why do you think?" She shot the question back at him,
"You're trying to change my mind." He answered.
"Well, is it working?'
Yes. Luke wanted to answer, "No." was his answer instead.
"Okay." She nodded, going back to eating her dinner.
Luke simply stared at the younger girl, so pure, so innocent, and she was caught up in the middle of this upcoming war. His mind drifted to what ifs.
What if he never betrayed camp?
What if he found another way to bring justice, instead of trying to bring Kronos back?
What if he had talked to Lilith before he made up his mind?
His mind circled around hundreds of possibilities, but he held the thought. He didn't want to regret his decision more than he already had.
"Kronos wants me, doesn't he?" it was so quiet, that he could barely hear it.
Luke stared at the girl, unable-- no-- not wanting, to reply.
That was all it took for her to know the answer. "Why?"
"I don't know." Luke really didn't know why Kronos wanted her, if he could, he would send her as far away as he can from the war, but he can't.
Lilith stared at him, a frown on her face. "You know I won't join him, right?"
"I know." He replied.
"Then why?" She didn't have to finish the question, Luke knew what it was. Why do you still keep me here?
"Because you can leave, but you haven't yet." I'm cherishing every moment we can have before I have to fight against you.
Lilith knew he was lying, but she didn't press on the matter. "You're a good person, Luke." she started.
"I know deep down, this isn't what you want. I don't know why you're still trying to bring him back, but I know that you don't want this either. You're not going to change your mind any time soon, but I really hope you do. I really do. I'll be here when you do." She promised, getting up from the chair and pressing a kiss to his cheeks.
"I don't know what's stopping you from backing down, but I know it's not your ego. You're a good person. I hope you can see that." She finished, offering him a sad smile, before she backed away and disappeared into the shadows, travelling away from the ship, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
He's going to kill you if I don't do this. You, and everyone I care about.