Alma-Tadema, Lawrence. 'The Roses of Heliogabalus'. 1898. [Detail] ⋆.ೃ࿔*:·
Words: 1,534
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five days before the summer solstice
Phoebe walked down the hallway of the Big House, her steps echoing softly against the carpeted floors as she made her way to Chiron's office.
For days, Phoebe had been meticulously combing through her medical supplies, piecing together the puzzle of inconsistencies that had plagued her. Now with her findings clutched tightly to her chest, she could let Chiron know.
As she approached his office, the familiar oak door loomed before her and inside she heard the faint sounds of shuffling and rummaging from within. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Phoebe raised her hand and gave a gentle knock, the sound echoing through the corridor. She expected to hear the deep voice of Chiron from within, instead, the room fell silent.
Frowning, Phoebe gently pushed on the door, causing it to creak open. To her surprise, instead of the towering figure of the centaur, her eyes met the unexpected sight of Luke hunched over the desk.
"Hey," she greeted slowly, her brow furrowing in confusion as she stepped into the room.
"Chiron wanted me to grab something for me," Luke explained quickly, offering her a tight-lipped smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Oh, cool," Phoebe said, shrugging off any confusion as she entered the office and approached the desk. Placing her papers on his desk, she grabbed a sticky note and pen, quickly jotting down a message before sticking it onto the paper.
Luke leaned over, his curiosity piqued as he tried to catch a glimpse of the note. "What up?" he asked.
Turning her head to him, Phoebe offered him a weary smile "It's nothing interesting. Just some missing medical stuff." she replied, shaking her head, trying to dismiss the importance of it. However, she couldn't shake the gnawing feeling that something was off.
Luke's eyes subtly widened, a knot forming in his throat at her words. "Damn, that sucks," he managed to say evenly.
"Tell me about it, it's super annoying," she frustratedly muttered. Suddenly her gaze was drawn to something behind him.
A luminous, swirling light began to materialise behind him, its vibrant colours casting a prism of hues across the room. The light reminded Phoebe of the way sunlight dances through a sun catcher, creating a kaleidoscope of colours. In awe, she pointed towards it, causing Luke to turn and catch it in his peripheral vision. Before he could get a proper look, a familiar voice echoed through the room.
"Phoebe? Luke?" Percy's voice called out, his and Annabeth's figures gradually materialising in shimmering light before them. Relief instantly flooded Phoebe's heart at the sight of them, the tension in her shoulders easing. They were still alive.
"Annabeth? Percy! Are you okay?" Luke rushed out.
"Where's Grover?" Phoebe interjected, worry etched on her face.
"Grover's fine, we're fine," Annabeth reassured them, "Where is Chiron." her brow furrowing in confusion.
Phoebe looked away at the question. They didn't know what camp was like since they left
"Chiron's holding camp together with both hands. Everyone thinks we are going to war, so the cabins are taking sides" Luke replied. Phoebe glanced up at him, subtly nudging him with the side of her body to try and tell him to stop talking. They didn't need any more stress on their young shoulders.
"It's only a slow preparation, don't worry" she added, trying to reassure the kids in front of her.
"Some good news would definitely be welcome though," Luke chimed in, attempting to smile for their sake.
"We know who stole the bolt.
Luke felt himself grow cold.
"How do you know?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
"We ran into Ares, and Grover got him talking and realised Ares knew who the thief was but was covering for them" Annabthe explained, shrugging her shoulders" So who would Ares cover for other than.."
They didn't know. Relief washed over him.
"His favourite daughter," Luke declared, as Phoebe's eyes widened in shock. "Clarisse is the lightning thief."
Phoebe opened up her mouth to protest, but Percy's words came in strong. "Chrions gotta arrest her, find out what she knows."
"Percy, it isn't Clarisse," Phoebe interjected urgently.
"How do you know?" Percy pressed, his gaze unwavering.
"She just wouldn't..." Phoebe trailed off, her thoughts racing. How far would Clarisse go to earn her father's favour? The question lingered in her mind, furrowing her brow deeper with concern.
"Anyway, there's more to this than just the bolt, something bigger." Annabeth looked at Percy in confusion. "Don't ask me how I know, you just gotta trust me," Percy urged, looking back and forth between Annabeth and the portal.
Luke nodded solemnly. "Okay, I'm on it." he declared, though Phoebe shifted uncomfortably beside him.
"So, Ares, huh? What was that like?" he asked, noticing her discomfort
Percy looked at Annabeth for support. "Well.. compared to the Chimera on Monday and Medusa on Sunday, could have been a lot worse" Phoebe covered her mouth in shock, her worry coursing through her veins like a relentless tide. Luke glanced down at her, his jaw tightening with concern, He grabbed her free hand, squeezing it gently.
"Medusa was Saturday." Annabeth corrected, frowning
"I thought it was Sunday."
"No monsters on Sunday," Annabeth insisted, her tone firm."Monday you died in a river."
"Are you guys sure you're fine?" Phoebe interjected, trying not to let too much worry enter her voice. They had already faced so many monsters, and they still had six days left.
"Yeah," Annabeth responded, offering them a reassuring smile before turning back to Percy.
"Right. So, Medusa on Saturday," Percy acknowledged. The weight of their experiences hung heavy in the air, and Phoebe's chest felt tight with fear.
Luke glanced at her, a small smile tugging at his lips. He squeezed her hand, before looking back at the kids "Guys, what is this?" he teased.
"What?" the pair said in unison.
Lukes's eyes twinkled with mischief "When did you turn into an old married couple?" As he said the joke, he couldn't help but automatically look at her, hoping to catch a glimpse of her smile
And smile she did. Phoebe's grin broke through her worry, and she attempted to stifle her laughter by averting her gaze.
Annabeth raised her eyebrows, unamused by the comment. He wasn't one to talk about being in an old married couple, she thought to herself.
Percy's words cut through the moment, "Not to change the subject, but I'm gonna," he began, trying not to think about the girl next to him in that way. "We could use your advice on something. We are headed to Los Vagus to find your dad-"
Suddenly, the transmission cut off, leaving the room bathed in silence. Glancing at Luke, Phoebe could see the tension in his expression as he stared intently at the wall where the light had been. His eyes flickered with a mixture of emotions before he quickly closed them as if trying to shake them off. He then turned back to her, releasing her hand and offering a tight-lipped smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
Phoebe looked down, avoiding his eyes. "It's not Clarisse, Luke," her voice a whisper in the stillness of the room.
"How confident are you?" he said, raising his eyebrows, "enough to bet the lives of everyone at camp?"
Phoebe looked down, frowning. "I... I don't know," she admitted, her gaze meeting his. Her sad honey eyes making his heart ache. "Are we going to tell Chiron?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. It wouldn't take much to convince the centaur, he was already suspicious of the camp counsellors.
"Not yet, but we should keep an eye on her. See if she does anything suspicious." Luke replied softly. "Let's go." She nodded silently in agreement as she began to follow him out of the office, her steps faltering slightly as her mind raced with guilt.
As they walked down the hallway together, Luke suddenly haltered, his realisation breaking the silence between them. "I forgot to get those papers for Chiron," he muttered, clicking his tongue in frustration. With a sense of urgency, he darted back into the room, leaving Phoebe standing alone in the corridor.
Luke's movements were quick and deliberate as he slipped into the room, his blood pumping loudly in his ears. With a glance over his shoulder to make sure Phoebe couldn't see inside, he moved swiftly to the shelves, grabbing a random pile of papers.
The sticky note felt heavy in his hand as he plucked it from Phoebe's paper, a twinge of guilt gnawing at him. Without hesitation, he tucked it in his pocket.
His hands moved with urgency as he shuffled Phoebe's paper among his own, blending them together seamlessly. It was a temporary solution, but it bought him time.
With a deep breath to steady himself, Luke exited the room once more.
As he returned to her, he extended his hand for her to take again, and she decided to be selfish and take it, trying to find solace in his touch
Together, they left the Big House, minds weighed down with uncertainty and hearts overflowing with regrets