Last Shadow || Deception Book III

Chapter 3

Luke 

Where the bleeding skies was Alabaster? I thought as I mentally checked off another floor of the deck. He's second in command, he can't just wander off wherever he wants.

She did that, the voice in my head that had appeared since Ri disappeared whispered. Rianna did whatever she wanted as Second.

I shoved it down, forcing myself to focus. This was only temporary, I reminded myself. Her brother is only filling in while she's gone. And, as she's doing her duty of exploring the labyrinth, we should be doing our duty of planning so when she does get back, all this time wouldn't have been for waste.

Where the hell was he? I hoped that Alex wasn't disappearing on his seniors, but judging from both Rianna and Alabaster, it seemed like children of Hecate just had a tendency to vanish at the drop of a hat.

Oh, wait a moment, I realized. Come to think of it, I hadn't seen Nicole all day either. I immediately headed towards the third floor, where Nicole's cabin was. If Alabaster wasn't there, then I had no idea where he'd be.

Rounding the corner of the hallway, I sighed as I saw him sitting on the thick carpet, his back against the wall. "Hey, I-"

"Shh!" he whisper-shouted, glaring furiously. He motioned me closer. I walked over and sat, perplexed. "Be quiet!," Alabaster said. Guilt flashed across his features as he pointed to the door. "Colie's inside." He paused, glancing at me warily. "She's IM-ing Ri."

"Oh," I breathed, sitting carefully on the floor. "You're eavesdropping."

Alabaster shrugged. "You are too, now."

"Dude, I can't even hear anything." I raised my eyebrows at him.

Alabaster sighed and did this wavy thingy in the air with his fingers.

"-months," Ri's voice suddenly said, as clear as if she was standing next to me. "I'm sorry."

"FOUR MONTHS!?" Nicole exclaimed. "What?"

Alabaster and I shared a glance. Four months? She has to spend another four months down there? His eyes conveyed.

I shrugged, fighting down a sudden flare of emotion that I couldn't pinpoint.

"Sorry, I know you miss me."

I clenched my hand at the playfulness in her tone, fighting the urge to barge through the door. Stop, Luke.

"I don't miss you," Nicole retorted. "I'm just sick of Luke moping around the deck all day. I feel like I'm constantly walking around a shadow—he's a fricking giant rain cloud. Like that perpetual cloud over Olaf, but instead of snow, it's tears of pining after you."

"Wh-" I started, my eyes widening at Nicole's bluntness. I started to rise, but Alabaster slapped his hand over my mouth and yanked me down, his eyes shining with mirth. "Get your hands off me," I hissed through his hand.

But then, Rianna's laughter reached me and I froze, my indignance melting away. A torrent of memories cascaded through my mind as I listened, all those times we'd shared flashing through me. Too much of it had been taken for granted. Too much. I should have spent more time with her. Damn the titans and their scheming.

"You're hopeless," my second grumbled as he leaned against the door again. "Utterly hopeless."

"I miss him too," Rianna replied, so soft I could barely hear it even with whatever magic Alabaster had cast.

"Then why haven't you messaged him?"

That's what I want to know too! I screamed internally. It's been a month, and never have you once IM-ed me! But I couldn't blame her. Not when I still remembered her expression as I'd revealed that Kronos planned to use me as a host, the clear, open windows of her eyes shuttering and the walls she'd let down for me build back up. The devastation that had rippled across her face before the icy mask had fallen.