Last Shadow || Deception Book III

Chapter 6 Pt.I

A/N: Hi guys, I'm back. Sorry for the long wait and thanks for your patience.

I made a couple of announcements on my profile about this story as well as Through the Burning Fires of Hell, my Nico Di Angelo one, so go to my profile if you want to read it.

I'll be updating on Sunday mornings from now on for this, so keep that in mind. If you want to receive notifications for updates and announcements, add this story to your reading list / library and drop a follow.

Edit: I lied. I will still be updating on Saturday mornings. 

Thank you so much for waiting for me 😭😭😭 and for reading!

🥰🥰🥰

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Clarianna

"Can't you tell Luke to be patient?" Nicole complained as the three of us made our way down to his office. "You literally just got back, and he wants a report? Some boyfriend."

I tried to stop the smirk and failed miserably. "Well, I'm not complaining. You guys dragged me away before I could even properly say hi to my brothers."

"Don't even," Ally warned. "We all know why you're not complaining about having to give a five-month report."

I shrugged. "It's already been an hour. An hour of answering relentless questions from you two. I think I can handle a few more. Speaking of which, you still haven't told me what happened to the deck. Did you guys repaint it a darker colour?"

I glanced at Ally, who paled again, and stared at Nicole who had averted her gaze. What's going on? I thought. As soon as I returned to the ship, I thought something was different. After resolving the cabin fever issue and Nicole and Ally dragged me away, I'd seen the floor inside the ship and realized that the deck was a different, darker colour. But when I'd asked, neither of them said anything, just stammered some incomprehensible answers. If they just painted it, why are they avoiding answering my question? I wondered, glancing back and forth between the two.

"Ask Luke," they both muttered.

"Whatever," I said loudly. Fine, if they wouldn't tell me, I'd do exactly that. Ask Luke. "Anyways, as I was saying, nothing much happened down there anyway. I can handle a few questions."

Nicole sighed in relief at the subject change and replied, "Whatever you say. I'm just glad that you're back and you can resume your position of second in command. Your brother was an absolute nightmare."

"Didn't stop you from dating him," Ally muttered, though she still wouldn't meet my gaze.

"What?" I yelped, all thoughts of the deck disappearing from my mind.

"Hey!" Nicole exclaimed at the same time. 

"Yeah, Ri, they started dating," Ally said teasingly. "And they're almost as bad as you and Luke."

"Did someone say my name?" Luke said, popping his head out of his office to see the three of us approaching. "Oh, hey. You're finally here." He nodded at Ally and Nicole as they quickly made a beeline for inside the room and gave me a small, stupid smile that made my heart skip a beat, smirked, as if he knew exactly what he was doing, and ducked back into the room.

I stared at where Luke had been for a long moment, then shook myself violently and headed into the room. I felt a soft smile grace my lips as I took in the familiar large, arching windows that opened up to the blue sea, the breezy white curtains draped to the side and the velvet armchairs along the wooden walls. And, of course, the large, oak table in the centre, with demigods who were my brothers and sisters waiting for me. I wasn't expecting the rush of emotions that welled inside me as I saw their smiling faces; Alex, Ally, Nicole, Chris, Alabaster, and, of course, Luke.