The Shadow Summoner | Book Three - PJO Universe

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AND THE CHASE BEGINS...

Four weeks.

That's how long the four demigods (including Apollo, whose mortal name was Lester) had been travelling west for so far.

Throughout the entire duration Ariana and Leo had been fighting - more like bickering - and it drove Calypso and Apollo to insanity.

At first it was bickering, Ariana giving glares to Leo or making some sly snarky comment but as the pair had to spend more time together the tension increased.

However, one day Calypso and Apollo had forced the pair to sit in a field in New Jersey whilst they went to the shop to gather up more supplies for the rest of their trip.

It was nighttime, the stars were out alongside the starts and Ariana's attention was solely fixated on Zoë's constellation.

Leo sat beside her, in complete sufferable silence. The air was stuffy, too stuffy. Each movement made was awkward; no eye contact was attempted.

They shared a few quiet glances but it was nothing more than looks of hatred they gave one another.

Despite the glares, Ariana didn't hate Leo and as much as she wished she did, she didn't. She couldn't.

It would've been easier if she did hate him - she should've moved on.

Eventually a small and timid silence was broken by Leo's voice. "Why'd you hate me?"

Godsmacked, Ariana turned to look at Leo with her mouth hung open.

As she got over her shock, the daughter of hades scoffed. "Is that a serious question? Because last time I checked you kissed me, I fall into Tartarus and then when I return I find out you developed a crush on a titan, who by the way cursed Annabeth whilst we were trying to survive fucking hell, and then you die and when you return I find out you are dating the girl who I despise."

When she put it like that he was dumbfounded, completely caught off guard. And he knew he was an idiot.

"She saved my life..." He tried to defend himself.
"She came for me and she never left." He added, not realising that sounded worse.

Ariana rolled her eyes, sadness growing inside of her. "I never left. I still haven't left." She practically whispered the last part, wiping away her few tears. "In a lifetime of war, you gave me peace."

Leo had no words.

Ariana could see the pain in his eyes as he thought of what to say in fear that he'd say the wrong thing.

He was silent for a few moments. And suddenly, he leaned forward, placing her chin into the centre of his hand and lifting it.

He wiped the tears away from her eyes. "I loved you and I hate to see you upset, but I love her, Ariana."

Leo looked down at his hands, ashamed. "Maybe.. if things were different we-"

"Don't," Ariana shook her head, "don't say stuff that you don't mean."

Contradictory to her words, Ariana wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe that perhaps in another universe, they were meant to be.

That perhaps, by some remarkable circumstance, they were soulmates and not just the platonic kind.

The demigods sat in solemn silence, eyes still fixated on the ground.

The truth was that they just weren't meant to be. The universe found its way of bringing people together but even when the duo managed to make it a reality, the universe, or perhaps Aphrodite herself, found its way to tear them apart.