Let The Light In | Luke Castellan 1

the betrayal

Annabeth and Adela set out to find Percy and Luke through the woods. After about ten minutes they finally found them walking.

They quietly walked a few paces behind them, still able to hear what they say.

The sky was dark and fireworks lit up the sky.

It was a beautiful site to see.

"Talk about a celebration. They really pulled out all the stops for you." Luke said to Percy and he didn't say anything back to him.

"Come on, you've said, like, two words since we left the cabins." He said.

"Just...thinking about what the oracle said. That I'll fail to save what matters most in the end." Percy said to him and they stopped walking.

Annabeth grabbed Adela's arm. "Over here." She whispered to her and they walked along the tree line and watched.

"You're thinking about your mom." Luke said "I get that." He added setting down the lantern. "Believe me, I do." He said walking in front of him.

"But prophecies? Those things are so vague."

"The quest is over and everything the oracle said has either gone true or makes sense." Percy said.

"Has it?" Luke asked tilting his head.

"You shall go west and face the god who has turned." Percy recited. "Ares, okay."

"Find what was stolen and see it returned." He said. "Clearly the bolt." Luke said.

"And you shall be betrayed...by one who calls you friend." Percy said and he didn't say anything.

"Well, the reason Clarisse is still here is because... you never said anything to Chiron about her. Did you?" Percy asked and Luke opened his mouth and closed it.

"You couldn't... because you knew Clarisse didn't steal the bolt. You did." Percy said.

Adela's heart stopped. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She wanted to run to Luke and demand answers but Annabeth held her back. "Wait." She whispered to her.

"You worked with Ares to plant it on me so when the shoes you gave me pulled me down into Tartarus, the bolt would be delivered right to Kronos." Percy explained.

"I didn't think you'd give 'em to Grover to wear." Luke said, his voice breaking.

"I am your friend. Percy, none of this was meant to betray you." Luke said. "The gods are my enemy. You, I'm here to recruit." Luke said, taking a couple steps closer to him.

"Recruit?" Percy asked.

Luke turned around and summoned his sword. Percy saw it and summons his sword. "Easy, I don't want to fight you." Luke said, putting his hand out to him.

"This is what I wanted to show you. This, is our way out." He said. "Way out of what?" Percy asked.

Luke turned are carved a line into the stone and a rip appeared. "Camp." Luke turned back to him. "And their control. Backbitter can open secret doors. We can stay on the run as long as it takes."

"Stop saying "we." Percy said.

Luke took a few steps closer to him. "It's the word Zeus fears the most. The gods want us to fight for them, worship them, fear them. And they couldn't care less what we want. They're bad parents, Percy."

Luke tilted his head up and straightened his posture. "And they've gotten away with it for far too long." He said.

Percy shook his head. "No."

"This isn't you. This is Kronos. He got to you." He said and Luke took a step closer to him. "No, he opened my eyes to the truth." He said, he turned and carved another line.

"A golden age. Thats what they called it when he ruled. We're going to help Kronos bring the golden age back. Stealing the bolt and helm was easy. For what comes next...we're going to need all the help we can get." Luke said.

"And what about Adela?" Percy asked and Luke's face dropped. "Was poisoning her easy, almost killing her easy for you?" Percy asked.

"Don't bring her into this." Luke said, his voice deepening.

He turned around and went to carve another line but Percy jumped in front and blocked his sword.

"Our parents aren't perfect but they're trying their best." Percy said, with his sword raised to him and Luke did the same. "I met your dad."

That sentence made Luke swing at him and they went back in forth with each other. Adela grabbed her sword from her side.

Luke grabbed Percy. "You did get better."

Luke hit his sword and turned around and carved another line into the stone. Percy was distracted by it and Luke hit his sword and kicked him.

"Last chance." Luke said, raising his sword.

Percy ran to him and pushed him back and they continued to fight. Percy manage to graze Luke's chest and Luke groaned in pain.

"I'm sorry I didn't meant to-." Percy said, stepping forward. Luke turned around and grazed Percy and he fell to the ground.

Luke stalked up to him.

"No." Adela whispered. She made herself visible and ran in front of Percy and Luke looked shocked that she was there. "If you want to kill him you have to kill me first."

"Addie." He breathed out.

She shook her head. "No, you don't get to call me that. Why did you poison me?" She asked, her voice breaking.

"Because of Hal." He yelled.

"Who's Hal?" She asked him. "Son of Apollo. Before I came back to camp. We-we found ourselves at this mansion. It was a trap. We went in and found Hal. Apollo, he cursed Hal because he told a girl her future. Apollo condemned him to never speak or leave the place and then he died." He explained.

"The gods are the same. Apollo is the same. You do something wrong, you get punished. But you idolize him." He said and Adela didn't know what to say.

"You don't even know who your father really is. He's not the person you think he is." Luke said and she shook her head. "That's not true. He would never." She said.

"Yes, he would. You're just blind to see it."

"I poisioned your water because Kronos told me to but then I found out something else." He said reaching into his pocket. He pulled out an item and she looked at it and Adela's face dropped.

"My necklace." She whispered, enough for him to hear. "You don't even know what kind of power it contains, don't you?" He asked.

He put it back in his pocket. "I'll keep that for later." He said and Adela gritted her teeth and swung at him.

Luke dodged her hit and swung his sword and she blocked it. She swung at him but he blocked it with his sword. He put it at his side, still aiming it at her.

He took a few steps forward and Adela also took a step forward and stopped.

She looked from Luke's face and looked down.

His sword was in her stomach.

She looked back up at him with tears in her eyes. Luke grabbed her shoulder and pulled out his sword and he watched as Adela fell to the ground.

"Adela!" Percy shouted.

"What did you do?" Percy asked angrily and looked from the girl to Luke.