Loving The Traitor (A Luke Castellan Love Story)[BOOK ONE]

Chapter 10 - I Run into Percy Jackson

A week had passed since Luke's return, yet the air at Camp Half-Blood crackled with an undercurrent of tension, a sense of anticipation hanging heavy in the air. Luke had confided in me about his dream, a premonition of a demigod's arrival at camp—a harbinger of change, he called it.

And then, just as he had predicted, rumors began to circulate of a new arrival—a boy who had bested the Minotaur and emerged victorious, his name whispered in hushed tones of awe and admiration.

I couldn't help but wonder if this was the same boy Luke had spoken of, the one destined to shape the course of our fate. The thought sent a shiver down my spine, a mixture of excitement and apprehension swirling within me like a tempest.

As morning dawned, the camp buzzed with activity, the scent of anticipation mingling with the crisp morning air. I went about my morning routine, the mundane tasks of daily life a welcome distraction from the weight of uncertainty that hung over us all.

But then, as I gathered with my fellow Aphrodite campers, a mention of "the bathroom incident" caught my attention, pulling me from my thoughts like a sudden gust of wind.

"What incident?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

The others exchanged knowing glances, their expressions a mixture of amusement and disbelief. "The new kid," one of them explained, her voice tinged with awe. "He showed Clarisse who's boss by dunking her with toilet water."

I couldn't help but laugh, the absurdity of the situation breaking through the tension like a ray of sunshine piercing the clouds. But beneath the laughter, a sense of unease lingered—a reminder of the precarious balance that existed between us and the outside world.

As I made my way through the bustling campgrounds, the sunlight filtering through the canopy of trees above, I caught sight of him—a boy with tousled black hair and sea-green eyes, his expression a mixture of wonder and bewilderment as he took in his surroundings.

"Hey," I greeted him, my voice tinged with a mixture of amusement and curiosity.

He turned to me, his eyes wide with curiosity as he took in the sight of me. "Hey," he replied, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"This place is kinda weird, huh?" he remarked.

I couldn't help but laugh at his observation, the sound echoing through the air like a melody of laughter and light. His eyebrows shot up in surprise, a flicker of amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Uh, did I say something funny?" he asked, his voice laced with confusion.

I felt a flush of embarrassment creeping up my cheeks, the warmth of it suffusing my entire being. "Sorry," I stammered, struggling to regain my composure. "It's just... you're right. This place is definitely... unique."

He regarded me with a curious expression, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Well, I guess I'll just have to get used to it then," he said, his voice filled with determination.

"What's your name again?" I asked.

He hesitated, then shrugged, "Percy."

"Like Perseus?" I asked immediately, then cursed myself for geeking out, but he nodded with a smile. "Exactly."

As he turned to walk away, I couldn't help but steal a glance back at him, my heart fluttering with an inexplicable sense of fondness. And then, in a moment of pure serendipity, I saw him do something utterly endearing—a small, boyish grin lighting up his face as he reached out to pet a passing satyr on the head, who glared at him, but he didn't notice. With a smile of my own, I turned away, making my way toward the cafeteria pavilion.

As we gathered for breakfast, I looked over to the Hermes table at Percy and watched as Luke taught him to fill his glass. Percy speaks to it, and it immediately fills with a dark soda. He looks impressed and says a few more words that change the color to blue. A small smile tugs at my lips, and I realize he's still just a child. But as the morning wore on, a sense of foreboding settled over me like a shroud. I couldn't shake the feeling that this boy, with his untapped potential and boundless curiosity, was teetering on the edge of a precipice—a pawn in a game he couldn't hope to understand.

As I watched him interact with Luke, a sense of protectiveness washed over me, a determination to shield him from the darkness that lurked within our world. But even as I vowed to keep him safe, I knew that the path ahead would be fraught with danger.