The Exit - Luke Castellan

Chapter 4

Flashback

"Can I come in?"A young Amara asked the curly headed boy standing in front of his apartment wearing a dirty dress stained with beer. 

The two young children had grown closer over the past month, bonding over the things they were seeing. They had come to realise that they were experiencing the same thing, seeing creatures and getting called crazy by the others. If they were feeding each others delusion or if they were actually seeing these things, it didn't matter what mattered to them . They had found someone who understood them

The curly haired boy nodded, letting her take a look at the bruises on the girl's face. Amara looked down to her feet, letting her hair fall in front of the bruises. Luke pulled her inside.

"Mom is sleeping," Luke told her. Through the gab of the door leading to the bedroom, Amara could see a pale woman sleeping. Luke's mother. Luke had told her she had been sick for years saying crazy things talking about his father who Luke only knew from a photo. 

"She's getting worse, you know," the boy said, looking down sadly, "Her episodes are now nearly all the time."

Amara looked at the boy, giving him a small, comforting smile.

The two kids huddled together on the couch a blanket wrapped around them. The boy looked at the smaller girl staring at the bruises. "If  I can't take care of my mom anymore, we'll run away together, ok? We'll find somewhere where no one can hurt you anymore. I'll take care of you. " The girl didn't say anything. She hoped he would keep that promise. She rested her head on his shoulder, and soon, the kids fell asleep in each other's arms, getting haunted by the same nightmares.

End of Flashback

"You're down. I win," Luke told Amara his sword on her neck.

"I don't understand how you win every time," Amara complained, panting sweat dripping off her forehead. The pair had resorted to fighting each other to distract themself.

"You're getting better at this," the boy assured her, lowering his sword, "I'm starting to trust you can protect yourself."

"I can protect myself without a sword," the witch told him. 

"You don't always have the opportunity to use your magic you have to be able to defend yourself without it", Luke replied, "I may not always be able to be around to protect you".

"I know the basics," Amara assured him.

"I know you do. I just want you to be alright if I'm ever not around," the boy repeated.

"Why are you so worried about not being there?"she asked him, confused.

"If we get separated, I just need to know you're alright," he brushed her off.

Amara sighed, taking the small mirror out of her pocket, checking if Annabeth was trying to contact her. She hadn't hurt anything from them yet, though they had been in the news for apparently damaging a train which had most likely been a monster, and there was talk that they had killed Medusa. 

Luke stepped closer to her, softly taking her hands and holding the mirror. "They'll be ok," he assured her softly. 

"I know it's just-", Amara stressed, "She's never been gone this long, and I'm worried she will try to prove herself to her mon,"

Luke pulled Amara into a hug, comforting her, not knowing what to say.

  "Let's get your mind off Annabeth, alright," Luke told her, pulling her to the water.

"What's plan?"Amara asked, slightly scared what he'll do next. Her eyes widened when she realised what he was doing. "Luke I swear to Styx if you do this I'll kill you don't you dare", she squealed, Luke had already thrown her over his shoulder and walked to the water where he threw her in. Amara let out a high-pitched scream, landing in the water wearing a shirt and pants. When she came up to the surface, her hair stuck to her face.

"Luke Castellan, you are a dead man," she threatened. 

Luke just laughed her off. "It's hot outside. I did you a favor." He took off his shirt and pants, leaving him in his boxers, jumping in next to her. Amara let out a squeal again as she was hit by the water again. Luke came up to the surface next to her, grabbing her by the waist.

"I hate you",, Amara complained.

"I love you to princess", he replied, pulling her closer by the waist, her body touching his bare toned body. Amaras' clothes were sticking to her body, but she couldn't help but give in when Luke looked at her with his admiring eyes. They swam, facing each other, their hair wet. Luke pulled her in, grabbing her face with his hands and kissing her softly. Amara lost herself in the kiss, forgetting her worries. 

After the pair got tired of swimming, they lay on the stones on their clothes. Amara was shivering slightly, so Luke threw her his dry shirt, which she accepted greatfully. His shirt was big on her, covering her panties. 

"Can't have anyone seeing you like this, can I?"he murmered, pulling her into his arms. Amara now sat between his legs his arms around her stomach as they watched the sun set. It started to become dark, but they didn't move both of them enjoying each other's company lost in their own thoughts.

Finally, Luke broke the silence. "Can I ask you something?"Luke asked Amara.

"Of course," she replied, looking up.

"Have you ever thought about paying back the Gods for what they did to us?". The boys expression was unreadable for her. She knew he hated his father and the Gods, but she had never thought about getting revenge for the things the Gods had done to them.

"I don't think I've ever thought about that. I mean, I hate the Gods, too, but I don't think if we did something against them, it would make anything better."she replied after thinking about it.

Luke nodded. "But what if there's a way to pay them back? Would you do it?"he asked again.

" I'm not sure, but I think revenge isn't always the answer. Usually, it leads to people getting hurt, "Amara explained.

Luke nodded, not wanting to push her any further. Amara studied his face. Until now, she hadn't thought about the possibility of Luke wanting revenge. Sure, he had talked about getting back at the Gods, but she had always thought those were just words of hatred, nothing more.

"Luke, I want you to promise me you won't let your hatred for the Gods destroy you?". she said, cubbing his face with her hand, her thumb tracing his scar.

Luke hesiated. He couldn't promise her that he knew that, but he needed to reassure her, so he looked at her with that soft expression that made her knees melt and lied, "I promise." The words tasted bitter in Luke's mouth, but he just swollowed the guilt kissing the top of the girls head, adding another lie to it. "I'll never leave you." 

Amara believed the boy. It was just like they were younger. She was willing to pretend to believe him because she didn't know what else to do. 

Somewhere far away, Annabeth, Grover, and Percy were walking on the side of a road.

"Can I ask you something?"Percy asked Annabeth, who nodded. "Why does Amara do thing where she's all unapproachable when she cares so much?"

Annabeth thought about her sister for a second before answering it. "Amara hated that she cares. She feels like she's already let in too many people. She hates her dad and runs away from him, but what she doesn't tell anybody is that she checks that he's ok every time she's out of camp. She's probably worried sick for me because she hates not being able to protect the people she loves. "

"I kinda wish she was here she could help us," Percy sighed. He started caring for the girl who seeked to know more about him, and then he knew about himself.

"He too," Annabeth replied, playing with her necklace, "Me too.