ꜰᴏᴏʟꜱ ɢᴏʟᴅ|ᴘ.ᴊ|②

IV

-REMNANTS OF BETRAYAL-

     Loud, thick white noise fills the Goddesses ears. She tries to stand to her feet, vision blurry and mind in a haze. Her nails dig into the earth beneath her, head pounding with a beat. 

     Her breath is the only thing audible. "Percy..." She tries. 

     The son of Poseidon shields his eyes as he sits up, chest heaving with a cough. As his vision clears and his instincts kick in, Percy pushes himself against the wall and searches for Riptide. Eva stands to her feet, still a little lightheaded but controlling her bearings, nevertheless. 

     Her hand flies for her own sword but it's nowhere to be found. 

     The beat, beat, beat of her heart quickly stops at the sight in front of her. She knows that hair and stance, and the smooth texture of his voice is ingrained into memory. Even after all this time, he still manages to catch her breath. Only now, it's for very different reasons. 

     As if he feels her lurking, Luke Castellan turns on his heel. "Never did I think I'd see you again," he advances. "You look so different." 

     She stands her ground. "Betrayal will do that," she fires back. 

     "I did not betray you, I saved you. All of this has been for you and yet, you still don't see it. What will it take?" He shakes his head, disbelief written across his expression.

     "Do you really think I would ever condone your methods, especially after you poisoned Thalia's tree?" 

     That anger begins to rise within him. "I needed to send a message-" 

     "So you hurt camp? What about your friends, Luke, what about all the new campers that have nothing to do with this?" 

     "What about you, Eva?" He questions. "Or should I call you The Enchantress? I can't keep up nowadays." 

     Her brows knit tightly. "What are you talking about?" 

     "I'm talking about you joining the same team you used to resent!" His bitterness flew from tongue to ear violently. "You joined the Gods. You picked your side!" 

     "I had no choice. I didn't even understand what was going on. Zeus had already requested my presence, and Hecate said I needed to harness my powers. I didn't go to Olympus to make friends, I did it out of obligation. 

     "And even then, even when I'd done my ceremony and became a real Goddess, I still had the interest of mortals in mind so do not dare speak to me as if I were the one who betrayed you!"

     Her eyes glint and glow, power swarming within her. She knew this moment would come one day—coming face to face with her backstabbers—but she truthfully wasn't ready for it to be so soon. Anger was beginning to overcome her again, a battle starting between the person she used to be and the person she is now. 

     "Where's your sidekick?" She glances around. 

     A smirk tugs at Luke's lips. "He's no sidekick, darling. He's much, much more important now. I mean, I would've never known where to get the poison if it weren't for him."