✓ | 𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀, luke castellan

ᴛᴡᴇʟᴠᴇ

Suspicions Arise.

⚡

    ON THE 14TH OF JUNE, the cabin counselors had gathered inside the Big House, joined by Chiron and Mr. D, to discuss the growing unrest that was stirring among the campers. Rory found herself left out—forced to linger outside on the porch, her boots scraping the wooden floorboards as she paced restlessly under the fading light.

    She longed to be inside the room where plans were being laid, where decisions were made, where she could feel like she mattered. Luke had promised he'd give her the full rundown once the meeting ended, but the wait was agonizing. Every second she spent alone felt like a slow, tightening noose around her patience. She was tired of feeling like an outsider—like a sitting duck.

    As she made another restless circuit of the porch, Maddie appeared, her fiery red hair swinging in a ponytail, and the faint sheen of sweat glistening on her forehead from training. She carried a cluster of training swords casually over one shoulder, her stance both confident and energetic. Maddie's gaze landed on Rory, frowning as she caught sight of the older girl's tense pacing.

    "You okay?" Maddie asked, slowing to a halt.

    Rory stopped, leaning against the porch railing with a heavy sigh. "Yeah... just waiting for Luke. Counselor meeting's still going on."

    Maddie stepped closer, her bright eyes searching Rory's face. "Ooh, what's the meeting about?"

    "Percy's quest, the whole civil war, you know..."

    "Of course it is," Maddie's expression darkened as she muttered under her breath.

    Rory raised an eyebrow, curiosity flickering beneath her fatigue. "What's that supposed to mean?"

    The girl glanced away, her cheeks coloring slightly. She shuffled her feet, the confident warrior momentarily shrinking under Rory's gaze. "It's just... it's all anyone ever talks about. Like, all the time."

    "Well it's a big deal," Rory replied.

    "I guess... I'm just sick of it..."

    "What, you jealous?"

    Maddie scoffed, her eyes rolling in exasperation. "He was nobody a few weeks ago. And now it's like he's Zeus himself or something."

    "Don't be such a baby. Not everything's about you," Rory waved her off, her voice a little sharper than she intended.

    For a moment, Maddie looked taken aback by Rory's bluntness. She was so used to Rory backing her up—or at the very least humoring her little fits—that this straightforwardness cut deeper than expected. Maddie knew, deep down, that not everything was about her. She knew that. But still... maybe a small, stubborn part of her was jealous of Percy. After all, he'd been at camp for barely a couple of weeks before he was handed a quest that everyone was talking about, a quest that could change everything.

    Meanwhile, Maddie felt like a failure in comparison—a cursed daughter of Ares whose only real, useful skill was an unbearable one. She was a vessel for pain and suffering. She could absorb the burden of others but never their glory. She was no hero setting out on a glorious quest; she was the one who stayed behind, the one who struggled just to survive and hold others up when they couldn't stand on their own.

    And here was Rory, blunt and unyielding, making her feel even smaller, making her feel stupid and childish. The flush of embarrassment crept higher, threatening to sting her eyes.

    "I'm—I'm sorry," Maddie whispered, voice cracking slightly.

    Rory let out a soft sigh, the sharp edge of her words melting into something gentler. "I didn't mean it like that, Mads..."