BEAUTY AND BETRAYAL- LUKE CASTALLEN

THREE

ASSATA FOUND HERSELF aimlessly wandering around the camp, her mind was like a tornado thoughts. She strolled past the cabins, each one unique and reflecting the god they represented. She walked past the Hephaestus cabin, the sound of clanging metal echoing from within, and the Aphrodite cabin, where laughter and chatter filled the air. She strolled by the training grounds, where campers sparred with each other, their faces determined.

Despite the normalcy of the scene, Assata felt a sense of unease. The message from Kronos echoed in her mind, a constant reminder of the danger they were in. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. She needed to tell Luke, she needed to warn him.

As she walked past the dining pavilion, she spotted a him. He was sitting alone at a table, his eyes focused on a piece of parchment in his hand, as f he too had decided to skip the offerings. Assata took a deep breath, steeling herself for the conversation ahead.

"Luke," she called out, her voice steady. Luke looked up at her, a smile instantly forming on his lips.

"Hey," he greeted, his eyes lighting up at the sight of her. "What's up?"

Assata took a moment, gathering her thoughts. "I need to talk to you about something," she said, her voice serious. "It's about Kronos."

Luke's smile faded, his expression turning solemn. "What about him?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"He... he sent me a message," Assata admitted, her voice quiet. "He warned me about... about a child with the mark of a trident."

Luke's eyes widened in surprise. "Poseidon?" he asked, his voice filled with disbelief. "But... that's impossible. The Big Three made a pact, they can't have any more children."

Assata shrugged, her hands trembling slightly. "I... I don't know, Luke. But that's what he said. I thought... I thought you should know."

Luke was silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on Assata. "Who do you think it is," he mumbled as the girl gave him a look 

"I was thinking and the only person it could be is... Percy," her voice was just above a whisper and Luke nodded his head understandingly 

"That... that could be possible," he acknowledged, his voice filled with concern. "We need to keep an eye on him, Assata. This could change everything."

"And if he is the son of Poseidon, then what. Then Annabeth would've been right this time for watching him, then he could ruin things for us, you realize that right. Should we be acting a lot less calm right now?" she question running her hand through her braids 

Luke paused, taking a deep breath as he considered Assata's words. "I realize that, and it's scary. But we can't let fear cloud our judgment. For now, we watch and wait," he said, his voice steady. As if on cue the blonde boy had appeared a goofy grin playing on his lips and Luke immediately got into character

"So who'd you pray for blondie," he asked the younger boy who merely shrugged

"My mom." 

"Your mom?" Assata asked, "Can you do that," 

"I did it anyways, why would I pray to someone who doesn't care about me," Percy scoffed as Assata and Luke looked at each other,

"It's a fair point," Luke said, trying to keep the conversation light. "At least your mom has actually been there for you." Assata nodded, the irony of their situation not lost on her. The gods they were supposed to worship and admire had done nothing but ignore and disappoint them.

"I think it was a good decision, I hope she heard you," the girl said as she rested her head on the taller boys shoulders

"And listen Assata, Im sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have asked you that question, it was dumb of me and you had every right to be mad," Percy said now looking down at his shoes his face flushed with embarrassment and remorse,