Last Shadow || Deception Book III

Chapter 13

AN: Hey, I'm back. In case you didn't see my announcement, I'm so sorry for disappearing for a year and a half. There was a whole bunch of shitty things happening, but I'm back now. To everyone who has been waiting, I want to apologize and express my gratitude to y'all for continuing to read this. It means a lot to me, so thanks :)). 

I'll be back to once-a-week updates for Last Shadow starting today, so you guys can rest assured that I will be finishing this story this summer. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. 

PS: If my writing sounds different, its probably because it is. I hope its not going to be THAT much of a difference, but it has been over a year since the last update and, well, I should hope that it's better than before lmfao. This also applies to the character voice, because I'm not gonna lie, I low-key lost it a little bit and had to refind their voices so I'm sorry if its a bit different too. I skimmed the previous chapters and compared it to this one and it's not THAT much of a difference, but I thought I might put this hear just in case. 

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this VERY long awaited chapter :))  

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Luke

I jolted awake that morning to the sound of my heart thudding in my chest. "Ri?" I said reflexively, reaching out for her warmth. My fingers closed around cold air, brushing against cold sheets that had long been vacated. I sat up, the last dregs of sleep vanishing instantly from my mind. She was probably outside. I sighed as I swung out of my bunk and quickly changed before heading out to the deck to look for her.

My eyes immediately found her when I stepped onto the deck. Ri was leaning against the railing, her hair blowing around her face in the morning breeze, her back to me. "Good morning," I murmured as I joined her, bracing my forearms against the cold metal. "You're up early."

"Couldn't sleep," she said quietly, her gaze still fixated on the small waves splashing against the cruise. Her fingers tightened slightly on the railing, barely perceptible, but I saw it, and my throat tightened. I slowly reached out and clasped my hand around hers.

"You're freezing," I whispered, squeezing her hands close. "How long have you been out here?"

"Since before the sunrise," Ri replied, finally glancing up at me. "Like I said. I couldn't sleep."

I didn't reply. It was no surprise, considering today was the day we were heading into the labyrinth. It'd been almost two weeks since Percy had blown up the volcano; two weeks of last minute planning and training, two weeks of heavy glances and silenced whispers, two weeks of nursing the dread curling in my gut. Time was ticking, and I swear He was making it pass by faster. The pervasive dread that had descended upon the ship had not lightened even a smidge in the last few days. Ri had even started spending the night with me after that hunting trip she'd taken into the forest a few days ago, the two of us curled against each other, desperation clinging to every word we shared. It was the same dread reflected in Nicole's gaze, in every command Alabaster snapped out, in each of Ally's movements when she sparred, in every press of the pen when Alex took our meeting notes. We had been steadily running out of time, and it seemed that the day had finally caught up to us.

"Come on, let's go to breakfast," I finally said after a long silence, my arm gently wrapping around her back as I tugged her away from the railing towards the mess hall. "We gotta eat something."

Ri followed me silently, her fingers curling around mine tightly, and I fought the urge to grab her, run out the ship, and jump into the ocean so the currents could carry us far, far, far away from here. There was no point. He would find me anywhere we went, and everyone would be placed in mortal peril.