𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧 || 𝐥𝐮𝐤𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧

8: embrace

as soon as evelynn heard the news that annabeth and grover had returned to camp half-blood, it was as if a switch had flipped. her previously somber demeanor, clouded by worries of clarisse stealing the master bolt and the unsettling conversation she had with nyx, was instantly replaced by sheer joy. overwhelmed with relief at the thought that her friends had made it back alive, she nearly forgot about luke's odd behavior, which had remained peculiar despite their numerous discussions.

with no regard for the other campers, evelynn practically sprinted to the big house, pushing her way past a sea of orange-clad shoulders until she could swing the chipped door open.

"oh, thank the gods!"

grover and annabeth barely had a moment to react before evelynn enveloped them in a tight embrace, mumbling incoherent words of relief under her breath.

"a little tight, eve..." grover managed to choke out, his words going unheard as evelynn only squeezed them tighter.

their suffocation was interrupted by a pointed throat-clearing from chiron, who watched the reunion with fond eyes. evelynn, letting out a sheepish chuckle, reluctantly released the younger demigods, but kept her hands on their backs.

"i'm so glad you guys made it," she muttered, her smile wide and genuine.

annabeth and grover returned evelynn's warmth with appreciation, though a hint of wariness shadowed their expressions. they knew evelynn had yet to notice the absence of a certain son of poseidon. sensing their apprehension, evelynn's brow furrowed, confusion quickly giving way to concern.

"where's... where's percy?" her voice dropped, and her hands slipped from the backs of her friends.

grover and annabeth exchanged worried glances, silently debating who would break the news. annabeth's sharp glare decided it for grover, who sighed in defeat. steeling himself, he spoke with a voice full of caution. "he's in olympus."

"he's where?" evelynn's eyes widened in disbelief.

"he's returning the master bolt to zeus," annabeth mumbled, her voice low.

evelynn shook her head, struggling to process the information. "is... is he trying to get himself killed?"

"that's what we tried to tell him," grover murmured, his hoof tapping anxiously against the creaky wooden floor.

annabeth, trying to comfort the distressed girl, placed a gentle hand on evelynn's shoulder. "he'll be alright, eve. he's strong."

~

evelynn felt like her heart would burst as she waited for annabeth to release percy from her hug. as adorable as she found them, she couldn't wait to ensnare the son of poseidon in her own infamous embrace. the moment percy was freed, evelynn lunged forward, but their reunion was cut short. luke and annabeth quickly hustled the group into the currently vacant hermes cabin.

"what is she still doing here?" percy demanded as soon as they were isolated.

"who?" evelynn raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

"clarisse," luke muttered, shaking his head slightly. "we can't do anything just yet, percy."

percy let out a frustrated sigh, his brows furrowing. "what do you mean? she stole the master bolt!"

"it's complicated," annabeth snapped, her patience wearing thin.

"how is it complicated?" percy insisted.

luke huffed softly, shifting his stance as he began to explain. "everyone was ready to join the war here. to start fighting each other. an accusation against clarisse..."