Daughter of Hecate

Chapter Thirty

Sappho
        I woke up to see Luke smiling down on me. He was so beautiful. His blue eyes twinkling like Sapphires and his hair was all spiky from sleep.
        "Good morning," he said in a deep, throaty morning voice, I smiled back but then recalled what Nico said. "What's wrong?"
        "You're not all who you say you are," was all I said and Luke's eyes turned dark, but then quickly to worried.
        "Sappho. I would never hurt you. I-" he stopped instantly.
        "What?"
        "I can't hurt you because I love you, okay? I love you Sappho.  I can't get out of this mess that I'm in, and I have no idea how, and if I could I would let you be with me. But since that isn't an option, I'm taking you back to camp."
        "No."
        "What?"
        "I love you too," I admitted. "But unlike you I'm selfish, Luke. I want to be with you. In fact, I need you. I don't care if you're the host of Kronos. I just want you."
        He unwrapped one of his arms to catch a tear that trailed down my cheek. "Sappho, can't you see? If I become Kronos's host I won't be me anymore. I won't be able to protect you from him, so I'm taking you to the only safe place left." I cried even harder and he caught every tear that fell onto my cheek with his soft lips. "Just promise me one thing." he paused. "Promise me that you will always be mine."
        I sniffled, "But how can I do that if you're going to be gone and Kronos will take over your body. There is no way I will do anything like that with Caleb. I'm turning seventeen in less than a year."
        He frowned at this. "If you are ready, we can do it, but only if you are."
        I nodded and we did what the prophecy foretold.
        Once we were finished, I smiled at him and snuggled back into his now bare arms. "You're going to need to go to camp for both of us. Kronos is going stronger by the minute and it won't be long until he comes over me. Probably trapping my soul in the Tartarus where he used to be."
        I frowned and recalled something. Pulling his arms away from me, I unclasped the necklace that hung around my neck. I whispered an enchantment onto the jewelry and the reclasped it around Luke's neck.
        "Now you'll be able to talk to me, wherever you may be, even in the Tartarus. All you need to do is speak into it."
       He smiled and hugged me, our bare chests squeezed against each other. I hugged back tightly, not wanting this to end.