Gnossienne (Book 1)

Chapter 30

We grabbed a taxi to Camp Half-Blood. On the way, Percy filled me in on his meeting Zeus and Poseidon (I wasn't going to call him dad. He needed to earn that title). Zeus refused to hear about Kronos possibly returning, but I think he knew it deep down.

Percy had told Poseidon I wanted my memories back. He'd agreed I could have them back now I knew who I truly was. No memories had returned yet, though, so I wasn't holding my breath.

I told him, quietly, about how Gabe had reacted when I'd arrived home. And how I'd cut my hair in some form of retaliation. I'm glad we were nearly back at Camp Half-Blood since Percy looked just about ready to march back to the apartment and kill Gabe himself.

He whispered to me that Poseidon had returned the package with Medusa's head. It was up to mom what she did with that information.

The taxi driver was concerned about leaving us in the middle of nowhere, but we reassured him we knew what we were doing. We watched him drive away before heading into the forest.

Soon enough Half-Blood Hill appeared with Thalia's tree watching over us. I let out a sigh of relief. Four figures came into view.

Annabeth pointed down at us and Luke broke into a run, almost rolling down the hill a few times. I left Percy's side and rushed to meet Luke half-way.

He wrapped me up into a hug, lifted me into the air and twirled us around making me laugh. When he set me back down, I buried my face into his chest, clinging onto him, not wanting him to see my bruised face.

"I'm so glad you're safe." He murmured, kissing my head.

"I missed you!" I cried, holding on tightly. I let him pull away, avoiding his gaze as his eyes wondered over my bruised face,

"What happened?" He asked, gently cupping my face. I cursed at myself when I felt a tear roll down my face he wiped it away with his thumb.

"My, urm, step-father wasn't exactly pleased to see me." Luke pulled me into another hug and I appreciated the fact he didn't push for more information.

He took my hand and we walked up Half-Blood Hill. I hugged Chiron and even though it had only been a few hours, Annabeth and Grover launched themselves at me, fussing over me. I couldn't stop smiling. I was back at my home away from home, surrounded by my friends.

We were the first heroes to return alive to Camp Half-Blood since Luke, so of course everybody treated us as if we'd won some reality TV contest. According to camp tradition, we wore laurel wreaths to a big feast prepared in our honour, then led a procession down to the bonfire, where we got to burn the burial shrouds our cabins had made for us in our absence.

Annabeth's shroud was so beautiful - grey silk with embroidered owls. I was sad to see it get burned.

Ares volunteered to make mine and Percy's shroud. They'd taken an old bedsheet and painted smiley faces with X'ed out eyes around the border, and the word LOSER painted really big in the middle. It made me laugh. I was definitely home.

It was also fun to burn.

Apollo's cabin led the sing-along and passed out toasted marshmallow. We were surround by our old Hermes cabin mates, Chris Rodriguez, Silena Beauregard, Annabeth's friends from Athena and Grover's satyr's buddies, who were admiring the brand new searcher's licence he'd received from the Council of Cloven Elders. I curled up in Luke's side as he wrapped an arm around me. I didn't need the fire to keep me warm when Luke was around.

The only ones not in the part mood were Clarisse and her cabin mates, whose poisonous looks told me they'd never forgive me for disgracing their dad.

I even enjoyed Dionysus' welcome home speech. "Yes, yes, so the little brats didn't get themselves killed and now they'll have an even bigger head." Percy and I shared a grin. "Well, huzzah for that. In other announcements, there will be no canoe races this Saturday."

After the speech, Luke stood up and offered me his hand. I smiled up at him as we walked away from the fire. We wandered around cabin and I told him everything that had happened since we'd last talked. I apologised for loosing his shoes, but he waved it off, more concerned about my near fall experience.

"It's weird the shoes acted so out of control." I mused, as we headed down to the beach. "Have they ever done that before?"

"No," Luke said, staring off into the distance. "There are rumours a Hermes' shrine fell into Tartarus. Maybe they felt it and tried to go to it." I nodded and fought back a shudder as I remembered Kronos' voice calling to us to fall.

"I'm here now. That's all that matters." I said, kicking off my shoes and feeling the sand between my toes. Luke followed and we strolled along the shoreline, talking. I admitted Kronos had spoken to me, offered me to join him. Luke went pale at the mention of the name. I told him the offer tempted me, a lot, but I couldn't go through with it.

I knew I should tell him about my feelings. I wanted to, don't get me wrong. But everything was going perfect and I didn't want to risk ruining that. Not tonight.

"Cassie?" Luke stopped walking and I turned around to look at him. The lifting moonlight light up his face, making his blue eyes sparkle. The shadows elongated his scar, but I didn't care. He looked beautiful to me. He always did. "There's something I need to tell you." He took both of my hands in his, holding them up. He placed a gently kiss on them and I felt my heart flutter. "Whilst you were away, I did a lot of thinking. I missed you so much and..." He paused, took a step closer to me. "There's a Greek legend that humans used to have two heads, four arms and four legs. Zeus was afraid of their power and decided to split them up. Some people would be lucky enough to find their other half. It was the Greek's way of explaining soulmates. Cassie, I think you're my other half. I love you Cassandra Jackson."

I didn't say anything which was a poor move on my part, I'll admit. I was just so stunned. I had decided not to say it tonight and then he got to say it first? So not fair.

"You don't have to say it back. I know we're young, but I love you, so much."

"Luke?" He shifted on his feet, not meeting my eyes as if waiting for me to pull back and turn and run in the opposite direction. "Remember when I was back in the car wash?" He nodded. I cupped his scarred cheek. "I got cut off. I was trying to tell you that, I love you." I wrapped my arms around his neck and smiled up at him. "I love you, Luke Castellen."

He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. I smiled into it and kissed back.

Pulling away, Luke started grinning.

"You love me?" I laughed and nodded. He swept me up off my feet and spun us around, laughing, whilst he shouted, "I love you too!"

Dizzy, he set me down and we fell back into the sand, laughing and sharing sweet kisses.

"What did I do to deserve you?" He murmured, stroking my hair.

"You must have been a saint in your past life." I teased. He laughed and pulled me into another kiss.

We could have laid there forever, watching the stars, feeling the cold water lap lazily at our feet, whispering sweet nothings to each other.

But then he showed up.