Gnossienne (Book 1)

Chapter 34

The sun had fully set by the time I got myself moving again. The sky was dark and cloudy, and thunder rumbled in the distance. A cold wind enveloped around me. Rain began to fall, pattering onto the ground.

I was happy. I thought Luke was too.

I like you, Cassie. Only you.

We had been dating for four months. We had been friends for even longer.

I wasn't going to risk having my heart broken by some stupid boy.

Yeah, look how well that turned out for me. That same stupid boy still managed to break my heart.

Stay safe, Cassie, okay?

Luke had cursed the shoes to kill my brother. When that failed, he tried to kill Percy again at camp. He summoned a hellhound into camp to scare us.

First loves lasting are rare. But, I've seen you and Luke interact. There is something special there.

The only thing special was that Luke had lied to me the entire time. First loves are shit and they cause nothing but pain in the end.

It was the Greek's way of explaining soulmates. Cassie, I think you're my other half. I love you Cassandra Jackson.

I kicked at the ground, wrapping my arms around me for warmth. Tears brimmed my eyes, but I didn't let them fall. Not yet.

It was almost midnight when I finally reached my destination. I had memorised the address and asked people for directions several times.

I clung onto my backpack, unsure if this was a good idea. I took a deep breath and knocked three times.

If no one answered, I'd find a place to crash for the night and try again in the morning.

Luckily, the door swung open.

My mother stood in the doorway, in her pyjamas, looking wide awake. She gasped at the sight of me.

"You're safe!" She cried, pulling me into a hug. I held onto her, numb from everything that had happened. Mom seemed to understand. She led me into the living room.

It was nice. Way better than our old place. It was bigger for a start and clean, but it also had a comforting feel to it. Like mom had decorated it to just be ours. No Smelly Gabe in our way to stop us.

She took my wet backpack for me and set it on the table.

"Let's get you into something warm?" She murmured and led me into my new bedroom. As mom went to pick out some pyjamas, I looked around. 

The white walls were bare and drained of colour and as she explained later on, she had bought me some new paints so I could create any design I wanted to on them. A bed was made up, fluffy pillows and blankets piled up neatly. I had a blue lamp ready on my bedside table. A cream-white wardrobe stood proudly and a matching chest of drawers beside it. On the back of my door, I had a full-body length mirror. A wooden desk sat in the corner with a beanbag for a chair and another smaller mirror hanging above the desk.

It was perfect and it was all mine.

Mom handed me some clothes and left me to change.

Percy was already home, asleep in his room, still healing from the scorpion sting. Chiron had said he'd pop by in the next week to check on him and me, if I had come home.

I changed out of my soaked clothes, dumping them in a corner to deal with tomorrow. The pyjamas were warm and fluffy. I brushed through my short hair, not looking in the mirror to see how much of a mess I looked and left my room.

Mom had a cup of hot chocolate prepared for us both. She was sitting down on the couch, a blanket in her lap and patted the empty space next to her. I curled up into her side as she spread the blanket out over us. I cradled my warm cup of hot chocolate.

At first we didn't talk. Mom switched the tv on and we watched some cartoons to relax.

Eventually, I spoke up as the cartoons continued playing. I explained how Luke had lied to me to get me to leave. How camp had got in touch and I'd confronted Luke about it. How I decided against him and he walked away.

Mom didn't interrupt once. She handed me some tissues when I started crying and rubbed my back soothingly, but she didn't interrupt until I'd finished.

"Oh baby." She whispered and pulled me into a hug. "I'm so sorry you had to do that. I'm sure it wasn't easy."

I was grateful she didn't try and tell me it would all work out in the end. She had listened and just gave me a shoulder to cry on. She didn't try and make it better because we both knew there was nothing she could do to help.

I held onto her and we continued to watch cartoons for a little while longer.

When I started to doze off, mom guided me to my room. She tucked me in like she did when I was younger, gave me a kiss on the forehead and told me try and get some sleep.

I was exhausted, not just physically, but emotionally.

As I drifted off, I prayed not to have any nightmares, especially any about Luke.

- - - - -

I slumped down into a chair at the dining room table the next morning. Percy was already up, a little more colour in his cheeks, although he still looked rough.

He smiled sadly at me.

I guessed I didn't look any better after a few hours sleep. Mom was cooking in the kitchen, the smell of waffles floating in the air. She spotted me and quickly brought me a hot chocolate with whipped cream.

"Thanks." I muttered, mustering a small smile for her, taking a sip, getting cream on my top lip. I licked it off and closed my eyes.

My nightmare of Luke wondering alone in the streets, flashed in my mind and I quickly opened my eyes.

Of course I had had nightmares.

Sighing, I rubbed my forehead, a headache coming on.

"How are you feeling?" Percy asked, gently.

"Like I just found out my boyfriend isn't who I thought he was." I grimaced. Was he my boyfriend though? We hadn't actually broke up. Would it have hurt less if we had broken up last night? "How are you feeling? After the... scorpion." I asked, not wanting to think about having potentially broken up with Luke.

He had betrayed me in more ways than one, but I still loved him. I knew Kronos had taken advantage of him, manipulated him. Perhaps, I could reason with Luke one day. Make him see sense.

"I'll live. Not that I can say the same for Luke after hurting you like this." Percy glared at the table and chuckle escaped me.

"Yeah, he messed up." I mumbled, my heart feeling heavy in my chest.

"What now?"

I shrugged at Percy. "I honestly don't know. Survive till next year I suppose. Keep an eye out for Luke, although I doubt we'll be seeing him anytime soon."

I thought I knew Luke. Yet he had hidden this darkness in him away from me for so long. Guess you never really do know someone until you've seen them at their worst.

"Surviving will be easier said than done. If the monsters don't kill us, the tests and homework just might." I laughed at Percy's remark.

Luke may have changed for the worse, but I still had my brother.

We could survive anything as long as we stuck together.