𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑, luke castellan

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐰𝐨

None of the three spoke much during the car trip.

Keira was very focused on driving, her gaze fixed on the road, occasionally murmuring lyrics to the songs playing on the radio. They had tuned into a rock station that played '80s songs from bands like Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, and Guns N' Roses—bands she liked and that reminded her of her father when he was alive, as he used to listen to them all the time.

Jon anxiously glanced back every now and then, as if expecting to see a police car following them for having stolen the rental car. He was quite nervous, so Keira had reassured him that once they arrived in Utah, they would set the car on fire to leave no traces. However, if there were security cameras at the rental agency, they would likely have recorded Luke stealing the keys, making it obvious that they were accomplices, and they would be hunted down no matter the car's state.

Luke remained in the passenger seat, silent and lost in his thoughts as he stared out the window. The lingering rush from their successful act at the agency still coursed through him, and he marveled at how smoothly everything had unfolded. The performance had undeniably stirred up adrenaline within him, and, though he wouldn't openly acknowledge it, there might have been a part of him that relished the thrill of navigating the dangers and the potential for getting caught. Of course, admitting this would mean conceding to Keira, a prospect he was keen to avoid, as it would only fuel her confidence and grant her more influence in their future debates.

Luke hated that she was almost always right.

Luke also hated the way she made the act seem so easy and how she feigned her feelings. And he wondered, as the sun set in the evening behind some stormy clouds, how it could be so simple for her to fake her emotions with such naturalness. Sure, if you knew her and were aware of her constant plans and games, you could tell most of the time she was toying with people. But even if you had known her for a long time, at times it was impossible to decipher whether she was lying or not.

Luke and Jon had tried to suggest to Keira to let them drive for a while, but she had refused, claiming that they didn't have a license. "As if that matters when the car is stolen," Jon had thought to himself. 

She seemed determined to drive the nearly twelve-hour journey to Zion National Park and showed no signs of fatigue on her face. This would have been the case if a torrential rainstorm hadn't unleashed miles before reaching Las Vegas.

"We gotta stop," Jon announced just as a sign welcomed them to the state of Nevada. Apart from his dyslexia, it was also impossible to read it due to the torrential rain, which, combined with the autumn fog of the evening, made visibility extremely difficult.

"It's not necessary," Keira muttered determined. "I've been through rain-driving before."

"We're going to die," Jon retorted, serious. Keira rolled her eyes at her friend's dramatic display.

"The only one who's going to die is Nik if we don't get to Utah on time," she replied sharply, her eyes never leaving the road.

"Jon is right," Luke chimed in from the passenger seat as lightning illuminated the sky and shook the ground. The storm was exceptionally terrible. He couldn't help but wonder if Zeus was angry about something they were unaware of. "We have to stop. We can resume early tomorrow."

"At least let's make it to Las Vegas," Keira murmured, gripping the steering wheel firmly to prevent the car from being moved by the strong wind that had kicked in. At that moment, as soon as she spoke those words, a figure jumped onto the windshield.

Not much could be seen through the rain, but it seemed to have a black body, the size of a dog. Wings were discernible behind the rain, giving the clear sense that it was a monster. Keira thought she also saw a bird-like head, although it was difficult due to the limited visibility. The blonde began to zigzag vigorously with the car to get the creature off the windshield and see the road better.