𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑, luke castellan

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫

Keira slept better than she had in years.

A significant part of that was due to Apollo being the god of healing, so it made sense that those who slept in his temple—or in his resort—would experience a rejuvenating night that washed away the accumulated fatigue of previous days.

Another factor was Luke's absence. Knowing she wouldn't have to endure his negative and pessimistic comments, nor his disapproving glares whenever Keira managed a morally questionable yet effective trick, was a relief. She couldn't help but feel she would grow bored without someone to exchange their ironic remarks with, but it was a small price to pay for his absence.

Luke's words on the train to San Francisco suddenly echoed in Keira's mind.

"It'd be easier to go to Tartarus and come back alive than for you to make me fall in love."

Clearly, it wasn't going to be easy, but no one said it was impossible.

Keira was genuinely surprised by Luke's departure. She knew he was mentally strong—he had, after all, resisted the Empousai in Redwood—but she didn't expect him to be that strong. Obviously, her plan to drive him crazy for her was going to be more challenging than Keira had first anticipated. This realization both excited and intrigued her, as she relished the prospect of a greater challenge. While she was determined not to abandon her pursuit, she also recognized that it might take longer than she initially thought—a realization that only added to the intrigue of the endeavor.

She couldn't suppress a mischievous smile when she recalled how they had almost kissed the morning before at the gas station, after the battle. He had been so close, and his eyes revealed how much he had yearned for that kiss that didn't happen. In fact, when they heard the groans of the criminal waking up again, Luke had pulled her close to his body, preventing her from moving away, holding her firmly by the waist. She couldn't help but giggle at the thought of the frustration he must have felt when she pulled away again.

Even this time, though, Keira hadn't done it voluntarily, unlike previous occasions. The adrenaline from the battles always surged through her veins during and after the fights, leaving her head spinning. Keira wasn't someone who hid her emotions from herself. She was determined and knew what she wanted. At that moment, kissing Luke wouldn't have been a problem for her.

She wouldn't have minded if he had stayed the night and they had indulged in some fun in bed to distract themselves from the challenging days they had endured lately. Perhaps Jon had been right that night in Utah when he suggested to Keira that relieving the sexual tension between them wouldn't be a bad idea. After all, Keira needed a distraction, and according to her own beliefs, that's exactly what men were for.

George was her most common distraction at Camp Half-Blood. Sebastian had been—until the incident of throwing him off the building that had occurred a few days ago—her distraction at school. So why couldn't Luke be her distraction on the quest?

Keira understood that had she feigned remorse for her words to Luke and offered even a halfhearted apology, he would have stayed with her for the night without a second thought. But her strategy concerning Luke was far more stringent.

It wasn't just about physical attraction. She needed him to become enthralled by her personality, to be drawn to the essence of who she was. Because of that, she couldn't afford to compromise her authenticity just to appease him. Instead, she had to remain steadfast in her demeanor, allowing him to be the one to ultimately succumb to her charm and character.

But obviously, if he had stayed, she wouldn't be there on her bed, reminiscing about the events with a sly smile.

Luke had seemed so tired of her antics the night before that, considering the almost kiss had been in the morning, it was evident that he had been thinking about her throughout the day. Only deep reflection could have changed his thoughts so quickly, leading him to decide to leave her instead of staying. Keira's smile widened at this discovery. Surely, he would be insulting her in his mind or out loud right now as he rode some train to Seattle.