𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑, luke castellan

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞

Keira spun around in anger as soon as Nik disappeared.

She approached Luke, pushing him forcefully when she reached him. Luke, frowning in surprise at her reaction, staggered back. However, Keira was so battered from the fight that her push lacked strength and didn't really hurt.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Luke asked, annoyed, as he regained his balance.

He had come to her rescue after she had knocked him out in Hades' sanctuary just days ago. Quietly, he could have let her face Nik in that condition, and she likely would have died. And now, it seemed she was feigning anger with him. Her reaction puzzled him. He didn't expect a tender and sincere thank-you, but at least not fury.

"That's what I'm asking you," Keira retorted, her anger palpable. Her expression bore a threatening intensity, accentuated by cuts on her face. A gash on her cheek allowed blood to trickle down to her chin and stain the ground. Her braid was unraveled, a casualty of the fierce struggle, and her pants bore some cuts from Nik's sword. "I had it under control until you showed up."

"Keira, you were almost killed!" Luke retorted, irritation etched across his face, his brows furrowed in disbelief at her apparent lack of gratitude for saving her.

"He bailed when he realized he couldn't handle two demigods," she shot back, her reply laced with fury, her eyes completely unhinged, a storm of anger raging within.

"If I hadn't shown up, you'd be dead!" Luke shouted at her, his frustration evident in the force of his words, utterly bewildered by her attitude. His hands clenched into fists.

"I had it under control!" she insisted, making an effort to raise her voice. Speaking loudly was a challenge for her, Luke noticed.

"Don't be so fucking stubborn!" he retorted, his eyes scanning her battered face.

"You're a total asshole," Keira shot back, her disdain dripping with every word.

"Ungrateful bitch," he spat out, shaking his head with gritted teeth.

As they hurled insults, they closed the distance, growing visibly angrier.

"Clueless fucking jerk."

"Unhinged freak."

"Whiny cunt."

"Lying piece of shit."

"Weak-ass wimp."

"Manipulative crap."

"Son of a bitch."

They stood face to face, and in that moment, Luke took a beat to scrutinize her. Despite the bruises, the blood, and the evident exhaustion on her face, he couldn't help but find Keira strangely attractive in that moment. There was something alluring in the way she fought through the battle, a fierce determination that added a layer of intensity to her already captivating presence. The way her eyes, though tired, held a spark of defiance, and the resilience she displayed despite the physical toll of the fight, made her more intriguing than ever.

Her attitude reminded him of their confrontation days earlier in the sanctuary of Hades, but instead of fueling anger, the memory only intensified his attraction to her. Luke knew he should be mad, and he recognized he was being an idiot for not being able to resist it, but it was just stronger than him. He berated himself internally for his lack of self-control.

Luke approached her, determined. Instinctively, Keira positioned Shadowedge horizontally in front of her chest, the blade pointing towards him, ready to defend herself, thinking he was going to attack. With a resolute and swift movement, Luke decisively took hold of the sword's hilt, touching her fingers that were gripping it, and rotated the blade 90 degrees so that the edge pointed upward, and the flat side faced him. Without releasing his grip on the hilt or her fingers, he pulled her roughly by the back of her head, entwining his fingers in her blonde hair at the base of the messy braid, bringing her closer.