𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐖𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆, luke castellan

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

When Luke arrived at Thalia's tree, Keira was already there.

As he approached, she greeted him with a sidelong smile, subtly detaching herself from Apollo's motorcycle on which she had been leaning. Her black denim shorts showcased her long legs, which led down to her black combat boots. A snug white top accentuated her figure, while an olive green utility jacket added a layer of protection against the night chill. Luke didn't need to ask to know that beneath the jacket and in its numerous pockets, Keira likely concealed an array of weapons. In fact, several knives were visibly sheathed on her belt.

Luke couldn't resist stealing glances at Keira's body, the play of moonlight enhancing the dangerous allure she exuded. Despite his many doubts about joining her on this journey after their recent disagreements, he couldn't shake the thrill of anticipation coursing through him. As he observed Keira's lethal appearance, a part of him couldn't help but entertain the thought that perhaps there were worse ways to meet one's end than being skinned alive by her while peacefully sleeping in a tent.

The night remained shrouded in darkness, and though Keira had negotiated a special arrangement with the harpies regarding curfew, they still needed to depart swiftly before they were discovered and Chiron intervened.

"You didn't change your mind," she remarked as he finally stood before her.

"Keira, it's only been fifteen minutes since we talked at the arena."

"And I gave you ten," she replied, raising an eyebrow. "You're five minutes late."

He rolled his eyes, a gesture that went unnoticed in the darkness. Slipping his backpack off his shoulder, he handed it to her to stow beneath the seat of the motorcycle, alongside hers. "I forgot my wallet in the cabin. Had to go back and retrieve it on my way here," he explained.

Upon hearing those words, Keira paused in her movement of stowing away the backpack. "You brought your wallet?" she asked, her expression unreadable.

"Yeah," he replied, puzzled by the question and even more so by the possibility that Keira hadn't thought of such a basic preparation. Didn't she consider it important to bring a wallet? It seemed odd that Keira, who always had everything meticulously planned, hadn't considered such a simple necessity. "Didn't you?"

She unzipped his backpack, and right at the top, she came across the wallet that Luke had indeed gone back to retrieve. Without a moment's hesitation or offering any explanation, she took it in her hands and flung it a few feet away from where they stood, treating it as if it were mere trash.

"What the fuck are you doing? There's like two hundred bucks in there," Luke protested, his eyebrows knit together as he moved closer to where the wallet had landed, intending to pick it up.

But Keira halted him in his tracks, her grip firm as she grabbed the upper part of his arm, preventing him from advancing. He turned to face her, confusion etched across his features, his lips slightly parted as his eyes searched hers in the darkness.

What was Keira playing at, tossing aside his hard-earned savings as if they were worthless? They hadn't even left camp yet, and she was already acting strangely.

Perhaps he still had time to back out of the trip.

Their faces hovered just inches apart for a few tantalizing seconds before she responded, meeting his gaze squarely. "If we need money, you'll steal."

Luke's breath caught for a moment, taken aback by her words. It sounded like advice from her tone, but in reality, it felt more like an order. He furrowed his brow even further, wondering if Keira had finally lost her grip on reality over the past few days.