𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐖𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆, luke castellan

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲

Luke maintained the drive for nearly three consecutive hours without a break.

As midnight approached, the two demigods decided to pull over on the side of the road, discovering a small clearing nestled among trees. Exhausted and realizing they hadn't eaten dinner yet, the half-bloods welcomed the opportunity to take a break. Despite Keira having been the sole driver the day before, Luke was also feeling the strain and needed to rest. Having traveled several hundred miles away from Albuquerque, they reckoned that Anteros wouldn't be following them anymore, affording them some respite.

The ground in the clearing appeared overrun by ants, prompting Keira and Luke to improvise their dining setup. They settled on the motorcycle seat, facing each other with legs spread apart, trying to avoid the tiny intruders scurrying around their feet. They had forgotten the bag of delicious burritos back at the hotel in their hurried departure, but fortunately, they still had some dino-shaped cookies that Luke had sneakily stolen from the Field Museum in Chicago.

"That's a brachiosaurus," Luke explained as he pointed to Keira's cookie, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "They used to roam the Earth for more than a hundred years."

"Quite impressive," she remarked ironically between bites.

"It really is," he agreed, missing the irony completely. "And they consumed a lot of food—like seven hundred pounds per—"

"Kiddo, are you going to tell me everything about Anteros, or are you just going to keep spewing random dinosaur facts?" the girl interjected with a sharp edge, cutting off Luke's trivia.

The boy's enthusiasm waned as he realized he wouldn't get to continue his dinosaur rant. Disappointment flashed across his features before he quickly composed himself, clearing his throat with a reluctant glance at Keira.

"Alright," he replied evenly, his voice tinged with hesitation. "I'll tell you what happened."

As Luke launched into the tale of his escapade at Sephora the previous evening, a pang of embarrassment washed over him. Discussing his visit and its purpose felt uncomfortably personal, especially knowing that Keira had stumbled upon the makeup he used to hide the telltale hickey on his collarbone, adding an extra layer of awkwardness to the conversation.

Deliberately omitting key details—like the fervent prayer to the gods for help in erasing the dark mark, which ultimately led Anteros to find him—Luke chose to keep certain aspects of the encounter veiled. He refrained from sharing the surge of pride he felt when the god unveiled the deep-seated resentments and long-held grievances Keira had stirred within him over the years.

With theatrical flair, the son of Hermes spun the tale of his oath taken over the River Styx, embellishing his bravery and quick thinking under the watchful eye of the vengeful god. But as he concluded his narrative, Keira merely met his gaze, a faint smirk playing on her lips, before audibly noting, "You've got something there," pointing to a crumb at the corner of his mouth.

"You always said it wasn't wise to pick fights with the gods," Luke pointed out with a playful smile, wiping the crumb away.

"It isn't," she confirmed.

"But you angered one by hitting him with a fire extinguisher."

"There's nothing I can do to make him hate me more than he already does," she remarked nonchalantly, a shrug emphasizing her indifference, as she reached into her shorts pocket for her lighter and cigarettes.

"I hadn't told you he hated you at that moment," he countered.

"It wasn't necessary. The moment you mentioned Anteros, I knew it had to do with me," the girl replied, her gray eyes lifting to meet his in the gentle glow of the moonlight.