First Lie || Deception Book I ||

Unfulfilled

"Hungry yet?" Luke asked me with a smirk as we waited to sacrifice part of our dinner to the gods.

"I'm starving," I muttered, staring longingly at my meal. "And I want my dessert."

Luke snorted. "You didn't even eat yet, and you already want dessert?"

"I love my pastries, okay?" I shot back. I stepped up to the bonfire before he could reply and scraped a part of my plate into the bonfire. I hadn't forgotten about Athena's warning and the past few days had stressed me out, worrying about something that Luke might do tonight or tomorrow. Tonight, I prayed that whatever happened would be alright.

"I'm stuffed," I said, finally pushing my plate away from me. "That fruit tart was delicious though."

Luke, Connor, and Travis all stared at me in shock.

"What?" I said, confused.

"I have never seen someone so happy to be able to eat dessert," Travis finally said. "I mean, it's like you were eating the laughter behind ten of our best pranks."

"And, you didn't even eat that much," Connor added. "Just some veggies, a piece of grilled salmon, and wild rice."

"Yeah, well, I don't have huge appetites like you guys," I retorted.

"No, just for dessert," Luke said, grinning. "I don't know where you put all those pastries and that sugar."

I shrugged. "I have a fast metabolism."

Just then, Chiron stomped his hoof and the mess hall quieted down. All conversations paused and everyone's attention turned to Chiron and Mr. D.

Mr. D glanced up from his glass of diet coke and sighed when he saw us. He stood up. "I suppose I shall say a few words before the bead ceremony," he drawled. "Well, I'm thankful that most of you demigod scum will be gone tomorrow morning and I shall finally have some peace around here. As always, have a great year, blah blah blah, and see you next summer." He sat down again.

The campers all cheered and we ran down to the bonfire, where the end-of-the-year bead ceremony would take place.

I squeezed Luke's hand and he smiled at me before stepping out of the crowd to join the senior counsellors to award the beads.

Ally met my eyes from where she stood, across from me, as she received her leather necklace with the bead, smiling sadly at me. I nodded silently at her, both of us knowing that this would be our first and last year at camp. Forever.

"Smile," Luke said, stopping in front of me with my leather necklace and bead. He brushed my hair aside and clasped the necklace around my neck, the bead already strung on the necklace.

"Thanks, but you didn't have to do that," I said.

"I wanted to," he replied, stepping away with a smirk to the rest of the campers.

I was glad the flickering fire hid my blush and peered at the bead hanging from my neck. I smiled in satisfaction when I saw it. The bead was as black as the sea under a new moon, with a sea-green trident shimmering in the centre.

"The decision was unanimous," Luke said. "This bead symbolizes the first Son of the Sea God at Camp Half-blood and the perilous quest he took into the deepest, the darkest, and the most dangerous part of the Underworld to stop a war!"

I have to admit, Luke had a way with words. Looking at the expression on his face, a perfect balance of pride and happiness for Percy and his companions, a little sadness at the fast-approaching end of camp, and the solemnity of the ceremony, I knew that no one but me and Ally knew the truth. I stood with the cheering campers, a fake smile plastered on my face, clapping with everyone, my mind miles away and my gut tied up with worry and stress about the supposed disaster coming Percy's way.