"Thal, what has gotten into you? You had a perfect shot, but you missed. You never miss!" My second in command huntress, Amanda complained, sitting next to me on the park bench.
"I don't know, Mandy. I just don't know," I sighed.
"It's not like it just started, either. Ever since the war ended you've been off your game. I know you were close and all with Luke-"
"I told you never to speak his name in my presence!" I barked.
"Sorry, I know you were close with him I, but I thought that's why we took the oath. You know,to avoid the drama of boys."
"I know what I did when I took the oath, Amanda. I also know he-who-shall-not-be-named, is gone and he's not coming back, but I can't help but wonder. What would be like if I didn't take the oath and become a hunter, or if he was still around, or even if I was to break the oath."
"Thalia! How could you even think about something like that? It-it's outrageous, preposterous, unthinkable!" Amanda gasped.
"Your being a little over dramatic, Mandy."
"No, I'm not! Do you know what would happen if your broke the oath? You could lose your immortality, your tiara, everything you've worked for! I can't even fathom it!"
"Mandy, all of those were if's! I'm not breaking the oath, he's no longer here, and I took the oath, didn't I? Yeah, I did, so calm your ass down!" I scream in exasperation.
I stood up and started walking away from the bench.
"Where are you headed?" Amanda asked.
"Dunkin' Donuts, I need a bagel and a hot chocolate to clear my head," I muttered as I continued to head towards my destination.
Amanda caught up to me and said, "Lady Artemis insisted I stay with you, so I suppose I'll go with you. Besides, I want a latte."
When we reached, I opened the door and headed straight to the counter.
"I'll have a cream cheese bagel, a medium hot chocolate, and a medium latte."
"How does hot chocolate clear your head?" Amanda wondered.
"It relaxes me, when we were on the run; it was the only thing that was cheap enough for us to buy two. We'd get Annabeth her own and I'd share one with-" My voice died down as I thought about Luke.
Has it really been nine years? Nine years since I had met Annabeth and Luke. Nine years since I sacrificed myself for my two closest friends.
"Thalia!" Amanda snapped her fingers in front of my face.
"What?" I growled.
"You zoned out. Food is here, I paid so you owe me eight dollars."
"Kay," I yawned, heading towards a table in the corner.
"I know you won't like this question but, if Luke was still around, would you-" Amanda started.
I looked up, knowing exactly what she was going to ask, and I almost dropped my cup.
"Oh my gods," I whispered.
"What?"
"Amanda, look behind you," I squeaked.
Right behind Amanda, next to the window was him.
"That can't be," I heard Mandy whisper.
But it was. The same sandy blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and almost flawless face. The only blemish was a scar under his left eye.
"Thalia, I know you really want it to be him, but the chances are unnaturally slim."
"Amanda, how many blonde haired, blue eyed, boys do you know with that scar under that eye? I don't know about you, but I only know one, and it's Luke."
"Even if it is Luke, you know the oath. No contact unless necessary," Amanda reminded me.
"I know that, Mandy. But I also know for a fact, that is Luke Castellan," I seethed.
"Okay, maybe it is Luke. Either way, we've got to get back to Lady Artemis. She might start to think we were eaten by monsters."
I nodded, staning up and heading to the door.
"How do you eat so fast? You finished your bagel and hot chocolate in a couple of minutes," Amanda asked.
"When you to steal your dinner every night, you learn to eat fast enough to escape the place you stole it from. It's not easy, but you get use to it," I explained.
"And you learned all of that from Luke?"
"Yeah, here's a tip. If you ever run away bring a child of Hermes with you, they come in handy."
"Thanks, but I don't plan to run away from the Hunters anytime soon."
"That's good, but the one thing I'm starting to wonder now is, if Luke died sending Kronos back to Tatarus, how is he sitting in Dunkin' Donuts?"
"That's what I'm trying to tell you, Thalia. It just doesn't add up. We all saw him destroy himself and Kronos, so how is here months later?"
" I don't know, but I'm-"
"That's the River Lethe, when you want to be reborn you jump in there and forget everything from your past life."
"The River Lethe," I whispered.
"The what now?" Amanda looked at as if I was insane.
"The River Lethe, it's a river in the Underworld you go in if your trying for rebirth. It wipes your memory of everything from your past life. That's probably why we just saw Luke," I sxplained.
" I guess that makes sense," Amanda shrugged.
"I guess it does," I agreed as I looked back at the Dunkin Donuts window, to see him staring back at me.
