"Get up!"
I groaned and rolled over, covering my ears with my pillow.
"Wakey, wakey!"
"No."
"Well, fine then." I could almost picture Isis leaning back, crossing her arms, everything reading 'offended' except for her smiling face. "Miss your quest. See if I care."
I shot up. "The quest is today? And you didn't remind me?"
"Someone has some major napnesia," Isis said, laughing. "Come on, loser. Get ready for your quest."
I scowled at her, but I can't stay mad at Isis for longer than a split second. We waled out of cabin eleven together and made our way to the mess hall and had breakfast. I was so happy she was coming with me, if only, as she put it, "to keep him slightly sane." She insisted that we were only friends, but I liked her better than that. And sometimes I fooled myself into thinking she did too.
Now, before you all go, "Eew! You like her, but you're in the same cabin! Yuck!", let me explain. My dad is Hermes. She's undetermined, but her dad is mortal. So there's no chance that we're siblings.
Everyone was filing out and seating rules gradually ceased to exist. Isis and I sat next to our third and final quest member—Wade Bronson. He was two years younger than Isis and me, but he was just as mature. He was the son of Athena, and he was ten-year-old Annabeth's idol. Isis kept Annabeth busy with magic card tricks, Annabeth's brain moving a million miles an hour as she tried to figure out how Isis did whichever overly complicated trick she was doing now, while Wade and I talked about the quest.
"We take the van," I suggested.
"Probably the smartest option. It could possibly make it longer, though."
"Any other options?"
Wade sighed. "You know my theory about Isis, right?"
I had—that she was the daughter of Hecate, goddess of magic. But all the Hecate kids I knew were scary. Isis wasn't terrifying. I glanced over at her, playing hand games with Annabeth. She looked up and caught my eye; I may have blushed and turned my attention back to Wade.
"I don't know," I admitted—I hated saying that. "I really have no idea if she could."
Wade stood, signaling that the conversation was now over. "I guess we're taking the van, then."
I nodded and gestured for Isis to grab her stuff and head over to Thalia's Pine. I remembered the last time I'd been up on this hill—years ago. I hadn't come back; it hurt too much, reminded me too much of the day when there had been no tree on this hill.
I'd been there when Thalia had become that tree.
I was Luke James Castellan.
A/N: So…you like? I'll even accept trollers.
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