Luke Castellan had finally found happiness. His life was in constant danger and he didn't know for sure that there was a bed for hi to sleep in at night, but he's so happy. With Thalia by his side and Annabeth under his nose, he knows for a fact that he can conquer the world. They've stopped for the night, and it's Thalia's turn on guard duty, so he's lying on his back beside her, Annabeth's small frame curled into his side. He strokes her hair absently and watches the way her chest rises and falls evenly. Her features are lit in the dim moonlight, making it look like she's got a halo all over her body.
On his other side, Thalia's sitting up, leaning against the bark of a tree, looking into the woods a few meters away from where they set up camp. She exhales from her mouth, creating a small puff of air to form. Luke reaches out with his free hand and gives her a gentle push, flashing her a smile when she looks at him. She looks tired, but beams at him before her gaze flickers to the seven year old sleeping peacefully in his arms, small crease forming on her forehead.
Luke knows exactly what she's thinking- the two of them are good with their blades, they're older and understand things a lot easier than she does. She's too young, too innocent, to have to live in constant fear. Between the three of them, Annabeth was the one who really deserved a better life, something that both of them had easily agreed would be the only thing they want for her. Thalia lets out another sigh.
"Luke," She starts quietly, not wanting to wake up the little girl. "We have to do something for her."
Luke nods. He looks down at her sleeping figure, and leans down to press a kiss on her forehead. He's found his own little family, his two girls that he'd easily give his life for. He feels Thalia set her hand on his chest, and lets Annabeth's steady breaths relax him.
"We'll make sure she's safe and happy. I promise."
oOo
Annabeth stumbles behind them, and Luke turns around just in time to see her trip over one of the roots and fall to her knees with a scream. Panic seizes his heart as the hellhound advances on her. He doesn't wait to tell Thalia he's turning around, and heads straight to the monster, slashing his sword blindly. It breaks into nothing, but he can't control the anger coursing through his veins.
He turns around to see Annabeth, staring up at him with wide, watery eyes. Her bottom lip is quivering like it does before she cries. He tries to take deep breaths. The monster is gone; his little girl is safe. He swears he'll kill anyone and anything that ever threatens her. Thalia bursts in just as the tears start falling from Annabeth's eyes.
"You almost died." She says quietly to Luke. He doesn't really remember what happened, just that his body was on autopilot to keep her out of the way. "I'm too dumb and slow. I'll get you all killed." Her voice breaks at the end before she starts sobbing. Thalia's already sitting beside her and telling her that's not true, and they'd rather be dead than leave her behind, but Luke ca barely react. He watches her cry into Thalia's jacket, feeling his own heart crumble slowly and painfully. He can't believe she'd ever think that. He knows they aren't much older than her, but Thalia and Luke have somewhat adopted her as their little sister, and he doesn't think he can imagine a life without her.
"Annabeth Chase." He says finally, getting down on his knees so he can look into her eyes. "You're a part of our family now. And real family doesn't leave others behind. And they most definitely don't ask to be left behind."
She nods slowly, sniffing and wiping furiously at her eyes, even though it does nothing to stop the tears from flowing.
"Now, show me your knife." He says, and she does. "Don't be afraid to use this. I promise you, you'll be fine."
"You promise?" She asks, and he can see Thalia flashing him a smile in his peripheral. He grins at the seven year old.
"I promise."
oOo
He feels hollow. Beside him, Annabeth's screaming her lungs out, tears running down her face, and a part of him hurts just to see her so distraught, but most of him is numb. He can't feel his own arms as he leans out to wrap his arms around Annabeth, burying his head in her curls and pulling her as close as he can to her. He doesn't think he can bare to lose the only part of his family he has left.
He hears the centaur explain what he already knows- that he's a son of Hermes, that Thalia had a strong scent because she was Zeus' daughter, that they're demigods. He knows Annabeth is going to have to stay in the Athena cabin, away from him, and in that moment, he's past caring.
He sees camp, and thinks of how much Thalia would have liked this place. How they could have sat at the top of the lava wall, taught Annabeth how to swim in the creek, laughed without the worry of being attacked at the campfire.
Most of the other kids are his age- somewhere between twelve and sixteen, but there's also some who are older. One thing is for certain- Annabeth's the youngest, and has nobody who'd want to hang out with her. Looking at her face, he doesn't think she'd want to talk to anyone any time soon, but he knows it'll grow to be a problem soon.
He walks with her to the Athena cabin, and she plays nervously with her blade, biting her lip. He gives her a gentle push, and she marches up the two steps and pauses at the door, turning back to him.
"What if they don't like me?" She asks, and Luke finds himself frowning.
"Of course they will! You're a great girl." She doesn't look very convinced, so he lets out a sigh, getting down to her level. "You'll always have at least one friend. Remember?"
"You'll talk to me if nobody else does?"
"I'll be right across, okay? Anytime you need me."
"You promise?"
"I promise."
oOo
He doesn't know how time flies by so fast, but he's found a home. Annabeth is a little older, and there are kids closer to her age, even if they're a little older, that she's always talking to him about- Clarisse la Rue, Silena Beauregard, Charles Beckendorf, Will Solace. He's a little uncomfortable about how easily she gets along with his youngest brothers, the Stolls, who are both her age and the biggest troublemakers he's seen in his three years at camp, but he knows that he has to let her live her own life, and steps away gracefully.
He thinks Thalia would love to see this- Annabeth, happy and safe. She'd have loved camp, and they'd probably share the same friends circle- Fred, Ally, Regina, Alex. They're all going off on quests, and he doesn't pretend not to resent the fact that he still hasn't received one. He wonders if maybe Halcyon was right- that they are just pawns to the gods.
He sees Annabeth running over to him, wide smile on her face, and opens out his arms to have the ten-year-old leap into her. He thinks that of all the things wrong in the world, if there's one thing any god has ever done right, it's making this little angel. She's only just old enough to start blade training, but he's been teaching her after dinner for the last three years, so he isn't surprised that she's the best in her class.
She plops down on the grass and tells him about her archery class, and how Will Solace is just so good, and he tries not to hate that he's not her only friend anymore. Even the older kids seem to have taken a liking to her, and somehow, she'd managed to become the apple of everyone's eyes. He thinks it's ridiculous, and tries not to let the jealousy get to him when Annabeth looks up o someone else for help, but he can't help but wish it was him.
He knows she still loves him- He can tell by the way she looks at him with large eyes and is always trying to show him how good she is. He likes that she still thinks of him as someone special, because he can't put into words how much she means to him. He flashes her a smile.
"Hey, Luke?" She looks over at him, a gap in her teeth where she'd lost her milk tooth a day ago. He brushes her bangs out of her eyes and raises his brows. "Are you feeling okay?"
"What do you mean?" He frowns, and she looks away.
"You look sad a lot. And angry. Did I make you angry?"
It wonders how someone so young can be so perceptive. He's been mulling over Halcyon's words for a while, and it's most definitely set him off, but he figured that if his friends hadn't called him out, he was doing a good job hiding it. He shakes his head.
"Not at all. I'm just thinking about something." Annabeth seems to consider this.
"You'll tell me if something's wrong?" Luke nods, unable to stop himself from smiling in amusement at this ten-year-old girl who thinks she can help him out.
"Of course. You're my number one girl, remember?" She smiles contentedly.
"What about if you have a girlfriend?"
"You'll always be my first favorite." He tells her, poking her in the side so she bursts into a fit of laughter. "I promise."
oOo
Apart from the fact that he needs to kill the kid, Luke finds that he just doesn't like Percy Jackson. He seems lost, and sure, he's had a rough time since he got to camp, but there's something about the way he sees him bicker with Annabeth that he decides doesn't settle well with him. He's not an idiot- he's nineteen, and they're twelve. He knows what that kind of a relationship would lead to, especially if they were off on a quest together.
Annabeth Chase is a queen, and Percy Jackson was a lost boy who didn't know how to pull himself together. Eons could pass before he could prove himself worthy of his little girl. He can't believe she's going with him. It shakes him so much, he almost doesn't want to give Percy the shoes, so she'd stay safe. Then again, the shoes are for him, not her, so he grudgingly hands them over.
For the first time in years, he forgets what he'd thought of the gods, and prays. To Athena, to Hermes, to Poseidon, to keep Annabeth safe and out of harm's way. He wonders if maybe Thalia was here, she'd tell him what to do. She'd have the answer, she always did. She'd have agreed with him, with Kronos, for sure. She'd have wanted to see half bloods be treated well, be respected.
He misses her so much more than he'd care to admit- He thinks that maybe, if things had worked out differently, he could have learned to love her differently.
He dreams that he's in combat with Percy, who, although young, is a great swordsman. Behind him, Kronos' voice is calling out instructions, while there's a girl's voice cheering for Percy. He peeks over the younger boy's shoulder to see Annabeth, and he feels his heart shatter slightly. What was he doing?
The scene changes, and it's so much more terrifying. Annabeth is hanging off the edge of a cliff, holding the edge so tight her knuckles are white. She's calling for his help, but he can't move any faster. Her flingers are slipping, but Luke can't save her. He only reaches her as she falls.
He's suddenly standing in the strawberry fields at camp with Thalia, who's hugging Annabeth and turning her away from him, almost protectively.
"Stay away from her." She snarls at him, and Luke feels like he's drowning; he can't breathe. He makes to move towards them, but Thalia jerks away, shoving Annabeth behind her, glaring at him.
Luke wakes up, a little surprised that his cheeks are wet, and decides to sneak out and wash his face. He looks at his reflection, which looks too pale to be him, eyes bloodshot. He steadies his breath slowly.
He couldn't save Thalia, but he'll be damned if he lets anything happen to Annabeth.
Whatever happens, whatever are Kronos' plans, his first priority is to keep her safe.
And that's his promise to her.
oOo
When he sees her on his yacht, his blood freezes. He almost lets Percy hit him in the face. Annabeth's looking at him with a mixture of the same love he's so used to, but also with doubt, with desperation, and the worst, hesitance. She looks like she wants to run up to him, sit down and tell him about her day, but she's scared.
Luke doesn't know what to do. He wants to hug her, tell her everything is going to be fine, that he'll keep her safe, but he can't- He needs to keep her as far away as possible to keep her from attracting Kronos' attention. He knows that the titan is anything but a kindhearted leader, and recruiting Annabeth would mean having to expose her to too much violence, too much power- not anything healthy for a thirteen year old.
He tries to keep her safe in his own little ways, but she seems to be sticking too close to Percy. He's almost jealous of the way they interact. He could have had that with Thalia, and he knows he should be happy for Annabeth, but it's Percy Jackson, and he just can't.
Luke is almost happy that they escape, even if he's a little scared about what she might be facing, but he reminds himself that he was her age when he'd met her, and that she's a big girl and can look after herself. He has a hard time letting go, but he doesn't have a choice- he's the bad guy, now.
When Kronos rises to power, he's going to make sure that Annabeth is treated like a princess. He'll find her a worthy prince, and she'll be happy again, in a world without Hermes or Zeus or Percy Jackson.
She'll be happy if it kills him, and that's a promise.
oOo
"Kill her." Atlas drawls, and Luke doesn't try to hide his obvious annoyance.
"No." He snarls, some of the empousai around him visibly flinch at the venom in his voice. Atlas eyes him, looking kind of bored, and cocks a brow. Behind him, one of the lastrygonians cries in pain as he shoulders the weight of the sky.
"Why not?" Luke hesitates.
"She'll be the perfect bait." He tries to hide his nervousness. "Jackson will come here at all costs to protect her, and Artemis will, too- The Hunters wanted to recruit her when she got older."
Atlas considers him, and he ignores the chill it sends down his spine. Why did it have to be this stupid girl? She probably did something ridiculous, like try to save someone by jumping onto the manticore's back. He wishes she wasn't so brave, that she'd just live her life cautiously, but she seems to love getting into trouble.
"Alright, fine." He says, but Luke doesn't like the sick smile creeping onto his face. "She holds the sky." Luke is about to argue, saying no, how can he expect a fourteen year old half blood to carry a burden like that, but the smile only gets wider. "She trusts you, Castellan. Trick her. Either that, or I feed her to the empousai. The ugly monsters around him hiss excitedly, and he scowls.
He knows he has no choice but to break the one thing he truly believes in, and so he does. He carries the sky for all of five minutes before she takes it off of him. Even as she approaches him, he wants to scream for her to run, but Atlas is in the shadows, watching his every move, and he can't afford to expose her like that. He hears her cry for help, and doesn't dare look around, instead heading straight to his chambers to wipe away his tears.
He doesn't go back there until Artemis saves her. He wants to celebrate this little victory with the rest of his army, but he can't bring himself to smile. He sits beside Annabeth, feeding her nectar when he's sure nobody's watching, but she's so exhausted, she doesn't wake up for nearly three days. He's terrified that he's lost her, but she stirs one day, and before he can react, Atlas is ordering for her to be tied and gagged.
Luke is almost happy to see Thalia, glaring at him, eyes filled with pure, unadulterated hatred, and he feels a pang in his chest, but she's attacking him almost immediately, and he barely has time to feel bad about the betrayal because he's fighting for his life. He'd almost forgotten how good she is, and he feels a little guilty for enjoying the combat. Somewhere, Annabeth's crying for them to stop, but he can barely hear her, blood rushing in his ears.
And then, Backbiter clatters to the ground, and Thalia's spear is pointed at his throat, her eyes shining murderously, and he's afraid for his life. Annabeth's sobs echo from somewhere around, begging for them to stop, and he realizes that the only way to get out of this alive is to fight Thalia away, to escape and figure something out. Without thinking, he grabs for her spear, the same moment he feels something against his stomach, and he's falling, and he thinks that maybe Annabeth's screams are the last thing he'll ever hear.
He's so sorry, so sorry for breaking his promise.
oOo
He loathes Percy Jackson. Luke knows that a lot of his emotions are actually Kronos, he sees his nemesis, and gods, he wants to run his sword through the guy's guts. He sees the way he looks at Annabeth, like she's his sun and moon, but she's so much more. Luke knows he's got no right to say that anymore, but he can't help it.
He knew it when he knocked on her door, too. She'd grown up, she'd realized that he was wrong, and she'd made the right decisions. It was because of her, really, that he knew he had to go back. He couldn't run away from his problems, but he could definitely own up to them, maybe even set them right.
In a lot of ways, he's proud of Annabeth. She's grown to be the greatest young woman he'd ever met, and he feels his heart burst with joy as he watches Percy fight in the cage. He doesn't care much for the boy, but he sees Annabeth, standing away, hands over her mouth and looking terrified, and he understands- She's unlike him, or even Thalia. She felt. She was sensitive, and she had real emotions, and she's filled with kindness and forgiveness and love, and he doesn't think it's something either of them could have taught her.
Only Percy Jackson could have shown her that, because only he had ever been recipient to it.
For that, Luke is slightly thankful to the boy, thinking that maybe his mess-ups didn't necessarily have to define her.
oOo
He doesn't know how long he's blacked out, but he catches the shortest glimpse of Annabeth flying backwards and landing on the floor, her forehead spilt open and blood dripping into her eyes, coloring her bangs, and he finds the strength to fight back the power that's taking over his entire body.
"Annabeth." He gasps. She looks up at him, and he sees a deep cut along her cheekbone and a bruise near her jaw. Her clothes are in tatters, and he can see flashes of a pink bra through the rips. Her shorts are hanging in shreds around her hips, showing scars and cuts all over her legs. He feels himself being blocked out before he can say anything more, but seeing her in so much pain gives him the energy to keep fighting.
When he's controlling his body again, he hears a broken croak.
"Family, Luke." He wants to rip his heart out at the sound, at the sight of Annabeth staggering towards him, dagger hanging loosely in her hand. He looks down at it, and the way she looks broken, and it's then that he understands what he has to do.
Cursed blade.
She drops to her knees beside him, and his hands are twitching as Kronos tries to gain power over him again
"You promised."
To keep her safe. To see her happy. He needs her to be okay. To be better than okay, to be treated like a goddess. She deserves the universe and more.
"You're hurt." He says, swallowing down Kronos' voice.
Jackson hesitates with the knife, and Luke closes his eyes when he stabs himself. He can't bear to see Annabeth's face when he kills himself. Almost immediately, he feels lighter. He's not fighting anyone anymore, and he can almost believe he'll make it through. Of course, he knows that's a lie, and that he's got seconds before it's his time.
He looks up at what he thinks was the most precious thing in his life. She looks like she's trying not to cry, and he risks a glance at Percy, who's looking at Annabeth like he can't believe he's still alive. Like she's still alive, and he thinks that maybe the Jackson kid isn't too bad, after all.
He has so much to say, and so little time, so he only says what he knows won't make Annabeth cry. He wants to kiss her forehead one last time, but after all he's done, he knows that he doesn't deserve that kind of intimacy, so he lets the darkness consume him.
And as he feels his soul fade slowly, he feels strangely elated, because in the end, he did it.
He kept his promise.