The Pine Tree Casts a Shadow
A/N: The idea for this story was in the back of my head for a long time though, initially, it'd just be a tiny piece of information on another story I was planning but, because of PJatO's ship week on tumblr, I decided to work a little on the idea of a ThaliaxLuke story from Silena's POV. It's a bit messy and confused but that's because I rushed a little, sorry. Hopefully, you will still get the "full-fun" experience of reading soul crushing Thuke stories (I don't think there are any other kinds of thuke stories tbh). Happy Thuke/Thaluke week. And please read and review!
The Pine Tree Casts a Shadow
Silena Beauregard sneaked out of her cabin late at night to see a boy and thought about the time when she'd proudly claim she was a good girl. She hid in the shadows and prayed to Hermes she wouldn't get caught and then corrected herself thinking the gods would not be happy with what she was doing.
Her heartbeat was strong and steadfast like her own pace as she saw the white of his teeth smiling from behind a tree. She threw her arms around him forgetting for a second they were incognito, he winced under her weight but chuckled under his breath and on her ears, making her stomach vibrate and the hair on her neck stand.
"I couldn't wait for tonight." She leaned in for a kiss but he had a serious look on his face that made her hesitate. "What?"
"Nothing." He whispered while looking both ways. "How's Benckendorf?"
Charles Beckendorf was a nice boy and Silena felt terrible for having to hurt him but those were her cabin rules. She admired his skills and laughed at his jokes and, in her heart, she thought the way he took up pegasi flying lessons just to be around her when he was terrified of heights was swoon inducing but her mind was already set: she'd have to crush his dreams.
It's not that she wanted to, she really didn't. Charlie made her laugh and always smelled nice but there was no way she'd ever love anyone but Luke. They were star-crossed, meant to be: united by a revolution against the terrible ruling of the gods. Sometimes, she even considered telling Beckendorf about it, he'd understand, he definitely would.
Her father had never been the same since Aphrodite and there was nothing more romantic than that, she told herself as she flipped her hair and smiled at Charlie while meeting Luke in the woods at night, telling him everything she knew. She watched the scars on Charles' dark skin and thought of the one slashing Luke's handsome face. She thought of the scars she'd leave on the boy and told herself again that it was all for romance.
She blamed the gods again.
It wasn't until she saw Charles Beckendorf waving at her from another Pegasus in the sky that she realized that something had gone off with her plan. She admired him too much, she was supposed to break his heart. He gave her a smile and her heart did a little dance she had never felt before. For the first time, he looked at ease flying, having fun, achieving something. She couldn't help but to smile back from ear to ear.
He was so distracted by it, he almost got himself killed falling from his flying horse. Silena flew to his rescue in the last minute.
Luke pressed his lips against her neck and she caught herself thinking of famous love triangles, her blue eyes lost in the tiny moon that seemed to smirk at her ill fate. She raised her hand to trace his scar with her index finger but he dodged.
"No." he cut her off. "Don't touch it." And the anger in his voice sounded like poison.
Her siblings giggled and pointed as they whispered about poor Charles Beckendorf and his naïve crush on a girl who deserved nothing but the best at camp. Who did he think he was when there were people like Luke Castellan walking around?
"He doesn't deserve to step on your shadow and yet, he thinks he can wave at you from his table." The girl next to her rolled her eyes. "Give it to Hephaestus' kids to be this dumb. They are all just wired for stupid numbers."
For a second, she was taken aback on what to do, her pride stuck in her throat. She took a glimpse at Luke on his table looking ahead, unaware of anyone else's voices, focusing on the camp walls, probably wondering how to destroy it.
It made her so mad that she raised her hand and waved back at Beckendorf.
The Aphrodite table was quiet in absolute shock for a whole minute 'till fits of hissing and giggles took over. The gods were not the only mean ones, she finally realized.
She'd convince herself that there was no way he was using her. Yes, she knew for a fact that someone could lie with a kiss or lie with words but she was also a daughter of Aphrodite and there were moments…Moments when he'd just stare at her, deep into her eyes with a devotion and passion she didn't even know he had in him. And then he'd stroke her hair and smile at her and press his forehead against hers and it didn't feel dishonest at all.
Yes, he was a son of the lying god, but no one could fake such sincerity.
She'd tell herself that as many times especially when it was almost morning and she was returning to her cabin thinking of the time when she used to claim she was a good girl. She'd tell it as many times as it was necessary for her to remind herself that a girl like her deserved nothing less than Luke Castellan and that she had no business thinking of a bulky Hephaestus son who was no longer afraid to fly.
It was Annabeth Chase – a daughter of Athena, of course – who provided her with answers to the questions she never voiced.
It came as a request to check the inhabited cabins, to clean them as much as possible, since Aphrodite kids were so fond of it and Silena assured her she'd do her best (except maybe no at Artemis cabin). She felt bad for Annabeth, having a little kid's crush on a guy like Luke. He hadn't even told her about his plans yet, poor girl.
She found him by the pine tree, lying under the shadows and talking to himself. She smiled at his expression; more relaxed then she had ever seen. Their affair was a secret, she was still supposed to be seducing Beckendorf, so she just stood a little aside and whispered his name a few times. She wanted to ask him if he wanted her to investigate something for him in the bigger cabins, be the Bonnie to his Clyde as usual but no matter how loud she made her voice, he just wouldn't hear.
She was not dumb, she had heard the story before. Three demigods trying to arrive safely at camp but one didn't make it and she was now protecting the whole campus. She knew the girl must have meant a lot to Luke, like Annabeth did. His little sisters.
She walked into cabin number one and was overwhelmed by the size, shocked by how empty it felt while it still managed to give you the feeling you were being watched.
She never touched the pictures, she never approached them. She didn't need to, all it took was one look and something inside her snapped.
It was an Aphrodite thing.
Later that day, in tears, she stared at herself in the mirror, analyzing every pore.
She did not look like Thalia Grace. Her face was not freckled, her hair was just as black but not short, her noses were nothing alike and even the blue in their eyes was not the same. Yet she knew that was the reason behind the tender smile and the sincere kisses. All this time thinking they'd take the world by storm, like the star-crossed lovers they were and now…now she saw herself for what she really was: someone's shadow.
On the next day, she stood under her rival's shadow, this time literally. The pine tree branches grew and grew 'till they seemed endless and Silena wondered how such a tiny girl could ever become such a majestic thing. She knew there was jealousy in her thoughts though; one look at Thalia's eyes was all she needed to know the little girl was full of majesty herself.
She recalled every night with Luke and his distant looks, she thought of how focused he was on his plans and wondered if all the time he spent staring at nowhere wasn't actually just him staring at his best friend.
She knew now that he was not talking to himself, but to a daughter of Zeus who he'd never see again. She couldn't help but to cry for him.
That was before she heard tales of a little boy killing a minotaur or before the bolt was stolen. There would be weeks 'till she realized she wanted out, that what Luke had planned was pure evil and could hazard the whole world.
All she could think about at first was that she was relieved, that suddenly it made perfect sense for her to be slowly falling in love with someone else, things would eventually be ok. Once again, it was all about her and it made her feel reassured. Luke didn't love her, so she didn't have to love Luke.
She was still not secure enough to break it off, walk away – she was still not sure she could allow herself to be with Beckendorf and she couldn't simply walk away from Luke.
His plans were not about how evil the gods were or about revolution – had that been the case, she thought, maybe walking away would've been easier – his plans were personal vendetta for a love that was stolen from him.
And once again, as she sneaked out at night to see a boy, she thought about the time she was a good girl who every guy would be happy to have and wondered how it had gotten that far? She would no longer kiss Luke as she told him all she knew but she'd still tell him anyway.
Because her father had never gotten over losing her mom and that was the most romantic thing.
A/N: This was a quick story from an old idea I had. It was supposed to be a SilenaxCharlie story at first but I wanted that one to be multichaptered and funny, so, this is sort of a spinoff of that original story I never wrote. I hope you like it, even if it's messy. And, please, do review, the box is RIGHT HERE.