Annabeth

Caleb is very jumpy when he tells me to meet Luke for dinner. I feel bad for the kid; he's so young, so afraid of the side he's on. I don't know how to help him, but I wish I could somehow. Maybe, when I leave here, I can take him to Camp Half Blood with me.

"Thank you, Caleb," I say with a smile to calm his nerves. "It's just down the hall, right?"

"Y-yes."

"Hey." I put a hand on his shoulder. "Is something wrong? You can tell me. I promise I won't get you in trouble."

"I-I shouldn't t-tell you this, b-but...you're s-so nice to me. I-I'm sorry."

Now I'm starting to get nearly as afraid as Caleb. "What did you do?"

He winces, then spurts out in a machine gun fire confession, "I told General Castellan what you told me about the other camp!"

He talks himself in circles, apologizing over and over again. I tune him out. How can I fix this at dinner? Surely, I can make this sound like an innocent comment! Yeah...I lived at Camp Half Blood for seven years. I mean, I even kind of missed my dad when I ran away, even though I had no desire to leave my new home.

"It's fine," I say, interrupting Caleb. "It's not like I said anything wrong, right? I lived at my camp for a very long time. I have every right to miss a place I've lived for most of my life. You've done nothing to hurt me, Caleb."

The boy nods vigorously, eager for a way out.

"Yeah!" he says. "I didn't do anything wrong. Right!"

"Alright, then," I say, smiling in spite of the fear forcing its way into my gut. "Now can you leave me alone while I get ready?"

He scurries out, and I am alone. I let myself feel the fear now.

I've been lying to and deceiving my enemy in wartime. If Luke somehow finds out that I don't support Kronos, I could be killed. Knowing my best friend, he would not hesitate no matter how he feels about me.

Still, I try not to show it as I leave later that night. It's seven thirty when I arrive at Luke's suite, and his reassuring smile does nothing to ease my feelings of fear.

Dinner is uneventful, and by the time we're done I don't remember most of it. I'm wound up like a spring, and it takes all of my willpower to engage in casual smalltalk. I'm wondering if I've actually gotten off free when Luke asks me to accompany him into a side room.

"Sure," I say with false enthusiasm.

I don't know what's going to happen, so I try to be prepared for anything. What I see, though, is too much to keep that calm demeanor I've been striving for all night.

James Knight was Luke's friend at Camp Half-Blood, the one who Luke appointed second in command of the Hermes cabin. He rose to head counselor when Luke abandoned ship, and was one of the greatest doubters of Luke's betrayal. Now, he's tied up in the dark room that Luke has lead me to. His eyes shine with terror.

"Annabeth." Luke's eyes seem black and cold in the dim light. "Some of my crew has been worried that you are not nearly as big a part of the cause as you claim to be. I, of course, trust you, but a display of your support will gain you more trust here."

"What's this about?" I whisper. He smiles slightly, and holds out a dagger.

"Here, Annabeth," he says. "Kill this prisoner. Prove to everyone that you truly belong here. Do not disappoint me."

I turn from Luke and face James, who is whimpering, begging me for mercy with his eyes. I shake my head.

"No." My voice cracks. "No, Luke, I can't. This is wrong."

He sighs as if unsurprised. "Have it your way."

Before I can protest, Luke stabs his knife into the innocent boy's chest. I cover my mouth as a scream escapes. James slumps back against the wall, dead.

"What have you done!" I shriek. "He was your friend! How could you do that?"

Luke grabs my arm painfully tight as he drags me from that side room. I trip over my feet as he throws me forward. I hit the ground hard and cry out, but his angry sneer doesn't flinch for a moment.

"Luke, wait!" I shout. "Please, I-"

"I did not give you permission to speak!" he roars. I fall silent, and Luke lowers his voice slightly. "I put my trust in you, Annabeth! I thought that you, of all people, would have my back! And then you betray me by putting ideas into my crew's minds about the joys of Camp Half-Blood, and you can't even follow a simple order against a traitor!"

He hefts the knife, which is still covered in James's blood, and kneels down beside me. This boy, the closest thing I have is completely insane. I try to keep the tears out of my eyes, but a few cruel rebels trail down my cheeks. I'm not even ready to die at the hands of a monster; I sure as poop schnitzel can't handle my best friend murdering me in cold blood!

"Annabeth," Luke whispers. His voice is low and dangerous, but my hope peaks when I see his eyes begin to water ever so slightly. There is still a chance that he cares about me enough to spare my life.

"Why?" he continues in an agonized growl. "Why would you betray me like that? I thought we were supposed to be family."

I blink tears out of my eyes, suddenly angry.

"You betrayed me first."

I watch the emotions play out across Luke's face like a movie, first confused as he processes what I've said, then pained as it sinks in. He stands slowly and turns away before speaking again.

"So it seems we're in a bit of a difficult situation." His voice cracks with remorse as he talks. "I can't keep you around because you will never turn against your precious camp, and I will never be able to kill you as long as you insist on being so incredibly perfect."

"Yes," I agree. "This is...difficult."

He turns back to me and extends a hand to help me up. We stare into each other's eyes, and both say at the same time:

"I'm sorry."

We hug and shed a few unheroic tears. Then Luke has to put me in a cell, and I have no choice but to act as a hostage when Percy and Luke face off the next day on Mount Tamalpais.