There was Luke. Bearing down on me with Backbiter, a snarl on his face. I immediately knew I was at a disadvantage. I was weak from starvation and dehydration. Luke wasn't. Lucky for me, I was right against the wall. I braced my right foot against the wall and shoved as hard as I could. It was enough. Luke stumbled back and I took a quick glance around. Percy was fighting Nakamura. Annabeth was fighting a dracaenae. Tyson was fighting a monster I didn't recognize and Grover was battling an empousa without much luck. Before I could say a word, Luke was back. And I have to say, he was a little perturbed. I heard Annabeth defeat her monster and move to help Grover. Poor Grover. He needs a proper weapon.
For once, luck was on my side. I dodged a strike and lunged, slashing at Luke's forearm. My strike landed. But it just glanced off his arm. His skin was made of steel. Not fair. He swung his sword in a deadly arc that would have spilled my guts had I not been starved for so long. He slashed again and landed a blow on my upper thigh. I swallowed hard. Luke backed up with a grin and jerked his head towards me. "How you holding up, princess?"
"Just fine, hon. Just fine," I replied. I heard a yelp and whipped around. Ethan Nakamura was trying to make his way to me. Percy was just in his way. A sudden realization came to me. They wanted me. Just me. "You want me, huh?"
"Yeah. Yeah, we do. You're a great bargaining chip." Luke bared his teeth.
"Am I now?" I asked innocently. Quick as a shifting shadow I darted behind Ethan and cracked him on the back of his head with the pommel of my sword. "Percy. Listen to me. Luke wants me. Just me." I saw Luke creeping towards me. "Wait. I'm negotiating, so to speak." I turned back to Percy. "I'm going to go with him. Better me than all of you. I'm not about to let you guys get hurt. Not after what you did for me."
"What's going on? Did you call a truce?" Annabeth came over with Tyson and Grover, her knife covered with monster dust. She looked at the expression on Percy's face then to mine. "No. No. You are not about to go hand yourself over to him. I won't stand for it."
"You guys saved my life. Annabeth, listen. I'm not about to let you guys get hurt for me. We barely know each other. And he can't be all that bad. He doesn't want to hurt me. All that much," I added, looking at my thigh. "Nothing permanent."
"How can you be sure?" Percy laid his hand on my arm. "I don't trust anything that comes out of his mouth. Not one word." He shot a look at Luke, who tapped his wrist and pointed to me and mouthed now. Percy held up a finger. "Are you bent on this?"
"Yes. I can fight my way out of this one." I nodded towards Luke. "You guys be good. Be careful on your quest. Promise me that."
"You're worried about us?" Grover spluttered. "You realize who you're about to run off with, right?" he added at my smile.
I waved, sheathed my sword and said, "Don't follow. I'll find you guys. I'll listen to the shadows. Don't worry. Now go stand in the corner and swear to me, on the Styx, that you won't attack."
"But-" Percy started. I silenced him with a look. "We promise. On the river Styx."
"Good." I nodded. "See you soon." I winked and walked over to Luke. "I guess I'm going to need a new pair of these, right?" I held up my wrists so he could see the cuffs with the chain dangling between them.
"Got that right." He stepped forward and clamped a hand on my upper arm. His grip was enough to bruise. I grimaced before rearranging my face into an impassive expression. I saw Percy starting towards his pocket, where he kept his sword and glared at him so hard, I was sure he could feel it across the cavern we were in. He gave me a pleading glance. He looked like a sad dog. I shook my head once as I was walking across the room with Luke. Then I lost sight of them all. As soon as we were out of earshot, he threw me away from him and I instinctively went for my sword, which I had belted on when I woke up this morning. He pointed his sword at me and said, "Don't you even dare."
"Alright." I laughed and held up my hands in surrender. "So what's this all about, huh?"
"You ran. You escaped. You weren't supposed to do that."
This fired up my temper real quick. "Alright. So I was supposed to stay in that hellhole and let you torture me until I died? Let you do this to me?" I held up my shirt so he could see my ribs and twisted and lifted it past my shoulders. The bruises from the last couple days stood out on my skin. I yanked my shirt back down. "Are you alright with that? Hmm? Cause I'm not! Look at my wrists!" I shifted the shackles so he could see the rough scars from the first five months. I nodded coldly and turned towards the wall. An involuntary sob racked my body. They wouldn't stop. I openly cried in that hallway. I cried because of the pain, the fear, the loss.
Care entered Luke's voice. "Hey. Hey. It won't be like that this time. I promise. I won't do that you again." He gently laid his hand on my shoulder.
I hardened. I remembered Percy's words 'I don't trust anything that comes out of his mouth. Not one word'. I turned to face my enemy. "And what will it be like this time? Fine wine and bread? A comfortable chamber for me to sleep?" I was openly mocking this guy now. "Well, then, my beloved, let us go." I held out an elbow for him. I smirked. "Exactly. It's going to be the same. Even worse. I know it is. I don't trust you. Percy was right. I only came to save my friends!" I yelled and gestured down the hallway. I turned to stalk away and only got a few steps before I felt the sharp point of his sword against my spine. I shook my head.
"Turn around. Slowly." Luke's cold voice came from behind me. I let out a cold laugh.
I turned slowly with my hands outstretched, wrists together. True to my thoughts, there he was with a length of rope in hand. Luke slid Backbiter into its scabbard and came forward. He turned me around and tied my hands behind my back. I made my face look impassive. A mask of stone. I closed my eyes and concentrated as I've never done before. I imagined myself melting into the shadow and emerging in the cavern where I woke up this morning. I opened my eyes. I was in the cavern. It worked.