I stared at the ceiling above me, wondering vaguely why I always ended up like this. Even on my better days, I always ended up talking myself into a depression, lay flat out on my bed glaring at the ceiling.
Now though, my skin was marred with bruises and cuts from repeated beatings in front of a surprisingly stubborn Felicity. Despite everything, I couldn't help but feel a swell of pride. No matter how hard things got, she never questioned my judgement. She never caved to Luke's wishes, even when she was stood on the other side of the room crying her little heart out and squealing loud enough that the waves started rocking the ship irritably.
But I could deal with all the other injuries. It was the long, thin cut that ran around the base of my neck that made tears spring into my eyes, the only evidence left that Oreius had forcibly snatched my locket - Apollo's locket - from around my neck.
I had to clamp my hands together to stop me running a finger over the wound. Honestly, I'd expected them to take it. Everyone knew it was a magic item. But I'd never predicted the empty, numb feeling it would leave. It hadn't been like this over the past year. I tried to convince myself that I didn't know what the difference was, but it was like trying to forget Apollo existed in the first place. I'd learnt a lot about him, and myself, in the time since he'd shown up at my school and kidnapped me out of New York. Maybe I shouldn't feel like this, maybe I shouldn't feel anything toward him at all, but I did. There was no denying it anymore. And Luke had taken my one connection to him away, the only connection no one complained about.
My eyes began watering again at the thought, and I gulped hard, pushing myself upright and rubbing my throat before I could stop it again. The moment my fingers made contact with the cut, however, an image flashed through my mind. It showed what looked like a messy stables. There were no windows, and the animals it housed were actually pegasi, one of which seemed very familiar . . .
The sound of the door banging open brought me back to reality with a snap, and my hand dropped from my neck as the two bear men, Oreius and Agrius, stomped into my room with an incoherent grunt. I swallowed, not bothering to argue as they snatched up an arm each and dragged me out of the room.
I stumbled along between them. We'd been aboard the ship for just over a week now, and this routine had gotten old a long time ago. I knew what to expect now. I'd be chucked into a room with Felicity and Luke, where he'd allow the little girl to speak with me for ten minutes, before dragging me away and knocking the life out of me bit by bit. Any resistance I'd once had had rapidly disappeared. Not only did rebelling upset Felicity and put her in harm's way, but there were still mortals aboard. If I got too violent, I could easily sink the ship and kill all of them. No matter how bad things got, I couldn't ever do that.
And Luke knew it. My hands were tied. There was nothing I could do.
Finally, Oreius and his brother stopped outside Luke's door and knocked once, so hard the whole wall shook. Luke shouted for them to enter, and Agrius almost took the door off its hinges by barging through with his shoulder.
Luke was stood behind the left sofa, scowling at the three of us. "Let her go," he ordered, and the two of them released me. I cast an uncertain glance around the room. Felicity was nowhere in sight. "You can wait outside," he told the bear-men, and they grunted once, squeezing back through the doorway and slamming the door shut behind them.
It was a moment or two before either of us said a word, and it that time, all Luke did was frowning at me in frustration. I found myself rubbing one of my arms subconsciously. "Where's Felicity?" Even to me, my voice sounded weak and broken.
He straightened out slightly. "She's being cared for," he told me, and my eyes narrowed. "She won't be harmed while she's here, Acacia. I've already said as much."
I scoffed. "You've said a lot of things. None of them were true."
His expression shifted for a moment, and he pushed himself away from the sofa, straightening out and running a hand through his perfectly gelled hair. "Do you remember when we first met? I told you that you were a lot like Thalia in many ways."
The sound of my sister's name made me wince through my teeth, and my fists clenched at my sides. "Don't talk about Thalia," I muttered darkly. "You have no right to say anything about her."
Luke eyed my scowl. "Last summer, I thought I was wrong," he told me, ignoring my last comment. My muscles clenched. "Thalia and I spent so long talking about our fathers, and how little they cared. She didn't see the gods the way you did. She wasn't so easily convinced of their innocence. But you . . . you're so determined that they're worth fighting for! I couldn't see it. Thalia couldn't see it."
"I don't believe that," I snapped.
He ignored me. "But now, I realise the two of you are more alike than I first thought," he continued, his eyes boring into mine. Suddenly, my stomach sank and I immediately got uncomfortable. "You're every bit as stubborn as she was. You're strong, determined, protective, loy-"
"Stop!" I rushed, taking a step away from him with a flinch. Luke's face straightened. "I am not Thalia."
"No, you aren't," he agreed quietly. "You're much more than that."
My chest constricted, so sharply I couldn't help gasping for a lungful of air.
Luke's eyes grew more intense, and he took a step closer. Immediately, I shifted backward again, my stomach churning anxiously. "Why do you think the gods picked you? Why did Athena prompt Zeus to save you from Hades? Why do they constantly turned a blind eye to the amount of time you spend with that Sun God? Why have they spent so much time this summer keeping you away from camp?"
"Probably because they thought I might take my sister dying for a second time quite badly," I managed to spit back.
He flinched, but stood his ground. "Exactly my point. They're protecting you, like a king on a chessboard. Why? What is it about you that makes you so essential?"
"I think it's fair to say I'm not a lucky charm," I glowered, unable to stop myself shaking in fear at the path this conversation was taking. Something was wrong. Seriously wrong. I didn't understand why he was talking like this.
"You're everything they're looking for," he insisted. "The rare half-blood hero not in it for the glory or power. You're there for family, to protect them. That's all that matters to you and that's why you're right. You're not a lucky charm. You're a human shield."
A fresh wave of anger rolled over me, and I glared at him as dangerously as I could. What worried me was that there were no words that sprung to mind to argue back. Luke watched me for a second, then took a step closer. I glared without moving.
He scoffed slightly, shaking his head. "You can't win, Acacia. The gods aren't going to be here forever, and soon, they'll be nothing left of them. It's inevitable. Do you even know what you're up against?"
I glowered, vaguely remembering the end of the last year; the attack on camp, the dreams, the chasm in the Underworld . . . "Gods, Luke, you can't be that stupid," I murmured, shaking my head at him with wide eyes.
"It isn't stupidity, it's foresight," he scowled. "You can't stand there and tell me that you've never dreamed of a world without the gods."
My breath caught in my throat. The thought momentarily crossed my mind; a world without the gods. No tests, no monsters, no near-death experiences . . . no Camp, no father, no Apollo.
"I wanted a few weeks of peace and quiet," I admitted in a mutter. Luke's lips twitched. "I wanted to be able to go out and be normal, without worrying about tests, or monsters, or rogue demigods who want to destroy the world." His expression darkened. "But no. I've never, ever wished for a world without the gods. And I certainly haven't wished for a world ruled by Titans."
Luke hesitated, debating something with a slight scowl. Flexing his fingers slightly, he moved forward again. This time, I forced myself to move back, but he kept going, until my back hit the wall and he was stood right in front of me. My chest constricted tightly again.
"Every move you make, you make to protect your family," he mumbled. "You'd do anything for them, right?"
I didn't say anything, but his lips twitched.
"Then consider this; has it ever occurred to you that you, and the people you care about most like Felicity Cunningham, are safer with me than with the gods? That I could protect you better than an impulsive Sun God?"
I stared at him, stunned into speechlessness, but before I could make a sound, the door burst open and an empousa I thought I should recognise skidded to a halt. She glanced between Luke and me, her eyes widening and for some reason, my cheeks flushed and my stomach jolted.
Luke, on the other hand, took a calm step back with a frown. "What is it?"
"We have a small problem," she said, still eyeing me cautiously. "You should take a look."
His jaw locked tightly and he snapped his fingers impatiently. "Oreius! Take Acacia back to her room."
In the space of five minutes, I was being thrown back into my room with the door being slammed shut behind me. A ragged breath I didn't realise I was holding back slipped my lips, and I sank on the edge of the bed. So Luke had changed his tactics. He'd reverted back to the same old routine, the same old speech that never worked. So what was it about this one that unsettled me?
I didn't really need to ask that question. It was the comparison to Thalia that got me. As twisted as he was, it was obvious that he'd cared a lot about her before she'd died. The thought made my fists clenched angrily. It hadn't stopped him attacking her tree. And now what? Keeping me here was some twisted way to make it even? Or even worse, an insane attempt to replace her?
I shuddered away from the thought. It didn't matter why I was here. I had to get out. Thalia was dying, and Luke was insane. His plan to get rid of the gods was ridiculous. Whatever the consequences for me, I had to warn Chiron and the campers. But how was I supposed to get out of here? Biting my lip, I pushed myself back and drew my legs up beneath my chin, scowling at the door in deep thought.
It was a few hours before anyone interrupted me again, and by this point, I was starting to get a headache. I was curled up at the end of the bed, running a finger absent-mindedly over my many wounds and through my hair in frustration. Then suddenly, the door to the room opened, and Luke stepped inside. His eyes were narrowed irritably, and he was scanning over the room in disgust. When his eyes fell on me, he took in my stance and wounds like it was the first time he was seeing them.
"You don't look well, Acacia," he told me quietly. I glowered at him, keeping my mouth shut. I'd managed to work myself up over the past few hours, determined to find a way to stop him. He lifted an eyebrow at me. "You could say thank you," he muttered.
I almost laughed at him darkly. "I have nothing to thank you for," I snapped back.
"I saved your life," he scowled, and I knew he truly believed it. He thought he was saving me from the gods and the campers by bringing me on board this ship.
My jaw hung in shock. Was he serious? "It's your fault it's in danger in the first place!" I as good as shrieked at him. If he hadn't told camp about my tests, if he hadn't attacked Thalia's tree, I'd be at camp already by now.
"No, it's their fault!" Luke yelled back, and my entire body tensed in fury. Shaking his head at me in exasperation, he let out a short, harsh laugh. "You're still defending them? After everything they have done to you?"
I hesitated, my fists clenched and my lips pursed. Here we go again . . . Another rant about how the gods have messed up my life. By this point, I was starting to think I was missing something. I knew my life had been hard, but was there really any malice in it? Did the gods want to see me hurt, or was it just my bad luck to be caught out?
Luke seemed to realise I was questioning myself. He shifted forward, crouching down in front of me. I shuffled as far away from him as I could, frowning down at him. "Look at what they've done to you, Acacia," he said, all anger faded as he tried to appeal to my better side. "This isn't something a family that cares does to each other. What have you done to deserve this? You spent your entire childhood protecting your mother from Hades' wrath, and the gods let you spend a year at the mercy of the same god, a god driven by revenge."
The mention of the Underworld made me flinch, but I didn't say a word, so he continued, obviously sure he was finally making progress. "Then they pick you to complete twelve impossible tests, while allowing Hera to try and kill you and sending you back to the Underworld. And now what? They send you to Scotland and leave you alone. All apart from that ridiculous Sun God, of course. He just can't leave you be, can he? Look how that helped you. Now more of the Olympians want you dead, merely because you're an inconvenience. You're worth more than this, Acacia."
I spent a long time staring at my feet, blinking tears out of my eyes. Honestly, I don't know where they came from. The idea of the Olympians wanting me dead made my chest squirm awkwardly, and the thought that it was all because the campers had turned against me didn't help matters any. Pursing his lips, Luke straightened out and reached forward.
A shot of panic rushed through me and in the same second, I slapped his hand away furiously. "So was Thalia," I snarled through my teeth. "And you killed her. Again."
Luke's face contorted irritably. "She is not dead," he growled at me. "I've told you, there's a way to fix it. Annabeth will know what to do. She won't let Thalia die again."
My jaw locked. "That's probably because Annabeth knows how to be a decent human being," I spat back and his fists clenched.
"Think what you like," he forced through his teeth, scowling across the room at me as he shifted back toward the door. "But you'd better make peace with it, either way. You're safer here than anywhere else so here is exactly where you're staying."
I forced my frown to remain on my face, but my chest was too heavy. What did it matter to Luke if I was safe? Without another word, he whipped around and slipped out of the door, making sure to close and lock it behind him.
Shaking all thoughts out of my head, I took a deep breath and frowned down at my feet. There was a way off this bloody boat. There had to be. Biting my lip, I lifted a hand subconsciously to the back of my neck, wincing as my fingers cautiously ran along the cut. But in the same second, an image flashed through my mind; the stables again, filled with the same pegasi.
The one in the corner caught, and held, my attention.
A gasp slipped my lips as I pulled my fingers back, my eyes widened than normal. In the time it took my heart to beat however, I put it straight again, panic rushing through my entire body. Right now, I could only think of one person who'd want me out of here alive.
And he wasn't so much of a person, as a god. There was no way I could let anyone know he was still breaking the rules.
I drummed my fingertips against my thigh nervously. So there were pegasi on board. In the lower levels by the looks of it. The thing was, I couldn't leave without Felicity, who was almost constantly by Luke's side. On top of that, I had to find my locket. There was no chance I was leaving that with him. Besides, how was I supposed to run if I hadn't got a weapon to defend myself?
But where is it? I almost groaned in frustration, but I forced myself to keep my expression neutral. I couldn't chance the gods picking up on anything, least of all Apollo. The last thing any of us needed was him getting even more involved.
First things first, Acacia. Find Felicity.
I snorted. Get out of here, more like it. But how?
Something hammered loudly on the door, and I flinched in surprise. My heart beating furiously, I stared at it with an impending sense of doom. "Now or never, Acacia," I muttered to myself, trying to shake off the feeling I'd been telling myself that since the age of eight.
Biting down on my lip, I shifted off the edge of the bed in one movement, straightening out and reaching for the door handle. Outside, someone hammered on the door again. I winced, but didn't move, waiting until they tried the handle. The moment I felt the handle start to move, I closed my eyes tightly and focused as much of my energy on the metal beneath my hand as possible. Lightning crackled across my skin, and a small yelp on the other side of the door was quickly followed by a dull thud that rattled the door.
I grimaced, cautiously testing the handle. When it turned and gave way, I pulled it toward me carefully. The moment it was open wide enough, a figure slumped to the ground at my feet, and I blinked at the sight of a half-blood I didn't recognise, completely unconscious.
"Oh gods," I breathed, gulping hard. Panicking, I quickly glanced outside to make sure no one was looking, then dragged the half-blood into the room and propped him up against the side of the bed. I'd seen him before, but I didn't know his name. He had glossy black hair, a slight build that made his armour seem a little too big for him, and a black eye patch over his left eye. Wincing, I reached forward and checked his pulse. It was slow, but still there.
I let out a sigh of relief, patting him on the shoulder. "You'll be fine," I assured him quietly, taking the hunting knife from his belt and spinning it in my hands. Straightening out again, I pulled my jacket around me a little tighter and yanked the hood over my head, slipping out of the room and locking the door behind me.
I took a deep breath, glancing up and down the corridor. "Here we go again," I muttered darkly, shaking my head as I slipped the knife up my sleeve and started forward.
