HAI

LONG TIME NO SEE

HAPPY LABOR DAY

YUH

Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns characters.

Chapter 12

(Annabeth's POV)

"Luke, I think you're mistaken," I told him sternly, not believing what had just come out of his mouth.

"I am not, and I think we should stay the night in Moschato."

I hesitated. "All right."

Luke smiled and stood. "Great. I know a nice little place downtown." He got back on his horse and turned it around. He retraced our steps back into town. We stopped in front of a quaint little inn, The Wandering Inn. Luke got off of his horse and waited for me at the door.

"Thank you," I said quietly. He smiled and shut the door behind me.

"Lydia!" he shouted. "I'll need two rooms!"

An elderly woman rushed out to the counter. Her eyes rested on me for a minute.

"Ah, found you another one, eh?"

He flushed. "Actually, no. This is Annab—Anna. She'll be resting here tonight."

I looked around the tavern. There were a few men sitting at tables, drinking. A few looked at me longer than need be, and in the wrong places. I shot them all a glare and they turned back hastily to their drinks. I felt Luke touch my arm and lead me through the tavern, and to a staircase. We climbed up into a hallway and Luke gently guided me into a quaint little room.

It had a medium sized bed, a dresser, a window to the Square, and a mirror on one wall. I turned to Luke.

"I can't possibly… Luke!"

He grinned, but it was a little strange. It looked a little… I don't know, evil, for a second, but his face turned back to normal so fast I must have been imagining something. "It's not much, but it'll do for tonight. I hope its okay."

"It works perfectly."

"Good," he said. He turned to leave. He opened the door and stopped. "Oh, and Annabeth?"

"Hmm?"

He hesitated. "Sometimes you need to give up," he whispered.

I fell asleep that night thinking about what he had said.

Sometimes you need to give up.

What was that supposed to mean? What was going to happen? Did this have to do with his grin?

These questions pounded in my head as I drifted off into my dreams.

The next morning, I was awakened by Luke knocking at my door.

"Anna, come on, we need to go!"

"Luke… I just wanna sleep!" I said drowsily.

He chuckled softly. "Come on, sleepy head. We really need to go."

"Okayyy…" I grumbled, rolling out of the bed.

He stood by the door as I got up and walked over to him. "You may need new clothes," he said.

I glanced down. "Yeah, maybe."

"I'll go see if Lydia has anything…"

"I actually want to go get some on my own. Thank you though." I walked out past him, grabbing my father's coin pouch on the way out.

An hour later, I had two whole new outfits. One was a dress, and the other was white Capri pants with a blousy sea-green top. I was wearing the Capris and blouse.

"Are you ready to go?" Luke asked.

"Yes. How long?"

"Should be a few hours… Why do you ask?

"Just tired of the road," I said.

He nodded. "I understand. We have to be wary of bandits through the forest though. Keep your eyes open."

"Okay. Bandits, nothing too bad."

He gave me a look. "This is no joking matter. These are the toughest bandits in the world, they say. I've never been in an encounter with them, but I hear they're awful."

Something in his eyes told me that he had been with them before. If not attacked, then he was in their group.

Most of me found that hard to believe.

Whaaaat? Luke, a bad guy? Never heard of it.

Please review!