Chapter Ten

Lucius

The boy besides her, who Annabeth told me is James, speaks up. "How about I duel you?"

I turn on him. He had raven black hair and swirling grey eyes. I could tell that he was a son of Athena, like Annabeth. All because of the thing with the eyes Phoenix had pointed out to me the day we first met.

"I challenged the winner." I say. "She kicked your ass."

James straightens his back and steps closer to me. "You scared I'll hurt you pretty boy?"

This close to him I see that he has a scar running down the side of his face that makes him look dangerous. I back up a bit, wondering why Phoenix was friends with him.

"Phoenix?" I turn to her. "Your choice."

Her face turns deathly white. If it wasn't for the fact that her ears turned that pinkish colour again, I'd seriously be worried about her.

Suddenly James speaks up. "She doesn't have to fight you if she doesn't want to." His eyes narrow in dislike. "Fucking Son of Dawn."

My eyes widen in surprise. Phoenix's mouth drops as well. Suddenly she drags him away to talk to him. I try and listen in on their conversation as I wait.

Phoenix

"What was that?" I demand from James.

"Phoenix, I don't like that guy. I think he's manipulating everyone here. You see how it is. Everyone like him." James says.

"M-maybe that's j-just how he is! Y-you can't j-judge b-before you know him!" I cry.

"You sticking up for him?" He asks in shock. "He's supposed to be your arch enemy! You guys are complete opposites!"

"Is th-that why you hate h-him? B-because h-he's s-supposed to be my e-enemy!" I put my hands over my face.

He grabs my hands. I notice that they feel extremely cold as he speaks. "No, that's not why I hate him. It's that prophecy."

"What a-about it?" I ask. I've thought about that prophecy every single day; even had it memorized.

"I think it means that you're going to fall for him." He whispers.

I can't do anything but stand there and stare at him. I lick my lips and manage a response. "W-why w-would you th-think that? And w-why would you c-care?"

His hands tighten around mine. I look into his eyes and they're swirling furiously as he speaks. "Because I like you."

Without another word he leans over and kisses me. His lips are cold on mine, and it feels all wrong. Not to mention, I didn't like him this way.

Those thoughts go through my head in less time than it takes to sneeze. I try and push him off, but he holds on to me. Suddenly, I feel his tongue on my lips and I react the only way I can think of: I kick him in the balls.

He double over and I wipe my mouth. "Y-you fight him then, you j-jerk. But d-don't expect m-me to watch."

I take Starlight and run out of the building as fast as I can.

Lucius

When James leaned in to kiss Phoenix, I nearly launched myself at him. If it wasn't for the fact that Phoenix kicked him in the balls a second later, I would have taken that guys head off. I still might.

She flees the premises and I'm sorely tempted to follow her. I see Annabeth and Percy run after her though, so I turn to James.

I raise my sword, Sunlight. "You wanted a fight. Now you got one."

He raises his sword and charges me. Just as he's about to swing his sword at me, I step to the side. He doesn't expect it, and keeps on running. I stick my foot out and he trips over it. His sword goes flying.

I place mine down gently on the ground, instead of transforming it, just in case I need it soon. James staggers up and I walk over to him. Before he can react, I punch him in the jaw.

His head snaps to the side, but he recovers quickly. I guess he wasn't one of the best fighters here for nothing.

James lunges forward and manages to punch me in the chest before I can react. The wind is knocked out of my lungs as I slide backwards. He comes at me again, but I put my hands up for protection.

He bangs my hands and I quickly throw him off. While he's off balanced, I tackle him and we go flying across the floor. Before I can throw another punch though, a piercing pain shoots up my arm. I look over at my arm and see that there's a huge slash in my shoulder. Blood was staining my ripped t-shirt. I look back at James in horror.

James gives me a creepy smile. In one of his hands he holds a small knife that was dripping with my blood.

I jump up off of him as he slashes at me with the knife. We begin to circle each other. I eye my sword, but it's too far away for me to get. I feel like hitting myself; I should've transformed it instead.

Then James lunges at me I block his blow by hitting his arm with mine. His arm is strong and he tries to push the knife further. I kick him in the shins and back away from him again.

This time I run over for Sunlight. However just as I'm about to pick it up, I suddenly can't move.

James appears in my view. He has a smug smile on his face as he turns me over and lays me on the ground.

He holds the knife dangerously close to my face. "I told you I would kick your ass pretty boy."

A whistle comes out of nowhere. James' head snaps up and I have time to see his eyes widen in shock before he falls back. Suddenly, I find I can move.

I jump up and find his knife on the ground. Quickly I pick it up before he can. That's when I notice what happened to him. My mouth drops in surprise. There was an arrow through the hand that had been holding that knife.

I look back in the direction the arrow had come from. Phoenix is standing there, a bow in her hand and a cask of arrows strapped around her back. Her head was lifted and her hair was tied up in a ponytail, but she never looked any more beautiful than she did at that moment.

"This makes us even." She says to me. Then she turns and leaves.

Even for what?