Blade's Edge || Deception Book II ||

Chapter 3: Reunion

I checked my wristwatch for the seventieth time in the last minute, pacing impatiently in front of the heavy oak doors of White Pine Secondary as I waited for Ally to come out.

"When does this damn school end?" I muttered aloud.

"Jeez, can't you be more patient?" Alabaster snapped at me from where he was leaning nonchalantly against the stairs.

I glared at him. "Sorry, not all of us have the infinite patience of a statue, Alabaster."

To no surprise, Alabaster ignored me. 

When was Ally-

Oh, finally, I thought as a slight figure with loose brown hair emerged at the top of the stairs, glanced around warily, and started heading down the steps.

I casually flicked my wrist, sending a curl of magic into the tree I was pacing beneath, and I saw Ally's attention immediately dart towards it.

I winced as her expression lit up like the sun when she spotted me.

Act normally, I thought fervently in my head. People are going to think you're weird if you start running towards empty space.

Ally seemed to notice that all the mortals went about their business with no inkling of the two demigods and casually started towards me.

"Oh my gods, Ri!" she squealed as soon as she passed into our bubble. "It's been forever since I saw you!"

"Yeah, yeah, missed you too," I said, smiling, as I embraced her. I pulled back, appraising the now-fifteen-year-old Ally. "How was grade 10?"

"Enough," Alabaster interrupted before Ally could respond, pushing himself off the stairs. "You guys can catch up on the past year and gossip when we get back to the ship. We've already wasted enough time dawdling here."

Ally spun around, her eyes flashing in indignation. "Excuse you! Who are you to say something like that? Can't you be, I don't know, less of an asshole?"

I grimaced silently. "'Ally-"

"Pleased to finally meet you, daughter of Dionysus," Alabaster said, sarcasm dripping from every word. "My name is Alabaster, second lieutenant of Kronos' army, and the son of Hecate. Rianna here is my dear older sister."

Oh, shit, I thought, just as Ally spun around. 

"He-this-this jerk is your younger brother? Why did you not tell me in the fifty-ish letters we exchanged the past year?"

"In case you haven't noticed yet," I said flatly, "we don't particularly get along."

Ally glared at me. "You. You're not getting to sleep tonight until I wring out every single detail about just exactly what you were up to the past year."

I sighed. "It's good to have you back too."

Alabaster rolled his eyes. "Let's go, Rianna. Luke's still waiting for us on the ship."

He turned around and stalked off to the black car that was waiting ominously on the side of the road without a backward glance.

I sighed and beckoned Ally to follow me. She hoisted her backpack up her shoulder and fell in step with me. "Wow, you are so unlucky," she said. "Also, speaking of Luke, wh-"

I slapped my hand over her mouth. "Not here, not now," I whispered urgently as she made a noise of protest. I glanced at Alabaster's back. "I'll tell you later."

Ally looked at me in confusion but her expression cleared and understanding flashed in her brown eyes. "Oh," she breathed as I dropped my hand. "I see."

Uncomfortable was an understatement on the ride to the pier where the speedboat that would take us to the cruise ship was waiting. 

Alabaster sat up front, glaring out the windows in silence, while Ally sat, wordlessly beside me in the back, nervously fidgeting with the straps of her backpack. I leaned my head against the black leather seats, gazing out the window at the speeding city rushing by, and wondered, not for the first time, how Percy and Annabeth and the rest of the camp were doing. 

The last day of middle school was supposed to be sometime next week and Luke needed to put his plan in motion before Percy was done with seventh grade. So, as soon as Ally had finished with her exams-something she wouldn't stop complaining about because we could have pulled her out before they'd even started-we were off to camp with the poison that Luke had obtained from Kronos. 

"We're here," Alabaster announced as the car jolted to a halt. He tossed the driver a wad of cash and shoved the car door open. 

I sighed again, pushed my door open, and stepped out onto the cracked grey pavement and the salty air of the pier. Ally blinked, her eyes adjusting to the bright sun, and followed me silently as I led the way down the wooden dock towards the speedboat that was waiting for us. 

And the retinue.

"Long time no see!" Luke called, waving from the boat, as we stepped onto the wooden planks. "Welcome back, Ally!"

"Hi," Ally said, smiling. "It's nice to see you again, Luke."

"Go on," I said, smiling slightly.

Ally nodded and cautiously swung a leg over the edge, and Luke pulled her in. 

"I thought you were waiting on the ship?" I asked Luke as I stepped on the boat, waving off his hand as he reached over to pull me in. "I'm fine, jeez." 

"Ouch," Luke smirked, sitting down next to me. "I was just trying to help my favourite lieutenant." 

"Can we not," Alabaster interrupted from where he was starting the engine. "You guys are going to make me sick and I'm going to end up driving this thing off course." 

Luke held up his hands in surrender. "Alright." 

"Um, so, can you guys tell me what's going on?" Ally interjected timidly. She glanced at Alabaster's back. "You guys sound like you're in a rush or something." 

That wiped the smirk of Luke's face faster than you could say 'cake' and his blue eyes became shadowed. 

"We're going to camp," I answered before anything unpleasant occurred. I lightly touched the back of Luke's hand, willing him to calm down, and he shot me a grateful look, the tension dissipating from his shoulders. 

"I'm going to poison the tree," he announced flatly. "And then we're going to wait for them to send out a quest for the golden fleece." 

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