Blade's Edge || Deception Book II ||

Chapter 5: Reunion

"So, yeah, that basically sums it up," I said, flopping down on Ally's bunk in the new recruit sector.

I glanced at Ally, who was staring at me with a weird expression on her face. "What? Were you expecting something other than just stopping at random places and searching for wayward demigods? It's quite boring, to be honest."

"No, it's just-" Ally stopped, as if trying to collect her thoughts, and continued, "I didn't really notice it before, but you-you're different, somehow. Still you, but not you anymore."

I sat up, surprised. "Really?"

Ally nodded. "You're like, more mature or something. I don't know," she said, shaking her head. "It's weird, but I suppose this was bound to happen. Since you're second in command and all," she added.

I sighed. "Don't make it out to be something more glorious than it is. I swear, 99% of my time is wasted on making sure the monsters don't eat anyone, by accident," I added, making air quotations.

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Ally muttered. "Anyways, are you sure you and Luke-"

"We've been over this. Heck, we spent the last hour talking about that," I interrupted. "It's not a big deal anyway. We were only together for like a month before we arrived."

"Sure, whatever, but I'm not the only one that notices him looking at you with puppy eyes every time."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you say. Any questions?"

"Not really," Ally replied. "I get the plan and I guess there really wasn't anything interesting the past year."

I gave her a 'see, I told you' look and said, "Okay, well, if you're done, I have to meet Luke for tonight's thing."

"Wait, it's tonight?" Ally said, surprised.

I nodded, motioning to the window. "We're here. Look."

Ally stood up, walking slowly towards the window, and I joined her. Peering out through the glass, the shimmering water of Long Island Sound sparkled in the last rays of the setting sun, which streaked the sky alight with ribbons of scarlet and gold. In the distance, I could see the shoreline of the beach and the silhouette of the trees that leaned into the wind.

Camp Half-blood.

Pushing down the curl of anxiety and self-loathing in my gut, I forced my mind away from the events that would occur tonight. It couldn't be helped, though, not for the first time, I wished I could just fly off from this ship towards camp, on the side that I belonged. I could hear the faint lapping of the waves against the side of the ship, its rhythmic beats the sole reason I was able to fall into slumber at night and glanced at Ally, who was staring out the window with a look of awe on her face.

"It's beautiful," she breathed, her eyes sparkling with wonder. "The sunset, I mean."

"Why don't we go up deck? The view's better from there," I said.

"Yes!" Ally squealed and ran out of the room like the hounds of hell were on her tail. I smiled, shaking my head. She was still the excitable fourteen-year-old that I'd met last year.

I glanced back at waves and sky, the scarlet and gold swirling against the blue waves ominously like streaks of blood and ichor, and followed after Ally with a shiver.

***

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" I asked for the nth time as I fiddled with the bronze amulet in my hand, routinely checking the spells Alabaster and I had carved into the device, even though I knew that there was not a stroke out of place.