Growing Up In Tartarus: One Wrong Move

Chapter 28

**Chris's PoV**

"You've got the same fate as her, Chris," Will said once Silena had passed with Beckendorf. "Chiron wants us to keep you guys on close watch, and the best way to do that is to keep you both in the Big House."

"I already told you I'm not working for Kronos!" I yelled it this time, trying to appear frustrated that he wasn't listening to me. In all reality, I was getting a little annoyed. "Why can't you just listen to me?"

"It's Chiron's orders and its temporary," Will said, putting his hands up as if defending himself from me. "I'm not saying that I don't believe you, man, but I have to follow his orders. He's the activities director; he's basically in charge."

I turned around with a grumble as he let his hand fall on my shoulder, and soon I was being led to the Big House just as Silena had. We got put in the same room Luke had been thrown in, but I had a feeling we were all smart enough to refrain from speaking about our loyalty to Kronos - at least Silena and I were. Luke was already a known member of his army, so what did he have to lose? The only person that would really get affected by Silena and me getting announced traitors would be Kronos - he was briefly losing two of his spies.

The door behind me shut as Will shoved me inside the room Luke and Silena were in, making me stumble slightly. I listened to the door as it locked. We all stared at one another, the only thing breaking the silence was the sound of rushing water as I received an Iris Message from the titan lord himself.

I tried to make a face that meant it was a bad time, but he didn't seem to realize what I was getting at. If there were any type of cameras in this room, or people listening in from the outside, we were screwed. Luke was quick to cover for us, trying to make it seem like the titan lord was calling for him instead of us. 

"My Lord," Luke said politely. "What is it that you need?"

"I need to speak with-" Kronos started, but Luke interrupted him.

"Me? I realized that. You called because you needed to talk with me. What is it?"

I decided right then that Luke was going to be murdered by Kronos once he came on Thalia's sixteenth birthday. He was saving our butts (or risking all three of our lives), but I supposed it was better for him to take the blunt of the punishment. He was already in deep trouble with the Titan Lord, anyways.

"Luke Castell-"

Luke gave me and Silena a look, and the meaning of it was pretty clear, He wanted us to call for whoever was listening in on us. I nodded at him, and Silena did, too. We both started yelling into the air that Luke was talking to Kronos.

"What are you two doing?" Kronos yelled, but we both had a feeling that whoever was on guard didn't hear him over our own yelling.

Clarisse barged in with Chiron, both of them raising weapons their weapons at Luke. Chiron quickly moved his bow onto a new target, letting an arrow fly at the Iris Message as the words you aren't welcome here, father flew out of his mouth. Luke faced Clarisse and Chiron with his arms raised in surrender. Clarisse was told to watch us directly from inside the room, and soon enough she was doing just that. She sat down across from Silena, but still made sure she was facing all of us in some way or another.

"Clarisse?" Silena asked after a minute of awkward silence.

"Yes, Silena?"

"I was wondering if you had any idea when this war might start," Silena asked quietly.

"Thalia's birthday is in a couple of weeks," Clarisse sighed. "We're keeping you in here because of that. The monster attacks are getting stronger, and the last thing we need is someone running back and forth between camps trying to hinder our progress here."

"We're not traitors," Silena sighed. I could feel the charmspeak being used on me, so I knew Clarisse was at least feeling it a little bit.

Clarisse sighed, nodding her head as her eyes glossed over for half a second. She hugged Silena gently. "I know you aren't," she promised. "It's everyone else that isn't so sure, and I just got put on guard duty. I'll try to get you out of here."

9/22/17