MARTYR | A Luke Castellan Love Story

13 - Cared for

Jay woke up the next morning, in disbelief on how she could have slept after all that trauma. She laid in the comfortable bed, pondering and going over last night's events. She then smelt bacon, eggs, pancakes..
Her stomach rumbled and she sat up.

Luke was in the doorway, standing calmly. Jay hadn't heard him come in, and was startled to see him.

He smirked slightly.

"Good morning sunshine. Come on, get breakfast." he stepped out.

Jay got up and ran to the bathroom, splashing water on her face and doing other hygienic things. She had noticed that all the toiletries were laid out for her.

She followed the smell of the food and found the kitchen, its island filled with breakfast goodies. Her mouth watered.

Luke sat at the island on a stool, his hair freshly combed and clothes ironed. Jay sat next to him and hesitantly ate.

Luke watched her out of the corner of his eye, studying her.

She finished eating and looked over at him.

"That was good." she complimented.

His mouth twitched with a smile and he turned to face her.

"As long as you're here, I'll take care of you."

"Thanks, it means a lot to me, Luke."

Luke almost smiled again, but stopped himself. Lately, he had been distracted from his plans because of Jay. A part of him grew stronger every day. A part of him that wanted to protect her with every fiber of his being.

He pushed it down often so he could focus on his work. He had no time for romance. Not when he was this close.

He watched as Jay hopped off the stool and looked out the vast windows of the yacht. The ocean stretched out far, the shore a thin line in the distance. She let out a sigh.

He walked over and stood next to her, their height difference noticable.

"What we're going to do will change the world for the better." he said softly.

Jay gazed at the land in the distance and then nodded.

"I hope they understand.."

"They will."

Jay looked at Luke, her green eyes studying him. He looked tired and stressed, his usually bright blue eyes a bit pale.

Just then she heard a growl, and looked over to see a cyclops in the doorway.

"Master, Felpus and Garo are fighting again." he grumbled, a spear in his hand.

Luke let out a weary sigh and put a hand on his sword attached to his belt.

"I'll be back." he said to Jay before storming out. Jay and the cyclops looked at eachother before he too walked out.

Jay felt uncomfortable being on a ship with all these monsters. She couldn't help it. They made her uneasy.

The girl looked around curiously and went through a side door which lead to a hallway. She went to the first door on her right, which was the captain's quarters. Luke's room.

It had a large bed and a desk, which had a map laid over it. Jay walked over and studied the paper, markers dotting it.

She then shifted her attention to the bed behind her, its sheets a bit messy.

Typical of a teenage boy.

She thought.

She began to tuck the sheets in neatly, taking note of the smell of Luke's cologne. It smelled fresh and luxurious.

She finished tidying up the bed and looked at his nightstand, a picture of three kids on it.

One was obviously Luke, and one Annabeth. However, the third child she didn't recognize. She had black short hair and piercing blue eyes, her attire gothic.

Jay put the pieces together and concluded that the girl must be Thalia Grace. She had heard about her Pine tree at camp.

Before she could investigate any further, Luke's voice interrupted her.

"Thanks for making my bed."

Jay jumped out of fright and looked over, sighing.

"You gotta stop sneaking up on me like that." she huffed.

"And you gotta stop sneaking around."

Jay bit her lip.

"Fair enough, sorry." she replied.

Luke walked over, a small smirk appearing on his lips.

"It's fine. Come on, I want to show you something." he held out his hand.

She took it and the young man lead her to the large deck of the yacht. Monsters of all different sizes lined the deck, their gaze shifting upon the two demigods.

They stood at attention when Luke walked towards them. He cleared his throat.

"Meet Jay. She will be staying with us, and your duty for now is to guarantee her safety."

The monsters nodded. However, the cyclops spoke up.

"Why do we need her? How is she useful?"

Luke turned and looked at the creature.

"She has powers that just need to be unleashed. But anyway it doesn't matter. She's with us and you'll respect her."

Jay looked at the creatures and relaxed a little. She felt a tad safer now that Luke told them off. Luke waved his hand at the monsters and they dispersed.

"I thought you'd like to see our army. It's still growing of course." he said, turning to her.

Jay nodded, "They still make me nervous though."

"Don't worry. They follow my orders, they won't touch you. You're free to roam the ship now if you'd like."

"Okay."

Luke then turned and left, leaving Jay curious.

Jay leaned over the railing and looked down at the waves. She then extended a hand towards them and closed her eyes.

She felt a small tug in her gut, but it quickly disappeared.

Then a thought crossed her mind.

Does he only want me here because of my power?

She quickly dismissed the thought. She instead remembered how he picked her up off the dock when she was crying. How he gave her a new home.

A small smile appeared on her lips as butterflies flew in her stomach.

He cares for me.

Jay then made up her mind. She was going to train hard. She was going to master her powers. She was going to help Luke all she could.

Demigods will no longer be abandoned by their parents. No longer killed.

A smile appeared on her face again as she thought of how many campers she would help. She didn't know Luke's exact plan for the attack on the gods, but she trusted him to do what was right.

Jay walked away from the railing and walked back inside the ship.

She then was hit by a strange feeling.
Her head throbbed and she looked around, whispers engulfing her hearing.

"The time has almost come.."

She squeezed her eyes shut, and it was gone. The girl stood in the hall, leaning against the wall for support.
She blinked a few times, and finally regained her composure. She took a deep breathe and walked to her room, dismissing it as lack of sleep.

Meanwhile, a golden coffin below deck emmited a strange glow...