Dark Matter [Completed]

Twelve

The first stop we make is at one of those little, twenty-four hour gas stations so I can get myself cleaned up. It was actually really thoughtful of Luke because my makeup was running all over the place and I was feeling pretty gross. Once I no longer look like a walking disaster we continue on our way to wherever we're going. Honestly, the only place I want to go is my bed, but I have a job to do.

We drive for about fifteen more minutes before Luke pulls off onto a side road. "Where are we?" I ask as he stops the car on the side of the road.

"You'll have to wait an see," he says again.

I let a mock-annoyed smile cross my face. "Well, I hope wherever you're taking me isn't too far away. I'm not exactly wearing walking shoes." I gesture to my delicate, little heels.

"You know...," Luke says slowly, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully. "I didn't think about that."

Typical man, I think, but, before I can think of something to say, Luke is out of the car and digging around in the trunk. A moment later he's back with a pair of sandals. "They're too big for you," he says, "But I think we can tighten them enough to keep them on."

I want to tell him that wearing other people's shoes is disgusting. I mean, you don't know what kind of junk they've got going on with their feet. But I bite my tongue and thank him. Either Luke has really small feet for a guy, or Stephanie has really big feet because I don't have to tighten the straps that much.

Once I'm done, I survey myself. I know I look rather ridiculous with my dude-sandals and little, black dress, but what can you do? "I guess I'm ready," I finally say.

"Then let's go," Luke says, holding out his hand to help me out of the car.

Using his phone as a flashlight, he guides me trough the woods. I have to pretend to be uncertain on my feet, stumbling over rock and tripping on sticks. I'm perfectly comfortable creeping through the woods at night, but Stephanie was born and raised in Toronto so she's probably never been hiking at night. Luke doesn't seem to mind that I keep grabbing at his arm, though.

Finally we emerge from the trees in a small clearing on top of the hill we've been climbing for the past ten minutes. I have to admit that it really is beautiful. The stars sparkle like a thousand diamonds, framed by the trees all around us. "Wow...," I breathe. "This is so beautiful..."

"Yeah...," Luke says, looking up at the sky. "I like to come out here sometimes. Just to clear my head, you know."

"I can see why."

We stand in silence for a while, just gazing at the stars. Finally, Luke clears his throat and says, "Do you know anything about astronomy? Constellations, and stuff like that."

I shake my head. "I wish I did. I can find the North Star, but that's about it."

"Well," he replies with a laugh, "There goes that conversation starter. I don't know much either. I never paid much attention when Percy tried to show me."

I glance sideways at him. "Was he into astronomy? Your brother, I mean."

Luke plops down on the grass, motioning for me to join him. "He was more than into it," he says after I sit down next to him. "It was, like, his life. Every minute he wasn't working with Dad, he was up on the hill peering through his telescope."

"I'm guessing it just wasn't your thing," I say.

Luke shrugs. "Actually, I thought it was fascinating, but whatever my brother was into I was determined to have nothing to do with."

"Why not?" I ask, looking at him again. When he doesn't respond I figure I must have crossed some sort of invisible line. "Never mind," I say, "It's none of my business."

Luke shakes his head. "It's okay. It's not really a secret that I didn't get along with my brother." He sighs, then his face brightens. "But you don't want to hear my sob story. How about we play a game?"

Actually, my curiosity is piqued now. Apparently, Alastair Orion's perfect little family wasn't as perfect as everyone though. But I've learned the value of patience. I have plenty of time to gain Luke's trust. "What kind of game?" I ask.

Luke tilts his head for a moment. "What about Twenty Questions? Promise I won't ask anything too daring."

Well, it's a good opportunity to test just how well I know my Stephanie King trivia. "Sure," I reply with a small laugh. "That sounds like fun."

"Do you want to go first, or shall I?"

"You can go first," I say.

"Okay..." Luke drums his fingers on the grass for several seconds. "I'll play it safe. What was your first pet?"

Actually, I never had time for pets. I was too busy learning how to kill people. "My parents bought me a guinea pig when I was nine. I named him Napoleon. What about you?"

Lucius shrugs. "Well, um... I never actually had a pet growing up. My dad thought they were a waste of time and money." He gives a harsh laugh. "Like we were short on either of those. But anyway, I got a snake last year so I guess that's my first pet."

A snake? Okay, you're cooler than I gave you credit for. But I just shiver and say, "Ew..."

Luke laughs. "Loki's not that bad. I'll have to let you see him sometimes."

"No thanks," I say. "I'm just glad I didn't see him before, or I think I would have panicked. Where do you keep... him anyway."

"Is this one of your questions?" Luke asks with a grin. I raise my eyebrow at him, but he just laughs. "I keep his cage in the bathroom so unless you've gone in there you wouldn't have seen him."

I shake my head. "I have not, but I guess it's your turn."

"Right! Um... Favorite color?"

"White," I answer. "What's yours?"

"You don't have to ask the same question, you know?" Luke says.

"I know," I say. "I just want to."

He grins. "Well, in that case, my favorite color is black."

After a moment he says, "Okay, my turn again. I'm going to be a little more risky this time. What was your first crush?"

What is this? High school? Whatever... I let a blush creep onto my cheeks. "Um... Well, there was this boy in sixth grade. Tony. I thought he was so cool, but he never noticed me. Then his family moved away and that was the end of that."

Luke chuckles. "How sad. Were you too heartbroken?"

"I was pretty cut up for about two weeks, but at eleven you get over things pretty quickly," I reply with a laugh. "But what about you? What was your first crush?"

"Uh..." Luke rubs his jaw. "I think it was this girl in the f... ourth grade? Her name was Abby, I think. It was something with an A. I shared my Halloween candy with her, but that was about as far as our relationship went."

"So many lost opportunities," I say with a small grin.

Luke laughs. "Anyway, next question..."

And so the game went on, and I found myself having fun in spite of myself. But, underneath it all, is the knowledge that every word I am saying is a lie. It's been a long time since I've let it bother me. The lying, I mean. My whole life is built on lies. All I've done for the past twenty-five years is lie. So why is it suddenly getting to me now?

But the truth wouldn't be any better. In fact, the truth is a thousand times worse than any lie I could tell. If I was Lucius Orion, I would rather her a hundred lies than a one truth about Natalia. In the darkness I smile caustically. Twenty Questions, tell the truth. Yeah, right.

What does it matter, though? I couldn't tell him, or anyone else, the truth even if I wanted to. Not if I wanted him to live out the week. Not that I care about him; I just don't any more blood on my hands than I already do.

So I laugh and smile and act like nothing is wrong. I flirt shyly and blush when Luke flirts back with me. I keep up the act all night and all the way home. It's only once I'm safely in the privacy of my room that I let the lies fall away. Waiting for me is a message from Alex. Orion is returning in three days.