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“Luke is here,” Clarisse la Rue said over the phone.
“Well, hello to you too, Clarisse,” Percy said. He wondered how Clarisse got his phone number.
“Are you listening to me? Luke is here, Percy. He's at my house,” Clarisse said, her tone urgent and impatient.
Percy's heart skipped a beat. “Where do you live?”
“Arizona,” Clarisse said.
Percy had some idea that that state was in the Western half of the country but he couldn't really picture it. “What's he doing?”
“He's just…sitting on my back porch,” Clarisse said, sounding baffled.
Percy cocked his head. “Has he said anything?”
“No. I haven't exactly tried to talk to him.” Clarisse growled. “So are you coming?”
“Why would I be coming?” Percy asked. Did she expect him to go all the way out to Arizona? How was he supposed to get there? Why did she think Luke would wait?
“Luke is your friend, isn't he?” Clarisse asked as if that's all that mattered. Was it?
“How am I supposed to get there before he leaves?” Percy asked, toying with the idea of going. It wasn't like he could get there fast enough so there was no reason to try.
“Get a pegasus from the stables at Camp Half-Blood. They can fly across the country in a few flaps of their wings if they want to,” Clarisse said, tone indicating that this should have been obvious.
It looked like Percy wasn't going to get out of it. “Fine. I'm coming. If it looks like he's going to leave, stall him. Tell him I'm on my way.”
“Hurry.” Clarisse said and hung up.
Percy set the phone on the cradle and put his shoes on. He went out the fire escape window and climbed down to the street. It took almost no effort to find a cab to take him to Camp Half-Blood.
Getting to Camp took longer than getting to Clarisse’s house in Arizona. Pegasi were very fast when they wanted to be and this one was thrilled to be called upon by a son of Poseidon. Percy knew they were in Arizona because of the dry summer heat and the strange cacti that looked too much like people for Percy's nerves. Except that dry summer heat Percy heard rumors about was absent in the wake of a massive thunderstorm building in the sky. Even in the air, the clouds towered above Percy, growling like beasts and occasionally lighting up from the inside. The wind whipped at Percy, and the pegasus was briefly knocked back by a gale.
“Don't worry, Uncle, I'll get us there,” the pegasus promised.
“What did you just call me?” Percy asked, chin tucked to his chest so no bugs flew into his mouth. He was beginning to think the scarves aviators wore in old-timer photos was to keep the bugs out of their mouths while flying.
“I forget that most demigods are clueless in the beginning. The original Pegasus is my grandfather and he's a son of Poseidon. You and Pegasus are brothers,” the pegasus explained. His tone said that this was a great honor for Percy.
“Wow that's…I'm speechless,” Percy said. This winged horse was his nephew. His brother was also a winged horse.
“All pegasi are fathered by Pegasus, so we're all your kin,” the pegasus continued.
A slutty winged horse, apparently.
“Oh cool. Are we there yet?” Percy asked, hoping to never think about this topic again. Especially because now Percy was remembering that Poseidon had several kids and with Percy's luck they were all still alive to cause him problems.
They dropped down in the middle of suburbia. They were in a square yard that seemed to be for keeping horses. Percy heard the voice of the horse who lived there in the stables, alarmed by the intruder but ready to deal with them.
“Peace,” Percy said to her. In the gloom he made out a massive dune mare. “We're friends. Does Clarisse live here?”
“Do you have a sugar cube for me?” the mare asked.
“Uh…I wasn't expecting you to be here,” Percy admitted. He really didn't know anything about Clarisse except that she was a jerk.
“The other one brought me a sugar cube,” the mare said haughtily.
“Do you mean Luke?” Percy asked.
“He didn't say his name but he smelled of leather and hot candle wax and he brought me sugar cubes.”
“I'll come back with sugar cubes,” Percy promised. Clarisse's horse was as much of a brat as she was. To his pegasus, Percy said, “Do you mind waiting here for me?”
“No problem, Uncle.”
Percy walked away from the stable and across the yard to the house. He didn't make it further than the porch.
Luke sat on the porch swing, looking out over the back yard. His sword was nowhere to be seen but Percy wasn't about to lower his guard. “Hey, Percy,” Luke said without turning towards him.
Percy stiffened. “Hey, Luke,” he said, trying to keep his voice casual. His heart raced a million miles a minute.
The cicadas screamed from the trees. Thunder rumbled overhead. The plants bowed to a gust of wind.
Percy decided the best thing was to get closer to Luke, seek out an opportunity to strike. He kept walking at a calm and measured pace. “What are you doing at Clarisse's house?”
The rain started all at once, falling from the stormy heavens and immediately forming puddles on the ground. Lightning struck, white and deadly, a few miles away.
Luke waited until Percy was next to him to say, “Arizona has some great thunderstorms this time of year. They call it the monsoon season. Night after night of massive thunderstorms.” He patted the swing beside him. “I won't bite.”
Percy didn't believe that for a second. He knew all too well that Luke bit. Still, he sat down.
They rocked in tandem, listening to the rain fall and the thunder boom and the cicadas scream.
“Clarisse's house, though?” Percy asked.
Luke shrugged. “Why not her house? We were friends at Camp.”
Percy frowned. “Are you trying to recruit her?”
Luke gave Percy a sidelong look. “Clarisse is a dog beaten into submission. It would take me more years than I've had to convince her to join me.”
“I don't know what that means but it sounds messed up,” Percy admitted. He felt like they'd all been insulted but he wasn't entirely sure how.
“It is messed up,” Luke agreed. He brushed his knuckles against the back of Percy's bandaged hand. “What happened to your hand?”
Percy was so shocked he didn't even pull his hand away. “Don't act like you don't know!”
“I don't,” Luke said, looking confused.
Percy punched Luke's thigh. Doing so hurt his wounded palm more than he cared to admit. “The pit scorpion, you jerkface!”
Luke's eyebrows rose. “You let it sting you? No wonder Annabeth's mad at me.” He sighed and looked ahead again.
He gave no sign that Percy's punch hurt, which made Percy want to punch him again. Percy curled his lip. “I can't believe I had a crush on you. You're literally the worst.”
“Sorry life isn't all sugar cubes, kid,” Luke said.
Percy wanted to take Riptide out of his pocket and skewer Luke. He resisted, only barely. “Speaking of sugar cubes, you better have more of them because I promised Clarisse's horse I'd give her some when I left. Because apparently someone gave her some on the way in and set a precedent.” Percy's voice came out steadier than he expected.
Luke snorted despite himself. “I've got more but I dunno if I want to share with you.”
The rain was forming a puddle across the porch now, inching towards them. The wind whipped across the yard, though only a breeze touched them on the porch and made the wind chimes play. Outdoor patio cushions and plant debris blew across the yard. The lightning seemed to be getting closer.
Percy stared out at the storm and hoped he didn't get struck by lightning. That was just what he needed, to see his stupid ex boyfriend and get struck by lightning all in one lousy night. “Why do you have to make everything worse?”
Luke made a face. “Why do you have to be so negative? I know it's easier to blame your boyfriend than your father for the way your life has gone but be fucking serious for a minute.”
“Ex boyfriend,” Percy hissed. He resisted the urge to curl in on himself and settled for crossing his arms in front of his chest.
Luke sighed. He rested his cheek in his hand, and looked unhappily out at the storm.
The lightning was much closer and flashed almost constantly. Thunder cracked, shaking the world with its booming growl again and again. As the wind shifted direction, so did the rain. The worst of it didn't touch them but they were getting a good misting.
After a while, Luke dug into his pocket and dropped a bag of sugar cubes into Percy's lap.
Percy felt the wall around his heart crumble a little and tried to resist it. He couldn't let himself be charmed or softened by Luke's actions. Still Percy put the sugar cubes in his pocket. “I thought you'd hate thunderstorms because, well, you know. The thief thing.” Percy had finally learned to be careful about names.
“He's more willing to turn a blind eye to my…indiscretions…because I took care of Thalia when no one else could,” Luke replied.
Percy wrinkled his nose. “Until you didn't.” The barb meant for Luke unexpectedly pierced Percy's own heart too.
Luke didn't say anything for a long time. “Priorities can shift. Thalia wouldn't have forgiven me if I let Annabeth die.”
Percy narrowed his eyes. He didn't know what that had to do with anything.
“I know no one's told you yet. As we were running up Half-Blood Hill, monsters on our heels, Annabeth twisted her ankle. She couldn't walk and Grover couldn't carry her. Thalia saw Annabeth couldn't get away on her own and decided to make a stand.” Luke was always bad at hiding his emotions and now was no exception. He talked about it like it was still a raw wound. “We both knew she was going to die.”
Oh. So that's what that had to do with it. Percy pressed his lips together to hold in the apology that wanted to slip out. It was petty but Percy was too angry to be merciful.
Luke waited a few beats and when Percy didn't say anything, changed the subject, “What are you doing at Clarisse's house? I don't remember you two being fond of each other.”
“She called me to take care of a pest,” Percy replied dryly.
“Well that's rude,” Luke said, sounding unsurprised.
“But not undeserved,” Percy said under his breath.
“You're awfully prickly tonight,” Luke observed.
“You lured me into the woods, dumped me, and tried to kill me,” Percy said, incredulous that Luke could be so nonchalant about the whole thing.
“I did not try to kill you. That was pretend for the benefit of the audience you summoned,” Luke said, holding up one finger. He lifted another finger. “Two, I thought we were still together until you kept insisting I'm your ex. So you dumped me, actually.”
More of the wall around Percy's heart crumbled. He wanted to believe Luke so badly it barely occurred to him that Luke could be lying. “So you're not denying that you lured me into the woods?”
“And I'd do it again,” Luke said, grinning. His gaze was hot when he looked at Percy. “For far more nefarious reasons next time.”
Percy blushed. He brushed the rainwater out of his eyes. “How did you think that was going to end?”
The wind slowed and the rain softened. The clouds cradled the lightning and the thunder was distant again. The worst of the storm was passed and the cicadas began to scream again.
“We run away together,” Luke said softly.
That was not what Percy expected. Everything about tonight had been unexpected. Percy wasn't yet sure if that was good or bad. He hoped so badly that it was a good thing. “Runaway to where?”
“I can't tell you. But we would have been safe and happy.”
Percy frowned. “What about the war?”
“The only reason he wants you out of the picture is because he thinks you're too wild. He thinks you can't be counted on. But if you come with me and switch sides, he'll see that trying to kill you is stupid.” Luke sounded confident about this plan.
Percy didn't share Luke's confidence. He tried to imagine how things looked from Kronos' point of view and could kind of see what Luke was talking about. But no one gave Percy second chances. Why would they start now? Why would Luke take him back? Why should Percy take him back? Even if this whole thing was a huge, gigantic, mind-boggling misunderstanding, Percy was seriously hurt from it. Emotionally and physically. He had trust issues now! Well, Percy already had those but they were noticeably worse!
Percy ran both hands down his face. He shouldn't have agreed to come here. His hand wasn't even healed, yet Percy was thinking about taking Luke back. Percy swallowed.
Luke took Percy's bandaged hand in his. “Please.”
Percy gave Luke a sharp look. “Now?”
“No time like the present,” Luke said. The look he shot Percy was a hopeful puppy dog expression. Damn him, Luke knew Percy was weak to that look. “If you change your mind, you can say that I kidnapped you.”
They'd believe it, if it came from Percy's mouth. They needed Percy to be on their side too much to doubt him. “You really think we're worth it?” Percy asked doubtfully.
A flicker of pain crossed Luke's face. “Don't you?” he asked like he knew the answer was no.
Did the answer have to be no, though?
The monsoon storm raged all night. In the morning, Clarisse went outside to clean up before her mom woke up and got mad.
Luke and Percy weren't on the porch, the pegasus Percy flew in on was gone, and there wasn’t any recently shed blood.
When the yard was clean, Clarisse went to the stable to check on her mare, War, named after Clarisse's favorite of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. War greeted Clarisse by tugging on her braid. On a shelf in War’s stable was a bag of sugar cubes and a drawstring pouch of golden drachmas. Clarisse read the note, written in Luke's familiar careful handwriting: as promised.