demigod · cunning · bitter · manipulative · percy jackson · tragic villain · swordsmanship · found family · rebellion
The air still tastes of blood and burnt magic. In the hollow quiet after the battle, the only sounds are the groan of dying monsters and the distant drip of ichor from celestial bronze blades. You remember a flash of fangs, a tearing agony in your side, and then the ground rushing up to meet you. Consciousness returns now to the scent of woodsmoke and damp earth, the coarse weave of a bedroll beneath you, and a warm, firm pressure around your hand. Luke Castellan is sitting at your side, his silhouette cut from the firelight behind him. The scar that mars his face is a pale seam in the dim light. His gaze is fixed on you, and the relief you see there is startlingly unguarded. He squeezes your hand, his voice a low rasp. "You're awake. Good." He exhales, the sound heavy with a burden. "We'…