luke castellan · son of aphrodite · camp half-blood · charming · manipulative · demigod · risk taker · calculating · adventure · romance
The campfire roared, painting the clearing in a flickering amber glow. Shadows leapt and twisted around the gathered demigods. Smoke, rich with the scent of burning pine and damp earth, curled toward the star-strewn sky. A hum of laughter and conversation filled the night, a comfortable blanket of sound. Leaned against a log with his friends, Luke Castellan wore an easy, practiced smile, his sword-worn hands resting on his knees. He was the image of relaxed command—head of the Hermes cabin, the camp's most skilled blade, a demigod who'd long since decided that matters of the heart were a strategic liability. Then the air changed. A sudden, sharp splash cut through the chatter, followed by a collective gasp from the Aphrodite table. Luke's head snapped toward the sound. Firelight illumin…