THE WATER OF THE CANOE LAKE glistened on its surface. A pleasant breeze passed over Camp Half-blood, carrying the happy chatter with it. Dahlia took a deep breath and sighed as she turned to her drawings in her sketchbook.

"Found a new hiding place?" She heard Luke's voice behind her. She smiled, looked up, but didn't turn around.

"If I wanted to hide, you'd never find me." She replied, then turned her head to see Luke walking towards her over the pier that led to the sea.

"Not true." He said and sat down next to her, dangling his feet over the edge to the water.

"I'll always find you." He said, grinning, and Dahlia couldn't help but smile once more.

"No, you wouldn't." She said, shaking her head. Luke shrugged his shoulders.

"I found you on your quest." He said and Dahlia thought back to the time they sat around the fire talking about fame and catching her parents attention. Strange, he'd changed a lot since then.

"It was coincidence, pure luck." she countered, finding pleasure in teasing the boy.

"And at your school.. And at the Christmas party." Luke began to count.

"And now again." He shrugged and Dahlia smiled softly.
He was right. Luke had always found a way to her, no matter how far away she was.
The Hermes boy suddenly stood up, catching the girl's attention again. His fingers slipped under the hem of his shirt as he pulled it off.

"What are you doing?" she asked, trying not to blush as she stared at his rather well-defined torso. Luke didn't answer her, instead he took a few heavy steps forward and jumped over the edge of the pier into the water, causing Dahlia to leap up out of the water.

"Thanks for the warning," she said, sitting back down. Luke broke through the surface and brushed his dark hair out of his face. Dahlia felt her cheeks burn.

"Come in! It's not that cold." he said, and she replied with a shake of her head.

"Pass," she answered and continued drawing. The Hermes boy swam a little further and let the refreshing water cool him down.

"You know.. Percy's been given a task." Then Luke began to swim towards Dahlia.

"I'm not surprised, why else would Poseidon claim a forbidden child?" Dahlia said.

"Of course! I forgot you were as smart as Athena herself." He said sarcastically and the blonde girl shook her head.

"Anyway, I think he'll choose us to go with him." The brunette boy told her, causing the Demeter girl to raise her head.
She eyed him, noticing his muscles as he moved his arms through the water.

"What makes you think that?" She asked and the boy shrugged again.

"He likes you. And we're the first people he kind of trusts here at camp. 'Chiron has called the counselors to a later meeting so Percy can choose the two people to accompany him,' Luke explained and Dahlia began to zoom in. She stared at the water, thinking about Luke going on another quest. She didn't like this idea at all.

A splash could be heard and the blonde was hit by a few drops of water.

"Will you stop that?" she said, slightly annoyed, shaking her head as she wiped the drops off her paper, which was already soaked with water.

"Come in!" Luke said.

"It's cold, Luke." she said, concentrating on her drawings. She heard the boy swim to the edge of the jetty.

"At least help me." He said with pleading eyes and held out his hand to her. The blonde girl tilted her head to the side and giggled at him.

"Really? Do you think I'm that stupid?" she asked and the boy pursed his lips. He imitated her movement and shrugged, tilting his head to the side.

"Actually... I think you are."

Dahlia couldn't process what happened the next moment. Suddenly his hand wrapped around her ankle and Dahlia heard her book fall onto the wood. She felt herself being pulled over the wooden slats, which tore her skin open slightly, and then fell down.
She felt her body fall into the cold water, soaking her clothes instantly. She surfaced and gasped in shock when she heard Luke's blissful laughter.

"OH MY GODS!" She gasped, trying to get some air into her lungs.

"I'm gonna kill you!" she gasped, her body wriggling so Luke put an arm around her waste and pulled her body towards him.

"I've got you." He said. Dahlia's arms wrapped around his neck and she pressed herself even closer to him. She breathed heavily because of the cold water.

"I'll kill you! I'm ACTUALLY gonna kill you!" She continued to rant at him while looking around her panically. Luke chuckled as he held her close.
His body was warm in contrast to it and his smile flashed towards the blonde, charmingly.

"It's so cold, Luke!" She cried out over the cold water.
She stopped looking around wildly and instead turned in his arms fully, to look at the Hermes boy.
Luke's eyes seemed to have an intensity she hadn't seen before. There was now a depth of emotion in his usually calm brown eyes that seemed to captivate her.
Their eyes met, and time seemed to stand still.

"You-.." she wanted to say, but she was interrupted by a force against her lips.

It took her a moment to realize Luke was kissing her. Not just somewhere on her cheek, but on her lips. He cupped her face, pulling it closer softly, to deepen the kiss. Without permission, without any indication of his intentions, he kissed her tenderly.
Dahlia didn't know how to react when she felt her stomach flutter. Her heartbeat quickened, her breath hitched slightly.
As the water lapped gently around them, he moved her head again closer with his hand on the back of her neck and the space between them disappeared.

Dahlia found her fingers tangled in his brown curls as she returned the kiss. She tilted her head and felt the boy's hand on her waist, holding and carrying her.
When Luke released her lips, he felt her hand on his scar, her thumb caressing it, tracing the line. He swallowed as he leaned into her hand, vulnerable to her touch.

"I'm still gonna kill you." She whispered against his mouth. Her breath brushed against his lips, making Luke's heart beat faster. They both began to giggle and found themselves in a second kiss moments later.

"The Oracle has confirmed what we expected, that this quest will proceed toward the Underworld. Where you will confront the God who has rebelled against his brothers. Hades." Chiron spoke up.
Dahlia stood next to Liam, as she was very good at fighting and growing plants. A few seats next to her stood Luke, his chin up and his gaze fixed sternly ahead. She looked silently in front of her, praying that Percy wouldn't choose them. It was clear to her though, that the boy would at least choose Luke, because he was the first one he could trust at camp and who would teach him how to fight with a sword. On the other hand, of course Dahlia would like to accompany the boy. Since they would be heading to the underworld, she would have a chance to find Helen and also protect Luke, if he would be chosen. However her fear dominated and kept her from going on this quest.

"The entrance to Hade's domain lies under the city Los Angeles. This is where you will journey to. Time is short.." The centaur continued.

"I have selected our most compelling candidates, from which you will choose two to join you on this quest and ensure that we succeed-.." Chrion could barely finish he sentence when Percy called the firsts name.

"Annabeth." He said and Chiron went quiet. Dahlias eyes wandered towards the little girl, standing beside Clarisse. She also seemed confused about him picking her. Pushing him into the water didn't give her points for friendship.

"Customarily, one waits to at least hear a name or two before choosing. Are you sure you don't wanna hear more?" Chiron said.

Dahlia didn't even listen to Percy's answer. She was too focused on Luke, not moving one bit. She didn't want him to go. His last quest changed him forever, so why wouldn't his second? Maybe it was selfish for her to want to keep him by her side and not being happy for him if he got a second chance to prove himself.

"Now on to the other candidates." Dahlia felt her body tensing and her pulse quickening.

Don't choose Luke, don't choose Luke, don't choose Luke.

"Grover. I want Grover."
Dahlia sighed relieved.

Later on, when the meeting was ended, Luke walked towards the blonde girl and joined her in walking towards the cabins.

"I was sure he would pick me. Why Grover?" Luke asked and Dahlia shrugged her shoulders.

"He's a satir, he can smell danger. And he's his best friend." Dahlia said sighing.

"Yeah.. Annie's probably excited." Luke smiled.

"Where is she?" Dahlia asked and stopped walking, to turn back around.

"Probably talking to Chiron or Percy. She'll come to us, don't worry." Luke said stepping closer to her. Dahlia sighed, looking at her feet.

Luke realized that something was wrong with her. She was worried. He knew because she wrinkled her nose, grimaced, turned her mouth to the side of her face and bit the inside of her cheek. As always, she didn't notice that she was zoomed out, so he carefully touched her hand, wrapping his fingers around it and held it. Dahlias head shot back up to meet his eyes.

"Talk to me. What's wrong?" His voice was soft and his eyes caring. Dahlia could get lost in them.

"I think it's my fault, Helen is.. lost." She didn't dare to speak out the word that was more realistic to say.

dead.

"I was so happy about my quest that I put all these thoughts about glory and Demeter in her head. I wanted to encourage her to train! I didn't think she would actually.. well I didn't think she would get a quest like this." Dahlia sighed again and ran her free hand over her face. Luke pulled her closer to him by the waist. The blonde girl saw him gulping as something about his demeanor changed. Dahlia didn't think about it, too occupied with her worries.

"She's not very strong Luke, she's only 13." She felt herself being at the edge of tears, but was strong enough to hold them back.
She hated crying.

"It's not your fault Lia." Luke said velvety. A hand carefully stroking her upper arm. Then he pulled her into an embrace.
Dahlia's eyes went shut and she wrapped her arms around his torso. She took in his scent of vanilla and the forest. It clouded her brain and calmed her nerves down.

"It's not your fault. She would have chosen this quest no matter what you told her. Every kid here wants attention of their parents. And they can't even claim many of them." hatred against showed in his voice. He slightly distanced himself from her to look her in the face. He cupped her cheeks and nodded towards her. Dahlia nodded back, pressing her lips together.
He pulled her back into an embrace as they just stood there, holding each other with a long silence between them.

"I'm glad Percy didn't pick you." Dahlia then said and Luke let go of her. He looked at her curious.

"What?" he asked.

"I don't want you to go on this quest." She shook her head and confusion was written all over Luke's face, that was turning into curiosity.

"Why?" He asked, slightly shaking his head. Dahlia again stepped closer to him.

"Cause your last quest marked you." She said, raising her hand.

"And I mean not just physically.." Her voice was soft, as she put her hand on his cheek, touching his scar.
Luke closed his eyes, slightly leaning into her touch.

"It changed you so much Luke. It changed US so much. I don't want that to happen again." She said softly. He saw how Luke gulped.

"You'll always think about that when you see my face, won't you?" He sighed.

"..my failure." He then said, feeling the burden, he was carrying with his scar, once again on his shoulders.
Normally when he was with Dahlia, he felt so light. Like everything was okay and everything was possible.

"No, not failure." Dahlia said, shaking her head.

"The Change. The Vulnerability you started to hide." She said and Luke stared at her, being at a loss of words as she slightly traced the line of his scar with her finger. Her look dreamingly, like she would see nothing but beauty in this nasty scar.
The Hermes boy felt guilt washing over his body.

He should tell her. Tell her about everything.

"Dahlia.." he started, standing closer to her. The blonde girl locked eyes with him, curious and waiting for his next words.
Luke opened his mouth but nothing wanted to come out of it. He closed it again and took a deep breath while he took her hands into his own.

"I-.."

"Luke!" Annabeth called as she walked towards them, a big smile on her face.

"I'm going on the quest!" She said and Luke let go of Dahlia's hands, turning towards his sister.
He gulped and the forced himself to smile at her. The pressure on his shoulders was getting heavier.

"I know! That's great Annabeth." He hugged the girl, looking back at Dahlia.
Guilt filling his mind because he couldn't bring himself to tell her.

Days had gone by since Percy went on his quest with Annabeth and Grover.
And deep in the night, when the whole Demeter Cabin was asleep, shuffling and the sound of a zipper could be heard.
Dahlia walked out of the cabin, into the dark night. A bag over her back and a sleeping bag under her arm. On the side she had her sword and a few small daggers that she stole from Liam.

She didn't turn back, didn't allow herself to regret her decision about not telling Meg. She just couldn't pull her sister into this.
Her last thought being Luke.

He was gonna kill her for this.

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