The Stars were always a beautiful thing to Thalia. They shined and glowed and they never, ever asked for something Thalia couldn't give.

And they never forced her to marry a crazy guy.

Thalia sighed, letting the wind blew her hair back. She wasn't suppose to open the windows in her room at night. But then again she wasn't suppose to be awake at night either.

The castle was a lonely place to grow up. No friends. All rules. No freedom of any kind. The only person Thalia cared for was her brother. Her six year old brother. She could still remember that one time he tried to eat a torch. That naivety that he kept in his head. Thalia wanted to preserve that.

But she didn't want to marry Octavian. That bastard.

She'd rather eat her own dress than look at him.

Thalia sighed and closed her eyes welcoming the darkness with a fine wish.

I wish...I wish...

"You're a GIRL!"

Thalia's eyes snapped open, and she let out a small shriek. Floating right I'm front of her was the strangest thing ever. A boy. Floating.

He looked appalled at her, like she'd just slapped his mother. His blue eyes were mischievous and his blond hair caught the moon light rays like the stars themselves.

"And you're a boy!" Thalia stuttered over her shock. "Who are you?! How are you floating!?"

"You don't know me?" The boy asked confused, "but you're the one who called me!"

"I didn't call any one!"

The boy laughed, he jumped in the room settling down to sitting on her huge window sill. He put on a fake girly voice, "I wish...I wish... fly off to a world with Luke Castellan." He smirked in the dark.

"I don't sound like that!" Thalia protested.

Luke laughed, "Sure you don't. But now I'm here."

Thalia didn't know what to make of him. She remembered the stories she heard about Luke Castellan. It was said that he was immortal, and lived on an island in another world. Sometimes he took boys back to his island if they called him. Her parents always said that Luke was a menace, a thief, and a criminal. Thalia had never believed them.

"Can you really take me to another world?" Thalia asked, she felt only a little guilty. She'd be dumping an entire kingdom on her poor brother's head. But Octavian was a terrible guy. The kingdom was better in Jason's hands than in Octavian's any day.

Luke scratched his head, contemplating. "Well, I really only take boys. Never a girl. Why would you want to leave? Aren't you a princess?"

Thalia scowled, "Yeah but my parents are trying to force me to marry. I don't want to."

Luke still didn't look sure. "I don't know. Nightshade, what do you think?"

Thalia's eyes widened as something silver flew into the room. A tiny girl with night black hair and sharp wings that fluttered almost too fast to see. She wore a silver dress.

"A fairy!" Thalia breathed.

The fairy crossed her arms as if offended. She seemed to say something that only Luke could hear.

"Relax, Nightshade!" Luke called rolling his eyes. He listened again, "Are you sure?"

Luke sighed looking back at Thalia. "She doesn't think it's a good idea. She says the Lost boys might get scared."

"Scared? Of me?" Thalia protested, again, "but I'm harmless! Please! If only just one night!"

Nightshade was shaking her head rapidly. She tried to say something but Luke plucked her wings and dropped her in his pocket.

"You'll have to excuse her." Luke said, "she doesn't quite enjoy being a fairy. But she got cursed by someone very powerful." Luke's eyes flashed for a second. "But don't worry about that. I'm sure we can arrange at least one night."

He held his hand out to her.

"Why do you normally only take boys?" Thalia wondered she stepped closer like cautiously approaching a growing city dog.

"Well, my call, my little song, it's enchanted. Only those who really, really want to go can call me. Usually it's only boys." Luke smiled reassuringly.

"I heard it from two merchants in the city. I don't think they were actual merchants though, maybe thieves..." Thalia took his hand.

Luke's eyes gleamed, the blue catching all the midnight light turning his eyes a silver, almost golden, color. "I'm glad you heard about it now. Come along, Princess Thalia. We're going to Titan's Land!"

And Thalia, so captivated by Luke Castellan's appearance, she didn't even notice that she never told him her name.

***

Flying wasn't like anything Thalia had ever experienced. Luke flew like he was born with wings, graceful and swift, but also patient with Thalia.

She'd also developed a fear of heights thanks to a small prank played by the jerky fairy in Luke's pocket.

Luke was pointing towards the sky, grinning. He kept his hand around Thalia's showing her the way. "Second star to the Left." He said, "that's the way to Titans Land."

At the same moment Nightshade poked her head out of Luke's pocket. She looked panicked, almost scared. Her eyes met the princess's in the course of a second. And then whatever magic Luke had over them immediately cut off.

Thalia let out an ear piercing scream. The wind tore at her, ripping away her breath, and her nightgown. Her hair slapped in her eyes and face until it was raw. Her stomach jumped into her throat. Beneath her a vast ocean of emptiness lay, like an abyss of darkness in the midnight.

She spread her arms in front of her face as if to block a certain death.

Then she stopped falling. A jerk halted her scream, and she clung to Luke's built frame feeling Death draw is icy breath away. Luke held her. Whispering soft things to her, assuring her it wouldn't happen again.

She didn't even realize she was crying until he wiped away her tears.

He looked genuinely sorry. His eyes like deep pools of doleful colors. "I swear, I don't know what's gotten into her, today." He whispered into her ear. "This time I promise I won't let you go."

And he didn't.

Whatever hope the Fairy Nightshade had of stopping them vanished with a quick pat on his pocket almost crushing the silver creature.

***

"Ahhh, here we are." Luke sent Thalia a sly smirk, "Titans Land!"

"It's beautiful!" Thalia said. They'd flown all night, and the rays of first light were casting a pink glow on the island. Island was green with tall trees and sparkling water that glistened like Diamonds.

As they got closer to the ground a group of joyous cries arose. Luke lead her to a clearing touching down just as a couple of boys darted out of the trees.

"Luke!" The oldest, who was probably a couple years younger than Luke himself, stumbled to a stop in front him. The younger two crashed into him staring wide eyed at Thalia.

"Hey, Chris." Luke said, "what's up?"

One of the younger two nudged the other one in the ribs. "Is that a girl?!"

Thalia frowned, "Yeah, got a problem?"

The little other kid opened his mouth but Luke cut him off sharply. "Castor, Pollux, manners please. Is that any way to talk to Princess Thalia?"

All of the boys looked liked they suddenly understood something. Both the younger boys blushed like crazy, though Chris looked extremely edgy.

"Sorry," Luke said to Thalia, "Like I said, they aren't use too girls." He turned back to his lost boys and smiled suggesting they go get ready for the bonfire they were throwing tonight in honor of Thalia.

"Me?" Thalia asked as the boys jogged off talking excitedly.

"Well yeah. You can be our official first lost girl." He grinned.

Thalia found herself smiling too. "Sounds like fun."

"You're going to love it!" Luke promised, "and while we wait I'll take you on a tour of the island! Come on! I think I'm almost positive the places you'd like to see first!"

Thalia took Luke's hand and they flew off again. Thalia glanced down slightly, and she almost could've swore she saw a shadow in the clearing. But just as quickly as she saw it it disappeared like a trick of her mind.

Luke told her about the lost boys as they flew. Chris apparently was the oldest of all the lost boys, and he use to be a thief that got caught trying to steal medicine for his dying mother. His sentence was to be hanged for his crime and the night before he called on Luke for help.

Castor and Pollux, twins, were from a crazy family with a mother who had at least ten other kids and forced them to work in the fields all day and night.

He told her about a couple others too, but Thalia couldn't remember the names.

But it din't matter. By then Luke was grinning at her and they landed softly on the beach, just south of the island. The waves crashed against the shore and Thalia thought she saw something not that far off in the glittering waters.

"This is the Mermaid cove." Luke told her, "The mermaids like it here."

Thalia clapped slightly, "Mermaids?" She asked, "They're real!?"

"Oh yeah," Luke said, "Little abominations, though. They are absolutely horrible."

"Oh..." Thalia felt her excitement dwindle.

"But don't worry they shouldn't be here, this early." Luke promised, "Now we can enjoy this sunrise!"

They did.

The sunrise was more beautiful than the ones she watched from her tower. Rays of light danced on the waters, and tugged at the darkness. Luke occasionally leaned over and nudged her. They sat way closer than her mother would've allowed. But Thalia didn't mind.

It was nice.

That was until she got drenched in salt water.

The wave appeared out of no where. Luke barely had time to gasp before they both were yanked off the shore and dragged into the sea by an under current.

Bubbled exploded from everywhere. Her nightgown weighed her down she felt something dragging her. No not something...Someone!

Thalia struggled, trying to inhale but all she got was water stinging her nose and poisoning her lungs. The salt burned her eyes as she tried to see. Silver Scales.

they was a girl not much older than her. Dangerously beautiful. Her long hair was suspended in the water, and she seemed to be breathing just fine. From her waist down was a fish like wave, of glittering scales.

They locked eyes and Thalia didn't know what to do. Something about her wasn't threatening. The mermaid didn't want to hurt her.

And yet she still. Couldn't. BREATH.

Then she was ripped out from under the water. The water drained off her and Luke jumped them into the air. Wind froze her, roaring over any apologies he was making.

Thalia cough water out of her lungs, she shivered in Luke's arms. She could vaguely hear Luke cursing. She glanced up for a moment and thought she caught sight of something on Luke's back but a second look revealed nothing. Down below the shore was dotted with gorgeous girls screaming at them. The only thing they all had in common was the silver tails, that flashed in the sunlight like a familiar fairy's wings.

"Sorry!" Luke yelled over the wind finally, "The dumb, worthless jerks just really hate everybody."

Thalia didn't reply. She remembered the look in that girl's eyes. And she began to wonder if there was something larger at play here.

***

Luke said he'd get her clothes. She agreed. Considering her nightgown was ruined, and she would freeze on this island if she stayed in them. Luke dropped her off at a clearing up out side the tree house the Lost boys used as their homes. Thalia shivered.

Luke promised he'd be back but as he climbed the ladder, Thalia got such a bad feeling she almost called him back. She could feel somebody watching her. But she couldn't see them. It terrified her.

"Who's there?" She ventured aloud.

There was shuffling. Thalia felt her blood run cold. She wanted to scream, in fact her mouth was already open when the voice spoke.

"Please don't."

Thalia abruptly shut her mouth almost biting off her tongue. She didn't know why she did. The voice just made her want to scream more.

"Don't call him." The voice said again.

"W-why?" Thalia asked, the empty clearing stared back at her blandly.

"He's not who you think he is."

The middle of the clearing glowed darkly. The shadows of the trees warped to the spot piling up until they morphed into a humanoid shape. Then the shape stepped forward and a boy appeared. His skin was pale and his features as dark as the shadows, Thalia looked at he ground. Even in the morning light, he had no shadow.

He was a shadow.

"Don't trust him." The boy said softly.

"What are you?" Thalia couldn't help herself. It was terribly unlady-like to ask that but it slipped out. The boy didn't get a chance to answer. Luke plopped to the ground at that moment, carrying a bag over his shoulder.

"Ah! Thalia, I see you met Shadow!" Luke grinned. The boy did not.

"That's not my name."

If Luke heard him he didn't say. "He's my shadow. Literally." Luke laughed like it was all fine. Thalia notice he did indeed not have a shadow. Shadow scowled.

"Anyway." Luke continued on dismissing Shadow with a wave of his hand. "I brought you the best stuff i could find. Granted it's no Palace silk." Luke held up some normal set of a hunters clothes. "I bet you'll like it too. I bet I can get you a spear or something to hunt with as well."

Thalia flickered her gaze over to Shadow and was surprise to not see him anywhere. He must have vanished. Thalia turned back to Luke and thanked him.

"Anything is better than this freeze gown." She decided. "you wouldn't happen to have this in blue though would you? I'm afraid red was never really my color."

***

Luke showed her the island in more detail that day. They didn't seem to have any problem more so, which Thalia was grateful for. Between almost falling to her death, almost drowning, and being scared out of her wits but a Shadow boy with a strange warning, she was glad for an incident free day. Luke made excellent company too.

He casually swung his arm around her as they walked and he gave her a stunning blue flower that matched her new tunic.

"It's Beautiful!" she exclaimed.

Luke smiled, "Not as beautiful as you."

Thalia must have turned red.

She couldn't explain it, but she was constantly feeling a pull towards him. He was intriguing. Different. How could she not fall for that? Compared to Octavian He was a god.

Or maybe a Titan.

"It's almost time for the bonfire." Luke said, He leaned close. His arm was around her back, and he walked causally, his breath tickled her ear when he spoke.

She was excited to be there. Luke talked about the bonfire with such excitement, it was like it was something so much more than a cook out. He also seemed edgy as well. Like Chris. Maybe there was something so much bigger going on.

"Could you wait here for a moment?" Luke asked, pulling away. He took a lot of warmth with him. So much that Thalia almost asked him to stay. But she refrained. She felt like she was fighting with herself. What was there to lose? She was falling for the immortal boy who could fly. Yes she knew it. Somehow she felt like she was making some mistake.

A big one.

"Yeah sure." Thalia said grinning spinning her weapon in a circle. She remembered her lessons in the palace on self defense, (before her step mother decided that it was unladylike).

Luke, as promised, had gotten her a spear. A rather nice one at that. Luke said it had been enchanted by Nightshade, so it shot lightning. That was cool. Thalia roasted a couple trees with it.

"I'll be right back."

He left her at the spot right outside the Lost Boys Tree house. Thalia half expected Shadow to pop out of nowhere. Maybe she could ask him how he was Luke's shadow.

No what happened was a lot more terrifying, and a lot more unexpected.

One second she'd been standing on the grass ground playing with her spear twirling it in her fingers, the next she was screaming as she fell into a bottomless pit. or at least she thought it was bottomless. Apparently it wasn't.

"SHUT UP!" Shadow was suddenly standing there, hands over his ears. "Gods."

Thalia stopped screaming. She looked around, feeling unbalanced. How had she gotten there? How was she standing?

"It's shadow travel." Shadow said, "I needed to talk to you."

"Uhhh....why?" Thalia asked, "I was in the middle of something."

He shook his head, "Nothing good though. You can't trust Luke, okay? No matter what he says. And you have to get off this island."

"Is that a threat?"

Shadow looked at her, with sadness in his eyes, "Not from me. From Luke."

"He wouldn't hurt me." Thalia replied stubbornly.

"How do you know?" He asked, "What makes you think you're any different?"

"Different from who?"

A sudden blur of silver zipped around her, Thalia let out a squeak. In front of her floated Nightshade with her arms crossed.

"Me." The fairy said.

***

"That's not possible!"

Nightshade shook her head sadly. "There's more to Luke than you know, princess. He's the one that cursed me. The reason I'm a fairy. My hunters and I originally lived on this island. It was a promise from my patron, Artemis. He washed upon the shores and, despite all of giving up on men, we nursed him back to health. He turned on us.

"The island's magic was corrupted by Luke with a single touch. The fountain of youth which kept all of us young, now gives him powers to do anything he wants." Nightshade eyes turned dark like thunder before a wretched storm, "He turned my hunters into mermaids. And when I rebuffed his affections, he turned me into a fairy. When Nico found out about us he turned him into a Shadow. How are you any different?"

Thalia was at a lost for words. How was it possible now this fairy could talk? And Shadow? Had Luke really done this to him?

Nightshade watched her silence. "Exactly." She said, "You're not different. You're just the one Luke thought would be easiest to trick. Don't tell me, you thought it was a coincidence that those thieves told you the calling? The Stolls owed Luke. He set this up from the start. All these years...

"I'm sorry i tried to kill you. I'm sorry My hunters did too. But Anything has to be better than be crushed under his spell. His is trying to gather an army. He will try to take over the world, Thalia Grace. He will be impossible to stop. And anyone standing in his way will be annihilated.

"Do you know how it feels to be truly terrified?" She asked, "it's that cold creeping feeling you get when you watch as his eyes, Luke's beautiful blue eyes, turn gold. And you know he won't hesitate to hurt you."

"You can't trust Luke." Shadow added.

"And it seems you can't trust a fairy and a Shadow either."

Thalia whipped around and standing right behind them was a terrible sight. Luke leaned against a tree, tossing a rock up and down in his left hand. On either side of him were two Lost boys ones Thalia hasn't seen before.

Luke's eyes were gold.

***

"I'm disappointed." Luke said, smirking in his devilishly handsome way. "I thought you two would've had the decency to let me tell her myself."

Shadow, or Nico as Nightshade had called him, went ridged. The terrified stiffness that seemed to flow over all three of them.

"Luke-" Nightshade started but she was cut off by a flick of his wrist. She gasped.

"I always thought you were to pretty for your own good. Shiny, silvery, pretty..." Luke said, "like the stars. How about you join them?"

Nightshade let out a scream. Thalia watched in complete horror as she started to dissolve the wind billowed the dust into the sky. The sun was setting, the dark shallow sky was starting to fill with stars.

"Zoë!" Nico yelled.

Luke looked sharply at him. Nightshade's body disintegrated completely, but her scream still rang in the air. Luke waved it away. Thalia was so shocked she couldn't think.

Her brain refused to believe what she was seeing. But her eyes her wide open. She wasn't dreaming.

He just killed Nightshade.

He murdered her.

Luke's gaze zeroed on Nico, a nasty sneer on his face. "Shadow." He spit. Nico flinched like he'd been punched. "It's funny, you know." Luke said his hands starting to glow as he approached them. Nico tried to step back, but his feet were stuck to the ground. "You're not even human anymore you know."

Thalia watched as Nico's dark form began to start flickering, wisps of him broke off and were sucked towards Luke's glow.

"One touch, Di Angelo," Luke sneered, "And you'll be gone. For good."

"NO!" Thalia dove in front of Nico, grabbing Luke's wrist before he could touch the Shadow boy. Pain shot up her arm her wrist burned so bad something between them broke. They exploded apart.

Thalia knocked into Nico and they both toppled to the ground. Luke flung the other way breaking against a pine tree. His lost boys ran to him, but Luke waved them back. Something was wrong. Thalia gripped her arm. It was colored like charcoal and crumbled at her touch. Her nerves burned so bad she went numb.

Luke growled at her. one of his eyes were blue, the peaceful color he always had, the other was a corrupted gold.

"What did you do?" His voice was ragged like two people were speaking at once. "What did you do?"

Nico rumbled under her. He voice choke out a laugh but there was nothing humorous about it. "True Love." He croaked.

Thalia was taken aback, and so was Luke. "NO!" He flung his hands at her as if to prove he could hurt her in dozens of ways. But nothing happened. "What?" Luke looked at his hands, "No! No!"

Thalia was shocked. True Love? It couldn't be. He was terrifying. He killed Nightshade. He tried to kill Nico. He tried to kill her. But Thalia looked at him and saw Luke, the boy who'd flown her from her castle prison. His blue eye looked at her his golden one glaring.

"Why did you bring me, if you didn't want to fall in love?" Thalia ask her voice cracking.

True Love is a two way street.

Despite the horrible stuff, despite her losing her arm, despite everything, Thalia was still in love.

Luke sneered. "I will find a way to destroy you, Princess."

"Are you sure?" Thalia challenged

"Yes." He said, "I will find a way. And you, Shadow," Luke eyed him with a fire, but Thalia stood in the way, "You might want to find a doctor."

She didn't know what he meant but it didn't matter. She stared at Luke and his Lost boys. "Does this make us enemies?"

"Yes." A breeze blew between them as if tearing apart the life they could've had together. "And you should know when I find my enemies, I obliterate them."

"Well then I guess I'll just have to leave here before you find me."

Luke snorted like that was funny. "Don't you know? No one leaves here without my Permission. This island, Titan's Land," His eyes narrowed, "This, Thalia Grace, will be your final resting place."

***

Sometime later Thalia stumbled over a rock edge, Luke's words still ringing in her ears. Nico was stumbling with her. They leaned on each other for support. Nico was more drained than normal, He seemed to be struggling on something though Thalia wasn't sure what. Sweat was Falling down his neck and she knew he needed a doctor, soon.

And so did she. Her arm was starting to sting and she kept forgetting her entire hand was gone. Her blue outfit was torn and ragged like most of the Lost Boy's stuff.

Overhead the stars twinkled. They no longer looked beautiful to her. The looked sad and miserable. Thalia could see a new outline in them. A girl, a hunter, who's last scream was still captured in perfect preservation in Thalia's mind.

"Why do you think he did it?" Nico huffed. "Why do you think he brought you here?"

Thalia didn't answer. It was too much to hope for.

Instead her gazed found the hidden cove they stumbled on. And her eyes widened.

"What is it?" Nico said looking in the same direction.

"A way home." She replied breathlessly. In the cove was a forgotten ship, new, by the looks of it. On the side was the imprint of a name Aegis.

Thalia didn't know anything about Sailing. Her kingdom was land locked. It survived Solely on its huge market place and trading. But she could learn. She would need to learn. For herself and Nico.

She had to get back to her brother.

She had to find Nico a doctor.

She had to stop this war that was coming.

Because it was too much to hope that Luke was possessed, and he subconsciously brought her here so she could save him.

Way too much.

....Right?