Las Vegas was quiet in the morning.
The neon lights had disappeared with the morning sun, and now only the softest echoes of the previous night's madness remained. It wasn't truly silent, not with buses hissing by and tourists murmuring, but it was a subdued quiet, especially compared to the late nights that typically occurred here.
Lucas walked through the strip, enjoying the morning; families with strollers moved down the sidewalk, stopping at the occasional casino front to take in the fountains and greenery, and the occasional jogger passed with their headphones turned up.
Lucas kept his hood drawn over his face, hands in his coat pocket, his eyes watching for any casino he hadn't already searched. His Veil Sight was active, but nothing was ever discovered by it.
He searched the Luxor, the Flamingo, the Hilton, and the Excalibur. No casino seemed to be the one, though these setbacks didn't cause him to doubt his tarot reading; instead, he believed he would find the casino sooner or later.
It was past noon when he found a discrepancy.
The Lotus Hotel and Casino looked just like every other casino he had searched, a modern, sleek design with tall white columns, banners that fluttered despite the stillness of the air, and a giant lotus hanging over the doors. What caused Lucas to believe this was the correct location was when he entered.
It was too alive for this time of day.
Cool air kissed his skin as he passed beneath the many air conditioners lining the roof. Music played somewhere overhead, a jazz blend with a slow electronic beat; the lights were on, giving a soft glow that lit the betting tables.
He paused just inside the lobby. The staff moved with trained elegance, dressed immaculately in black and gold. A smiling woman passed with a silver tray, offering him a lotus plant dipped in honey and a gold card that allowed unlimited spending in the casino.
"On the house," she said cheerfully. Her eyes were bright and encouraging, almost causing Lucas to take them so as not to disappoint the woman. Lucas smiled politely and waved her off, rejecting the lotus plant but keeping the card so as not to catch too much attention.
As soon as she was gone, he wiped the cold sweat off his neck.
Lotus.
Of course. He remembered now. Odysseus. The Lotus-Eaters.
The fruit wasn't cursed. It wasn't magic. It was worse. It was seduction in botanical form; a thing that made you forget time, made you want to stay forever.
He moved deeper into the casino, avoiding contact with anyone who appeared to be staff. Slot machines clattered in soft rhythms. Laughter echoed faintly. No one here looked tired or worried. They looked happy. Indulging in the casino without thought.
It was with all this in mind that Lucas believed he was in the right place. All that he needed to do was avoid eating the Lotus plants and find the demigods. He passed by many individuals dressed for the night in the strip, in suits and dresses from various years of fashion.
Lucas narrowed his eyes. There. Near the corner of the lounge, beside an indoor fountain made of misted glass.
Two children.
The girl looked to be around twelve years old, with olive skin and silky, dark hair that flowed down to her shoulders, topped with a green, floppy cap that constantly fell over her eyes.
But it was her eyes that caught Lucas's attention; her eyes were alert in a way that felt out of place among the dazed and smiling patrons.
The boy beside her couldn't have been older than ten. He had similar olive skin to the girl, but he had a messy mop of dark hair, giving him a look that suggested he had just climbed out of bed. He wore an old bomber jacket and kept staring at the set of trading cards he held in his hands, Mythomagic, Lucas realized, the same cards demigods at Camp Half-Blood typically collected.
They didn't belong here.
It was that thought that allowed Lucas to confirm they were the demigods he was meant to find.
Lucas stepped closer.
They noticed him before he could speak. The girl stood abruptly, putting herself between Lucas and the boy, her hands balled into fists. The boy peeked over her shoulder, wide-eyed but curious.
Lucas held up his hands. A smile on his face, both to disarm the caution the girl had for him and as an acknowledgement of her reaction.
"I'm not here to hurt you. My name is Lucas. I was sent by your father to bring you to a safe place."
She didn't relax. If anything, she tensed further. "Impossible. Our parents are dead."
This caused Lucas to pause, silently cursing Hades for making this task so troublesome.
"You guys do know of your lineage, right? What you are?"
The girl's eyes narrowed. At the same time, the boy tilted his head in confusion.
Seeing their reaction, Lucas understood there was a simple way to get them to ease their guard. He pulled up his sleeve, showing his bare arm before casting a simple magic spell, summoning a ball of ice.
This caused the two children to freeze as they stared at the ball of ice, something which shouldn't have been possible. With their reactions, Lucas attempted to explain to them their identity as demigods and what that meant.
The girl seemed to struggle with the idea, while the boy's eyes lit up in excitement.
"Now, why don't we introduce ourselves? I am Lucas, child of Hecate."
The girl seemed to hesitate, still too cautious to give an introduction, but the boy didn't hesitate. "I am Nico di Angelo, and this is my sister Bianca. You say we are demigods, does that mean gods are real, like Zeu-"
Hearing the name about to be called, Lucas immediately clapped his hand over Nico's mouth, shutting him up, but causing Bianca to immediately become defensive.
Seeing this, and not wanting the children to cause any complications for the return trip, Lucas decided to explain everything there, instead of on the way back. He explained about the gods, advising that they should avoid speaking their names if they didn't want to attract their attention.
Bianca seemed to think of something, for her face grew somber. "I don't think you stopped Nico from saying the name out of respect for the god. What would have happened had he drawn the attention of the god?"
Lucas didn't sugarcoat it. "You both would be killed."
The color drained from their faces as Lucas explained the reason. "Your father and that man are not on good terms, especially concerning a prophecy that speaks of one of their children having the potential to destroy Olympus. If any god knew you two existed, you would be killed."
While Bianca was deep in thought, realizing the danger, Nico was excited. "Does that mean our father is as powerful as him? Who is he?"
"Hades. Now that's enough explanations, alright? We really need to be going. The sooner we reach Elysian, the sooner you guys can be safe from Olympus."
"Aren't we safe from Olympus here? It's been a month, and nothing has happened."
Bianca's question caused Lucas to hesitate in answering, but seeing her gaze, he knew that without an answer, she wouldn't leave.
"You've been here a while," Lucas said gently. "But time moves differently here. You said it was a month, didn't you? But that may not be true, this place is run by the Lotus eaters, by eating the Lotus the plant beguiles you into forgetting time, you say it was a month, but it could be many more, even years."
Bianca didn't speak. But she took her brother's hand. And nodded. Trusting Lucas, the idea of missing so much time horrified her, especially since it might continue if they stayed.
Together, they walked toward the exit. A few staff members attempted to bribe them into staying, offering platinum cards that could allow them entry into a whole floor of new games, but Lucas ignored them, dragging the twins behind him.
With the children acquired, it was now time to head home.