《Marked》


 The Kingdom of Cyrene: Ancient Greece

    Lightning streaked across the grey-clouded sky with rain pelting the earth, turning the dirt and rocks under Cathenna Vasilias''s sandals into mud. An icy wind laced with petrichor whipped through the air, and Cathenna hugged her cloak closer to her body for any extra warmth she might muster.


    A crack of thunder battered in her ears, drawing her attention to the storm. It didn''t rain this time of year, nevertheless a full on thunderstorm.


    The gods are angry. The voice of her late mother pestered in her head.


    Cathenna bit her lip. This storm was an ill omen, she knew she should head back to the carriage and return home. But her mother always had called her strong willed for a reason.


    Cathenna pushed the oak door of the small crystal shop open, the creaking sound drawing the attention of the store''s patrons. The putrid mixture of rosemary and sage filled her senses. Cathenna choked back a cough and forced her nose not to scrunch up from the scent.


    You need to blend in,she reminded herself, her fingers trailing the scratchy wood countertops of the table to her right.


    Not like there was anything blending in about her. Even with the hood of her cloak confiscating her peripheral vision, the cloak she wore was at least worth ten times then the cloaks of the patrons.


    Cathenna swallowed.


    She tilted her head; rain drummed on the shop''s lone window. A small woman rifled through the array of herbs that lined the glass. The candle sconce on the wall illuminated her wrinkled face.


    The patrons at the middle table, sorting through the crystals, shot her an assessing glance, forcing Cathenna to turn her attention toward them. Few frequented shops such as this, and the ones who did were always the ones she had been instructed to stay far, far away from.


    Her palms grew clammy. People should be wary of messing with items associated with the gods. Her father consistently said that nothing good ever came out of messing with the gods. They''re jealous and spiteful deities and should be left alone.


    Approaching a corner table; her sandals scuffed the dirt. It was taller than the others reaching almost to her breasts. The man behind the table wiped it clean of invisible dust particles. Cathenna''s fingers toyed with the sleeves of her cloak.


    "Do you need something?" He asked, his voice rough.


    The shop keeps gave her an assessing gaze. His dark eyes lit in the candlelight, and the corner of his mouth slightly curled. A cold shiver passed through Cathenna''s body, causing her to wrap her arms around her abdomen.


    "I am looking for a crystal," Cathenna said in an octave higher than her normal tone.


    He scoffed at her broad statement, "Well, look around; I have plenty."


    He returned to wiping the counter. Cathenna bit her lip. She was being vague, but she didn''t truly know what she was looking for, either.


    "It''s a specific crystal." She pressed.


    He stretched his hand towards the middle table, where the other two patrons left. "What I have there is all I got."


    Cathenna refrained from letting out an exasperated breath. The shopkeeper wasn''t intentionally being unhelpful, but she had little to go on. She had visited five crystal shops since finding out her father disposed of her mother''s crystal. Her mother told her that the goddess Hecate herself blessed the crystal and would always bring her protection as long as she had it.


    Notlike it provided much help in the end.Cathenna scornfully thought back to her mother on her deathbed.


    If the crystal weren''t the last item she had in her possession since her mother''s passing, she wouldn''t have bothered searching for it. There existed a strange, almost possessive urge to find it she couldn''t fight. So here she was, entangling herself in things she only half understood.


    "It''s black." She pressed. "About the size of a royal nut."


    He just pointed at the middle table. Cathenna sighed and walked to the table. At first glance, she assumed colors or sizes organized the crystals in the bins, but they were all mixed in with one another.


    "Someone associated with the Royal Court recently sold it." She called to him after the last patron left the store. Leaving her and the shopkeeper alone.


    His eyes snapped to hers. Cathenna shifted under his assessing gaze. She returned to the bin of crystals, nervously searching through them. She shouldn''t have said anything about the Royal Court; it would only raise questions. Questions that would only get back to her father.


    The shopkeeper rubbed his chin, and his eyes flashed toward a velvet black bag at the corner of the table-a black bag with the royal sigil of Cyrene on it. She cursed herself for not being observant, and her heart raced.


    "I did have a man from the Royal Court sell me a crystal when I visited the palace two weeks ago." He drawled. "Ablackrare crystal."


    Cathenna returned to the table where the shopkeeper was, her hands shaking. "May I see it?"


    The shopkeeper produced a long, glimmering silver chain adorned with her mother''s black crystal.


    "That''s it." She breathed, reaching out for it with trembling hands.


    The man snatched back the crystal, clicked his tongue, then returned it to its bag.


    "It''s not for sale." He said coldly.


    "I have gold, lots of it."


    "It''s not for sale.".


    The tips of Cathenna''s ears grew warm. This man had a price, and she was determined to find what it was. "Everything is for sale. Name your price, and it''s yours."


    "Do you know what this is,girl?" He spat out the last word. "This is Black Tourmaline! It is so rare you can only find worshippers of Hecate in possession of them."


    Cathenna swallowed. She was uncertain about how all of this worshipping of Hecate worked or what the items did. That wasn''t why she was here though, she was here to retrieve the last relic she had of her mother. The crystal belonged toher, and she would not leave without it. Cathenna took a sweep of the room and yanked back the hood over her head, revealing her straight black hair and pale blue eyes-features known well throughout the kingdom belonging to the Princess of Cyrene.


    The Shopkeeper''s eyes widened.


    "Your Highness." He bowed.


    "Name your price."


    His fingers tightened on the bag. "Like I told you, Your Highness, this isnotfor sale."


    Her gaze turned towards the door again, not knowing how much longer they had. Exposing her identity was risky; if herfatherfound out...


    No, she needed this crystal.


    "I am the Princess of Cyrene.Yourkingdom,Yourprincess. I demand this crystal. I will pay, whatever the price."


    The shopkeeper gritted his teeth, but the breaking glass and whipping wind interrupted him. The door burst open, and Cathenna threw her hood up. Everything happened in a blur, but her eyes never left the black velvet bag containing her mother''s crystal.


    The shopkeeper, forgetting the crystal, shoved past her, pushing her to the floor. Cathenna sprang to her feet, snatching the velvet bag from the counter, eagerly untying it to confirm that the crystal was still inside.


    Cathenna let out a breath of relief. She had her mother''s crystal. Cathenna put the bag into her cloak making her way out of the shop, shards of glass crunching under her steps.


    Bloodcurdling screams and metal clanging on metal erupted in the bustling chaos of the courtyard. Rain washed away blood that littered the ground, being taken down in streams. A man''s arm floated with the blood.


    Bile rose in the back of Cathenna''s throat. There had been fights that led to death in the courtyard of the palace outside of her chambers that caught her attention every now and again, enthralled by the adrenaline-filled men whose only goal was to kill their opponent. There was something about seeing a dismembered body part so far away from the owner that left a foul taste in her mouth.


    Cathenna debated on turning right, to where her carriage awaited her five alley ways down, but she stopped at the sight of the shopkeeper slouched on the outside wall of his shop. Blood spilled out of his mouth, and a sword protruded from his abdomen. From what she observed, the arm did not belong to him.


    He grabbed her wrist with his bloody hand and choked out the word, "Run."


    Cathenna needed little convincing. She pumped her legs, gaining speed with each push, quickening her pace until steps became leaps, with one hand still gripping her hood to keep her identity hidden. Her lead foot stubbed into a rock, causing her to lose her footing. Cathenna landed on her knees, letting out a gasping sound with her eyes watering and her toes throbbing. No doubt she at least broke one of her toes with the impact of the rock. Cathenna went to readjust her cloak, but stopped midway, feeling the weight of the velvet bag in the cloak''s inside pocket was no longer there. Her chest tightened.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "No!" Cathenna breathed.


    Ripping her hood down, Cathenna''s hands frantically searched the ground where she landed for the bag. Her nails dug into the mud and brushed over the pebbles littering the ground. Her heart rose in her throat, tears streamed down her face, only to be washed away by the rain. After two weeks of searching for it, she found it, only to lose it this time. Amidst tears, she saw a flash of black a short distance from an alley.


    Cathenna hesitantly rose to her feet. Setting her weight on her injured right foot, she winced in pain, shifting the majority of her weight to her left. Cathenna hobbled to the bag, trying to keep as much weight as she could off her injured foot.


    She bent down to pick up the bag, the feeling of relief to have her mother''s crystal again washed over her body. Fingers hooked into the corner of her elbow, dragging her into the alley. Cathenna''s grip tightened on the bag.


    She whipped her head around to reveal a broad male''s chest. Cathenna tilted her head to reveal the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Despite the rain, blood covered his face, his or someone else''s, but it didn''t dim the gold in his eyes. His long, curly gold hair, decorated with blood, went past his shoulder blades.


    "This is no place for a lady." He said, eyes narrowing.


    She shoved the bag back into her cloak. She wanted to retort she was leaving when he shoved her into the alley. He drew a dagger from his belt, and her body stiffened. Feet ran past the alley they hid in, not noticing them.


    Oh gods, oh gods. This is how I''m going to die.Cathenna panicked.


    The man let out a breath of relief. His eyes met hers, and she swore her entire body heated. The man must''ve felt it too, letting go of her elbow, eyes so wide that the whites showed.


    "Wh-What''s going on?" She stammered in a small breath.


    The man readjusted himself, assessing the alley''s opening.


    "I''m not really sure. It was a bloodbath by my arrival," he said in a low tone.


    Cathenna pulled her cloak around her; whatever heat had gone through her left her freezing. The man readjusted his grip on his dagger.


    "What is a lady of your stature doing here?" He asked, not looking at her.


    Realizing she had never put her hood back on. She quickly pulled it back over her head. She needed to leavenow.


    Cathenna bit her lip, "Can you help me return to my carriage?"


    His eyes moved back to hers, and the heat returned. "You''re going to trust a stranger in the midst of a blood brawl?"


    Cathenna shrugged, "If you were going to kill me, you would''ve done it already."


    He gave her a small smile. "Fair enough." He gripped her hand. "Where to Your Highness?"


    "I-uh, I-uh." Cathenna cleared her throat and said dismally, "I''m not sure."


    The man laughed while tugging her through the alley and back through the courtyard. Cathenna stayed close to him while hobbling on her foot, biting back whimpers. She tried not to stare at the dead bodies and all the blood filling the courtyard. Whathadhappened here? Cathenna had never witnessed a scale of death and carnage this intense before.


    Stopping suddenly, the man threw Cathenna behind him, blocking her body with his.


    What is going on?Her mind raced, trying to look over his shoulder.


    He grabbed at the hilt of a sword sheathed in a scabbard attached to his right hip, his body rigid. The sharp scent of copper stung her nose, making her eyes water. Footsteps sounded in the distance, but she still couldn''t see in front of her.


    Cathenna pieced together the unfolding scene from the sounds around her and the movements of her escort, unsheathing his weapon and parrying his sword against an assailant. Freshly spilled blood splashed against her ankles, she closed her eyes and she battled down her reflex to heave.


    The man turned around, placing his thumb and finger on her chin, and tipped her face up. Her hood slipped back slightly. Cathenna opened her eyes, and she stared into his. His eyes weren''t just gold; they were like a melting pot of the finest gold, accentuating his pupils. He scanned her face.


    "You''re injured." He observed.


    Cathenna nodded weakly, the heat blasting through her once more from his touch, making her body spring alive.


    "My foot," she told him. "It happened back by the alley, but I''m fine."


    The man''s mouth went into a thin, firm line, his eyes never leaving her face. He opened his mouth to say something, but the battle cries from another attacker took away his attention. The man''s feet stay firmly planted even after the brute of a man barreled himself into him.


    The assailant in front of him preoccupied her escort so that he didn''t notice the one emerging from the adjacent alley. A liquid combination of blood, rain and mud dripped off his longsword-tightly gripped in his right hand. His chestnut brown hair went to his chin, and he smiled wickedly at Cathenna.


    She tugged on the back of her companion''s chiton. He didn''t turn around, but wrapped his right arm around her, his fingers tightening on her cloak. The alley man neared, deliberate, quiet. Her eyes never left him as she tugged harder. He ignored her insistent tugging.


    Annoyed that he was refusing to listen to her, Cathenna braced through the pain of her injured toes on her right foot-choking back a groan-and stood on the balls of her feet.


    Two assailants clashed their swords against her escort, and he single-handedly held his ground. She surmised that if he hadn''t felt the need to protect her, he would have effortlessly killed them.


    "Behind you-" A hand tugged the back of Cathenna''s cloak.


    Her companion''s fingers tore away from her, and she slammed into a broad chest. Cathenna thrashed in his grip, but it didn''t make a difference. The man took the hood of her cloak down and sniffed her hair. A sour tang filled Cathenna''s mouth, and her skin crawled.


    "Smells royal." He said in a husky voice.


    Cathenna''s companion glided his sword into the abdomen of one assailant. He placed his foot on the now bent over assailant''s shoulder, blood splotching through his mouth, and kicked him off the sword. He turned to face Cathenna in the large man''s arms, eyes wide.


    "Release her." Her companion hissed, his eyes never leaving hers.


    Sniffing her head slowly, the man wrapped his arms tighter around her. The last assailant charged after her companion, but he sliced the attacker''s jugular just as soon as he got into his sword''s range, and blood splashed into her companion''s face.


    "Release her."


    Her captor''s grip tightened, crushing her diaphragm. She let out a groan. Rage flashed through her companion''s face. The man also saw it and placed a cool metal blade against her neck. Her eyes pleaded at her companion to save her.


    She didn''t want to die; she was too young to die. All she wanted was to get her mother''s necklace back, and now it was going to cost her life. Cathenna should''ve just left well enough alone. So what if she felt as though the necklace was beckoning her, urging her to find it every moment she was awake? She should''ve ignored it, ignored all of it.


    "Put the knife down." Her companion said through gritted teeth.


    The man pressed the knife closer to her neck. A stinging sensation pierced her skin, and something wet beaded down. Her mind went blank at the sensation, and her body went limp.


    This is it. The blade warmed against her skin.I''ll be with you soon, Mother.


    "I bet she would be worth her weight in gold." His lips hovered just above her scalp. "Such a pretty little young thing." He kissed her head. Cathenna tried her best not to cringe with the knife so close to her throat. "Dead or alive."


    Her companion lowered the sword he held pointed at the assailant. Cathenna noted the diamond sheen coating it. The wind picked up again, whipping the man''s curly hair across his face.


    "We both know she''d be worth much more if brought to the king of Cyrene alive." Her companion said.


    Cathenna silently cursed. If he beleived the king wanted her alive, he''d be mistaken. He''d rather see her head roll.


    Aegeus Vasilias once loved his daughter fiercely. Then her mother died, and a part of her father had died along with her. His gentleness turned to hardness. His once warm persona turned ice cold. The one person he couldn''t stand the most was Cathenna herself. It seemed like her face, identical to her mother''s, was the salt in his wound. She supposed it was due to his undying love for her mother that she could remain at the palace. She doubted her death would deter her father.


    "Mmm." Hummed her captor. "Cyrene, is it?"


    "Release her," Cathenna''s companion persisted once more. "And we could split the profit."


    Everything in Cathenna halted. Of course,of course. How foolish and na?ve she was to trust a stranger she met in an alley way. He intended to take her captive and hold her for ransom.


    "I was taking her to my carriage." He dropped his sword and held his left hand up; his right hand slowly dropped lower to his weapon belt. "You appear to be an intelligent man; You''d be dumb to ignore my offer."


    Her captor contimplated the offer over, adjusting his grip on the knife. "Or I could just slit her throat now and take the gold I''d get for her head for myself."


    The man before her shrugged. "You could, but what would stop me from killing you as soon as you had?"


    Her former companion went to meet her eyes, but she avoided his gaze. Fooled, she was a fool. His gorgeous golden looks convinced her she could trust him.


    Cathenna''s captor laughed. "And what''s stopping me from killing you-"


    The man before her moved fast and swiftly, unsheathing a dagger at his belt and throwing it at Cathenna''s captor''s face. The captor fell backward, and the knife at her throat went limp. Her knees gave out, and she slammed into the blood and rained streamed cobblestone, throwing her arms out to catch herself. Cathenna''s breathing became uneven. This time, when copper filled her senses, she emptied the contents of her stomach.


    "Get up." The man said, attempting to pull her up by her underarms.


    Cathenna shook him off. Her eyes darted to the knife lying to her right. Only inches away.


    "You lied." Cathenna gasped.


    He tried lifting her, she shrugged him off.


    "I am not your enemy." He insisted.


    "That''s not what you told him."


    She subtly shifted her hand toward the knife.


    "I lied."


    Her eyes snapped up to his. "How do I know you''re not lying now?"


    "As you pointed out earlier. If I wanted you dead, I would''ve done it already." The gold in his eyes softened.


    "Convincing."


    Her fingers curved around the hilt of the knife. It wasn''t a high-quality blade; judging by the hilt, a low-class blacksmith crafted it.


    He went to lift her up again, and this time, she let him. Cupping her face in his hand, she brought the knife to his neck. His eyes widened in shock for a milisecond and then amusement spread across his face, his grip tightening on her upper bicep.


    "Put the knife down." He said.


    She adjusted her grip, and the handle of the blade rubbed rough against her uncallused hands.


    "Why should I?" Cathenna hissed. "You plan on using me as ransom!"


    The man in front of her moved his arm in a circular motion, conveying to her she should observe her surroundings. "I saved your life."


    Cathenna pressed the knife to his neck, eliciting a grunt; however, no blood appeared.


    "How do I know you didn''t stage all of this?" Cathenna asked.


    The man gritted his teeth. "I told you, it was a bloodbath when I arrived."


    "Why are you here?"


    The man lifted his eyebrows. "Why are you here, Princess?"


    Cathenna put pressure on the knife again. "That''s none of your concern."


    The man''s right hand wrapped around her wrist holding the knife. Her free hand trembled. "Put down the knife, Princess."


    The heat she had felt earlier encased her body. What was that? It wasn''t uncomfortable, but it felt familiar. She was sure she had never met this man before.


    A small persistence nagged in her head. Telling her she could trust him, to put the knife down, and he would get her out of here, unharmed and safe. Granted, it wasn''t like she had very many options at the current moment.


    His eyes darted from Cathenna''s to behind her. In a swift motion, the man''s left hand gripped Cathenna''s hand that held the knife and pressed his pointer and middle finger against the inside of her wrist, causing her to drop the weapon. He caught the dagger with his free hand, extending his arm backward, he threw the dagger past her. She turned around to a brute of a man tumbling forward with a knife in his head.


    "Trust me now?" The man hissed.


    Dazed, Cathenna nodded her head. The man picked up his sword behind him and wiped the blood off it with his chlamys. Cathenna flicked the hood of her cloak over her head, and the man grabbed her wrist and ran.


    The aroma of blood and death was pungent. Cathenna placed her free hand on the bag tucked safely away in her cloak and focused on that. She had achieved her goal she set off to-and for the first time in years; it felt like her mother was with her.


    The man came to an abrupt halt, causing Cathenna to collide with him. Her eyes scanned the ornate carriage standing before them. Gold lavishly coated the carriage, from wheels to roof. White embroidered it in Lyre patterns, surrounded by a laurel wreath. The wheels towered over the man, reaching an impressive height.


    Cathenna examined the symbol on the carriage. Recent events numbed her, preventing comprehension of its meaning.


    "Get in." He told her while opening the carriage door and helped lift her in, half-shoving her.


    Cathenna tugged her cloak to her body once more because as soon as his hands left her, cold nipped at Cathenna''s skin.


    "Take her to the Palace in Cyrene." He told the driver.


    He reached to shut the carriage, but Cathenna''s touch stopped him in his tracks.


    "Wait." Cathenna breathed. "Who are you?"


    The man smirked, ignoring her question, and shut the door. The carriage immediately moved, giving her no chance to inquire anything else. It wasn''t until she arrived at her bedchambers in the palace that she realized the velvet bag containing her mother''s crystal was gone.

 I

    "Hey, Sam!" Selena King said, opening the door to her twin brother Sam''s room. "Mom says -Oh! Oh God!"


    A naked woman was on top of her brother. Selena clapped a hand over her eyes.


    "Lena! Out!" Sam hissed at his sister.


    Well, that would explain why he was out so late after his gig. She was ninety-nine percent sure this image would forever brand itself into her mind.


    "Mom says breakfast is ready," Selena told him the message that led her to her current predicament.


    "Out!" Sam hissed at her, keeping his voice low.


    Selena smiled at her brother''s discomfort. She assumed her brother had snuck his little lady friend in through the window last night, which was very typical of Sam. He always considered himself sly, sneaking off to meet women after his gigs or at any hour of the night without their parents noticing. It seemed there was always a constant stream of women coming and going in his life.


    "She should probably leave the same way she came in," Selena told her brother, backing out of his room.


    She opened and uncovered her eyes; a box of condoms laid on the dresser in her direct vision. Selena reached her hand into the box, picked out a plastic wrapper, and threw it at her brother, who snatched it out of the air.


    "I''m too young to be an aunt." Were her parting words, and she closed her brother''s door.


    She shivered. Well, that was a way to kick off her morning, she guessed.


    Selena walked down the grey and white hallway, her fingers trailing the walls making her way to the kitchen. The delicious aroma of breakfast greeted her.


    "Did you wake him up?" Her mother, Cathryn King, asked her.


    "Not too sure if he needed much waking up," Selena muttered under her breath.


    "What?"


    Selena rolled her eyes. "Yeah, he''s up."


    Selena slid into her seat at the kitchen table and ran her hands down her face. Initially, she intended to sleep in until it was time for work, but her mother''s interruption and the unexpected encounter with her brother altered her plans for the day.


    A wave of dread that had been pestering her since she woke up washed over her. The darkness evoked the same sense of foreboding she experienced at thirteen, the time her family had moved.


    Her recollection of that night was foggy. She and Sam were sitting on the living room couch playing their PlayStation when her mother bursted through the front door in a frantic haste, the scent of ash cloying around her, searching for their father.


    After her mother found him they were given a total of like five minutes to pack their things. Selena didn''t think to pack some of her favorite books, thinking they would return to the house; they never did.


    "Selena," Cathryn said, snapping her out of her memories. "Did you hear me?"


    She shook her head, "No, sorry Mom."


    "Grandma sends her congratulations, but unfortunately, she won''t be able to make it today."


    Grandma Heather was her maternal grandmother. She lived up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which was about a six-hour drive from the King residence in Cedar Springs. Grandma never missed any of Sam''s and Selena''s events. She always made it to every competition, every birthday party, and all of Sam''s concerts. Selena would be lying if she didn''t admit that not having her grandmother at her high school graduation disappointed her. But Grandma was getting older, and with a six-hour drive one way, Selena didn''t fault her for sitting this one out.


    "Oh, well, I understand."


    "Could you go get your father from the office?" Cathryn asked her while turning off the burners on the stove. "Tell him breakfast is done."


    Selena nodded.


    Getting up from the table, Selena''s fingers began to tremble. She closed her hand into a fist. The muscle spasms worsened the closer she got to her father''s office. The dread rolled in her stomach, and for a split second Selena debated on telling her mother that she couldn''t get her father from the office.


    But that would only raise questions, and then what was she going to say?


    Sorry Mom, I can''t get dad because I keep shaking, and funnily enough I can''t shake this anxiety like feeling. It resembles that of the time we hastily left Las Vegas.


    Selena shook that notion out of her head. It would only panic her mother as she was very superstitious about things like that. Plus it was her graduation day, like hell she was going to miss it!


    She stopped in the open doorway of her dad''s office. He always kept the office cooler than the rest of the house. Not that Selena minded. She always preferred the cold. Sometimes, she would come into the office just to avoid the rest of her family if she was too stressed, letting the coolness of the room center her, calm her.


    Selena''s eyes scanned the walls. Her and Sam''s accomplishments covered every inch, with barely a hint of the wall''s purple color showing. The trophy cabinet overflowed. Her father packed every single trophy and award that she and her brother had won when they suddenly left Vegas. She asked her father once why he even bothered, but he just smiled at her, never really answering her question.


    She never made a second glance at the items decorating her father''s office. Perhaps today she was feeling sentimental. It was a turning point in her life after all.


    She noticed her dad wasn''t sitting at his desk. She walked inside, the typical smell of lemons and limes greeted her. The flashes of the black belts they had gotten in record time in Taekwondo were amongst the ribbons they each had gotten for fencing. The majority of the fencing ribbons were first-place awards, with a few second-place ones, with the twins only falling to one another.


    Selena smiled at the memory.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Up until they reached the age of being seperated by sex; they were so evenly matched that their competitions went on forever. The judges would either call it a tie or give Selena second place because the second letter of Sam''s name started with ''a'' and Selena''s with ''e'', which was unfair. Sam never let her forget his superior first-place record. Once, he called her the first-place loser, so she punched him in the face. Despite getting grounded for a week, seeing tears well up in his eyes from his broken nose and the despair on his face made it all worthwhile.


    She strode over to the trophy cabinet displaying the archery achievements.


    A charred odor floated from the cabinet.


    Selena frowned. That was odd, neither of her parents smoked. Her eyes drifted toward the window next to the cabinet. It was too early in the day for the neighbors to be starting a bonfire already, plus the window was shut they wouldn''t be able to smell it if they had.


    Her fingers tugged on the glass door, opening it and she nearly gagged at the smell. No longer contained, the odor ran rampant, and if Selena wasn''t standing infront of trophies, with no smoke, she would''ve sworn something was on fire.


    She plucked her state trophy up, and a white box embroidered in gold caught her attention. Selena had never seen it there before, not even when she rearranged the cabinet just a few months ago with her father to make space for her new award.


    "Lost in thought, Lena?" A voice asked.


    Selena placed the trophy back in the cabinet and closed the door, shutting in the charred smell and turned around to see her father, Aaron King, leaning against the door frame, arms crossed. She frowned at his appearance. Her father always prided himself on his polished appearance-his hair perfectly groomed and his clothes impeccably neat. Today, apparently,was a different story. Aaron''s tousled golden curls cascaded past his neck, looking like he ran his hand through his hair too many times. For whatever reason, he deigned to wear a navy blue polo shirt with grey sweatpants.


    "Just," she shrugged, "Reminiscing."


    Her father gave her a half smile. "I do that too sometimes." He nodded towards the two participation ribbons that hung above his computer. "Especially those."


    She rolled her eyes.


    At one point, she and Sam begged their parents to sign them up for baseball, a sport they were both abysmal at. After that one season, their parents differed on signing them up again.


    "You could say that fight will go down in our family''s history." Selena joked.


    "Sometimes I can still hear Sam''s consistent whining until we conceded." Aaron smiled, but it never made it to his eyes fully.


    "Yeah, because he still whines constantly."


    He went to sit back in his chair until Selena informed him that breakfast was ready. They walked back to the kitchen in silence. Her father''s demeanor this morning was throwing her off, and for some reason, her instinct was to run. Whatever he was worried about, to run from it. Her father never showed this. It made her want to listen, but she didn''t know what to run from.


    "What are you wearing?" Sam asked their dad once he took in his appearance.


    Aaron''s attention went to his clothes. Selena''s father''s eyes widened like he did not know what he was wearing until his son pointed it out. Selena slid next to her twin at the table.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t wear this to graduation." Aaron smiled at his son.


    Movement behind Aaron drew Selena''s attention to look out the window. A disheveled woman sprinted across their front yard, her hair wild as she hurried to the end of the street, undoubtedly waiting for an Uber. Selena caught Sam''s eyes following the woman, his gaze lingering until she disappeared from their yard.


    Sam pushed the eggs with his fork that laid in front of him. "You better not."


    Cathryn glanced to her left at her husband, and her smile tinged with concern. Selena directed her attention to her plate, not wanting her parents to see what she noted.


    What could possibly be stressing her dad out so much? It definitely wasn''t her going off to college; he practically pushed her to choose Central Michigan University for this fall. Is he worried about Sam? She had reservations about him entering the workforce directly instead of focusing on his music.


    "Lena." Her mother said sternly, cluing her in that she zoned out...again.


    Selena snapped her head up to look at her mom. "Yeah?"


    "I said, what time do you get out of work today?"


    Selena wracked her brain. "Four, I think."


    Cathryn looked at Sam. "Can you pick her up on your way to graduation? There''s no sense in taking three cars, and you two have to get there early, anyway."


    Sam toyed with his eggs, which Selena noticed he still hadn''t eaten. Was he feeling as anxious as she was?


    What had him feeling so anxious?


    What was she anxious about?


    ***


    The anxiety and dread that had slightly subsided when she arrived at work this morning came back in full force as she was clocking out for the day. As she sipped on her frozen Snickerdoodle, she felt a wave of nausea wash over her. The pit just kept getting deeper, darker.


    Selena stared out the window, waiting for her brother to show up. She noticed movement to her right, dragging her attention. A platinum-blond boy slid into the seat next to her.


    "Penny for your thoughts?" He asked.


    Selena looked at him. He possessed the same striking features that made Sam and her father so handsome. She had never seen hair as white as his before, nor had seen eyes quite that blue, sapphire blue. His eyes had a hooded shape, complemented by a straight nose, and his facial features were sharp yet with a softness to them. He sat with his arms folded across his chest, enhancing the impressive size of his already muscular arms. His strange blue eyes drew her in, compelling her to speak.


    "You ever have that feeling like something isn''t quite right, but you''re not sure what it is?"


    He assessed her body language. "Like you feel yourself preparing for a fight before you even know what the fight is?"


    Selena nodded at him. "Exactly."


    His silence lingered briefly before he uttered, "That''s the feeling I always trust."


    "Why?"


    The boy shrugged. "So far, that feeling has never steered me wrong. I found it had saved my ass more times than I can count." She nervously tapped her fingers on the table. "What about you?"


    "Huh?"


    "That feeling. Has it ever steered you wrong?"


    She stopped tapping her fingers.


    Had it? Her heightened anxiety always made her incredibly alert. Just like in her fencing and Taekwondo competitions, it helped her anticipate her opponent''s next move because she had already foresaw it.


    "Well no. It''s always been my greatest asset, truthfully. But in those situations, I knew what was before me, why I was so on edge. This, I have no idea what this feeling is about. I''m just graduating today!" She choked out the last part.


    Was that the root of her anxiety? The future? The unknown?


    "Listen. Listen to what your body is truly saying. Then follow what it says. If your instincts haven''t steered you wrong yet, I don''t see why it''ll start now."


    She gave him a grim smile. Easier said then done. She couldn''t even get a read on what was going on, nonetheless, to listen.


    The boy slid out of the seat, and jabbed a thumb over his shoulder to the front counter. "Do they have muffins here?"


    "Only coffee cake or blueberry." Selena replied, but his expression now blanched.


    She followed his gaze studying her left hand, cradling the frozen coffee.


    "What''s that?"


    "A frozen Snickerdoodle?" Selena said while raising her cup a little to show him.


    "No, I mean," He pointed his finger to her palm. "What''s on your hand?"


    What he spotted was a birthmark just two shades darker than her skin, of a crescent moon and three diamond shapes in the middle.


    "Oh, this?" Selena asked,, tipping her hand upward to show the mark a little clearer. "It''s just a birthmark. My twin has one like it, too."


    He arched an eyebrow. "You have a twin?"


    Sam must have heard his ears ringing because he pulled up right in front of the window, his subwoofers blaring some god-awful music, vibrating his blue Honda Accord.


    "There he is now." Selena stood up.


    Before her, the boy froze, seemingly lost in thought. His eyes, however, tracked her movement.


    "I''m Selena by the way."


    That must''ve knocked him out of his stupor. He gave her the biggest grin that sent butterflies through her.


    "Major."


    She pushed the cafe door open, causing the bell above the door to ring, and got into her brother''s sedan.


    Sam had his hand out. "You forgot this this morning. Had mom going haywire."


    She held her palm out, and he put the item into it. She felt the chain cool her hand. Her fingers curled, clasping the stone attached to the chain, and a wave of relief washed over her, lifting the weight of anxiety from her shoulders.


    She frowned. Was this what that boy meant by listening? Did this explain her edginess today? Because she forgot her necklace? She didn''t even remember taking it off last night.


    Even with the lacking anxiety and dread, the assessment felt wrong. She went to look for Major, but he had already vanished.

 II

    Samson King sensed that something terrible was going to happen today. He couldn''t tell if it was the after-effects of the drugs he snorted before his gig or the ones he smoked after it. He had met a girl during one of his pre-gig sessions. Although he couldn''t remember her name, she had been a blast while high but even more fun to ride. Nothing, however, could have prepared him for the embarrassment of his sister walking in on them this morning. He thought he locked the door when he got in. Though if one climbed in a bedroom via a window, they would probably forget to lock the door too¡ªespecially if they''re high and horny.


    After the drug haze had vanished and he sobered up, that anxious-dread-like feeling lingered. It didn''t help he had a dream about a lion-goat-snake-thing hybrid creature. The dream felt too real, like the dreams he usually had that ended up coming true. He remembers asking his parents about his dreams as a child, such vivid dreams coming true that day or the next. The color from his father''s face had drained, and his mother became more overbearing than ever. His parents then gifted him and Lena those black crystal necklaces.


    The instructions were simple: always to wear them or keep them nearby. Time turned the necklace into a crutch. Samson needed his crystal whenever his body tensed and his limbs tingled. Nights he would take the necklace off when he slept were the nights he had his dreams. The dreams weren''t too terrifying. He sometimes took off the necklace before a big test to see the results. It wasn''t cheating per se, but he always saw the correct answers in his dreams and remembered them during the test.


    Last night, he didn''t mean to fall asleep without his crystal. He removed it before showering, then forgot to put it back on before the gig. On the drive to school, he couldn''t shake the face of the mythical creature, even with his crystal on.


    Samson stole a quick glance at his sister, who remained silent during the entire ride to school. Lena never stayed quiet. Did she have a strange dream last night, too?


    For what Samson knew, Lena didn''t have weird dreams of the future, or at least had mentioned nothing about it to him. He brought it up to her once, but that was when they were eight, but nothing of it since he was given the crystal.


    Pulling into the school parking lot, Lena mumbled, "This is the last time we will be here."


    "Or so we hope." He shot his sister a grin.


    Lena smiled back at him, but it didn''t reach her eyes. Wherever Lena''s mind wandered off to hadn''t fully brought her back yet. Samson knew better than to push his sister; if it were something she wanted to talk to him about, she would''ve already brought it up. Neither twin moved when he parked. People in their class walked into the school. He gripped the stone on his necklace in his hand; it warmed to his touch, and he took a deep breath and opened the door.


    ***


    "Hey, Sam!" A voice called, catching Samson''s attention in the crowded gymnasium.


    He smiled as he recognized that voice. It belonged to Kyle; the drummer is Samson''s band.


    Samson made his way to the little huddle of his band members. He''d miss these people the most. The band had been a massive part of his life, and he was sad they decided to part ways. Since he was the lead singer and guitar player, he always could go solo. He was still mulling it over. His mother made him promise at least one year of working, and then he''d pursue his musical career.


    "That was some gig last night." Kyle winked and patted him on the back. "How was that groupie?"


    Darrin, the bass player, scoffed, "It was her first, and last gig, she ever attended, calling her a groupie is a stretch."


    "Oh please, you''re just upset that she chose our Sammy boy here over you. Speaking of that Darrin, how is the virgin life?"


    Darrin''s cheeks reddened and eyes flicked to Samson''s. The bass player coughed into his fist like he was clearing his throat. Samson tried not to tease his friend much about his lack of sex life as it easily flustered Darrin once it got brought up. Kyle, on the other hand, had no such regard.


    "Well Kyle, it''s not so hard when you''re the best looking one in the band." The corner of Samson''s mouth curled.


    Kyle rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, yes, we all know your superior golden looks have brought you more girls over the years."


    "It''s hard to say brought when they practically throw themselves at me."


    "King, Samson!" The principal called his name.


    Samson bid his friends farewell and went to grab his cap and gown. He meant to grab it earlier this week, but he got caught up with other things. Lena wanted to decorate their caps so they matched. He had rolled his eyes at her suggestion, but he agreed. The twins couldn''t have been more different if they tried. It was almost laughable how their features, personalities, and interests were complete polar opposites. Their father always called them two sides of the same coin.


    Now, standing in front of the locker room mirror, the long red gown and the plain graduation cap, he wished he had stopped at the school earlier in the week to grab the cap and have Lena decorate it. He just looked plain. And plain wasn''t quite the word people used to describe him. Samson tipped his cap at an angle to stand out. Some of his golden curls snuck out from under it.


    Samson exited the locker room and walked back into the gymnasium for the class photo before the class made their way out to the football field for the ceremony. An age-withered hand halted him. He dragged his eyes downward to the owner of the hand.


    Samson fought the urge to recoil from his old English teacher.


    Mrs. Dee gave Samson an assessing gaze. Kyle''s mother, who had her when she attended High School, had told him she had been beautiful in her youth, but years of dealing with teenagers must''ve been terrible for her skin; there wasn''t a blemish-free spot on her face. Grey streaked her pin straight black hair she always wore braided back. Her piercing blue-eyed stare studied his neck.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "No jewelry, mister King," Mrs. Dee said in her normal, unnaturally high-pitched tone.


    Samson stared back at her. No one had informed him about this. Why wouldn''t he be allowed to wear his necklace? He tucked the necklace under the gown, but Mrs. Dee let out a grunting sound to stop him.


    "Or I won''t be able to let you walk, mister King."


    Samson raised his eyebrows at her. He had to give her his necklace, or couldn''t walk at graduation? This was absurd! It was probably her last grab at authority toward him, as he knew she never particularly liked him or Lena for who knows why. Mrs. Dee had given him more detentions than he could count. He wasn''t any teacher''s favorite by any means, but the way Mrs. Dee always sneered at him, it was like he killed her cat.


    Samson reluctantly took off his necklace; for whatever reason she could make up to stop him from walking because he didn''t give her his necklace, she would do it.


    Her old, aged-spot hand wrapped around the black crystal tied around the chain. "Come seek me out after the ceremony."


    He scowled at her. Mrs. Dee either didn''t notice his expression or chose to ignore it. She walked away without saying another word, and he assumed she was off to harass another innocent bystander.


    "What did Mrs. Dee want?" Kyle asked, coming up next to Samson.


    "She wanted my necklace," Samson said in a hushed tone, his eyes following Mrs. Dee.


    The old hag of a teacher stepped in the way of his sister''s path. A look of shock spread across Lena''s face. Lena wasn''t one to argue with authority...well, at least not in a public setting, anyway. She slowly unclasped the necklace, the crease between her brow getting deeper.


    "Why?" Kyle asked.


    Samson''s eyes never left Mrs. Dee, who tucked Lena''s necklace into her purse. She left the gymnasium, not bothering to intercede any other students who might be wearing jewelry.


    Samson gritted his teeth and muttered, "I don''t know."


    ***


    Samson caught himself zoning out at least five times during the graduation ceremony, with speeches from their class valedictorian, salutatorian, student council president, student council vice president, and the student council treasurer for whatever reason. There were way too many people allowed to give speeches at this thing. Samson almost swore with gratitude for being able to stretch his legs when it came time to hand out the diplomas.


    "Be nice." Lena scolded behind him like she read his thoughts.


    Samson shot her a glare, knowing she was counting her blessings they were finally getting to the good part. The line inched closer to the stage, and the anxious-dread feeling he had all day grew in his gut.


    He nervously reached for his necklace before he caught himself, remembering Mrs. Dee had taken it.


    "Samson King!" Called principal Jones.


    Samson walked up the stairs, and Lena''s hand brushed his from behind, the dread coming in full-blown. With each step he took, his chest tightened. He fought the urge to vomit while shaking the principal''s hand after being given his diploma.


    "Selena Ki¡ª"


    The stage exploded into flames. Samson was hurled into the podium Principal Jones stood at by the force, his head colliding with the corner of the structure. The sounds of the spectators'' screaming rang in his ears. Silhouettes of people pushing past each other shadowed in the flames.


    Samson stood to his feet, and stars blurred his vision. His gaze swept the area where Lena had been standing, but now the stage was empty except for him.


    "Lena!" He called, voice rasp.


    Samson let out a smoke-inhaled cough. Attempting to walk, he swayed on his feet. He needed off this stage, the lack of oxygen was going to kill him, and he be damned if he was going to die before he became a rockstar.


    "Selena!" He wheezed.


    Samson forced himself to the stage''s stairs and swayed every so often from the lack of oxygen and violent coughing. Instinctively, he threw out a hand to steady himself, but flames engulfed the handle. His eyes widened; he felt nothing. No heat, no pain, nor was there any scarring or bubbling appearing on his hand for touching the fire.


    It must be from the adrenaline. He reasoned while making down the steps.


    "Selena!"


    Emerging from the fiery inferno, absolute pandemonium greeted Samson on the field. Families fought to find one another, and people ran to get out and into the parking lot on the opposite side of the school. He saw the fire truck''s sirens, but his ears continued to ring.


    Samson wanted to let out a scream, but only a hoarse whisper escaped his lips, "Selena!"


    Where are you? He thought.


    Sam!


    Great, and now he was hearing things.


    Samson!


    Samson''s head snapped right; his eyes focused on the bleacher seats from the ceremony. Sprawled on the polyurethane of the track, Lena''s head rested on the metal seat of the bench.


    He ran to his sister.


    "Lena!" Samson called to her. "Are you alright?"


    Lena reached out to him. Samson caught her arms to help lift her up; she swayed on her feet. He placed a hand on her back to help steady her. Lena''s silver eyes were bloodshot; blood coated her forehead.


    Lena coughed and asked, "What happened?"


    Samson shook his head at his sister. "I don''t know. I was leaving the stage when the fire came out of nowhere."


    Lena''s eyes met his. "It was like¡ª" she shook her head. "Do you know where Mom and Dad are?" Her voice was hoarse, like she, too, had undergone a fit of coughs from the smoke inhalation.


    Samson''s eyes scanned the stadium bleachers, once filled with spectators. People scattered, reigning chaos, calling out to one another in a frantic attempt to find safety. He only saw one person sitting on top, completely still. The wind blew his platinum hair out of his face watching the situation unfold before him. Samson swore the boy was looking at Lena.


    "I don''t see them," Samson said, his attention returning to his sister. "Did you know where they were sitting?"


    Lena jerked her head and let out a hiss, pressing the heel of her left palm to her forehead. "I saw them just about to get onto the stadium bleachers while we were walking out before the ceremony started."


    The stage collapsed, and Samson''s eyes narrowed. The heat surged toward the twins, causing Lena to wince. He shielded his sister, positioning himself between her and the flames. The heat grounded him.


    "We need to go find them," Lena said through gritted teeth.


    Samson nodded. "Can you walk?"


    Lena shrugged but groaned at the slight movement.


    Samson bit his lip. What were the signs of a concussion, again? Was painful sudden movements one of them?


    He needed to get her to a paramedic or a fireman he was sure were either on their way or already in the school parking lot. He threw her arm around his neck. She gave him a small smile, palm still pressed to her forehead, leaning into him, and they limped toward the parking lot.


    Lena stopped dead in her tracks. "What was that?"


    Samson glanced at his twin. "We need to get going."


    He tried pulling her along, but she put all her weight on her feet to prevent him from moving.


    "Did you hear that?"


    Irritation flowed through him. They needed to leave. They didn''t have time for Lena''s overactive imagination. Samson snapped his head behind them to see what she was talking about.


    Lena turned around with him, her arm falling from his shoulder.


    Samson sucked in his breath and his blood ran cold.


    Emerging from the flames'' shadow, a lion-like creature appeared; a goat''s head and neck sprouted from its left shoulder. Its tail swayed back and forth, and Samson swore it had a snake''s head. He bristled.


    Fire shot out of the goat''s mouth into an empty space in the air. An icy wave of fear reverberated down Samson''s spine. The creature he had dreamed was real and heading straight towards him and Lena.


    The lion''s gaze fixed on Samson; its lips curled upward.

 III

    The chimera exited the flames engulfing the school and stalked toward Selena and the golden-haired boy. When Major met her earlier, she mentioned she had a twin. Could that be him? His golden hair offset his sister¡¯s black, one would barely think they were related off those features alone. Though, Major had seen twins with those same exact features before.


    He had spotted the mark of Artemis on her hand back at the cafe and if she was the one he was looking for, then no doubt her twin was Marked as well. He sat unmoving, watching the scene before him the best he could. People were still running around in the chaos, sporadically blocking his view.


    If they were indeed the twins Major had been sent to find, then the chimera would pose no threat. The golden-haired boy took in most of the flames during the explosion of the stage. Now they stood in front of the Chimera, frozen in complete shock, like they had never seen a Greek monster before, as if it was their first.


    This wasn¡¯t Major¡¯s first, not by a long shot. He remembered his first monster vividly, the one his father had sent out when he had just started his training at thirteen. It wasn¡¯t a mere Stymphalian Bird; no, Zeus didn¡¯t partake with lesser monsters. If his sons Perseus and Heracles became legendary heroes without the Mark of Zeus, then Major could be more, so he sent out the Nemean Lion freshly recovered from the depths of the Underworld. Major had almost died, but out of pure dumb luck, he summoned lighting, and fried the monster like a chicken. He couldn¡¯t remember much of what had happened after that, having to spend at least three days unconscious in the infirmary, since wielding that much power, especially for the first time, put a significant strain on his body.


    His eyes followed the twins backing away from the approaching chimera. Major supposed those two down there were the twins. Monsters only targeted those they were sent for, and since it stalked only toward them, ignoring anyone else that ran right past it, and because the twins could see it, it meant they must be of at least demigod origin.


    Were they not trained then? Did Apollo send his children to damnation by hiding them from Zeus? Did he honestly think he could¡¯ve kept his Marked twins hidden from the world forever, full well knowing Zeus wanted them? The twins still stood there, petrified, in front of the monster. Major rolled his eyes and let out a grunt. Guess it was true then.


    Major slowly rose to his feet. Would they fight? If they were the twins he needed then some primitive reaction of theirs would be to fight; it was how they were wired, a demigod characteristic, so to speak.


    His hand rested on the pommel of his sword that sat sheathed on his left hip. Major could just let them face the chimera themselves. Sink or swim. Prove to him they were worth the never-ending search his father put him up to for the past two years. He never once thought they¡¯d be so normal, so untrained.


    He leaned against the back of the stadium bleachers. Major wished he possessed preternatural hearing or even lip-reading would do. The best he had was the reading of the body language, which didn¡¯t help him much. The twins were breathing hard, and their bodies were rigid. They were both ready to flee or fight the beast, and he didn¡¯t know either sibling, so his guess was as good as theirs at what they would do.


    Major scanned where they stood, still being approached by the chimera¡ªless than ten feet away¡ªane their environment lacked a weapon, even if they hadn¡¯t been trained, a weapon would still be useful.


    He white-knuckled the pommel of his sword and bit his lip. He didn¡¯t want to intervene, not yet.


    The golden-haired boy pushed his sister out of the way, and he laid a roundhouse kick straight to the chimera¡¯s lion face.


    Selena ran to the end of the bleachers where a single metal chair laid on the ground. She called something to her brother, sliding it to the ground between them.


    Major smiled, so not untrained after all. They definitely had the demigod fight instinct.


    The boy grabbed the folded metal chair laying at his feet. With a swift motion, he swung it at the lion¡¯s face. The chimera let out a deafening roar and charged at the boy. Selena remained crouched next to the side of the field bleachers, she let out a deafening scream and grabbed her face in her hand. Major had seen Selena get flung across the stairs and into the bleachers during the explosion, her head making contact first with the metal; he could¡¯ve sworn she had been knocked unconscious for at least a few moments.


    The chimera lunged for the boy twin, and he dodged it once more. Selena went to move to her brother, but fell, her hands reaching out to catch herself. Perhaps whatever adrenaline she had to make the movement to get that chair to her brother evaporated.


    Major turned his attention away from Selena, and back to her twin with the chimera. Who once again smacked the beast with the chair to the face. The chimera lifted its left paw and slashed at him. The boy raised the chair to defend against the attack, and the chimera¡¯s claws shredded right through it. Leaving the metal chair in shreds and his only defense ruined.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The goat''s head let loose another set of flames directed at the boy and opened its mouth. The flames evaporated around the boy, leaving him untouched.


    Major frowned. That¡¯s interesting. He had been told that the boy may have preternatural healing, but nothing about absorbing fire.


    The chimera swiped with its right paw at the gold-haired boy. He raised his right arm up to defend himself, and the Chimera¡¯s claws shredded through his graduation gown and his skin like paper. The boy let out a blood-curdling scream.


    Major sighed.


    It looks like he needed to intervene, after all. These two had some training but were more than likely going to get themselves killed. Which happened to be the exact opposite of the reason why his father had sent to retrieve them in the first place, and if he showed up with the news that the twins had died, and he stood idly by and watched it happen...well, he would probably end up dead too.


    ***


    Selena¡¯s vision blurred; her throat was raw from screaming. She commanded her body to move, to help Sam, but it wouldn¡¯t obey. She could only watch in horror as the creature approached her brother. The goat¡¯s head wheezed fire from its mouth, encircling them completely.


    Sam backed up, but his feet stumbled, and he fell backward, and the creature lunged for him.


    Selena closed her eyes. Cowardice or not, she didn¡¯t feel like watching her brother become a lion¡¯s snack.


    This is all just an illusion. She rationalized to herself. This is just a hallucination due to hitting my head.


    Yeah. That was a reasonable enough answer. Sure as hell made more sense than what was before her eyes moments ago.


    A blistering rush of wind interwoven with the smell of burning wood tousled her hair. Selena gulped down a smoke ridden breath before slowly opening her eyes.


    The boy from the coffee shop stood in front of her brother, and the creature, hands-on top and bottom of its snout to prevent it from closing. He smiled, the wind blowing in his shaggy platinum hair, and he pushed the beast back. Her brother looked at Major with the widest eyes she had ever seen anyone give. She made to move again, but the pain in her head yielded her to stop.


    ¡°What...who...huh?¡± Sam stuttered.


    Major didn¡¯t look back at him; his eyes never left that creature that lay before him. Its eyes widened bulged like it did not expect Major to get in the middle between it and Sam either. How did Major get in between the creature and Sam? Why was Major here?


    ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± Major asked her brother.


    His face was calm, as if he weren¡¯t looking at a lion-goat-snake creature.


    ¡°What?¡± Sam asked in disbelief while rising to his feet.


    The creature shook off Major. Now with his hands free Major unsheathed the sword laying in a blue and white scabbard. Revealing a double-edged blade at least half his height, the sword glistened in the light of the flames. The left side of the blade shimmered and shone with something of a diamond-like substance, and on the right side, a golden bronze was lit up by the light of the flames.


    Major stared at the monster and flexed his free hand. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡±


    Sam scrambled to his feet and peered over Major¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s from my dreams.¡±


    Selena raised her head up at that. What did he mean from his dreams? She knew he had vivid deja vu like dreams before in the past, but that was to the extent. Selena¡¯s head throbbed again, and she stifled a groan.


    ¡°Go help your sister,¡± Major instructed Sam.


    Selena wanted to tell them she was fine and to focus on the monster, who now looked even angrier at Major than it ever did to Sam, but the words never came.


    Sam heeded the order and slowly walked behind Major, making his way to her, cradling his arm that the monster had attacked. The beast followed Sam with its eyes.


    Then it smiled, and Selena braced herself for another round of flames. It opened its mouth directly toward Sam, but Major struck it instead. The sword sliced through the monster¡¯s shoulder.


    It roared, and Major let out a hiss, like attacking its shoulder wasn¡¯t the original target. The goat¡¯s head turned around to face Major, and flames shot out of its mouth at him. Major dropped to the ground, narrowly missing the flames. He stood back up and twirled the sword in his hand tauntingly. Like being shot at with a stream of flames wasn¡¯t challenging enough for him.


    The monster read the taunt and lunged at him again. Its snake tail-head snapped its jaws as if it needed something to stick its fangs into. Major swung the sword at the beast, and the snake head intercepted its path biting down on the blade, snagging it from Major¡¯s hands. The snake whipped the blade to Major¡¯s left, skidding across the field, and landing right in front of Selena.


    ¡°Fuck.¡± Major cursed.


    The monster lifted its right paw and swiped at Major, claws extending. Major easily moved out of its trajectory; Selena had never seen someone move with so much grace. It looked like the monster and Major were dancing. It kept swiping at him, alternating claws, and Major kept evading its lethal strikes.


    Sam stood before her, blocking her vision of the battle.


    ¡°Get up,¡± He hissed. ¡°We need to go!¡±


    Sam hauled her up from her underarms. Selena rose to her feet and swayed, her legs trembling. She leaned against her brother for support.


    The monster made a guttural growl, and both twins snapped their attention back to the fight taking place. She couldn¡¯t see much now that she was standing, due to the smoke engulfing the field, but she could easily distinguish where Major and that monster was...or were. Only Major remained, the monster vanished.


    ¡°Behind you!¡± Major shouted.


    Claws pierced her back before she could do anything. Her face slammed into a rock on the ground, and she let out a cry.


    Flashes of red hot pain pulsated through her face and torso.


    The monster kept its claw on her back, pushing down with its weight, pinning her there, crushing her lungs. She heard Sam persistently kicking its lion¡¯s head to lessen its hold on her.


    This is how I¡¯m going to die. She thought, feeling completely and utterly helpless.


    Selena¡¯s squeezed her eyes shut, focused on trying to breathe and not on the potential of dying.


    Footsteps slapped against the track. The blood from the monster¡¯s injured shoulder dripped on her face while it pinned her down; even in this weird near-death position, she tried not to gag.


    Something crackled and the slice of a sword pierced through flesh and muscle. The monster¡¯s lion head tumbled to the ground, blood splattered across her face. Opening her eyes they looked straight into the unseeing one¡¯s of a lion.

 IV

    Selena was in shock. Or at least that''s what she deemed it to be. Her ears rang, and she couldn''t make herself speak. Selena could only make eye contact with the dead lion''s eyes. Sam helped raise her to her feet, eyes never leaving those lifeless ones before her. She leaned against her brother, and she felt the vibrations of his voice as he talked to Major, guiding them to wherever he had in mind. She couldn''t see Major¡ªnot like she was looking, as those dark, lifeless eyes held her in a trance. The blaring sirens and flashing lights of the ambulances and fire trucks in the parking lot jolted her out of it.


    Selena hobbled her way, mostly leaning on Sam, to the ambulance. The wound in her back made moving excruciating, and she bit back screams. The paramedics who spotted her and her twin hurried over to them. She could only imagine what she looked like, with the monster''s blood covering her face; she assumed she looked a lot like Sam, but worse. Out on the field, she was certain they were going to die, but her mind couldn''t currently comprehend all the order of events that occurred. The only thing that mattered was that she and Sam had made it out alive.


    The female paramedic who got to them first wrapped one arm around Selena''s waist to help Sam get her to the ambulance. Her brother''s body locked up in a defensive position, and his grip on her tightened like the paramedic was here to attack them, too.


    They made their way to the unoccupied ambulance, Selena sat in the bay, shivering. She did not realize how cold she was after being in the inferno circle.


    Paramedics took Sam away and hauled him elsewhere.


    A heated blanket draped over her shoulders; and her body relaxed in relief. Selena looked up to see the female paramedic give her a concerned smile and handed her an oxygen mask. Selena took it from her and slowly inhaled. The throb of her head slowly went away with each electrifying breath of pure oxygen shooting into her system. She closed her eyes and just breathed.


    "Do you mind if I take a look?" A deep voice asked.


    Selena''s eyes shot open to see another paramedic, this time a male, come over to her.


    "Your head looks terrible. I am going to check you for a concussion. Is that okay?"


    She nodded to him. He held up his forefinger and flashed a finger-width flashlight into her eyes. After he finished, he handed her a water bottle.


    "No concussion." The paramedic told her. "Does anything else hurt?"


    "My back." Selena croaked pulling the heated blanket off of her shoulders.


    The paramedic walked beside her and gently leaned in to examine her. He ran a gloved finger down the claw marks, and she couldn''t help but tense at the touch of the fabric against her sore wound. When he pulled away and looked at him, his glove was spotless, not a drop of blood on it. She tried to rein in her shock. She didn''t make up what happened did she? A phantom pain of the claws tearing through her back made her body go rigid.


    No, she definitely didn''t imagine the whole thing.


    "Your back seems to be a little bruised, but fine. I''ll get Juarez to give you some ice for it."


    The paramedic gave her a small smile, and placed the blanket back over her shoulders before he left. Selena took in another clean breath of oxygen from the mask, and the pain in her back dimmed. Footsteps approached her again, to the left of the ambulance. Her eyes snapped to the sound, and Sam loomed. He was no longer limping like when they first sauntered in. Her muscles released the tension in her body at seeing her brother in better condition.


    "You look disgusting." He gave her a small smile that did not reach his eyes.


    He took the water bottle from her hands and chugged it.


    Selena glanced down at the blood-soaked sleeves of her formally white gown. Well, at least it only had to be worn once. Sam sat down next to her. She offered him the mask of oxygen, but he waved it off. Soot still covered his face, which oddly enough accented his eyes more than his sun-tanned skin.


    "So." He started, "Do you wanna try to explain what just happened, or should I?"


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    Selena shook her head. She was still trying to work that out for herself. Sam had said he saw that thing in his dreams. In fact, it looked quite familiar to her too, like she saw a drawing of it somewhere.


    But she couldn''t answer his question any better than he could, so instead, she asked, "Where''s Major?"


    "Who?"


    Selena took another deep breath from the oxygen mask before she continued. Her fingers shook slightly.


    "That boy who saved us."


    She whipped her head side-to-side, searching for that head of platinum hair.


    "Do you know him?"


    She gripped the ends of the blanket at her shoulders. "Sort of; I met him at Biggby today while you were running late. He noticed I was anxious and told me whatever was bothering me, I should trust my instincts, especially if they had never led me wrong before in the past."


    Samson shook his head at her story. "Do you think he knew about the attack today?"


    "I don''t know, but he seemed interested in this." She laid her left palm open, exposing her moon and diamond birthmark.


    Sam scrunched his face. "Why was he interested in that?" He asked, placing his right palm up, examining his own odd-shaped birthmark.


    Like her, Sam''s birthmark was two shades darker than his actual skin, just enough where it could stick out but remain inconspicuous. Unlike her, Sam''s mark was of a sun, but had the same three diamond-shaped stars in the middle.


    "I don''t know. Do you think this all was a coincidence? I mean, first, this meeting with this stranger who tells me to trust my gut instinct that it''s never wrong like he knows me, and then the same stranger reappears and saves our asses from this monster. A monster you have dreamt about and didn''t bother telling me." She reined in her bitterness of the last part.


    "I don''t even know what that thing was."


    "The chimera." A voice said to their right.


    Both twins snapped their heads to see Major leaning against the side of the ambulance. How long had he been there for? What did he hear?


    "The what-a?" Sam asked, the surprise on his face like hers.


    Major pushed off the shoulder, leaned against the ambulance and now stood before them, arms crossed. Selena took note of his impressive height. Major stood a couple of inches taller than Sam, but his muscles dwarfed her brother''s. Where Sam had a lean build, Major was definitely on the bulkier. She had noticed it back at Biggby, but after seeing those muscles in action, she couldn''t stop staring at them. He was beautiful in every way of the word.


    "Did no one teach you anything?" He asked, his voice cold.


    "You''re at our graduation. Obviously, we were taught something." Selena snapped at him.


    His brows raised in surprise by her retort. Selena lifted the mask to her face again. Unlike the twins, Major remained free of soot and the chimera''s blood. And what really irritated her was that his hair, ending at the nape of his neck, barely looked disheveled, like he didn''t just face off a lion-goat-snake monster.


    "That," He nudged his head toward the football field. "Was the chimera, though it hasn''t been seen since Bellerophon slayed it in the Trojan War."


    The twins look at each other, confusion sketched on both their faces.


    "The Trojan War?" Sam asked.


    "Like from Greek mythology?" Selena''s voice cracked at the last word.


    Major stared down his nose at the twins. "Not myths, but yes. The one the stories talk about."


    Sam ran a hand through his soot-covered hair. "But that''s what it was a story. You know, not real."


    "Would you consider what just happened as ''not real''?" He air quoted the last phrase. "Though I will admit mortals have put their own spins on things, as they are a bit more dramatized than the truth."


    Selena inhaled again through the mask she brought to her face.


    Sam shook his head. "But they''re fake."


    Major''s eyes narrowed. "Did that feel fake to you?"


    Her brother examined his once-injured arm; now, a shredded sleeve the only remnant. His skin was perfect, with no scar, no scab, and maybe some dried blood from the old wound, but that was it. "Sort of."


    Major also looked at Sam''s arm, his expression slack.


    "You aren''t normal," Major said, making eye contact with Sam.


    "Well, that''s rude." Sam scoffed.


    Major sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Like this wasn''t going how he had planned...what exactly did he have planned?


    "Did you send the Chimera?" Selena slowly asked.


    The coincidences were too close to be coincidences, he had something to do with that thing. With the burning down of the school. With the injuries or deaths of innocents here today.


    Deaths.


    Selena flinched.


    Had anyone died? It seemed likely, but with everything still in complete chaos; there was no way of telling. Maybe if she braved the reality of the world''s current state, she''d turn on the news when she got home and find out. She doubted any of the first responders here would tell her anything.


    "No." Said Major flatly.


    "Do you know who did?" Sam asked.


    "Potentially," Major said, rubbing his jaw.


    Selena inhaled one last breath from the mask and sat it beside her. It no longer hurt to breathe, and everything that was injured or sore during the attack faded.


    "Do you know why it attacked?" Asked Selena.


    Major''s sapphire blue eyes met hers, and then they drifted low. Right down to her left palm, which she still had laid open on her thigh. She clenched her hand into a fist at his gaze. His eyes drifted over to Sam, but his right hand was already lying face down on the ambulance bay they sat at, using it to hold up his weight.


    "Yes," Major said slowly, again making eye contact with Sam. "It was looking for you." He glanced back at Selena. "Both of you."

 V

    Samson decided he must be hallucinating; maybe the shrooms he and his band took last night were still in his system. It was the only logical explanation for everything that had transpired in the past hour.


    His and Lena''s shredded graduation gowns were the single remnant of evidence that something out of the ordinary had occurred. Aside from the shredded sleeve, his arm showed no indication of injury, and Lena''s back was the same. Now, this stranger was telling them that this chimera-thing had been after them.


    Samson shook his head in confusion. "I''m sorry, what?"


    The stranger¨CLena had called him Major¨Ccrossed his arms again and shifted on his feet, his brow furrowed. "The chimera wanted you two."


    To Samson''s left, Lena was uncharacteristically quiet.


    "Why?" Samson asked in a small voice.


    Major bit his lip like he wasn''t exactly sure how to explain this situation better. "Because you''re demigods." He gestured towards Lena''s clenched left hand resting in her lap. "Marked demigods, to be exact."


    Lena ran a hand through her hair and let out a breath. "Demigods? Like children of gods?"


    Major nodded.


    Samson''s attention shifted to his sister. Her eyes narrowed into slits, lost in thought, her gaze fixed on the now silent flashing lights illuminating the red shadows on her face. He remained quiet.


    "And that thing¡ªchimera," she corrected herself. "Was after us because we are children of a god?"


    Major nodded again.


    Lena''s eyes snapped toward Major''s face; anger in her own. "And what insane asylum did you escape from today?"


    "I am not insane." Major snarled at her. "You¡ªyou both are the children of Apollo."


    "The Greek god of the sun?" Lena scoffed. "We also won the lottery the other night and are now multi-millionaires." She flicked her arms up in emphasis on the craziness of the implication.


    "Our father is Aaron King." Samson stated.


    Major kept his eyes on Lena''s, and she his, but he spoke to Samson. "He may have raised you and helped hide you, but Apollo is the one who sired you."


    Samson rolled his eyes. Major was delusional.


    Memories of his father buying him his first guitar flashed through his mind''s eye. Samson had been fascinated with all types of musical instruments for as long as he could remember. He always bugged his parents to let him take guitar lessons¡ªor any sort of musical lessons at all, Samson just wanted to get his hands on anything that could make music. His mother always put a halt to it, claimed that they were already too busy.


    That was until his father decided on his tenth birthday it was time to get Samson what he wanted. Aaron took him to a music store, and let Samson touch and test every single instrument in the shop. Nothing held a stronger pull on Samson like the guitars. There was just something about strumming the strings that resonated with Samson, like that was what he was meant to be doing. Strumming strings.


    His father''s eyes never shone with pride as much as it did that day with Samson.


    Now this stranger claimed that Aaron King wasn''t his father, but some god was...


    Samson didn''t care if he was right about the monster being the chimera from Greek mythology and was in fact real, like he said. Major was not right about this.


    "That''s a bunch of bullshit." Lena spat.


    Major shrugged. "Only demigods can see past the glamour that surrounds the monsters¡ªyou two, and myself, obviously, saw the Chimera." He pointed at Samson''s shredded sleeve. "It also attacked you. Meaning you''re Marked."


    Samson''s brow rose in question.


    Sure, he heard of demigods and the myths surrounding them; they''re children of gods or goddesses and humans, making them half-god and half-human in at least some stories, but none of them mentioned being Marked. Or maybe they had? The only story he knew somewhat well was The Odyssey, and that''s because his literature class had studied it.


    "What does that mean?" Samson asked.


    Major took his eyes off Lena and looked at Samson. "A demigod does not acquire their godly parents'' powers; yes, they gain some supernatural-like abilities from their parents; most notable are those who are special in a certain ability," Samson noted that Major nervously flicked his hand around while he talked. "Like Amelia Earhart was the daughter of Zeus, Marilyn Monroe was Aphrodite''s daughter, and George Washington was the son of Ares."


    Samson at least recognized the names of the Greek gods Major spoke of.


    "Though if they knew of their natural lineage or not," Major shrugged. "I don''t know, but it''s doubtful." Major shifted his weight between his feet nervously on the next part. "Marked demigods, however, receive all of their patron''s powers."


    "And you somehow believe Samson and I are like them?" Lena rolled her eyes. "Aaron King is our father."


    Major held out his arm, his palm facing toward them, and made a circular motion with his hand. "Obviously not."


    Samson heeded the mark on the pad of Major''s thumb, the exact spot where his and Lena''s birthmarks lay.


    A lightning bolt. Lena must''ve noticed it, too, because she looked at Samson, eyes concerned.


    "Where are Mom and Dad?" she asked.


    Samson looked up. He went to find them after he dropped Lena off with the paramedics by the ambulance, but the paramedics insisted on looking at him, even though he kept explaining he was alright. And lo-and-behold, he was right. There was nothing wrong with him at all, even with one of his classmates, Olivia Benson, who had walked by frantically informing the paramedics that he was the one on the stage during the explosion.


    "I haven''t seen them," Samson told her.


    Lena jumped to her feet, all thoughts of Major and his information eddied out of her mind. Samson flung out his arm, attempting to steady her from the fast movement, but even Lena acted like she healed from the blow to her head.


    "We need to find them."


    She went to go past Major, but he gripped her arm. Samson shot to his feet at that movement, jaw clenched. Heat tingled his hands.


    "Let go," Lena said slowly through gritted teeth.


    Samson knew that tone had been on the receiving end of that tone, and his body flinched out of pure instinct.


    "I still need to talk to you both," Major insisted, pulling on her elbow leading her back to the ambulance.


    "Let. Go." Lena said icily.


    Samson smiled; if Major did not let her go, he was about to learn the hard way what Lena could do when someone got in her way. Samson had seen her take down men twice her size without her being provoked; he could only imagine what would be in store for Major.


    Major sensed this as well and pulled his hand away, and if Samson couldn''t tell any better, it almost looked like he winced in pain. Samson followed his sister, passing Major and shooting a glare at the other boy.


    They searched the area for what felt like twenty minutes, with no sign of their parents. An ambulance pulled out of the parking lot, revealing his sister staring down at her phone.


    "Do you think he''s right?" Lena asked, hearing Samson approach.


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    Samson ran a hand through his hair. "I- uh, don''t know." He glanced over to the now lesser flame of the school. "I feel like if Dad wasn''t our actual dad, then they would''ve told us, you know?" Samson shrugged. "But I also know that the last hour has felt like a scene straight out of a fantasy movie."


    Lena glanced up from her phone, her silver eyes glazed. "I did catch a few of our classmates talking about the explosion and the randomness. The favored conclusion was there was some sort of electrical mishap. No one mentioned the monster straight from mythology."


    "But if what Major said about the chimera was right, only demigods could see it, and it was after us..."


    "Then it''d mean he''s right." Lena glanced down at her palm. "That we''re not just demigods, we''re Marked, and we have powers¡ªwhatever that''s supposed to mean."


    Samson raised up his once shredded, now fully healed arm, "I''m inclined to agree with him." He nodded his head toward the direction of her back.


    Lena sighed and began walking back to the way they left Major.


    "First things first, we need to find Mom and Dad to make sure they''re okay," Lena said.


    Samson hummed in agreement.


    "Then we figure out this whole demigod thing and see if there''s any truth to it."


    Samson hummed once more.


    Major approached the twins, and Lena halted abruptly, causing Samson to nearly run her over. His sister put her right hand on her hip and pointed with her left finger.


    "You." She said. "Are coming with us."


    Major raised his brow in question at her, whether to inquire "where to" or that she had the audacity to address him with that tone.


    "You''re the only one with a pointy metal thing, and we might need it if what you say is true."


    ***


    Well...that didn''t go the way Major had wanted it to.


    He didn''t mean to blow up on Selena, but something in her tone eradicated his self-control and had him snapping at her. Her voice had a sneer and her gaze burrowed into him. He couldn''t quite put his finger on it, but it all just got under his skin. His fingers still felt the strange frostbite sensation of grabbing onto her arm to stop her from leaving and to hear him out. Selena then demanded Major come with them back to their house to see if their parents had made their way back there. He silently agreed.


    Whatever he needed to do to convince them that their father wasn''t actually their father, and to come back with him to Olympus, he''d do that. And starting at their house to exploit the answers seemed like a logical reason.


    Selena took the seat next to Samson, and Major slid into the back of the car. He saw them communicate silently together, only picking up on a hint of a word here and there, but not much to get the context.


    "What the hell?" Samson mumbled, pulling into a driveway.


    Major turned his attention from the passenger window to the windshield in front of them. The house whose driveway they pulled into looked pedestrian, except for the door off its hinges. Both twins swiftly exited the car, barely waiting until they parked. When Major stepped out, he scrunched up his nose. The house reeked of the lemon-lime stench of magic.


    Major looked at the door now on the ground covered in claw marks. Samson swore. Major followed the twins, who slowly went into their house. Inside did not look much better.


    Stuffing from the couch filled the living room. Absolutely everything that could be broken was. Major walked over to the wall with claw marks on it. The markings were the size of harpy talons.


    He traced the indents on the wall and his fingertips grazed something wet.


    Major touched the pads of his fingers together. The substance had a thicker consistency than water. He pulled his fingers apart, and it was stickier.


    Blood.


    He stared at the burgundy colored walls, several splotches of blood were hidden in the color. Major doubted either twin would notice without closely examining it.


    Is this human or Harpy blood? Major asked himself.


    The condition of the house told him that there was at least a fight, and when monsters die their carcases disappear back to Tartarus within fifteen minutes. He rubbed the blood between his fingers. Harpies do bleed red, it could more than well be the vulture hybrids blood, or it could be the King parents''...


    He wiped the blood coating his fingers on his jeans.


    Samson and Selena both looked at him from the entryway, where they still stood, eyes bulging.


    "Harpies were here." Major explained.


    They were hunting for something or someone. He started walking around the house. Glass, broken wood, and furniture stuffing covered every spot on the floor. Until he got to the back of the house. A single closed door stood perfectly intact. Major sniffed and almost gagged. The magic must have been performed in this room.


    He walked to the door to open it, but the handle wouldn''t move. Major jiggled the handle again, this time a bit harder. He pushed against it, and it still wouldn''t move. He kicked at the door, letting out a growl, but it stayed shut.


    "Samson! Selena!" He called for the twins.


    It took them a while to make their way to him. Their grim faces reflected the weight of the damage to their home, like they were absorbing everything.


    "It won''t open." He jiggled the door handle again.


    The twins looked at each other.


    "That''s dad''s office," Samson said.


    The Olympians always assumed some sort of sorcery had been used to conceal the twins from Olympus. His father even accused Hecate of helping to hide them from him, but she also helped with the search. A ping of their energy would show up on the map in the council room every now and again, but it would disappear as quickly as it appeared.


    The realization struck Major like an arrow.


    Aaron King must be a sorcerer who worshiped Hecate. The door remained untouched; the only plausible explanation was that it was protected with magic. If Aaron King could conjure up something like this, it''s no surprise that the twins remained hidden for so long.


    Major spit on the ground in frustration. Without the original caster, they had no chance of getting into that room. Unless...


    "Open the door," Major told the twins.


    They looked at each other, exchanging in a silent conversation.


    "So are you going to open the door or you just going to stand there for the rest of the day looking at each other?" Major snapped.


    Selena stepped forward and made her way to the door. She grabbed the handle, her hand trembling.


    She pushed the handle down and the door opened.


    His guess was right. Aaron King used blood magic on the door. That''s why it remained untouched. Even the monsters couldn''t penetrate its defenses. The entire house could burn down, and that room would remain intact. That''s why this house had reeked of magic, Aaron King was an extremely powerful sorcerer.


    Guess it confirmed that the blood on the walls didn''t belong to Aaron King. Or it meant that he tied his magic to the twins. A probable scenario considering the great lengths he and Cathryn took to protect them from this exact scenario.


    Selena remained in front of Major, dumbstruck, looking at her hand. He pushed past her and walked into the room. The air exuded a chill that set it apart from the rest of the house. Cold nipped at his skin, and he shivered.


    By his surroundings, Apollo did not leave his children untrained by not bringing them to Olympus. From what he saw with the chimera, their training still lacked what he and the other Marked¨Cwho were back at Olympus,¡ªhad undergone, but the twins were not untrained.


    On the desk by the computer sat an ornate picture frame. The golden oak embroidered the family picture. Major picked it up, his fingers lazily tracing the lines of the embroidery. The photo looked to be at least ten years old, showing the smiling twins missing their front teeth. Standing next to the little Samson in the photo, must be the twins'' mother¡ªCathryn King, Zeus had informed him.


    She shared her daughter''s same shade of black hair, but where Selena''s was more wavy, Cathryn''s was straight and had pale blue eyes that neither twin inherited, but her face resembled her now grown son''s. Next to her stood her husband, Aaron King. He had his golden hair tied back in a bun, his gold eyes shining in the sunlight of this photo, sharing Samson''s golden features, but his face resembled his step-daughter''s.


    Major frowned, it seemed Cathryn King had a type, or Aaron changed his features to prevent paternal questions from the twins. He had only met Apollo a handful of times and could barely remember what he looked like, only that he had the gold colorings Samson acquired. Major hadn''t seen the god since he was twelve years old. Right before all the Marked had to be brought to Olympus, and then he disappeared and hid the twins with him. Neither Apollo nor Artemis had been to Olympus in over six years.


    "That was taken when we went to Cedar Point for our ninth birthday." Selena said from behind him. "Sam was finally tall enough to ride all the rides."


    Major turned around, and saw both twins standing behind him. Examining¡ªno, more reminiscing¡ªof the artifacts displayed in the room. Major did not doubt that Aaron King loved his stepchildren like they were his own flesh and blood, something his own father could learn a thing or two about. A sudden surge of jealousy flashed through him, but it dispersed as quickly as it came. Now was not the time to be resentful of the cards he''d been dealt.


    "What''s in here?" Major asked, putting down the picture frame.


    "Memorabilia," Samson said.


    Major sighed. "No, I mean more than that." He turned to face Selena, who was holding a white box the size of a smart phone in her hands. "That door was sealed with blood magic. The strongest protection spell there is. It was sealing in something."


    Both twins remained silent. He groaned in frustration.


    Easy. He told himself.


    The twins had a right to be in total shock. Absolutely everything they knew about had been blown into smithereens, just to be revealed that their life is a lie and that monsters are real.


    Major began going through the desk drawers, rummaging through any piece of paper for clues. The King family harbored a secret that no one but Cathryn and Aaron knew about.


    The desk held no clues or information. He slammed the drawer a little too harshly, causing Samson to jump. Samson furrowed his brow at the computer on his dad''s desk. With no need to ask to see if Samson could get on it, he did. Samson plopped himself in the chair and quickly keyed in the code to unlock the monitor.


    Major leaned over to see what he was doing. The other boy''s eyes darted across the screen while he read.


    "I have something," Samson said in a low voice.


    Selena appeared at Samson''s other side without the box she held moments before. A series of numbers presented on the screen.


    "What''s this?" Selena asked.


    "His bank information?" Samson replied.


    Major studied the numbers, his eyes narrowed. Honestly, he should just let it go. He was sent to bring the twins back to Olympus alive, and he should¡ªhe would. Major did not expect to fight a chimera, discover Samson and Selena had next to nothing knowledge of their heritage, find the twins'' house ransacked by monsters searching for something, and that the twins'' stepfather was a powerful enough sorcerer to use blood magic. He had to admit the circumstances did pique his curiosity.


    It made him curious enough to find out what that number meant, and then go back to Olympus.


    "Google it," Selena said after some uninterrupted silence.


    So Samson did just that.


    "They''re coordinates." She breathed.


    Sure enough, a map popped up on the monitor. And right under that little red pin was an address.


    110 West Anasazi Trail, Paulden, Arizona.

 VI

    Major deigned it upon himself to ask the most obvious question, "What''s in Arizona?"


    Selena shrugged, her eyes still on the computer screen, mind spinning.


    She once believed her parents were the most open-booked people she had ever met. They were the world''s worst liars.


    In fact, playing poker with her dad was always one of her favorite past times. Aaron had the world''s worst bluff. His nose would always crinkle when he had terrible cards, and he would rub at his nose to act like he smelled something awful.


    But now?


    Had their entire lives been a lie?


    What secret double life were her parents living?


    "I don''t know," Selena practically whispered the words.


    Beside her, Sam remained motionless, like he was attempting to figure out the same thing as her. What could possibly be in Arizona that warranted being stored as coordinates on their father''s computer?


    "I think we should go," Sam said.


    Selena looked at her brother''s face. His mouth pressed in a firm, thin line, and his normally bright eyes darkened.


    "Why?" she asked at the same time, Major said, "No."


    Sam glanced at her, ignoring Major.


    "I think this is where Mom and Dad went." He told her.


    Selena returned to the computer screen, which showed the red pin. She tapped her fingers on the desk. If they had gone to Arizona, why would they have left her and Sam? Selena was certain she saw them at the graduation ceremony. Did her parents see the Chimera and make a B-line out of there, leaving the twins to fend for themselves against the mythical monster they had no business fighting?


    Selena shook her head. No. No matter what they learned in the last sixty minutes, one thing was certain: Aaron and Cathryn King loved the twins. Anything that they did, they did for a reason.


    "Why else would Dad have this saved in a folder if it wasn''t important? Why have it listed as coordinates and not an address if it wasn''t a safe house?" Sam pushed his point.


    Major stayed quiet.


    Selena shook her head. "If it was a safe house that they escaped to, then why didn''t they take us with them?"


    "Why spend all this time hiding you from us, to abandon you now? We should leave this address alone." Major agreed with her.


    Sam turned to look at Major, his nails digging into the armrests of the office chair he sat in.


    "Then why leave these coordinates?" Sam asked.


    Major shrugged, "That''s not my concern."


    Selena glared at Major. He was getting on her last nerve. Major goes from being helpful to being a dick, to being helpful, and to being a dick again. Like he hadn''t decided on how to treat them either.


    "Why did you even help us?" She snapped, focusing all the hurt of her parents'' secrets into anger at him. "Why not let the chimera eat us and be done?"


    "Oh, believe me, if I could''ve, I would''ve," Major sneered. "But my instructions were to bring you both back alive."


    "By whom?" Selena asked.


    "And to where?" Sam added.


    Major shifted his weight between his feet.


    "Zeus¡ªmy father. He wants you at Olympus for training," Major said, not a single emotion flickering across his face.


    "Training for what?" She asked in a small voice.


    "Against what the chimera represents. Against the bigger threat opposed to Olympus and the world right now." Major ran a hand through his hair, appearing torn between offering a more detailed explanation or divulging additional information that he had been sent to deliver.


    Selena barreled over in laughter. Tears began falling down her face, whether due to laughter, anxiety, or frustration, she didn''t know, probably some combination of all of it.


    "I''m- I''m s-s-sorry." Selena said, straightening herself up and flattening her ruined graduation gown. She cleared her throat. "You do understand how crazy this sounds, right? Zeus, Olympus, Apollo, monsters, demigods¡ªclaiming our dad isn''t our biological father." She scoffed at the last part. "Even if all of this is true, we''re not prepared. We don''t want to be prepared. Can''t you do this without us and take down the threat? What could two teenagers help with anyway?"


    Major frowned at her; if he expected any other decision from her, perhaps she needed a better way of showing her distrust in him.


    "A lot." Major folded his arms. "We''re all teenagers, the same age, really."


    Sam raised his eyebrows at him. "What do you mean, all?"


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    Major smirked. "Me and the other Marked, of course."


    Other? There were others?


    So Major was Marked by Zeus, if that''s what the lightning bolt on his hand meant, and Apollo had marked both her and Sam? So many questions flooded her head that her fingers shook. Selena balled her hands into fists and glanced at her brother. Only one question mattered to her.


    Apparently, her parents had hidden her and Sam from Zeus for the past eighteen years, so there must be a reason. Going back to Olympus with Major would be idiotic if that went against her parents'' wishes. However, they left this clue behind a door only they could open, on a computer only they would know how to unlock. Her instincts screamed at her to follow the clue¡ªthat Sam was right.


    "Okay." she muttered. "We go to Arizona."


    Major''s eyes flared, "You will do no such thing!"


    Selena swore lightning flashed in his gaze; she took an instinctive step back and cursed herself silently for doing so.


    Sam nodded at her. They were in agreement then.


    Good.


    "How long is the drive?" She asked Sam.


    He returned to the computer and plugged in the Arizona address from their house.


    "It''s about a twenty-seven-hour drive." He groaned.


    Selena wrinkled her nose. Assuming her parents were headed there, they had roughly a two-hour head start.


    "No!" Major interrupted, "You''re going to Olympus."


    Selena and Sam ignored him.


    "Okay, then let''s pack and get going." Selena nodded at Sam.


    Lightning crackled, and the twins snapped their attention toward Major. Strands of lighting danced around Major''s tightly clenched fists at his side, like he was struggling to contain his power.


    "You two are coming with me; end of the discussion," Major growled.


    His tone had something primal in her wanting to bow down to him, but she fought the urge as much as she could.


    "You, yourself, thought this was interesting. Don''t you want to find out where that address takes us?"


    "No." Major lied, teeth bared.


    She shrugged. "Then we''ll go without you."


    "And do what when another monster attacks you? You pointed out at your school that I''m the only one with a weapon."


    She held up her finger to correct him. "No, I specifically said the only one with a metal pointy thing." She waved her hand to the trophy case, holding their archery trophies. "We have weapons."


    Major smirked like she told a joke without realizing it.


    "So let''s say I concede and let you go; what exactly are your plans?"


    Sam leaned back in his chair. Major''s lightning receded.


    "Find our parents?" Sam offered.


    Major turned towards Sam with a grin. "Assuming they''re there, but what if they''re not?"


    "Then we''ll find whatever they wanted us to find."


    Major''s eyes narrowed in consideration, and he leaned against the wall behind him. "And if it''s a trap?"


    Selena pretended to shoot an arrow at him. "Then we''ll go in prepared."


    Major''s smirk grew, but his voice stayed firm. "And if I were to say no and take you straight to Zeus?"


    Selena tilted her head in consideration. "You don''t really have a say."


    "We''ll go kicking and screaming." Sam flashed a toothy smile at the supposed demigod.


    The entire room went taut. Major lifted his hands up in defeat, his curiosity getting the better of him. Lightning no longer caressed his fingers, his eyes went back to their calmer shade of sapphire blue.


    "Fine, we''ll go to Arizona." Major glanced at the route highlighted on the computer and folded his arms. "But we''ll have to go to Olympus first."


    The smile appearing on her face shot down to a frown. Back to this argument.


    "Not to take you to Zeus, but to the portal," Major said.


    "No." Sam uttered.


    He shook his head at her brother. "Olympus is connected to a whole bunch of portal systems. The one I used to get here was in a White Castle in Detroit. I know Arizona has three portals. But we have to travel to Detroit, enter the portal, transport back to Olympus, and find the closest portal to Paulden."


    Portal? Nothing in the myths had mentioned a portal system connected to Olympus. Perhaps Major really was a lunatic, and his story was now beginning to slip.


    "It was a gift from Hecate." Major explained, reading the confused look she must''ve been displaying. "My father kept it a secret from mortals, didn''t need them randomly appearing at Olympus via a portal asking for favors."


    Selena folded her arms. "And how do we know this isn''t one big trick in saying you''ll bring us to Arizona using a portal and not take us to your father?"


    "I''m getting the sense here that you don''t trust me."


    "Oh good," Selena spat. "I didn''t want to give you the wrong impression."


    The corners of his mouth twerked upwards. "I did save your lives."


    "Reluctantly."


    Major lifted his eyebrows and nodded at the statement''s truth. His gaze landed on the trophy cabinet.


    "I don''t go back on my word," Major said.


    "Whatever," Sam threw his hands up in defeat. Selena stared at him.


    She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "So let''s get this straight: You''ll take us to Detroit, portal us to Olympus, then we portal to Arizona and go to Paulden?" Major nodded his head. "And you won''t take us to Zeus?" Again, Major nodded. "And we have your word?"


    "As long as I have your word that once I escort you to this address, we go straight to my father, no matter what we find."


    Selena made an ''x'' motion across her heart and raised her three right fingers, "Scout''s honor."


    Sam chuckled, "You were never a scout."


    Major pushed up against the wall and clapped his hands. "Let''s go to Paulden."


    ***


    Major left Samson''s father''s office, leaving him and his sister to sit in silence.


    Lena sat in the computer chair now, twirling a wolf sculpture paperweight in her hands with her legs propped up on the desk, ankles crossed while he paced the room.


    "Do you think this is a good idea?" He finally asked.


    "No, but do we have much of a choice?"


    Her words rang true, and Samson couldn''t deny it. He still didn''t feel comfortable with this plan. He wanted nothing to do with Major. Samson didn''t trust the guy. And what was with his little display of lightning earlier? To show them how powerful he is?


    To be fair he wasn''t even that sure about Paulden, but he still trusted his father. Aaron King did not leave these coordinates on his computer for a random reason. There was a purpose to it, a purpose of leaving said coordinates in a file that only Samson would open. If his parents were there, he''d feel like he would be betraying their trust by dragging along a complete stranger.


    "We could leave without him," He muttered.


    "I already thought of that," she sighed. "But without Major''s portal, it''ll take us at least two days."


    "I don''t trust him."


    Samson understood that Major''s plan would be far more appealing if they could avoid going to Olympus. He had no faith that Major would uphold his word of not bringing them to Zeus. He''d bet all the money in the world that Major would take any chance he got to bring them to his father. Whether he honestly believed any of this gods thing was real was still up in the air, but Major played the role convincingly.


    "I don''t either." Lena agreed.


    "Then let''s go without him; we have money." He pointed toward the safe in the room''s corner.


    Lena''s eyes narrowed at it.


    "Two days on the road seems way more preferable than spending any more time with the bastard who might end up betraying us as soon as he can."


    Lena removed her legs from the desk and twirled the chair towards Samson, furrowing her brow. She stopped twirling the wolf and leaned on her forearms, placing them on her thighs.


    "We have the manual in the driveway. You still know how to drive it?"


    Sam placed his left hand on his right shoulder, rolling it, and smiled. "I might."


    Lena''s eyes met his. "Pack what you can. We leave in five."

 VII

    "Hey Major!" Selena called walking from the office, buying time for Sam to go pack his things, and whatever other essentials they may need.


    Stepping into the Selena found Major crouched over the oak coffee table in between the TV hanging on the wall, and the now fluff pile of once pristine sectional. He didn''t respond, his finger too busy tracing whatever design on the table had all of his attention.


    Her eyes drifted to the front of the house, and she thanked her lucky stars that her mother had sprung on the black-out curtains. Five large paned bay windows lined the living room wall, providing natural light from the front of the house, pointed straight at the street.


    One could easily catch whatever was going outside in their front yard or driveway. In fact, she saw Sam''s lady friend sneaking out of the house that way earlier in the morning. The curtains would give them cover while they attempted their escape.


    However, with the curtains opened and half shredded, Major definitely would notice the lighting change, even if he didn''t acknowledge her entrance into the room.


    Selena licked her lips and went to go flip the switch that was on the adjacent wall of the windows to turn on the ceiling fan.


    Major''s head shot up at the change, and his body tensed. He moved his hand to the eagle head pommel of his sword he used to slay the chimera.


    "Easy Sparky, it''s just me," she said.


    His hand drifted from the weapon strapped to his hip, but he didn''t turn around to face her.


    "Aren''t you supposed to packing?" Major asked.


    Selena took a slight side step to her right, inching closer to the curtains. All she needed to do was keep him semi distracted long enough not to notice what she was doing.


    "Well, I uh, was wondering if you wouldn''t mind if I took a shower before we left?" She placed her left hand behind her back, her fingers grabbing onto the fabric. "I feel and look absolutely disgusting."


    "I figured that''s what you''ve been doing. You two were taking so damn long to come back out." Major turned around to face her, and Selena stilled, her breath hitching.


    Did he see the curtains move?


    "Uh, no. We were just talking, trying to digest all your newfound information you dropped on us."


    Major leveled his stare at her. "I thought we went over it pretty well into detail."


    Don''t argue with him. Selena told herself. You need his attention to be back on whatever he was doing at that table.


    It was hard to heed her own advice, especially since the urge to argue was practically nipping at her lips.


    "Yeah, well, Sam''s a bit slow, so I kind of needed to explain everything that your were talking in layman''s terms for him."


    Major turned back to whatever he was doing on the table, and Selena let out a sigh of relief. She slowly began closing the curtain.


    "Well hurry up, I don''t need our trip getting anymore delayed as it is."


    Selena''s fingers grazed the end of the other curtain, and her the end of her mouth twitched. She closed the only vantage point he''d have of the garage, and he didn''t even notice. Granted, sunlight still leaked through from the several claw marks on the left panel.


    "We''ll try to hurry it up."


    "That''d be appreciated."


    Selena flipped him off, even though she knew he couldn''t see her.


    Fucking prick.


    Her entire world was just flipped upside down, and his only concern was that her and Sam move along fast enough for him.


    She stalked off toward the bathroom, and she swore she saw that platinum blond head of his perk up once she left.


    Selena had little time to waste. She ran as sure-footed as she could into the bathroom, turned on the bath faucet, and rushed to her room. Her feet skidded to a halt, and her eyes widened.


    Whoever invaded their home spared no expense to her bedroom and personal belongings. Selena''s room was absolutely trashed, and not in some pseudonym way her mother normally describes its state.


    Someone tossed clothes from her closet and dresser onto the floor. Her bed was torn to shreds just like the couch in the living room. Who ever was here was looking for something. The weight of her graduation gown got heavier with the realization.


    Not only were her parents keeping her true identity hidden from her, if Major was to be believed, but they were also hiding something else. Something important enough that had Aaron and Cathryn King running scared.


    Selena pushed past the clothes, rummaging under her bed for any remaining intact bag. She rifled through a mountain of empty water bottles she shoved under there since her last "cleaning" of her room.


    "C''mon, I know it''s under here." Selena muttered.


    Eventually, moving a Stanley, she found her backpack she used for last year. Selena smiled, pulling on the black strings, bringing the bag back to life. Thankfully, opening it up, all she found in there was empty water bottles. Dumping the contents of the bag onto the floor, a single photo booth photo strip she had taken with her friends last year at prom landed on the pile of bottles.


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    Selena picked the photo up and ripped it to shred. She wasn''t too sure if whoever invaded her home was coming back, but she would not risk her friends'' identities if they were. The least she could do was to protect them.


    Without necessarily searching for any clothes in particular, she grabbed whatever was functional, and thrusted them into the bag. Once it was full to the brim, she zipped up her backpack and made her way back to her dad''s office.


    Sam was in front of the safe raiding it of the cash that was in there and stuffing it into a duffle bag. Selena went over to the closet that was next to the safe and opened it. Two compound bows hung on the inside of the door, and two fully stuffed quivers sat at the bottom.


    "Here, take this," Selena said, plucking Sam''s green bow from the door and handing it to him.


    "Do you think it''s really necessary to take these?" Sam said, zipping the duffle bag.


    "I think," she grabbed the quivers, and slid one to Sam, and slung the other one over her free shoulder that wasn''t supporting her back pack. "That we just got attacked by a chimera back at school, and we''d dumb as shit not to take any sort of protection."


    "Fair point."


    Selena walked to the window next to the trophy cabinet and placed her hands on the bottom. The coolness of the windowpane nipped at her fingers. She unlocked the lock and slowly lifted the window. She pushed out the screen, and threw her leg over the ledge, and dropped out.


    She landed swiftly on her feet from the four-foot fall. The warm summer air hit her face and sent a trail of gooseflesh up her exposed forearms with the fast temperature change, and the smell of the neighbor''s freshly cut grass grounded her.


    Without waiting for Sam to follow, Selena made her way to the stick-shift. The yellow Porsche stayed parked outside the garage¡ªalways in the same spot. Aaron King was always a showboat, her mom would call him.


    Since it was a sports car, the whole family never drove in it; her father barely used it. Basically, a glorified lawn ornament. However, he insisted his children learn how to drive a manual. Selena has long since forgotten how to do it and filed that very loud screaming match of a lesson into the deepest part of her memory. Sam, however, thrived on the knowledge of how to drive a stick-shift and was less likely to forget.


    Selena stole a glace back to the bay window, confirming that Major kept the curtains shut after she left. Relief washed over her when she saw they were still closed. Selena opened the storage compartment that was under the hood of the car and shoved the backpack and quiver into it. Sam quickly followed her lead, putting the bow and the duffle bag into it as well.


    They came up with the plan back in the office. By pushing the car down the slight driveway hill, they planned to start it when it hit the street. They needed to have their exit as quiet as possible.


    Selena closed the storage compartment and Sam rushed to the driver''s seat and undid the emergency brake. The car slowly descended the driveway while she pushed it.


    Sam maneuvered the shifter. When she got to the bottom of the driveway and pushed the car past the end of their neighbor''s driveway, the low purr of the engine kicked to life. Selena ran across the car to the passenger side, throwing the door open and sliding in.


    She gripped the keys to the other two cars in her pocket¡ªthe one in the garage and Sam''s Accord. Selena smiled. When Major realized they left, there was no following them now.


    ***


    In the ice-cold water, Selena replayed the day''s events in the motel room''s shower. The dread like feeling she had in the morning, meeting Major at Biggby, the chimera attack and discovering there home had been invaded by harpies. She''d be naive if she didn''t think these events were connected.


    Eventually, Selena raised her hands to her face and saw her skin wrinkle. She turned off the shower.


    Pushing back the motel''s yellow-stained blue shower curtain, the steam from the water''s heat lingered. Selena wrapped the towel around her and looked into the mirror beside the shower.


    She wiped away a spot on the fog-embellished mirror where she found silver eyes staring at her.


    Blood no longer covered her face; she swore she must''ve aged ten years in the last - she glanced at her phone on the counter.


    Four hours.


    Had it only been four hours since the world known to her had flipped upside down? And to think, at the beginning of the day, she thought the worst thing she had to bear today was walking in on her brother having sex.


    Selena dressed in pajamas to replace her graduation gown--if she was on the run she might as well be comfortable while doing it. Her bloodied and shredded once-white garment laid crumbled up on the floor by the foot of the shower.


    She left the bathroom and walked into the central portion of the motel room. She found Sam reclining on the bed atop the red duvet, his head propped up against his left arm. He had his other hand in a bag of chili cheese Fritos; he must''ve gotten it from the vending machine in the lobby. His eyes fixated on the ceiling fan in the room.


    Selena sat next to him on the bed. Noticing her presence, he tossed her a Milky Way.


    "Those? Really?" He asked.


    Selena looked down at her clothes. She wore red sweatpants and an oversized navy blue New England Patriots shirt.


    "What''s wrong with what I''m wearing?"


    Sam donned jeans with rips in the knees and an old black Nickelback t-shirt holed up by the collar. Sure, it wasn''t something he''d typically wear, but it was probably the first thing he found that he packed, like what she did.


    "Nothing, you just look relaxed at a nonrelaxing time." He clamped his lips together, but the ends of his lips had a slight curve.


    Selena bit into the candy bar, and she melted. Like all her life problems went away with that one bite.


    "We''re on the run, Sam. I might as well be comfortable while doing it." She shrugged.


    He gave her a small smile and returned to eating his Fritos. Selena''s eyes darted to the table next to the bed, where an assortment of snacks from the vending machine lay in disarray¡ªchips, cookies, candy, water, and soda. He must''ve ransacked the entire machine.


    "Got enough snacks?" She asked in a light tone.


    "What I wouldn''t kill for a hot meal right now."


    "Even if it''s Mom''s burnt lasagna, she swears everyone loves and makes it every Sunday?"


    "Definitely, if it''s Mom''s lasagna."


    Sam gave her a tight smile.


    This led her to the question that had left the car ride to the motel taut, but nobody dared to ask.


    "Do you honestly think they''re in Paulden?"


    Sam pushed himself up on the bed, where his back leaned against the headboard, and ran a hand through his damp hair. "I don''t know what I think,."


    "I don''t either."


    "But I do know." Sam went on. "That as long as we''re together, we''re safe."


    Selena gave her brother a coy smile. "Don''t be getting all soft on me now, Sammy."


    Sam''s nose scrunched at the use of his old nickname. "Didn''t I ask you to stop calling me that?" But his eyes hardened. ""I''m serious, though, Lena. We stay together."


    "Always."


    The room fell silent. Selena toyed with the half-eaten candy bar in her hands. No, it didn''t seem appetizing to her anymore, but a hot meal did sound fantastic.


    "I saw a McDonald''s a couple blocks down." Selena offered.


    Sam uncrossed his arms behind his head and stood up. "Say no more."


    Sam approached the door, and Selena tossed her candy bar into the trash bin. She was about to ask him if they would drive or walk to the McDonald''s. His posture tensed in the open doorway.


    "Uh, Selena," Sam''s voice quivered. "What''s that?"


    Selena hurriedly walked to her brother''s side, her heart racing.


    "Fuck." She breathed, clenching her jaw.


    A half-human creature slowly slithered toward the twins in the parking lot.


    The monster had a female body with pale green skin from the waist up. Her long silky black hair blew rapidly in the wind. She gripped a spear in her right hand, with a flat-head leaf-shaped blade at its tip. A silver armor breastplate covered her chest. And her bottom half--Selena''s muscles trembled.


    Starting at her waist, the bottom half curved into two snake tails; the right tail shimmered with a gradient of yellow-green scales, while the left bore pitch-black ones.


    Perhaps leaving without Major wasn''t a good idea after all. Because some greater power sought to have the twins dead.

 VIII

    Samson always liked horror movies.


    The best time to watch them was at night and at home alone. He lived off the thrill they provided. Gory video games were entertaining too¡ª the gorier, the better. However, he was absolutely over horror and gore today.


    The snake-half-woman monster slithering across the motel parking lot apparently had other ideas for him.


    The cool summer breeze blew into the room, tightening his senses. Something similar to the acrid smell of burning plastic burnt the inside of his nose.


    ¡°On the bright side, even I can outrun it.¡± Lena joked to his right.


    Samson glared at her.


    Lena ran slower than molasses. Her sprint was a normal person¡¯s jog, but now was not the time for her to make jokes. Understanding that in his expression, she raced to the end of the bed and grabbed his compound bow and the quiver of arrows he had brought up with him.


    Lena clutched the grip in her left hand. The green of the riser shimmered in the LED lights in the room.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± she complained. ¡°I forgot how much I hate right-handed bows.¡±


    Lena grabbed an arrow from the quiver and nocked it into the arrow rest and nocking loop. She pulled back on the string.


    Major told them regular mortals couldn¡¯t see the monsters, but they could see them, and since they stood in the motel room doorway, the door open and a loaded bow in hand...


    Well, he hoped no one would see them.


    Lena let go, and the arrow flew. Samson always had better eyesight at long distances, allowing him to be good at archery. Still, with the monster¡¯s armor and the absolute chaos in his head, he couldn¡¯t register if the arrow hit.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Lena swore. ¡°It didn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe you missed?¡±


    His sister sneered at him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t miss.¡±


    Samson held his hand in front of him, palm up, showing the still slow-moving monster. ¡°Obviously, you did.¡±


    She shoved the compound bow into his chest. ¡°Here you go, mister hot shot, you do it.¡±


    Samson grabbed the bow and reached for an arrow from the quiver sitting at Lena¡¯s feet. His fingers brushed against the cool plastic of the arrow¡¯s fletching. His left hand gripped the bow, and everything eddied out of his head, save his target.


    Straining his eyes to have a clearer view, he grounded his teeth. Lena was correct; she didn¡¯t miss.


    Straight between the snake-woman¡¯s eyes protruded the arrow¡¯s fletching. Lena¡¯s shot had been accurate and sunk into its skull, yet the monster remained alive and moving.


    The snake monster wrapped its odd, delicate hand around the arrow¡¯s fletching and pulled. Slowly coming out, the shaft and a strange emerald green-like blood trailed down the bridge of its nose. The monster let out a deafening roar and chucked the arrow to the ground.


    He nocked the arrow, brought the bow up, and then pulled back onto the string. His right thumb hovered above his chin, and the heat of his exhalation tickled his fingers.


    The snake-like creature slithered its way across the parking lot, fixating its gaze on him and Lena. She flipped the spear in her right hand downward and let the blade drag behind her, making a noise close to nails on a chalkboard.


    Lena¡¯s body stiffened at the sound, and Samson fought every urge his body had to tighten his muscles.


    He let the string go.


    The pole lights and downtown Grand Rapids¡¯s light pollution illuminated the parking lot and the arrow. Samson swore it spun in slow motion.


    The arrow hit right into the monster¡¯s left eye.


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    It stopped moving, and Samson¡¯s breath caught. His left hand moved the bow down, and the monster stirred. Reaching up with its free hand, the monster pulled the arrow from its eye.


    ¡°It¡¯s still alive.¡± Samson breathed.


    ¡°Well, maybe you missed,¡± Lena said in a mocking tone of the words he said to her after her shot.


    Samson clenched his jaw, and his hand tightened on the bow. It took all of his self-restraint not to hit his sister with it. They did not need to fight each other right now.


    He made a mental note that if they made it out of this alive, he would push her down a flight of stairs or something later.


    In unspoken events, the twins raced across the room, gathering their belongings. For some reason, those arrows, which should¡¯ve been life-ending headshots, didn¡¯t work, and the monster continued to advance toward them.


    The sound of metal on metal scraping filled the room from the open door. With his backpack slung over his shoulder, Samson stood by the doorway and turned his head to the sound; the woman monster scraped the leaf blade head of her spear across the side of his dad¡¯s Porsche.


    Samson swallowed, his eyes wide.


    If they somehow made this¨Chis parents alive and well¨C his dad was going to murder him.


    Lena walked to his side, wearing her backpack and holding her red Stanley cup in her left hand. Without having to say anything to each other, the twins ran to the balcony¡¯s left while the snake monster glided herself up the stairs to their right. Samson still clutched his bow in his left hand. He left the quiver full of arrows back in the room. They turned out to be useless anyway. He could hit the monster with the bow, which provided at least some defense against her.


    They passed five doors, took a ninety-degree angle turn to the right, and three doors down revealed the staircase. Samson told himself not to look back. The thing moved as slow as snails, but some sort of primal instinct in him had his head turning.


    ¡°Selena! Look out!¡± Samson yelled.


    The monster grabbed his sister by the collar of her shirt.


    The slow-moving before must¡¯ve been for show, to make them underestimate her. It worked. Samson found his sister trapped in the clutches of the monster. Lena¡¯s eyes bulged.


    Samson halted, his chest squeezing at the sight before him. The monster¡¯s hand gripped Lena¡¯s shirt and stood over his sister.


    The emerald-green blood streaked down the bridge of the monster¡¯s nose, and her left eye, with the latter closed shut. The burning plastic smell became more potent, making his eyes waters.


    His breathing quavered.


    Deep down, Samson knew that if something happened to his parents, he¡¯d live. He¡¯d have Lena and life would go on. But if something happened to Lena, then life wouldn¡¯t go on. He¡¯d be completely and entirely alone. He had no life without Lena. It¡¯s always been him and her against the world.


    The monster smiled at him and sniffed his sister¡¯s head. ¡°Children of Apollo.¡± Her voice sounded dry, raspy, and not very feminine. ¡°We¡¯ve been looking for you for a long time now.¡±


    Samson white-knuckled his bow and gritted his teeth. He didn¡¯t dare to meet his sister¡¯s gaze, not trusting himself not to crumble. He took slow, deep breaths.


    ¡°What do you want with us?¡± Samson said, his voice shaking.


    The creature¡¯s right eye had an eerie snake-like appearance. Instead of the usual white, it was a striking yellow-gold color with a black horizontal slit in the middle for its pupil.


    Its snake eye blinked at him, and its eyelids came together in a left-to-right motion. The sheer inhumanity of it sent shivers down Samson¡¯s spine.


    ¡°You¡¯re the ones the prophecy foretells us about.¡± A forked snake tongue shot out of her mouth.


    Prophecy? What prophecy? From the deepness of his mind, a little light brightened, begging him to reach out, to touch it. Samson narrowed his eyes at the monster.


    Lena jerked her arm up, connecting her Stanley cup into the monster¡¯s face, not giving it the chance to say anything else.


    The monster surprisedly released Lena¡¯s collar; Lena turned her body to kick it in the abdomen. The snake-like creature skidded back a couple of inches from the impact.


    Lena grabbed Samson by the wrist and pulled him along, darting down the stairs. They broke into an all-out sprint to the Porche.


    A flash of green flew overhead, and Samson threw himself on the ground. Metal crunched and shattered glass fell on him. He looked up, and the snake monster shot him a predatory smile. It somehow jumped from where they once stood from the balcony, at least thirty feet away, and landed on the car.


    His father¡¯s Porsche had seen better days, now with the entire car roof caved in and the windows shattered. There was no driving it out. The only option now was to fight, but without a weapon able to kill the creature, the odds they were going to make it out alive were slim.


    Samson slowly stood up, eyes not leaving her yellow slit pupil. It lunged with the spear in its right hand, and he instinctively parried with his bow, now clutched in both hands.


    Lena let out a small gasp behind him. His bow¡¯s upper limb trapped the leaf blade. Samson pulled his bow to the left and disarmed the monster.


    Lena raced to the spear, dropping her cup. She stood to his left, feet planted apart, holding the spear in a white-knuckled grasp, and pointed it towards the monster.


    Samson studied the creature¡¯s face, which once oozed with confidence, now had a watery gaze, and its face paled to a lighter shade of green.


    The arrows may not have worked to kill it for whatever reason, but he was willing to bet this spear would.


    ¡°My, my resourceful are we?¡± the monster inquired, something like disbelief laced its tone.


    ¡°What do you want with us?¡± Samson asked, putting in all his strength to prevent his voice from cracking.


    The monster¡¯s entire body froze into place and glanced at the twins with its right eye in an assessing way.


    ¡°I am to bring you to the Slit.¡± The monster¡¯s voice dropped.


    Samson blinked in a questioning response. A sword sliced through the snake monster¡¯s neck, and emerald green blood spattered on his face. Her head rolled off the hood of the car with a loud thunking-like noise.


    The monster¡¯s headless body fell forward, revealing a furious piercing sapphire stare.


    ¡°How many times do I have to save your assess in one day?¡± Major snarled.

 IX

    Major''s intense tone, bulging veins beneath his skin, and the crackling lightning in his eye glaring at the twins revealed the depth of his fury. Selena loosened her white-knuckled grip on the spear''s shaft in her hands and lowered the weapon down an inch.


    He jumped off the car''s flattened hood, ripped the spear from Selena, and threw it towards the Porsche. The blade hit the pavement with a resonating sound from the tire on Porshe''s passenger side.


    "How did you find us?" Selena asked in a low breath.


    Glancing at her, the lightning didn''t recede in his eyes. "The same way I found you in Cedar Springs."


    "You tracked us?" Sam said.


    Sam still held his compound bow in his hand. The monster''s blood speckled his face.


    The chimera had bled red, but this one bled green.


    Interesting.


    Selena looked down at herself; she hadn''t been in the direct trajectory of the blood spattering. Some sort of liquid-like substance wetted her face, but she prayed to whatever god¡ªapparently, there are multiples¡ªwho listened that she didn''t have any monster blood on her favorite loungewear. A trivial to worry about, but she had these pants since she was in the sixth grade; outside of her family, these pants were her longest relationship.


    Good.


    Her outfit was monster-bloodless. Checking back into the conversation at hand, Major and Sam had already discussed how Major had found them.


    She frowned, figuring that particular topic could be useful. Selena didn''t want to cut in and have Major repeat himself, she didn''t want him to know she zoned out of the conversation.


    "So the monsters can track us as well?" Sam asked.


    Major nodded. "It''s a miracle no one had found you before the chimera."


    The lightning in Major''s eyes receded.


    "Get behind me." He told the twins.


    Selena walked behind Major. The base of her neck tingled.


    An acrid smell, a lot like burning plastic, mixed with a coppery scent, flowed through the warm breeze. She gagged.


    The monster''s lifeless body rested atop of the car''s hood, its head laid by the tire and spear. Selena practically heard her father going ballistic over the state of his car. Major angled his hand at the vehicle''s gas tank, and the blue of his lightning caressed his fingertips, lighting Major''s arm. The lightning left his fingertips and shot into a line toward the car, tinting it blue, and a loud explosion rang through her ears.


    The blast knocked them backward, and Major covered his body over hers. Selena''s head hit the pavement of the parking lot first. White stars blinded her sight, and she gasped, her lungs trying to find oxygen. Blinking her vision back into focus, she found Major''s eyes baring into her own.


    Up close, Major''s eyes weren''t their dark sapphire color, flecks of a sky blue traced the lining of his pupil. Her breath caught at their exquisite beauty. She also detected a hint of clove with cinnamon. She instinctively leaned her head closer to his.


    "Are you okay?" Major breathed.


    His lips hovered above hers now, his warm breath on them. Selena''s mouth dried.


    "Your eyes are beautiful," Selena said in a hushed tone so only he could hear.


    His eyes widened in shock, and pink flushed his cheeks at her weird declaration. Warmth flooded her face. She wasn''t sure where all that came from, like the landing not only knocked the wind out of her but her filter, too. His entire weight pressed down on her, his arms the only thing holding him above.


    "I-uh...thanks?"


    Footsteps scuffed the pavement by her head, and she and Major looked up at Sam towering over them.


    "I''m okay too, thanks for asking," Sam said.


    Major scrambled to his feet, his face red. He stretched out a hand to Selena, and she took it. His weathered hand, rough with calluses, engulfed her own.


    Selena got to her feet and let go of Major''s hand, brushing herself off.


    "I''m not." She groaned, her heart breaking into a million little pieces, looking to the travesty Major made. "My Stanley is absolutely ruined."


    Sam smirked at his sister. "Way to have your priorities straight, Lena."


    "It was a limited edition."


    Major stared at her, rubbing his brow over what she complained about.


    "We have to get going," Major said, grabbing Selena''s wrist and pulling her toward the street.


    Selena wanted to rebuke that they weren''t going anywhere with him, still not entirely convinced that he wouldn''t just take them to Olympus. But she had little say in the matter since he was pulling her with such force.


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    Sam followed.


    Streetlights illuminated the sidewalk. Selena squinted, the sudden brightness dilating her pupils.


    Major tightened his grip. She had to admit it was a good idea since the last time he left her and Sam to their own devices, they bolted from him. He was taking extra precautions with them; trust was nonexistent.


    The trio walked in silence. Selena''s eyes focused on the boy before her, the lukewarm wind blowing his hair back.


    Passing the second block, Selena saw the flashing red lights of sirens. Major turned them down an alleyway, opening to the back of a diner with a vibrant red metal roof and sleek grey paneling. Through the windows, a tantalizing image of a hot dog holding a mustard bottle surrounded by the name of the restaurant: The Grand Coney.


    Major slipped his fingers into hers, and her heart skipped a beat.


    Stop it. Selena ridiculed her heart.


    Her body did not need to have that reaction around him. Yeah, he saved her and Sam''s life...twice. But she still didn''t trust him, even if every instinct in her body now roared at her to do that very thing.


    "What are you doing?" She asked, ignoring her body''s reaction.


    "I''m not letting you go, so you two can take off on me again, and it looks less inconspicuous if I hold your hand versus your wrist." He winked at her.


    Sam muttered something so soft under his breath that she couldn''t quite make out the words.


    Major pulled opened the door with his free hand.


    Inside, the diner had grey walls, the same shade as the siding out front. In front of them lined a red booth shaped like an L, encircled by a beige table. To their left stood a podium with a cash register and a black letter board sign displaying, Please seat yourself.


    Selena led the way to the back, her mind still grappling with the purpose of going into the diner. But she listened to her stomach. The smells of barbeque sauce and grilled onions flooded her nose, and the sounds of sizzling meat on the grill made her mouth water.


    They passed two more tables with four red chairs around them until they made their way to the back corner, where a red four-person booth surrounded a table. Selena slid into the booth seat closest to the wall, letting go of Major''s hand. Sam slid in next to her.


    "What are we doing here?" Sam asked, placing his bag under the table.


    Major slid across them, his foot hooked Selena''s, she made no move to shake him off. "To get food."


    "Why?"


    "I don''t know about you two, but I''m hungry." Major frowned, his tone sharp.


    Before they could ask anything else, a waitress greeted them with a squeaky voice. The brunette''s brown eyes darted between Major and Sam like she couldn''t decide which one she wanted to gawk at the longest. Selena rolled her eyes and slouched, taking the menu before her. The waitress, Amy, said the name on her nametag, left after she had taken their drink order.


    Siren lights flash outside from the window. Selena sank further into her seat, bringing the menu closer to her face.


    "Sit normal," Major said in a hushed voice. "Or else you look guilty."


    Selena put her hands to her side and pushed herself up. Amy came over, giving everyone their drinks while ogling Major. Selena couldn''t stop the sudden burning sensation in her chest.


    She sipped on the straw of her Diet Dr. Pepper, waiting for Sam to give his order. Selena ordered a cheeseburger and gave Amy her most predatory smile. The waitress raised her brow at Selena.


    Amy probably assumed she and Sam were together, since they sat on the same side. Considering they didn''t have a single feature in common, no one would have assumed that they were siblings. Amy wouldn''t have been the first one to think that and probably wouldn''t be the last, and Selena fought back the urge to gag.


    "So." Sam started, seemingly unfazed. Amy preferred Major to him. "We''re willing to listen to what you have to say."


    Selena zoned in her senses into the matter Sam sought to discuss.


    Major crossed his arms and frowned at Sam, "So it only took two monsters to convince you to trust me?"


    Selena narrowed her eyes at Major''s condescending tone he threw their way.


    "I still don''t trust you, but you seem to know what''s going on better than anyone else around here." Sam flung his arms up in the air.


    "And what exactly have I done that''s so untrustworthy?"


    Selena ignored him and asked what had been bothering her for some time. "When we shot that monster with those arrows, they landed in the middle of her forehead and in one of her eyes, but she didn''t die. Why is that?"


    "Only metals made in Hephaestus'' forge or weapons made with magic can deliver a killing blow to a monster. You can make them bleed all day long with normal mortal metals, but they won''t kill them."


    "They won''t, ya know...die of blood loss?" Sam inquired.


    Major shook his head. "No, they heal quickly." He arched a brow at the twins.. "Which apparently, so do you two."


    Selena and Sam twisted their heads and exchanged looks.


    She remembered the chimera attacking Sam back at graduation. It had lunged at him and clawed at his arm, shredding his gown and the back of his arm. When they had made it to the parking lot, there had been no remnant of having a wound at all, save the evidence of the ruined gown sleeve and dried blood.


    Selena had also healed miraculously, albeit slower, with her own injury to her back. She moved with ease, no longer limping. Not a trace of pain lingered from the wound at all.


    She chalked it up to be the work of their immortal blood Major claimed was in them. Gods were immortal, healing could be an immortal ability they gained from Apollo.


    Both Major and the snake monster claimed her and Sam were children of Apollo.


    "Is that,"Selena felt a lump in her throat. Being a demigod was already hard enough to swallow, but being an abnormal demigod was the last thing she wanted. "Is that not something demigods normally do?"


    Major folded his arms across his chest. "Nobody really knew what your capabilities were. But no, that''s not a normal demigod ability. Now, a Marked demigod''s ability¡ªwell, you two have proven that it is."


    Oh, yeah. That''s right. Selena and Sam weren''t normal demigods. They were Marked demigods, acquiring Apollo''s powers.


    "Because Apollo is the god of healing," Selena muttered, remembering that little tidbit from Greek Mythology.


    "And so is Artemis." He nodded toward Selena. "Though they are the gods of many things, one could hardly remember them all."


    "Artemis? Apollo''s sister?"


    "His twin sister, coincidentally enough."


    "What does she have to do with us?" Sam inquired. "Aren''t we Apollo''s children?"


    Major ran a hand through his hair and let out an exacerbated breath. Like he couldn''t believe they would even ask these types of questions.


    Selena rolled her eyes. His arrogance annoyed her.


    It''s not like Major''s been descriptive in all of this, but she reined in her anger at him. He had saved them from the chimera¡ªadmittedly, she believed Major had something to do with the first monster¡ªand saved them from the snake monster. She guessed he might have sent that one too, but she couldn''t see the point.


    If Major wanted them dead, he would''ve killed them by now. Besides, he had to bring them back to Olympus for his father, Zeus.


    Yeah, the thought alone was enough to admit her into a mental institution.


    This time, she would hear Major out. This time, she would keep a calm, level head, which she usually does. But earlier today, her emotions had been a whirlwind.


    "Yes," Major said slowly. "You are both the children of Apollo, but there can only be one Marked demigod per Olympian." He pointed to Sam. "You are the son of Apollo and Marked by Apollo." Major turned his attention to Selena. "You are the daughter of Apollo and Marked by Artemis."

 X

    ¡°Why?¡± Selena asked after a couple of moments of silence.


    ¡°Why, what?¡±


    ¡°Why did Artemis mark me if Apollo is my father?¡±


    Major ran a hand through his hair.


    Ah, yes, this explanation. Major had never been a wordsmith, and that fact had never kicked him harder in the ass as it had earlier today. He needed this to make sense in layman¡¯s terms. He didn¡¯t know their depth of knowledge of the Greek religion.


    ¡°Artemis is a maiden goddess.¡± Major fumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.


    Selena¡¯s eyes narrowed at him. ¡°I know, I¡¯m not dumb.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± mumbled Sam next to her.


    ¡°Well...¡± Selena said, smiling coyly.


    Major stopped himself from gaping at her. Everything that happened today hadn¡¯t deterred her. She kept this feisty and sassy attitude, and it warmed something inside of him.


    Something he couldn¡¯t exactly pinpoint, so he chose to ignore it.


    ¡°So, when Zeus ordered that each Olympian Mark a demigod¡ª¡°


    ¡°Why?¡± Samson cut Major off. ¡°Why did Zeus order Marked demigods? Weren¡¯t there Marked demigods already?¡±


    Selena nodded. ¡°I¡¯d assume if the Marked are as powerful as you say.¡±


    Major rubbed his chin in contemplation, thinking how best to answer her question.


    The waitress appeared with their food, sashaying a bit more than Major thought was necessary, especially since she was balancing a tray. Putting his order in front of him, she fluttered her eyes lashes and wetted her lips with her tongue. Major gave her a small smile in thanks. Giving Selena her plate, she shot the waitress an icy dagger stare in return. Noticing the other girl¡¯s cold demeanor, the waitress chose not to loiter around the table, and left after giving Samson his plate.


    ¡°We are.¡± Major toyed with his chicken mac and cheese in front of him. ¡°But a law passed out from Olympus eons ago about not marking demigods.¡±


    Selena furrowed her brow, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because they would abuse their power, they would go off to foreign lands and become worshipped as gods themselves.¡± Major took a bite of his food and pointed his fork at the twins. ¡°You two are familiar with the Norse god, Thor?¡± The twins nodded their heads. ¡°He was one of my father¡¯s Marked.¡±


    ¡°So they made a law that the Olympians shouldn¡¯t mark demigods because it takes the focus off them?¡± Selena asked.


    ¡°Talk about fragile egos.¡± Samson mused.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Major nodded. ¡°But not just the Olympians, the minor gods and goddesses too. They didn¡¯t trust demigods enough not to abuse the blessings of the Marks.¡±


    Selena opened her left hand and stared at her Mark, her right forefinger tracing it. ¡°So...then why do we have these?¡±


    Major put down his fork and finished chewing his bite. He could explain why it made them special until he¡¯s blue in the face on Markings. But this...this was a critical moment. He had to ensure that they fully grasped the significance of their existence and comprehend why he had been tasked with bringing them back. He bit the inside of his cheek. They should¡¯ve sent fucking Kendall for this.


    ¡°About nineteen years ago, the Oracle of Delphi revealed a prophecy. The prophecy foretold the destruction of Olympus by the hands of the giants and some other Deity the Oracle couldn¡¯t see.¡± Major folded his hands. ¡°Thus, the Marked. Extra protection for the gods.¡±


    Selena cocked her head. Her black hair curtained to the side. With that silvery gaze of hers, she looked like the moon personified.


    ¡°But it¡¯s a telling of the future. The gods will be destroyed, and Olympus will fall. Why even bother with this whole Marked business?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It was just a prophecy. The future isn¡¯t set in stone; it changes based on decisions. At that point, no demigods were Marked. The prophecy was only accurate if things continued the way they were¡ªstagnant.¡±


    ¡°So now, with there being Marked, is the prophecy changed?¡±


    ¡°We hope.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, you hope?¡± Samson asked, nose wrinkling.


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    ¡°The Oracle can only see certain prophecies when they come to her. She doesn¡¯t get to choose which ones.¡±


    Selena played with the fries on her plate with her fingers. ¡°So there¡¯s no way of knowing if having Marked demigods will change the outcome?¡±


    Major shook his head.


    No, there wasn¡¯t a way. He had heard Apollo even went to Delphi to see if he saw the change. But even the god of divination couldn¡¯t conjure the damning prophecy.


    ¡°Just gotta roll with the punches.¡± Major smiled wryly.


    Neither twin returned his sentiment. He wanted to discuss it further, but the table had become so taut with silence that he let it stay that way until one of them wanted to know more.


    ¡°How many Marked are there?¡± Samson eventually asked, dipping one of his fries in ketchup. ¡°I mean, if they¡¯re needed to save Olympus, then there¡¯s got to be hundreds of us, thousands even!¡±


    Selena nodded along with what her brother said. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t they just have to do some god magic mumbo jumbo and put the mark on a demigod?¡±


    Major¡¯s jaw tightened, but he refrained himself from pinching the bridge of his nose. No, that¡¯s not how it worked.


    They expected to walk into an army full of Marked demigods, which made him a little queasy. He couldn¡¯t imagine the tension of that room. The others were already at each other¡¯s throats every other day, and there were only a few.


    ¡°Not hundreds, and definitely not thousands. There are ten of us at Olympus, myself included, and then the two of you.¡±


    Selena raised her eyebrows. ¡°That¡¯s it? Only twelve?¡±


    ¡°Any more would be redundant.¡±


    That response brought him both blank looks from the twins. Yep, they should¡¯ve sent Kendall to retrieve them versus him; she at least could explain this damning situation a whole lot better than him. Hell, she even looked more trustworthy, and he is a temperamental bastard with unlimited lighting control¡ªso he¡¯s told.


    Major sighed. ¡°Any more than one Marked child from the same god weakens the power of the Mark.¡± He moved his hands while he spoke, his speech picking up in speed. ¡°Like if you had two Marked children by Zeus, the power I possess would be halved and split into two.¡±


    ¡°So you couldn¡¯t overpower the god who gave you the Mark,¡± Selena said.


    Major raised his eyebrows. A fluttery sensation ran through him. Either he explained this better than he thought, or only Selena understood it. Given Samson¡¯s distant gaze, he assumed the latter.


    Major picked up his fork. ¡°So Zeus ordered only the Olympians to Mark demigods. But Artemis and Athena are virgin goddesses, and Hera is the goddess of fidelity. Those three chose demigods that weren¡¯t their children.¡±


    Selena traced the crescent moon Mark on her hand again like it were a tick of hers.


    ¡°Naturally,¡± Major took a bite of his food. ¡°Artemis Marked her twin brother¡¯s daughter, who also happens to be a girl twin. It¡¯s a bit poetic, if you ask me.¡±


    Silence crossed the table once more. Were they realizing that going back to Olympus was the more rational plan? Albeit his curiosity, those coordinates left no proof whatsoever that it was a safe house and that was where Aaron and Cathryn King sought refuge.


    Did they still want to go after everything they learned? He would escort them to Arizona if they still wanted. He had a feeling they would somehow get themselves killed without him if today¡¯s experiences hadn¡¯t backed up that theory.


    Most importantly, he needed the twins to trust him. If they were to stop the unknown threat to Olympus, he needed all the Marked to trust him. Perhaps it was a reason his father sent him and no one else to find the twins. For them to form a bond with Major.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what the snake monster meant by saying we¡¯re the children the prophecy spoke about,¡± Samson muttered.


    Major furrowed his brow, and his chest tightened. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Selena tilted her head contemplatively, and his heartbeat picked up at the sight.


    ¡°The monster you slayed at the hotel. She said that Sam and I are the children of the prophecy. I¡¯m assuming that¡¯s why she didn¡¯t kill me when she had me in her grip.¡±


    Major¡¯s blood went cold, and he twitched. He could visualize himself beheading the dracanae again and now wished he skinned it to its bones.


    The thought surprised him a bit. He had never once skinned a monster before. It would be fun, he supposed.


    ¡°The prophecy that brought the Marked mentioned nothing about children.¡±


    The twins looked at each other like they were having some silent conversation.


    ¡°I wonder if Mom knew about it?¡± Selena asked.


    Samson turned his eyes toward Major. ¡°You said that you¡¯ve been looking for us for two years.¡±


    Major set his fork down in the now empty bowl. ¡°More than that, actually. You were supposed to be transported to Olympus at thirteen. You two were the only ones who didn¡¯t show.¡± Major thrummed his fingers on the table. ¡°Apollo and Artemis have also been gone for almost six years.¡±


    The twins¡¯ faces paled.


    ¡°We moved when we were thirteen,¡± Samson said in a low tone.


    This prophecy had to be something Apollo had known about but didn¡¯t report to Zeus. Artemis must have known, too. That must be why Cathryn King married the twins¡¯ stepfather. They needed his magical abilities to thwart Olympus¡¯s attempts at tracking them. Those coordinates had to be related to why they kept the twins hidden. Major was more than certain of it now. Arizona held the answers to all the secrets the Kings kept hidden.


    Secrets he really wanted the answers to. Even if it meant going against his father¡¯s orders.


    ¡°We have to go to Paulden,¡± Major said matter-of-factly.


    Selena nodded her head in agreement. ¡°We have to go to Paulden.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re not going to Olympus.¡± Samson narrowed his eyes at Major.


    He rolled his eyes at Samson. He acted like Major hadn¡¯t been the one to suggest that they go to Arizona.


    Whatever, trust needed to be earned. Not like he didn¡¯t just save their asses twice today.


    But if they wanted him to play the bad guy, Major guessed he would play it until he earned their trust. He folded his arms across his chest and glanced at the TV on the corner of the wall to the right.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have enough money to buy a car.¡± Samson said.


    Selena whipped her head toward her brother. ¡°What do you mean we don¡¯t? You raided the safe before we left.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Samson said, pursing his lips.


    ¡°What do you mean not exactly?¡±


    ¡°I mean, the duffel bag full of money was in the Porsche.¡± Samson tapped his backpack. ¡°We only have the few hundred I stuffed in here.¡±


    The twins remained oblivious to the TV screens now all flashing a photo of Samson¡¯s ID on the news channel.


    Fuck. Major knew deciding to set the car on fire to rid of it as evidence would come back to bite them in the ass.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll purchase anything that requires an ID here soon,¡± Major said, pointing at the TV in the diner¡¯s right corner. ¡°You¡¯re wanted for arson.¡±