"The Goddess of Death?" Matilda nearly choked, shaking her head. "That can't be real, Kate. What are they feeding you? Have they given you anything funny tasting? Do not take the vitamins!"

"I'm serious." I replied, "she is real, and a lot of what Andrew read in his books is as well. Noxia is the evil in the world, and leader of the guardians, Secta, is in a constant fight against her army of demons. Everything is happening right now, Matilda, and they need me to help them push back the darkness."

She shook her head, "this is insane! Actually mental! I don't care if this darkness is real or not, but I can't just let you run off to join this light army or whatever the hell it is! If Noxia is real, then she's too dangerous. Please, you can't go with them, Kate. You say your meraki could kill you, and you're running off to fight in a mythical, ancient war where you'll have to use it. I don't want you to get hurt or die."

Her lips trembled and more tears ran down my face. "I'm going to be ok, Matilda. All those guardians downstairs are going to be standing beside me along with hundreds more and the God of Light himself. I have to do this because it's in my future, my path."

"But you can decide to stay and make a new path!" She coughed, searching her brain for all the possibilities of why I couldn't go. "You can stay in the house with me and we can all be happy together again just like we were last time. We can figure out your meraki together and just... just be a family again. You're my little sister, Kate. I know you've been watching over me for so long, but I'm done drinking and now it's time for me to take care of you like I should have a long time ago. Please, we can do it!"

I took her hands in mine, giving them each a squeeze as I sucked in a strangled breath. "You know that can't happen, right?" I looked into her eyes, feeling my fingers start to quiver. "They can make sure I'm safe and I'll write you letters, but I can't stay here without being a magnet for Noxia and other demons who will try to hurt you, Matilda. Can you really expect me to stay here if there is a huge chance that it could just lead to losing you? If our positions were swapped, you'd leave to keep me safe and that's what I have to do too. I'll keep you and the Benton Brothers out of harm's way, and I can't trust myself not to hurt one of you with my meraki either. I don't have control, Matilda, and I need the most powerful man in the universe to keep me in check in case something goes wrong."

She shook her head in disbelief, though a sort of acceptance and grief danced in her features. "I just can't believe that you have to leave me, Kate. You've been with me all my life, my little sister and my best friend. I don't know what I'm going to do without you, and you're going to be off fighting in a war! Shit, that's going to mess me up."

"Hey, I'm still your sister and best friend because you'll always be mine even if we're far apart." I offered a smile, "I love you so much, Matilda, and you'll be close to my heart every step of the way. I'll come back to see you when it's safer and I have more of a handle on this meraki of mine. You have so many people who love you too, and I know they can make you happy. Malaki's with you and all the other Bentons. Hell, I love them so much too and I know they'll take care of you like they did for me. They're family too; you aren't alone and neither am I."

"But, you're you, Kate. They can't replace you." She laughed through tears, "they're a big group of stinky boys!"

This made me laugh too as I couldn't help but smile, "then find them a few sweet girls to help balance out all the testosterone around here. It's about time anyways that they stopped train jumping, and the Guard isn't a problem anymore so I'm sure they'll be bored out of their minds." Licking my lips, I looked Matilda in the eyes. "No one can replace you either, but this is just something I have to do. There are places I have to see and people I have to meet, and I need to be ready to do the things required of me. I met an oracle and we took a walk into my future, Matilda, and it isn't here no matter how much I wish it were."

"You saw your future?" She asked with raised eyebrows. "What did you see?"

"A lot of good and bad things. War and battle, Matilda." I confessed, "but there are a lot of better things waiting for me too that I'm not quite sure what to make of yet."

This only made her smirk, "it's a man, isn't it?"

"What? No!" I nearly choked while shaking my head viciously. "Of course not! Ridiculous!"

"That only makes me think it is even more." She was laughing at me now while pointing a finger. "You saw a guy in your future! A boyfriend! Fates, I hope it isn't Leighton."

"It was most definitely not him!"

"So there is one!" Matilda grinned with mischief, making heat rise on my cheeks. This only made her eyes widen as she snickered. "I was right, you little liar! You're so embarrassed!"

"Fine! There was a... man mentioned." I took a deep breath, letting it out. "You are sworn to secrecy!"

She only shrugged, "I don't know who it is, but I'll try to figure it out." Her lips curved upward into a sly smile. "I'll take a guess."

"Go right ahead!" I crossed my arms over my chest. She wouldn't get it with all the possibilities of every man in the universe.

"Hm..." She wiggled an eyebrow, "is he currently downstairs in our living room?"

We came down the stairs, my face still beet red. Matilda hummed with pleasure at her astounding accuracy and how many answers she'd managed to get out of me about the 'mystery man'.

The whole conversation made me want to be sucked up by a sinkhole as she asked question after question, preferably asking me to outline which base we were currently on. And after I'd nearly fallen out of my chair, she made a mental note that we hadn't even picked up the bat and swung quite yet.

Matilda hurried down the staircase ahead of me as I hissed under my breath, "if you utter a word, I will murder you slowly!"

"Oh hush, baby sis! Have a little faith." She gave me a wink before walking across the hardwood. "Finn! Excuse me, Finn!"

I swore I thought I was going to vomit or fall down the stairs and break my skull open, actually probably both. I counted to 15 inside my head to fight back the urge of strangling her in front of everyone in the living room.

Stepping around the corner, I saw the three guardians plopped on a set of chairs together, Malaki across the room as he'd gotten stuck downstairs with them. That must have been a long and very silent encounter, and I'd hoped that they'd all been kind to him.

I was sure that Cybele had talked with him, and I wondered if they'd both discovered that they had a mutual passion of archery. Matilda walked over to Finn as he stood, watching her with a questioning look in his eyes. He must be wondering if she was going to slap him or not. She probably looked half wild, and I clenched my hands into fists as I ground my teeth.

Never should have mentioned a thing! Never!

"I wanted to apologize for my outburst." She said with a charming smile. "It was very rude of me and I hope that you will forgive me for attempting to maim you." She stuck out her hand, offering to shake on it which Finn did with caution.

His eyes glanced up to me as I entered the room, leaning against the door frame. "Matilda, don't terrorize them."

"I'm simply getting to know the people who are going to be in close relations with my sister." She looked to me, offering a wink that no one else saw besides me. I raised an eyebrow as she turned back to Finn. "You aren't gay, are you?"

"What?" Finn replied with shock in his eyes as I approached Matilda.

"Haha, you are so funny!" I gave a fake laugh as I gripped her hand just tight enough to make her squirm. "She makes the most inappropriate jokes, doesn't she?"

Finn looked to me with a puzzled expression, and I half thought that he might understand what was going on but he shook it away to glance at Matilda with a thin smile. "Not gay, I can assure you."

Raphael and Cybele stood with him as Malaki came to stand beside Matilda. She glanced at me. "Sorry, not everyone understands my humor quite like Kate. Oh, you have something in your hair..." She leaned forward, pretending to pick something out of my hair by ear as she whispered under her breath, "score!"

"Stop messing with me, Matilda." I swatted her hands away as she raised an eyebrow before looking to the guardians.

"I'm sorry for my outburst earlier, and I was hoping to interest you all in some dinner as a peace offering. Kate and I had a long discussion, and I understand the necessity of her choice to stay with all of you."

"We'd love to stay for dinner if we aren't a burden." Cybele smiled, "Kate has told me so much about you, and I'd love to get to know you for myself."

This made Matilda grin, and I hadn't thought until just now how great the two of them would have gotten along. "Of course! The kitchen's right this way." She looked to Raphael with an embarrassed laugh. "I'm sorry I threatened to rip out your tongue. You seem like a very nice and warm person!"

"Definitely not nice or warm." He muttered, glancing at the kitchen. "What do you have?"

"Well, I know there's some sandwiches and leftover turkey..."

"I'm game." He shrugged before making his way to the kitchen. That man and his turkey. My mind reflected back to that specific pair of boxers...

"Malaki," I looked to him with a grin. "Did Cybele tell you she's excellent at archery?"

"She didn't." He looked to the blonde guardian with eyes dancing with intrigue. "How long have you been shooting?"

This made her face flush, "a lot longer than you would think. Which bow do you use?" She slipped hers over her shoulder, extending it out to him. "This is a..."

"I know exactly what it is." He said with wonder, feeling along the string like an artist would gaze upon his masterpiece. "This is lovely. You shoot with this? You must be very good to handle one of these."

They continued to talk as they all moved into the kitchen. There was a set of footsteps behind me as I glanced over my shoulder, Finn still in the living room coming to stand beside me. I couldn't help but grin in amusement as he had to duck underneath the light fixture. This house really did have low ceilings.

"Don't get knocked out walking through the doorframe." I giggled, making him smile as well. His eyes focussed on me, biting his lip as his jaw clenched. That sharp curve of his jawline was doing more things to me than I'd like to admit...

"Are you ok?" He studied my face, "you just look a little red so I was wondering if maybe..." He didn't really know how to finish his statement, and I was glad he didn't. Little did he know Matilda had been the cause of this vicious maroon tint on my cheeks for a reason he wouldn't ever guess.

"No, I'm alright." I breathed, glancing away from his eyes. "It was just hard, telling her that... I wouldn't be able to see her for a long time. She's my family, and there were a lot of tears before I got her to that point." I pointed to where she was loading sandwiches and turkey onto plates, handing them out to the guardians with a charming smile and a sweet laugh.

"I like her." Finn said and I looked up at him with amusement.

"Really? After she threatened to royally kick your ass?"

"I think it's a Stratton trait because I've received the same death threats from you." He mused with a soft smile as he looked at me. "I find it pretty cute actually."

Oh my Fates, was he flirting with me? Him flirting with me?

And like a dumbass, I replied, "I'll... I'll let Matilda know." This made his face harden with confusion just a fraction as I hurried to the kitchen with more self loathing. "Turkey time!"