Chapter Eighteen

Oh. My. God.

I was never going to drink again.

I swore to the great gods above, I would never touch another drink again in my life.

I laid in bed that morning, feeling like I'd been hit by a truck, then shoved in a paper shredder, then ran over with the truck again for good measure. My entire body ached, my stomach was heavy with nausea, my head felt like Thor was using his hammer as an alarm clock.

"Oh boy," Akin sighed as he stood over me, shaking his head, "See what happens when you drink so much?"

"I'm never doing it again," I moaned, pulling my pillow against my face to staunch the swirling nausea. Not that it did much. Akin simply shook his head again. Beside him, Thirteen beamed as he held his toy, Lexi, in his arm.

"Come on," Thirteen exclaimed, "We're going to the beach today, Seven! Get up!" His voice made my ears ring and I just pulled the pillow over my head now. Thirteen whined and set Lexi on my nightstand so he could start punching at the pillow on me, and damn Akin for just standing there with a smirk on his face.

"Get up! Get up! Get up! I wanna see the fishies! I wanna see sharks! I wanna see jelly fish and eat squid! Get up!" Thirteen shouted. I groaned, swatting him away.

"Okay, okay, just give me a minute!" I exclaimed helplessly. Thirteen ceased his assault, snatched up Lexi, then turned to Akin.

"I'm gonna get my shoes! Let's hurry before the fishies leave!" He yelled, then ran out of the room. I groaned again, pulling the pillow off my head. Akin sighed.

"Go take a shower," he said, "Hannibal's making you a special breakfast. You'll feel better once you get up and start doing things."

"I find that hard to believe," I grumbled. Akin just smiled, then left the room, slamming the door shut extra hard, which only made my head hurt more. I moaned and finally managed to peel myself off the bed. I hobbled into the bathroom to shower, and thankfully, I felt a little better afterwards. Less slimy, less greasy, less hungover, I guess was the word. I pulled on a tank top and shorts before I slowly made my way to the kitchen where Thirteen was gobbling up what looked like little mini pancakes. I grimaced at the sight of them, my stomach so not happy with the concept of food. I put my hand over my stomach and waited for the wave of nausea to pass. Once it did, I took a seat and laid my head down on the table.

"Why do we have to go to the beach today? Can't I stay here?" I asked. Akin shook his head.

"Can't leave you alone."

"But the guards are outside--"

"Doesn't matter. You're coming with us to the beach. We're gonna meet up with Lea and Havalia, who's eager to meet you both," Akin explained. I grimaced, but didn't say anything. I just laid there until a plate landed on the table in front of my face. I blinked and looked up to see the King walking back to the stove to shut it off. I sat up, looking at the plate to see what looked like plain rice with a side of scrambled eggs and a banana.

I sat up and reluctantly dug in to find that the rice wasn't plain. It was some kind of ginger rice, it was mild and bland, but holy shit, did I find myself shoveling that stuff away. I inhaled the plate and waited for more and ate that too. I managed to fill up and felt way better afterwards, though, my head was still pounding.

"Here," Akin said, holding out a couple of white pills in his hand, "These are Hannibal's, but he's letting you take some for your headache. They shouldn't affect you negatively if your genetics are anything like his."

"What are they?"

"Special pain pills. Hannibal can't take certain medications because of his genetics, so these are the ones Hades prescribed him for pain."

"He needs to take pills?" I asked, glancing over at the King as I took the pills. Akin smiled.

"Even immortals get pain sometimes. Magic doesn't help everything, contrary to what people may think," he responded, "Now finish that water so we can head out." I nodded and gulped the water down until I was full. The King finished cleaning up the kitchen after breakfast and we headed out.

I was surprised by two things at this point.

A) The King was coming with us.

And B) we didn't teleport.

We walked out of the house and headed down the path towards town that would take us out on the other side where the beach was. It was a good day to visit the beach, I noted. The sun was high in the sky, but not overwhelmingly hot. It was just... regular hot? Not suffocating hot? If that made sense. It was enjoyable. Especially now that I had clothes to suit the weather here.

Gods, I realized. I'd been here almost a week now. A week ago, I'd appeared in the jungle and stumbled into the festival in town. Now I was walking to the beach with my parents and my brother.

That thought almost made me stumble on the path.

Parents.

I glanced at Akin, who was laughing at a story Thirteen was telling him. Meanwhile, the King just walked stiffly behind us, like he didn't really want to do this, but had been talked into it. A long talk.

It was weird to think of them as my parents, but I supposed... they were. Their genetics created me. I may not have been born naturally from another person, but I was born nonetheless. Created in a lab using stolen genetics. Genetics that belonged to Akin and the King. Making me their child. I just couldn't wrap my head around that, because I'd been taught so long not to think of them as parents, but as a means of creation. Nothing more.

Thirteen warmed up to them both quickly, and he was already calling Akin his daddy, which blew my fucking mind. He knew, Thirteen. He knew that Akin was his father, that the King was his father. He referred to them as such. He was acting like a normal kid with them. Begging for toys he saw in shop windows, crying when they said no, settling down when he was promised a treat at the beach. They didn't discipline him the way they did back at the compound; he wasn't hit or threatened. Akin took his tantrums in stride, promising him something nice if he behaved. Thirteen was smart enough to know that Akin would keep his promise and settled down right away. When he got too far ahead of us, Akin would call him back and they would hold hands to stick together.

Even the King took his tantrums with no problem. He was silent the whole time, but he didn't complain or threaten Thirteen or hit him. He just accepted it, because what could you change about a child? Children misbehaved sometimes. It was just the way they were. They were learning. Even the King seemed to understand that.

They were perfect for Thirteen.

And Thirteen was perfect for them.

They were meant to be together.

Of course, the whole thing made my stomach sink a little because... I didn't fit in. I wasn't like Thirteen. I couldn't warm up to them so easily. I couldn't see them as my parents so easily. I'd already been trained enough by the Mother to see things differently. Then there was the fact that I was defective and not suitable for a royal family. Seeing Thirteen with the King and Akin was... it was perfect. The three of them stood so perfectly together and looked so much like an actual family that it hurt to think I could ruin that.

I just wasn't right for them.

And eventually, they were going to kick me out of their house. Eventually I was going to have to find a way to live on my own. The thought was scary because I still didn't understand this world, still didn't understand all the customs, the culture, the social etiquette. For fuck's sake, last night was the first time in my life I'd been drunk, first time I'd ever drank real alcohol.

Would I even be able to survive on my own?

I felt mild panic in my chest at the thought. At the fact that I really couldn't survive on my own, and maybe I really was better off with the Mother.

"There it is," Thirteen shouted, jumping up and down, "The beach!" He pulled on Akin's hand to hurry up and Akin went running with him, glancing over his shoulder to give the King and I an apologetic smile. The King just nodded, but his lips twitched, like he was going to smile maybe, but he didn't. I just smiled... or maybe grimaced. I wasn't sure.

The beach was just as I remembered it the first day I arrived. It was beautiful. A vast body of water that glittered and sparkled in the sunlight, crystal clear. There were people already at the beach, but not many. Some just reading magazines or books under their umbrellas to hide from the sun, others surfing the small waves, a couple and their children just hanging out near the shoreline. It was a good day to be at the beach.

As we stepped into the sand and made our way toward the water, I saw Akin and Thirteen stop to greet Lea, and another female. The other female reminded me a lot of the King. She was dark skinned with black hair that fell to her shoulders in a bob, her bangs split down the middle to frame her stern face where a set of baby blues sat. She was muscular too and it showed in every dip and curve. It probably helped that she was wearing a black bikini with gold accents on the seams.

"Hey," Akin greeted us as we arrived, "Seven, this is Havalia." Havalia looked at me and I looked back, both of us kind of doing a quick scan to make sure the other was safe to approach. A second later, a smile broke out across Havalia's face.

"So you're the troublemaker," she said, making me raise an eyebrow. I turned to look at the King, who averted his eyes and pretended to be interested in the ocean. Yeah, like he didn't talk shit about me. Bullshit.

"He's not a troublemaker," Akin said, glancing at the King sternly, then looking back at Havalia with a smile, "He's just exploring the big world right now."

"He hung out with The Cousins last night, didn't he," she asked, to which Akin nodded slowly, "Yeah, he's a troublemaker alright." I couldn't argue with that logic, so I just shrugged. Havalia smiled.

"Nice to meet ya. Welcome to Atlantis. Stay off my terf and we'll get along just fine," she said, holding her hand out. I shook her hand and gave her a nod of understanding, even though Lea elbowed Havalia in the ribs.

"What, your terf," she said, "You're not a gangster."

"I can be," Havalia pointed out, earning an eye roll from Lea, who then shook her head and smiled at Thirteen, who was tugging at Akin's hand to get to the water.

"Ready to get in the water, munchkin?" She asked, making Thirteen's eyes light up. Akin let go of his hand and he went for the water. Lea gave Akin a thumbs up and went after him to advise him how to get in safely.

"So, any word from Hades on this whole genetic stealing thing?" Havalia asked, folding her arms over her chest. Akin grimaced.

"Not yet. Hades says the data he got from Seven and Thirteen doesn't really reveal much, just that they were put together very well, by someone who knew what they were doing. He's going to reach out to some partners of his to see if he can figure out who would be making artificials without his knowledge. Because I guess no one would make them without contacting him," he explained, earning a grim nod from Havalia.

"Makes sense," she said, "He is the OG artificial creator. I'd be pretty peeved too if someone was dipping their fingers into my honey pot without talking to me first."

"That's another thing," Akin pointed out, "He's a genius about artificials. Surely this person would've contacted him to make sure they were doing it correctly, so it's someone confident enough in their abilities to not need Hades."

"I don't like that," the King agreed, "On top of that, there's other artificials. So other people have had their genetics stolen. I've been running a sweep on research facilities in the area and in Hades to see if anyone's had a break in lately, but haven't gotten anything yet. Might expand the search to include Hell and Helheim, maybe even Olympus, if Zeus will get back to me."

"Good call," Havalia said, "That just gives me the heebie jeebies. The idea of someone stealing my genetics to make a kid without my permission. No offense, but I do not want kids, ever, so I'd be pissed if I found out there was a mini me running around."

"Tell me about it," the King deadpanned. Akin glared at him. I averted my eyes.

"Anyway," Akin continued, though his look promised the King was going to get an earful later, "This Mother person hasn't launched an attack since the other day, but something tells me she isn't going to sit pretty for long. She'll come after us again."

"And it'll be worse," I muttered, making them look at me, "She isn't just going to send a private team. She'll probably send in a squad, which will consist of at least eighteen or twenty trained professionals."

"That's good to know," Havalia said, looking at the King, "Get your best men posted around the house, keep them on your kids at all times, even when you're with them. Best security they could ask for if you ask me."

"Good idea," Akin agreed, "I'll contact Tristan to get started on it. I'd prefer it if he himself actually joined the protective detail. I trust that male with my life." Without another word, he walked away and took out his phone. I watched him go.

"I'd have Menoetius on the team too," Havalia said, turning to the King, who nodded, "He'd do anything to protect yours and mine. Because that's what they are now. Ours." The King didn't answer that. He just frowned.

I looked down at my feet for a moment, then looked up to see Thirteen splashing and playing in the water with Lea, who laughed and played with him. I smiled faintly at that, then glanced at the King, who was still frowning at something Havalia was saying.

He didn't want me here. That much was clear.

Maybe that was for the best, I realized. Separated, it was harder to get us. Separated, it was harder to pinpoint our locations.

"I should leave," I said at last, making Havalia and the King look at me in surprise.

"I shouldn't be here, around Thirteen," I said, "If we're separated, it'll be harder to pin us down. Plus, they're more likely to come after me first, so I can lead them away from Thirteen."

"That's smart," Havalia agreed slowly, "But not a good idea. Akin would be furious. You need someone to protect you as well. I already know you can't use magic."

"Does everyone have to talk shit about me behind my back," I asked dryly, making the King avert his eyes, "Look, I don't matter. Thirteen is the one who I risked everything for. He's the one that needs to be protected. I'm just me."

"That's a sad thing to say," Havalia commented. I shrugged.

"I've lived my whole life without anyone giving a shit about me. This is no different."

"Akin seems to care about you a great deal."

"He thinks he does because I carry his genetics. When it comes right down to it, I'm not his son," I said, making Havalia frown now, "And I'm not the King's son either. I'm just a stranger who showed up on his doorstep out of the blue. I never intended to stay for a long time either. I just need help finding a place, maybe a job, and I'll be set. You won't have to worry about me being around ever again." I looked at the King to see what he thought, but he was just staring at me, like he didn't know what to say. I figured he would've been jumping up and down with joy at the thought of me not being around.

"It's not that simple," Havalia said, making me frown, "To get a house, to have a job. It takes time."

"I don't have time. Thirteen doesn't have time," I replied, then grimaced, "And I can't stay with Keros. I'd be putting him in danger. Same goes for the other cousins. I'm not going to put them at risk for me."

"Let's slow this down for a second, huh," Havalia answered, glancing at the King, who just continued to look at me in silence, "No one's making you leave, and you really shouldn't. You're better off in the care of Hannibal and Akin anyway. You're new to this world and I know you're anxious to get out and do things on your own, but you've skipped a whole generation of learning that you need to do in order to be on your own."

"I don't see what's so hard about leaving and getting a job," I said, making Havalia's eyebrows pop up.

"Well, first of all, you're technically a prince. You can say what you want about not being the King's son, and so can he, but in the end, you are his and you are a prince. You don't need a job. You have funds to do things on your own--"

"Then I'll take those funds and go somewhere else."

"Except it's not safe and you know it. You may not see yourself as valuable, but there are some of us who do."

"We just met. I'm nothing to you."

"Wow, okay," Havalia deadpanned, then looked at the King, "Care to voice your opinion or you gonna stand there like a doofus? Your kid is gonna get himself killed."

"He's not my kid," the King said abruptly, "And it's his decision. He makes sense; splitting them up would be a good idea. It's harder to attack two separate targets. Besides, he won't be alone. We'll send a protective detail with him." Havalia stared at him for the longest time, then looked at me.

"You're gonna have to excuse my brother and I for a second," she said. I shrugged and wandered closer to where Thirteen was playing in the water with Lea, and Akin stood by the water, watching with a smile on his face.

Of course, the distance didn't matter, because I could hear their conversation clearly on the wind.

"Are you fucking stupid?" Havalia demanded of the King, who looked at her.

"He makes a lot of sense--"

"No, he is not. Yes, two targets are harder to attack, but whether they're together or apart makes no difference. They'll just send two hordes instead of one. And frankly, I don't even think this is about the Mother or whoever the fuck. I think this is about your problem with kids."

"I don't have a problem with kids."

"You didn't even look at me until I was like thirteen and even then, you didn't speak to me. You never held me and you never acknowledged me until I turned eighteen. I cut you slack because mom told me about everything you went through--"

"That has nothing to do with this--"

"But I am not going to let you ruin a good thing now that you have it. You need to suck it up and quit being a fucking bitch about this. You have two beautiful fucking kids over there. I know for a fact Akin wants them. So what's your fucking deal with kids, huh? What about them threatens your existence?"

"The fact that they brought a new enemy to our doorstep," the King argued, making Havalia bark a rude laugh.

"This Mother bitch would've been on our doorstep whether the kids showed up or not. I cannot believe you are so ready and willing to turn them away. They're innocent. They're fleeing abuse. And you're standing there, ready to send one of them off by himself."

"He's an adult. He's not a child."

"He's eighteen, that's not an adult."

"And you're nineteen, what does that make you?"

"I'm still a kid too! You're still a kid even until you're fucking twenty something," Havalia exclaimed, "You're not ready to face the big bad world yet. Especially when you've been isolated by a cult like those two have been. I just can't wrap my head around what was so bad to you that you can't handle children. They're not hurting you. Especially Thirteen, who is literally just a fucking baby."

"You're blissfully ignorant," the King responded heatedly.

"And you're a fuckhead," Havalia threw back, "Gods above, I cannot believe you are the King of Atlantis. Pity the realm that has you for a ruler." Without another word, Havalia turned away from him and stomped through the sand to come stand beside me.

"Fuck him," she said, making me raise an eyebrow, "And fuck you too, for thinking you could get away from us so easily."

"Why do you care so much?" I asked. Havalia looked at me.

"Because family is all I have. I have no friends. I have no partner. Family is the most important thing in my life. And don't get me wrong; I love my brother. I love him to death. But even I can recognize when he's being unreasonable," she responded, then sighed in frustration, studying the ocean with her arms folded tight over her chest, "You know what? If you wanna get out of that house so bad, come to my place."

"Why? That would just be putting you in danger," I said with a frown. Havalia snorted.

"I love danger," she replied, "I thrive off blood and violence, so bring it on. I ain't scared of no mama. The only mother that scares me is my own, and thankfully her anger has never been directed toward me, or my brother. No, I'd be happy to put you up someplace until you can figure out what you want to do. Just know that I'm not gonna let you sit around and wait to get attacked, though. I know Hannibal's supposed to be training you, but dumped it on Menny. So fuck that. I'll train you my damn self."

I just didn't understand her, why she was so gungho about helping me, when she didn't even know me. She said we were family, and... maybe we were, but was that really enough to want to help me? Even if it meant putting herself in danger? I just couldn't wrap my head around it. But then, I supposed I was that devoted to Thirteen. I'd do anything for him. Even if it meant putting myself in danger.

"I'll probably stay with the King for now," I admitted, glancing back at where the King stood with his arms folded over his chest, looking annoyed, "If for nothing more than to piss him off. But... I'll keep your offer in mind. Thank you." Havalia shrugged, then glanced over her shoulder at the King... and she stuck her tongue out and flipped him off before turning back to the ocean.

"It's your decision. You are technically an adult," she said with a shrug, "But you don't need to do things on your own. We're here for you. I'm here for you."

"Thanks... I appreciate that. I'm not used to it," I confessed. Havalia smiled.

"Get used to it. You're part of our family now. And despite Hannibal's aversion, he'll have to accept that too," she said, then paused and frowned, "And... I'm sorry he's not accepting. I'm really disappointed in him."

"Don't be. He's right; I'm just a stranger that showed up out of nowhere claiming to be his kid. I'd be cautious too," I replied. Havalia hummed at that. I looked back where Thirteen was coming out of the water, holding a handful of seashells that he gave to Akin, who laughingly took them and cradled them in his shirt. Lea came out next, laughing at something Akin said. She smiled at them, then looked over at Havalia and I. Her eyes flickered, like she knew something was up, but she didn't say anything. She just waved. Havalia and I waved back.

I didn't know what else to say to Havalia, or the King for that matter. I still felt like my decision would be good, to leave Thirteen behind with the King and Akin. It still felt like the right thing to do, but for now, I would stay with them, until the next attack came. Maybe I could fend them off and I wouldn't have to worry about it. Or maybe I'd get lucky and die protecting Thirteen.

I just knew that I couldn't stay with the King and Akin forever. I wasn't welcome here. And that was okay with me. I wasn't the King's biggest fan anyway. Akin... Akin would be a little hard to leave, and Thirteen the hardest, but in the end, there was no place for me here. I didn't belong with a family like this, didn't belong in a world like this.

An idea formed in my head. It was stupid. It was a long shot.

But maybe... Just maybe, I could find a way to stop all of this.