Chapter Seven

The next morning, I woke up to the smell of something sweet and warm. I blinked my eyes open and found myself staring up at a wooden ceiling. Confused for a whole second about where I was at, I shot upright and looked around. I was laying in someone else's bed... A quick look around and I remembered what had happened the day before.

Right. I wasn't in the compound anymore. I wasn't at home. I was in Atlantis. Specifically, I was in Keros's beach house. It took me a minute to cope with that. I frowned when I realized Keros wasn't in the room, though. I pushed the blankets back and slid out of the bed, wandering over to the computer, a screensaver swirling on the monitor. I went to the open door and stepped out, listening to voices down below.

"It's eight in the morning," came Holly's groan, "I should be asleep. I should be under fifteen pounds of blankets."

"Not while we're on vacation," Blaine responded, "I want you up bright and early."

"Next time I'm gonna find my own place."

"Fine. Do it. See who makes you food when you're on your own."

"I can just call you to come feed me."

"Like hell you can," Blaine snorted, "I'm not gonna run around making you food elsewhere."

"Wow," Holly drawled, "You must really hate me."

"Shut up before I throw your pancakes in the garbage disposal," Blaine responded. The conversation was playful and light, not at all serious. I inched out of the room the rest of the way and went down the stairs slowly, just to make sure Keros was also down there. Sure enough, he was sitting at the table and my heart skipped a beat.

His hair was all tousled like he'd just woken up, but it gave him a charming boyish look to him that I didn't imagine would suit him. On top of that, he wasn't wearing a shirt and it revealed how fucking ripped he was. His muscles bunched whenever he moved, and of course, his legs didn't quite fit under the table completely, so he had to do some shifting around to get comfortable. Much like his father, who was sitting on the other side of the table with his head resting on the table.

Jeez, if Micah saw me with my head on the table, he'd probably smash it.

"You're awake." Blaine's voice made me look up to see him looking at me from the stove where he appeared to be flipping a pancake. That explained what smelled so sweet and delicious. My stomach growled at the sight of those pancakes and I cleared my throat to cover up the sound.

"Yup. Morning," I greeted, coming down the stairs the rest of the way. I reached up to smooth my hair as Keros's eyes swung around and locked on me. There was a heat there that made my own body respond. I adjusted my shirt as I came over and took a seat.

"Did you sleep well?" Keros asked softly. I nodded.

"Sorry I slept so long," I murmured. Keros shook his head.

"It's no problem. It's not that late."

"Still."

"Well, I hope you're hungry," Blaine said as he came over to the table and leaned over my shoulder to plop a pile of pancakes in front of me. I looked at the pile in surprise, then at Blaine, who went around dishing out the pancakes, including to his husband, who was clearly fast asleep with his head still resting on the table. Blaine rolled his eyes and thumped his husband in the shoulder, making him jerk awake and sit upright, a lock of his hair curled up on his forehead, so he looked rather silly.

"Thank you," I murmured for the pancakes and Blaine just inclined his head as he went back to the stove.

"Where's Ayo?" Cerberus asked sleepily. Blaine shrugged.

"He gets up way before I do. Probably went back to his boyfriend," he said dryly, making Cerberus smirk. Holly sighed wistfully.

"I need a boyfriend."

"No, you don't," Cerberus deadpanned. Holly nodded.

"You're right. I need a girlfriend," she agreed, making Cerberus roll his eyes, "Too bad dating is so hard."

"It's not hard," Cerberus drawled, "You just make it hard."

"Gross," Holly said, giving her father finger guns and Cerberus rolled his eyes and shook his head, "Anyway, I do not. I'm plenty friendly."

"Maybe it's the finger guns," Blaine muttered, making Holly look down at her hands curiously. Keros shook his head and glanced at me, mouthing an apology, but I simply smiled and shook my head.

There was something so warming about being around Keros's family. They were playful and fun. There were no strict rules to follow around here. They didn't even get yelled at for having their elbows on the table, let alone making jokes.

"So, what are your plans for today?" Blaine asked as he came over to take a seat, pausing to thump Cerberus on the back when he choked on his pancakes. Cerberus nodded his thanks and paused to lean over and kiss his husband on the cheek, making him grimace at the sticky syrupy kiss left behind.

"Just showing Seven around is all," Keros replied briefly. I was relieved he didn't go into detail. The last thing I needed was getting more people involved in my mess. It made me feel oddly guilty, though; both hiding secrets from Keros's parents and the thought of getting innocent people involved with the Mother. She would take no mercy on them if they got in her way.

"Sounds like fun," Blaine commented, glancing at me out the corner of his eye. He still didn't trust me and I didn't blame him. I was just some stranger his son brought over out of the blue.

"What about you, Hol?" Cerberus asked through a mouthful of pancakes. Holly sighed, putting her elbows on the table, her hands cupping her face as she considered it.

"Dunno. Might go see if any of the other cousins have arrived yet," she said, making Blaine grimace.

"Try to behave. For once," he pleaded. Holly flashed him an impish grin.

"I always behave."

"Not with your cousins you don't. The last thing I need is to break you out of jail, again," Bline muttered, making Holly pause to think about what he was talking about before she nodded.

"Ah, yeah, that last time was an accident, I swear. I'd blame Amenti--"

"You can, but no one will believe you," Blaine said dryly, "Amenti's a gift."

"So you think," Holly scoffed, "Amenti's got a mouth on her sometimes. A tongue like silver."

"Anyway," Keros said slowly as he finished up his pancakes, "I'm gonna run upstairs to shower. I'll grab you some clothes from Ayo's room, Seven, so you have something you can change into." I nodded my thanks, watching him go up the stairs before I turned my attention back to the light and fluffy pancakes that were quickly stealing my heart.

"So how did you meet Keros exactly?" Blaine asked. I looked up, quickly catching onto Blaine's cornering act. Now that Keros was gone, he was free to grill me, and Cerberus seemed interested as well as he looked up. Holly gave her dad a droll stare.

"Really? Soon as he leaves the room, you're gonna lay into him?" She demanded, making Blaine cut her a dry stare before he looked back at me expectantly.

"We met at the market. I'm still new to town," I responded, "I wasn't sure what to do. I've never experienced something like Atlantis before. I come from a very close knit family that didn't often let me venture out." Blaine paused, like he was considering my story. It wasn't a complete lie. I just omitted the fact that the Mother was a dictator and had her own army ready to launch an attack on anyone at any time.

"Well, Atlantis is certainly a new environment in comparison to... Easter, I'm sure," Blaine said at last, "Does your family know you're here?" I hesitated for only a moment, long enough to think of a response.

"Not exactly," I said slowly, "I'm... looking for someone."

"Who?"

"He's a relative," I answered, "I just need to find him."

"I'm sure your family must be worried about you if you left without saying anything."

Probably not, I thought bitterly. Not so much worried about me as worried I'd open my big mouth and tell people about the Mother. A risk I was not willing to take. All I needed was Thirteen, then we could find a place to hide from the Mother and never have to worry about becoming mindless soldiers again.

"It'll be fine. I won't be gone long," I assured Blaine, who raised an eyebrow. He seemed suspicious of my story, despite how innocent it sounded. He was smart. Cerberus, of course, didn't seem to feel the need to press and just went back to eating while Holly shook her head, then paused as a vibrating sound came from her pocket. She sighed and took out her phone, holding it to her ear.

"Hey, Lu... Yeah, no, I'm up... Pancakes. Yes. They're the bomb," Holly said, getting up from her seat to take a call. At the same time, Keros came downstairs in just a pair of joggers, his hair damp and sticking to his forehead. I pretended not to let my eyes linger on his bare naked chest, averting my eyes and noticing Blaine was watching me.

"You can go ahead and shower," Keros said, "I left a pile of clothes for you on the bed." I nodded and got up, murmuring another thanks for the pancakes before I retreated up the stairs and managed to find the shower. I hopped in and turned the water on, pausing to sigh in relief at the spray of lukewarm water on my face.

Man, I needed this shower. It was refreshing to say the least, and I was relieved that sure enough, there were some clothes waiting for me outside of the shower. I threw on the cargo shorts and boat neck black top, slipping my boots back on and heading downstairs where Blaine was cleaning up breakfast and Cerberus was stretching as he slide out from the table.

"I'm gonna head out," Cerberus said, "I'll be back in a few hours. If Lumen's in town, that means Ambro is and it's been too long since I've last irritated my baby brother." Blaine rolled his eyes, but said nothing. Cerberus vanished from the room and it took me a moment to recognize he even disappeared; it was so fast.

"Come on," Keros said, turning to me from where he stood by the stairs, "We still have... sights to see." I nodded. Blaine glanced at us.

"Try not to get into any trouble," he said, his eyes shifting to me. Keros frowned and I averted my eyes, looking down at my feet.

"Yeah," Keros answered briefly, then reached up to touch my shoulder.

Before I could ask if we could walk, he was already teleporting us from his beach house to our first location. It took me a full minute to cope with having traveled via teleportation. My vision spun for a second before righting itself and I managed to put my hand out, grabbing Keros's solid arm to steady myself. He looked at me in concern, and I let go, clearing my throat.

"I'm fine," I assured, then looked around at our location. It wasn't smack dab in the middle of the city, but on the outer edge of it. You could still see all the buildings and businesses, but it wasn't like right next door. Most of what surrounded us was the jungle. Huge trees with vines draped on branches the size of my whole body, brush clouding the forest floor. A couple cleared paths led to a large warehouse that was painted white with gray doors. Security cameras were mounted all over the place, but thankfully we appeared in a place out of view of them.

"This was the first place I came up with," Keros said, keeping his voice low as he scanned the building from our hiding place, "It didn't leave much of a trail in their activities and that raised a red flag to me. You said it would be an off the map sort of place. It's not even listed in Google maps, so they're hiding for a reason." I nodded, sticking close to a tree as I peered out to eye the security cameras. I saw a red light blinking on one of them. The cameras didn't look like the ones the Mother used, but they probably used different ones in this world.

"What was their last activity?" I asked. Keros looked down at his phone, tapping it a couple times before looking up.

"Several large supplies of food, the kind that feeds, you know, a large number of people. Like a cult maybe," he admitted. I nodded at that.

"So what's the plan?" I asked. Keros looked at me.

"We can't just go storming in there," he admitted and I nodded in agreement, "So we need to figure out a way to get inside, or at least meet one of the owners. I'm going to use my badge to gain entrance if possible." I raised an eyebrow.

"Is that safe? Or even legal?" I asked. Keros gave me a droll stare.

"It's my job to flash my badge to get what I want. Most of the time," he tacked on, pausing as if thinking of a particular instance. I gave him a droll stare. He shrugged, then straightened as he reached into his back pocket to take out his badge, keeping it handy.

"Stay here," he said, making me frown, "They'll probably recognize you." I nodded, stepping back. That made sense. I wondered briefly how the fuck I could have thought I could do this on my own for a second. I hadn't thought about being recognized, or gaining access to any place.

Keros inclined his head to me, then stepped onto the path a ways back to look like he was just approaching casually. I stayed in my spot and watched from a distance as he went to the main entrance and pushed a button by the door. I waited, watching as the door opened and I only saw a partial description of someone poking their head out. It was hard to see their face with the hat they wore pulled down over their face, but I saw dark skin and a tattoo of a teardrop on his cheek.

"Hello," I heard Keros greet him, "I'm Lieutenant Officer Keros of Styx. I'm working ahead of my partner, Officer Reyes. We're investigating some suspicious activity found at this location."

"I don't know what you're talking about," the male responded coolly, "We're a private branch of the Ovai Food Corporation. We package fruits from the local area and ship them to several realms. If it's about the food orders, it's because we're a privately owned branch. If you want, I can get my superior for you." Keros nodded.

"I would greatly appreciate it," he responded. The male nodded.

"I can't let you inside according to food safety laws, but please wait outside and I'll get my boss." He shut the door and Keros stood there, then glanced over his shoulder in my direction. I shook my head. The guy didn't look like he worked for the Mother. What little I saw of him indicated he was on the small side, a little chubby, and he had a tattoo. The Mother didn't allow tattoos on her soldiers, unless they were already tattooed before they came to her, and even then, she'd try to remove it.

I stepped back and we waited for the boss to come out, which he did several minutes later. By that point, I knew this place was a bust. The superior was a huge guy, round in both body and face, with unruly facial hair and balding on top. He didn't look anything like the guardians or soldiers at the compound.

I let Keros talk with the guy for a little while to keep up appearances, but after ten minutes, I think Keros realized the situation was over. He bade the male farewell and returned to my side after teleporting.

"Nothing suspicious?" He asked. I shook my head.

"He doesn't fit the description," I said grimly. Keros nodded.

"At least we know," he responded, "Let's grab some lunch and go to the next place." I nodded, then winced as Keros reached out and touched my shoulder, teleporting us from our location to somewhere in the city near a restaurant. Immediately dizzy, I reached out and supported myself on a nearby wall as we landed.

"Are you alright?" Keros asked. I nodded.

"Sorry, I'm not used to teleporting so much," I admitted. Keros looked at me curiously, but I didn't elaborate as I cleared my throat and straightened.

"So about food, cuz I'm starving," I said. And I really was. I was ready to eat enough to feed an entire army. Blaine's pancakes had been amazing, but that'd been early this morning. It was almost noon and I was ready to eat.

Keros smiled and nodded.

"One of my favorite bars. Let's head in," he said, gesturing. I followed him inside.

It was a bit noisy with low playing music unlike anything I'd ever heard before. It sounded like a guitar and some drums and the singer had a raspy voice, but it was nice. It was rugged. It smelled of smoke and cooking meat. I followed Keros from the entrance through a throng of people on the floor to a private little booth in the corner. We settled in and a server arrived with a couple of menus. I managed to read some of it and ordered two of everything I could read.

"You really were hungry," Keros commented. I nodded.

"I eat a lot, sorry," I replied, but Keros shook his head.

"Eat as much as you want. I don't mind. Doesn't bother me," he answered. I relaxed at that.

It felt nice not to be judged for eating so much. I was so used to the guardians and Micah slamming my head into pots and pans or into plates for eating so much. It was a good change. It only made me welcome the outside world that much more.

"So your family seems really nice," I said, taking a sip of water, watching Keros take a long swig of his beer before setting it down.

"Ah, I mean, sure," Keros said slowly, "They're alright." I smiled at that.

"Take it from someone who comes from a family of soldiers. It's nice," I assured. Keros smiled at that, then shrugged.

"Technically my dad's a soldier," he said, and when I arched a brow, he laughed, "Cerberus, I mean. He's the general of my grandfather's army."

"Hades," I said, just to make sure. Keros nodded. I shivered a little. That was a terrifying thought. Cerberus seemed so laid back and chill. I couldn't imagine him barking out orders or slicing through someone... Okay, maybe I could, but it was hard to compare that image to what I'd seen at dinner last night. He seemed like a playful friendly family male.

"And Blaine?" I asked. Keros smiled fondly.

"My dad isn't a soldier, but he might as well have been one. He's seen and done a lot of shit in his life. But the soldier's life isn't for him. He's happy just being a house husband."

"A house husband?" I asked, confused. I wasn't sure if I'd heard that term correctly. Keros nodded.

"Husband that doesn't work a job, but works in the home," he replied. I stared at him.

"Such a thing exists?" I asked. Keros nodded.

"Do you not have any where you're from?" He asked. I shook my head.

"Everyone's a soldier," I replied, then hesitated. Was that too much information? Keros seemed to consider that, then nodded slowly.

"That sounds rough. I couldn't imagine not having that level of softness and freedom in my life. I'm sorry you had to deal with that. I can see why you want to rescue your brother from that kind of life," he explained. I nodded, shifting uncomfortably.

I couldn't imagine having that level of softness and freedom in my life, because I'd never had it. This was the most freedom I'd ever gotten, and I loved it. I wanted more of it. I wanted the freedom to wear and eat what I wanted. I wanted to have my own place with Thirteen. I wanted to wake up when I wanted to, see who I wanted to, date who I wanted to.

But that's what I was here to do. I was here to get that freedom to live the way I wanted to. I was here to rescue Thirteen so we could both be free. So we could go to the beach whenever we wanted, eat whatever we wanted. I couldn't begin to imagine all the different freedoms we could have now that we were out in the world.

We ate our meal in silence before we packed up and headed out again.

We hit up two more warehouses in the area, but both of them were dead ends. Nothing, but sketchy business practices or privately owned companies I'd never heard of.

Frustrated, we went back to the house for dinner. When we showed up, Blaine was the only one home and he was already cooking dinner. He was listening to music when we arrived and it was unlike anything I'd ever heard of, nothing like the music that played in town or at the bar. It was a combination of drums, high string notes, some kind of loud high instrument I couldn't pinpoint. He turned it down when we came in through the door, though.

"Hey," Blaine greeted, looking up and not seeming surprised to see me, "Hey, Seven, glad you're joining us again. I figured you would be so I already set a place for you."

"Thank you," I managed, surprised as I came over to the spot where I'd sat before. Keros smiled at that, then went and approached his dad, leaning down to give him a kiss on the cheek, surprising me before he came back to sit at the table.

"What's for dinner?" Keros asked.

From that moment, I sort of tuned out. Tuned out because I was mostly focused on the big picture of Keros sitting there, turned in his chair with his arm thrown over the back of it, his dad stirring something around in a pan and glancing at him with an answer.

I still had trouble wrapping my head around the domesticity of everything here. Of the casual friendliness, the affection between them, their laidback carefree personalities. I wanted that for Thirteen, I realized. I wanted Thirteen to meet people like this. No, specifically, I wanted him to meet Keros's family. I wanted him to see what it was like to be normal, to have that affection, that freedom, that happiness. A family. I wanted Thirteen to have all of that. At the same time, it scared me because... I couldn't give him that. I couldn't give him a loving and caring family. I couldn't give him a mother or a father. I couldn't give him siblings, and friends? I had no idea. I would become Thirteen's guardian and suddenly the idea was very scary.

I had no money.

I had no job.

I had no home.

I was bumming off of Keros until I found Thirteen, and once I found Thirteen, what then? Would we have to live in the streets? I couldn't imagine not having at least a roof over his head, over our heads.

The thought gave me indigestion and made it hard to eat dinner that night. I gave up the fight and sat there quietly while the family around me conversed and joked. Blaine scolded Cerberus for talking with his mouth full, then scolded Holly for the same thing. Holly retorted with something smart and Blaine threatened not to make her breakfast, which shut her up real quick. Ayo talked about his day, how he went to visit his boyfriend named King and was trying to encourage him to come to the festival. Keros seemed to be listening attentively to him, and his parents and sister. He even cracked a few smiles, made a few jokes. That damned dimple again.

There was just something so warm and friendly about the atmosphere. It actually almost made me tear up, because again, I wanted this for Thirteen, but I couldn't give it to him. It was out of my reach. A few deadly thoughts crossed my mind in that instant.

I couldn't leave Thirteen with the Mother. That wasn't an option.

But I could... give him to someone else, right? I would have to. I wouldn't be able to support Thirteen on my own. He was still a child. He still needed to go to school, to eat, to have a comfortable place to sleep. And I couldn't give him that.

I was sick by the time I went to bed, laying there and staring up at the ceiling as I heard Keros go to his computer.

"Hope this doesn't keep you up," Keros said as he sat at his computer, "I have a couple reports to write for work."

"No, it's fine," I said softly, then rolled over and watched Keros take a seat, watched the computer chair dip under his weight, creaking slightly. Watched those long legs stretch out under the computer desk, his knee banging it in the process, his long fingers splaying over the keyboard as he began to type away like his life depended on it. There was a naturalness to it. He'd done this a lot before. He was used to it.

He was used to working.

And me? What could I possibly do after all this was over and I saved Thirteen?

All I knew was the life of a soldier. Would I be able to join the military? Did I want to? Wasn't that dangerous? What if I was pinned against a member of the Mother's army? What if they asked for my background and I couldn't provide that?

The worry kept me up.

But the exhaustion of looking for Thirteen succeeded in knocking me out.