I tried to get rid of those thoughts as much as possible, just so as not to let him notice me. When I entered I was greeted by Medea's warm welcoming smile, she seemed very young, perhaps too young to be their mother, she seemed in fact more like their older sister. She looked austere with her blonde ponytail that gathered her many hairs. She looked a lot like her daughter, only slightly taller than her, thanks to the heel she wore. Her seriousness was in contrast to the funny behavior she had, it almost seemed that she could not sit still. She compulsively turned her wrist, forming spirals in the air that sent me the anxiety that she must have felt, perhaps having a "normal" girl in her house had to shake her a lot. I held out my hand which she promptly shook, in a tight energy that nearly crushed my hand.

"Sorry if I hurt you."

"No do not worry. I'm fine."

"Well why don't you sit do..."

I could not finish the sentence that immediately that lion threw himself on me. Due to the heavy weight of his body, I fell and hit my head lightly as he licked my face. I initially tensed up then immediately melted when his tongue came in contact with my skin, his behavior was so strange. He behaved more like a dog than the powerful feline he really was. Medea yanked him away while Hecate held out a hand to get me up.

"Sorry he's a bit ... lively, if you want we can tie him up."

"No, I don't think it's a problem."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure, then? What are we doing?"

"Come on, now you know the way."

Medea led us into the dining room, meanwhile I was walking side by side with Antares, he was not bad, you could see that he was not evil just very restless. When Medea left us alone, I took courage and asked Hecate where Ares was.

"My brother? He's upstairs in his room. Don't you want to see it? "

"No ... that is, yes ... it is ... because of yesterday."

"Why? What else happened?"

He asked as he raised the glass to his mouth with a frown that dug into his perfect features.

"Yesterday there was a little quarrel between us because I helped Richard with the burns caused by Ares and ..."

"No, wait, what did Ares do yesterday?"

He put the glass on the table breaking it into a thousand pieces, I instinctively jumped realizing that I had made a mistake in revealing the actions performed by his brother. The celestial rings that embrace his black irises immediately turned Venetian red and the irises lengthened like those of a feline. I was slightly frightened by his sudden and unexpected reaction so much that I got up feeling the table shaking under the tremor of his muscles.

"Sorry Selene but you better go home."

The warning, which sounded more like a threat, forced me to leave them alone, I heard the screams of Ares and Hecate attacking each other. I saw Antares calmly climbing the stairs as the dull sounds of objects shattering on the ground filled the house.

In the afternoon, I retired to my room to do my homework but the serenity of my room was interrupted by the arrival of Ginevra.

"Sele, shall we go to the bar for a while?"

"No, I have to do my homework."

"Come on! Just for a little while, the bar is just a stone's throw away. Please?"

She asked, her eyes languid and her lower lip sticking out.

"I said no."

"Please, please, please."

She put her hands together and I could only yield under my cousin's entreaties. I agreed by rolling my eyes and, after the leaps of joy she made, I let myself be dragged wherever she wanted to take me.

When we entered, the scent of coffee mixed with alcohol overwhelmed us, giving me a feeling of pleasure together with one of disgust. When we presented ourselves at the counter, the owner greeted us personally with her gentle voice and her warm welcome smile.

"Hi girls, what can I bring you?"

"For me a glass of coke."

"For me one of water."

"Perfect, I'll have them brought to you right away."

"Water?"

He asked me as we took our seats at a table.

"Yes, why? What's strange?"

"Well, at a bar, you expect anything but asking for water."

"Yeah, sorry, next time I'll order some gas."

"Don't joke! You know what I meant."

He said smiling but our attention was called by someone who said my name. As we turned we saw Marcus coming towards us, waving goodbye. I immediately got up and hugged him, I had missed the times they studied together or cimo to comment on the ending of a film. Since I have been with Ares and Ecate my attention has been completely focused on them and everything was overshadowed.

After I finished the introductions, we talked all afternoon and Marcus and Guinevere found they had a lot in common. I felt very strange, a bit as if I were the third in comfort between two people who barely knew each other. An air of intimacy and friendship had established between them, the hours passed but I always felt eyes fixed on me. I felt an uncomfortable sensation, as if I were being watched by someone unknown to me. When we got home, Ginevra was talking about Marcus, how nice and funny he was. As I heard my cousin's dreamy words, I found a sheet of paper lying on my pillow.

"See you tomorrow at nine at the beach, I need to talk to you.

Ares. "

Immediately I felt my heart beating nervously: perhaps he was angry because I had blurted out what he had done to Hecate. My condition was interrupted by my cousin and, instinctively, I hid him under the sheet.

"Oh that friend of yours is really nice and...but what are you doing?"

"You like?"

I asked her to divert attention to something else. His face turned fiery red and he immediately lowered his gaze to the ground.

"But no, that comes to your mind."

As I was about to contradict her, the doorbell rang.

"Let's continue this talk later."

Disappearing behind the door jamb to go and open it and as soon as I found out who had knocked, I opened my mouth wide in amazement.