There was no going back now.

The sun was a bright ring in the sky that appeared low enough to reach out to touch. As if proving that thought possible, I could feel its heat removing the last of the hold the cold I'd left behind still had. My vision blurred, a mixture of gold and black as the brightness shocked my eyes; they couldn't adjust fast enough from the darkness we'd left behind. Closing my eyes I could still see the glowing circle behind my eyelids, and shielding them with my hand, it took a few cautious looks around to get them to focus again.

It wasn't just the dark, and cold that had been left behind. Spinning around, there was no clear guide as to where the portal had been, and worse than that - any sign of my friends. Well, fuck.

With the eclipse in front of me, and nothing else other than the forest around me, I wasn't sure what to do or where to go. Kara had said it never felt like Hecate disappeared for long, so maybe there would be some kind of timer to this and the way out would reappear. I had been holding the key, so since I had the golden ticket, only I was permitted entry. Things were making some sense, which was a good first step or it was until Apollo appeared from the light, looking equal parts confused and relieved.

"We need to move." He greeted, his eyes going up and down over my body. "You're okay?"

"Well, yeah. That's a bit much." I motion to the sun.

"It's going to get a lot much when the eclipse is over. Sun god, remember? I am fucking powered up the max right now and if that moon gives it an inch of space it's going to get hot."

Apollo made a point. He wasn't just glowing, he was radiating with the bulk of the light in the clearing coming from him.

"What about the others?" I shield my eyes, attempting to get a look around the field. Apollo didn't need to answer, I couldn't feel anyone here.

"It's just us." He turns me around, and we start towards the tree. "Got the key?"

"Yeah, it's," not in my hands. I feel over my clothes and then turn back to where I'd been standing. "No. No, I don't."

"I'm starting to get the feeling you just walked into a trap and I got pulled into it too."

"We don't know that." I protest.

"Really?" He motions around us. "None of this seems suspicious to you?"

Maybe a little. "Fine, it's not looking great. But we also didn't know what to expect so let's work with what we've got."

I'm not sure if it's my eyes playing tricks on me, or if something does move ahead of us within the trees. Apollo either doesn't notice or doesn't care as he runs right towards it and each time I call out his name, he doesn't stop, just tells me to stay close. I run faster, pushing myself to catch up as we hit the tree line. Instantly his glow weakens; the darkness swirling around him like smoke rising from a fire.

"I know this place." He whispers the second I stop beside him. "I've been here before, as a child with Artemis and our mother. I don't know why I didn't remember it before."

"Really?" He never spoke about his mother.

That wasn't about to change. The frown on his face deepened, making me think it wasn't a happy memory either as he looked around now as if he was searching for something. Apollo suddenly charged ahead, dusting off the darkness around him as he was simply squatting away a pesky mosquito. It was hard to keep up, and when I was about to suggest we stop, the trees gave way to another clearing as identical as the last one and what we left behind. What neither of us expected to see as Cain and Artemis, and from the look on their faces, they weren't expecting us either.

"What are you doing here?" Apollo demands, looking furious at her appearance. "You're supposed to be supervising Hermes!"

"I was, but I somehow got sucked into all this too. Kara and the guys aren't with you?"

"No." I frowned; Cain's hand was back firmly in mine as I stood beside him, the confused look on his face now matching Apollo's.

"Where did you two come from?" Cain asked.

"Through the trees?" I turned behind us, yet it was just the barren slope of the field with the eclipse up in the sky when I looked back.

"What trees, you just appeared?" Cain kept his expression neutral, yet I could practically hear his thoughts as he tried to come up with some kind of explanation.

"I think we need to pass through the three realms." Apollo decided, pointing up to the forest. Sure enough, those little specks of light I didn't quite trust my eyes with, appeared from the dark. "We just came from the sky. This is earth."

"So that leaves the sea," Artemis answered. "I feel like I should have known this."

"This isn't our first time," Apollo told her. "Leto."

Artemis gasped, turning to Cain yet before she said anything else, she looked back to Apollo. "I think I remember."

"The island." Cain was starting to get agitated, the earlier second of relief vanishing.

"Sounds like a holiday destination or if I'm reading the room right, a bad horror movie?" I look at the three, not sure what I'm missing.

Without another word, Apollo started the walk back up the trees and Artemis stuck close behind him. The whole mood had changed, with the trio wearing a similar look of dread and even Artemis's normally upbeat attitude took a swing to the dark side.

"What's the island?" I ask Cain.

"Nevermind."

"Kind of feel like I should mind, considering three of our friends are still MIA and you three look as though you just smelt something really, really bad." I point out.

"It's nothing," Artemis answered, powering on up ahead.

The twins hit the trees first, disappearing and Cain slows slightly. Tilting his head down low towards mine, he looks around cautiously before saying anything and when he does, his voice is barely a whisper.

"It's where Leto took refuge to give birth."

"Oh." not sure what else to say, I just followed him into the trees.

Almost instantly I could smell the salt air, the breeze heavy with dampness as we walked out into the field that altered from dead grass and rocks to a sandy shoreline. The ocean was silent and calm, the stars glowing above which reflected down on the surface so it was nearly impossible to tell which way was up or down. A soft sigh left the ocean each time it rolled onto the shore and in the distance, the unmissable silhouette of an island could be seen.

"I'd forgotten all about this place," Artemis mumbled, to herself or us I wasn't sure.

"You've been here before, through the crossroads?" I ask.

"It was different," Apollo answered, walking to the shoreline. "We came through the trees, there were others too. They had a boat waiting for us, it's a little hazy. We were only kids, and didn't even have our powers yet."

"There are things in the water." Artemis sounded scared, pulling Apollo back.

"Do you remember anything?" I ask Cain.

"No, how could I? It was where I was born." His voice was like gravel, and Artemis looked back to us sadly. "I spent a few years looking for this place, looking for answers when I found out the truth about who I am. I thought I had found it a few times, but it was either in its image or just an island."

"It's protected. It makes more sense now, I tried too but never made it far." Apollo continued to stare out across the ocean. "We should go over there."

"How?" Artemis snapped. "No boat."

"It's going to be hard to do it without one. What if we went to the tree?" Apollo suggested, which instantly made Artemis shiver. "It's a clear point to focus on."

"I guess." She frowned.

"Um, for those of us who don't know anything about any of this, want to explain?" I also had some idea that I wasn't alone with this as Cain was looking thoughtful and being too quiet.

I wasn't even sure if he was listening as he stared off into the distance, and looking out there now I was positive I saw those same shimmery flashes of light as I had before. If it was some kind of guide, that way was definitely where we needed to be going.

"Can't you feel the magic? It's protected. It's going to be risky even trying to teleport ourselves over there, worse without some kind of clear point on where we're actually going. If it rejects us, and we can't get back here, we'll probably get eaten by what is in the water." Apollo explained. "Since there isn't a boat waiting to give us safe passage, it's our best bet."

"Do you think Kara and the others are over there?" I wonder, choosing not to think of our impending doom if this gets fucked up.

"Maybe, but they might not have even made it through at all. I can't sense anyone here except for us, which doesn't mean anything. It makes me wonder how the realms cross through each other though." He sighed, glancing at Cain as if he might have more of an answer, but instead he dropped my hand and walked towards the shore. "We should go as one. Artemis and I can make sure you two don't get lost on the way."

"Makes sense." I decide.

The twins look at Cain, each of their expressions neutral yet there's a similar look of sadness in their eyes as they look beyond him.

"What is it like over there?"

"Heaven." Artemis answers dreamily.

"For some, perhaps." Apollo corrected darkly.

"You've never liked this place. I couldn't think of anywhere else I'd rather go back to."

"Of course, the way Eileithyia favoured you is because are another of her girls," He snapped, the mood instantly escalating at the mention of the name; Artemis spun around, glaring at him.

"No, it's because I listened to her and was willing to aid our mother when you walked away!" Artemis growled, pointing her finger at him. "This place is a sanctuary, and you never understood that. It was not a temple for you to be worshipped in. No woman would fall to your feet here as they did back home, and even if one had a moment of insanity, Eileithya would never allow it. Your precious ego can not handle you not being the centre of attention wherever you go, and when he was born you realised you never would be again."

Apollo rolled his eyes, yet he didn't argue back or tell her she was wrong and she stomped off down the beach, passing Cain who didn't even flinch at all to that little outburst.

"She makes a good point." He said a second later.

"You aren't that person anymore." I remind him.

"Sometimes I wish I was. It was easier then."

"Was it?" I failed at stopping my smile which he shyly returned.

"Sometimes." Apollo sighed. "I blamed him for everything that went wrong or bad for me, for so long. That was easier too. He didn't deserve it."

"Maybe you need to tell him that then, not me. Sounds like it could be an apology a long time overdue."

He thought it over. "Let's get this over with."

"Okay, and Apollo, I'm proud of you for admitting it," I hugged him tightly, meaning it. "Even if it was to the wrong person."

Apollo went over to Artemis and I ended up beside Cain. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

He didn't answer right away, looking surprised for a second to see me standing there.

"We don't really have a choice, whatever we came here for is over there and Artemis is right, there are things in the water." Bubbles broke on the surface barely fifty meters from where we stood followed by a tiny splash as a fin cut through the water and then disappeared.

"Definitely no swimming then."

"You're an idiot," Artemis snapped, joining us. "New plan. We'll go in two's, it'll be a little less obvious. Cain, you're with me and we can go first."

She put her hand out to him impatiently, and Cain looked at it as though it might grow teeth and bit him. Apollo shook his head, and with a brief look my way, Cain took it. They vanished, and holding my breath I looked out to the island, half expecting it to suddenly explode or disappear.

"Do you think they made it?" I ask him.

"I do, I just don't trust Artemis to stick to any kind of plan if Eileithya is there."

"Who is she?"

"A nightmare." He groaned. "She's the boss. Nothing happens over there without her knowing. We could be going into a trap."

I step in front of him, resting my hands on his arms as he holds onto mine, looking up at him. I'm surprised to see the conflict in his eyes as he looks back; he was scared. "Let's go then."

A second later, we're underneath a large, white, creepily dead tree. No wonder it was something they both focused on, it was rather unforgettable. I stepped back from Apollo, letting him go as I spun around. A small jetty sat just behind us. The path to it was small, and the tree seemed like a marker as two large ropes had been tied around it that led down to the water.

"Well, we made it." Artemis greeted, coming around from the other side.

I let out a breath I didn't realise I had been holding, as Cain moved from behind her.

"It's a big tree?" I looked up at the barren branches, understanding why it had made Artemis shiver. There were no good vibes coming from this place, and as Cain's hand found mine, I held onto it tightly.

"Now imagine seeing three dead men, hanging from those branches with two more half picked to pieces by ravens, as a ten-year-old." Artemis didn't hide her disgust. "And don't forget the scorpions crawling at the base. I had nightmares for weeks after."

"Yeah, so I'm definitely going to be giving birth in a hospital. No dead trees, or scorpions, thank you." Artemis smirks at me and shaking her head starts to follow Apollo up the path. "I'm serious."

"We were born here too, Elise. She had no choice when it came to finding a safe place to deliver all of us into this world." She answered. "I only hope you have other options. Hera being dead does increase your options slightly, but who knows how this whole Fate Fury fiasco will turn out."

I didn't like how that sounded at all.

"I'm sure it will be over before then." Apollo spoke up.

"Yes, but she needs to be made aware. Maybe that is why we are here?" Artemis wondered, and now I did too.

A cold fear spread up from my toes, sinking deep into my bones as another one of those strange little flutters in the pit of my stomach ceased the ache in my chest as my throat started to freeze. I couldn't do what Leto did. I wasn't prepared for what the whole, birth, thing entailed. All I currently wanted was for Dr. Katie there, smiling at me reassuringly while Mum tells me it's all going to be fine and Cain's hand in mine. Looking at the dunes, and rocks, the ocean full of who knows what around us now was not part of any kind of plan I had.

"You are not going to be forced into hiding, alone and hunted by your enemies." Cain whispered, but I couldn't keep going. I couldn't move as the panic of that very thing happening shut down my brain. "Elle, you and our son will be safe, looked after, and there will be nothing to fear, I promise."

"You can't promise that." I manage to say, leaning into him.

"I can." He sounds so sure, I want to believe him.

"Seriously, Art." Apollo groans behind us.

"Sorry, but I couldn't be the only one thinking about it. We were all born here." She weakly defends. "Maybe our whole family is cursed that way."

"Don't listen to her, listen to me." Cain forces my chin up to look at him. "Our son will only ever know love, and what it means to feel safe. His story will not begin here."

His thumbs wiped under my eyes, removing tears I hadn't even realised I'd been crying. A kiss on my forehead before I was nearly suffocated in his hold. I breathed him in, a sense of home and safety invading my mind, chasing the darkness of my thoughts away, until I could think clearly again.

"Thank you," I whisper into his chest.

"We need to keep moving." Artemis called, and looking around Cain, the twins had moved further along the path, nearly at the top of the dune. "Now."

"I really wish she'd been left behind."

"Me too." Cain agrees, not letting me go yet. Instead we're standing beside the pair, which only makes Apollo roll his eyes and keep walking.

Artemis quickly follows and from here the beach gives way to land. It is still sandy but patches of grass seem to increase as we go along, before yet another wall of trees waits for us in the distance.

"Stop," Apollo whispered a second later. "Someone's here."

"Kara." I recognized her presence instantly and looked around, the dunes and field empty of any signs of where she might be. There was no sign of Deimos or Hades though.

"She made it here," Cain looked happy about that for a second which was better than the look of complete doom he'd had since we arrived. It didn't last.

It was then one of those flickers of lights loomed up ahead. Here the shape was slightly different, or maybe because there were no trees for it to hide in, I could see better. One light branches into three, taking a more human shape like pale ghosts dancing in the moonlight. Forgetting Kara and without thinking, I pointed at them as I started to run.

"Follow them." It wasn't a suggestion.

"Elise!" Artemis hissed, yet the sounds of their steps behind me were enough to keep me running.

Whispers flew by on the wind, swirling around us with interest as we were led away from the beach and sand, back into the trees. I stopped, catching my breath and the others joined me, just in time to notice the glow ahead. It was orange, warm and changing, more like fire than the bright, harsh light of the sun from earlier and before I could keep going, Cain grabbed my arm and hushed me. He pointed to the left, and as the other two lowered themselves behind a fallen tree, I shrugged free of his hold as the mumbling figure took shape in the dark. Despite her usual presence being dimmed down, there was no denying who was there.

"Kara!" I called, waving.

"You're here!" She answered, and with our cover blown our group reunited. "I've been so worried."

"How did you get here?" Cain asked.

"No idea. I was on the beach, and couldn't get myself out of here. It's like nothing else exists except for where we are." He didn't hide how uncertain this made him, walking in the direction she'd just come as if there would be a clue waiting for him. "What exactly is this place?"

"It's the island where we were all born." Artemis answers.

Kara's mouth opens and then closes, her eyes darting to me with a hundred questions swirling around in them, while Cain now stands like a dark cloud behind her; he doesn't attempt to push back the shadows as Apollo had.

"We came through the crossroads, I'm guessing at different points." Apollo looked around. "That way then?"

"Or back to the water." Kara sighs. "I've been going around in circles, trying to work out what to do. That way seems too obvious, and no matter how I try, I don't get any closer. Also, I swear I keep seeing people running around here. Anytime I try to follow them they disappear."

"I've seen them too," I tell her.

"I haven't." Apollo frowns.

"I felt something," Cain admits. "But I haven't seen anything."

"I thought I saw something, but it might have just been my eyes playing tricks on me," Artemis admits. "This place doesn't feel how it used to. It feels broken."

Ever so slightly she moves closer to Apollo, their arms barely touching as everyone looks around cautiously now. We all move closer together, instinctively spacing ourselves into a circle and without another word, start to walk in the direction of the light. I keep my hand in Cain's, inching closer to him as we go.

"Are you okay, I know this has to be a lot for you to deal with right now," I whisper.

"It is, only it's not. I've dealt with my past." There was something in his tone that stopped me from believing him. "The sooner we leave, the better."

That was the general mood of the group, yet despite my earlier comment, there was something about here that felt safe to me. Comforting. I could understand why Leto had come here to have the twins and then returned to have Cain. This time when the wind blew, the trees began to talk. Their words weren't clear no matter how much I focused on listening to them, and as we got closer to what was next, the trees went quiet and the hum that replaced them was more like a song. I looked at Kara who was looking to her right, out into the dark that moved us closer together and as Cain's hand released mine, I saw the ghosts flutter by us again.

"Elle," He warned, reaching for me yet I stayed just out of reach. "Focus. Stay with me."

Artemis was gone first, her laugh echoing through the trees like a birdsong.

"They're here." Apollo mumbled. "Fuck this island."

"Who?" Cain demanded, his grip was firm yet gentle on my arm, just as Kara took off at a run, I fought to make him let me go.

"The women of Delos. Eileithya's sisters, her servants, though they'd deny that's what they are,." He grabbed my other side, stopping me from prying Cain's hand from my arm. "Elise, stop. This isn't you."

It sure as hell felt like it was me.

"Do you think they mean to harm them?" Cain asked, looking at Apollo warily.

"The women, no. Us. Most likely." He admits.

I stopped fighting as Cain's grip eased, and he pushed Apollo back. "Be safe."

Kara called my name, and without a second thought I followed.

Breaking free of Apollo and Cain, I left their argument behind. Reuniting with Kara, we were not alone, so we chased the lights. I skipped through the trees with them, their forms becoming clearer as we all moved together now. They were beautiful women, young and free. Some ran naked, others with ragged bits of material wrapped around their bodies as tight as a second skin with skirts that floated out around with them as if they had a mind of their own. Their movements were as graceful and as natural as it was to breathe; not ghosts at all as they were too full of life. Arms were kept raised to the sky as they leapt and twirled their bodies, with each hand moving to a different rhythm that saw their magic twinkling through the air like a cloud of glitter.

Kara giggled beside me, and I looked in time to see her leap over a broken branch. She twisted and twirled along with them, as I did too. The ties in our hair came free, the sand soft beneath my feet as our clothing lost its restrictive fit and we ran with the wild women as if it was all we had ever known. Our dance was as old as the flames we now circled; from across the pit, Artemis joined us with her head thrown back in pure joy as it felt like we'd returned home. The woman around us did the same, full of life and love and strength. I could feel their powers, so different yet the same as my own. Our magic reached out to one another in recognition, fusing together as if it were more than just strangers meeting for the first time.

I felt connected, a part of something greater than I could ever understand and I didn't want it to end as the dance slowed; our bodies damp with sweat and my powers not quite ready to be pulled in. Somehow the three of us made it back together and standing before the rock that was identical to the one I'd sat on with Kara a week before, a familiar figure sat up there now.

I looked at my friends, their hair a wild mess and faces bright, happy. I'd never seen either of them like this, and wondered what I looked like to them. The others all stopped their dancing, dropping back and taking Artemis with them as they dropped to the ground in the child's pose as if we were about to undergo group yoga. I almost wished it was, an urge to stretch and keep the connection going almost like an ache throughout my body. As the goddess stepped forward into the light above us; the first thing I noticed was the key Portia had given me around her neck and as my eyes wandered up to her face, reality kicked in.

"Hecate," I whispered breathlessly.

"Well done. You found me, little Phoenix."