I hid in the kitchen, listening to the plan being made that made sense and was practical. Logical. With the Harpy's guidance, we were briefed on the best hiding spots. The forest was remote, cold and the village had been abandoned years before. There was a small castle the Furies had taken up refuge in, and the Harpy had been called in like moths to a flame only to then be kept grounded until needed. Ruby had called it not ideal flying conditions, the cold winds and unpredictable weather made it dangerous for them.

We all had our limits.

I had to wonder how long I had until I reached mine.

"You're not okay," Kara whispered. "You're a liability not an asset right now."

I set down the cup of water and looked over at her. "You're wrong."

"Please let us check it out first. Don't be stubborn about this. I see you, Elise. You're tired, something is hurting from the way you keep pacing around here and you're so deep in your head I'm not sure what to say to get you out."

"Thanks, Doctor Kara for that update. I'm not being stubborn, I'm being realistic. Tired is just a state of mind, and I'll get Apollo to help with my hip pain. As for the head stuff, I'm not. I've been working on pushing it all deep down for another time when I can afford to have a complete and mental breakdown." I go around the other side of the table and hug her. "I love that you care, but I know my limits. I'm not risking Blueberry to prove a point."

Apollo came in and seeing us hesitated in coming over. Kara went to turn to see him, but paused, smirking as she looked at me.

"At least let the guys take the lead. Sacrifice Apollo. It'll be for the greater good."

"That worked out so well last time." He came over, shaking his head. "At least I know you'd all miss me if I did die."

"Was there ever any doubt?" Kara patted his arm as she left. "Fix her, please."

"That's beyond my powers." He teased, making me roll my eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Hip pain. Be a pal?"

"Why do you have hip pain?" Apollo frowned.

"Oh crap, I can't believe I haven't told you yet. This bulge here is not the result of too much pizza and no I didn't swallow watermelon seeds. I'm pregnant. With a baby." He doesn't look impressed at my big reveal. "And while they start smaller than a blueberry, he's growing bigger. It puts pressure all around here, and a bit around my sciatica. Cain kind of numbs it, but eventually, it wears off."

I end up doing a weird little hip thrust, which makes it worse and he must notice as his brows dip with worry.

"Can I touch you?" He asks hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"Not just with my powers."

"Okay?" I'm not sure what he means and guiding me by my shoulders, he turns me around. We are in the sitting room instantly and I can't stop the shiver as I remember the last time we were in here and everyone wanted to kill each other. "What are you doing?"

"I'm good at massage, remember. That wasn't a lie. I like doing it, and powers or not, some things are just basic biology. This could help more than a quick power fix from time to time." I turned back round to face him. "Spare me the jokes and sarcasm."

"I wasn't going to. Thank you for thinking of this."

"Which side?"

"Left." He directs me onto the day lounge and guides my body into position.

His hands are firm, feeling the space around my hip before tracing across my back as I lay on my side. I close my eyes, not sure how a simple touch can hurt so damn much but there's also something calming about it. I remember how good his hands had always felt and their ability to heal, even when he didn't have his powers.

Logan used to ease any cramps and aches I'd have after a long night or an intense battle; especially when I had been unfit or recovering from the Warlocks. He'd happily soothe what pain he could. Just like then, his movements are steady and repetitive, and as I feel the heel of his hand press into my butt cheek, the pain makes me gasp.

"Sorry. It's a trigger point, and I need to release it."

"Sure, I bet you say that to all the girls." I flinch as he does it again. "Right, no sarcasm. Sorry."

That makes him laugh, and the more he starts to work around it, the weaker my reaction until I just enjoy whatever it is he's doing.

"Elise, where did you go?" Kara calls, appearing a second later. "Ah, what is happening?"

"Get out. He's fixing me." I shoo her away.

"We want to go, time is wasting The weather is only getting worse. Soon they'll be no point and we'll have to wait until later." She comes closer, watching what Apollo's doing. "Can we do that anyway, I want a turn next. I've had this ache in my neck forever, and the physio I was seeing doesn't do inter-realm travel. I didn't think anything like that was an option here."

"I don't do this here. Not normally anyway Everyone just wants me to use my powers on them, a quick fix. I met an Other some time ago who taught me what he knew, and the light fae on the Earth realm shared some of their knowledge too. I like it."

"You are just full of surprises." Kara smiled at him.

Apollo helps me up and I feel looser. The pain has eased, and everything doesn't feel tight now. His hands return to my hips as he stands behind me, and the rush of tingles is a familiar sensation I welcome as the last of my discomfort is eased away.

"There. Good as new."

"Thank you."

"This stays in this room though. No one needs to know, so just stick to the whole healing power thing, okay?" Something changes then, it's subtle and more in the way he loses that relaxed and natural way he'd just been. Instead, he smirks, looking more arrogant than ever. "Besides, what would Cain think knowing I had my hands all over you again."

Kara looks at me as if he'd implied something a lot worse than that.

"Knowing how much it helped, he'd probably tell you to do it again. Apollo, using your hands, and not your powers doesn't-"

"Someone's here." He cuts me off, before vanishing.

"Guess it's not just things with the Others that need changing if he can't even admit to doing something without his powers." Kara frowned. "Feel better?"

"You have no idea." I think about what she just said, and the earlier talk I had with Apollo. "He's changing. Apollo isn't who he used to be. I think most of them are, in their own ways."

"I've noticed that too." Kara nods, before looking towards the door as she becomes more alert. "I think he's right, someone's here."

"If Jordan has come back I'm going to kill him," I mumble.

We go back to where everyone has gathered in the kitchen. Outside it's now pouring with rain and the Harpy have gathered by the door, huddled together hissing and flapping in Deimos and Apollo's direction. Deimos has a black cloud swirling around some kind of dome, which tells me whoever is underneath managed to protect themselves before he got a chance to strike and Apollo instantly moves in front of me.

"I don't know who it is, Deimos said they just appeared, the face is covered and they held a staff. When they came out of the portal, they were already shielded like they knew he'd attack." I'm not even given a look as Kara draws her sword. "Take Elise, get out of here."

"We don't know who it is, so long as it's not a Fury, they're a little outnumbered." I point out, stepping around him. "Ease up Deimos."

Hesitation is all over his face as he does, and we all look to see who is in there.

"Greetings, Hunter. Though I have heard you go by a different name these days" Aion knocks back his hood, bowing slightly. "I believe I can be of service to you."

"I wasn't sure I'd see you again, what are you doing here?"

"Who the hell is this guy?" Apollo demands, keeping close beside me.

"This is Aion. He's a time traveller and helped get me and The Magician to return to our time when I got sent back by Cain. He was also our way here when we came over that last time" I quickly explained. "Aion, Kara and Deimos you've met before, but this is Apollo and Ruby, Pearl, and Lori."

"Nice to see you all." There was a hint of his french accent there as he spoke and I didn't miss the way he stared at the Harpy with us. "I have been enjoying my freedom on the Earth realm when a rather terrifying creature appeared last night telling me she had a vision, and that my talents would be required here. When she said with whom I'd be helping, I couldn't refuse."

"You're going to get us to the mountains?" I ask a little to hopefully.

"Apparently so. Right up close to a nice little castle, where you will all be safe from the storm."

"Who sent you?" Kara asked cautiously.

"The Oracle. Something tells me she isn't all that she appears."

"You'd be right." Aion simply accepts my answer, twirling his staff between his fingers.

"We're just trusting some random kid that appears because he said the oracle had a vision?" Apollo couldn't be more against this plan if he tried.

"Yes." I shrug.

"Shall we go?" He asks.

"No." Apollo shakes his head. "None of this seems strange to anyone here?"

"It's Aion. He's helped before and clearly, Portia sent him."

"And I don't trust her," Deimos adds, joining Apollo's argument.

"What's up with you lately, Deimos? You used to be all for my crazy ideas, and just smile and nod as we went along."

Deimos doesn't answer me, he just does the same blank face Cain does which gives little away. I look to Kara for help but she only raises her eyebrows as I turn to Apollo.

"I trust him. This is our easiest way there. No bad weather, no getting lost or going where we shouldn't. Aion will get us exactly where we need to be in the safest way possible." I catch Aion staring at Apollo curiously, as he thinks all of this rests on his shoulders to decide our next move.

Maybe it did or maybe he did know something else.

"What else did Portia say?"

I saw his hesitation, the nervous way he fidgeted with the staff and looked at all of us a little too quickly. It was as if he was trying to work out who posed the biggest threat, and I hoped he wasn't about to turn my argument about trusting him the other way around.

"It has to be his decision."

"Why?" Apollo asked instantly.

"I was only joking about sacrificing him," Kara mumbled, looking at Apollo apologetically.

"Something about being a light to guide the way. I'm not sure, it was all a bit confusing, to be honest." That sounded right. "I will always be in your debt, Elise, but for me to do this today, I am on orders to only do so if he agrees to it."

"This is stupid, just do the portal." Kara sighs, folding her arms across her chest when Aion shook his head.

"The Oracle terrifies me, I will only follow her instructions." Aion declares.

"Then tell him, Apollo!" She orders.

"Can we really even trust Portia? Why would we literally do what she wants?" He argued back.

"Because she isn't the enemy," I tell him.

"You can't be sure. Remember, Nieve is the reason the Furies are here, and we are about to go into their lair. He could literally be handing you over to them, all because you refused to listen to logic and actually show some sense of self-preservation for once in your damn life!" Apollo yells, pushing every button I have in the process that makes me prepare to start shouting right back at him.

I thought we'd made some kind of progress, a truce in this relationship where he wouldn't always be talking down and dismissing my ideas or feelings. Yes, we walked into Yasmin's trap, but we did it knowingly, kind of. Just like the massage, a sense of nostalgia hit with this as we faced off against each other.

Reckless.

Naive.

Immature.

Keep pushing until one submits or we both explode.

"Stop, Apollo. Just stop." I manage to say it calmly; taking a deep breath I open my eyes to look at him and all I want to do is scream at him that he's wrong and to just fucking listen. "This isn't about Aion or Portia and the Fates."

"I kind of think it is." He looks around. "Or am I imagining him standing just there?"

"You are such an asshole sometimes." I sigh, feeling trapped in the same pattern with him. We have good moments, then bad, then just plain infuriating before something amazing.  "This is about you and me. More you than anything. Do you trust me?"

"Of course?"

I shake my head. "No, I mean, actually trust me. With everything, or to actually make a good decision. Do you trust me enough to walk through that portal, all this forgotten? Just do it."

Conflicted wasn't a strong enough word to describe the look on his face right now and that was answer enough. No, he didn't.

"I can tell you the sky is blue, and you'd have to go look outside for yourself wouldn't you?"

We'd made progress, we were both changing, but at the end of the day, we weren't completely there yet. He'd stood up for me, fought at my side, been together in numerous life or death situations, we loved each other in all aspects of the word, but this, here and now, would always break us apart. My heart would always wear the scars of every time I had to constantly prove myself to him, and I wasn't adding any more to it.

But I was missing something. I could feel it, and looking at Aion then back to a ranting Apollo - what could Portia be trying to gain from this?

What was so important about this?

And then it hit me.

Portia had just given us the same opportunity that Hecate did with the Others. If Apollo could blindly follow me into the unknown, they all would. He had that power. It was why they stopped gossiping after he spoke up at the meeting, the reason why Artemis was acting out more and more like the irresponsible one she had claimed Apollo truly was, and how they all stood as one to help Cain bring him back. Even Deimos was seeming to be influenced by the, not a good idea, thinking lately.

Apollo was the light, and he did guide them, whether he knew it or not and for us to succeed and move forward, I needed him to be completely on my side. It really was as Hecate said, we all needed to burn as one and it had be more than reigniting the sun. I knew Apollo had to be the one to help me light that fire and keep it burning.

"You know it's not that simple, Elise." The anger is real, we're both tired of having the same argument.

"It is. I'm asking you to trust me with this and I know how hard that is for you when it's so unknown and even more so after the Harpy attack. My gut is telling me this is what we do. That Portia can be trusted and Aion is here to help us." I tell him calmly, not even frustrated now.

It just is, what it is.

"A minute ago I was helping you be able to walk properly again and now you're about to jump into who knows what. Just once will you-" He groans and I hold up my hand to stop him; I'm done.

"Your services won't be required Aion. We'll be making our own way." I didn't miss the look of fear in his eyes as I said that and going to the Harpy, stood in front of Lori. "Is this weather too bad for you to travel in?"

"No." She looks at her sisters as Kara stands beside me. "Once we get to the forest, we can guide you all by foot to our lookouts. It will provide some shelter. It'll be the castle perimeter that will be hardest to navigate if it gets any worse"

I feel Kara's hand bump mine, and looking at her, I see the question all over her face. 'Are you okay? Nodding, she sighs before turning back to Apollo and Deimos.

"We know where we're going then? Elise and I will take the Harpy. You two just meet us there." She orders.

Deimos hesitates and just when I think he's going to say something, he instead just nods. "Ok."

"Hold hands, it'll be easier for us," Kara instructs the Harpy, and we all link up.

"Wait." Apollo called, "We'll use Aion."

"Are you sure?" Kara asked before I could.

Apollo nodded, still looking conflicted as Aion opened his arms and closed his eyes. The portal appeared before us making the room glow purple, yet beyond it was only darkness. Apollo moved first, standing in front of it.

"We'll do it your way." And then he stepped through.

I went after him, instantly on the defence as I came through on the other side. We weren't in the forest, or nearby the castle; we were in it. There was an odd smell, like death and smoke, the wind howling outside as I stuck to Apollo's side. The portal was behind us. The light it offered showed us the foyer which looked like it had seen better days. Statues had been left in ruins, tapestry on the walls was torn and something small scurried away from us. A lot of somethings, as the floor, seemed to move away from us.

"I'm sorry, my first instinct is to say no, but," He whispers, his anger still simmering under the surface. "Are we supposed to be in the fucking castle?"

The others follow us over and I soon realise there's no one here as Aion closes the portal. "You knew they weren't here?"

"What?" Apollo growls.

"I did. I wouldn't take you anywhere that's not safe. All that's here now is ghosts and regret." He smiles. "Portia will be proud of you, Apollo. I got the feeling she didn't think you'd do it, but this needed to happen."

I barely keep my balance as I quickly move after Apollo as he goes to hit him. Aion is quick to keep out of his way and putting myself between them, Apollo is glowing as he looks like he might rip Aion apart.

"So this was a set-up?" Kara asked.

"Not entirely. You were coming here anyway, I've just saved you time and Apollo got a life lesson." He smiles. "Why not have a look around since we've come all this way."

He walks on as if he's been here a hundred times before and the Harpy watches him silently. Holding onto Apollo's arms, I stop him from going after our new portal maker. All of his stress seems to have combined itself into whatever this was right now and it wasn't the time for it either.

"Not a trap. This is really the best outcome." I tell him.

"For who?" He demands.

"Everyone and you know it." I poke him in the chest. "What is going on? Is it Artemis or something else?"

"You got lucky. Again." He stomps off after Aion and the urge to scream only grows.

Kara is talking to the Harpys and as they head out the doors, the storm rushes into the foyer. The wind is intense, destroying this space even more as I manage to shield myself from the worst of the debris before Kara forces the doors closed again.

"I think I've been here before." She looks around cautiously. "Watch where you step."

"Why?" Deimos asks.

"Ah, guys." Apollo calls.

We move faster now, following the light as something crunches under my boots and I don't really want to look to see what it was. As we enter, the lanterns on the wall all light up and I freeze at the sight of the corpse on the sofa. The table in front of what could have been a woman based on the dress and jewels on her is covered in spiders and scorpions, and so is the floor.

"The fuck is this?" I whisper, as well step more carefully now. Most of the creatures in here scurry away, and here I was paranoid about a few rats. I'd take them over scorpions any day. "Who is she?"

"Lyssa." Kara inches closer, before Deimos tugs her away at the right time, a rather large black snake rearing up from a pile of cushions near her. "I thought it was familiar."

"How do you know her?" Apollo asks, looking cautiously around.

"Um, Cain and I came here once when I became Queen. She was the one who spelled that room, made us all turn on each other." Aion walks out of the room, looking distracted and I let him go. "Another Eris follower."

"The Furies have been here. I can sense their presence. It's not old, I think we just missed them, not even a day. Hours." Deimos closes his eyes, yet moves as if he is looking around. "More than them, they've got help."

"Don't say it." Apollo looks at me.

"Don't have to" I shrug.

If we had come with more than the three of them here, the forest wouldn't have been able to hide us. Aion and Portia were not our enemies, and yet again things happened at the right time for it to be passed off as just my good luck. The time we spent arguing could have made all the difference.

"Let's look around, be careful." Kara decides.

Instead, I think of the Harpy's and beneath the thick tree canopy, I can see the outline of the sisters just standing in the middle of a path. Sensing me they turn around, and as lightning manages to filter down to us, I'm quick to cover my mouth with my hands. It's worse than what Cain did, the numbers greater and the bodies left where they'd fallen.

"They're gone. They're all gone." Ruby whistled a sad, low sound that made my heartache for them.

"Leave us. We did as you asked." Lori growled. "There is no reason to continue down this path. Look at what happens when your kind is involved."

"Do you have anywhere else to go? Can I do anything for you?" I ask softly. "I'm so sorry for your losses."

"Kill those evil creatures. We will return to our family nest, or at least what remains of it, once the storm passes." Ruby tugged a silently sobbing Pearl against her. "Our journey together ends here, Empress."

"Be safe." It's all I can think of to say to them.

I shiver as I get back to the castle and close my eyes, hide my face in my hands as I try to process and forget what I just saw. Lyssa's corpse is waiting when I finally manage to breathe again, the skull set between two oversized pillows behind her. I thought about the ones that came before her and the ones after. The Furies had inherited an army that was still to come.

Apollo came to stand beside me, kicking away some of the larger, glossy shelled insects that remained at our feet.

"I think I know better than you do. I grew up in this world, where you kill or be killed, always having to stay one step ahead of your competition in order to survive. Being sent to kill you was supposed to be easy. You were mortal and so damn young it was insulting to be sent to do that mission." He sighed, avoiding looking at me directly as he focused on keeping the bugs away from our feet.

"You don't have to say anything and-" I started but he shook his head.

"I do. What I didn't expect was for you to forever be standing your ground and fight or to be so empathetic to those around you when essentially, your kind was simply born to die. Somewhere in that time, I fell in love with you, and I assumed you'd love me as why wouldn't you? Everyone did, and while I got lost in being someone else, that you'd notice and want to be with, I was still me. You were still this reckless, mortal only I didn't want to lose you. Just once, I wanted you to listen, to do as I wanted because I had seen and done it all. You knew nothing. I thought you'd realise that once you knew who I was, but it didn't change and then everything else happened. I was jealous. Of Cain, of your family, of your new powers. Everything."

"You still see me as the weak, reckless mortal, don't you?" He's given me bits of the truth these last few months, but here was the source of it all. "You think you are better than me."

Well, he and Artemis had that in common.

"I guess so." Apollo looks up to the roof, groaning as he does. "I don't want to. I know who you are Elise, and its' never been anything simple or weak. My first instinct is to try and be better, I'm constantly competing against everyone, and no one even knows. It comes out in the worst way with you, because you're always challenging me, making me do things I didn't think I would or could. I know you're better than all of us, but these bad habits are hard to break. I'm trying, and do trust you."

I believed him. "Thank you for being brave enough to tell me this."

"You're the only one I can. Artemis would probably disown me if I got this deep with her."

"Maybe you should at least try? I think you're both alike that way, based on what she vented the other night." That didn't seem to help him and we slowly began to walk around and explore the lower levels.

It was clear where they slept, ate and from the damage in some rooms, those that stayed here did some training too. Signs of how lavishly Lyssa had lived were still found. Velvet drapes, golden picture frames and jewel-encrusted bed frames were almost sickenly over the top and in the basement, vials of potions and venom lined the shelves. Some weapons were missing, while others were still encased in unreadable jars. The power and magic surrounding them threatened to suffocate us with their toxicity.

"Cain killed Lyssa, didn't he? I mean, I know he'd gone with Hermes, but no one really spoke about it after." Apollo asked as we left the basement.

"Yes, he did it."

"He told you?"

"Yes. Kara too, though hers was more of a guilty confession that she'd gone along with him." I looked over at him. "Why?"

"It didn't bother you?"

"Why would it? I was more annoyed I didn't get to go with them. I don't think I am better than him, and he doesn't think he's better than me. We all have scars, Apollo. Sides of us we don't want others to know even exist, but even after seeing the worst of each other, we still see the good."

"I understand." He says softly.

We kept going in silence, and finding Aion near the foyer he seemed fascinated by one of the largest, furriest spiders I'd ever seen. Apollo only glared at him, clearly not a fan and walking towards a window, I looked out into darkness until lightning lit everything up The forest spread out below us, beyond that the snowcapped mountains that had been on the map. From the other side of the room, there was a lake, more trees and then just vacant land. I guess the map hadn't been completely wrong. A dead, rejected Power's castle would be a perfect place to hide out and find new friends, but it would have taken them a lot of effort to get there and it wasn't like there seemed to be any clear roads or ways in and out. Even from the front door, it all just ended; the moat is a nice touch to go with the creepy castle aesthetics.

So where did they all go? If it was barely hours ago, they'd be out there. On the water, in the mountains, taking shelter in the trees. Now wasn't a great time to start a journey anywhere, unless they weren't on foot.

"Aion, are you like Hermes and can sense where people like, teleport themselves to?"

He didn't look away from the spider, poking it with his stick so it rose up on its hind legs to warn him to fuck off before it attacked.

"No. Too small. I need portals, big ones. When I'm between worlds, I can see a little more, like portals that have just closed, or are still active."

"Could you check now, for any around here? Please?"

"Of course." My stomach drops as he just scoops up the spider, the creature needing to be held in two hands. A new insect fear appears as I subtly step away from him as he passes me. "Come with me, my little friend."

And then he's gone.

"What are you thinking?" Apollo asks.

"That he's now on my weird list now. That was a spider, like a super tarantula or something." I cringe just thinking about it. "But also, where did they all go if they've just left this place. Are they close enough to notice the lights on now and will come back to check it out or gone completely?"

"Good point."

Kara and Deimos return as I brush imaginary bugs off my arms and back. My skin is crawling with the thought of that giant spider being anywhere near me and that included having something in my hair.

"Nothing upstairs. Signs of someone living here, apart from the dead girl in the sitting room but everything is cleared out. There isn't a lot that says we'll be back." Kara frowns.

"No clothing, weapons or food in storage," Deimos confirms.

"So we were thinking, where did they all go?" I smile as Kara says that. "What?"

"Great minds." I shiver again. "Aion is out checking for any portals or anything that might tell us where they're going. If they're on foot, they might still be close by."

"Shit." Kara's frown deepens as Deimos clicks his fingers together and we're instantly straight back into darkness, which doesn't help my new phobia.

"Little late for that," I mumble, flinching from a piece of my hair that touches my face. "This place is creeping me out now."

Aion returns, spider-less now which doesn't help me.

"I found a portal, not far from here." And that's where we're all suddenly standing. "I think whatever is up around this place to keep it hidden has blocked this portal from being found"

The cave is small, and going towards the entrance, the castle we'd just been in sits just below where are now. It's in the mountain, and the boulder that partially covers the entrance has hardly any snow on it now. The marks on the ground make me wonder if it was normally blocked by the rock too, and someone forgot to slide it back over. As I go to touch it, Deimos is there and slaps my hand away.

"It's spelled. They used a sacrifice to open this doorway." He tells me. "I can feel their fear."

We walk outside carefully, and feeling out around me I sense no one is out there. It's not hard to see the lump of a body near the other side or that it's a Harpy as the lightning reveals her wings to us.

"Well this is getting better and better," I mumbled sarcastically.

Deimos tells the others what we saw and Aion looks a little pale which I don't think is because the spider he had taken earlier is now perched on his shoulder like a pet parrot.

"What is it?" I ask him.

"This portal goes through to another world. Very similar to this one."

"Okay. So, do we go and check it out?" Kara wonders, looking at us before back to Aion. "Can you get us to a safe place there?"

"I could, but it seems there are others already there which may complicate matters. If one group doesn't detect us, the other might considering who is with them." He says slowly, clearly not feeling comfortable about this.

"Who is there?" I ask.

Hermes, and the King of the Underworld." I instantly felt the panic slip in. Cain was supposed to be there too but Aion keeps on before I can make words happen. "Worse than that, the Dark King is with them."

I nearly collapse with relief as Apollo puts a hand on my shoulder. "You alright?"

"Yeah."

"I heard what happened. The fact you slain the Dark King and now he's over there may complicate things." Aion frowned.

"You haven't heard the latest have you?" Kara tried to hold back her amusement.

"The last time I saw you, it was to bring you here to end the war?"

"Yeah and that happened, but it's what happened next where things get complicated." I hesitated not sure how much Aion might be able to handle since Portia apparently didn't put any of that into her visit. So I just told him everything. "Hermes literally just took him before we made our own plans. Did Portia not say anything else?"

"No, she only talked about the first part." he sighed, looking at Apollo. "I thought you two were-"

"No." He says firmly.

"Congratulations then." Aion motioned to Blueberry. "Are you sure you all want to go over there?"

Then something else occurred to me. "Can you tell how long ago they used this portal?"

"Very recently. Maybe two hours or so."

"Hermes took Cain this morning. Jordan hadn't even left yet."

"They might not know the Furies are even there." Apollo caught my train of thought quickly, they all did and as I went to go through the portal, Apollo stopped me. "We'll go. Aion, can you take us in case they are keeping this guarded. They left it exposed, they might still be expecting company."

I hadn't thought about that. "Apollo I-"

"I know, and we're going to go find them, Bunny, only this time you need to trust me."

That had never been our problem and looking him in the eyes now, I nodded.

"Okay."