I half-listened to the conversation in front of me; Artemis didn't believe their former saviour was in fact Hecate, and Kara didn't understand how she didn't know that. Right now I don't think Kara understood much about anything as memories of the past were being sorted through and with that came a whole lot of pain. Her voice was strained and she sighed a hundred times more than necessary. I worried what this would do to her once we made it back to the real world and what it might do to us. I'd chosen Hecate over her, and for what - more riddles?

"You're quiet," Apollo said softly beside me.

"Nothing to say."

"I find that hard to believe."

"I wish things had gone better for Kara," I admit. "And I'm also just waiting to see if anyone else realises we're walking in circles"

"What? We're not walking in circles." He frowns.

"Yeah, we are," I pointed to the tree with the broken branches, one of which we had to go around as it nearly covered the path. "Broken branch, big rocks on the footpath around the bend, creepy spider looking trees on the little cliff, right before the smell of the ocean hits."

He looks at each thing as we go by it and stops as we hit the broken branch again. "Shit. How didn't I notice?"

"Because you're too busy eavesdropping on their convo." I give up and take a seat on a fallen tree just off the path. Apollo hesitates, the pair not even noticing as he takes the spot beside me. I don't even want to stop them, needing a break from their stress. "Don't worry, they'll be back soon enough."

We sat there for a moment, enjoying the quiet until he had started talking again.

"Apart from your fall, anything else happen?"

"No, Hecate was her usual self which wasn't what Kara was hoping for. We split up because I went back to Hecate rather than listen to her, so she's going to be annoyed at me about that."

"Did you get what you wanted?"

"I don't know. I did get confirmation that there was once a fourth," I hesitated, deciding not to reveal who the fourth had been, or was. Without thinking about it, I ran my hand across my stomach.  "And she can still see a happy ending for me, which is better than a horrible death."

"That's something then, but you're not sounding like that is a good thing?"

"I just need to process it I guess. Her riddles leave me feeling even more confused and all I can think about is how much Hecate has sacrificed and what I might have to as well. I don't want to end up like her. She thinks the cost is worth it for the cause, only I'm not sure it is. Does that make me selfish?"

"No." Apollo answered quickly. "Not at all. She has made her choices, and you will make yours."

"Did you know she is Eileithya?" I ask him.

"Only as of now, I could hear you and Artemis talking, but couldn't see you and clearly you two couldn't hear me either as I'd been yelling your names." He shrugged. "Makes more sense than I think Artemis realises. It also means she's been here since the beginning of, well, everything. I wonder how involved she really has been, while all this time, everyone just thought she was hiding out in the Underworld. It explains why the Fates hate, or at least, fear her."

Especially if she was the fourth.

"What was she like to you?" I wonder, and he takes a moment to answer.

Apollo frowns. "A teacher? She treated us firm, but fair, knowing what our powers would be and helping us prepare for them when they fully developed. She warned us of our strengths, our weaknesses. Eilethya was the mentor our Father wished he could be, and everything our Mother never was. She showed us kindness most children of our kind never get to know."

"Sounds like she had a big role in your lives."

"I guess, to start with anyway. Then we were taken into Zeus's custody, and those years didn't matter. I'm surprised we were even allowed back when Leto had Cain, we weren't kids anymore and I was only there because Artemis made me. We were all she had by that time." He went quiet, staring up at the trees before shaking his head. "I hate that one of the things I remember the most about her was the pity I felt as she guided us here. I was so angry with her too."

I wasn't sure what to say, so I simply put my hand on his arm and gave a little squeeze.

"Everything had changed when we came back, this place wasn't the world we remembered. It still isn't now. We weren't greeted in the same way they did Leto. This time we weren't welcomed at all. If Eilethya is Hecate, she should have been in the Underworld when we returned. If I'm correct with the timing, it would have been around the time Kara was planning her vengeance that would end up with her losing the battle and hiding in your realm." He thought this over a little more. "Honestly, I am as confused about all this as Artemis. Why would she still give refuge to Leto, but not Kara?"

"I think she was being cruel to be kind when it came to Kara, or something like that." As much as her actions confused me, I hoped what understanding I did have wasn't being misplaced. "She said things went how they had to?"

"Choosing us over her daughter seems more than cruel, perhaps she was never as kind as we chose to make her in our memories." He pointed out. "What did Kara do to earn such punishment, especially when it was our mothers desperate mistake that created the cursed child of Cronus that earned her passage here again? Neither of them deserved that after what her own blood had just endured."

"I don't know, but what if they hadn't helped Leto again?" I frown. "She's still your Mum?"

He shrugged, looking the tiniest bit guilty.

"Just saying the facts." Apollo sighed. "But yeah, you're right. I don't know what I would have done if things hadn't gone how they did at the time. I mean, after, with him. Nevermind. This place is just as complicated as she was."

"I can recommend a good therapist, but don't break him before he fixes me." I smile, and ever so slightly he does too. "You've never talked about her before."

"I don't plan on making a habit of it either." That I believed. "We obviously came here for a reason, and not sure about you, but I don't think we've found it yet. Deimos and Hades were left behind, and Art was pulled in."

"You've been here before, maybe that's all it is?" The look on his face told me he doubted that, and if I was being honest I did too.

It was then the mumbling voices of Artemis and Kara became clearer and it was Artemis that saw us first. She tapped Kara's arm, which made her stop and the pair looked at us.

"What are you doing there?" Artemis frowned.

"Waiting for you two." He nodded towards the path. "You're going around in circles."

"You didn't think to tell us that?" She snapped.

"We were going to see how long it took you to realise. What else is there to do here?" Apollo smirked, clearly enjoying himself as he teased Artemis; the door he'd just opened clearly being slammed shut again.

I left them arguing and went over to Kara who paced back and forth as if trying to work out if we were telling them the truth.

"You okay?"

"I hate everything about this damn place." She growled. "Where is Cain?"

"I don't know."

"You don't seem to be concerned either." I felt the bite of her words and tried not to snap back. Arguing now wasn't going to help anything.

"Sometimes you just need to go with the flow on the path of less resistance and-"

"You're starting to talk like her. Stop." I don't miss the warning.

"He'll turn up when he needs to, as we all have been since we got here."

"Well, that needs to be soon. Nothing good will come from being here any longer." She decided, taking the key Hecate had given to her. "I say we get ready to go and if it's all about what will be, if he doesn't make it back in time he stays. Maybe it was supposed to be that way."

Her tone grated on each and every one of my nerves. We looked, no, we glared at each other for a moment too long and I knew she was serious.

"You're being fucking ridiculous. You should use this opportunity to sort shit out with your mother, not using me to combat your moods or mark Cain as collateral damage." So much for not starting an argument. "I get this hard for you, and I'm trying to stay neutral with everything, but you need to drop this attitude. You are more than this, better. Prove it to her, instead of acting like the stubborn child she thinks you still are!"

Kara glared at me, and I felt my skin tingling in the anticipation of using the power trapped beneath it. Her power collided with mine as the air grew heavier around us, only proving just how serious she was about leaving right now - no matter the cost. I wasn't the only one to sense the tension as Apollo suddenly put himself in between us, and Artemis made an attempt to drag me away which I ignored and stepped back around to be in front of him.

The groan was more like a growl as Kara threw her hands in the air. "I hate this fucking place."

The air moved again, her power being drawn back in.

"I know," I told her, instantly feeling the tension leave me as quickly as it had arrived.

Artemis laughed. "For a second there I thought you two were,"

"We were." Kara and I said at the time, right as Apollo slapped a hand over his face and shook his head.

"But she's right." Kara submitted, looking more and more like a lost child than the strong woman I was used to. "I wouldn't have actually left him here"

I didn't believe that. I knew her too well and as her eyes met mine, her face started to turn red as she knew that too.

"You would have." I glared at her, but let it go. "You would leave us all, right now, if you knew you could bear the embarrassment of storming out of here in a tantrum and also the guilt. Because you know if you left him here, I would stay and then we'd be safe."

"That doesn't actually sound like a bad idea," Apollo looked at Artemis, the pair moving in sync as they stepped ever so slightly closer to Kara.

I rolled my eyes. "Subtle."

"I can't do it. I can't be near that woman. I see her, and I just, I hate her. So much." Kara admits, looking completely furious all over again. "And what's worse, this place feels like home. It's so familiar but so foreign at the same time and I don't know if I want to scream or cry or embrace it or just burn it to the ground."

"Kind of like how you feel about Hecate." I pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess it is. Fuck this place and her stupid fucking games." Kara growled.

"We're all conflicted," Apollo thought out loud before he looked back at me. "Except for Elise. She's completely at ease and at peace, and is having the easiest time out of all of us here."

"I nearly fell down some kind of hole?" I reminded him. "And well obviously it's easier for me here. I didn't come with the wagon full of baggage you all do. For once. Huh, how about that."

"You what? When did you fall?" Kara gasped.

"I was there, right when I needed to be. It's exactly how you said, we find each other as we should or need to and-" Apollo continued his train of thought.

"We're all conflicted." The words registered in my mind, and I looked around.

These three, especially Kara, were not having an easy time here. Even Apollo got all chatty about his mother which was a first and their moods were more up and down than mine.

"Yeah, for once you're not the most messed up one," Artemis mumbled bitterly. "Good for you."

"Thanks." I smiled, taking the compliment only then reality. "I need to find Cain."

There are no guides this time or little feelings for me to follow as I start moving again.

"Why the urgency now? You just said-" Kara called from behind me, the trio following.

"Because who is the most conflicted one of us all, even on a good day?" I answered.

"Shit."

I stopped, suddenly spinning around to face them, as I remembered something Hecate had said.

"We should split up."

"That's insane." Artemis scoffed.

"We can cover more ground." Kara agreed.

"Fine." Apollo rolled his eyes and as Artemis started to walk away she simply vanished.

I could hear Kara mumbling under her breath as she too headed off and she faded away as Artemis had. It wasn't worth thinking about, and I wanted to believe this was what was meant to happen.

"Apollo, wait!" I called, moving after him.

"What's wrong?" He asked cautiously.

"You're going to be the one to find him." It sounded more like a warning.

"How do you know?"

"When I was with Hecate she said something about you two being together, that it's um, what you need." I sighed. "I hate that this is so messed up and for all the people in the world for your sake, I wish it didn't have to be him, but I also can't regret it, because I love him, Apollo. It's different to how I loved you before, and how I love and care about you now. I just, this isn't even about me. Please, do this for you and for him, for your sister. Your Mum-"

"It's okay, Bunny." He smiles easily, putting an arm around my shoulders as he draws me into a hug. "You really don't have to worry about me, about us. This. Anymore."

"You're going to find him. I don't know how or what will happen, or is happening, but you two were meant to stay together when we all split up before. I feel it."

He lets me go and nods. "I've got this. Promise. Let me go find him, okay?"

I nod, trying to ignore my growing anxiety. "Thank you."

I watched him as he ran down the path, knowing I couldn't follow but fighting every urge I had to do it anyway. Minutes felt hours when two figures began to emerge further down the path, only as I started to go towards them, it was Artemis and Kara again.

"Well that worked out well." I greeted.

"Where's Apollo?" Artemis asked, looking around.

"Cain?" Kara followed.

"I'm not sure, but they're together."

"How do you know?" Artemis frowned.

"I just do. Let's go back towards the water. We can wait there and-" I suggest, wanting to sit down for a while.

I was starting to feel exhausted and with Artemis the next one in line to have a tantrum, I didn't want to deal with that.

"Do you forget how things go whenever they're together. Now unsupervised, have you lost your mind?" She shouted. "I'm going to go and find them."

"Bye. Good luck!" I waved, earning a growl as she turned and disappeared. "Fuck, you're right. This place."

Kara smiled, but it was more for my benefit. "You okay?"

"Tired. Can we just sit for a bit?"

"Sure." We make it back to the sand, and neither of us question the new boat we can see by the jetty. Just like how we sit on the bean bag style chairs set out on the little hill that overlooks the bay. "None of this is what I was expecting."

"Same. I thought something would have tried to kill me by now."

"Well, we haven't left yet." Kar shrugs, sinking back into the chair which makes an oof sound as she does so. "What should I do about my mother?"

"Forgive her."

"Funny."

"I'm serious, Kara. Who does holding onto this anger hurt more, Her or you?" I question. "From where I'm sitting, she's made peace with her past and decisions. You haven't."

"I hate that you're right." She groans.

"Not as much as when I told you to go and find her and sort it out."

"But you haven't-"

"Go sort your shit out Kara. Now."

"You're right. I do hate you more now." She closes her eyes for a second and then is back up. "Fine. I'll go."

She puts her hand out for me to take, and I shake my head. "This isn't about me."

"I'm not leaving you alone here."

"It's okay. You don't have to worry about me leaving you all behind." I smirk as she rolls her eyes, handing me back the key. "Thanks. Now, run along and do some deep internal emotional healing or at least some kind of actual conversation. K?"

"You know you're not funny, right?"

"Only because I wasn't trying to be. We all know I'm the funny one in our little group." Kara snorts, before cracking a smile. "See. You know it's true."

"Stay here. Stay safe." She ordered.

"Yes, Queenie." I saluted her, earning another round of grumbling as she went back the way we had just come from.

I stayed watching until the trees seemed to swallow her up, and the silence grew almost deafening around me. Right before I decided this was too weird and I would og after her, ever so lightly, bird noises began from the trees. The water's soft whoosh as the waves hit the shore followed. Wind howled, leaves rustled. And I just sat there, as I promised I would.

"Well, Blueberry, I think we got out of this pretty lightly." I sighed. "I know we haven't even officially met yet, and you're still like, new, but trust me when I say, this never happens to me. Ever."

I swapped chairs.

Then I pushed them together and laid down.

I sat on the edge of the hill, and made shapes in the sand.

Then I ended back on the chairs, and tried to take a nap.

The weird twilight state of the night didn't alter, and I had no idea how much time had truly passed. My phone wouldn't turn on, I had no watch, and after counting to three hundred, I got bored of that really quickly.

"Any life lessons I need to have while I'm here? I'm ready!" I called out towards the ocean.

Not even a sea monster answered me. A dramatic Jaws-worthy shark or giant whale or something jumping out would have been better than absolutely nothing. So I got myself some snacks, drank enough water to make me feel bloated and then panicked about needing to pee when there were definitely no bathrooms available on this beach.

This was getting ridiculous.

I started towards the trees, yet hesitated to look back down the paler path of the sand that led to the beaches. The water behind me seemed to get more instead, the waves rolling that little more urgently against the shore. If I was to go, which way would it be?

"The eternal dilemma to all in the crossroads. You can go everywhere and nowhere, in every direction yet none of them. All at once or none at all."

Well that wasn't a voice I recognised, yet the ever so subtle breathless way each word ended reminded me slightly of Medusa and her snake tongue.

Please don't be a Gorgon.

Slowly I turned around, the flickering white light merging into the shape of a woman. She was tall, slender and her eyes kept the bright light she'd appeared from. There was something about her that reminded me so much of Portia as her shape seemed to gain more substance and I quickly said a little prayer that I hadn't jinxed myself. I'd happily stay bored if it meant getting through this in one piece.

"Well when you put it like that, it sounds simple." I smile, hoping to hide how nervous I suddenly was. "I'm Elise."

"I know." She smiled back, taking on more characteristics of Hecate than Portia now. I wasn't sure that was any better. "Hecate speaks fondly of you, what a gift."

The woman took a step closer, and I wasn't sure what to do or say. Every inch of me felt alert, an urge to run away lingering in the back of my mind. Her power was intoxicating, my head felt light and dizzy, staying focused on her was becoming harder.

"May I?" Her hand extended towards my stomach, and hesitantly I nodded. It was like being healed; the tingles from her hand rushing over me as if I had just been thrown into the water. "How interesting he will be! There is nothing like having a son. A child of your own. You love him like you have never loved anything before."

"You have children?" I managed to ask.

Without thinking about it, I touched her arm to steady myself as she removed her hand. The world was spinning now and I didn't doubt if I let go before it stopped I'd fall.  I felt her tense, at the touch or the question, I didn't know and right now I didn't really care.

"Yes. Many." She kept her tone neutral. "I have lost a son."

"I'm sorry." Slowly things slowed down, and taking a deep breath I managed to look at her again.

"That's surprising." My stomach sank. "Since you aided in his death."

Of course I did.

Then she laughed. "Relax young one. Cronus had his day, had I not departed the realm, perhaps he would have met his end a lot sooner."

"You're his, Mum?" My brain did the maths. That made this woman Cain's grandmother. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

"You may know me as Gaia."

I froze. "No fucking way."

I slapped my hands over my mouth instantly, the edges of her lips tilting slightly as if she was hiding her smile.

"It's nice to meet you, Elise."

"Your Cain's grandmother." I whisper.

"That makes me sound so old." She pouted.

Gaia.

Mother of all life.

Here.

Blueberry's great-grandmother.

"But you are old." Her eyebrow arched slightly and I realised I said that last part out loud. "Sorry."

"I heard you were here and had to come and see you for myself. If you like your more, mortal terms, I have great faith and trust in my great-granddaughter's choices and wisdom. She was born so very gifted, it surprised us all." She started. "It is also now, very clear to me, how young you truly are. You are still so very human. If I had not known who you were, I never would have found you here. As with Hecate, when you reach full maturity, your powers will finally be able to develop into what they should be. And your child! I do not need the sight to know what a treasure he will be."

"Maturity? I don't know if you know, but these aren't my powers? I was born mortal. Sobek-Ra had them first and-" I started.

"I am aware of how these powers came to be, but they are not that fools powers now. They have been reborn the second your soul connected to them. They are yours as much as all of us have our gifts and as such, you will grow and learn as is the natural way of things. Give yourself a century or two before trying to understand, dear one. Though I expect time is a luxury you do not have."

"Right." I nodded.

I had to agree. My head hurt now, and I was positive parts of my brain may actually be shutting down as it just couldn't find a way to understand what she was telling me. This was insane. Maybe I had fallen asleep before, and this was just a dream to keep up with the strangeness of this place.

"Wait, did you call Hecate your great-granddaughter?"

"I did." She smirked.

"What?"

"Did you not know?" The look on her face told me I knew I didn't. "I assume the history you know, and the one that is real is a little conflicting, but my daughter is Phoebe, mother to Asteria who birthed Hecate."

"Oh." Now that's a family tree. "So Kara is kind of related to Cain."

Again my brain felt the heaviness of this little gem of wisdom.

"I'm surprised you didn't know this. Surely the twins would have filled you in, if Cain had not. To be fair, he was kept away from the family. In some ways, much like how his mother was. Poor girl, she never really belonged either."

"I guess they didn't think it was relevant. I'm still processing a lot of this stuff with their world." I frowned. "I knew Leto fled here for safety."

"Of course she would. As if Hecate would turn family away."

"What?" I didn't hide my shock now. "Leto is related to Hecate?"

"Not by blood, but she was adopted by Phoebe as a mere babe. Atreea was barely out of her womb when we found her, yet she was accepted and raised as her own. It was the only family Leto had ever known, yet when her adoption became clear, she shunned us for a time. Searched for her parents, but even with our help they were never found. I sensed they were old, but from where they came or where they went, is a mystery we never resolved. It was only right for someone as gifted as she to stay with Phoebe, yet Leto never accepted her own gifts. Who she could be. Always such a lost soul that one."

"So, what you're saying is, Leto is technically Hecate's Aunty. Who is Kara's Mum, which actually makes her cousins to Apollo and Artemis. And Cain?"

"Why do you think you are all so welcomed here?" Gaia answered so casually, as if none of this was a big deal, before she stopped and turned to the right. Her eyes seemed to shine a little brighter, before she smiled. "I wish we had more time, please, come back again."

And then she was gone.

"But- wait!" I called out to the now empty space she had been standing. "Gaia!"

Spinning around she was gone, but two shapes moving on the sand got my attention, especially when I realised who they were. Instantly I was running down there, trying to stay upright as I slid down the sand dunes as someone else was running up the beach behind them.

Apollo and Cain were leaning against one another, trying to support and keep which one of them upright was hard to tell. They looked like they'd gone through hell; cuts left bloody marks on their faces, their clothes were torn and Apollo's hair was flat and wet against his forehead. Not sure why, tears began to run down my cheeks as I got to them, and I threw my arms around each other's necks as we entered a group hug that nearly knocked them over.

"Apollo, Cain!" Artemis called from behind them. "I've been trying to find you!"

Apollo let Cain go as I took my arm back and as he turned to Artemis, I wrapped myself around Cain. It felt like it had been months since we'd seen each other, and he held me back just as tightly.

"You're okay?" I asked quietly against his neck.

"I'm fine, much better now." He sighed, but it sounded like it hurt. I moved back ever so slightly, searching for some sign that he was lying and not fine at all. "I'm okay."

"Bullshit." Apollo mumbled, slapping his hand on Cain's shoulder which made his face scrunch up as he held his breath. "Let me heal you, now."

I stepped back, noticing more of how ripped his shirt was and lifting it, the wound was deep. The blood here was dark and oozing, with brighter red smears higher up.

"I can heal myself." He growled.

"Clearly." I huffed. "What the hell happened?"

"We ran into Typhon." Apollo answered.

"A bit of rain doesn't do this!" I snapped, looking between them for answers.

"Typhon not Typhoon." Apollo rolled his eyes. "Gaia came at the right time."

"I told you not to go into that cave." Cain mumbled back, his breathing less intense as the wound began to seal itself.

"I thought it looked familiar."

"I could sense something lurking. How did you not?"

"You saw Gaia?" I asked, not hiding my surprise.

"Yeah. Times like this, I wish Zeus was still around so I can rub that in his face," Apollo smiled, letting Cain go. "There. Fixed."

"Thank you." Cain actually sounded sincere and I glanced at Artemis as she watched the pair have a little moment with a look of pure bliss on her face.

I felt that too.

"I got to meet her as well." I admit as Apollo sat down onto the sand.

"What?" Cain frowned. "Are you okay?"

His hands are on my shoulders, then my hips as he seems to check me over.

"I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?"

"The old ones are unpredictable." Artemis whispered, as if they were all listening. Maybe they were.

"What happened?" Apollo asked.

"Nothing. She said a few things then disappeared. I wasn't attacked by something!" I looked between the pair who just shrugged. "You know you're kind of unofficially related to her, right?"

"Gaia? Us? No." Artemis shook her head, laughing as she did so. "Who told you that?"

"She did."

"What?" Apollo stood back up.

"Kara's your um, is it second cousin or first cousin once removed? Hecate is your cousin and-" I started only to be cut off by Apollo.

"No, that's not true."

"She said Leto was adopted by Phoebe as a baby, but they never found her parents and Asterea was her own child." I frowned as I realised they really didn't know any of this and looking at Cain, I wasn't sure what he'd think now. "Cronus is Gaia's son."

No one said anything.

"Why do you all look like someone has died?" Kara appeared above us, carefully making her way down to the beach with us.

"Did you know? That we're cousins?" Artemis demanded.

"Cousins?" She repeated. "How? Hecate has no siblings."

"First cousins once removed." Apollo clarified, yet he sounded as confused as Kara did.

"Hecate never mentioned having an Aunt. Then again, it shouldn't surprise me. She never even talks about her own mother, and she has one of those." Kara frowned. "How do you know?"

"Gaia told Elise." Cain answered, his voice deep, breaking slightly as he spoke.

"Gaia is here?" Kara's eyes widened. "Holy shit."

"And she saved us," Apollo motioned between him and Cain.

"Wow." Kara let out an awkward sounding laugh, before putting a hand on her forehead and circling around us. "Of all the things."

It was then the key lit up, and a second later we grouped together as the portal appeared.

"Finally!" Artemis practically ran through it and when nothing happened, Apollo looked at us and went through.

"You okay?" I asked Kara as she stepped past us to go in.

"I will be." She smiled, and disappeared.

"Ready?" Cain asked, his hand tightly wrapped around mine.

"We didn't get any answers for any of our problems." I sighed, and pulled out the wheel. "I got this though?"

He took it, looking at it closely in the light of the portal. "It's not the wheel."

"Yes it is." I stepped closer, pointing out the symbols. "It's just like it."

"Similar, but it's not that. It doesn't hold the same power." He handed it back. "That can be a tomorrow problem. Ready to go?"

I wasn't.

A huge part of me wanted to stay and looking behind us, he must have at the same time as he gently pulled me against him as he stood close against my back. The hill above us was full of tiny flickering lights, and beside Hecate, Gaia stood tall and proud, smiling down at us.

The third woman to appear made Cain hold me that little bit tighter, and even from here I knew that was where he got his eyes from. Leto, Gaia and Hecate all raised their hands and waved before disappearing so all that remained was just us, and the way out of here. I turned back to face Cain, reaching up to wipe the tears from his cheeks before kissing salty lips.

"Take me home, Elle." He whispered, keeping his eyes closed as we parted. "Please."

So I did.