Chapter 1-

I watched my brother from the back of the bar as he sang from a depth of his soul not many people could. The old wound cut a little deeper into my heart that it had taken so long for his mother Apollymi to finally try and take some kind of action in his life. For ten thousand years, she'd known I lived and kept me a secret. She may have been the god of destruction, but at the time I had been only a child, and not a very effective one at that. So I was a goddess of humanity, big deal. No big powers in that. Well, humanity and the arts, but that comes from humanity, so I don't exactly count that as a separate piece. Finally thrust upon the world from the place my mother, Leto, had kept me, I'd been found by Apollymi almost instantly. I was part Atlantean, after all, and she had been able to sense her husband's essence in me immediately. She'd told me how to find her, and because I was born after her son was killed, she decided to spare me. I hadn't understood her reasons since I was one of Archon's bastard children, but you don't spit in the face of the Great Destroyer.

Regardless of the fact that Acheron and I were related by blood, she forced me to shield myself from him, only watching from afar to play spy for my mistress. I was a servant, and nothing more. She'd become a bit less cold around me through the years. I was an empath; her intense depression cut me like an Atlantean blade whenever I was in a fifty mile radius of her. She had allowed me a good deal of freedom considering the fact that when out of her realm, she lacked a good deal of control over me. I had faced hardships; romance . . . the loss of my marriage and my daughter. Perhaps that had been why she had let me live, I had always wondered.

My eyes went back to my half-brother, totally ignorant of my presence, as he finished his cover of "Save Me" from Nickelback with the Howlers. He had a beautiful voice, however he was just a tad flat on some notes, but even Chad Kroeger doesn't get everything right on a regular basis. He unplugged his Fender and walked off stage. I smiled as he embraced the girl who stood watching him with total adoration in his eyes . . . and lust. A whole lot of lust, from the two of them. I rolled my eyes and looked away as they kissed each other.

A longing sigh escaped my lips as I longed to go over and introduce myself to him, maybe just congratulate him on a job well done . . . but that was still forbidden. I had to let his life play out for a bit. "So said Apollymi, and so it shall be!" I muttered frostily into my drink. I took a sip. Sadly, alcohol did nothing for me, so I didn't know why I even bothered, but I guess my optimism had overridden my good sense. Gods, it sucked to be the goddess of humanity. I always felt the harshest emotions, unless I stayed around children. Now, kids I could deal with, adults? Not so much.

Children were simple, they wanted only a few things, and when they got what they wanted they were happy. Hell, even if they didn't get all they wanted, they were happy about twenty minutes later, anyway. Their resilience kept me sane. Adults were always so angry, or depressed. They went back and forth and my empathy kept me springing like a yo-yo around them. They were either horrible people, okay people with no way to cope with life, or lusty bastards that made me feel inferior for my lack of a love life. It was all too much to deal with. It's why I spent so much time at the orphanages in the country, trying to bring a little happiness to the deprived. They deserved it, and most of the kids had been there from shortly after birth. I couldn't understand people who didn't want children. So many people tried so hard to have children, and then others just gave them away.

And yet, at the same time, it all made perfect sense to me. I could understand their reasons, since not all of them did it by choice, but they were young, and they didn't want to just obliterate a life. Or they just couldn't deal with a child. My so-called gifts in regards to godly powers seriously sucked. Just like my brother's, except I was more screwed in the sense that dealt constantly with the human psyche. I felt the pain of the humans he cherished as my own because of people's inability to ignore their animalistic urges. Wives being beaten or cheated on, children being disregarded and forgotten, men being killed for stupid things that weren't their fault: all of that, I feel, I understand. However, what I didn't possess was corruption. I could feel the outside edges, but I was human. Not literally human, but the things that make people "human." Compassion, love, happiness, controlled anger; anything that would be classified as a human emotion I possess. At least Acheron could find the ability to not feel, to just leave. I didn't have my own realm, only my few houses and the orphanages I run. People think that my "corporation" is a group of people, when it's only me and a few select humans I deem trustworthy to keep my immortality secret.

In regards to my god powers, I am what my other half brother and sister should have been; the ideal person. However, they were born as two instead of one, and from there, they went down a corrupt horrid road. Together, hand in hand, they became arrogant, foolish, and despicable. I couldn't stand too much time around them. Their emotions were too turbulent and vicious. Artemis was just a bitch, and Apollo was a full out ass hole. I had no need for them. One thing I did find immensely amusing is the fact that Mother did, in fact, love me best. She couldn't stand how the twins had turned out. That whole stunt with the Niobe? Total fiction. They had only killed her and her children so dramatically looking for attention because Mom had been raising me at age five, and damn was I adorable!

They still hated me for taking all of our Mother's attention. I enjoyed every minute of it, until I get called upon by Mumsie to come have a family gathering. At that point I pretty much want to kill something. And coming from me, that isn't something I take lightly. Nor am I exactly violence oriented. If it's absolutely necessary, sure, but most of the time? Hell, no. And the only two things I've ever wanted to strangle the life out of have been Apollo and Artemis.

"Kharissa! What are you doing here," Artemis's voice snapped in my ear. I looked unexcitedly to the left to see Artemis's eyes crackle green fire at the direction of my previous attention.

I cocked an eyebrow. "What does it look like I'm doing, Di? I'm having a drink at a bar in New Orleans. Is that really all that strange?" Her glare would have singed me if I had cared, but there was just something about her that made my god-hood shut down. Very few things did that, and when they did that corruption I talked about poisoned my mind. Oh, the fun I could have ripping my half-sister limb from irritating limb . . .

"Of course it is! Now leave here. You are pushing my pins. I will not have you stay around my Ach-"

"Diana, it's called the present. Come visit it and you can learn all about this new thing, I think it's called, oh what's the word . . . 'Vernacular!?'" I rolled my eyes and downed the last of my beer. "The term is 'pushing my buttons,' Di. Besides, I have orders from the head honcho herself that I'm to keep an eye on her son. So shut up, fuck off, and have a nice day."

She huffed, "Don't you dare take that tone with me, Kharissa! You wouldn't like it if I hurt your precious girl, now would you?"

I got up so fast; my chair almost fell over as I stood to my full height. I glared down at her with venom surging though my veins I had never tasted before. Artemis's eyes seemed entertained. I took a hold of her arm and jerked her out of her chair and around a corner to flash her into the alley next to Sanctuary. I shoved her against the wall. "You so much as breathe on Sotiria; I will have you on your knees before you can comprehend what's happening. You and I both know that if I so much as mention this to Apollymi, she will aid me. You remember the rampage she went on? Because of your refusal to do anything?"

Artemis raked me with a disgusted glance. She tried to move, and I shoved her back against the brick wall. "What," she taunted, "Are you so easily taunted, Kharissa?"

My eyes narrowed. It was a battle to keep my head, but I did. "You know that I hate you, and that I loathe you even more for taking Sotiria from me after . . ." I didn't finish the thought; her smirk said she knew what I was talking about. Sickened, I let go of her and looked away. "Just get the hell out of here. And don't forget what I said about my daughter, Diana." I always called her Diana, or Di to remind her of the Romans who didn't pay her enough heed. The only thing I adored about the Romans was their lack of love for my sister. It warmed me to the very core of my soul.

However, she pretended to ignore my reminder of that glorious empire. Artemis chuckled. "Oh, we'll see what our brother and Mother say about that, Kharissa. I'm sure they'll just be tickled red by this."

"Pink, Di, it's 'tickled pink.' Please, I beg of you, leave before you give me anymore ammunition to use against you and your total ignorance," I said sardonically. She puffed up, gave me one last, good glower, and then vanished. Bitch.

I sunk down against the alley wall and leaned my head back. I was there for at least a half an hour mourning my daughter who was still in service to her bitch of an "aunt." She wasn't even worthy of the title, really. Sotiria. Salvation. That's what she had been for me: the one thing that had kept me happy and focused when I was married. And my so-called sister had stolen her from me because she was jealous of the attention I got from our mother. My own child! The only thing that was really mine since I didn't have a temple or a realm, hell, I didn't even have a pantheon! I was born from the Atlantean pantheon on my dead father's side, and the Greek on my mother's. The Fates were also related to me on my father's side, but could they stop for five seconds of making my life hell to help me in some way? No. Gods forbid they do something nice for someone other than Astrid or themselves.

I ducked my head onto my forearms to cry silently during the time that I couldn't control myself. I could still remember the way my little Ria had felt like in my arms, the way she laughed and smiled and played with my hair. I looked down at the auburn hair that was far darker than Artemis's and completely different from Acheron's. I wondered idly if he'd be even a smidge kinder than the siblings that know me, but based upon his mixed reactions and who my closer siblings were . . . that reaction wasn't easily discernable.

"Kari? Hey, you okay?" I sniffed and wiped my eyes off on my sleeve. I cleared my throat and looked up at Dev.

"Do you want the truth or the totally fake lie?"

He moved next to me and then sank down to fold his long frame next to mine. "Which are you in the mood for, Kare?"

"Then, I'll just come out with the truth. I don't ever know if I'm okay. I only know that I'm alive and that it's going to be damn hard to change that. That and the fact that I can never really stay totally depressed or content for more than a twenty four hour time period."

Dev nodded in understanding. We were both quiet, until he snapped as something occurred to him. I jumped like a jackrabbit at the loud crack his action had made in the silence. His face perked up. "Hey, maybe you just need a man, huh?" He elbowed me playfully. I chuckled, but that was about it. Thinking about Ria always made me like this.

Dev sighed and combed his hair back with his hand. "Yeah, bad idea, I guess . . . But there are some pretty decent guys inside. If you need a helpful push in the right direction . . ." he offered.

I gave him a wan smile. He was a good man . . . or, bear, rather. I leaned my head against his left shoulder before inquiring childishly, "Can we just stay like this for a little while? I don't want to be alone, Dev." He smiled and answered with an affirmative as he brought his arm up around my shoulders.

"Anything for you, squirt."

In all honesty, one of man's greatest creations was the Were-bear. It's like having your own living teddy bear! Had I said that out loud, Dev would have done one of two things: gone totally ape-shit on my ass that I even thought to compare him to a child's toy, or laugh and hug me harder. It's why I kept my mouth shut and just treasured the silence, still balancing between contentedness and depression. Content because of present company and internal commentary, and depression because of my longing for my Sotiria. Isn't it just great to be me?