Chapter Ten
**Carter's POV**
As I walked up the steps to the front door my tension rose. After walking us to school this morning Gaza and Amos had said they were going to go out for coffee and then home. I braced myself for impact as I opened up the front door. I was shocked to hear, not raised voices or complete silence, but laughter. I creeped slowly into the sitting room motionning for Sadie to follow, not wanting to break the hopefully peaceful atmosphere.
Gaza and Anos quickly came into view. Gaza was sitting cross legged on the couch, hands flying animatedly through the air as she regaled a tale to her father. Amos was leaning in slightly, a smile on his lips and joy in his eyes as he listened. "A hairbrush! She through a blue plastic hairbrush in the eye of one of the most powerful gods in the world." Gaza through her head back laughing. "Well that sounds like one badass mortal." Amos said chuckling. Gaza nodded in agreement before noticing us standing there and waving us in.
We made small talk about school and I was surprised to discover that Gaza regretted not having a normal schooling experience. "I feel like I don't know how to talk to kids my own age, not unless it's about battle strategies or ancient mystical spells. I mean the last time I was in school I was, what nine?" she turned to Amos who nodded. "I can get that." Saide admitted. "The only part of school I like is hanging out with my friends. I guess if your homeschooled you have no friends to hang out with." Gaza nodded a look of sorrow passing over her face.
She may pretended to be this infallible, badass but I was starting to see the cracks in my cousins facade. She had been forced to grow up so fast and never had the chance to be a child, that was something I could easily understand. Travelling with my father had been amazing but it wasn't a childhood. "What about your siblings? Any of them close to you in age?" "I have a brother and sister who are both sixteen. But my sister lives with her dad most of the time and my brother is a backstabbing, little, son of a -" the anger in her voice rose with each word until Amos placed a warning hand on her arm.
"Hey I can understand having an annoying brother." Sadie laughed as I shoved her in the arm. Gaza shook her head her expression serious. "No Sadie I mean he literally stabbed my in the back once." She shifted on the couch turning her back to us as she lifted up her shirt. Her back had a few small and faded scars on it but the one that stood out was the long scar on her left shoulder. While the other scars on her back where like white specks but this one was pink and pinched, still healing.
"If Nico hadn't pushed my out of the way it probably would have killed me, still hurts like a son of a …" she cut herself off sheepishly as is sensing Amos glaring at her. The room when silent as Gaza turned back around. "Did you know she was living with a phyco?" Sadie asked glaring at our uncle. "I didn't realize how bad thing had gotten until her friend called me to say he was in the infirmary. Her brother doesn't live at home anymore and he knows better than to go after her again." Gaza nodded in agreement "He only managed to get me because my back was turned, he knows he could never take me in a fair fight. Besides mom has made sure none of her kids can harm each other anymore. Which is annoying for me because it means I can't get my revenge but at least I know the others will be safe." she was speaking light heartedly but I sensed that there was some anger and worry in her voice.
I was beginning to understand that my cousin's home life was nowhere near normal.