The girls stood in the least traveled area of the park. This was Marquette's favorite place. And to tell Kearney about who she was in this area, where the quarter moon shined the most, was the best Marq could think of. Better than a crowded car, at least.

Kearney glanced at Marquette. "So, what do you have to tell me?"

"Kearney, how long have you had that moon amulet?"

"Since I was born," Kearney answered. Marq nodded her head.

"Do you have a special gift?"

Kearney tilted her head, her mismatched eyes staring into Marq's concrete ones. "How did you know about the shadows?" she whispered.

"Because we're goddesses, Kearney. A Daughter of the Moon, of Selene."

"What?" She said with a laugh. "That's the craziest thing I have ever heard!"

"You've had dreams of the goddess, though, haven't you?" Marquette asked in a soft, calming voice.

Kearney remained quiet as she hugged herself. She believed Marquette, she was just scared. Of course, she had dreams of the goddess for years, but her mother always got mad at her for talking about them

"Kearney, we're special. You, me, Serena, and the other girls. Our mother, Selene, sent us here to save our friends and family. To provide them with hope. To provide the world with hope."

"What's your power?" Kearney finally asked after a moment of silence. Kearney had been glancing at the moon before she looked back at her friend.

"Shapeshifting."

Marquette's braid flapped against her side as a breeze blew through. The ends of Kearney's hair lifted and waved in the direction of the wind.

"I can call shadows to me, and I can travel through them. I can also use them to do my biddings," Kearney explained.

Marquette opened her mouth in a silent gasp. Her nose twitched in the open breeze, wafting in a smell she recognized but didn't quite know. Kearney lowered her head.

She shouldn't have told Marquette. Now she would think of her as a freak, just like the people back home. Something about her shadow power freaked Marq out; that she could tell. She was just a freak reject with a bad attitude.

"That's just odd. You see, members of the Atrox have that power," Marquette whispered.

"Atrox?"

Marquette tilted her head up towards the sky. She then proceeded to tell Kearney everything she knew of the Atrox. Somewhere deep inside of the red head, something stirred. She felt extreme guilt over something.

"We are goddesses…" Kearney murmured.

"Yup. That's how I felt," Marquette said.

"You know, you do look like a dark goddess."

"Yes. A shadow goddess," someone from behind said.

Kearney looked behind Marquette and took a step back. Her amulet wasn't glowing, but the figure behind her had just suddenly appeared from nowhere. Marquette, as impulsive as ever, despite the danger, turned.

Her demon stood there, staring at her with his black-over-gold eyes. She gasped, wondering if she was dreaming again, and if she was, why was Kearney with her. She felt confused as she watched him walk over to her, his steps uneasy from centuries of no use.

Kearney stepped up next to Marq. "More surprises?" She asked quietly, unsure of how to digest Marquette's reaction to this man.

"Only a minor one. He's a demon, released into my dreams by the ankh I wear around my neck."

"I wasn't always a demon. I, too, was once human," he explained again to her.

"What happened to you?" Marquette cried.

"My lord, your lord, Anubis, brought me back, to help you."

"Why Marquette?" Kearney asked. His eyes moved to hers.

"Hello, Maris. It has been awhile. He wants to protect Marquette because she's a shadow goddess, a Daughter of Anubis. You are not only protected by the moon, but also by the dead at your command," he explained.

"Why did you call her Maris? I…"

He smiled, and ignored her question. "My name is Asheru."

"Marq, maybe we should talk with the other Daughters about this. I know I just found out about this, but maybe it would be the smart thing to do," Kearney suggested.

Marquette nodded, then stepped forward. She wrapped her arms around Asheru's chest, and rested her cheek against the cool, white linen of his shirt. It was crazy that she missed him as much as she did. Then again, he had been a part of her life for three years now. He had protected her. He was the only thing left of her life before.

His arms circled her shoulders, pulling her into a quick embrace before stepping away from her. "Come on, Marquette, Kearney. It's not safe out here."

"I need to get home anyway," Kearney whispered. She called a shadow to her and stepped through, disappearing, leaving hte two behind. she could feel a shift in the air, something telling her that it was time to go.

Marquette opened her mouth to ask a question, but Asheru silenced her, a finger pressed against her lips. "I know you have many questions, but it is late. I need to get you home."

"Am I in danger, Asheru?" Marq needed to know that desperately.

"I'm not sure yet," he answered.

They fell silent as she led him home in silence. Anubis had sent Asheru to protect her, but she knew there was more to this story. She was a moon goddess, and a shadow goddess. Was she the only different one out of the Daughters? Somehow she knew the answer to that question was a no. After all, Kearney had an Atrox power, and Asheru had acted like he knew her. He had even called her Maris.

Before he had left her dreams, he had said something was pulling them apart. She could only infer that he was talking about the Atrox. Just trying to complete this puzzle made her head hurt.

Luckily, Celeste was busy in Hollywood and she could easily sneak Asheru in. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up the Grand Staircase to her room.

"I don't know what to do with you, Ash," she said softly.

He looked around her room-a very plain room- before resting his eyes on her digital clock. "You might want to get a face clock."

She smiled at him, then pulled an extra blanket out of the closet, tossing it to him. "Here. You can sleep on the floor."

She grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a shirt, and stepped inside her adjoining bathroom.