The girls all settled in at Serena's house, hiding out in her bedroom early in the morning. Asheru watched them with a calm expression--one Daughter was the same as the next to him. Serena slumped into a chair, her dark hair unbrushed and limp on her shoulders. Vanessa--much to her utter protest--and Catty sat on Serena's bed by Tianna's side. Kearney sat on the floor beside the bed, her side leaning against it. Marquette stood against a back wall, staring at her dream demon.

Serena looked up at Asheru sleepily "Tell us what you know." Her voice seemed to be on edge. "Yes. Stanton told me something, but I want to hear this first," she said after picking up the other Daughters' thoughts.

Asheru smiled grimly, diving head first into his tale. Into Marquette's and Kearney's tale. "As you all obviously know, you are all Daughters of Selene. However, Marquette is what is known as a Shadow Goddess. She is the Daughter of Anubis. Her gift from Selene is shapeshifting, but from Anubis, she can do necromancy. With necromancy, she can travel into the Underworld, raise the dead, contact spirits, and control them. The one thing she can't possibly ever do is bring the dead back to life."

"No worries, Marq," Catty said, taking the story in stride. She looked over at her shoulder, smiling at the absolutely shocked girl. "My mother was a fallen goddess, and my father is a member of the Inner Circle."

"I'm also a Daughter of Pandora," Vanessa confessed.

"I wasn't born a goddess," Tianna informed.

"I have a third choice," Serena said.

So much for being unique even among the Daughters.

Marquette smiled. "Come on. You don't have to make me feel better. I'm proud to be both Daughters."

Asheru cleared his throat, catching everybody's attention once again.

"Centuries ago, I was a mortal human," Ash started. "I had gone to Greece on a business trip for my father from Egypt. When I arrived, it was night, but there were night markets in the village that I went to. While I was there, I met the most beautiful woman. Her name was Jessimar, and she happened to be the daughter of the richest merchant. But she had nothing to show for it. The only piece of jewelry she wore was a moon amulet.

"She told me about how she was her family's curse, that she was never allowed out, and that her family feared the people would find out about her. I couldn't see how that beautiful goddess could be locked up, and I told her so. She was quite naive. She told me about the moon goddess Selene, and her gift of shapeshifting, and about her best and only friend, Maris. Maris had the gift of pyrokenisis.

"She told me about the Atrox, and their Followers. She told me about her duty. It was her destiny to destroy this evil. That was how we spent our first night.

"I fell in love with my moon goddess. I had to get her out of there, so I went to her house. I was going to take her and Maris, and get them away. So, I asked her father for Jessimar's hand, and they slammed the door in my face."

He stopped talking, and sighed. This had to be painful for him, but the girls urged him to continue. His eyes met Marquette's, and she smiled to comfort him, a shiver of remembrance traveling down her back.

"Later that day, Jessimar's sister found me. Serene was almost as beautiful as her younger sister, but she was cold and heartless. And she happened to be a Follower. She tricked me, telling me that Jessimar was waiting for me. They captured me and told me my life depended on my sweet love.

"Jessimar refused to become a part of the Atrox, even to save me. Maris told her that there were many more important things. I became a slave, a servus, in Nefandus. But I was important to the god Anubis, and he took me back, made me a demon, and hid me in this ankh. He had special plans for Maris and Jessimar.

"For Maris, he tricked her into thinking she was the Atrox. She went into Nefandus. Anubis wouldn't let her be killed, though. No, that would be too good. Kearney, did you know that the previous Prince of the Night was your father, and Maris your mother? In body, anyhow. Maris's sould was destroyed long ago when she travelled into the dark. You were a special one. Still are.

"And for my love, Jessimar, he would give her next female descendent who became a Daughter his power. Except... Selene never chose another girl from that family. So... Anubis took Jessimar's soul and forced her to be reborn. That would be you, Marquette. The one who found me."

Catty looked at Kearney. They had something in common: their fathers were elite members of the Atrox.

"Did my father leave the Atrox?" Kearney asked.

"He had to of," Serena stated. "Stanton's the Prince of Night now."

Marquette sat next to Kearney and hugged her tightly. They weren't normal people. They couldn't possibly even have the hope of being semi normal when they turned seventeen. "At least we know why we feel like we know each other."

"Serena, tell us what Stanton said," Tianna demanded finally, unable to hold back. This was so much more messed up than anybody could have guessed, and Tianna had a feeling that it was just going to get worse!

"There's this new Follower in the area: Serene. She's after Marquette," Serena said, her voice dry.

Serene. The name of Jessimar's sister...

Marquette chuckled. "She's probably out for revenge."

None of the others laughed. She bit her lip. Asheru frowned.

"Marquette, I should start helping you with your necromancy skills. They might come in handy soon," he suggested. Marquette might have been Jessimar reincarnated, but she had developed a personality so unlike that of the girl he once loved. Maybe, though, after her and Maris had ran off, she had changed. Changed into this wild, headstrong girl in front of him now.

Catty giggled and smacked the mattress with enthusiasm, trying to lighten the mood. "I call this meeting adjourned. The verdict: we all keep an eye on the shadow goddess. Agreed?"

"Agreed!" They cried in unison.

xXxXxXxXxXx

Marquette sat with Asheru and Kearney in silence. They were at her aunt's house, quietly thinking about what Ash had said about each other. Kearney wondered about her father, and the Atrox, and her mother, trying to piece her life together. Her mother was her? She was her mother somehow? What sick twist of fate had allowed that to happen?

Marq played with her blonde and gray hair, twisting it around her fingers. Kearney sat with her knees drawn close to her, her arms wrapped around her legs. She looked up at her oldest friend in the world, guilt tugging at her terribly. She had persuaded her to leave the man she loved behind for a higher purpose. What words were there now? What words to atone for what she had caused all of them?

"Asheru?" Marquette spoke up softly.

"Yes?" He glanced over at her. He had sat in a corner, not looking at either of them, feeling the hurt and pain and guilt all three of them had let swirl around them.

"How long have I been able to summon the dead?"

"Always. Sometimes you've done it without realizing it, but they're only spirits. It takes a lot more concentration to give them a somewhat physical form," Ash explained to her, glad to finally speak, and it wasn't at all about what he had been forced to tell them.

Kearney looked up at him. "How will she be able to do that? Consciously, I mean."

"It's like focusing your energy on shifting. Just concentrate and focus your energy on what you feel around you. I know that you have noticed them. You'll be drained, and tired, of course. Until you can get the hang of it all."

Marquette looked into Kearney's eyes. She could feel the same emotion coming off of her that she herself was feeling. It was time now...

"Ash, I'm so sorry," Marq cried out, unable to hold back the force of tears. Ever since he had said her true name, memories upon memories that weren't hers had flooded her mind, and all she saw was her life. Her long ago life that had been pointless and meaningless because she had sacrificed the one thing she shouldn't have. She remembered a passion she never knew, remembered how alone she was when Maris became crazier and crazier by the day, even more haunted by her decisions than Jessimar.

"My mother was selfish to deny you and Jessimar a chance to be together," Kearney exclaimed. Her hands flew to her mouth as she swallowed back tears, but her voice broke as she said, "I was so selfish."

"Thank you, but it's nobody's fault to take the blame for. Life happens as it does for a reason." Asheru smiled sadly at them both, disappointed in himself for making them remember lives that were so much harsher than he had realized. He had been their gatekeeper, and he had quit his job.

Kearney smiled awkwardly, then glanced up at the clock. "I need to go. My grandparents will be worried. I wonder if they're my real grandparents..." She disappeared into the shadows, wondering something she already knew in her heart to be completely false.

"Ash..."

He walked over to Marquette and leaned down, cupping her face with his hands. His lips brushed hers. "We should start."