Amy

We sat in a quaint little restaurant. There was some nice music playing in the background, classical. Beethoven's Fifth, maybe? I tapped my foot rapidly, it was a nervous habit I'd picked up while at Creighton's Academy.

It was quiet enough for a private conversation, but loud enough so that no one would hear what you were saying, or if you were having a scene. That would be important for tonight.

"Amy, AMY!" Ella snapped, fingers right in my face.

"Huh, what?"

"We asked you a question," Emma rolled her eyes, exchanging a look with Ella, like 'this one'.

"Sorry, my mind was busy," I blushed, turning my full attention to them.

"We wanted to know what you were ordering. We can't decide between the Chicken Enchilada, or the Calamari," Emma filled me in.

"They serve Calamari at a Mexican Restaurant?" I asked.

"Good point, Enchilada it is," Emma said, snatching the menu from my hand.

"Oh, waiter!" Ella called, beckoning the woman over here.

The poor woman looked helpless, she kept squinting at us, as if she was nearsighted. But one glance from her, and I could tell it wasn't vision problems she had. I could feel a little bit of worry tugging at my gut, but I pushed it away. That was just my nerves.

"We'll have three Enchilada's. We want the works, chicken, enchilada…" Emma said, handing the waitress our menus.

"You don't know what's in an Enchilada do you?" the waitress smirked.

"Nope, but they sound delicious, and I'm famished" Ella chimed in.

The waitress laughed, and I swear I heard a growl as she took away our menus.

"We need to talked," I whispered, leaning closer as soon as I knew the waitress was far enough away."

"About what?" Ella complained.

She was eleven, she didn't like serious conversations. Well, too bad for her, tonight the fun would be ending.

"About you. About us. All of us," Emma said, locking eyes with me.

Ella glanced back and forth at us, as if she were trying to get a good read on us.

"What about us…"

"You're not who you think you are. None of us are what we seem," I warned. I was trying to ease her in slowly, though I wasn't sure if this was even possible.

"You're my sister, she's my friend. You're going to tell me otherwise?" Ella frowned. "I have that family picture for proof."

"Your parents aren't dead!" Emma shouted, probably a little louder than she needed to.

The whole restaurant turned to stare at us. Emma grinned sheepishly, and waved awkwardly, waiting for them all to return to their business.

"What do you mean they aren't dead?" Ella's voice cracked.

"Mom and Dad are still alive… I saw them yesterday," I didn't look at her, I didn't want to see the disbelief probably on the face. And more likely, the anger.

"That's not possible, you told me they were dead!" Ella shouted.

I was starting to regret being at a restaurant.

"We had to tell you that. Had to make you believe, so you wouldn't go looking. You weren't ready. You're barely ready now," Emma said.

"You lied," I looked up, her eyes were burning. The usual soft grey was a stormy color. I watched them soften, "why?"

My voice broke, "you're special Ella. No-don't interrupt. You're special, more than you know. You aren't like others. Haven't you noticed any difference between you and the others? You're stronger, smarter, faster… You're a defender."

"A what?" Ella frowned.

"You're not just anyone's kid. You're the kid of a god, not just one god, but two. You don't have regular blood running through you. You've got Ichor, the blood of the gods," Emma tried to explain.

"The blood of the what now?" Ella's mouth gaped open. She shook her head, "Ichor… blood of the gods… Greek Gods…"

I nodded, "You're the daughter of two Greek Gods."

"Who?" She seemed to be taking this rather well. Slowly, but well.

"Apollo and Athena," I said, looking her straight in the eyes.

"Oh please," Ella scoffed. "Can we all just go back to telling the truth? It's not funny anymore."

"It's true, Ella," Emma said, sounding as calm and as soothing as the ocean.

"Athena's a maiden goddess," Ella reminded us.

I blushed, that part was always a bit awkward. "You weren't exactly born normally… You were born the way Athena herself was. Born from the mind of the goddess herself. All her children are."

"All her children, meaning she has others!"

"All the gods have children," Emma said offhand. "They just aren't as powerful as us, one god, not two."

Ella nodded, as if this was all starting to make sense to her. I knew this was a lot to take in, so I didn't mind that she had so many questions. It just bugged me that I was finding it hard to answer most of them. Knowledge was my element, is should have been easy, but I should have known, nothing's easy.

"So if we're kids of Athena and Apollo, then who's Emma?"

Emma blushed, things with her parents had always been complicated. Emma was the youngest in her family, and they weren't particularly happy about it.

"I'm Poseidon and Khoine's daughter," Emma said, fidgeting with her napkin.

"Kh- who?" Ella asked, with some of that sarcastic sass that Phoebe had possessed.

"Khoine, Greek goddess of snow. Not exactly the most useful goddess, the Greeks didn't experience much snow," Emma shrugged.

"Just one thing…" Ella mumbled, "shouldn't we be gods, not defenders?"

"Phoebe was the first born Defender, and the God's weren't happy about Athena and Apollo's relationship," Ella gave me an inquisitorial look. "So they decided to take it out on this young, new goddess, Phoebe, the lieutenant of light. Zeus, our Grandfather created a separate species, he took away some of our Godly power, not enough to make us leveled with demigods, but just enough so that we wouldn't be as powerful as the Gods. And as more of us were sired, more Defenders were born."

"So not only are we freaks in the mortal world, but we're cast off in the magical one too!" Ella groaned, burying her head in her hands.

"I wouldn't say cast off… Just different," I said hesitantly, then rushing the last part added, "but in a good way."

"So do we have powers or something?" Ella asked.

I laughed, for once I felt like I could actually answer a question in this conversation.

"Oh man, we have the best powers on earth! Our 'abilities' are related to our parents. I, am the smartest non-god alive. I know everything there is to know about everything. It's like all knowledge is stored in my brain."

Ella winced, "does it hurt?"

I laughed. When I was younger my cranium would feel like it was about to explode all the time. I became so paralyzed with the fear that my brain would explode from all the knowledge stored in it, that I'd vowed not to learn anymore… That had lasted for about two days.

"Nah, but it used too."

"Do you have any other powers?"

"Healing, I can heal any wound automatically," I smiled, this I had always thought was the coolest thing I could do. I could never really be harmed in battle, just keep fighting forever. "And once in a while I can see the future, but it's only happened a couple of times, it might have just been a small gift from the Oracle of Delphi."

Ella gaped at me, she seemed astounded that anyone could possess these powers. Although I'd never grown up in a world like her, so I would never really be able to understand the shock of knowing your world isn't what it seems.

"What about you," her eyes fixed on Emma.

"I've got my Dad's control of water, and my mom's control of ice and snow," Emma smiled, of all things that came from her parents, I think this was the one thing Emma was happy about.

"Cool!" Ella exclaimed.

I could feel a rumbling inside me, kind of like a storm cloud. Something was bothering me, and I still couldn't tell what it was.

"What about me?" Ella asked, probably hoping she could turn invisible or something.

I laughed, "you've got heightened strength, with training we could probably get you to lift 10 tons," Ella's eyes gleamed, as if she had an idea. "Don't try it yet," I warned, "train first, then we'll see. The amount of weight you can manage will increase as you train and get older. I bet you'd be able to life 40 tons by the time you're my age…"

Ella pouted, cutting me off she grumbled, "why do I only get one power?"

"You didn't let her finish, butt head," Emma replied, taking a piece of bread from the basket, and picking it to bits. "You can shape shift too, but just so you know, it doesn't last forever. 24 hours as whoever you are max, then you've got to wait to recharge."

"Recharge?"

"Shape shifting takes a lot of energy," I explained, "once you do it it'll take a while for you to have enough energy to try it again."

Ella nodded, this seemed more to her liking.

Plowing forward with our speech, Emma said, "Just because the world has evolved doesn't mean the gods have completely evolved with it. Don't get me wrong, they follow Western Civilization, but it's not like they've moved in the last millennium. They're still on Mount Olympus, and they're still having kids with mortals. Although, they do take a lot of trips to North America these days, I think they'll be moving here quite soon, actually… But that's off topic."

Ella nodded, as if really starting to grasp reality.

"You say we're more powerful than normal demigods, but if that was true, than wouldn't monsters be hunting us all the time?" Ella frowned.

"Creighton Academy for Orphans and Delinquents wasn't it's real name. It's actually called Creighton Safe House for Demigods and Other Magical Creatures. Most of the kids who go there are kids like us," I attempted to explain.

"Defenders?"

"No, kids of the gods, err more one god and one mortal. Some of them are satyrs, nymphs, and naiads. But all of them come to Creighton to live as normal a life as possible. The boundaries are protected, so no monsters can attack. Some of the demigods know why they're at Creighton, some were checked in the way you were," Emma grinned sheepishly.

Ella frowned, "why are you telling me this, now?"

"It's time to start," Emma said, leaning back on her chair, grinning.

"Start what?"

"Training. Being a Defender, it's literally in the name. We are the last defense, before the Gods fall. If all else fails, we take control. We are Zeus's last hope," I whispered, leaning closer.

"Wow, that's a lot of pressure," Ella said, still slightly hesitant towards this very idea.

Emma laughed, "Believe me, it's not a cake walk."

"Oh… Are there any more of us?" Ella asked, her questions were starting to finally wind down.

I bit my lip, this was the most complicated part. There were four of us, and I hadn't seen the last of us since Phoebe.

I opened my mouth to continue, when the waitress came back. She had this sickly sweet smile, and I was starting to take notice of her. She had long, light brown hair that was in a braid over one shoulder, and chocolate brown eyes that seemed to whisper secrets.

"Here you go," the waitresses voice was soft and gravelly.

Emma's face turned sheet white as she looked at our waitress.

"You-," she managed to stammer out.

"Yes hello, sister," the woman snarled with disdain.

"Who-," Emma was cut off, yet again.

"I am Lamia, Queen of Libya," her smile turned cruel, and it was as if a veil had been lifted, because I could see her true form.

She was still beautiful from the top half, still had chocolate eyes, and her hair seemed to be shifting closer to a red before my eyes. No, nothing was shockingly bad about the top half, it was the bottom that worried me.

"Lamia," I whispered, desperately trying to rack my brain for any sign of who she was. She had to be in there, everyone was in there. I just couldn't think of it.

"Need some help, remembering, Amy?" she smirked. "I can take out my eyes, I am the all mighty mother of Scylla," she stopped, paused more like it. Waiting to see if I could remember, a test.

She slithered towards me, her I could feel the gears in motion, it was just a question of how long it would take for them to click, so I stalled.

"Scylla, wow, an accomplishment," I nodded, as if pondering the very thought. "It must be hard though…"

Lamia frowned, "hard?"

I nodded, "Scylla is one of the most famous monsters," I said, "Homer didn't talk much about you."

Lamia's shrill voice howled, "I am Lamia, you must know me! I was once a beautiful maiden, cursed by Hera."

And then it clicked.

Lamia had once been a beautiful girl, born the daughter of Poseidon. She had ruled Libya like a noble queen, but a fling with Zeus sent Hera's mighty wrath on her. Lamia had been forced to eat her own children, and remain forever unblinking to only see this. Later on, Hera had also turned her bottom half into a disgusting serpents tale, and as a reward for Lamia's punishment Zeus had given her the gift to take out her own eyes, and instead see another's future.

But the grief had turned her mad, and she used her serpent abilities to haunt others, and eat their children so no one would ever be happy.

"ELLA!" I shrieked, "Get back!"

Ella stood frozen, as if she couldn't move. She just kept glancing between the two of us, trying to decide if this was all really happening. Well it was, and she was about to pay for it.

I held out my hand, and immediately a small silver dagger materialized. I didn't care if the mortals saw what was happening, all that mattered was Ella. Besides, whatever happened I knew I could count on the Mist to shield us from mortal eyes. By the time we were gone, they'd probably have some crazy story about a robbery that went awry.

The table separated Lamia from me, so I did what was the most sensible thing I could. I chucked the dagger at her with lightning speed, it would have pierced her heart if she hadn't slid away seconds before. The dagger lodged itself in the wall behind her.

"Nice try, young Defender," she cackled with delight. It seemed that we were just a game to her.

I stared at the dagger, knowing full well that within seconds it would be back in my hand.

Bingo. I spun around, throwing the next knife at her, this time with better trajectory. She moved closer to me, ducking as the dagger flew past her head.

"I only want the young one, that's all," her voice was tender, and eyes pleading. Her tone was so soft and soothing I almost handed her over, but I didn't.

"Leave Ella alone," Emma growled, she quickly slid the silver ring, emblazed with the mark of Poseidon, and I watched as it turned into a sword.

"Oh, it's two on one, I see," she clucked her tongue in disapproval, "well that just isn't fair."

She hissed, and I watched as her serpents tail elongated and slithered toward Ella.

"Life isn't fair," I replied, throwing another dagger.

This time the dagger wasn't pointed at Lamia, but her tail. I watched the dagger sink into her tail, causing Lamia to let out an ear piercing shriek.

"That was NOT called for!" she exclaimed, as the bottom part of her tail shriveled and turned to dust.

"I'm sorry, we're you not trying to hurt my sister?" I growled.

Lamia hissed, as I watched the tail that I'd just cut off regenerate. This time the tail was longer, and if possible more scaly. The tale moved faster now, wrapping itself around Ella, who couldn't even scream. She sat frozen.

"Amy?" She whispered, her eyes were wide with fear.

I could feel an anger boiling inside me that I hadn't had before. No one touched my sister. The dagger reappeared in my hand at will, and I watched as it speed through the air, Lamia moved to dodge it, but it hit her sleeve, she was pinned to the wall.

In one swift motion I watched as Emma sliced her sword through Lamia's torso, cutting through torso, separating it from her tail.

I was surprised how fast she crumbled to dust. Almost in an instant. All that was left of her were her eyes. As the gods liked to call it 'spoils of war'.

I turned towards Ella, who sat with a pile of dust at her feet. She stared down, awestruck.

"You okay?"