Elon scurried very nervously behind them. "He's upset with us,"

"He's more than upset," Eirene observed. "He was panicking." She'd noticed how he'd kept looking for different ways to stop them, to make them stay, as if he didn't want them to leave for reasons other than principle. And he'd kept staring at her too.

It seemed that Andrew had noticed too. "He kept staring at you. It was like he was afraid you'd vanish."

"Roan is very strict about disciplining those who he finds guilty of a crime. Maybe knowing you were going to get away with it made him nervous," Elon offered, shrugging in the process. Eirene doubted it, and believed it was for a more suspicious reason. She clutched Bia's gift from her pocket, thinking that she was going to have contact the goddess tonight. Eirene glanced at Elon, at his exposed hooves and curling horns. He wasn't exactly inconspicuous.

"We'd have to find you a disguise;" Eirene suggested, stopping the boys in their tracks. "One that covers your horns and legs,"

"There's no need to worry about that," Elon assured her. "The mist will protect me."

"But still," Connor paused, staring the satyr up and down. "They are mortals that can see through the mist. We should at least get you jeans and a hat."

"Do you guys have any spare clothes in your bags?" Eirene took one look at Andrew's tall frame and Elon's short stature, and turned straight to Connor. "Do you have any spare clothes?"

"Hey," He protested. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Eirene couldn't help herself, she giggled at his expression. "Nothing! Elon just needs some clothes!"

His smile was getting bigger, his tone more teasing. "Have you forgotten that I'm taller than you? If anyone should give Elon their clothes, it should be—"

Andrew's eyebrow started to twitch, and he felt heat rush to his neck. "Can we get on with the mission, please?" And can you two stop acting like a bunch of blushing middleschoolers?

Connor took one glance at Andrew and nodded, turning to Elon. "Do you think you could make size 28 jeans work?"

Several minutes later, Elon was wearing a green beanie, black shirt and blue jeans. The jeans, (seeing how Elon is 5'6 in comparison to Connor's 5'10), were long enough to cover his hooves.

"Perfect!" Connor exclaimed; admiring his handiwork. "He'll blend in like the average hipster."

Eirene approached Elon, ready to finally get started on finding Matthew, and in turn, Dennis. "Elon? How exactly do you track your charge?"

"It's instinct really. We can…feel them." He closed his eyes, scrunching up his eyebrows. "It's a bond that's never severed until one of us dies."

"Well, where is he now?" Andrew prompted. "In New York, at least?"

"I can't get an exact location. But I know which direction he's going in." Elon pointed suddenly, towards the opening road, heading east.

Connor sounded disappointed. "So…not towards the city…" He heaved a sigh. "That mean we'll get attack about 4 more times today."

Eirene cringed; she wanted to apologize to Connor and Andrew, for making this quest so strenuous for them. If it wasn't for her, Andrew would never have broken his hand, and Connor wouldn't never been set on fire.

"We have enough ambrosia, we'll be fine." He stretched. "Let's just start going." Elon and Connor started walking ahead, but Andrew lingered back a bit.

"Hey," He placed his hand on her head. "It's okay. None of this is your fault, if that's what you're thinking."

She nodded, but didn't meet his eyes, fearing he'd see the truth in them.

"Hey," He raised her chin. "You don't have to feel bad for having the blessing on you. It's better for the three of us, if at least one person is fine."

Eirene smiled at him. "Yeah, you're right."

"Oi, You two!" Connor shouted; several feet ahead of them. "What's the hold up?"

"Coming!" She placed her hand on his arm briefly. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Andrew." And then she was running to join the other two.

Andrew stayed back a bit; walking behind her and trying to forget the feeling of her fingers on his arm. Please, he begged his mother; give me enough wisdom to stop these feelings.

Sadly, Andrew didn't know he was praying to the wrong goddess.

...

The trio moved fluently through the streets with Elon's direction. It seemed like things could finally be picking up, until about forty minutes into their venture. Elon would start to wonder, he'd change directions several times, sometimes even walking with his eyes closed and bumping into people.

Andrew grabbed his shoulders and pulled him away before he bumped into another innocent bystander. "Are you sure you're okay, mate?"

"I…" He closed his eyes, brows furrowed. "I seem to have lost the signal."

Connor's face was blank. "You're joking."

"It's…"Elon placed both his fingers on his temple. "It's being intercepted by something. The signal keeps flashing back and forth…"

"Could it be the stone?" Eirene inquired.

Elon shook his head. "No," He looked even more frustrated when he opened his eyes. "Matthew is crossing water."

There was a pause, and then Connor spoke. "You mean he's traveling on the ocean? Why would that mean you can't find his signal anymore?"

Elon suddenly grew silent, his stature suddenly embarrassed. His ears grew red. "It doesn't." He murmured. "I just…" His eyes cut to Eirene's intense stare and he broke down. "I've been leading you in the wrong direction."

Connor and Eirene's reaction was the same, both shouted "What!?" While Andrew remained silent, his eyes squinted.

"What do you mean in the wrong direction?! So we've been going in circles for almost an hour?!"

Elon covered his face as if Connor's words were a physical blow. "No! Just these seven minutes." When his words didn't calm Connor's anger, he scrambled to speak. "I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! I wasn't doing it on purpose, it just happened…"

Andrew looked like he was fairly close to drawing his sword. "You're helping Roan aren't you? This whole time, you've been—"

"No! No, please believe me! I'm not working for Roan,"

"You are," Andrew insisted, his neck turning red from anger. "Are else you wouldn't have wasted our time then, and you wouldn't be wasting it now."

"Wait Andrew," Eirene wanted to hear what Elon had to say, maybe, by some miracle, he had a plausible reason. She they were irritating passersby by standing in the middle of street, so she urged them to move to the side. "Let's just…hear his explanation."

"I was trying to keep you from going to the ocean!" Elon blurted, hanging his head. "I wanted to stop you from going towards the sea."

"Matthew is in that direction?" Connor asked.

Elon nodded; his voice a scared whisper. "He's on a boat, from what it seems like,"

Eirene tried to keep her voice gentle, despite the fact that she was irritated. "Why were you trying to keep us from the going towards the ocean?" Are you trying to help Matthew get away?

He gulped. "The ocean is full of sirens, I've had many friends, demigod, satyrs, even humans been lead to their deaths because of them. I thought if maybe I could stall you until he gets back on land…" He let his voice die out, ignoring the glares from Connor and Andrew.

"Just what kind of demigods do you think we are; the type that could be so easily enticed?" Connor was jabbing his finger at Elon, his anger rising.

Andrew was still silently glaring at Elon, but Eirene could feel the fury emanating off him.

Elon was getting more flustered, spewing apologies left and right. "You don't understand! The sirens are, they're—!"

Andrew broke his silence. "Whether or not they're too dangerous, it's not for you to decide," He took a step forward. "Whether or not we'll die, is not for you to decide," The energy he was emanating was so strong Eirene took a step back. "And whether or not we can afford to waste time on this time-pressed mission is not for you to decide."

"I-I-I- I'm s-s-s-sorry…" Eirene felt sorry for the poor satyr, who was shaking so hard his teeth chattered. "I j-just wanted it to be safe…"

"We're demigods!" Connor yelled. "'Danger' is inscribed on our birth certificate!"

"Guys, he said he was sorry—" Eirene froze, feeling a chill on her back. She turned around but saw no one, although the chill did not go away. In a few moments, her entire body was overcome with chills.

The boys too, had felt the change in climate. "The sun…"Connor looked up. "It's still out, right?"

"And the season…" Andrew looked around, his face growing paler. "It's still summer…right?"

Before them, the country-like scenery began to change. The trees, once green and full of life, began to wither and shrink into itself. The grass shriveled, grew yellow and began to be covered with snow. The air grew colder, the temperature dropping to a point where the trees grew frost too. Eirene looked up, and saw the sky clouded; little droplets of snow falling from it.

"What the hell is going on?" Much like the rest of them, Connor was shivering. "Is a monster doing this?"

Eirene looked around, and noticed that Elon had disappeared. Before she could say anything, she suddenly felt a pressure on her lungs, and found it harder to breath. She started to gasp and sank to the floor, grasping her chest. What…What's happening? She tried to take a deep breath but found that she couldn't. Her nose felt blocked; like she was breathing through a tight tube. The boys noticed her struggling, and rushed to her side, trying to lift her up.

Connor took her shoulders. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

She couldn't speak, couldn't say a word but only struggled to breath.

"How rude…" A female voice, one resembling the cold, rang out above them. "To call someone like me a monster…" Her voice echoed in and out, though she reframed from showing her face.

"Who are you?" Andrew yelled. "What are you doing to her?"

"Stop it!" Connor pleaded. "Leave her alone!"

A cackle rang out, so strong it sent a cold rush of air towards them. "Oh…but she's the one I want." And slowly, the culprit materialized. The falling snow built her body, an elegant silhouette. It formed her dress, a white silk fitted gown, adorned with several ice crystals. Her skin was unnaturally pale, her veins were visible. Her black hair spilled down her back in a shocking contrast to her skin.

Eirene did not know who she was at first. She didn't resemble Kratos, Zelus, or Nike. Eirene had heard stories of gods who could control weather, but she had no reason to believe one who had no connection to her should be after her. It was not until Andrew spoke that she put a face to name.

"Khione."