A/N: Sorry this did not get posted yesterday! I have been sick and sleeping a lot, plus school work is always calling. This chapter actually came out to almost 5,000 words, so I broke it up into two parts. I'm warning you, please do not hate me after these next two chapters. I teared up while writing it. :(

-Addie-

The waves crashed against my feet but I did not care.

I had not moved since I arrived, and now, it was high tide. From my waist down, I was soaked with seawater. It took away from some of the heat, but I didn't even care about that.

I stared at the sky, the early afternoon sun glaring down at me. I was decently sure I was getting sunburned. The skin on my face felt red and raw, not only from the sun but from my tears. I had stopped crying hours ago, and now, there was just a sullen emptiness in my chest.

How could they?

I sat up, blowing sand from my in every direction. My voice was raw, and it cracked as I screamed. I had never been so angry in my whole entire life. The scream transformed to sobs, and I just curled up on the sand again.

How in the world was I a threat? I didn't get it. Sure, I could do a few more things than other demigods could do, but I couldn't oppose the gods! It took all I had in me to stop one of them from killing my brother; how in the world could I face down hundreds?

None of them, not Athena, Dionysus, Hermes, Artemis, not once did they think to mention it to me. Sure, I understood why, but after they had gotten to know me, how could they think I would do something like that?

I knew the gods well, as well as any mortal can, or at least I thought I did. They only helped or paid attention for one or two reasons. Either they cared, or they were bored. Where had they been when I was begging for guidance on what to do? Where were the answers when I stopped at every single temple on our journey, hoping and praying at least one would come? It made perfect sense now. It didn't matter. I played right into their hands, right into their game. I became desperate enough to do anything, and they took advantage of that.

Apollo was going to tell me. I had such mixed feelings where he was concerned. What if Orion was right with that too? It wouldn't be the first time a god had done that to me. All of them had done it at some point. What hold could I possibly have to a god? But the way he talked and acted seemed so genuine. Why spend so much time with me if he didn't care? How could he look at me and know what they did?

I was wrong about them. They were not good. They were selfish, and when it came to making decisions, it was about what was best for them, not for the world. Sure, they did some nice things every once in a while, but did that make up for the years of bad things that they did?

I wanted to scream, yell, curse, punch, and obliterate all of them. I wanted them to feel a fraction of the pain I was currently in. For years, I mourned the death of my friends, of my husband and my brother, because I thought it was my fault. I had to endure the taunts of immortals and mortals who called me a traitor. I had to suffer through having no friends and family, watching the world I grew up in crumble and fade. I had to deal with the god of war, whatever form he was in, doing things I never wanted. I never got another choice to myself. I lost my freedom and my freewill, and I had been trying to cope with that for the last two thousand years. And it wasn't fair. None of it was effing fair!

I heard the sound of sand crunching behind me, and the rage bubbled over. A rock came out of the ground, hitting the person behind me. I pinned them to the tree, and the ground shook around me from the impact. Part of me hoped it was a god. The other part of me just wanted to run away.

"You still know how to really pack a punch," the person huffed out at me. Orion looked a little uncomfortable from behind the rock. I lowered it, and gazed at him skeptically. I was not exactly happy with my brother either.

"What do you want, Orion?" I said as I sat back down. He walked up to me and joined me in the sand. The waves hit him as well, but because he could control water and what not, he didn't get wet.

"I wanted to check on you," he said, concern in his voice. His hand reached out, but I shoved it away. "Doesn't seem like you are handling it well."

I just fell back against the sand, and curled up facing away from him.

"Leave me alone, Ry. I'm not in the mood."

"You should have known better, little sister. You know how they are."

"Yeah, I should have," I spat out. I pulled myself up, thunder building in the distance. "Euadne is so gullible! Let's just take advantage of her good nature and see what we can do with it! Let's get her to trust us and befriend us just so we can rip her heart out and smash it to pieces. Let's remind her how stupid she is for trying to see the good in people when all of them are selfish," the ground around us sunk in about a four feet, "hateful," it sank another two feet, "insecure, douche-bags!" A wave crashed in, covered me in water. I was losing it. I started to scream uncontrollably, hitting and kicking everything that was within reach. My brother got his arms around me, pinning them to my sides.

"Let go!" I screamed, but it was marred by my sobs.

"No, Addie," he whispered calmly at my ear. He used to water around us to lift us out of the hole, depositing us safely on the beach. I tried to fight him, but I was never a match for him once he got his arms around me.

"Leave me alone, Orion! Or I'll-"

"You'll do what, Euadne?" he said patiently.

"Just let go," I begged him. I had no more strength. I was tired, dehydrated, and my whole body hurt. I was dirty and covered in sand, and I was done, with everyone and everything. My weight fell against him, and we both fell to the ground. Orion pulled me in his lap, his hand stroking my back. It was so easy to imagine that we were back in Rome, training for our next adventure. All this was just a bad day, and Ry could sit me down and make it all better. We would go with our mortal parents to a banquet, and we would laugh and talk with the others.

But life wasn't that simple anymore.

"Shh, Addie. I know. I'm so sorry I had to tell you this way," he whispered to me. "You've always been so innocent, and people take advantage of that. Let me show you a way you never have to be taken advantage of again," he pleaded. I shoved myself away from him, disbelief on my face.

"How did you find me?" I asked him.

"Gaia, of course. She could feel the tremors. Look, Addie, this is a white flag offer. Gaia and some of her sons just want to talk, to show you something. You'll be free to leave afterwards. She was serious about you having the freedom to choose."

He held out his hand to me, and I just looked at it for a moment.

"C'mon, Addie. We'll get you cleaned up and get you something to eat. All you have to do is listen, and then you can decide for yourself."

I knew it was wrong. I knew I shouldn't do it. If I went and one of the gods found out, they would kill me on sight.

"You have my word, Euadne. I swear it on the Styx."

I grabbed his hand, and I felt a sense of weightlessness take over me. It was too late to change my mind now.

Orion had taken us directly to his quarters, where he had food waiting for us. After we ate, he left me to get cleaned up. I felt like one of Hephaestus's automatons. I was empty, just going through the motions to get from point A to point B. He had left me a dress that was absolutely stunning, all white and gold. It reminded me of the dresses I use to wear. The silk was so soft, I managed a small smile. My brother remembered what I liked.

"Addie?"

I turned towards him, and he had changed as well. He looked just as regal as I remembered him at Senate functions, and the homesickness in my heart worsened. I felt the tears threaten, but I looked away.

"Hey," he murmured. "Chin up, Adelfi. Everything's going to be all right, you'll see." I nodded my head, and he held out a black strip of cloth. "I have to blindfold you as we walk through the camp. Just a precaution," he stated as he began to wrap it around my head.

"You'll be there the whole time?" I asked him. His lips touched my forehead, and he held one of my hands in his own.

"Of course I will. You can trust me Addie. I'll keep you safe."

He led me through the camp, and I did not like what I heard. I heard every monster I had ever fought and then some. Some of the sounds I heard were things from my nightmares, and for the first time, I wondered how the Olympians planned on beating the giants. I knew it would take the help of demigods, but with this many to fight….

We walked down a hill and I used my gift to feel out the land around me. We were in a valley, a small stream running through the middle. I felt three very large beings and a presence, one both familiar and domineering, put pressure on my mind.

"So this is the Thýella we've heard so much about," a voice boomed above me. My brother removed my blindfold, and I met the stares of three of the giants. They all looked half-human, their legs like dragon's legs with the torso of a man. The largest one was over forty feet high, with green legs and hair. It was braided with various weapons, all covered in dried blood. The other had blue-green armor, not nearly as tall as his brother. He had what looked like snakes in his hair, but his demeanor pulled at something in me, making me feel weak. The third at last looked at me, his eyes black as night. He reminded me of what the sky would look like without any stars. Every inch of him was black, like a large, creeping shadow. I wouldn't have even seen him if it wasn't for the large fire that was blazing. The sun was setting, casting the valley into twilight.

"Yes," my brother stated. "This is my sister, Euadne."

"Doesn't look like much," the blue-green giant snorted. "A little puny for a demigod."

"Polybotes, I've heard stories from Hyperion," the green one said as he sized me up. "Disposed of Krios easily enough, and mother had poisoned her."

"The taint of the god of light is on you," the dark one hissed. His voice reminded me of dying people. Instantly I knew which giant this was. This was Otus, made to be the bane of Apollo.

"He healed me," I managed to get out evenly. I still didn't trust them, especially this giant. Hades, right now, I didn't even know if I trusted my brother.

"That would explain it," he mused. He smelled like death and disease, everything that Apollo wasn't. It made my skin crawl just being this close to him. It made me want Apollo.

"The gods have mistreated you, child. You and your brother are not demigods. There is more ichor than mortal blood in your veins, and you both do not deserve to be treated as such," he leaned down, so that his face was next to my body. It was bigger than me, and although a tremor of fear passed through me, I fought to keep my face blank. "You are brave, of that I have no doubt. It must have taken an enormous amount of discipline to learn to control your reactions around them, to follow every command without hesitation." One of the green giant's fingers inched towards me, and I gripped my brother's hand painfully. His finger brushed my arm, sending shivers down my spine. "You can have a proper revenge if you join us. How would you like the war god to follow your every command, hmm?"

I just nodded my head, unsure of what to say.

Leave the child. I wish to speak to her alone.

At first, I thought I heard the voice in my head, but the others responded as well. The three giants stood and began to head back over the hill. My brother began to pull away, but I gripped his hand.

"My lady," Orion began.

She has nothing to fear from me, Orion. Her spirit is simply broken. She will be fine, now go.

Orion gave my hand a gentle squeeze, and he pulled away. I backed closer to the fire, wrapping my arms around myself.

"Euadne?" a voice called.

I turned, coming face to face with the Earth Mother. She was just a mound of dirt and rock formed into a humanoid shape, but you could distinguish her features easily. She was pretty and looked maybe like she was in her late thirties or forties. Her face had a kind expression on it, but he her eyes seemed cruel to me, like there was a darkness that lingered underneath. She was everything I had ever heard about her and more.

Please Review! Part Two will be posted shortly!