Charlie,

"Are you sure you know where you are going?" I asked Sam, leaning in to have my head in between the two boys in the front seat.

An hour ago, Aiden traded up to sit in the front seat, and I was fine with it so I could stretch out in the backseat. Now that I was rested though, I kept peaking my head up there.

"Yes, Charlotte. It's my grandmother's place. I know how to get there," Sam rolled his eyes as he seemed to make another blind turn down a road in the middle of nowhere.

Being in Alabama after growing up in Manhattan was alien to me. It wasn't as ridiculous and country as it was shown in TV and talked about. But it was still completely different from my busy home up north.

"So? I couldn't get us all to my grandfather's place right now," I leaned back in my seat, and Aiden tried to hide his smirk by looking at his cell phone.

Aiden was trying to get on the good side of Sam for reasons I understood, but his silence annoyed me.

We both looked to Aiden, waiting for him to stick up for one us, and he just shrugged.

"Hey, my grandfather lives in New Rome," Aiden raised his hands in surrender, and I rolled my eyes.

Sam looked back to the road, and I watched the night set in and the darkness take over.

The darkness and I had never been my favorite time.

As a kid listening to the story of my parents loving each other enough to fall into eternal darkness for each other, I found the idea of darkness romantic. I always wanted to find someone who would love me enough to do brave darkness for me.

But, when I had my first incident with the woman in stone when I was seven, darkness became my number one hatred. It wasn't until I was eleven that I stopped sleeping with a night light, though I kept the hallway light on so it would peak underneath my door.

It made me slightly uneasy now, and I listened to the radio play.

And then the car suddenly stopped.

Sam twisted around in his seat and smiled wide.

"Told. Ya."

But I was too busy staring at the "cottage" that Apollo had spoken off.

This was not a cottage. Not a castle but so not a cottage.

It sat on a large part of land, surrounded by trees and natural life. There was a cobblestone walkway surrounded by daisies and it led to a big porch with rocking chairs and swings. The grass was perfectly kept to the large English-style home.

"Come on, let's go get us a rose."

Sam quickly got out of the jeep and started to walk around the house, and I had to struggle to keep up.

My nostrils were attacked with all different smells.

Jasmine. Roses. Honeysuckle. The smell of freshly baked pie.

Together, it should have made me sick, but it was perfect and hypnotizing.

We hurried around the house and found even more beauty.

The home was nestled by a large hill, showing rolling hills and perfect wild life. And, on the very edge, there was the perfect garden. It was full of every beautiful flower, cherry trees, oak trees, and statues of Greek heroes.

"Beautiful," I smiled, stopping to admire it.

And then Sam's butt climbing the fence suddenly ruined the view.

I cringed.

Sam landed perfectly, and he looked around the garden as he brushed off his jeans.

Then his grey eyes moved to me and Aiden.

"Coming?"

Aiden climbed over next, and I began my climb, though I got a snag in my new shirt from Apollo in the process.

"Let's think of a plan," Aiden began, and he and Sam began to talk it over.

But then my eye caught sight of statue.

Mesmerized, I began to walk toward it, ignoring the beautiful replicas of Greek heroes, to see what I had seen from afar.

It was a memorial to my parents, to our family. My parents smiled together, my father holding Noah's hand and my mother holding me as an infant. Everyone was smiling, and the statue was surrounded by blue roses.

I smiled, and I was about to start back to where I had just up and left Aiden and Sam. But then I looked around to the other statues.

They were all memorials…

And she would keep her prized flowers next to her favorite person…

I gasped, and I was about to set off for Aiden and Sam to tell them I knew where to look. But they appeared next to me soon after.

Sam didn't look too, his arms crossed against his chest. Usually, when I did bad, he went along with someone reprimanding me, but he would also high-five me afterwards. I had a feeling I wouldn't get a high-five this time…

And Aiden. Aiden looked pissed, yes. But in a different way…. Not, in a "You could have gotten yourself killed!" way but a "Never do that to me again!" way.

"There you are, Charlie," Sam glared at me, and Aiden's anger turned into wonder when he saw the look on my face.

"What is it?"

I didn't say anything, I just kept looking for the right statue. Sam and Aiden chased after me, though they had a few problems keeping up with me.

The combination of flexibility from being a thirteen year old who was able to duck away from everything in New York, my mother's fast brain, and my father's impulsiveness made me pretty good at getting away. I pushed past trees, jumped over flowers and bushes, and ducked under statues.

No matter how many times Noah and my mother reprimanded me, I was kind of impulsive with things like this. I was like my mother on other aspects, I suppose. But my father had passed this down to me, which my mother hated.

She always said that it was a miracle that my father survived his teens, and he always pointed out that he did anyway.

I pulled to a stop when I reached the statue I wanted.

Aiden and Sam almost ran into me when I suddenly stopped, and they stared up at the biggest, grandest statue in the entire garden.

Situated in the dead center, there was a six foot tall statue of a beautiful woman. She was standing proud, a tear drop falling from her eye as she held a single rose. Her eyes were pained and sad, and it pained me to see.

Persephone.

"There it is," Aiden got down on his knees to look at the most beautiful red rose bush I had ever seen, and, in the very center, was the best of them all.

I got down beside Aiden to cut the rose.

"Uh, guys."

"Shh."

"But-"

We didn't listen to Sam as I took out my lucky dagger.

"Guys!"

This time, we looked back, and I gasped. Surrounding us in a big O was a collection of statues, baring their teeth at us for trying to take their most prized rose.

Aiden stood slowly, and he took out his sword, nodding towards me to cut on his mark. He angled himself to handle half and Sam the other half.

"Now!"

I cut the rose from the bush, and all Hades broke lose.

Bits of stone and flowers flew, and I screamed as something pulled me up by my hair.

Persphone held me at her height, and I could see Sam and Aiden fighting off the statues, though more just kept coming in their place.

I screamed, and Persphone took her other hand to wrap around my neck, and fumbled for an arrow. But she laughed me off.

"You don't have a bow," her voice was horrible and scratchy, feeling like it came from the deepest part of the earth, "What are you going to do, little girl?"

I gasped for breath.

"Don't worry. You will live. She needs you alive. And I will be her hero, get out of this stupid garden."

Persephone smiled, and I spotted the perfect place.

If my mother had taught me anything about building things, there is always a weakness in a structure. And I just found hers…

I took the arrow, and I nestled it where her head met her neck.

The statue crumbled, and I fell in a loud thud on top of the roses.

I moaned, and, when I blinked my eyes open, Aiden was running to me with Sam doing the same.

"They are too much," Sam was sweating and bleeding, and Aiden looked around frantically.

And that when I noticed the tattoo of angel wings on his neck was glowing white.

"Aiden, your neck is glowing."

"Hold on," Aiden grabbed my wrist and Sam's, too.

And then I saw pretty much the most amazing thing I had seen since my father first taught me how to control water.

I watched as the tattoo on his neck began to become completely white. Then it started coming off his neck, turning into white eagle feathers as they went to the center of his back, growing big and strong. And then they began to fly.

My jaw dropped as he began to fly up away from the statues, flying like an eagle as his wings beat in the wind.

Aiden had always looked angelic, though I finally knew why.

With the night moon falling on his golden hair and perfect features, he could have looked divine already. But then the moonlight fell on his wings as well, and it was like staring at a god.

Aiden gently set us down near the car, and the statues chased after us.

Sam snapped back into action, jumping in his car and revving up the engine.

But I was too shocked.

"You can fly!" I stared.

"Uh, yeah," he looked down to the ground, avoiding my eyes as he pulled me into the car.

Aiden,

Charlie kept staring at me across the table.

Sam drove and drove until we were a good two hours away from the statues, muttering about how pissed his grandmother would be when she found out. But I wasn't paying attention. Charlie's glares kept my mind working mostly.

"Fine, I'm sorry, okay? I just didn't think to mention."

"How do you forget to mention you have wings?!" she whisper-yelled, though no one in Waffle House was actually paying attention.

"It's not like you asked."

"Because I immediately think to ask if someone has wings when I meet them!"

I had to admit that I had tried to stay clear of the topic.

The wings weren't mine as in I hadn't been born with them. They were a gift for my valuable service in New Rome given to only the finest of the finest as Praetor Helena had put it.

And that was just it.

My wings were Roman, and, with Charlie, I didn't feel Roman…

In Rome, I had a select life I had to follow.

I had gone through pain, sacrifice, and had dedicated myself to service to get away from it all. I was basically guaranteed a Praetorship when I got older, and it was clear that I would most likely end up with Adriane, a girl on her way to being Praetor as well.

This had never bothered me.

I understood my path, and I accepted it, no matter how many times my father tried to get me away from it.

And I was worried he may of succeeded…

Charlie and I were completely different.

I was rigid and planned. I kept my secrets and refused to let them go. I had a past to work away from. And my future was predestined for me.

She was impulsive and working by the moment. She was an open book and thought that secrets got you killed. And she was working for a past, for a future, trying to find who she was.

In theory, we had nothing in common. We were people who never clicked, just walked past each other, but somehow we seemed to have everything in common and nothing in common at the same time.

I hadn't seen any problems from this until now, our first butt of heads that would probably happen more than I would like to expect.

"I don't know. I didn't think about it. I haven't used my wings in a while."

"You're telling me you forgot they were there?" Charlie crossed her arms, raising her eyebrows.

I suddenly wished Sam wasn't flirting with a waitress at the counter and that he was still here freaking out and saying I was awesome because I could fly.

"Fine, I should have told you, I admit it," I raised my hands in surrender, running out of excuses and energy.

"Thank you," Charlie leaned back in the booth, "Any other super powers I should know about?"

"Nope. How about you?"

"What?"

"You're the Daughter of the Mind and Sea. You've got to have something."

Charlie looked around for a moment, but then she raised her hand in front of her glass of orange juice.

As she moved her hand to write out something in the air, the orange juice rose out of the glass and spelled it.

This count?

"Yeah, that counts," I watched, mesmerized.

She motioned for the orange juice to form a blob over her head, threatening to fall on top of her.

She made a quick gesture with her hand, and it splattered on top of her.

But, instead of being covered in sticky orange juice, she was the same.

Completely dry…

"And you think its bad that I didn't mention I could fly."

"But I'm a descendant of Poseidon. I am supposed to be able to do this. You have no freaking reason to have wings!"

And then it clicked.

"Why do you?"

I mentally grimaced.

"It's a gift from the Romans, for superior service."

"They gave you wings for being a good soldier?"

"Well, I wasn't really a soldier."

Charlie raised her eyebrows.

I pulled up the sleeve of my shirt to show her my Roman tattoo.

"You've seen your dad's tattoo, and you know the sign for Praetor. But have you ever really seen Jason's?"

Charlie shook her head.

"Well, we have the same markings," I motioned towards my tattoo, "Except for the one for Praetor. Everyone says I'm on my way there. And I guess I am. I'm not really the typical soldier."

"So that's what Apollo meant."

"Yeah."

I nodded.

But Charlie's mind was still working.

"How old were you?"

"What?"

"Jason started really young. That's how he worked himself up so young. And Reyna was just awesome. Which one are you?"

"Jason."

Charlie continued to watch me, waiting me for me to continue.

"I was six."

Charlie's eyes softened.

"When I was six, I was playing with Me-Mo," she smiled weakly.

I never really got a childhood. I never had a Me-Mo. Or played around playing pretend. I was always Roman…

I opened my mouth to say I would have rather been playing with a Me-Mo, too, but Sam suddenly appeared at our side, sliding into my booth.

"What are we talking about?"

"Nothing much," Charlie shrugged.

Anymore, I wanted to add.

"So, we better call Noah. He's probably worried sick."

Charlie nodded.

Kate,

I let the heat of the shower wash over me, washing all of the day. I was covered in golden blood, my own blood, sweat, and the lines left on my skin from the too-tight red dress. I rubbed at my skin with body scrub until I felt like I wouldn't have any layer left.

Noah and I had ended up wanting to get a while away from the place where we killed Claas, so we walked around until I demanded that I was tired and that I was staying at the nearest hotel with or without him.

In no time, we were getting a room and basically rejoicing, even though the receptionist kept looking at us when she found out we were young, needing a room now, and only needed it for the night.

I put my stuff up, and I quickly called first shower as he began to order a feast of pizza.

When I was getting undressed for my shower, I happily threw away the red dress, and I kicked my heels to the edge, letting my feet rejoice on the cool tile. While I waited for the shower to warm up, I washed off my make-up, and I finally felt like Kate again.

After being in hot summer weather, wearing heels, a ripped up dress I hate, and killing a monster, it felt heavenly to be in the shower, and I never ever wanted to get out. But I knew I had to…

I finally turned the water off, reaching for a plush towel, and I wrapped it tightly around me. I ran a brush through my hair, and I picked up my heels, leaving my dress in the trash can.

I padded into the room, throwing my shoes on the bed I had claimed when we got here, and I was heading to grab a pair of pajamas from my bag when I suddenly ran into Noah.

"Oh my gods, I am so sorry," we both said at the same time, and then our eyes met.

My heart stopped beating, and I was paralyzed.

"I was just, uh, going to get ice," his eyes never left mine.

"Right…" my eyes stayed glued to his as well.

Was I imagining it or were we moving closer?

My heart was beating loud in my chest.

A million thoughts were running through my head, so many I could barely keep them straight.

But, at the same time, I felt blank.

Like I couldn't breathe. Like I couldn't move. Like logic no longer existed.

And we were slowly moving closer.

And I desperately wanted to kiss him.

If I wasn't imagining it, it looked like he wanted to kiss me, too…

No matter how much I knew it was insane and wouldn't happen and that everything said no to this. But the world's rules didn't exist anymore…

Noah's face was only a few inches away from mine, and I officially stopped breathing.

Suddenly, I had a surge of courage.

It filled my body with energy, with hope, and with the naive thought that everything would work out. That I could get exactly what I wanted…

And what I wanted most of all was Noah Jackson…

I honestly always had, even when we were just friends. I wanted him with me, I never wanted to be away from him. Now it had just gotten stronger, making me want more and more of him until I wanted the cloest thing we could ever have...

I took a deep breath, and I was about to break the distance and kiss him. And he looked like he just might do the same.

And then I heard the worst thing I ever wanted to hear…

Noah's cell phone started ringing with the sound of the ocean, the ringtone for Charlie.

And the moment ended like that.

My courage subsided. Our space seemed far apart, not close. And logic existed again.

"I better get the phone," Noah nodded, taking a step back.

"Yeah, I'll get my clothes and get dressed. The shower's all yours when you're done."

We awkwardly parted, and I hurriedly grabbed my clothes as I went to the bathroom and I collapsed to the tile floor.

What the Hades just happened?

"No, what didn't just happen?" I moaned.

I took my time to get dressed, not wanting to go back to Noah after that.

But I couldn't stay forever.

Finally, while towel-drying my hair, I came out of the bathroom, and Noah was on the bed.

"Turns out I didn't exactly give them the safe mission," Noah moaned, putting a pillow over his face.

I usually would have sat on the edge of his bed, but I sat on my bed this time. I didn't want to be too close...

"What happened?"

"Long story short, statues tried to kill them and Aiden can fly.

"Aiden can fly?"

"Aiden can fly."

"Fly?"

"Eagle Wings"

"Seriously?"

"Roman thing."