-Carter Kane-

"Sorry, but we're not taking the risk." Our newest initiate, the host of Hathor, had gently been moved through the portal. The woman who addressed me, Abby Hunter, still waiting for a response back from me having caught them.

I nod instead, "Tell Trevor I get it."

"I doubt it, Pharaoh."

I raise an eyebrow at that statement, but she sighs as she crosses her arms over her chest. "I understand if he feels war is not the answer in all of this."

"That's only scratching the surface," Abby clarifies. "Last year, Starr had been haunted by a persistent nightmare. We were foolish enough to think it was centered on Friedrich since he hadn't seen it again. But now, now that Amos is dead… We fear it was never over."

I try to make sense of this, but it's a tad difficult. "Can you tell me what it was about?"

Abby hesitates but decides to oblige. "He saw a Pharaoh and Chief Lector mass executing godlings. And at one point your uncle appeared dead and lecturing him about not doing enough. Melanie was killed." She exhales, her eyes looking down at her feet instead now. "He had told Amos and Vika about it, mostly out of concern about what was happening last year."

"So, you're concerned I'm going to lose my marbles?" I ask, laughing at the ridiculous notion.

"No, Carter," Abby's eyes connect again. "We're concerned about power shifting. So please, be safe out there."

I swallow that down as I watch her backup into the portal right before it disappears. Someone else. And if they told Amos this, he was probably even more concerned than he usually is about it. Is that why he asked to split the role of Chief Lector and suggested that Vika be placed as Chief Architect? Was it the final straw to finalize Friedrich's fate in the end?

I turn on my heels and pat Freak on the head before leaving the roof of the mansion. Dinner will be in about an hour, so the nome is wrapping up its activities now. I plopped myself on the couch in the Great Room, Khufu offering one of the Oreos he had been munching on before I had walked in.

The door opens, and I stand up as I realize it's my fiancée coming back from her trip. I approach as she closes the door behind her. "Zia, I've missed you! I hope you were able to find a dress you love."

Zia leans in to kiss me as an affectionate greeting back. "Sadly no, but I did find something else. We need to talk. How soon until dinner?"

We ended up deciding to let Zia settle in some before dinner, and then we could talk after. Zia seemed to note the tension in the veranda between the initiates and myself but didn't address it. I led my future wife to the library after so we could talk like she had wanted. Cleo respects the need for space and decides to retire early for the night.

Zia takes a moment to take me in. "I've been hearing rumors that you intend to launch an attack on Camp Jupiter. I was hoping it was just a rumor, but I'm getting the sense that it's not."

I sigh. Starting to get annoying at this point. "I intend to be in San Fransisco tomorrow to lead."

"So you have been amassing forces in the Sixtieth Nome?" There's a look of disapproval on her face.

"What else am I supposed to do, Zia? Camp Jupiter still hasn't responded to my questions. My uncle died in their camp, the least they should be doing is answering for it."

"Is making enemies within the Per Ankh worth it if you get the answer you've been wanting?" Zia's anger is leaking through in her tone.

"I don't know if you noticed, but there's no way I can appease everyone. There are too many different stances on things as it is. They should be supporting my next move-"

"I know that," Zia glares at me after shouting. "Or did you forget that I've been with you the whole way so far? I know the House is filled to the brim with people who want to climb up in power, people who have their specific agenda that they want to see to fruition. Iskandar adopted me, I know."

I hesitate a moment, taking in the anger that she is displaying at this point. She exhales to calm down, seeming to notice it herself. "I didn't tell you because I was hoping he had gone into hiding again, but I know who Iskandar's apprentice is. I wasn't looking for a wedding dress, I was looking for clues as to Amos' whereabouts or anything he was potentially hiding."

Oh, "You didn't need to lie to me about it, Zia," I reasoned. "I would have joined you, even, if you had told me-"

"No, I didn't need you to get further upset." Zia's amber eyes sadden as she takes me in further. "Amos is Iskandar's apprentice, Carter. He had been told to keep silent on the matter by multiple people who were in the know, and he was a teenager who didn't know any better. Though it would seem that there was a leak in this secret within the statuaries despite Desjardins' efforts to contain it all."

Well, this wasn't going where I thought it was. I sit down and rub my face as I take it in. "I kind of assumed it was going to be some random kid we haven't met yet. Maybe we could have protected him ourselves here."

Zia's lips press against each other to that. "Technically you did."

I clasp my hands together, realizing my hands are shaking again. "How do you know this? Why didn't he tell Sadie and I?"

Zia decides to take the chair across from me. "Your uncle told me, the first week of him as Chief Lector. And I'm glad he had, it solidified my support, although I knew he was thinking about following Set's path. I trusted he had some idea of what to do. If he had flat-out said as much to the House, I would like to think Jacobi and Kwai wouldn't have gotten as far as they had. Or they might have, could have spun it as him fishing for support with lies."

Sharp inhale. "So, Sadie warning him only made him more secretive. Even though he promised me he wouldn't keep doing it." I separate my hands and place them on their respective legs. "Were you able to figure out why? What he is hiding?"

Zia slumps a bit in the chair. "I have a few leads, but I'm not sure if they are anything. I wanted to come back to New York so we can talk. I don't think your uncle would want you to get further involved in this, Carter."

I shake my head at that. "Except we are now. Maybe he should have just been honest from the start?"

Zia nods in agreement. "I think he was trying to protect you again. Or at least that's his typical reasoning for withholding information from what I've noticed. Carter, you need to call off your attack on Camp Jupiter."

My hands up on my face, and I take a deep breath as I think about the last few days so far. "I can't do that."

"Your uncle wouldn't have wanted this."

"I know," I remove my hands to take in my fiancée. "But if I don't, what will the Per Ankh think? That I'm a Pharaoh that will just roll over? That I'm weak? Or maybe they'll think I just didn't care that my uncle was killed."

"I think we all know that you're affected. And," Zia hesitates a bit. "If they do think to push you to see if they can get away with anything, you know you have support. But going through with this attack, Carter? You're losing the support you have right now. They think you're crazy enough to turn your back on your uncle doing this."

I know she's not wrong, but I feel like my hands are tied here. Zia seems to read it on my face at this point, slipping into a frown. "I don't know if I can support you if you go through with this."

I nod to show I understand. "I'm sorry."

Zia nods, standing up now as a show of us being done with this conversation. "The Per Ankh whispers of you being the new Jabari Kane. Just make sure you don't."

I close my eyes as I hear the library doors close behind her. Fuck.

I spent a bit of time in the library, processing everything so far. Everyone against me makes sense here. I know Uncle Amos would be disappointed. We were pushing for alliances with the Greeks and Romans, so why destroy it so fast? And yet…

Why is no one telling me what had happened? Why am I not being respected enough to be told what came of my uncle? Why wasn't he respected enough to live? And I have no way of directing my anger at all of this, I want to just scream at this point. Punch a wall, something. But I know I will just scare the initiates if they see me doing as much.

I force myself into deep breaths to try and calm myself. Looking up from my hands, I see one of the retrieval shabtis first. The feeling of shame slams hard into my stomach. I know it's just resting in place, but the expression on it seems like it's peering down at me with judgment. As if it knows.

I quickly get up from the chair, leaving the library. I have to get out of here. The display case of instruments is next, and I quickly make my way to my room instead. His room is abandoned now, his door taunts in the corner of my vision.

I leave my door open to grab the bag I had packed already for tomorrow. Slinging it on my shoulder, I leave to slam the door behind me. That seemed to have perked the attention of the nome. "Everything okay, Carter?"

I don't bother with replying. What would the point be anyway? To be told I'm wrong? Fine, I'll be wrong and still in need of answers then.

Chill of the wind hits my face. I am able to take in the sunset, everything else had become a blur before getting up on the roof. I breathe, and I can note the pain in it myself.

The door creaks behind me, but I'm focusing on my portal. "Carter, talk to me man," Walt's voice is pleading. "You still have hours before you said you'd leave."

"I can't stay here," I answer, keeping my tone even in hopes he can't read my emotions right away. "You got things covered here, right?"

The sand portal opens, and I face Stone to see him hesitate to nod to my question. I step through the portal, dusting sand off quickly before I can note I'm at what should be the Sixtieth Nome now.

-Ptolemy XV Caesar-

Damn, I was hoping this would be easy. Should have been, he had just been keeping the daughter of Pluto close by, clearly a measure for protection. I debated on the matter all day but concluded she must also know, so it wouldn't matter that much if she went as well.

The camp is about to retire for the day. They've been running themselves tired with practice. I can tell Reyna is readying for the upcoming battle. They'll have a long day ahead of them soon, and if they keep going at the pace they are, the Egyptians will trample over their forces at this rate.

But this… well it's an interesting update to the plan I had imagined. I keep against the wall of the building around the corner from this sudden meet-up.

Jason Grace was very abruptly approached by two older men. "We're friends of Amos Kane!" The burnet with brown eyes explained quickly. "I heard you're the one that Menshikov was speaking with?"

"The Chief Architect?" Grace asks, lowering his sword and gesturing to Hazel to do the same. "What are you doing here? Did you not see the border?"

"Yeah, we did," The first man continues, seeming frustrated to some degree. "You know if it has anything to do with you guys not responding to Pharaoh?"

"We think it might," Hazel answers this time.

"Why did you cross over? You're trapped in here with us-"

"We're here to help," the other burnet, but with hazel eyes answers quickly.

"You shouldn't have," Grace scorns.

"They plan to launch an attack on your camp tomorrow morning," The first man informs. "And despite our best efforts. So, this is my last attempt to slap some sense into our fellow magicians."

"But why?" Grace asks again.

He sighs, taking in the two demigods before him. "Because I know Amos would be fucking furious if I just sat by ideally while more kids bleed out. Our General of Armies might be gone, but his morals didn't disappear overnight with him."

There's silence between the four of them. I'm grinning from ear to ear, slipping my knife back into its sheath. Tomorrow? I can wait until then. The matter of two magicians having gone rogue from their Pharaoh is small. I can easily have them killed before they can change anything. The fools stepped foot into enemy territory after all.

"I'm Trevor Starr, Combat Magician. This is my friend, Max Hunter, he's an Animal Charmer."

Grace introduces themselves, and they quickly make plans to try and hide their two new "allies" for the night. Hoping they can have them meet Reyna tomorrow morning. How hopeful that she would be very trusting of two potential enemies. Fatui.

-Yevgeni Menshikov-

The very gorgeous wife to Lord Osiris had been waiting for us at the dock. Her eyes lit up upon seeing her brother-in-law once again. Calling out for Osiris to come see for himself. The door of what was their family home opened.

I don't think I'll ever see this god move at the speed he just did. The former Chief Lector pinned into a hug he didn't see coming. I can't help but smile at his older brother's happiness in the moment. Then I peer at Rua to see him grinning from ear to ear at the sight.

"I thought I wasn't going to see you again," Osiris states. A mix of frustration and relief in his tone. "You fucking asshole!"

The youngest is stuck between shock and joy, but I can tell mostly shock. "I can jump back on the boat then if you want?"

"Absolutely not," Julius goes to pull him away from the boat as Caroline goes to talk with Ruby now. "We are just about to sit down and have dinner with Ra. Both of you are joining us tonight."

"Err, I thought I had the whole judgment-"

"Not tonight, tomorrow first thing. Don't ruin the moment with professional garbage, Amos." Julius scorns swiftly. "I want a family dinner again, and you're just going to have to live with that."

Lord Osiris turns towards Mariano and me, and I want to cry to the amount of joy in his eyes. I haven't seen that in ages from anyone. And why did it have to be a Kane?

"Thank you, I owe the both of you."

I bow out of respect. While yes, it's the son of Jabari Kane, the man I hate the most, the thanks still mean a lot. But the joy in seeing his younger brother again, and watching them be a family that loves each other? That means even more to me.

Rua bows as well to the god. Ruby and Caroline are already at the door, waiting for their significant others to catch up. Amos, surprisingly, is the one to stop his brother from pulling him further ahead, facing us.

"The pair of you should join us."

I need a moment to process the request that was sent our way. The last time Menshikovs and Kanes shared dinner was when Otets invited Jabari and his newly wedded wife over to our home. I'm already against the idea, and it must have shown on my face.

"Julius and I are already a pair of misfits, what's adding more going to do to it?" I can see why Vika had been able to warm up to this one.

"We'd love that," Mariano answers for us, earning a stunned look from me. "It's been a while since we've done anything with family."

Yes, thanks to Otets disowning. It was easier for Rua; his family had pretty much disowned him while we were alive. It's still bold to suddenly consider ourselves part of the Kane family now, isn't it?

"Yeah, join us," Julius supports now. "You are part of the group now, whether you like it or not."