Chapter 3 Growth

Minutes after Nyx left. I still stood there my mind, a whirling hurricane from everything that happened. I had a primordial at my door, wanting me to take her child. Posidon coming and then almost causing a celestial fight in my living room. And the three fates themselves have to come to diffuse the situation. Then, being gifted 2 of the best security systems in the world. I could barely handle everything, and the effects of their power display still rattled my body. I was no longer thrumming with energy, but I knew damn well if I took my hand out, there would still be a slight shake. Blake's eyes still haven't moved away from where Nyx disappeared. I so dearly wanted her to cry; it sounded harsh even to my ears. But the silence was more heartbreaking. Looking down at her and only seeing the side of the dark head of hair as she waited for her mother to come back. Only I knew she would never be coming back. Seeing Blake like this, I tried to sit down, but I had a child in each arm.

Looking around, I was grateful to see I left the blue baby bouncer in the living room. And that Nyx had left the bassinet. I walked over to the bassinet and gently put Blake inside her eyes, glancing at me for only a moment. After securing her, I make my way to the baby bouncer, where I Lean down, and as Gently and swiftly as I can, I strap Percy into it, praying that he won't be startled and wake up. After that, I returned to Blake, knowing she needed me more. "This is already difficult," I thought as I approached her. I pick her up and sit us down on the couch. Finally, those big, beautiful obsidian eyes are on me, and I feel the same rush of unconditional love wash over me as I do Percy. "Blake, honey, your mommy had to leave, but know she loved you. She even gave you a new family! You see, that's your new brother, Percy," I say, pointing at him. "She even left two new puppies for you." at this, the hounds perk up and walk over. I decided the pomeranian, cotton, jumped up at this and snuggled to my side. The mastiff, Brutus, gently licked her leg, giving her the cutest giggle. "Then there's me, I guess your new mommy. I will never replace or hope to replace your first Mommy. I promise you, though, that I will love you the same. You are now my daughter, too," I say, my voice cracking as soft tears run down my face. I kiss her forehead and lean back on the couch, Not knowing where life will go. told it was the biggest loose pearl in history and would sell as the most expensive. Which I was just fine with. I was just happy not to be in poverty anymore and to care for the twins, as I call them.

After dealing with the jungle of the appraisal process, I wanted to get out of the city. Thankfully, my name was erased from all documents tracing me back to the pearl. Of course, the attorney at my side immensely helped with that. I knew that the god's influence stretched, and I knew something of that size and wealth wouldn't go completely unnoticed. Getting my name expunged from the documents made it slightly more challenging to track me from the deities and almost entirely with mortals. If one of the gods were to investigate, they could have found me immediately. I hoped their arrogance was too great to further look into mortal matters, finding them too beneath them to warrant the effort. As an extra precaution, I wanted to escape New York, specifically Manhattan. I didn't feel like the city was proper for the kids, and now, with the hounds, I felt like we all needed space. My only hesitation is that the city helped mask the twin's scents from monsters. So many people's scents concentrated in one place made it harder for them to focus on a demigod. It also made it easier, however, to stalk them. When you always have millions of people around you, it becomes difficult to differentiate them.

Finding the cons outweighed the pros, I decided to leave Manhattan. I called a realtor and, thankfully, found the perfect one immediately. Her name was Natasha. She was around 5'5 with dark brown hair and an olive complexion similar to Blake's. She wore large rose-gold glasses that brought out her complexion and dark eyes. At first, I was worried about her guarded attitude, but shortly after talking to her, I felt relaxed. She considered all my wants and didn't question or try to push for anything outside my budget, which was already high. I told her I wanted a private oceanfront property along the Atlantic coast. I wanted solitude and space for my family. I needed a property where the twins could practice their powers and where accidental outbursts could go unnoticed. I also wanted the protection that Percy's dad would offer us being so close to his domain. Luckily, with Natasha, all I had to say was, "I want my closest neighbor to the ocean." She laughed at that and completely understood what I meant.

She was a godsend. I told her I couldn't go to her office because I didn't have anyone to take care of the twins,. I tried finding nannies, but the hounds, specifically cotton, didn't make it easy. I had one call Cotton a skinwalker and run out when she unmasked her eyes, showing her bright red demonic orbs. I tried running after her to make an excuse, but she was long gone. When I returned, Cotton looked at me and sat beside Percy, licking her paws completely unbothered.

Thankfully, Natasha was more than willing to visit the apartment. When she walked in, she went straight to the hounds in almost a screech, immediately doting, petting, and praising them. Unsurprisingly, Brutus loved it; he leaned against her, nearly knocking her over. Cotton was eyeing her like a creature from a different planet. When she picked up cotton suddenly, I honestly thought she was gonna kill her, but she oddly stayed and allowed to be pet but grudgingly. She even played with the twins, making funny faces at them. Her lips would split into the same smile as mine when they giggled at her.

This became our routine for 2 weeks. Natasha would come by twice a week for a couple of hours. I asked her if it was okay for her to spend so much time with me, and she said it was fine and that she didn't have any other clients at the moment anyway. We went through so many properties that they started to blur until she showed me one in Main. It was a Beachfront property with views of the Atlantic. It was a four-bedroom 3, three-bathroom ranch-style house with a wrap-around porch along the ocean-facing side. It had a dark wooden exterior, and the interior reflected the same wooden aesthetic. It sat on 20 acres with no neighbors on site. Immediately, I knew it was the one. Natasha and I set a date to view the house later that week. I could find a babysitter for 2 days to watch the kids. It was my old coworker's daughter again, Allison. The hounds behaved around her, which was another relief. I was nervous as all hell leaving them and the hounds. It was the longest I'd been away from them, but I tried reasoning it was for a better life.

It was a roughly 7-hour flight from New York to Maine. Then, another 3-hour car ride to get to the property. When we got to John F Kennedy International, I was still nervous; Natasha, seeing this, grabbed my hand for a moment while we Waited at TSA, making me miss just a few years ago when the security was just a quick pat down. We got through with zero issues and eventually weaved our way to our terminal. We still had another hour till our flight left, so Natasha and I decided to grab a coffee and maybe a quick meal.

"Sally, the twins are fine. You don't have to worry. Allison has it handled, and with the dogs, they'll still find comfort." said Natasha, her dark eyes analyzing me.

" I know, I know. I just haven't been away from them for this long. It's nerve-wracking. What if we get there and I decide I don't like the house? Then this whole trip will be a waist!" I say, tapping my foot against the table.

"Well, if you don't stop tapping the table, then the trip might be wasted because I'll leave without you," she says dryly. I give her a dirty look at this. "You have been talking about this property since you first saw it. If we get there and you decide you don't want it, you don't have to give me my commission. That's all I have to say about that." she says, pointing her fork at me with her salad still attached.

"Har, Har, you just don't understand they're special, okay? They're not just regular babies," I say frustratingly.

"Ya, I know their demigods," she says nonchalantly.

My heart stopped at her words, and my mind went into flight or fight mode. My nervousness was now multiplying.

"What did you just say?" I ask slowly, my voice holding a thinly veiled threat as I ball my hands into fists.

"Don't worry, won't tell the council, I don't even have access to Empire State. I'm a legacy 2nd generation of Rhodes. The ocean always finds its way back, ya know. She says with a grin. I feel a little bit more relieved at this.

"Why didn't you say anything? Did he send you?" I ask quietly. My body is still tense.

"No, he didn't. I felt the faint presence of the sea from you when we first met, and I became intrigued. Then I met Percy, and it all made sense. Blake, on the other hand, confuses me. Knowing you had reasons, I never tried to intrude with her."

I lean back on the chair and weave my hands through my hair in frustration. "Why, just why didn't you tell me right away?"

" I didn't want to scare you off and tried to assess the situation first. It was pretty intriguing. We also protect our own. I am sworn to protect the secrets of the sea, even as a legacy."

"Jesus Christ," I say into my hands.

"NOW BOARDING FLIGHT 44 TO MAIN," Blurted loudly over the intercom.

We get up quickly and walk to our gate. Natasha looks at me, her inquisitive eyes taking on a different meaning now. "We will talk about this more once we land. I don't want to risk anything in his territory," she says.

"You said I had the presence of the sea with yours combined; won't we be a target?" I ask as I grab my luggage and purse As we get in line for boarding.

"Our auras are so faint that even combined, we'll only be comparable to religious divers. No alarms will be triggered; even then, he wouldn't do anything to cause your ex-lover's ire. The only reason I knew was because of my connection; even then, it was faint." She says, giving her ticket to the stewardess.

I give my ticket after her, my mind still ablaze. We got on the plane, and luckily, we were the only 2 in our row. The take-off was smooth. Once we got to 30 thousand feet and could move around, I went to the bathroom to splash water on my face. It helped, but now I wondered how I would transport all of us if we couldn't fly. I knew I was fine even before Natasha said so, but Percy? He was half the ocean; I don't even know about Blake, let alone the hounds. When I returned to my seat, Natasha was reading her book about marine animals. To keep me from going crazy, I decided to try to sleep, hoping someone would bring me to dreamland.

I woke up right before landing, and the stewardess asked us to put on our seatbelts. The roughness of landing sobered me. As we exited the gate and into the airport, I was startled by the lack of people. There were maybe a third of people here compared to JFK, and they were slower, too, so it didn't seem like everyone was in a rush. Natasha led us out to where our taxi was waiting. Thankfully, the taxi ride to the car rental wasn't very long. 15 minutes. I still wanted to ask Natasha questions, but I wanted to do it in privacy. When we got to the rental office, I picked out a yellow Jeep Wrangler, which Natasha insisted on driving. I was navigation, which I was more than grateful for. Living in New York made me so used to public transport that I was afraid I forgot how to drive.

Luckily, navigation was easy enough for the most part. We take the freeway for a third of the trip, and then it'll become dicey as we get closer to the property. Natasha spoke as we got out of the city and onto the freeway.

"Any more questions?"

"Ya, if it's our new home, how can I move us here? Percy can't fly, and I have no clue about Blake, let alone the dogs. Driving will be awful. It's doable, but I have no idea how to drive a U-haul. Hell, I don't even know if I can drive." I say exasperatedly.

"With the ocean as your closest neighbor, we can figure something out. Also, Sally, you fail to remember that you're a multimillionaire now. You have plenty of options, so don't worry."

"You said you were a legacy, too; I thought most demigods don't have a happy life. Let alone have children."

"It honestly depends on the parentage. My great-grandma is considered a minor goddess, so her children's scent wouldn't be as strong as the councils. It made it easier for her to survive outside of camp. She only got attacked 5 times before she hit her majority, and her scent stabilized." She said while changing lanes. She sighed deeply before she continued, "Sally, My grandma was extremely lucky. As your friend, I say this not to give you false hope. But don't expect my family's fate to be yours. With his father being who he is and Blake being who she is. Which I still have no clue who or what she is."

"She not a "what" nat"

"You know what I mean. I've never felt an aura like hers. I can tell she's powerful, probably the same as Percy."

"She's going to be as powerful as Percy. She's not normal even by our standards." I say grudgingly.

Blake, I don't even know where to start with her. Already being so young, I notice the shadows stretching towards her. Her personality is beginning to show, too. I've seen her trying to swat Percy's hand whenever he reaches for something he isn't supposed to. When I set them on the floor together, her little arms wiggle toward Percy. If I don't put them close to each other quickly enough, one will always start crying. Then the other will, and that's always fun. The hounds would suddenly disappear to "Eat" when both start wailing.

"You never told me anything about her. I know she's not yours, " she says, giving me a quick look before changing lanes. I keep looking ahead at the different cars, trying to ignore her. It's not like I'm embarrassed by Blake; it's quite the opposite. She is my daughter in all but blood, even if she has been in our life for a short time. I love her. She's so different and complicated that I don't want to share her story with anyone else. I'm also terrified too. I trust Natasha, her with the kids alone; I trust her as a friend, just not with Blake's true parentage.

"She's mine in all but blood, ok. She's my daughter and Percy's sister, and that's all I'm willing to say. Please," I say, looking at Natasha, pleading with her to stop the questioning.

"Damn, it's that ruff, huh? I won't ask, and for what it's worth, I'm happy she has you. I do not want to even think about what the alternative could have been." she says.

"Neither do I," Nyx's pleading eyes again came to mind. "I also know the twins' life isn't going to be easy. That's why we're looking at this house, so that I can ease the pain that I know they'll have. Do you know what it's like to know that your children will possibly die before you? To know that their life is going to be littered with literal monsters? When I found out I was pregnant, I went back to the ancient stories. Studying them consumed everything that I could. Like I was starving because I was. I was starving to know if my baby could live a normal life, a life filled with peace. You already know the answer to that, don't you."

"Sally, I'm," she sniffled, wiping away stray tears. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's fine; this is everything that I already know. I know you came from a place of love, and I'm sorry for exploding; it's just difficult. Can we just listen to music for a bit?" I Say, trying to ignore the awkwardness that I caused.

"Absolutely"

We sat in silence, listening to the radio; luckily, it was a comfortable silence. Both of us were lost in our own thoughts. We didn't utter another word until we got to the entrance of the property. It was easy to miss the driveway, the forest masking it; even driving down the driveway, I was in awe. It was surrounded by the native white pines and black spruce, and I noticed some maple. There was at least one wild blackberry bush, which I knew the twins would love. Once we got to the actual house, I knew I was home. The Dark red of the cedar siding made the house stand out against the Atlantic backdrop; there was a bay window towards the front facing the woods. It was Cozy.

"Is it home already?" asked Nat, stretching out her legs.

"Absolutely. Can we go inside?"

She smirked. "I told you so, and yes, we can."

When you entered the house, there was a small mudroom, for which I was grateful. Then, it led to the living room. The walls were painted light beige with baby blue accents. Light hickory flooring was throughout the house; Nat told me the floors were heated, which would be nice for the winter. The kitchen cabinets were painted light baby blue, and the counters were white granite. There was a kitchen with an island in the middle. The dining area could comfortably fit six, which was to the left of the kitchen. We walked through the bedrooms next; the master bedroom was huge, with a massive window facing the coast. A full bathroom is attached. The bathroom had a jacuzzi bath in the left corner and then a two-person glass shower to the side of it. The shower had frosted glass and gold accents along the siding.

A massive mirror stood above the two-sink granite counter. We went to the three other bedrooms next. 2 of the bedrooms faced each other, both being rather large, able to fit a king-size bed and a large desk comfortably. The bedrooms on the left side of the house had large windows facing the ocean. The wrap-around porch is right underneath them. The bedroom on the right had a large window facing the woods. Both would be spectacular to wake up to.

The two bathrooms had the same light granite countertops with one sink each. The toilets and showers were sectioned off with a cedar sliding door. The sliding door had a hidden compartment in the wall to slide into when not in use. We finally made ourselves the wrap-around porch that had a built-in canopy facing the Atlantic with a stone fireplace in the middle. From the porch was a small portion of grass, then the beachfront. The sounds of the waves were amazing, the salty breeze washing over me. It felt like I was back in Matauk before life really started for me. There was a pier to the left and a grey boat house next to it.

"So you're sure this is the one," Nat said, her long dark brown hair sweeping in the breeze.

"Yes, this is home.