-Vika Menshikov-

I huff in annoyance to Set quickly taking the Greek demigod with him, leaving Sadie and I alone on the boat once more. We're close to Camp Jupiter, but Set insisted he wanted to part ways to put them behind the lines on the Roman side. Any other time, I would have binded the god and made sure he stayed put, but the arrogant grin he shot me before slipping away in the former General's appearance made me hesitate.

Kane is pacing the boat some, clearly preparing herself for whatever we end up facing. The bruises and messy hair, the darting gaze taking in the city below us… This girl has been through it the past few days. I suppose that's no different to any other time, but for a dead relative that she was hoping to find alive?

I sigh and watch her blue eyes land on me for reassurance that I'm not about to do anything rash. Well, I reckon I am, I know Amos would be rather upset about it but at this point? She deserves to know, having reminded me of myself for most of this trip we've shared. It hurts to watch happen all over again, especially from an outside perspective. If anyone was to understand how badly her emotions are raked, it should be me. And yet, she hasn't gone on a massive killing spree like I had.

"I've been meaning to talk with you, but been unsure how to approach it," I start.

"Oh?" She's surprised by this, the pacing stopped so she is six feet away from me. "Must be pretty important?"

"It's important enough," I clear my throat to try and ease off my nerves. "Your uncle would be upset that we are about to have this conversation. I want to make certain you are aware as much."

The warning at least eased off the shock some, more alert to whatever I'm about to say next. Maybe Amos had warned her some, I wouldn't be surprised if he had. Because despite the alliance we had built by hand ourselves, he didn't want the cost of his father's actions to land in the next generation of Kanes' laps. It shouldn't have landed in his or his brother's either, to be totally fair on the matter.

"I had an older brother, older than Yevgeni. Kazimir, was a skilled statuary magician. I, um, have a music box he made that has a small shabti that dances to the music inside it. It's one of the few things I have left of him now." I laugh to try and fend off the tears threatening to take over. "He passed protecting our father from your grandfather on a mission Kane shouldn't have been there for. But pride and stature are enough to kill, apparently."

Sadie Kane's sudden shift in expressions tell all. He warned her, and she's realizing this isn't the kind of conversation she wants to be having with me right now, the fear in her eyes say it. I nod as I realize as much, looking to reword some to make sure she understands better why we are having this talk.

"I wonder sometimes if he would have been as skilled as your uncle. But knowing what we know now, he wouldn't have been much of a matchup in the end in his skill."

"I don't think we should continue-" She starts, but I raise my right hand to stop her.

"Our father told us to only mark Jabari Kane as a potential foe, and do nothing. He passed of old age, handing his responsibilities onto my brother Yev. He died having tried to fend off Jabari from taking Rua."

Sadie has now resorted to extending her staff. There's a moment of silence between us, I'm processing the evident fear in her eyes on me. This isn't just her fear, this is what Amos and I have danced around, never finally addressing the issue until it erupted as it had. I knew he knew, he hinted at it, but never wanted to speak on it. He knew I would kill any who knew then, and I wish we had talked way before now.

I am not proud of this; I don't want them to fear me attacking them anymore. I just want to be personal, for once. Show that I'm not so much the rough-edged woman I've painted myself as for all of my life.

"Vladimir and I fell into a whirl of hurt labeled by your family name, Sadie," I hesitate, being cautious that she is on edge already and I'm just now hitting what I want to say. "I've killed people for knowing about Yev and Mariano. Vlad simply placed a giant target on the back of each of your heads. We were both wrong, but so stupid then that we didn't want to see past our anger."

She's still on edge, but swallows to the last sentence as she's seeming to understand what I'm trying to say. That she's safe, that her uncle's fear of me was snuffed out years ago without him truly knowing as much. I lean against the edge of the boat, more of a try to show I don't intend to make any sudden movements towards the Eye of Isis.

"I wish I could tell you that we lived our lives outside of wanting revenge, but that's not what happened at all. And in the end, it wasn't even us that put a stop to your grandfather anyway. Sadie," I sigh, letting my face soften further as I recall it all again. "I watched a brave teen, about your age, turn on his father for his actions. I didn't know then that he had Iskandar's ear as much as he did. I didn't know he would be the one to shove Jabari Kane off of his self-made pedestal. What I did know, was that Amos Kane was an impressively brave kid, and I was willing to protect him from his father if required. My brother wasn't very happy about how it all went down, and at the time I was unsure myself, but I wasn't going to deny the impression your uncle made then on me either."

There's a brief moment of silence again, Sadie taking a shaky breath as she's processing what I've said. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because it's clear I wasn't open enough to your uncle. You're scared of me, and I know he told you to be. You both have every right to be, but I-" the words stopped in my throat, and I watch the worried look in the girl's face that tells me that it hasn't changed much. "I'm tired, Kane. I don't want to hold my anger anymore, and you don't deserve it anyway. My enemy was defeated a long time ago."

"What about Muto?" She asks.

I'm only slightly surprised that she seems to know enough to ask, but I note Amos more than likely told her about it as a warning. "He wanted your uncle dead. Thought he could get a Menshikov on his side to do the dirty work for him. Too bad for him, I'm not Vladimir."

She takes a moment again to take in my casual lean against the boat before her stance relaxes some. "Is that why you commissioned that fountain?"

Smart, I nod to her question. "Was going to be a gift once we were done with rebuilding the First Nome. I wanted to make my stance more public, that I'm done appearing as your antagonist. But-" I smirk a little as I'm reminded of Yev's opinion on it, "maybe I should have just sat Amos down and told him as much. I'm more concerned about our relations over what the Per Ankh thinks."

Silence again, other than the sounds of San Fransisco below us. "I tried to tell your uncle, but I fear he didn't really want to hear it. About him being Iskandar's apprentice," I pause to make sure Sadie is still paying attention, noting the girl has relaxed quite a bit now from earlier. "The alliance your uncle and I built seems silly now. If he had just said why Iskandar had chosen to listen to him over his own advisor back then, I never would have doubted my emotions on any of this. Menshikovs have always been loyal to Iskandar, Amos would have fallen in line in that category. You and your brother would never have considered fearing us."

"Maybe Uncle Amos preferred it that way," Sadie speaks up. "Would he gotten to know you better if you were just loyal like that? Maybe he wanted to build trust between the two of you himself."

I swallow at that. She has a point. I would have never gotten as personal with the General otherwise. I wouldn't know his fears he desperately attempted to hide from everyone else, putting a brave face on for each interaction. I wouldn't have considered him a friend, just someone to defend and claim loyalty to. I might not have seen him as an equal, flawed as much as I am and yet still just trying to make the world around us better than it is.

Just Amos, thanks. I snort in humor, knowing his niece is absolutely right. He would be horrified at giving anyone the opportunity to kneel before him in respect to his stature.

"A fair enough point, Sadie Kane." I move from leaning against the boat, feeling better about this conversation now as she doesn't seem like she needs to defend herself from me. "I wanted to clear the air between us. Perhaps your uncle didn't want it, but you have my loyalty. I hope you understand where I am coming from on this."

The blonde teen nods in understanding. "Carter is probably not going to believe any of this."

I roll my eyes at that. "Fair, though he is Pharaoh and has to tolerate me anyway whether he wants it or not."

I take a step towards the girl and extend my right hand towards her. She hesitates some still but shakes my hand as a show of understanding each other. "Uncle Amos isn't here, but I think he'd be happy you finally said something at least," Sadie adds upon releasing our grip.

"I think he'll be more ecstatic that I'm filling his place as your protector as he cannot anymore," I point out. "Though I will apologize, as I'm not as skillful as he is of a support system."

Sadie's eyes squint as if to question that herself some. "I'll be the judge of that."

-Melissa Whittaker-

Kill him!

I freeze, heaving breaths as I realize the demand she is seemingly screaming in my head. Kane is quick to take advantage of my pause, getting up from the ground I had him on seconds ago.

What are you doing?!

Julius Kane isn't my enemy. He is my peer, one I respect as much as he respects me. And the man oozes out respect to his fellow combat magicians. It's why he had our support for the most part as we learned our roles within the Per Ankh. No matter that he was Jabari's son, the way he treated the rest of his peers was enough to symbolize our comradery as combat magicians.

I lower my khopesh, taking a step back as Julius is eyeing me as he wipes blood off of his mouth. "I don't intend to fight you," I explain. "We're here for the same reason, your brother."

His eyes narrow some at that before nodding, straightening his posture now but still gauging my switch up. "Then order your magicians back home," he demands quickly, readying for a defensive position again.

"I can't do that," I just about cry out. "If you saw what I saw, Julius?"

"I know you're scared, but go back home," he instructs again, trying to impose his will on me with his words.

I can hear him again. The blood stains the grass around him. Glassy eyes, I thought he was dead already. The hope that pushed my adrenaline forward in hopes there was still a chance he could make it. The panic in his voice as he talked only to pass on anyway. All from a stupid fucking gold dagger?

"Theo owes us his blood for that," I seethe.

"If you respected my brother at all, you'd take the Per Ankh with you and go, Mel. I intend to handle the situation. You are only making it worse."

That anger is boiling up again. I know now… That's not me. This is Anat taking over. I just want to talk with Kane, make him understand why I am here.

If you won't do it, I will.

My arm moves, and fear takes over as I realize what she is doing. She sends us launching to attack Kane again. I'm struggling to gain control again; I don't want to fight him!

She doesn't much care what I think. That rage, she's furious at everyone. Everyone owes her. Everyone will pay in blood for taking him from her. Right, Set.

Is this why Julius is not willing to listen to me? It's not so much me he's concerned about, but the goddess I've allowed in. Is this what Amos had to deal with?

I remember it clearly. Las Cruces, where we finally came face to face with what we finally understood to be Set's newest host, and he had his brother's children with him. Our Chief Lector facing the second most powerful magician in our rankings in the middle of the street. Amos held his ground, using magic that was not his. Zia Rashid having put a stop to the fight, sent a pillar of fire to hunt Michel.

I remember seeing the grin of amusement on his face to seeing it. But worse of all, the fear clearly in his eyes at the same time. I was unsure what I had seen there, it took weeks before I could realize that was the window inside.

Michel had been that much more desperate to catch up after that encounter, but refusing to say what was going through his head at the time. We accepted it as wanting to stop Set. But I should have known, he knew Amos better than we do. He saw Amos was fighting a fight he wasn't winning on his own. And how does the Chief Lector sit down and tell his followers how our second strongest wasn't able to contain the God of Chaos without stirring fear in his numbers? Wiser to keep it to himself and push us to continue forward.

Somehow the reminder is enough to motivate me, and I'm able to loosen my grip on the handle of my weapon to have it fall to the ground. Anat is surprised for a second, halts for a moment. Julius is quick to take advantage of the moment, shoving me to the ground, khopesh threatening if we make any sudden movements.

What are you doing? She screams at me, clearly angered I'm no longer cooperating.

Fear is taking over; I can recall Kane lying motionless behind Julius' children as we approached to confront them after they had stopped Set's plans. Rumors of how badly off he was when he came to the First for healing.

We had a deal! You'll suffer worse than those on the battlefield.

Kane is right, we shouldn't be here, I protest.

I feel spirited away from the view of Julius Kane spitting blood on the grass to our right, clearly wanting to talk. Probably to talk sense, but I'm unable to hear it as I realize now she has yanked me to see her within my headspace. This is eerie, and I'm not comforted as she is glaring me down with her cat-like eyes.

"Comparing yourself to that pathetic boy? He wasn't worthy enough to be Set's host!"

"Pathetic?" I'm surprised by her choice of words to describe the late General. "Amos Kane is one of our strongest mages! What does that make me to you then?"

"I allowed you to shine through, Mel. You were to show what happens when you obey and display our strength. That boy was never worth Set's time! He was a means to an end to take over. He was not meant to be his Eye!"

The venom in her words makes me realize we are not on the same page at all. She's here to commit vengeance on those who banished Set. She doesn't care about the host who died in the mix of it all, in fact, she seems like she preferred it.

"Set can fuck off," I snap, glaring back at the goddess before me. "He should have been banished before now, for what he did in Phoenix! For the torture he put Amos through! He tried to kill him! Discarded him as if he meant nothing!" I heave to calm my anger some. "You pretended like you cared at all to get me to cooperate."

"I didn't fake anything, you assumed I cared about your stupid peer. He was always a weakling, the runt of his family who couldn't even swing a sword properly. Set doesn't look for statuaries for hosts."

"Congratulations, you found the one guy that isn't physically strong," I growl. "You're too blind to see that wasn't what made him stronger than the rest of the Per Ankh. You're not worth my time making deals with, Anat."

"Save your breath, Mel. I've already had this conversation with Anat, she just refuses to open her ears to listen." I freeze to that voice. Anat seems to straighten like a frightened cat.

I'm able to come back, finding I'm now bound to a nearby tree, red strings of magic keeping me in place. I'm not so much bothered by that, however, as the man glaring at me has my full attention. "Amos?"

"Sorry, but we both know he died in the back of that car," he supplies quickly, adjusting the crimson hat on his head. "Be a good girl though, keep arguing with Anat. She can use a resisting host for once."

I take a moment to view our surroundings. The Per Ankh is retreating from our attack upon the Roman camp of demigods. Julius appears to be watching just as much, with approval to get what he wanted from the start.

"Remind me to just have you pretend to be my brother next time?" Julius humors some.