Laila woke with a scream, emerald eyes wide open as she sat up in her bed, clutching her beating chest. Arms were around her petite frame within seconds, jerking her into a stone-hard chest, a hand smoothing her hair down comfortingly. She listened to the ragged breathing of the other person, feeling their chest heave with each breathe. Slowly, his breathly eased. So did hers. He was matching her breathing, calming her down with the rise and fall of his chest against her back.

She turned to look at the boy next to her, taking in his ruffled appearance. His dark eyes pierced into her, as if he were trying to look into her soul. "Noah?" she whispered breathlessly.

"Hey gorgeous, welcome to the land of the living."

Laila pushed away from him, stumbling out of her bed. Her legs felt weak, so she supported herself with her dresser, facing her bed where the god-like man was.

"What are you doing here."

He shrugged noncommittally. "No one was home to watch you, so I volunteered."

"They just let you, a random stranger, watch me?" She knew, deep down, that there was more to his words than he was letting on.

"You're brother seemed to have no problem with it."

"Charlie's an idiot."

Noah laughed, eyes twinkling with amusement. Getting up, he grabbed his leather jacket where it had been casually thrown on Laila's chair and shrugged it on. "Get dressed."

"What?"

Noah lifted his head to stare into her eyes. "Like I said, I volunteered to watch you. I got things to do. So, you're coming with me."

Laila's eyes narrowed, "What the hell? No!"

Noah sighed, rubbing his temple. "You passed out during lunch Laila. You're lucky I was there to catch you and take care of you. Who knows what the hell could happen to you if you're alone."

"I'm fine."

"Clearly the fuck not."

A stare off seemed to commence between the two hostile teenagers. Laila shifted uncomfortable before rolling her eyes. "Fine," she hissed through clenched teeth, making her way to her closet to grab a jacket. When she turned back around, Noah was smiling broadly.

***

A car had been parked outside the Davies' residency, behind the wheel sat a dark haired girl, engrossed in her phone. She looked up as the two of them made their way to the car, and got out of the driver's seat. She tossed the key's Noah's way before climbing into the back with a grumble.

"Anastasia," Noah nodded in the direction of the car. "She's the baby Olympia. Knows she's gotta sit in the back seat."

He chuckled as he climbed into the driver's seat, motioning for Laila to get into the car. After a moment of hesitation, she climbed into the passenger's seat. It didn't take a second longer for Noah to back out of the driveway and speed down the street.

Most of the ride was silent, the only sound being the hum of the car engine or the sound of Anastasia's fingernails tapping against her phone. They were passing through downtown Brookeville when flashing lights caught Laila's attention. She sucked in a deep breath as they passed an alleyway where an ambulance and multiple cop cars were parked.

"Did you see it?" Noah's soft voice pulled her attention away from the scene. He was facing forward, but every now and again, she noticed him looking at her from the corner of his eye. "The death?"

She nodded. "Her name was Kassidy McClain, she was a medical student. Barely twenty years old."

"Fucking reapers, I tell you," Anastasia whispered from the backseat.

"What?" Laila's eyebrows furrowed, turning to look at the brunette situated behind Noah.

"Ignore her," Noah waved her off quickly. "She's just... reading."

Ana smiled coldly, glancing up from her phone quickly. "Yes, reading."

Her confirmation didn't settle well with Laila, but she turned around in her seat anyways. There was something about the beautiful girl that unsettled her. There was something about them all that unsettled her.

"I have a question," Laila said, shifting in her seat. "Well really, its Aisha's question, but she's not exactly here to ask, and I mean I am so I thou-"

"Go ahead, ask." Noah was laughing now. Laila shot him a glare, which he promptly ignored.

"Aisha commented how all of you guys, the Olympia children, are like some sort of stunning or whatever. Why is that? Are your parents like models or something?"

"No, they're gods."

Noah shot Anastasia a withering look through the rear-view mirror. "Ignore her, Laila."

It was silent between the three of them for a few minutes. Finally, just as the silence was becoming unbearable, it was broken by Anastasia's soft voice.

"Hey Davies? Can you tell me about your family? I met Charlie earlier, thought he was a pretty cool guy."

Noah shot the brunette a look through the mirror, which she dismissed with a hard glare.

Laila shrugged, "It's just me, Charlie, and my parents. Nothing special. Charlie goes to university, my parents work at some software company, and then there's me."

"I noticed you and Charlie don't look alike. Do you take after your mom or dad more?"

"Neither. Charlie and I aren't related."

The silence was suffocating afterwards. Laila could practically feel the tension in the air, it was almost tangible. Noah shucked in a low breathe while Ana leaned forward in her seat. "What do you mean?"

Laila's fingers trembled in her lap, and she had to clasp her hands together to stop them. "My mother and father had Charlie, obviously, but shortly after he was born, my mom got cancer. The chemo and radiation destroyed her ability to have any more children, but she always wanted a daughter. So they decided to adopt." Her voice was shaking, but she swallowed the lump in her throat and continued, "I guess I was the lucky one they chose."

She ended her story with a simple shrug. She rarely ever told anyone of her origins, there was something about it that just seemed to bother her. However, there was also something about the type Olympia teenagers that made her feel like she could trust them.

"Do you know who your birth parents are?"

"Just my birth mom, Percy."

"You met her?" Ana inquired.

Laila shook her head, "No. I came with a letter, I guess. Apparently it was meant to be given to me when I started questioning who I was. When I did, my mom sat me down and told me that I was adopted, gave me the letter that was written for me. I was curious, so I read it. She called herself Percy, said it was too dangerous to reveal her real name and that that was as close as I would get to it. She told me she loved me and that giving me up was the best option for me."

"Have you ever tried to find her?" It was Noah this time whose curiosity got the best of him. He noticed her trembling hands and reached over with one of his, encasing her small fingers within his big palm.

"No, never needed to. I love my parents, and I just thought that if the woman who gave birth to me didn't want to be in my life, then I wouldn't try."

"Aren't you curious? Curious to know who you are? Your history? Family history?" Anastasia's frustration was clear now. She wasn't getting the information she really wanted.

"No, I like my life the way it is."

"Even with your freak abilities?"

"Anastasia!" Noah growled in warning.

Laila shook her head, silently telling Noah that it was okay. "My 'freak abilities' are a part of who I am, and they may be a part of who she is, but I was never curious enough to go looking for the answers I was scared of receiving most."

They pulled into the parking lot of a small, cozy cafe. Together, the three of them exited the car. "You go ahead and grab us a booth. We'll be in there in a moment." Noah spoke to Laila, ignoring the goddess behind him. Laila simply nodded before spinning on her heels and entering the cafe.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Ana asked him, watching the dark haired girl from the window of the cafe.

"No way, she said the babe died before it was even born." Ana didn't respond, she simply kept quiet. Finally, it dawned on the dark haired boy. "You think she was lying? You think she gave the baby to a mortal?"

"I wouldn't put it past the devil."

"But why?" Noah inquired softly, scratching his child lightly.

"To hide her," Ana replied to the question that wasn't directed towards her. "She knew the dangers the baby would be in, she wanted to save her."

"Looks like I'm bothering my father again."

Ana smiled, shoving him lightly. "You know Hermes loves you. He'll be glad you're talking to him. Now let's go, your girl is waiting on us."

"She's not my girl!" Noah called after her.

"Whatever you say!"