The Valkyrie kept their distance, yet the looks of curiosity and whispers between the woman told me enough. I didn't blame them. Some of these were faces I didn't recognize and the new ones here would only know me as the crazy bitch who took on the Dark King. Meghan was being her usual delightful self and it also wasn't hard to pick up that her initial dislike towards me was still firmly in place. She did try to hide it better these days, but right now, here was the only place I wanted to be as we both waited for Kara and Co to return.

Because they would return.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Landorian perched himself on the arm of the sofa, peering down at me with a look of pure sympathy that I wanted to slap off his face.

I needed to hit something.

"It's going to cost you more than a penny."

"What about a card?" He fanned out the deck I hadn't even noticed he was holding and held them out towards me. "Pick with your left hand. No hurry, sweet heart."

"I don't need a card." I looked at them cautiously, not admitting I was slightly tempted.

"No? We all need guidance from time to time, Hunter. A message from the universe-"

"I am going to stop you right there. That is literally the last thing I need."

He shrugged, "You know where to find me if you change your mind."

I watched him walk down to the lower level of the bar. Closing it my ass, as the place was filled with the usual crowds as if it was any other night.

"Are you going to sleep in Eric's room?" Meghan asked, finally looking away from her phone. "Good call on the cards by the way. Still don't trust that trickster."

"No, why?"

"I'm exhausted. I can't be bothered going back to my place, so I was going to go crash in there." She sighs. "I get how hard it is to be left behind. We've waited long enough, and they're not back yet. Get some sleep. Who knows what tomorrow will bring."

She says something to the Magician as she passes him, but he doesn't leave the bar. I'd heard a rumour they'd been spending a lot of time together lately, only then I remembered I didn't care and ended up at home. Meghan was right. Who knew what tomorrow would bring and I felt completely drained as I curled up in bed. My mind though, that traitor was wide awake as a million scenarios began to play out in my head; none of them good.

"Hunter?" Portia's voice interrupted my thoughts and forcing my eyes open, her pale form took Cain's place on the bed beside me. "Are you awake?"

"Unfortunately."

"I am sorry. For everything." She said softly. I felt the coldness of her fingers as she reached down to push my hair back from my face. "I watched you so often as a babe. You were a terrible sleeper, even then. Always needing to know someone was near. Some nights, when your parents were nearly at their breaking point, and Jordan was threatening to throw you out to the vampires, I'd sit and hold you so they could sleep. They'd wake up so scared that something had happened because you hadn't kept them up all night."

"That doesn't sound creepy at all." I sighed. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because, child I hate what I have become. Those years at the Academy, you would come to me in your time of need. Every disappointment or argument with your parents. After every fight with the other children, and the nights I'd catch you up in the library. You would come to me, as if I were the part of your family I wished I could actually be."

I sit up, hugging my pillow as I look at her. "That wasn't real. Huntington, wasn't real. It was all part of a bigger plan, remember? "

"Darius wasn't real either." She reminded me.

"No. He wasn't." I agreed, unable to put the words together to explain why that had always felt different. Apollo had pointed it out too, and at first look, Cain was no different to him and Logan. "It just, it's never felt the same. I never felt betrayed or lied to as if deep down I always knew he was more, whereas everyone else had completely blindsided me."

"Perhaps you did always know, Elise. I knew who you were the second we met, back when the Treaty was created. I had a vision, more a memory from a time long before that. It was dark and vague but we'd met before."

"You gave me the staff."

"Yes. You didn't belong there, and I knew you needed to be somewhere else, some place important." She shrugged. "I wasn't wrong, was I?"

"This walk down memory lane is great, but why are you here Portia?"

"Your mention of the Furies spooked Adala. I know she lied when she said she knew nothing of them, and I did some hunting around to try and see what it might all be about. Elise, this is bigger than anything you've been up against thus far."

"I got that impression from Lycaons spin on things," I hugged the pillow tighter. "So why are you here?"

"I thought being the Third would be different. What they do, how they think, I can't do it. I got caught up in the power I'd just recieved. The more that I could see, the further I fell and for that, I am truly sorry." She sighed. "I do not speak for all, but I do speak for myself. I want the truce. Elise, something bad is coming and I will help you as best I can."

"Is this another trick?"

"No. You see, the Third has always been cursed, but I do not think that has been the whole story. I have looked back over each of their deaths, and I am determined not to repeat their mistakes."

She had me. "What did they all do wrong?"

"They trusted The Mother and The Crone." She whispered, leaning in closer as if she expected them to appear. "They followed the rules, did as expected and asked. Their reward for their compliance was death. I saw it, I felt it the second Inana realised there was another way, that the path they followed was not the only option."

She slapped a hand to her chest and closed her eyes. "It was like she had an awakening. Her mind was so clear, and she was prepared to die for it to be so."

"Hera killed her and framed Cain, so what-"

"There were other options, ways to avoid it all. She saw something. I can't seem to find it, but she had a vision that she believed in so strongly that was the path she still took. I felt it."

"So Inana's revelation has given you one of your own?"

"In some ways, though I feel I already had mine years ago." Portia took my hand in hers, and squeezed. "You were created for the wrong reasons. I felt it the moment you were born, the first time I saw you. It changed. It all changed, and ask him if you do not believe me. I fought Cain so many times, forcing him away, making him wait, trying to keep you apart. There were visions I lied about, hid and altered to ensure it would never be yet, you and your recklessness walked right up to him in that damn bar and ruined it all!"

My head hurt trying to understand what she was saying. Long story short, she was on my side. Cain had said many times she had always had a soft spot for me, and he was right.

"You really are my fairy godmother." I sighed. "You're not doing this to fuck with my head are you?"

"No, I'm not. I love you as if you were my own and I forgot about that. I forgot who I was." Tears ran down her cheeks, barely visible if not for the moonlight that made them appear like silver stripes on her face.

"Portia, I don't think it's because Inana went along with their rules, I think it's more a case of she broke them. If she didn't stick to their path, clearly that's why she died, right?"

"I thought that too, but whatever happened for her to know this, happened a long time before it came to pass. Until then, she was their perfect third. Even now they still mutter about her, and the shoes I have to fill. She fooled them."

"I am getting so confused." I admit, the headache is no longer just an ache in the back of my mind.

"They blame Cain, because they saw him with her when she died. Her path, joined back to theirs at that time so they do not see as she did." A piece of paper appeared, and she to scribble on it. "Do you remember the thread, or anything about your time as the Third."

"Not a lot. I know there was a big, gold thread. The ends were frayed and still knitting together. When I first got signed up, I knew there were memories and visions shown to me but I never really got to look and focus on anything or had the time to work out how to unlock it all."

"This is that main thread," she started drawing what I think was the golden thread of life only it looked like a plait, or a pile of x's in a row. "But it's actually more like this, three lines weaving together to form one and each part of our whole existence, past, present, future, plays a role, yet up to a certain point we decide our own fate, which is why it is never ending and changing all the time."

"The frayed end."

"Yes, because our three lines continue to knit together to create what will be. Inana had a future revealed, just to her from her thread. Which occurs way up here." She points off the paper. "The other two have no idea about it as they only know about this connecting point, which still had some similarities due to each time they touch to Inana's for it to become so. The more I thought about it and started to look at the thread, we come together for our visions, our power, all of it because we don't know what the other does until it's on the thread. I the Maiden am the future, Adala the Mother possibly has the most sight of all in the present and Nieve the Crone can only see the past."

"How are you so sure, they didn't, don't know? It's a big secret to keep from your sisters who you are joined up with psychically and spend nearly every moment of your endless life with." I try to keep up. "Though it would explain Nieve being so damn stubborn if she's caught up in the past."

"Because Inana left me with a vision, knowing I'd also still have the abilities of a Seer, while now being in control of the future thread," Portia extended the line only much thinner. "And you, mentioning the Furies sparked it."

"Did she happen to throw anything else in there?" Like I dunno, the biggest oops moment of my life, being thrown into the mix as well as facing super bad Furies?

"No. I just needed to be reminded of who I am, beyond the Maiden, and what they have made me think I had to be." She smiled. "I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders."

That must be nice, as I only felt like even more had been heaped up onto mine.

"So, no more games?" I asked slowly.

"No, Elise. No more games." She suddenly sat a little straighter, glancing around the room. "It's nearly three in the morning. Why were you even awake and where is he?"

"Boys Club Meeting that apparently included Kara too." I flopped back down onto the bed. "A bunch of them have gone with the werewolves to check out the Furies."

"And you're here?"

"Apparently it's me they're after so I am to stay away and let them handle it."

"That's, rather, unlike you." I looked at her now and the smile on her face had returned back to a frown. "Are you finally maturing?"

"Or something like it. Can you get a vision now then, oh enlightened one and tell me they're all okay?"

"I'll try." She closes her eyes, and I can't keep mine open as the room goes silent. I'm not sure how much times passes but as she lays beside me, I force them open. "Nothing. I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"I'll stay, until he returns or at least until the sun rises." She offers.

"Thank you, and Portia?"

"Yes, Hunter?"

"I'm glad you're back."

I finally sleep and my dreams are void of any real sense. Echoes and shadows bounce around me and when I do wake up, I'm even more tired than I was earlier. Sure enough, Portia is gone and Cain isn't here. Closing my eyes, I reach out for anyone and even Alfie with no luck. Glancing towards the window, its bright around the curtain edges and grabbing my phone from the nightstand, its nearly ten thirty.

"Fuck." I groan, holding the pillow over my face and screaming into it.

I'm breathless by the time I stop and I feel only slightly better for it, which is better than nothing at all. By the time I shower, eat and check in with Ailin and Meghan to see if they've heard anything, the fear I'd felt last night watching them all go is back.

"You're being ridiculous." I tell my reflection before opening the fridge. "Just, relax."

I shut the door.

And open it again.

Leaving the fridge alone, I turn on the TV and channel surf until I'm back at the start. I check my phone, the Network, and message Ailin again. This was torture. I could take getting stabbed, shot at, sacrificed and whatever else could be thrown my way, but not knowing what was going on or being able to go to them was literally the worst. Is this what it was like for everyone else all those times I went missing or ran off?

I end up at the Academy and going into the gym, it's empty; just my luck. Changing into my work out gear, I head over the punching bags, the feelings from last night to hit something resurfacing. I don't even get to put gloves on when Dad walks in, dropping the towels he was holding in surprise.

"What are you doing here, Ellie?" He greets me as he heads over. "This is a nice surprise."

"Hey Dad." I give him a hug and he holds one of the bags.

"Everything alright?"

"Maybe. Got time?" Nodding at the bag, he smiles.

"For you, always."

I think about what Portia had said, how I'd gone to her so many times after whatever issue or fight I'd had with parents, especially with my Dad. Where was this, for you always, crap when I was thirteen and needed him more than ever?

The anger and rejection I expected didn't appear as it normally did whenever I looked back at the past. They tried, I guess. Did the best they could or maybe I never even let them do that.

"Where's your head at? I know you've more than that." He taunted.

"Big words, Old Blood." I smirked as he narrowed his eyes.

"You hit like your brother."

"Ouch, Dad! That's a low blow." Finding my rhythm, he shouts orders and gives me direction. Before long, I'm wiping the sweat from my brow while my arms and legs feel like jelly.

"Take five, Elephant." He smiles, a little sweaty himself but there's something about the way he looks at me that I wasn't expecting. Pride. "You did good."

"Dad, I've been thinking."

"Uhoh." His laugh is warm and familiar, and for some odd fucking reason, I feel the tears burning behind my eyes. "What about?"

"Everything, but well, I'm sorry for the last few years. For all of it, really."

Dad loses his smile as he stops mid drink of his water. "What do you mean? Shit, Ellie, are you about to go and fight again?"

"Um, no." Maybe. "I guess, a bit of hindsight isn't' a bad thing. I haven't always been the best, daughter. Person. Hunter. I dunno. I'm just sorry for everything I put you through."

"You didn't put us through anything." I look at him, as we both know that's a huge lie. "Much, but as you said, hindsight is a wonderful thing. I could have been better, I just. I never knew what to do with you. You were so much tougher and smarter than your brother, and he hardly needed us, I never thought you'd be any different. You weren't Jordan. You're something else. Still are."

Damn those tears. I look at my gloves, pushing my hands together and let out a deep breath.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Ailin found me a therapist. I'm doing some internal work, and it's bringing up some stuff that's all."

I'm wrapped in his arms before I can blink. "What else?"

"Cain, Jordan, Zane, Eric, Apollo and the crew have gone hunting these mythological beings called The Furies and they left yesterday and I couldn't go with them and I hate not knowing what's going on, or if they're even okay." I confess as he lets me go.

"That's a lot of manpower."

"Oh and Kara."

"Ah, Man and woman power?" I nod. "I'm sure they're fine. From what I know of, what are they called, Powers? They'll be a force to be reckoned with. Can I ask why you were left behind?"

Because you're going to be a Grandad. "Oh, that part. Well, they're kind of after me. Thought it best not to be live bait."

"Good plan." I slip off the gloves and take the water he offers as a class of kids come in. "That must be really hard for you, and the waiting for them to come home."

He waves at the teacher with the group, and we leave them to it, going up into his office which again still feels strange without Huntington in here. I notice the little cooler bag on his desk, and the post it note on the top complete with love heart and a row of xoxo on it and Dad smiles as he sees it too.

"Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve your mother." He takes off the post it note and puts it near the pen holder where a little pile had formed. "Did you want some lunch?"

"I'm okay. I might just go to the library though, see if we have anything on Furies."

"Sure. You're Mum is on the top oval until two. Archery assessment week." He explains.

"I'll stay away and find her after incase she guilts me into helping her."

"Smart move. Don't leave without a goodbye!" He orders. I give him a salute and as I'm about to leave, he stops me. "They're going to be okay, Ellie."

"I know, thanks Dad."

I wanted to believe him, but as the hours ticked by and still nothing, it was becoming harder and harder to do. There was nothing of use here either, one small chapter tucked away in an old and extremely inaccurate Greek mythology text. Not helpful.

After a stop in the fiction area, I went up to the top level and away from the students that were studying with a dedication I had always lacked. I curled up on one of the big armchairs in the reading area hoping to lose a few more hours in a book. A world of witchcraft and wizardry awaited me as well as a small box of my favourite donuts and a large cup of tea. Apparently there was such a thing as too much caffeine when pregnant so I was attempting to change my habits; by eating more sugar instead.

"It's all a compromise." I told Blueberry, talking to him as if I wasn't completely insane. "But I'll try harder. Just for you."

"Elise? You still here?" Dad shouts, and looking away from the book, my plan had worked. Maybe too well. "Ellie?"

"Yeah Dad!" I send everything away and go down to see him. "What's up?"

"Mum made lasagne for dinner. Hungry?"

I checked the time and it was nearly seven. "Starving."

"Find anything?" He asks, before I take us straight home and into the kitchen.

"No but I wasn't really expecting to either," and I wasn't as I'd learnt that when this mess all started.

Our books would only ever contain what they wanted us to know.

Mums got three plates made up full of salad and lasagne that's been carefully placed on them in that way she does, but I stop as I see two plates still stacked up on the bench. The anxiety is been trying to avoid all day returns and I quickly look away.

"Is that you, love?" Mum calls and grabbing the food, I follow Dad to the dining table. "This is a treat. I almost didn't believe your Dad when he said you were here."

A new guilt poked me in the gut, one I usually could ignore whenever she started on one of her you don't visit enough tangents.There were no blind dates, or reasons to leave early tonight and so I just smiled back at her.

"Hi Mum, this looks great." I swear she actually started to glow, as she started to fuss over napkins and finish setting the table. "So how did the Archery assessments go?"

"You would not believe the talent we have this year. All those tips your friend, Artemis, gave me have just helped us all so much in such a short space of time," she chewed thoughtfully for a second. "If you came with me to a class, and-"

"Elise isn't here to talk about work." Dad interrupted. "Did you do something different with this tonight?"

"I made the pasta, you know I hate the premade ones you always order in." She gave him a look that told me there was probably a packet of them still sitting in the fridge right about now. "Vesna had some tomatoes that needed to be used too."

"Right. Good. Great." Dad mumbled, focusing more on eating now.

Dinner was followed by dessert, and then Dad disappeared into his office as he often did while Mum and I talked about nothing and watched reruns of Miss Marple that she loved so much.

"You're welcome to stay tonight, your room is there whenever you need it."

"Thanks Mum."

"Dad told me what's going on, and this life is hard. It's like constantly wearing your heart outside your body, never knowing when it's going to get hurt next." She sighed, staring back to the TV but I had a feeling she wasn't seeing it. "Get some rest, love. I'll see you in the morning?"

"Good night." She kisses me on the top of the head as she passes and as I go to my room, Dad appears with a bottle of whisky.

"May as well offer it to you before you just take it." He shrugs, two glasses in his hand.

What I wouldn't give for one of those...

"Not tonight Dad. I want a clear head in case anything happens."

"Fair enough." He pours himself a glass, leaving the other out on the table with the bottle before taking a sip. "Good night, Ellie."

"Good night, Dad."

Sure enough my room is how I left it, with the update of fresh sheets and no old clothes piled up everywhere. The small dagger I kept just under my pillow is still there, and getting into the double bed, I'm glad I dont have the same empty space around me as I did in the King back at the penthouse.

Glow in the dark stars appear on the roof as I turn the light off and there's still no news from anyone. It's been too long. It shouldn't be taking them all this much time to check it out. I close my eyes and feel the cold, only I know what I'm looking for this time and instantly see the small crevice that takes me to Zane. I enter the small space, find the evidence of an extinguished fire and then see Zane's half frozen, bloody corpse. Only it's not just him this time; they're all here. Turning to look for help, I instead find Kara's mass of blonde hair in the dirt, Deimos not far from her.

No.

No.

"Elle, Elise, wake up." Someone is here, still alive..

No.

"Elise, wake up!" Cain snaps into view as I gasp for air, and on instinct reach for the weapon under my pillow. "Hey, hey, it's okay. Breathe."

"What?" I look around, still in my room. The stars are still glowing above me, but I'm so cold and can still smell the smouldering ash from a fire that didn't exist. "Cain."

"It was a bad dream." He promised. "Just a nightmare."

I crawl into his lap, holding onto him as if he'd been gone for a year and not a couple of days. His hold is just as tight, and I realise the smell of smoke was on him; not a bad memory that found its way into the real world.

Leaning back ever so slightly, I look him over and see the dirt, the blood. The snow clothes are gone, but what remained was a mess. I touch him all over, checking for injury before holding him again.

"Jordans in the bathroom, Zane is up at the Academy, Alfie went down to the river. Everyone is okay. We're all home." He whispers against my jaw.

"The Furies?" I feel him tense, and that cold feeling I woke up with sinks in deeper. "Cain?"

"We lost them."

I lean back again, taking his face in my hands as I smooth back his hair and wipe the dirt off his cheek with my thumb. He's tired, but worse than that, he looks defeated.

"We'll find them." I don't sound as confident as I had hoped.

"No, they'll find you, and I failed, to keep you safe." He sighs, his hold tightening. "I've never seen anything like them before. They were waiting, we walked into their trap. When they realised who we were, they ran. Hermes tracked them so far. He did his best, but they moved how I believe the Fates move. They're not constrained to one world or another, they use the space between the realms to hide. They left us breadcrumbs and almost trapped us again, if not for Alfie sensing them before they attacked. He gets unlimited Cola now by the way."

I wasn't sure what to say.

"I was so scared at what I would find when we got back. They led us to places we hadn't even known existed. When I realised how lost within the universe we had become, I felt so stupid. We'd just left you completely alone and-" Cain cracked, his tears hot against my skin. "I wasn't expecting you to be just, asleep, here, perfectly okay. We all thought, and Hermes was so tired, and-"

I held him as he let the fear out, his body shaking with sobs he couldn't hold in and again the weight of this whole situation just felt heavier and heavier on my shoulders. Slowly we laid down, and somehow Cain fell asleep. The tears made a million different paths through the dirt and blood on his face and I couldn't stop myself from staring at each and everyone until there was a faint knock on my door.

"Ellie?" Jordan whispered.

Going over to him, the second he sees me the reaction was much the same as Cain's and we end up in the living room, where I pour him a glass of Dad's whisky.

"Was it really that bad?" I ask softly.

"Cain's like, the most powerful thing around right? He, Deimos and Apollo all got together and they barely flinched. Kara and Alfie with a little help from Eric, kept us safe. The werewolves were much the same, but the King has some neat tricks up his sleeve. He could move the ground, make rocks and shit. Fucking amazing to watch. It wasn't enough. I feel their egos are a little bruised. We went in thinking it would be easy, and Ellie, it wasn't." He took half the glass in one go and winced as he swallowed. "By the way, portals. You really undersold that whole thing. Oh, give this back to Hermes."

He took off a ring and handed it over. "What's this?"

"Us mortals don't do well with inter-realm travel. We got to experience the Power life." He smirked.

"Keep it. One day I'll take you to Kara's new kingdom." I smiled and handed it back.

"Did you actually meet Medusa?"

"Yup."

"Fuck." He finished the glass and poured another. "How did we get here? What ever happened to dealing with vampires and crazy alpha bitches?"

"Yeah those days of only trying to not be a human sacrifice were so much simpler." I agreed.

"You want one?" He offered me the glass.

"No, I want to keep a clear head. I'm going to go to bed now, you good?"

"Yeah." He takes another sip. "Hey Elise, I'm sorry I ever had doubts about him. Dark King or not, he's a good guy and he loves you. He's nothing like Apollo, and I like the guy, don't get me wrong, but Cain. He's something else."

"Thanks Jordan. I think." As I shut my door I hear him do the same and let out a sigh of relief. Feeling out for Alfie, he's good too and for tonight, everything is back to some kind of normal.

Cain sits up as I walk over. "I'm sorry about that. Before."

I hold out my hand. "Come here."

I take us home, and into the bathroom; our clothes disappearing as I lead him into the shower and let the steam hide us. He says nothing, letting me take care of him as the journey is washed away from his body, but not his mind. The enormity of the situation fills the room, but for now, I want to ignore it.

"You didn't fail, Cain, and-"

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, turning his face up to the water but the change in his breathing and the sob that shook his body was a big giveaway.

"Don't ever say sorry, not for that." I force him to look at me again. "Together okay. We'll work this out, together. I don't think Hermes is the only one exhausted. You're safe, I'm safe, and tomorrow, we'll start again."

"You're not safe. Not while-"

"Ssh." I shook my head. "No. We're here, together, and we're all okay. You all came back. Tomorrow, we'll worry about it."

"Together." He confirmed.

"You're a quick learner. I think I'm going to keep you." I kiss his chin before holding onto him again, enjoying the burn of the water that couldn't chase the cold I felt inside away.

_____________

I kind of feel like Elise is going through another transformation stage. I've been editing (again) Book 1 and it's like she's a completely different person, but not... I'm kind of proud of how far she's come.

Anyone else or just me and how about Portia's little revelation?