When we got back, we had already missed dinner. I couldn't believe it. It didn't even feel like we were at Freya's that long but apparently we were. Luckily, Ms. Pierce was able to grab us some food and let us sit down in the empty cafeteria to eat. All of us were silent as we ate, most likely from being told more twisted information that we weren't sure how to handle. Ms. Pierce stuck around, chatting with Mr. B for a while before walking over to announce her departure for the evening.

"I'll see you all in the morning, in the basement. We've got more training to take care of."

"Why so much training? Whats the rush?" Sage asked, not even looking up from her food.

"Yeah, shouldn't we be taking it easy on our abilities with the risk of losing our minds and all?" Lolly added.

She made a good point though. If using our powers so much would eventually cause us to lose our minds than why should we be using them at all? As far as I was concerned I'd rather never use mine again than be brain dead by the time I hit twenty.

Ms. Pierce gave us that steely-eyed look that clearly said she wasn't liking the direction our questions were going in.

"You need to train to perfect your skills with your abilities. Mr. B and I can not take on the keepers by ourselves, we need you all. But you will be useless if your untrained and can't use your gifts properly."

"So this big fight with the Keepers, when is that suppose to happen? Or are we just training for something that may not even happen for years to come?" Wes asked, leaning back in his chair and giving Ms. Pierce a defiant smirk.

Ms. Pierce stared off into space as if searching a void for the answer to Wes's question. Or maybe she was just trying to decide whether or not to answer it at all. After a minute she looked at all of us and held her head high as she answered.

"We've gotten word from the organization, that the spell the Keepers wanted from the book of Vernon, to open the portal of darkness, requires a total lunar eclipse. Also known as the blood moon. How often they occur in the U.S. varies, but lucky us, the next one is in three weeks."

"So that's when they'll strike," I replied.

"And we'll have to face them," Sage added.

Ms. Pierce gave a curt nod and said, "see you all in the morning." before leaving the cafeteria.

After eating we all went off to our rooms, quietly contemplating more information. I felt like if I was told one more thing, no matter how small it was, I was going to explode.

******************

The next morning at breakfast, the entire population was surprised, yet again, with an announcement from Ms. Pierce. If we kept getting announcements like these, everyone here was going to get awfully spoiled to new activities.

"Due to the dance being held this Saturday, we won't be holding visitor's day on Sunday. Instead, we will be closing classes down on Friday and allowing visitors to come then. Letters announcing this have already been sent out to everyone's emergency contacts."

So it wasn't a new activity, but it was a change in our usual schedule. Some might say it wasn't that big of a deal but trust me when I say that some of the kids in this place would be completely lost without the schedule. Hopefully, the changes didn't cause anyone to act up.

As far as my little group of misfits, the dance was more than just an extra fun day. For us, it was a day to be normal teens. Not inmates, troubled kids, and certainly not dark blooded demonic hybrids. It was a day we could get dressed up (yes, this part was confirmed by Ms. Pierce herself), and just be regular 16-year-olds at a dance, having fun with our friends. Chances were it was going to be the last time we would actually get to act like normal teens, especially with the approaching fight against the Keepers. Hell, for some of us it might even be the first time to be normal. Either way, it was obviously important to all of us, even if we didn't say it out loud.

With the importance of the dance ahead, it was easy to see how the week had gone by so quickly. Each day we trained from breakfast till dinner time, in the basement training room. Halfway through the week, we extended our training hours by going back for a few more hours after dinner, just to make sure we were getting all the training we needed. It worked out good for me, not only was I able to finally lift and throw the metal chairs but I was also able to avoid Toby and Betty all week too.

Friday morning, most of us were already hard at work in the training room when Ms. Pierce arrived.

"Sage, Alicia, and Chloe, you got visitors." She informed, standing at the training room's door.

My heart dropped to my stomach thinking of my mom coming to visit me. It had been a couple weeks since I had seen her, and honestly, I wasn't sure it had been long enough. The thought of her and the last things she said to me still filled me with anger. If I had to see her face to face I felt like I was going to need extra security just to make sure I didn't throw her across the room. Not that I was sure I could physically do that or not, but it was an idea.

"My mom's here?" I asked Ms. Pierce as I approached.

Sage was right next to me and gave me a sympathetic look but I felt like I should be the one to be sorry. After all, she was our mom, not just mine, and it wasn't fair that she wasn't there to see Sage too.

"Chloe, don't feel bad for me. If you want to see her see her. I'll be fine." Sage said throwing an arm around me. It was sweet and did relax some of my nerves but I still felt bad about the whole situation.

"Thanks, mind reader."

"Actually Chloe, it's not your mom. Your grandparents are here to see both of you." Ms. Pierce corrected looking at both Sage and me.

If I was nervous before, that was nothing compared to how I felt now.

My grandparents, grandparents I didn't even know about until a few weeks ago, wanted to meet me. Now I wasn't sure which sounded better, a visit with them or a visit with Mom. Would they blame me for the things she did? Would they be angry at me? Would they even like me? It all felt like too much right now.

I hadn't realized I was starting to back away, probably unconsciously trying to escape, until Sage grabbed my hand and pulled me to stand right next to her.

"Relax, they'll like you, and I'll be there too."

I nodded, grateful again that she could read my thoughts and know just how worried I was about it.

Together, hand in hand, Sage and I followed Ms. Pierce out of the basement and to the second floor where other kids were already starting to mix and mingle with their loved ones. We were led to the first classroom, and when the door opened I was happy to note that we had the room all to ourselves, well us and our grandparents.

Inside the classroom, that was usually used for history, sat an elderly couple in two chairs by the barred window. I recognized them from the day my mom came to visit. At that time Sage was yelling across the room at our mother and the elderly couple, our grandparents, were trying to calm Sage down. Everything was so chaotic and happened so fast that I wasn't able to get a good look at them then. Now, I took in their appearance completely, partly afraid that it may be the only chance I had to do it.

My grandmother wore her snow-white hair in a neat bun on top of her head and wore slim glasses on her face. Her eyes were the same color as mine and Sage's, dark ocean blue, and I was surprised to find we had her nose too. Her thin smile was lined with years of laughing and I couldn't help but wonder if the laughing was from before or after we were born.

As for my grandfather, his hair was almost the same snow white as my grandmothers but he was obviously beginning to lose his. His eyes were blue, but a shade softer than mine, and his nose much wider too. But his lips were full like Sage and mine and when he saw us approach he stood from his chair and flashed us a big welcoming smile. His smile was the kind that instantly made someone feel comforted and relaxed like you were part of the family. Technically I was part of the family, but still, to be given that kind of smile was reassuring to me.

"Sage, Chloe." He said looking at both of us.

Sage walked right over and gave him a big hug. "Hey, Pops." She said, laying her head against his chest. But then she opened her eyes and caught sight of me just standing by the door, frozen, unsure what to do.

She walked over and gently took my hand in hers and guided me across the room until I was standing only a foot in front of my grandfather.

"Chloe, this is Pops, our grandfather."

Before I could say anything, Pops leaned down and wrap his arms around me in a big bear hug. While still holding onto me, he whispered in my ear. "I've been waiting so long to finally see you again, young lady."

Those simple words and drawn out hug made my whole body relax. All my worries about not being loved by these two people, or being blamed for the things my mother did, went right out those barred windows. This was my family, and they loved me. The thought brought instant tears to my eyes and I couldn't hold back the tears of joy as they rolled down my cheeks. This is what I had been missing out on all these years, my family, my whole family.

Once Pops let go of me, five minutes later, we both were given tissues from my grandmother who was pulling the fluffy sheets out of her purse one by one trying to clean up her own face as well. Sage and I both pulled up chairs so we were sitting right across from them.

"How are you girls doing in here?" Pops asked, his facial expression changing to one of worry and stress.

"Fine, just classes and the usual schedule," Sage answered.

I was relieved she was taking the lead on this, I wasn't sure how to explain what we were actually doing or better yet, come up with an alternative story for it.

"How are you two?" She asked them.

They both smiled at each other lovingly before looking back to us.

"We're good, same ole same ole. Pops has been fishing and went hunting with an old buddy last week. I've been working in my garden, hoping to save some of my flowers before winter hits."

Sage nodded with a smile like this was nothing new to her.

"So Chloe," my grandmother started "tell us about yourself. We've been dying to get to know you." She said kindly.

"Well," I tried to think of what to call her. Of course, Sage knew this, being able to tap into my head, and leaned over to whisper "Grams."

"Well, Grams, I don't really have a lot to tell. Life was pretty boring until....I got in trouble. I went to school, hung out with my best friend, and that was about it."

God my life really was boring. It all felt like so long ago, hell, it felt like another life entirely. I tried to think of that shy, self-conscience girl who was too scared to ask a guy to the movies or stand up to Kelly. Deep down I knew that that was once me, but I just couldn't seem to find that person inside of me anymore. After everything I had been through in the last few weeks I had become stronger and found my voice. Maybe it was finding Sage or Wes that changed me, or maybe it was finding out that I was a Dembion that did it. No matter what though, I was happy I wasn't that same person anymore, and I made sure that I would remember that next time I had to face Toby and Betty. I wasn't going to be pushed around, not like I used to be. For now on, the new me was going to start fighting back, just like Wes was trying to tell me to do back at Freya's.

"How come you guys never tried to see me?" I found myself asking out loud. Sage seemed surprised by my question but not nearly as surprised as Pops, and Grams.

Pops took a deep breath and as he let it out he took my hand in both of his big, rough, wrinkle hands.

"Chloe, we told your mother that if she gave Sage away we were going to disown her."

"Which we did." Grams added.

"Right, but what about me?" I asked, sounding more and more like a child. I didn't want to be weak, I wanted to be strong, the new me was strong. But I couldn't help the timid voice that escaped my lips while looking at them.

"We tried to send you cards and letters once you were older, but we never heard anything back." Grams answered.

Pops squeezed my hands tightly, drawing my complete attention. "I tried to call once, on your tenth birthday. Your mother refused to put you on the phone and said if I called again she would call the police. We didn't know what to do after that."

Made sense, I couldn't blame them for that. They did try after all. But now I had just another reason to be angry with my mother. That fire in the pit of my stomach started to burn and closed my eyes and took deep breaths trying to calm it down. I didn't want to lose it in front of my grandparents.

Sage, clearly realizing where my thoughts were going, stood up quickly.

"I think that's a lot for Chloe to take in. Why don't we do this again on the next visitors days."

I couldn't see Grams or Pops since I still held my eyes closed but I heard each of them agree. Once I was sure I had myself under control, I stood up and gave each of them a quick hug before letting Sage escort me out of the room.

"You okay?" She asked once we were in the hall.

I nodded, unable to fully speak until I saw Wes walking down the hallway.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him, meeting him halfway.

"Guards said I had a visitor." He answered, eyes wide, displaying just how taken back he was by this news.

"Wes!" A high pitch voice yelled and Wes quickly turned around.

Behind him, a girl no older than 13 with Wes' dark hair that hung in long curls down her back, was running towards him in a full sprint.

"Trinity?" Was all he was able to get out before the girl launched herself into his arms and wrapped herself around him as much as she could.