The next morning, Ryan and I were painted in the warm glow of sunlight that leaked through curtains. Ryan groaned, stretching his long arms and nearly whacking me in the face.

My hair was a complete mess; Ryan smiled slightly at the sight of the red-black bird's nest. His hair was quite messy too but in a cute way. 

We heard footsteps outside the door and shared alarmed looks. Just as someone knocked on the door, Ryan scrambled to the camp bed. The bed gave one last lurch and collapse underneath him. Ryan cursed under his breath.

"Come in," I told the person at the door. The handle turned and Steve peered into the room. He looked at the broken camp bed, his eyebrow quirked upwards and then turned to look at Ryan and I in turn.

"There is a girl waiting for you two downstairs," He told us, before shutting the door behind him. 

We shared a confused look. Who could it be? Maybe Steve mistook Dionysus for a girl?

Ryan left to get changed in the bathroom. Once we were both dressed, we cautiously made our way downstairs. 

Sitting at the kitchen table was the girl, who was supposedly waiting for us. She had long black hair, which was in tight ringlets. Her brown eyes shone as she ate Joe's homemade buttered crumpets. 

"Hi Maci," I greeted, recognising her instantly from school. She smiled and continued eating. Ryan and I grabbed some crumpets and joined her. 

I had never spoken to Maci before but I heard the she used to be bullied at school because of her skin condition. She had vitiligo, which caused patches of white skin to appear on her dark skin. I personally thought she was the most beautiful girl in school.

"What's up?" Ryan asked. She didn't answer. Instead she glanced at my foster parents. Fortunately understanding that whatever she had to say was private, they left us alone in the room.

Maci swallowed her last bite and rested her elbows on the table. "I saw it," she told us.

"Saw what?" I replied.

"The weird lion-goat hybrid with the snake tail."

"The chimera?" 

She nodded. I glanced at Ryan. He was busy helping himself to more crumpets. I rolled my eyes.

"Do you know why it was there?" I asked her. She shrugged.

"How should I know? I didn't believe in that kind of thing until now." 

Fair enough, I thought and to be honest, I agreed with her.

A while later, Dionysus appeared. Literally. Maci jumped and focused on him with wide eyes. 

"Morning," he smiled, mischievously, "Any food left for me?" I shoved my plate towards him and he ransacked the cupboards. 

He pulled out a large bottle of wine but after I gave him a stern look, he returned it to its place. The god pouted at me and then sat down beside me.

"How are you guys okay with this?!" Maci cried, "He literally appeared out of nowhere, nearly stole your wine and you act like its normal!"

"It is." I elbowed Dionysus in the ribcage. He gave a cry of outrage.

"He's the Greek god of wine, Dionysus," I told her. Maci couldn't have looked anymore shocked if she tried. 

Dionysus smiled at her, his dark blue eyes glittering. 

We all somehow squeezed into Steve's car (Maci and Dionysus included). Dionysus, Ryan and I had filled her in. She had taken it all in and was now quiet.

"How come Saskia, Ryan and I could see the chimera?" she asked, eventually, once we were out of the car. 

Dionysus shrugged but didn't answer. He walked off with a crowd of swooning girls. Maci watched him with disgust.

Once again, my heart stopped as my multicoloured eyes met his. I felt a little tug at my arm, as Maci dragged me off to lesson.

I took my seat next to Ryan at the front. Maci sat at the back of the room next to a guy with rich auburn hair. 

"Can anyone tell me anything about any creatures from Greek mythology?" Mrs Kingsley asked. Shannon raised her small pale hand beside me. 

"Chimeras had the head of a lion and sometimes a goat head too. They also had the tail of a snake."

Maci, Ryan and I shared secretive glances. A high-pitched laugh escaped someone's mouth.

"Leucrotas were probably hyena, which were believed to mimic people's voices and lore them away from a group. The Leucrota was immune to any kind of metal and had a bony ridge instead of teeth."

"Saskia,"  a sickly sweet voice called my name. I turned around and looked at Maci. She was as surprised as me.

"Ryan,"  the same voice called. Ryan ignored.

"Maci."

"You're not funny, you know," Maci glared around the room. No one answered her.

The bell rang for breaktime. Maci, Ryan and I looked for Dionysus. We found him hidden in the blind spot beside the school. He had half a bottle of vodka in his hand. 

I walked up to him. Snatching the bottle off him, I drained the contents on to the floor and handed it back to him. His eyes turned dangerously darker. 

Dionysus walked towards me, until my back hit the wall. He pinned me between both arms. "No one messes with my alcohol," he said softly in my ear, "lucky for you I have another one." He pulled away with a smirk. "You can breathe now."

I glared at him. 

Suddenly, the high-pitched laugh echoed off the wall. We all turned to see a pack of strong hyenas blocking our exit.

"Saskia..."  The sound left the jaws of the middle one. As it opened its mouth, I saw a bony ridge where its teeth should've been.

Leucrota.

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What did you think of this chapter?

What do you think of Maci?

Fun fact btw:

Saskia means knife and Maci means weapon.

Don't forget to comment and vote!

Levy xx