I followed Bec to a small house that reminded me of my old home. It had the same black and purple paint job and the door even had the same stain glass windows. The familiar image of a woman in a field of flowers. I shivered. This was strange.

“Hey, you okay?” Bec asked.

“Yeah, just dizzy for a second, I don’t think I fully recovered from my fainting from earlier.” I lied.

“Alright.” Bec said as they opened the door. I could tell they felt like I was lying.

I stepped inside behind them.

Luckily the inside was far different from my childhood home. It looked like a museum, while my old home looked like an unique place. Ellen had never really decorated the place and instead just put stuff wherever.

“Bec. You brought zir here?” A way too familiar voice said.

I turned to see Ellen. Expect it wasn’t exactly her. She was very different. Younger. Alive. She didn't have the scars under her eyes. I couldn't breathe. I couldn’t think.

“Mama said to,” Bec said. I was hyperventilating now. Aunt Ellen was alive. Alive. Alive.

“Melinoe, it would be wise to change your face.” Persephone appeared before me. She had the same face as earlier but her hair was bright cherry red and she wore a pink apron over a leather jacket that matched her leather pants.

I looked back at Ellen. She was now a large young woman wearing a hijab. Bec glanced at her and frowned. Persephone flinched and forced a smile.

“It’s okay. Bobbie, you can relax,” Persephone said. Her voice was soothing but it didn’t help much. I had to calm myself down, in my own way. I thought of things that relaxed me and I tried to steady my breathing.

“I’m good.” I whispered after a minute.

“I’m sorry for the sight. I can’t choose how I look around mortals. I always look like someone a nearby mortal knew who died. Anyway, I must be off,” Melinoe said before disappearing in a flash of light.

“Mellie is so full of bullshit.” Once again I heard Ellen speak. This time I wouldn’t freak out, I wouldn’t.

“Indeed she is.” Persephone nodded towards someone behind me.

“Bobbie. My little monster it is really me,” Ellen’s voice said. I turned around to face her. It was her. She even had the same look in her eyes. The same scars under her eyes.

“...why? How?” I cried out. I was happy to see her but I was also pissed. So pissed. Was this another joke?

“You are a special demigod. I was told to raise you but to do that would break some rules. Someone found you. So I died before they could find out what I had been doing,” Ellen said.

“Why did you raise me?” I asked.

“I was asked to.” Ellen looked down at her hands.

“Your mortal mother was an oracle. She saw things. She was the reason the gods started to have kids again,” Persephone said.

“What?” I took a step away from them.

“An oracle. She saw the future. She saw that the world needed demigods, needed heroes,” Bec said.

“Many gods were quite taken with her but she only had eyes for one.” Persephone looked at a painting of two women in a field of flowers on the wall. The words ‘Persephone & Demeter, 803 A.D.’ were engraved on the frame.

“Demeter, of course, returned the feelings. So they became lovers. And all was well and happy until...” Aunt Ellen looked at Persephone.

“Zeus raped your mother. Demeter was angry. She killed Allen Raye’s mother and laid the dead body on Zeus’ throne. The two fought horribly for months. That is until you and Mindy Flora was born.” Bec said. Mindy Flora?

“Bec. You shouldn’t have explained it like that.” Persephone snarled at them.

“Sorry mama, but Mindy and Kore come back tomorrow. Everyone will know the two of them are related. People are probably already noticed the similarities,” Bec said.

I stood frozen.

I had a sibling. Named Mindy. A child of Zeus. Bec’s friend by what Johanna told me earlier. I was disgusted by what Zeus did to my mother. Was he the reason she died? Is that why I was raised by the Greek goddess of blessed death?

“You two were born on the same day. One born from the womb of Demeter and the other from the Oracle. But both of you were in fact the children of the Oracle, which is a dangerous thing. Your mother had died a few hours after giving birth. When you two were four, you both started to show magic. Zeus saw how powerful you were. He wanted to kill you.” Ellen looked at me, “ Artemis was order to do it in a way that Demeter wouldn’t think it was on purpose. He told her to drop you into the River Phlegethon. She instead gave you to me. I took a drop of water from the River Lethe to blur your memories and then brought you to South Carolina and well you know the rest.” Aunt Ellen frowned and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Any questions?” Persephone smiled at me.

Yes. A million. No, a billion questions.

“How were me and Mindy born on the same day? Seems a little unlikely.” I managed to say. Maybe I was just dreaming and I just needed to get in control.

“Oh, yeah it does. The Fates are strange and have a reason for almost everything and I don’t know how you two were born on the same day,” Persephone said.

“Demeter was only a few weeks prego when Zeus did what he did so it wasn’t too unlikely.” Bec answered.

“Why didn’t she abort Mindy?” I glanced at Bec who was glaring at me.

“Like I’m sure Mindy is nice and all but I can’t help but to wonder why.”

“At first when she didn’t know she was with child. Soon she found out. Then she had a vision. Two actually but they went together. One showed her with only one child, which was you. Zeus was with her and you. She never really said what exactly that meant. The other one showed two children, you and Mindy, playing together with me, Demeter and Persephone watching over you two. She knew she would die but she said the other option was far worse.” Ellen blinked back tears.

“Why are Demeter’s kids dying when they turn eighteen?”

“Three years ago Zeus found out you were still alive, he couldn’t find you so he forced Hecate, poor dear Hecate, she and Demeter are on and off again lovers. Well he had her put a curse on all of Demeter’s kids. One only can break it with the permission from Zeus. Two have died so far, Harry Johnson and Garnet al Abbas. Harry tried getting Zeus’s permission by flirting with him. Harry was the first to die. One year and one month ago, poor boy. Garnet tried to bribe him somehow,” Persephone said. I felt a little sick.

“One last question, what was my mortal mother’s name?”

“Adsila. It means blossom.” Persephone said. How fitting for a lover of Demeter.

No spoke for about two minutes, when a ringing noise started.

“Oh the cream puffs! Macy make sure, while I’m gone, ze and they don’t leave! Sweet little children need sweet treats.” Persephone yelped before running in a nearby room.

“Cream puffs?” I raised her eyebrow, Ellen hated sweets.

“Persephone loves baking, it helps her get through the summer months since she is away from Hades.” Ellen said.

“Basically she bakes when she’s horny.” Bec snorted.