Samson's eyes widened, and his entire body stiffened. His ID flashed on all the television screens in the diner.

Of course, they left the motel room they had gotten in his name, the door open with a loaded quiver of arrows. And then Major had set their dad's car on fire, assuming to get rid of the evidence...all for them to forget there would be cameras.

The Television played a video of him, Lena, and Major standing around the car, and then a light flashed, and the car started on fire.

Samson swallowed. This was not good at all. He opened his backpack and fumbled for a hundred-dollar bill.

"We should leave," he said, dropping the money on the table.

No one disagreed with him. Major and Lena got out of the booth with him and left the diner.

The lukewarm summer air prickled Samson's skin. Red and blue sirens flashed in the distance a few blocks away. Major moved toward the street, and they followed.

Samson digested what Major told them while they walked.

He could no longer deny it. They were, in fact, the children of Apollo and Marked by Apollo and Artemis. Though there are a lot of twins in this situation. Apollo and Artemis, he and Lena, and even their father Aaron had a twin; it's not like she had anything to do with the situation, he just found it to be quite an interesting coincidence.

According to Major, Apollo chose to hide them rather than bringing him and Lena to Olympus to fulfill their purpose.

Samson scowled at the thought.

It made no sense for Apollo to take such a particular interest in him or Lena based on what he had heard about the Greek gods and how they treated their demigod children. Granted, the stories primarily focused on the children of Zeus, and he seemed to be a total contender for the title of World's Greatest Dad.

But there was a prophecy about him and Lena that Major and the Olympians didn't know about; the only gods in the loop were Apollo and maybe Artemis. With Lena being Marked by her, he probably kept her informed.

Samon's head hurt.

There seemed a lot of finger-pointing on who knew what and who didn't know. Even the Olympians struggled with trust.

Samson's palms clammed. He hoped Paulden would provide some answers.

Major led them to a park and followed a dirt trail illuminated by the silver glow of the moon's light deep into a forest. Eventually, their demigod guide plopped down on the grass when it seemed this location provided enough tree coverage for them.

"We'll be staying here tonight," Major said, holding out his arms.

Lena creased her brow. "Excuse me?"

"Well, do you have any other ideas?"

Lena waved her arms above her head.

Samson smiled. She wasn't the roughing-it kind of girl.

"It's Grand Rapids, and there isn't a shortage of motel rooms we could use."

Major narrowed his eyes at Lena. Samson uncomfortably shifted his feet from the heat in the stare, and he didn't particularly want to think of the different types of heat he saw in that stare.

Major pointed at Samson. "His ID is all over the news, and yours has practically the same information as his." Major laid down and put his arms behind his head. "And the cameras also have all of us on the footage. I doubt a motel would rent a room to any of us."

Lena huffed in response. Samson knew she had reluctantly given in to Major, mostly because he gave her all solid points, making it pointless to continue arguing with him.

"I'll take the first watch," Samson said, clapping his hand on his sister's shoulder. "Go get some sleep."

***

Selena could only imagine how her mother would react if she found out her children had slept in a park in downtown Grand Rapids.

Waking up, her tongue stuck to the roof of her dry mouth. Stirring, Selena stretched her sore and stiff body out on the hard, grassy ground.

Something fleshy pressed against her nose. Her eyes flared open, and she stifled the scream about to come out of her mouth.

Bending close to her, their noses touching, bent a man with an angular face. His hazel eyes bored into hers, and wiry facial hair tickled her chin.

Sam is never standing watch again. Selena thought.

"Your face...is extremely familiar." The man hummed; his voice low and scratchy. "Have we partaken in intercourse before?"

At that, she screamed.

The man's mouth curved into a smile, "No, I taken we haven't. I would remember you with lungs like those."

Selena rolled from under him, and he obligingly removed his left foot. But it wasn't a foot—no, she looked closer, it was a hoof! His lower body resembled that of a goat.

The man-goat straightened up, his bare chest revealing a strap to a quiver and a firm grip on a long bow in his left hand. The name of what he was rambled on in her head; she knew the name but couldn't quite remember it now.

"Hey, Nicholas! Look whose colorings this one has!" said a female voice.

Selena moved her eyes from the goat man to the petite woman with grass-green skin and emerald hair, with clothes made of leaves looming over her brother. The goat-man, Nicholas, took in her brother, who sat up, eyes wide.

"Ah," Nicholas grinned. "That's why you look so familiar. You have his face."

"So it's true then." beamed the female.

Selena scanned the area for any other magical creatures. No, it was only them. Even Major was gone.

Selena's lips pressed slightly.

Nicholas nodded. "It seems it is. The lost children of Apollo have been found!"

The female let out a squeal and bounced from foot to foot.

"You know our father?" Selena asked timidly.

"Oh, Nicholas knows Apollo, alright." Giggled the female.

"Aella!" Nicholas scolded, flattening his lips. "Not in front of his children!"

The woman, Aella, scoffed. "Oh, please, you wouldn't shut up about that particular night for over a hundred years. No need to be modest about it now."

"Ah, well, it was quite a memorable one."

"For you—obviously."

Aella motioned her hands to the twins, insinuating Nicholas remembered and held the memory of that particular night more fondly and dear to him than Apollo did.

Sam cleared his throat. "Can we help you?"

Aella and Nicholas stopped their bickering and glanced at Sam.

"What are you doing sleeping in this forest here?" Nicholas asked.

Sam rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, well...we uh...needed a place to sleep."

The grass rustled to her left and Major walked from the line of pine trees. His expression darkened, surveying the figures gathered in the clearing ahead. He casually slid his hands into his pockets and nonchalantly leaned against a tree trunk.

"Satyr, dryad, what are you doing here?" Major asked.

Satyr! That was what Nicholas was.

Whew.

That was going to bother her all day.

Nicholas and Aella bowed their heads to Major.

"Prince of demigods, we didn't know you were with them," Aella muttered.

Prince? Major kept that title from them.

Selena's eyes widened. If Zeus held the title of king of gods, it's not hard to imagine that Major would be hailed as the prince of demigods.

"Would it matter if I was?" Major fixed his stare at Aella while speaking in a low, firm voice.

"N-no." Nicholas stammered.

Major pushed up against the tree and walked over to Aella and Nicholas. He studied them.

"You're dismissed."

The dryad and satyr said nothing as they glanced at each other. Their hooves and bare feet making silent indents in the grass, passed Major and vanished into the tree line. Selena stood after they left and brushed off the grass and dirt covering her.

"Where were you?" Selena blinked at Major taking in his new appearance. He wore a short-sleeved black shirt and black basketball shorts, accentuating his bright eyes and now damp hair. His white and blue scabbard draped across his left hip.

He nudged his head to the left. "I spotted a pond on the walk over here last night. Figured I'd wash off last night's grand finale." He glanced over at Sam, sprawled on the ground. The dirt from sleeping outside had mostly concealed the monster's blood on his face."Though I suppose I should've invited you along."

Sam scrunched up his nose.

"Oh, don't make it weird." Major swatted his hand at him. "Haven't you ever used a locker room before? I hear it's just like that."

Sam pursed his lips, "No, it's not."

Major opened his mouth like he was about to retort what Sam said when Selena asked, "Where did you get the change of clothes?"

Major smiled at her. "My friend Azalea once taught me that the forest will listen to you if you know the right place to ask."

"Can they get us a car?"

"I...I never asked." Major rubbed the back of his neck.

Sam stood up and slung his backpack over his shoulder. "Well, let's find out."