"Mom?"

Nothing. The metallic smell was stronger here. Raine's grip tightened around the guitar strap. No. He took one step. Then another. The hallway seemed longer than usual. His shadow stretched ahead of him. Perfectly normal. For once. Raine reached the doorway. Looked inside.

His brain did not understand the room. Not at first. Red. That was the first thing. Red on the wall. The floor. The comforter. The dresser. Too much. Far too much. Raine stared. His guitar slipped from his shoulder. The case hit the floor. He did not hear it.

His mother lay beside the bed. One arm stretched toward the door. Her dark hair covered part of her face. Her nightgown— No. Raine stepped inside.

"Mom?"

Nothing. His voice sounded very far away.

"Mom."

He dropped to his knees. His hands touched her shoulders. Cold. No. No.

"Mom."

He shook her. Nothing.

"Mom, wake up."

Nothing. His fingers slipped. Blood. He stared at his hand. Red. Warm? No. Not warm. He couldn't tell.

"Mom."

His breathing stopped working. He shook her harder.

"Mom."

Nothing.

"No."

He touched her face.

"Mom."

No.

No.

No.

This wasn't— She was— No.

"MOM."

His voice cracked. He pressed his fingers to her neck. He didn't know what he was doing. Pulse. He knew pulse. Somewhere. There. Nothing. Wrong place. He moved his fingers. Nothing. Again. Nothing.

"Come on."

His voice broke.

"Come on, Mom."

Nothing. He shook her again.

"Wake up."

Nothing.

"Please."

His eyes burned.

"Please wake up."

Nothing. Raine's forehead pressed against her shoulder. Blood soaked into his sleeve. He didn't care.

"Mommy."

The word escaped before he knew he was going to say it. Small. Childish. He hadn't called her that in years.

"Mommy, please."

Nothing. Something inside him broke. The shadows reacted. Every dark corner of the bedroom stretched toward him. Under the bed. Behind the dresser. Beneath her body. They gathered around Raine's knees. Not violent. Not wild. Quiet. As though even they understood. Raine sobbed. He hated the sound. Couldn't stop it.

"I'm sorry."

For what? Leaving. Yelling. Asking. Not asking. Being born. Existing. All of it.

"I'm sorry."

The shadows curled around him. He didn't notice. Outside, someone knocked. Raine didn't hear it. Then again. Nothing. The front door opened.

"Raine?"

Maya. No. He couldn't— Footsteps. Fast. Upstairs.

"Raine?"

She reached the hallway. Stopped. Raine heard her breathe. Then:

"Oh my God."

He looked up. Maya stood in the doorway. Her face changed. Everything disappeared from it. She looked at Raine. At his mother. At the blood. Then she moved. Fast.

"Raine."

"No."

She dropped beside him.

"Raine."

"She's fine."

Maya's eyes filled.

"No."

"She's fine."

"Raine—"

"She needs help."

"I know."

"Then help her."

His voice rose.

"HELP HER."

Maya swallowed. Raine grabbed her wrist.

"Please."

His fingers were covered in blood. Now hers were too.

"Please."

Maya's face broke. She pulled him toward her. Raine resisted.

"No."

"Raine."

"No, she—"

"I've got you."

"No."

"Raine."

"I HAVE TO—"

Maya wrapped both arms around him. He fought. For maybe three seconds. Then collapsed. Completely. His forehead hit her shoulder. Maya held him. One hand in his hair. The other across his back.

"I've got you."

Raine sobbed.

"Please."

"I know."

"She's my mom."

"I know."

"I can't—"

"I know."

His shadows curled around both of them. Maya did not move. Did not flinch. Did not let go. Footsteps entered the hallway. Noah. He stopped at the doorway. Raine didn't look at him. Maya did. Noah's face went white. He stared at the room. At Raine. At his mother. His jaw tightened. Then his eyes moved. Dresser. Mirror. Wall. Something white against all the red. A note. Noah stepped toward it. Maya saw.

"What?"

Noah didn't answer. He picked up the paper. Raine heard the movement. Looked up. His vision blurred.

"What's that?"

Noah froze. Raine wiped his face. Blood smeared across his cheek.

"Noah."

Nothing.

"Give it to me."

Noah looked at Maya. She shook her head. Small. No. Raine saw.

"What is it?"

"Raine—"

"GIVE IT TO ME."

The shadows snapped outward. The room darkened. Noah didn't move. Raine held out his hand.

"Please."

That was worse. Noah's expression broke. He handed him the note. White paper. Black ink. Seven words. Raine read them once. Then again.

IT WAS SUPPOSED TO STAY A SECRET.

Below:

—H

Raine stared. The room went silent. Maya read over his shoulder. Her breathing changed. Noah looked away. Raine's fingers tightened around the paper.

H.

His mother's voice returned. He promised me you would never know. I swore. Your father. If I break it, I die. Raine's blood went cold.

"H."

Noah looked at him. Raine whispered:

"My father."

Nobody answered. He looked at Maya. Then Noah.

"His name starts with H."

Noah's face changed. Tiny. Enough. Raine saw. His stomach dropped.

"Noah."

No response.

"Noah."

Maya whispered:

"Raine."

He looked at her. She knew. Oh God. They both knew.

"What is his name?"

Silence. Raine stood. Slowly. His legs barely worked. The note shook in his hand.

"What is my father's name?"

Noah stepped forward.

"Raine—"

"No."

His shadows rose behind him. Not along the floor. Up the walls. Black water climbing red.

"Tell me."

Maya looked at Noah. Noah looked destroyed. Raine laughed. It came out broken.

"You've all been doing this."

"What?"

"Knowing."

His voice cracked.

"Everyone fucking knows things about me except me."

"Raine—"

"Tell me his name."

Noah closed his eyes. Then:

"Hades."

Everything stopped. Raine stared. Hades. King of the Underworld. Greek god. His father. H. He looked down at the note.

IT WAS SUPPOSED TO STAY A SECRET. —H

His mother's body lay behind him. Something inside Raine became very still. Not calm. Worse. Maya stepped toward him.

"Raine."

He looked at her. His face felt numb.

"My father killed her."

"We don't know that."

"He killed her."

"Raine—"

"She said she would die if she told me."

Noah's jaw tightened.

"She made an oath."

"To him."

"Yes."

"She told me."

"Not his name."

"She told me enough."

Raine looked at the note.

"He knew."

Noah stepped closer.

"That doesn't mean—"

"His fucking initial is on the wall."

"On a note."

"Same difference!"

"Raine, listen to me."

"No."

Noah stopped. Raine's entire body shook.

"You don't get to ask me to trust you right now."

The words landed. Noah looked like he had been hit. Raine hated that some part of him cared. Not enough. Not now. Maya touched his hand. Raine looked at her.

"You believe me?"

She swallowed.

"I believe that's what it looks like."

Not yes. Not no. Raine appreciated that more than certainty. His gaze drifted toward his mother. His chest cracked open again.

"I can't leave her."

Maya's eyes filled.

"I know."

"I was angry."

"I know."

"I left."

"Raine."

"She was scared and I left."

Maya grabbed his face gently.

"Look at me."

He did.

"This is not because you left."

Raine sobbed once.

Sharp. Maya wiped blood from his cheek with her thumb.

"You hear me?"

He couldn't answer.

"This is not because of you."

Noah stood near the doorway. Silent. Raine looked at him.

"You knew I was Hades's son."

"No."

"Don't lie."

"I suspected."

"When?"

"Last night."

Raine laughed. Of course. Everything was last night. The kisses. The shadow. The lies. He looked down. His guitar case lay in the hallway. The reason he came home. He stared at it. His mother had given him that guitar. His father had given it to her. He suddenly wanted to destroy it. Then wanted to hold it. Then wanted to throw it into a fucking river. Instead, he picked up the case. His bloody hand left a red smear across the handle. Raine stared. Maya asked gently:

"What are you doing?"

He swallowed.

"Taking it."

She nodded. No questions. Good. Raine looked back into the bedroom. At his mother. He wanted to say goodbye. No words came. Eventually:

"I love you."

His voice broke. Nothing answered. The shadows around her feet moved. Raine froze. For one horrible second, hope. Then he understood. Not movement from her. From him. He closed his eyes.

"Stop."

The shadows stilled. He took one step into the hallway. Then another. Maya stayed beside him. Noah behind. Raine stopped at the top of the stairs. His house looked different now. Everything did. The wall where his mother had once measured his height. The dent in the banister from when he dropped a laundry basket at thirteen. The kitchen where she had taught him his first guitar chord. The closet.

He looked toward the downstairs hallway. The sin closet. His chest tightened. Good memories. Bad memories. All still memories. This was home. Was. Raine walked downstairs. His bag sat near the couch. Maya picked it up.

"I can carry it."

"I know."

She kept it. He didn't argue. Noah opened the front door. Raine stopped before crossing. His mother's shoes were beside the door. One pair slightly crooked. He stared. Then walked outside. The sunlight hurt. Everything outside was still normal. Somebody's lawnmower in the distance. A dog barking. Car passing. His mother was dead. The world did not care. Raine hated it. He stood beside Noah's car. Maya asked:

"Where do you want to sit?"

He looked at her.

"What?"

"Front or back?"

Such a stupid question. Such an ordinary question. Raine almost laughed. It became something else. A sob. Maya pulled him into her again. He buried his face in her shoulder.

"Back."

"Okay."

"I don't want to sit alone."

Maya's arms tightened.

"You won't."

Raine looked at Noah. Noah immediately moved toward the driver's seat. No argument. No attempt to help. Raine appreciated that too. Maya climbed into the back with him. He sat beside her. Guitar between his knees. She took his hand. Raine held on. Noah started the car. Nobody spoke. They pulled away. Raine watched the house through the rear window. Smaller. Smaller. Then gone. 

A Soteria message on Noah's phone reflected faintly in the mirror. Raine didn't know what it said. Didn't care. He looked down at the guitar case. Blood dried across his fingers. The note sat folded inside his jacket pocket.

IT WAS SUPPOSED TO STAY A SECRET. —H

Hades. His father. His mother's murderer. Maybe. Probably. Raine didn't know anything anymore. Beside him, Maya squeezed his hand. He squeezed back. No hesitation. His older sister. He knew that now. Not by blood. Something better. Chosen.

In the front seat, Noah glanced at him through the rearview mirror. Their eyes met. Raine looked away. Not yet. He wasn't ready. Maybe he never would be. Outside, the town disappeared behind them. Streetlights became highway. Familiar buildings became trees. Home became somewhere behind him. Ahead waited a school full of demigods. Greek gods. Monsters. Answers. His father.

Raine rested his forehead against the cool window. The shadows beneath the seat curled around his boots. Quiet. Protective. For once, he let them. He closed his eyes. And for the first time in seventeen years— Raine Graves left home knowing he could never truly go back.