Chapter 31 The Weight of Truth #3
Bran, sensing Leo’s distress, shoved his head under Leo’s hand and whined. Leo started scratching Bran’s ears, and I watched some of the panic drain out of him.
“At least the tea’s good,” he muttered. Then he paused, looking at the cup suspiciously. “This isn’t magic tea, right?”
“It’s just Earl gray,” Kian chuckled. “I promise.”
“Good. Because I’d like at least one normal thing today.”
Luz patted his shoulder, and he sighed, leaning into the comfort.
“So why now?” May asked, looking at me. “Why didn’t you tell us before?”
The room quieted.
I took a breath. “Because I didn’t want to force this life on you guys. But now I need your help.”
May and Leo both sat up straighter.
“Not just to save Amy,” I continued. “But to save my mom.”
May’s eyes widened. “Your mom? Mel, I thought she was—”
“Missing,” I finished. “She’s not. She’s alive, but Ekklesia is holding her.”
“They’re trying to erase who she is,” Kian added. “Piece by piece. Strip away her power, her memories, her essence.”
“Like Amy,” May whispered. “That’s what they’re doing to Amy?”
I nodded. “My mom is Demeter, the Goddess of the harvest. And Cyrus has been collecting gods for decades. Hunting us down. Binding us. Draining our power.”
The silence felt heavier than lead.
“They can’t have her,” I hissed. “They can’t have Amy or my mom. But I can’t do this alone. I’m not strong enough yet. I need—” My voice cracked. “I need help. I need you.”
May was on her feet before I finished speaking.
“We’ll help,” she stated. “Whatever it takes. If these people are draining Amy, trying to erase her—” She clenched her jaw. “Then we go to war. We burn their whole organization to the ground. We will get them both back.”
“I know it’s a big ask—” I stated, wincing.
“Doesn’t matter,” she interrupted. “She’s my twin. If I really am Apollo—” She swiped at her eyes. “Then I’m going to get my divinity back. I’m going to learn how to use it. And I’m going to burn down anyone who tries to stop me from bringing her home.”
The conviction sent chills down my spine.
“I’m in too,” Leo said, frowning. “If Cyrus is really collecting gods… then yeah. I’m in. Whatever you need.”
“I know this probably feels crazy,” I said, wincing.
“Oh, it’s definitely insane,” he stated.
“But you’re my friends. You’re my best friends.
And if my best friends need help rescuing their family from an evil corporation, then I guess that’s what we’re doing.
” He shrugged. “Besides, if I’m Hermes, I should probably lean into the whole ‘helps heroes on quests’ thing, right? ”
I couldn’t help the shaky laugh that escaped me. “Thank you. Both of you.”
“We’re family,” Leo said simply.
Leo leaned forward, transforming from an overwhelmed kid to a competent infiltrator. “I couldn’t prove anything without blowing my cover,” he said. “But I’ve got files. Internal memos, movement logs, security rotations for facilities that don’t officially exist, even financial trails.”
He pulled out his phone. “And I’m pretty sure I have an idea about some locations where they are keeping people. I found references and coordinates in encrypted communications.”
Hope flared in my chest. “Where?”
“Let me grab my laptop from my bag,” he said, standing. “I’ve got everything mapped out. Blueprints. Guard schedules. Security protocols.”
May looked at me again, eyes red-rimmed but burning with purpose. “We’ll help,” she said again. “Whatever it takes. I don’t care if I have to learn to shoot sunlight from my hands. I’ll figure it out.”
As Leo and May headed toward the entryway, Kian squeezed my hand. “You did well,” he murmured, voice pitched low. “That was difficult, and you handled it perfectly.”
“They think I’m crazy,” I whispered back.
“They think they might be going crazy,” he corrected. “But they’re here. They’re staying. They’re committed. You’ve built yourself a pantheon, Tealeaf.”
Warmth bloomed in my chest. “Some pantheon. A traumatized PT major, an undercover journalism student, a nymph, a goddess of magic, and the King of the Underworld.”
“Don’t forget the three-headed hellhound,” Luz added from the floor. “They’re very helpful.”
“Terrifying,” Kian agreed with a solemn smile. “Absolutely fearsome.”
Bran’s tail thumped, clearly pleased. Hecate moved from the window, and when she spoke, her voice carried weight. “Now comes the hard part. Teaching you all to remember what you’re capable of before Cyrus makes his next move. Turning scattered individuals into a unified force.”
Her smile was dangerous. “The war won’t wait any longer. But this time, we’ll be ready for it.”
I nodded, feeling purpose settle around me like armor. Heavy, yes. Terrifying, absolutely. But also right.
Every version of myself is working together toward new goals:
Save my mother. Save Amy. Stop Cyrus.
“Then let’s do this,” I said, and my voice came out stronger than expected.
Leo set his laptop on the coffee table. We gathered round as a mismatched group of reincarnated gods and loyal friends, with enough determination to shake the world if we had to.