Major deigned it upon himself to ask the most obvious question, "What's in Arizona?"

Selena shrugged, her eyes still on the computer screen, mind spinning.

She once believed her parents were the most open-booked people she had ever met. They were the world's worst liars.

In fact, playing poker with her dad was always one of her favorite past times. Aaron had the world's worst bluff. His nose would always crinkle when he had terrible cards, and he would rub at his nose to act like he smelled something awful.

But now?

Had their entire lives been a lie?

What secret double life were her parents living?

"I don't know," Selena practically whispered the words.

Beside her, Sam remained motionless, like he was attempting to figure out the same thing as her. What could possibly be in Arizona that warranted being stored as coordinates on their father's computer?

"I think we should go," Sam said.

Selena looked at her brother's face. His mouth pressed in a firm, thin line, and his normally bright eyes darkened.

"Why?" she asked at the same time, Major said, "No."

Sam glanced at her, ignoring Major.

"I think this is where Mom and Dad went." He told her.

Selena returned to the computer screen, which showed the red pin. She tapped her fingers on the desk. If they had gone to Arizona, why would they have left her and Sam? Selena was certain she saw them at the graduation ceremony. Did her parents see the Chimera and make a B-line out of there, leaving the twins to fend for themselves against the mythical monster they had no business fighting?

Selena shook her head. No. No matter what they learned in the last sixty minutes, one thing was certain: Aaron and Cathryn King loved the twins. Anything that they did, they did for a reason.

"Why else would Dad have this saved in a folder if it wasn't important? Why have it listed as coordinates and not an address if it wasn't a safe house?" Sam pushed his point.

Major stayed quiet.

Selena shook her head. "If it was a safe house that they escaped to, then why didn't they take us with them?"

"Why spend all this time hiding you from us, to abandon you now? We should leave this address alone." Major agreed with her.

Sam turned to look at Major, his nails digging into the armrests of the office chair he sat in.

"Then why leave these coordinates?" Sam asked.

Major shrugged, "That's not my concern."

Selena glared at Major. He was getting on her last nerve. Major goes from being helpful to being a dick, to being helpful, and to being a dick again. Like he hadn't decided on how to treat them either.

"Why did you even help us?" She snapped, focusing all the hurt of her parents' secrets into anger at him. "Why not let the chimera eat us and be done?"

"Oh, believe me, if I could've, I would've," Major sneered. "But my instructions were to bring you both back alive."

"By whom?" Selena asked.

"And to where?" Sam added.

Major shifted his weight between his feet.

"Zeus—my father. He wants you at Olympus for training," Major said, not a single emotion flickering across his face.

"Training for what?" She asked in a small voice.

"Against what the chimera represents. Against the bigger threat opposed to Olympus and the world right now." Major ran a hand through his hair, appearing torn between offering a more detailed explanation or divulging additional information that he had been sent to deliver.

Selena barreled over in laughter. Tears began falling down her face, whether due to laughter, anxiety, or frustration, she didn't know, probably some combination of all of it.

"I'm- I'm s-s-sorry." Selena said, straightening herself up and flattening her ruined graduation gown. She cleared her throat. "You do understand how crazy this sounds, right? Zeus, Olympus, Apollo, monsters, demigods—claiming our dad isn't our biological father." She scoffed at the last part. "Even if all of this is true, we're not prepared. We don't want to be prepared. Can't you do this without us and take down the threat? What could two teenagers help with anyway?"

Major frowned at her; if he expected any other decision from her, perhaps she needed a better way of showing her distrust in him.

"A lot." Major folded his arms. "We're all teenagers, the same age, really."

Sam raised his eyebrows at him. "What do you mean, all?"

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Major smirked. "Me and the other Marked, of course."

Other? There were others?

So Major was Marked by Zeus, if that's what the lightning bolt on his hand meant, and Apollo had marked both her and Sam? So many questions flooded her head that her fingers shook. Selena balled her hands into fists and glanced at her brother. Only one question mattered to her.

Apparently, her parents had hidden her and Sam from Zeus for the past eighteen years, so there must be a reason. Going back to Olympus with Major would be idiotic if that went against her parents' wishes. However, they left this clue behind a door only they could open, on a computer only they would know how to unlock. Her instincts screamed at her to follow the clue—that Sam was right.

"Okay." she muttered. "We go to Arizona."

Major's eyes flared, "You will do no such thing!"

Selena swore lightning flashed in his gaze; she took an instinctive step back and cursed herself silently for doing so.

Sam nodded at her. They were in agreement then.

Good.

"How long is the drive?" She asked Sam.

He returned to the computer and plugged in the Arizona address from their house.

"It's about a twenty-seven-hour drive." He groaned.

Selena wrinkled her nose. Assuming her parents were headed there, they had roughly a two-hour head start.

"No!" Major interrupted, "You're going to Olympus."

Selena and Sam ignored him.

"Okay, then let's pack and get going." Selena nodded at Sam.

Lightning crackled, and the twins snapped their attention toward Major. Strands of lighting danced around Major's tightly clenched fists at his side, like he was struggling to contain his power.

"You two are coming with me; end of the discussion," Major growled.

His tone had something primal in her wanting to bow down to him, but she fought the urge as much as she could.

"You, yourself, thought this was interesting. Don't you want to find out where that address takes us?"

"No." Major lied, teeth bared.

She shrugged. "Then we'll go without you."

"And do what when another monster attacks you? You pointed out at your school that I'm the only one with a weapon."

She held up her finger to correct him. "No, I specifically said the only one with a metal pointy thing." She waved her hand to the trophy case, holding their archery trophies. "We have weapons."

Major smirked like she told a joke without realizing it.

"So let's say I concede and let you go; what exactly are your plans?"

Sam leaned back in his chair. Major's lightning receded.

"Find our parents?" Sam offered.

Major turned towards Sam with a grin. "Assuming they're there, but what if they're not?"

"Then we'll find whatever they wanted us to find."

Major's eyes narrowed in consideration, and he leaned against the wall behind him. "And if it's a trap?"

Selena pretended to shoot an arrow at him. "Then we'll go in prepared."

Major's smirk grew, but his voice stayed firm. "And if I were to say no and take you straight to Zeus?"

Selena tilted her head in consideration. "You don't really have a say."

"We'll go kicking and screaming." Sam flashed a toothy smile at the supposed demigod.

The entire room went taut. Major lifted his hands up in defeat, his curiosity getting the better of him. Lightning no longer caressed his fingers, his eyes went back to their calmer shade of sapphire blue.

"Fine, we'll go to Arizona." Major glanced at the route highlighted on the computer and folded his arms. "But we'll have to go to Olympus first."

The smile appearing on her face shot down to a frown. Back to this argument.

"Not to take you to Zeus, but to the portal," Major said.

"No." Sam uttered.

He shook his head at her brother. "Olympus is connected to a whole bunch of portal systems. The one I used to get here was in a White Castle in Detroit. I know Arizona has three portals. But we have to travel to Detroit, enter the portal, transport back to Olympus, and find the closest portal to Paulden."

Portal? Nothing in the myths had mentioned a portal system connected to Olympus. Perhaps Major really was a lunatic, and his story was now beginning to slip.

"It was a gift from Hecate." Major explained, reading the confused look she must've been displaying. "My father kept it a secret from mortals, didn't need them randomly appearing at Olympus via a portal asking for favors."

Selena folded her arms. "And how do we know this isn't one big trick in saying you'll bring us to Arizona using a portal and not take us to your father?"

"I'm getting the sense here that you don't trust me."

"Oh good," Selena spat. "I didn't want to give you the wrong impression."

The corners of his mouth twerked upwards. "I did save your lives."

"Reluctantly."

Major lifted his eyebrows and nodded at the statement's truth. His gaze landed on the trophy cabinet.

"I don't go back on my word," Major said.

"Whatever," Sam threw his hands up in defeat. Selena stared at him.

She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "So let's get this straight: You'll take us to Detroit, portal us to Olympus, then we portal to Arizona and go to Paulden?" Major nodded his head. "And you won't take us to Zeus?" Again, Major nodded. "And we have your word?"

"As long as I have your word that once I escort you to this address, we go straight to my father, no matter what we find."

Selena made an 'x' motion across her heart and raised her three right fingers, "Scout's honor."

Sam chuckled, "You were never a scout."

Major pushed up against the wall and clapped his hands. "Let's go to Paulden."

***

Major left Samson's father's office, leaving him and his sister to sit in silence.

Lena sat in the computer chair now, twirling a wolf sculpture paperweight in her hands with her legs propped up on the desk, ankles crossed while he paced the room.

"Do you think this is a good idea?" He finally asked.

"No, but do we have much of a choice?"

Her words rang true, and Samson couldn't deny it. He still didn't feel comfortable with this plan. He wanted nothing to do with Major. Samson didn't trust the guy. And what was with his little display of lightning earlier? To show them how powerful he is?

To be fair he wasn't even that sure about Paulden, but he still trusted his father. Aaron King did not leave these coordinates on his computer for a random reason. There was a purpose to it, a purpose of leaving said coordinates in a file that only Samson would open. If his parents were there, he'd feel like he would be betraying their trust by dragging along a complete stranger.

"We could leave without him," He muttered.

"I already thought of that," she sighed. "But without Major's portal, it'll take us at least two days."

"I don't trust him."

Samson understood that Major's plan would be far more appealing if they could avoid going to Olympus. He had no faith that Major would uphold his word of not bringing them to Zeus. He'd bet all the money in the world that Major would take any chance he got to bring them to his father. Whether he honestly believed any of this gods thing was real was still up in the air, but Major played the role convincingly.

"I don't either." Lena agreed.

"Then let's go without him; we have money." He pointed toward the safe in the room's corner.

Lena's eyes narrowed at it.

"Two days on the road seems way more preferable than spending any more time with the bastard who might end up betraying us as soon as he can."

Lena removed her legs from the desk and twirled the chair towards Samson, furrowing her brow. She stopped twirling the wolf and leaned on her forearms, placing them on her thighs.

"We have the manual in the driveway. You still know how to drive it?"

Sam placed his left hand on his right shoulder, rolling it, and smiled. "I might."

Lena's eyes met his. "Pack what you can. We leave in five."