Entering her parents’ house, Rachel paused for a moment, taking in the bare space that used to hold such life due to her mother. You never truly know what you have until it’s gone…

A soft puff of air streamed through her nose as she went to the front room, smiling between most of Mythic’s roster that had returned before her; Scarlet had informed the gang of what happened to their mother, Anthony offering her support.

Rachel hadn’t been able to follow the conversation when talking to Tom, and it had been too difficult to hear the sniffles and cries; without a doubt, Nia would have broken down again, so she’d redirected her hearing elsewhere.

Still, without her mother keeping everyone nearby, there was little keeping anyone staying at the house; it felt like she’d been warped to an alternate timeline where only Scarlet, Anthony, Nora, Nia, and Yseress knew the truth of things.

Almost everyone was present: Scarlet, Maria, Fiona, Nora—who still needed to finish high school—Anthony, Jaenona, Cahira, Nemesis, Mara, Melissa, Selvaria, the Leviathan’s mother, and what Rachel assumed would be their newest addition, Alexa.

Teresa—Selvaria’s mother—had entered the hurricane by how silent she’d been since arriving, but the woman seemed to have the utmost confidence in her daughter’s abilities by the few comments she had.

On the other hand, when Rachel saw the Leviathan in the hallway, she had a blank look as she wandered between rooms. She was in more of a daze than her mother, wearing a blank look on her face.

Halting in the doorway, she could see the sadness that had swept the crowd, and the indignant fire in Maria’s eyes was replaced with a sullen look; she’d taken the news about Twilight the worst, which was probably because she was the living lie detector, and learning that her new friends had kept something so important from her was sure to be rough.

Alexa was saying goodbye to Nam; she’d be joining them, and he did show some concern for her well-being, but nothing like the night before, which agitated Rachel. The sudden divide between Nam and his wife felt surreal; she hadn’t expected their mother’s stable presence to be instrumental in shaping her brother’s tender side.

He didn’t appear to connect to his wife’s feelings about becoming a thirteen-year-old as much as he had and was far more critical of her insistence on going through with getting a Seed; to make matters worse, Rachel could sense a bit of it from him directed at her for not saying no.

“What a mess,” Nia whispered as Rachel examined each group in the crowded sitting space.

Yseress’ tone had become far softer since the discovery, and Rachel could feel the devil resonating with her situation, bringing her own mind to her enslaved mother and trapped former mistress. “Will one of the many cakes make you feel better, Mistress? Is not one of their abilities to make one happy?”

“No,” Nia mumbled in response, sniffing a little. “Not even… Mom made great cakes…”

It’s okay, Yseress. What I want is to start on this path to get her back, not drown myself in sweets… that will only remind me of my mother.

Rachel let a melancholy chuckle fall from her lips, motioning for everyone to get ready to leave and guiding them outside; she wanted to walk through her house one last time before leaving and couldn’t really reflect with so many people moving about.

Mason and Jessy were the first to run over with Anthony, following him out since they were still talking and figuring she wanted time with her dad. Her cousin picked her up in a bear hug. “Good luck with all the saving the world stuff!”

Jessy’s head bobbed. “Stay safe!”

She watched them leave, everyone else filing by.

Rachel was glad Mason and Jessy were still going strong after the girl had finally worked up the nerve to bridge the friendship-zone gap with her cousin; it was a whiplash, experiencing how close Mason felt they were since his mother had been alone during the accident, breaking her like it had done to her own mother.

It made her stomach squirm to think that her uncle—her dad’s brother—was coming over tomorrow to have space from his chronically depressed and semi-pill-addicted wife to talk and unwind to her father.

Mason pulled away from her to not get carried into her downward spiral, and somehow, the woman now thought her son’s bear transformation was due to her genetics and that she was cursed. It was sad, and she had no clue how to fit into this new, alien family dynamic.

Fiona gave her a teary-eyed look before closing in to deliver an encouraging hug to her neck. “We’re with you.”

“Thanks, Fi,” Rachel whispered, copying the nickname they’d learned from her sister and being as gentle as she could against her back; wings appearing again, she floated off as Nora nodded, reinforcing what her sister said but not being bold enough to go in for a hug.

Clay moved with Maria—the woman holding up her arm in passing for Rachel to press her own against—a wordless gesture, and Rachel was sure the unicorn would choke up if she tried to voice something and had an image to keep.

Nemesis and Mara passed, the lion brooding on the information and Mara mirroring Nora’s nod, only more graceful. Cahira, Melissa, and Selvaria’s mom followed after, yet the Leviathan remained, curiously moving to the back door instead of the front and making her mother hesitate and chase after her.

Dismissing the odd behavior as being Selvaria—she just acted differently than most people—Rachel was finally left with Scarlet and her father when Alexa went outside with Nam.

Scarlet’s hug was for both of them as she squeezed as hard as she could, making Rachel wince a little and chuckle with how low her Lunar Pool had become. “I’ll see you outside.”

“Mhm.”

Her father breathed a long stream of air, rubbing his neck and wearing a big smile as he watched her go. “Hehe. Things have certainly taken a turn… Do you think Alexa will be able to change back?”

Rachel puffed out a long breath and shrugged. “I don’t know, Dad; can you help Nam understand that Alexa didn’t want this and smooth things over? She’s kind of in a spiral.”

“Haaa. It’s hard,” her dad growled, shifting further into the house to look through the window at the bright front yard, where everyone gathered and mingled, finishing their conversations. “The world’s changed, for sure, but a thirteen-year-old bride is… not going to do him favors with the guys we work with.”

“I get that.” She studied the pair outside, each attempting to retain a smile as they spoke. “He knows it’s going to affect how her father sees their relationship, and he’s going to wonder a lot of things that I’m sure Nam fears.”

Her father hissed, head tilting to the side. “I’ll see what I can do… It’s your night, though!”

“Is it?” Rachel asked, utterly confused as to why he would say that.

She tried to maintain a cheerful expression as he hugged her. “I was talking to Master Sergeant Clay, and it seems the medal for your efforts in the Montana Crystal will be coming soon.”

“You don’t say… Heh. I’m sure it will look good above the fireplace,” she mumbled, stomach twisting.

“How can he talk about that when Sis is having trouble?” Nia huffed.

It’s not his fault… I don’t know, maybe it is… I just… Rachel’s thoughts trailed off, feeling dirtier than happy that she was the cause for Alexa not getting as much support as she should have during her troubles. Not once would Rachel have expected to experience that two months ago, and what did that say about who she was in the past?

I was so temperamental, bullied Mason, dismissed my mom’s efforts, looking for their praise more than praising her… How many times did I honor Mom for everything she did for me? Not enough…

Disgusted by her past attitude, the way things were now, and the total collapse of everything she’d known, Rachel could only get through the rest of her conversation with her father through force of will.

The change The Oscillation brought was nothing compared to how much this affected her life; instead of having something added, she was left with a hole in her heart.

Her father guided her toward the place where her mother had placed their high school graduation certificate and honor cords, now missing. Her mother had been an enormous part of every aspect of their lives and the community, while their father worked hard to maintain their higher-class way of life. It didn’t feel complete without both.

“Now that you mention it, it would look amazing above the fireplace! After all the new furniture and renovations are done… Hmm. I was thinking about getting a whole trophy case to collect everything the military and government are sending, and the souvenirs you brought back from the other world would look grand inside.”

Rachel’s eyebrows creased as Nia whispered, “What souvenirs? You never told me you had a souvenir.”

I didn’t bring one back, other than the energy source? she mumbled, following his gesture to a box in the corner.

“…I miss Mom.”

I do too.

“Yeah,” Rachel returned, pulling away. “Anyway, we have a long flight back. I hope you have a fun time tomorrow with Uncle Bon-Hwa.”

“Haaa. Your aunt…” he whispered, glancing toward Mason through the glass window; he talked eagerly with Anthony—he looked up to the man after spending the week with him when they were in Cuba. “Sometimes, I’m glad your mother decided to cut all ties to be with that doctor back home.”

“No…” Nia sniffled.

Rachel’s fingers tightened against her palm as she forced herself to nod. “Ahem… yeah. Umm, we gotta go, Dad. Sorry.”

“No, you’re off to save the world,” he laughed, pride in his gaze while scrutinizing her. “I wouldn’t keep you from doing what you love. I’m just… hehe, reflecting; remember your knockout against Anong—that Thai boxer?”

He glanced toward a few unfamiliar medals and a belt on a shelf instead of books. “Wow… time flies. You’ve grown so much over the years.”

She didn’t remember what seemed to be a massive moment in her life. Not fitting into this new line of reality after her goddess of a mother’s presence had dissolved within their lives was beginning to get to her, and she had to go.

“Mhm. Love you, Dad.”

“Uh-huh…”

Hugging him one last time, she walked toward the back to see why Selvaria had split away from the group; she paused in the empty kitchen, a shiver running down her spine before proceeding.

Moonlight from the half-crescent sphere above filled her with energy, and she closed the door behind her. “What’s up, Selv… Selv?”

Rachel stopped as the girl turned around, showing a rare piece of emotion with a strained smile and wet cheeks.

“I remember your mom… Is she really gone? We had plans… I was going to introduce her to my mom, so… so they could be friends, and we could all go shopping… cosplay, and… and… Alexa doesn’t remember?”

Nia broke into tears again, Yseress comforting her as Teresa held her own daughter.

“Sorry, honey… I’m sorry.”

Rachel was taken aback by the information; everyone had forgotten, except if they had some kind of unique trait like Anthony with the Eldritch or her, having multiple powerful Korean deities and being the personification of an Existence’s misfortune.

“How do you remember?” she carefully asked, vision darting to her mother. “Is there something unique about Selvaria—are you secretly some goddess—or is she?”

Teresa’s brow furrowed, and she shook her head as she reached into her purse to produce a plushy of a brown moose with orange antlers for Selvaria to hold. “Here… I brought Chocolate the moose for you—I know he’s your favorite… I don’t know anything about goddesses or anything of that sort… but Selvaria certainly is my special little girl.”

Her words caused Rachel’s nose to burn and throat to catch; Nia was already a mess, hugging her big sis.

“Thanks, Mom,” Selvaria sniffed, rubbing her cheek and smiling at the moose.

Rachel breathed out her emotions and nodded, remembering something Maria had mentioned at one point about the Leviathan, saying her brain had been healed during The Oscillation.

Not wanting to step into another mystery just yet with everything ahead of her tonight, she closed in to hug the girl; she forgot how firm Selvaria’s grip could be as she sniffed back her tears and tried to regain her composure.

“Sorry, Rachel… I know this is the hardest on you. I’ll help you get her back—for sure—we’ll have a super shopping marathon and start a whole cosplay convention!”

“Hehe. Yeah. Thanks, Selv.”

“Mom…”

“Haha. You’ve always been a headstrong girl,” Teresa sighed, brushing back her bangs as the water on her cheeks absorbed into her skin, salt and all. “I’ll be here, waiting for you to get your amazing moon and sea base built.”

“Uh-huh! We’ll make it so strong no one can take our moms away!”

Rachel chuckled at her innocent fervor; Selvaria was such a unique and precious addition to their group. “We don’t want to lock them up in a tower like prisoners.”

“Oh, yeah… We can build bodyguard space robots!”

“With lasers?” her mother asked with a smile.

“That their arms transform into—and they’ll wear maid outfits—and they’ll help you around the base, too! We’ll definitely bring Molly back; you’ll love her, Mom!”

“I can’t wait.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Rachel was touched by the girl’s dedication to those she connected with, figuring she didn’t have many friends in the past or had trouble letting people in due to some past incident, which made her highly protective of those she did.

Guiding them back around to the others, Rachel hugged her brother and cousin before jumping into the back of the big orange truck Maria had purchased to transport the Leviathan; Gisele and the Rabbit Gang almost missed the ride as she sent a prompt to them to run downstairs, waking them from their resting period—Galatea had stayed back so Zippy wouldn’t be lonely.

She rested against the bed upon entering the freeway, Scarlet beside her, holding her hand as Anthony sat on the opposite side; if they got pulled over, it shouldn’t be much of a problem with their current reputation.

Maria spoke up from the driver’s seat, the first to voice herself since they left, and Mara carried everyone’s voices around with her vocal prowess as Fiona generated a Wind Shield to cut out the noise—it would also increase gas mileage.

“I’m guessing there’s a lot more to that story than you let on, Liebre Lunar… I mean, Fi and I didn’t forget about Molly—like heck I could—but maldita, this sucks.”

[i.e., Lunar Hare; dang]

“Haaa. Wait… You remember?” Rachel responded, the shock of the comment overwriting her realization that her Seed had processed her command to hear Maria’s Spanish outbursts.

Maria lifted her hand up from inside the cab. “Chica, you think I’d forget a person? I’ve never forgotten a face in my life! I wanna bust some heads, so lay it on us, chica—what’s the real plan, eh?”

Fiona giggled. “Mhm. I had such good talks with her on the Legend’s Quest; she wanted to get to know all of your friends, so she spent time with all of us when you were plotting.”

“Typical psycho Rach,” Maria snickered.

“Totally psycho Rach!”

“Hehe. Still, I know you’re pissed we kept Twilight a secret from you guys. It’s insane you remember, though… Twilight did manipulate us together, and it has to be for a reason.”

Scarlet’s fingers tightened around hers. “It was my fault—I made her promise not to.”

“Humph. Yeah, well… I’m over that,” Maria grunted, flipping on her blinkers to get into the fast lane; almost no one was on the roads, but it would change as they got closer to Miami. “I’m with you, Rach; I’m just a thug, though, so I ain’t gonna think about that junk, but I can’t lie, so… ya know I’m straight.

“You know we answer to no man, so let’s stop the hate and spit it real; what else is in that deranged head, Rachel?”

“Maria…” Fiona whispered, floating down from the top of the truck and occasionally flapping her wings to keep pace. “Give her some time.”

Rachel shook her head, returning Scarlet’s squeeze. “Be pissed.”

“I will! Mierda! It pisses me off that everyone forgot… Yeah, I heard Selv remembers when you were back there, too, which is nice. Still, Molly deserves better… Gah, this sucks. Maldita sea todo al infierno!”

[i.e., Dang it! Drop it all to Hades!]

“Hehe. So, the big secret my mom told me…”

“Uh-huh?” Anthony asked, scooting forward a bit to get a better angle in the cramped bed and everyone focused on her; it felt a bit awkward to say allowed.

“I’m, uh, kind of… multiple goddesses, and the total embodiment of karma, which used to be the total embodiment of misfortune.”

As she expected, everyone’s face blanked, including Scarlet’s; she’d only told them about needing to go save her mother, but it seemed not everyone connected the dots that her mother had talked to her and went on a walk in the blink of an eye before vanishing.

Of course, her brother didn’t seem to have that same Essence, showing this split of her mother’s spirit was meant to be as mortal as it got, yet also likely explained how he’d obtained a Seed, even if the lesser kind.

“You’re… going to have to explain that one,” Anthony mumbled. “Eh-heh… am I dating multiple women—I’m confused.”

Rachel hadn’t connected that thought. “Huh… You know, that is an interesting point,” she mused, rubbing her arm with a thumb. “I mean, you’re basically dating grandmas, young little goddesses, and… a bad luck hare. I’m a whole mess of things! Haha.”

“Hold up, chica—rewind the tape—your saying… your mom’s a goddess?”

Selvaria grinned. “I knew she was too sweet to be a normal woman. Just like my mom!”

“Hehe. Don’t get the wrong idea,” Teresa giggled, waving her hand and trying to keep out of the spotlight. “I’m a normal 9-to-5 working widow mom.”

“A superpower in itself with that introduction,” Mara laughed. “Why don’t you start from the beginning, Rachel.”

Nemesis’ black lips were peeled back with excitement. “Haha! I fought multiple goddesses, eh? It makes sense.”

Rachel wasn’t sure it did, but he was probably thinking more about how he couldn’t have lost to a mortal, and Nia glared at the lion; she and Scarlet were not team Nemesis.

Alexa’s wings fluttered against the bed of the truck. “So… how do we fix everything—can you just empower us—can we go save her now?”

“Naaa!” Nora waved her hand. “No way it’s that easy… nothing’s that easy. Right, Anthony?”

“I’m still stuck on the fact I’m dating multiple goddesses, and what’s that about teasing me about little girl goddesses?”

“Teenage goddess present!” Alexa tried to laugh off, raising a hand.

“Angel,” Yseress corrected, materializing beside Fiona on the top of the cab and spreading out her wings to graze the edges of the fairy’s barrier around the truck. “Mistress, if you would be kind enough to explain everything in detail—without interruption—I am sure most questions will be answered.”

“True!” Maria huffed. “Spill the story, chica. We’re listening.”

[i.e., girl]

Taking a deep breath, Rachel went into the full explanation, expanding on her origins; she was a union of some of the strongest Supreme Goddesses in an Existence, which Jaenona elaborated on to Rachel’s relief. At least they had someone who could interpret the gibberish parts.

Still, it was hard to believe the story her mother told happened on a 13th-dimensional level when Izanami dealt in the 7th, but it did make her mother’s feats understandable once she’d revealed herself.

It also put a pit in Rachel’s stomach; how much stronger would she need to get to save her mother? It didn’t matter; she would do whatever it took, which resolved her to reveal her actual plan.

Anthony’s cheeks puffed out as he breathed a slow sigh. “So… does that mean you’ll turn into multiple goddesses eventually—break apart into different women? I mean, I’m kind of an Eldritch Mythickin now—eh, heh, not even a Legendkin—so I can’t judge, but… I’m just saying.”

Cahira snickered, giving him a wink. “What—can’t handle multiple women, Anthony? Why not embrace the variety? A different girl every day of the month, right?! Never a dull night!”

Nemesis rubbed his chin. “Multiple Rachels? Hmm… Interesting thought.”

“Eww…” Nora, Scarlet, and Fiona mirrored each other, grimacing at the redhead’s half-joking suggestion.

“Aye,” Maria huffed from the front seat, swapping lanes to not get stuck behind a slowpoke. “The chica hasn’t even said she’d split up—don’t be throwin’ nasty images on a chica.”

[i.e., girl]

“Yeah!” Fiona huffed. “Rachel may have multiple goddess essence in her, but she was born into one body, so… you’re not going to suddenly change again—right, Jaenona?”

Alexa, Selvaria, Teresa, and Mara didn’t seem to want to jump into the mess; then again, the mermaid’s soft hums were also needed to keep their conversation going.

The small, white-haired girl giggled and shook her head to Rachel’s relief. “The sacrifice Rachel explains is the Unification of Essence, which is something done regularly among those of The Song.

“What comes from the unification is not many but one, and it is infrequent for any typical independent creature to undergo such an all-consuming process out of fear of losing one’s individuality.

“Rachel has been reborn into something more than an individual through a melting pot. As concepts such as Death can take on a personification, so can a body of individuals unite into the personification of one ideal, which—in Rachel’s case—seems to be a conflict. She is a hunter—a creature of the night—in search of prey.”

Alexa’s smile became forced. “Yeah… that’s Rachel. Heh. You don’t remember your new life—the one I’ve lived?” she asked.

Rachel shook her head, processing everything she was being told.

“Well, yeah, ever since I’ve known you, you’ve never fit into any group or made friends; you’ve been fighting since the age of five.”

“What?” Rachel asked. “No, I didn’t pick up Muay Thai until I was a teenager?”

“Uh, not from what I’ve heard.”

Fiona nodded. “Yeah, Cahira mentioned that when on the Legend’s Quest, your dad told her that you’ve been kicking butt since you were a little kid; you’ve always had that calm, calculating fighting style of picking apart your opponent… or so your dad said.”

“He did,” Cahira sighed. “This is so confusing…”

Rachel hissed, rubbing her forehead and realizing it was also challenging for her team to reconcile with a totally different version of her than they believed they knew. There was only one person she knew she could turn to who might be able to correct things and set her on the right path to saving her mom, as much as she hated the thought.

“Scarlet…”

“Mhm?”

Scooting closer to Anthony as he shifted to allow her a bit more room, she held her sister’s hand and smiled at her, glad she still knew who she was. “I know this is going to be hard to hear… but I think we need Twilight’s help.”

“Huh?!” Fiona squawked. “After we just heard how terrible she is?! Whaaa! I mean, I know you’re mind’s on an insane level of 4D chess, but is that really something you would say?! I’m just saying!”

Anthony hissed, running his fingers through his flaming hair as he studied Scarlet’s downcast expression, biting her lip. “No… this is on point for Rachel. How did you think she got Yseress or Izanami to work with us?”

“That… is kind of an interesting question,” Nora mumbled. “I mean, we didn’t forget all the stuff Fi did since I’m an Eldritch slime. How did everything go for you, Fi? Do you remember Blinne—the old lady that took me in when I ran away?”

“Who? No, I found you in a pond.”

“No!” Nora huffed, suddenly heated. “You did NOT forget Blinne, right?! She was the sweetest lady ever!”

“Sorry…. Just joking!” Fiona forced a grin, shrinking in a little under her sister’s glare.

“Fi!”

“Sorry! Sorry! Everyone is just so gloomy… I think Molly would want us to be happy we remember her—and I love Blinne—she helped us connect again.”

“More than that… she saved us, Fi—I… I was in such a dark place.”

“I know…”

Scarlet cleared her throat, and Rachel could sense a determination building in her sister’s blue eyes. “What’s your plan—do you want me to wake her up and… and ask?”

Everyone bristled at the girl’s response.

“Woah! Woah!” Cahira forced a laugh. “We be gettin’ a bit jumpy here. Should we be goin’ nuclear from the start—do we have any more options, Boss?”

Rachel giggled and shook her head, bending over to hug her sister. “No. Nothing so drastic—at least, not yet—I’m talking about forcing our way to wherever she’s hiding. Are you sure, Scarlet? I understand if you’re uncomfortable with this.”

“I am uncomfortable,” Scarlet whispered, gripping her shirt front, and Nia held her breath, realizing there was a way to maybe get what they wanted. “If we can get Mom back… I’ll even wake up Scarlet, and… and what about my… my other mom?”

The others looked away upon Adele’s mention—the woman who had been deceived by Revilla into killing millions for what she thought would save untold universes and countless trillions of lives.

Rachel didn’t hesitate, though. “Scarlet… I’d make the whole world my enemy to bring my mother back. I get it, and if Jeanne can’t remove the death penalty from the table, I’ll do whatever you want.”

Scarlet’s gaze couldn’t leave her lap. “I can’t ask you guys to do that for me… My mom did something… unforgivable… but I can’t not love her—she’s my mom—and I know she feels horrible… I just want to talk to her—what if she commits suicide because the guilt is too bad?” she cried. “I don’t want to lose two moms!”

Rachel held her closer, tears coming to her own eyes. “I told you… I’d figure it out. You don’t have to ask anything—aren’t we sisters?”

“Rachel… I don’t want to lose anyone anymore…”

She held Scarlet until she could calm down; holding her hand, she looked at each of her emotional teammates, ending with Alexa and Melissa. “The others have been through literal Hades with us, but you two… If you want to back out, now’s the chance because it will only grow more complicated from here.”

Melissa’s tentacles exited her back to lift her up. “Hehe. And abandon the only people who have not only saved me but made my miserable life bearable? No. I’ll follow Selvaria wherever she goes, and if you help me save my little sister… We don’t have anywhere else to go.”

Alexa chuckled, looking up at Yseress’s large, black wings. “I’m kind of stuck, too, Rach… Nam and my marriage won’t last… I know it won’t if I go back, and I can’t lose him. So, I need your mother’s magic touch in our lives to help bring things back to the fairytale you told me… I want to live that.”

Maria lifted her hand out of the window. “What do you think, chica? I ride or die—ya know how it is—the hood got ya.”

“Me, too!” Fiona chimed, throwing her hand in the air.

Selvaria nodded. “You’re my friends, and it’s really… very super rare that people are nice to me… Oh, and I’m interested to know if my mom’s a goddess, too. Can you check, Jaenona?”

“Selv,” Teresa sighed. “I’m just your mother—I know you think I’m a superhero—but you’re the real hero.”

Selvaria stubbornly shook her head. “The mother of a superhero is even more of a superhero—it’s just how it is, Mom—you’re a total, super powerful, ultra goddess. Believe it. Please, Jaenona?”

“Hold up,” Rachel hastily muttered, causing everyone to freeze; she had flashbacks of her mother’s face. “Teresa… do you want her to check, or will that cause you trouble?”

Selvaria’s eyes widened. “Wait… I don’t want you to disappear, Mom?!”

“No… Honey,” Teresa steamed out a heavy breath, giving the small, white-haired girl a sad look. “I’m not concerned about vanishing; I just don’t want to disappoint you, Sweetie, but… go ahead. I’m just a normal mom, though.”

Jaenona’s head tilted to the side with a small smile. “Huh… I taste the lingering markers of the Divine on your Essence.”

“What?”

Selvaria threw her fist in the air, her monotone voice full swing. “100% baby—always right.”

“What… does that mean?” Teresa tentatively asked, giving the curious Eldritch child a dubious look. “I’m definitely not living the life of a goddess; that’s for sure… Her father? He certainly did have the body of a Greek god,” she mused, suddenly seemingly into the idea.

“Mom…” Selvaria mumbled. “Embarrassing.”

Nia appeared in the only open space, rocking back and forth. “Ooh! Is she a goddess—do you like dress-up like Selv—can we go shop—ack!” she winced as Rachel’s fingers clapped down on her head. “Sorry! I’m just excited. We have another goddess on the team?!”

“She’s not on the team,” Rachel corrected. “She’s Selvaria’s mom.”

“Okay! N-No, not the ear, Rachel! Hissss!”

Everyone laughed, looking at the giggling white-haired girl’s shrug. “All I can tell is she has signs of having been touched by the Divine at some point. It could have been to insert Selvaria into her growing pouch, or it could have been from the lingering unity of consorting with a god.”

“That settles that,” Rachel interrupted, considering the topic closed for now and not wanting to put all the focus on Selvaria’s newly introduced mother or overwhelm her. “As for my plan… First, we have our psych evaluation, Fi, Maria, Scarlet.”

“Ugh…” Scarlet scratched her head. “Really?”

“Mhm. Luckily, it shouldn’t extend to everyone, and we’ll see. After that… we’re going to France to get some answers and save Melissa’s sister.”

She glanced at her sister-in-law. “Thanks for the tip, Alexa.”

“Oh, uh, yeah, hehe. You know, just your resident heavenly walkie-talkie… Please don’t use me like a walkie-talkie,” she swiftly cried.

“No promises,” Rachel grinned. “Hopefully, she’s still there.”

Melissa returned to her seat with everyone shifting to make room for her. “If she’s not?”

“We’ll find her!” Maria roared. “Nobody messes with family—and dumpin’ you in the middle of the ocean like that—oh, we’re gonna hit up some hoods and rattle some cages on that, cuz.”

“Hoods?” Melissa asked, looking at Selvaria.

The Leviathan made a fist and smashed her hand. “We’re gonna get even.”

Fiona’s expression darkened with the crimson powder her wings produced. “They’re real villains, leaving you to die and doing that to your sister…”

Nora snickered. “You’re so overprotective, Fi.”

“No one messes with family.”

“Maldita recta,” Maria growled. “You know how it is, and you’re in the family now, chica; you’re from Miami.”

[i.e. Dang straight]

Melissa and Alexa swallowed, seeing each of their hard gazes.

“So… we’re going to find my sister, and… then Glaucus?”

Maria slapped the outside of the door. “Better understand I’m from Hialeah—I’m a soldier in my hood—it’s an army, and you just entered the exotic family. Atrapa a un tonto que se resbala, nos detenemos, sacamos la Glock y enviamos su trasero a St. Mary.”

[i.e., Catch a fool slipping, we pull up, pop the Glock, and send his ass to St. Mary]

“What?” Alexa asked, glancing between them. “St. Mary as in… kill him?”

Fiona floated down to high-five Maria. “Nothing scarier than a chola, right?”

“Dang straight, chica. We don’t let crap slide when they take shots at the crew.”

“We don’t fear no one!” Fiona huffed, puffing up her tiny chest and making Rachel laugh.

“Hey, if we’re in the neighborhood. We might as well rattle some cages; after all, they dealt with Relica, and we still need to ensure she has no leftover surprises for us. I’m going to split us into a day and night team—we’re big enough for it now—and Maria…”

“Aye! You’ve been thinking about me,” she cried, looking up at the sky. “Every time I throw my hand out the window, it’s like a freakin’ chihuahua bites it! Maldita luna—aye, I got special windows, though; check it, my boys fixed him up—so I’m good.”

[i.e., freakin’ moon]

“Hehe. Nice..”

Fiona snickered. “Did you name your car after a boy?”

“Yo, don’t be bashin’ Isaias; he’s my boy—dual turbo—it’s got the nitro! I’ll rip it!”

They laughed as she revved the engine, but it soon died as Rachel cleared her throat. “Uh, Maria—police up ahead.”

“Crap—the five-o! Lay low—get down!”

Rachel felt better with her gang as Maria insisted they lay as flat as possible to not be seen, cramming together; she wasn’t alone in this.