I placed a hand over my mouth and looked down at Kellen. He looked peaceful, like he was taking a nap, but I knew this curse was much stronger than that. Without even realizing it, I began to pace at his bedside. What would I do? I'd just... lost him. Out of the blue. I never even- I never told him.

And here we were, Kellen in a slumber for all eternity.

"For the son I have lost today, you Hypnos will lose your own. You will suffer eternal consciousness until the day that he is gone, knowing that you will only rest when he is gone. I forsake your name Hypnos and cast you from Olympus until your sentence is complete. May you feel my wrath and my sorrow when you find no rest in the moon."

I felt the breath leave my lungs like a hard blow. His voice still echoed in my brain even after all these years, these centuries of torment.

My lungs refilled and memories blinded me.

My brother sat there on the cold ground in devastation, his lover cradled in his arms. I watched tears fall down his cheeks as he held her to his chest and mourned over her lost soul. Yet all I could do was stand. Stand and watch and wait in the shadows at my brothers broken heart. The agony he felt surrounded him like smoke.

And her body. Her poor human body was so wrong. The limbs were twisted, the face wasn't right, her skin was blackened. And it was my fault. We should've let her be, let her be at peace in the fields of asphodel. But Thanatos could not stand it. He couldn't bear the thought of his beloved separated from him.

And so he begged me on his knees to put Zeus to sleep. I'd done it for Hera before, surely I could do it for my own brother. And I did, I agreed. But his son. His stupid, stupid demigod son got in the way.

And here we were, all the Olympians gathering to watch. Gathering to see as Thanatos held his lover and Zeus cradled his son. A mortal could have never withstood the power of that spell. There was too much, he would never wake again.

And finally Zeus looked to me. He stared me in the face and I could see the hatred in his eyes.

"You have wronged me for the last time, Hypnos," he spat bitterly, "you killed my son."

"I didn't-" but he was already standing, his fists clenched at his sides.

"For the son I have lost today, you Hypnos will lose your own. You will suffer eternal consciousness until the day that he is gone, knowing that you will only rest when he is gone. I forsake your name Hypnos and cast you from Olympus until your sentence is complete. May you feel my wrath and my sorrow when you find no rest in the moon," when he spoke I felt every word like an arrow through my body. A curse. I was cursed.

And I saw the Olympians. They pitied me. They shunned me. They sympathized with me. And yet I was alone. I was alone for years, sitting there. Like a statue.

And when I returned home.

The curse followed.

I snapped out of it when the door slammed open. I recognized the girl, even with her hair all cut off.

It was Kellen's sister, the eldest one. When all of this started. When I saved her.

And behind her was my brother with the smaller ones hanging off him like monkeys. I knew Kellen would've liked to see that, would've liked to see them. Yet what hurt just as badly was that Zephyr followed suit and I knew that if he was here then so was Eros.

"Where's my brother?" The sister demanded, but ran straight over to him, "what did you do?"

Thanatos set down the younger two who ran over to Kellen immediately. Zephyr, though stormed right up to me and I could see it on his face how badly he wanted to hurt me.

"What did you do to Kellen?" His voice was deathly calm and his jaw was set as a fire burned in his eyes.

"I- he," I fell silent and ran my fingers through my hair, turning away from him, "he found the mirror."

"No. No," Zephyr said and crossed his arms over his chest. "The prophecy clearly stated that it was a son for a son."

I wiped a hand down my face and walked over to Kellen, I could see his sister's were bawling over him. The younger ones at least. The older one looked as though she was trying to keep it together for the sake of her siblings.

"It was a son," I mumbled sadly and looked down at Kellen's sleeping face.

"But Kellen is my son," Zephyr stated angrily and I finally looked back at him to see tears forming in his eyes.

I opened my mouth to speak when the oldest girl spoke up.

"Who is Hypnos? Why does this say Hypnos?" She almost sounded angry as she looked at the brand on his neck. Zephyrus visibly became rigid and came to Kellen's side, sitting on the edge of the bed. He swept his thumb over the poppy and I saw that tear finally roll down his cheek.

"What did you do, Hypnos?" He whispered to me and I backed away in shame.

"You can read that?" Thanatos put in and walked up to the bedside. It was puzzling, that text was in ancient Greek. A language long since lots.

"Why wouldn't I?" She seemed genuinely confused as she looked behind her at Thanatos.

"Because no mortal has been able to read that language in thousands of years," Eros told her gravely. She looked back at the brand curiously.

"But I can read it just fine," she whispered under her breath and stared at her brother.

Thanatos was silent for a moment.

"Callista, do you remember when that bird that fell out of its nest?" He asked softly and she nodded, "it should've died from the impact, but it didn't."

"What does that have to do with anything?" She asked him but he paced the room.

"And the time your water changed to wine and we thought it was just a mix up?" Thanatos said more to himself this time.

"What are you getting at?" Zephyr interrupted him and my brother stopped and looked at all of us.

"Callista, I think you're a witch," he said and looked he run the eye. She looked skeptical.

"I'm just a person. I'm normal," she said and it sounded like something she'd been telling herself for a very long time.

"No. I don't think so, I think your mother's blood carried magic onto you and I think you can wield it," Thanatos said firmly. Callista tugged at her earlobe nervously and looked back at Kellen.

"What's the use if I can't use it to help my brother," she lamented and wiped at her eyes, "what even is this? He never had it before."

"Yes, that's what I'd like to know," Zephyrus hissed at me and I knew that telling then would probably land me in hot water, but I did anyways.

"I didn't..." I trailed off and turned to the window, "I didn't even realize what I was doing until it was over with. And when he saw it... he ran. He ran and he found the mirror."

"That still doesn't make any sense," Eros chimed in from the doorway, "Zephyr was right it's a son for a son and I know Kellen isn't your son."

I felt my heart break just a little bit more as I walked over to him and crouched by the bed. My hand ghosted over his covered abdomen as I spoke.

"It did take my son, but it took Kellen with it," Zephyrus looked up at me in shock and I could see the wrath ignite in him. He stood up and looked down at me. I accepted that he was angry with me. And I accepted that this would most likely end in a fight.

"What did you do to him?" He said again and clenched his fists at his sides.

"I regret it now," I admitted and I could feel all that anger building up in Zephyr. But Eros could too and he chose that moment to sweep in and intervene. He clasped Zephyr's wrists in his palms and shook his head. Zephyrus jerked away from him in frustration and wiped away the quickly falling tears on his face.

"Stop it. All of you," Callista finally spoke up, "we need to think about Kellen. Is there... is there anything we can do?"

"Not unless you get Zeus to revoke his curse and that's never going to happen," Eros said to her, but she didn't back down.

"Then that's what we'll do. We'll get him to take it back," she stated firmly and looks shim in the eye.

"Its not that easy kid," Eros shook his head in defeat, but Callista remained adamant.

"If there is a chance I could get my brother back, then I'm taking it," she whispered, and every one of us heard each word clearly in the tense silence.

"I'll take you to him," I told her and Thanatos looked at me curiously from the corner.

"If you're going then so am I," Zephyr stood his ground and I knew that entailed Eros too.

"You're all crazy," he whispered to himself and shook his head.

"I want to get him back," I said, "if this is my only chance to save the boy I love. Then I'll take it."

--------------------

Olympus was just like I remembered. Eternal. Eternally serene. Eternally sunny.

Callista didn't spare a second when we came upon the doors to the great hall. She threw them open as hard as she could, no doubt to make a statement to the gods inside. Speaking of, they all turned to us when we entered.

There was murmurs in the crowd but Callista had her sights set on Zeus.

"The curse is broken I see," he mused and gave me a cocky smirk.

"How observant of you," I told him flatly and Crosse dum arms over my chest.

"Interesting. You'll have to save your complaints for later," he waved his hand lazily, "as you can see, we're having a meeting."

"Fuck your meeting, fuck you and fuck all the rest of you condescending assholes," Zephyr lashed out and pointed an accusatory finger at Zeus.

There was a slight disruption among the Olympians, but one voice I knew stuck out.

"Yeah right, just like you spread your legs at the pet party," Apollo. Of course, no one else would hate Zephyr as much as him. Zephyr went red in the face and turned to him.

"I don't care what you have to say, Apollo. At least I don't have to fucking rape people to get what I want," beneath his facade of 'I don't care' I could see how much Apollo's comment had affected him. He looked pale and almost scared. I knew Eros had noticed too. But more concerning, he looked shocked.

The Olympians started up again. Their voices all rising and melding together until I saw Callista tremble. Whether with anger or frustration I wasn't sure.

"Shut up!" She bellowed and even I flinched at the sound. The chatter grew quiet as she stormed up to Zeus and looked him straight in the eye. "Give me back my brother right now. Or so help me I will make you pay for it."

A ripple of laughter went through the gods.

"Laugh at me all you want, but know that I will tear each of you down piece by piece," she hissed, never breaking eye contact with the king of the gods. "I will destroy your altars. I will demolish your temples. I will turn your followers against you until you are nothing but dust and wind. I will not stop until even your memories are lost. I will face each of you a thousand times until I bring you to your knees." The gods were deathly silent now and they all looked unnerved by this little human girl. Her voice dropped to a whisper and I knew all eyes were on her, "so when you are in bondage and burnt to ashes. I will not help you and I will not hear your screams for mercy."

The gods were quiet. No one said anything after her frankly terrifying speech. Zeus eyed her for a moment.

"Hypnos, if you agree to give up your immortal blood and complete twelve tasks for me," he drawled and looked to me, "I will spare your son and your lover."

My heart pounded in my chest and thundered in my ears. I knew the attention was on me now. I knew that they were waiting. But I knew my answer too. I'd known it for far to long.

"I'd do anything to bring back Kellen, if it means my immortality then so be it. But know this, Zeus," it was my turn now. The hall was dead silent, "you will learn to fear those who do not fear death."

I gave a meaningful glance at Callista as I spoke.

Zephyr then stepped forward before Eros could stop him.

"I forfeit my my immortality for Kellen," he declared to Zeus. The king of the gods rolled his eyes.

"Fine," he sighed like this whole encounter was a waste of time.

"And me," Eros stepped up beside Zephyr too, Zeus nodded and yawned in boredom.

"So be it, you will all face the tasks," he shrugged, "but I do not expect any of you to survive."