The Lost Ones

IV

It was the first time in a long time that Luciana had remembered something. Her mind had sealed away memories of her and her mother years ago. She hated herself for it. The cold floor gave her an odd sense of comfort. Her left eye started to twitch. What is one supposed to do in this situation? No body prepares for this. " I'm pretty sure no one wrote a book on how to fight magical creatures", she mumbled to herself.

" My hand", Luciana forced herself up and studied her hand. It didn't seem injured and she can't exactly remember doing anything that would cause it to go up in flames. Alessandro stared at her. He was looking for sincerity in her expression. How is it possible to live this long and never have these powers come out at least once? He handed her the water, which she thankfully accepted. Alec was watching them both from the hallway. "She has to be lying", he argued with himself. After being alive for this long how could she not know? She could clearly fight well .She didn't hesitate to start swinging at the beast back in the woods. Alec looked out towards the window and could see the blue and red lights begin to light up the street. Thankfully he had drawn shut most of the curtains when they entered, leaving just enough light to be able to look around. He peered around the open curtain when he realized that the lights hadn't left the area yet. Officers where starting to swarm street below them. They were looking for something or someone. And even better yet, multiple some-ones. He followed their gaze up the building until he saw the blood drip onto the window.

"I think we have a problem" Alec whispered. They had greatly underestimated the beast. The chimera stood tall. One of it's horns swaying by its lion head red with blood. It stood at the top of the building pacing back and forth. Alec observed it's behavior. It wasn't attacking yet it knew exactly where to find them. It almost seemed like it was waiting. For them? 'That's not possible', thought Alec. He turned to his brother only to see him and the girl gone. His eyes darted between the space by the empty coffee table and sofa. 'They wouldn't leave me, would they' Alec didn't know what to think. He noticed Zale in the kitchen and headed towards him. "Grab what you can and whatever won't spoil", Zale had found a backpack and began to throw anything in a can into it. Alec busied himself with grabbing granola bars and other snack like items that wouldn't spoil to quickly. Alessandro had grabbed Luciana and pulled her to feet urging her to grab anything important because they had to leave. He also doubted that her landlord would save anything that seemed sentimental. They weren't exactly in what looked like the best part of town. She would have to abandon the apartment building and go with them. Why? Well Alessandro wasn't sure, but it didn't feel right to leave her with an ancient beast on the roof and dozens of officers right outside. Luciana began to pack basic essentials. It wasn't the first time she had to skip town in the dead of night. That's why she never spent to much money on a place or on furniture. She packed toiletries, clothes, and the picture of her mother before taking one final look around the room. It wasn't much but for a long time it was home.

Her two suitcases held her entire world. Luciana had never felt more miniscule in her life. Sure she had never felt important to anybody except maybe her mother. But then again Luciana always felt that her mother cared more about keeping her safe than keeping her. If that made any sense. She shook her head and grabbed the peeling leather handles and headed out of the room. She noticed Alec and Zale scrounging things from her pantry. Alessandro had quietly shut the blinds and tidied up the living room. Luciana felt odd standing in her living room while all the boys packed and fumbled about. It still hadn't settled in her mind that she was about to embark on some misshapen journey that will probably be filled with cheap roadside motels with three boys, no scratch that, three men that she had just met while battling some supposedly mythical creature from ancient times in the forest by her apartment. That was ,by the way, on the roof of her building. Her brain felt scrambled and her legs felt like squishy. Every step she took away from her apartment felt like she was in a dream. Every thing felt hazy and slow but fast at the same time. With every nauseating step, they drifted further and further from the back of the building. Just time for police to start evacuating her floor. She followed the boys to a small abandoned building just on the edge of the woods. They stuck close to the shadows to avoid detection from police and the beastly thing on the roof. The last thing they wanted was to be caught in their clothes painted with blood.

They hid the car behind the building, making sure that no one would see it. Alec put Luciana's suitcases in the trunk with their bags and they all hurried into the car. It was a small, navy, four door car. Nothing to fancy but not to worn out either. Alessandro started to drive just Luciana's body gave out in the backseat. She slumped against the seat next to Zale as the three men realized what they had done. Alec was furious. He folded his arms across his chest and pierced Alessandro with his eyes.

"What the hell, this", he flared his arms towards a sleeping Luciana, "Was not part of any of our plans". Alessandro dropped a heavy sigh and scratched the back of his head. Alec was right. They hadn't even discussed the possibility of bringing her along. It took nearly three weeks to convince themselves Zale was good enough to come.

"Plans change Alec", Alessandro mumbled just enough for Alec to hear him. The tension between them grew. Alec began to mumble under his breath. Enough to annoy Alessandro but not loud enough for him to hear the monstrosities he was calling him. They may be twins but beside being brothers, the two were nothing alike. They didn't even share the same features.

"As much as I hate to break ,whatever this is, up does anyone have any idea who her dad is or maybe even her mom?", Zale's head emerged between the two, wedging itself into the thickness of the air. The brothers glanced in each others directions and sighed. Zale was right. They had no way to really prove that she was a child of the gods. Or maybe just weird. Alessandro glanced at her through the rearview mirror. She was exhausted. And who wouldn't be. Zale, Alec, and he had been fighting things like this for months by now. He had forgotten to keep track of time. " It can't be that difficult, I mean how many greek gods have fire power or great fighting ability", Alec announced. His arms were folded over his chest as he sank into the seat. "Well there's Hestia, Prometheus, Hephaestus, but what if her parents aren't even a god or goddess", Alessandro fixated his eyes on the road. Those were his top three contenders. Maybe a fire nymph?

"What about Helios?" Zale questioned from the back seat. "And why would it be Helios? He works with the sun?, Alec turned around in his seat to look over at Zale's serious face.

"Helios is the god of the sun right. Well isn't the sun just a big ball of fire floating through space? Or maybe her power has to do with light? Maybe she just glitched and we assumed it's fire." Zale held firm to his statements. And they weren't starting to look that radical. "I think we can rule out Prometheus because he's a titan but that doesn't feel that plausible. What do you guys think?" Alec declared.

"I agree"

"Same"

That had narrowed their list down three or four, assuming they kept Zale's theory on Helios. But then again if she's the daughter of a trickster or illusionist maybe that's not the idea. Alec and the others sat in comfortable silence as they drove through the night to put as much distance between them and whatever other creatures where in that town.