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We crossed Decatur and went up the steps overlooking the river It was cooler there, the breeze brisker off the water, bringing with it the smells of riverand stared out over the choppy, dark water Lights froiers Point bobbed and blinked in the distance "Your mother loved the river"

I went still beside hi someone else in my life who knew her, loved her, hit me with a force that stole my breath He’d spent time with her, tiirl memories were few and far between I had so many questions about her, about thelanced at , then turned back to the river "Our time was brief compared to the life I have lived, but those days with her, with you--they outshine all the others They are always in the forefront ofsilence followed And I didn’t press hioddess to love h he couldn’t bear to look upon the river another second, heI fell into step beside him "You look like her," he said "You have her sret and anger all jury knot in my chest "She loved you, Ari The first time she held you, she stared at you, a’ "

I blinked "You were there, when I was born?" His name wasn’t on my birth certificate, and now that I kneho he was, it was understandable But the fact that he’d been there with her, with me, came as a shock

"Aye, I was there" He held out his hands, re "I was the first to hold you You were born at Charity Hospital Eleni wanted to settle here, but ere always on the ht the Novem and Josephine Arnaud could offer us protection, a home"

Athena had rained destruction on the city looking for my mother and father, the only Son of Perseus ever to betray the goddess She’d wanted tomy father a safe haven, Josephine Arnaud had turned him over to Athena to stop the destruction

"I sent your mother away," he told me "When I knee’d been betrayed"

"Have you seen her--Josephine, I hborhood with the very being who had taken him away from his family

"No I haven’t had the pleasure," he answered in a low, chilling tone

Patient My father was patient And Josephine would one day be in a world of hurt--of that I had no doubt

He held the door open to Maspero’s, and ere seated at a table by theOur waitress took our drink order and left "After I was taken,"off, unable to finish his sentence He tried again, and I knew this must be hard for him; he didn’t strike me as a man who talked about his pain But he seeleknohat happened to her What happened to you"

"She gave o," I blurted out There I said it And it still hurt, whether I said it out loud or infound, scared of what she’d beco you up was the only way she knew to protect you From Athena And frorief

I reached across the table and slippedothers either, but his despairI felt it too

"She’d be happy," I told hiether now"

A sh the idea was still unbelievable "She would at that"

Our drinks arrived and we placed our order, though I had to wonder if ing After the waitress was gone, I asked hirandson

"It’s your life, Ari Your decisions I have not been a father to you"

"You haven’t been a father to me because you couldn’t Not because you didn’t want to You do have input here It matters to me, what you think"

He took a drink of his sweet tea and then cleared his throat

"Sebastian’s her grandson," I stressed "It doesn’t bother you that her blood runs through his veins?"

He studiedmoment in that calm way of his "No It doesn’t I watched hihts on end, watched him annihilate her minions and carry you to safety It’s actions that h one’s veins Or the curse Your , but she had the wisdoods until she seted him and made him a better person

Our appetizer arrived I picked up a fried calalad we did this"