"So you knew Annabeth killed my mom?"

Charles didn't make eye contact with me, but he nodded his head grimly. "I know it will be hard for you to understand, but the rules for Potentes simply just aren't broken. You spend your whole life being taught one thing is right, and even if you disagree with it, it is so hard to fight against. I was already being pressured so hard by my own family, and then by The Order too. They threatened my family if I didn't follow through with my engagement. So I did."

I had a hard time trying to put myself in his position, but I was really trying to understand him. "So what about me and Stephen? How were we saved?"

"I honest to god, don't know." He answered. "After I found out about your mom's death, I was totally wrecked. Completely devastated. But no one knew what had happened to the babies. So few people knew of the truth in the first place, but then for the two of you to both juts vanish a day after your birth was unbelievable. I assumed you were both dead like your mother. I was even going to take my own life until I got a strange phone call. The person said they had the babies and that they were putting you with a family and to say nothing to anyone for your protection." He told us. "I followed up on it to be sure that it was true, and sure enough there the both of you were, leaving a hospital with a happy looking young couple."

"So you just left us with those strangers?" I asked him, more sadness in my voice than I had wanted.

"What would you have had me do?" He asked. "Your mother had been killed, and I knew that if anyone knew about the birth of twin Potentes that you'd be in even more danger. The best looking option seemed to be for you to disappear with a family." He explained to me. "I always kept track of you both though. Always."

"Who killed Stephen?"

"It was someone in The Order."

"But aren't you in The Order?" Garrett asked.

"Yes, I am the leader actually." Charles responded. "I don't know who specifically is responsible, but I do know that whoever it was is a part of The Order. For obvious reasons they are all being very sneaky, or they think they are, about not letting me find out that they are secretly trying to hunt down and kill my kids." He had clear anger in his voice. "I will find out who, and when I do I will kill them." His tone was making this a promise. "I began hearing whispers about the two of you a few years back. People were careful not to talk about it around me, but I picked up on it anyway. You were both about 13 years old. I came to see Stephen."

"You what?"

"I met Stephen. I told him everything, I explained it all and made sure that he knew he needed to protect you."

"You're saying Stephen knew about us?"

"Yes." He replied. "Stephen was a special young man. He may not have ever had a powerful ability, but he did have a fierce protectiveness over you. That was his role in all of this. He was supposed to protect you, keep you safe until you came into your power, then he was supposed to help you understand what was happening, and get you to me." He looked to the floor. "He didn't get to finish his part though. Whoever the person was that saved you and your brother from The Order and got you to your adoptive parents must have told them what the two of you were. Your adoptive father tipped off The Order about you both in exchange for money. That's how they found you and killed Stephen. Then your father moved you out here, right to The Order's front door." His eyes flashed with anger. "That worthless piece of flesh. How he could just sell out you and your brother after having raised the both of you is beyond my comprehension."

My mouth was dry at the thought of it. That man was responsible for the death of my brother, and he tried to set up my death as well. I was totally with Charles in not understanding how he could do this to us. "I don't even know what to say." I told him. "What does Annabeth know?"

He rolled his eyes at the very mention of her name. "She doesn't know who you are." He assured me. "She doesn't have a reason to be in the loop with The Order's business anymore. Since we were married and she knew Marrsala was dead, she hasn't bothered to care anything else about it. She'd rather pretend none of it happened."