More than once during the long journey home, I thought it very unfair to give me a task - in fact, six tasks - with a time limit, and then start off by dragging me halfway around the world to get the task with the injunction that I had to go all the way back again before opening it. I kept these thoughts to myself in case anyone was listening - you never know with gods - but if I opened it and the task said 'Go to Greece' then there was going to be hell to pay.

Arriving back in New York, I was all for heading back to my apartment, but the guys had other ideas.

"You aren't safe there," said Alexei.

"We need to protect you," Nico explained. "And all of us, plus your brother, can hardly stay in that one apartment."

"We need somewhere big enough for all of us," Alexei went on. "And somewhere safer."

"Is anywhere safe from gods?" I asked, not unreasonably.

"No," admitted Alexei. "But gods use emissaries on Earth. Like the wolves. We can take you somewhere that will be more secure against such enemies. Of course, as time passes and you move through the tasks - assuming you do - the gods may choose to take a more active interest, but we will deal with that when we come to it."

Set though I had been on going back home to Remi, the encounter with the wolves had made its mark on me, as had the look that Poseidon had leveled at me. I knew the guys wanted what was best for me, and the truth was, that I probably did need their protection. Plus, I didn't want the New York equivalent of wolves - and there were plenty enough options - turning up at the apartment when Remi was there.

I nodded. "Okay. I'll stay wherever you want me to on one condition."

"This is not a negotiation."

"That's what you think. I'm not vanishing off without seeing Remi - he's my brother. We're going there now, maybe I'll spend the night there. After that, I'll do as you tell me."

"I really doubt that," muttered Christoph.

"You are not spending the night there," said Alexei. "I am putting my foot down on that."

I shot him a smile. "Okay. You be sure to let me know how that goes."

Back at the apartment, Remi was delighted to see me back, and seeing him made me realize just how much I had missed him. We sometimes vacationed apart, but it was rare for us not to see each other for as long as a weekend. Remi and I were as close as siblings can be.

"How'd it go? What happened?"

I still wondered how much of this he believed, but I guess he wouldn't have let me go off with three strange men if he hadn't believed it - the Hudson running red had certainly turned his thinking around.

I brought him up to date on everything and he sat entranced by the whole story.

"Wow. Have you opened the scroll yet?"

"Not yet." I was hedging a little bit. For some reason that I couldn't quite put my finger on, I didn't want my brother there when I opened it. "The guys think I should be living somewhere else till this is over. Somewhere they can protect me."

Remi nodded. "Makes sense. And these guys know what they're talking about. I think you should do whatever they suggest."

I felt my heart leap a little bit - Remi was being so cool about this. Maybe it would be easier than I had thought.

"We should go now," Remi continued. "I'll throw some things in a bag. I can't wait to see what the scroll says."

With that, he sprang up and went into his bedroom to pack.

I turned to the guys. "Soooooo... I'm guessing you don't want him to come with us?"

Alexei met my eyes. "I'm guessing you don't."

"What are you talking about?"

"He can come," said Alexei. "If you want. But we will not protect him."

"What?"

"Our task is to protect you," explained Nico. "We will not endanger you by splitting our focus. Nor will we endanger ourselves even a little bit to help him - we need to be healthy and safe to protect you."

As he spoke, a double realization hit me. Remi could not come with us, but he also could not know about any of this. If I left him here in full knowledge, then he would try to follow, try to help, try to find out more. He would draw attention to himself.

"You said you had powers." My voice was low and my eyes trained on the carpet.

"We do," said Alexei. "Some. As do you."

Ordinarily, that would have commanded more of my attention, but with things as they were, I filed it away for later.

"Would those powers stretch to making a person forget? Giving them a new memory?"

"What are you asking?"

I drew a deep breath. "Make Remi forget all of this. Make him think that I've gone on vacation for three weeks and that he has to take care of my mom. And make him think he got good and laid last night. Like, amazing sex."

"Why?"

"Because I might never see him again, I want to give him a present and I've got nothing else to give."

Alexei shook his head. "I mean, why are we erasing his memory at all?"

"Because she loves him," Christoph said. The others looked at him. "However this goes, some gods will be unhappy. She doesn't want him to be in the firing line. As long as he knows nothing, then he is safe. Then she can concentrate on the tasks without worrying about her brother."

Alexei looked back at me and I nodded. Christoph had gotten it pretty well perfect. Alexei nodded. "Nico, look after her. Christoph."

Alexei and Christoph followed Remi into the bedroom. Nico put an arm around my shoulders, which had started to shake.

"Don't worry. When this is all over, then they can put his memory back again. They're great at this sort of shit."

I held his strong, comforting body for support, but we both knew that there was a good chance this would end badly, and I would never see my brother again. Although, if I failed, everyone on Earth would die anyway. So there was a silver lining.

Alexei and Christoph returned.

"You gave him good memories?" I asked anxiously.

Alexei nodded.

"He thinks he had great sex last night?"

"So great, he'll be pissing and walking funny for the rest of the day," Alexei confirmed.

I nodded, wiping tears away from my eyes.

"He'll like that."

I took another deep breath to steel myself. This was now on; there was no going back. I was about to embark upon the most important thing I would ever do. In fact, the most important thing anyone would ever do.

How the hell did the future of the human race fall into the hands of a grifter from Brooklyn?