You're family, aren't you?

Birthday cookies time!

"What ails you, mikri aderphi?" he asked, the old nickname of 'little sister' the rest of the children of Kronos came up with during the Titanomachy slipping off his tongue without any conscious thought.

Hestia smiled weakly at the nickname, but grew sad again. "It's Sephie. She... was betrayed today, by the boy she trusted." She lifted her head up. "He was the thief."

Hades inhaled, the pressure in his chest rising. The thief and the betrayal... Sephie's letter...

"Luke Castellan," he said, not bothering to hide his shock.

Hestia's eyes widened, but she didn't ask how he knew the name. "Yes. He poisoned her and left her to die in the woods of Camp Half-Blood. Thank Fates, the dryads alerted Chiron, and he and Apollo's children healed her before she sustained any permanent damage. She woke up not long ago, and immediately came to my hearth to cry."

Hades' heart constricted for a second, and he found himself sympathizing with his little niece and his favorite sister. He and Hestia knew better than any immortal currently not imprisoned or faded how betrayal felt like: Hades still nursed a grudge against Zeus for killing Maria and betraying his trust, and Hestia remembered their Father's betrayal when he swallowed her.

"A half-blood, so willing to betray his own blood... It does not bode well for us, sister."

"No, it doesn't," Hestia sighed, playing aimlessly with the lock of her hair. "I know Chiron sent the message to our family on Olympus, but I wanted to make sure you knew immediately. Poseidon will be furious."

"As long as he doesn't send too many mortals here," Hades sighed, already dreading the workload he would have to endure, but honestly not too angry, "I will not begrudge him his fury. I would've done the same thing."

"You immature children," Hestia scolded half-heartedly, knowing she could not change her brothers' ways. "Why do the mortals have to suffer your wrath? Can you not focus your anger on the true culprit?"

"Oh believe me sister, I certainly will," Hades promised, his eyes glinting with mad sparkle that made Hestia flinch slightly. "Between Poseidon and I, Lucas Castellan will not have a single peaceful moment in his life – or afterlife."

Hestia shook her head but didn't comment further, glancing at the door. "I have to go, Zeus is issuing a call for an emergency meeting. Let's hope Hera and I will be able to stop Poseidon from blasting Hermes into pieces."

"Safe travels, mikri aderphi," Hades shouted after her, and Hestia giggled before vanishing in a burst of fire.

Thankfully, Poseidon quickly got a hold of himself, and the number of the dead that came in as a result of his temper could only be counted in dozens, not hundreds or thousands. Hermes managed to evade the 'blasted to pieces' fate by the hair's breadth, and Sephie Jackson healed fully from the poisoning. Still, Hades could not feel a little concerned for his niece. She had poured her heart out to Hestia, and Hades knew how good his sister was at lessening the heartache, but he wished he could talk to her as well.

He was the one she had confided in first; it was he who knew about her suspicions about Son of Hermes long before the poisoning, he who knew how much she wished he wasn't the thief and how afraid she was of the truth. He couldn't leave the Underworld again – Thanatos would grow suspicious, and if even one immortal got suspicious, soon the whole Olympus would know of it – but he could send the letter. He didn't dare use Hermes' services – again, suspicions – but he could will the shadows to deposit the letter on Sephie's bed or her desk. Also, it would make a nice present – it was her birthday today, wasn't it?