From Gods

by Mary Ting

  Chapter 34

  Though Noah had already helped Skylar up, Mason wearily stumbled to her, looking worn out and soaked from the rain. The rain finally stopped and the sun peeped through the puffy clouds, creating a rainbow. It was a beautiful sight in contrast to what they had just been through.

  “Are you okay?” Mason asked, still out of breath, pulling Skylar into his embrace. As always, after her life had been threatened, he pulled her back, cupped her face, and looked at her with a sigh of relief. Then he ran his hands through her hair and down her arms, looking for wounds.

  Speechless, Skylar nodded her head. Having witnessed surreal, magical moment, she was simply stunned. Now that it was over, she wanted to cry from relief. It took every ounce of effort to hold back and blink the tears away. Then she rooted her eyes to Mason’s wound. “You’re hurt.”

  Seeing Skylar was fine, Mason’s tone became serious. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. I’m going to go back in to check on Amanda and Everett.” Then he turned to Noah and Tim. “If you have time, I have few questions.”

  Inside, Amanda and Everett were still tied up. Softly moaning, Everett shook his head, seemingly trying to get himself together. The color came back to his face and the movement from his body showed he would be fine; however, Amanda looked like she was pissed as hell.

  “Did you, like, forget about us?” Amanda huffed, narrowing her angry eyes at Mason. “You could’ve untied me first. It only takes one second to zap your rays. You had all the fun and left me out. Everett was knocked out, not me. Just because I’m a girl and just because I don’t have powers like you doesn’t mean I can’t kick ass.”

  Rolling his eyes without a word, Mason jetted light out of his fingertips, cutting through the thick ropes that were tightly binding Amanda’s and Everett’s wrists. Strangely, even with god-like strength, neither Amanda nor Everett had been able to free themselves, which led Skylar to question whether the rope Alena used had been “special.”

  Amanda stood up briskly and set her eyes on the bloodstain on his sweater. “What happened to you? Never mind. Since you’ll live, you deserved it for deserting me.” Then she turned on her heel.

  Everyone else followed Mason to the family room. It was furnished with leather sofas, oak coffee table, and a huge plasma television. With a high ceiling and a few oil paintings hung on the walls, it looked elegant, like the rest of the house. Mason walked out and returned with towels in his hands.

  “Thanks,” Noah and Tim said in accord, draping them around their shoulders and finding their spots on the sofa.

  Instead of tossing one to Skylar, Mason wrapped it around her, never taking his eyes off her. His face held no expression, but there was a deeper meaning behind those striking eyes—so much emotion bottled deep within—pain, relief, and even happiness. Skylar tried to define what he was thinking, but he let go all too soon.

  Everett plunked himself on the sofa, looking dismayed, rubbing his temples as if he had a headache, and Mason found a spot next to him on the sofa.

  “That hurt like hell. I don’t wish that kind of pain even on my worst enemies. Looks like you’ve made some friends,” Everett groaned.

  “This is Noah and Tim,” Mason introduced. “They are Poseidon’s descendants.”

  “We knew your kind existed, but we’ve never took the time to look for any half bloods,” Everett explained. “Are there more of you?”

  “Yes. There is a group of us,” Noah answered.

  Skylar noted how Amanda was admiring Noah and Tim.

  “Do you live around here?” Amanda asked. Suddenly her demeanor and tone became more ladylike.

  “No, but if you don’t mind, we like to keep our whereabouts to ourselves. Just in case,” Tim winked at Amanda. Amanda lit a flirtatious smile.

  “Well…I can certainly understand,” Everett supported. “We were trying to keep to ourselves, too, but Alena found us. Do you know anything about her?”

  “About a year ago, Alena took an interest in Noah during our senior year in high school. She was new to our school,” Tim explained. “They dated until we found out who she really was…meaning, she tried to kill us. She escaped and we lost track of her. I guess she went into hiding. Then suddenly she appeared again.”

  “Apparently, she was after my body, too,” Noah joked, twitching his brows.

  “I can see why,” Amanda murmured.

  Skylar let out a small giggle, lightened by his humor, and especially seeing Amanda act so flirtatiously, which she’d never seen her do before. “Both of you were at the mall,” Skylar said to Noah and Tim.

  Noah ran his hair back with his fingers while letting out a nervous laugh. “Yeah…about that. I was told to keep an eye on you…sort of.” Noah looked uneasy.

  “Keep an eye on me?” Skylar questioned with a sharp tone. Her pitch elevated. “And…was that you spying on me through my bedroom window from next door?”

  Mason glared at Noah. If looks could kill, Noah would have been a dead man. “You watched her?”

  “Look…I’m not authorized to say much, but it isn’t what you think,” Noah continued. “I saw her naked, but that’s all.”

  “What?” Mason stood up, looking like he was ready to give it to him with his fist.

  Noah raised both of his hands. “Relax, dude. I was just kidding…okay?”

  After Mason sat back down, Noah continued. “I was instructed to keep an eye on Skylar, making sure she was safe. We know what type of blood runs through her veins. Unlike Alena, her blood is poison, but at the same time, we know she’s not evil, so we were told not to harm her. We were also instructed to find information about your family. Obviously we knew where you lived. Our boss doesn’t want us saying much. We wanted to make sure you were on the right team.”

  “You have a leader? Who is he or she?” Skylar asked.

  “Sorry. I can’t disclose that information.”

  Skylar released a heavy irritated sigh. It was not the answer she wanted to hear.

  “Does your leader want anything from us?” Everett asked.

  “No. Our mission was to keep Skylar safe from Alena, and only interfere if it was absolutely necessary.”

  “Why does your leader care if Skylar lives or dies?” Mason jumped in with his question.

  “Like I said before, I’m not at liberty to say much.”

  Mason stood up again, his fingers sparking with anger. “What are you at liberty to say?”

  Tim stood up, seeming to protect Noah. Seeing Tim get up, Everett stood up too.

  “Whoa....” Noah raised his hands again. “Everyone, just calm down. We’re not the enemy, okay? We had the same goal. We were trying to keep Skylar safe from Alena.”

  Amanda jolted up, looking like she’d had enough. “Boys, sit! Keep your testosterone to yourself!”

  Taken in by Amanda’s words, there was an awkward stretch of silence. Finally, after what seemed like forever, they sat back down, albeit guardedly.

  “Good. Now, speaking of Alena, where is she?” Amanda asked, changing the subject.

  Surprisingly, no one spoke a word. The room was quiet for a long few seconds until Tim spoke. “Mason zapped her. It was pretty nasty. Her hair looked like Ms. Frankenstein, and her eyes popped out and….”

  “Okay…that’s enough,” Mason interrupted, standing up. “She’s dead. Death is nothing to celebrate even if she was evil. She was someone’s daughter, someone’s friend.”

  Amanda gave Mason an “are you kidding” look.

  “Okay…maybe she didn’t have any friends. Regardless, I took a life.” Mason’s tone was low and soft. “It’s nothing to be proud of. She was our kind. I’m almost positive she wasn’t born evil. Something must have triggered it, or someone influenced her…like her dead mom, like she said. We are all born with a clean slate, and what happens afterward depends on people that surround us. I’m not sticking up for her. I just wish…I…she was human, after all…a life is a life…I….” He turned to Noah and Ti
m without finishing his words. “Thank you for your assistance. If there is anything you need, we will return the favor. We can exchange our contact information just in case. If you’ll all excuse me, I need to find Nick.” Mason headed out of the room.

  “Our dear Nick is with Kayla,” Amanda informed. “He has no idea what’s going on. I’m sure he’ll be upset he missed our reunion.”

  Mason turned to face Skylar, looking impassive. “Amanda will take you home. You have an early class in the morning. As promised, since there is no threat to your life, you can go home now.”

  “I can take her home,” Noah said. “I’m on my way out anyway.”

  Mason paused. “Whatever she wants. I’ll be in my room.” With that, he sauntered toward the stairs, leaving Skylar confused.

  Something in the pit of Skylar’s stomach told her Mason’s wall could not be broken. She only wanted to chip a piece at a time, but now, it felt like the little piece she’d chipped away had sealed itself back up. She couldn’t help but feel as if Mason had just broken up with her, even though they weren’t officially going out.

  Nothing was clear between them. Maybe he never cared about her the way she thought he did. Perhaps he had decided she was too dangerous for him. After all, she could kill him by accident. Feeling like there was no hope, at that moment she decided to accept the fact that Mason would never care for her in that special way.

  Skylar wanted to run, fast and far away from there, but no matter how far she ran, Mason was already etched on her heart, like a tattoo that would be too painful to erase.

  “Noah, would you mind taking me home?” She said it nice and loud, purposely wanting Mason to hear. She didn’t know if it was her tone or that she asked Noah instead of Amanda, but it froze Mason in his place. Then without a word, he continued into the hallway, up the stairs, and out of view.

  After the exchange of phone numbers, they headed out the door. Skylar didn’t know whether to go back inside and confront Mason or let him be. Afraid of being rejected, she got in the car with Noah and Tim. Just before passing the gate to exit, she turned and looked toward the bedroom windows.

  Though she was unsure which window was in Mason’s room, she thought she saw a dark figure peeping through the curtains in a second story window. What did it matter? As she desperately blinked her tears away, she turned toward the front and focused on Noah and Tim. But grief consumed her whole body that she felt drained, emotionally and physically. All she could do was leave with a broken heart. Though she had known this was a possibility, she never imagined the pain would be this excruciating. It only proved one thing; she cared for him more than she’d realized or wanted to.

  Chapter 35

  After Noah dropped her off, Skylar was emotionally and physically exhausted, and decided to skip her classes. Later that evening, she drove home to see her mom, knowing it was safe to see her again. Staying very aware of her surroundings, she kept one eye looking over her shoulder, just like Mason had taught her. Though she couldn’t tell her mom the details of what she had been through, she just needed to be in her presence for comfort.

  “Welcome home, honey,” Skylar’s mom said, giving her a tight hug and a kiss.

  “Hi, Mom.” Skylar walked in and placed her overnight bag on the floor. Her plan was to spend one night and then go back to her dorm. She wanted to escape her roommate, who would most likely ask her tons of questions about Mason. But she didn’t want to put her mom in danger, so one night would have to be enough.

  “From the look on your face, I’m guessing you studied late last night?”

  Skylar looked confused, unsure of the question she’d asked. Thinking it was the perfect explanation, Skylar agreed. “Yup. We have exams this week.” Guilt consumed Skylar like it always did when she lied to her mom, but she had no choice.

  “Wash your hands and come to dinner. We have things to talk about.”

  “Okay.” Skylar wondered what her mom had in mind as she entered the restroom. She pumped soap and ran her hands under the water. Thoughts of Mason washing her hands at the cabin rushed through her mind; the way his soft gaze compelled her, his sweet, caring tone, the way his touch drove her crazy. Missing him, her heart pained, and that was a reminder she needed to forget him. He hadn’t even called or texted her to see if she had gotten home okay.

  Looking at the mirror, she could see how swollen her face looked from all the tear shedding. She had poured all her fears, frustration, anger, and hurt, through her tears. No wonder her mom looked at her strangely and asked her that question out of the blue. “Oh God.” She didn’t realize how terrible she looked. She splashed some water on her face, hoping that would help somewhat, and walked out.

  “Smells great, Mom.” Skylar helped her mom set the plates on the dining table and sat across from her. “My favorite,” she smiled. Skylar’s mom had homemade dinner ready for her upon her arrival—pot roast, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. “Thanks, Mom.”

  “Anytime, honey. Whenever you feel like a home cooked meal, just come home. So, how was your exam?” Gina asked, and took a bite of the beef that was stabbed on her fork.

  “Fine. Being an undeclared major has its benefits…I guess. I get to take various classes, but we have many…quizzes,” Skylar replied, emphasizing the word “quiz” as she intently gazed at the mashed potatoes and patted them with her spoon.

  “Hmm…I see. So…boy problems?”

  “Yes….” Skylar quickly looked up at her mother. “What? No…I mean…no. What makes you think I have boy problems? I’m not even dating anyone.” Skylar’s face flushed with warmth.

  “I see.” Gina lit a huge smile. “Been there…done that…I just recognized some signs. We don’t have to talk about it if you’re not ready. But keep in mind…love isn’t forced. Love is beautiful when it’s mutual. Love is compromising, giving and taking. Sometimes it can be a lot of work, but you shouldn’t have to try so hard. It takes two to make it right…there is no secret potion or remedy. It just takes two willing people committing to communicate, taking the good with the bad. Set him free, and if it was meant to be—”

  “He’ll run back to me,” Skylar finished. She’d always shared her problems with her mom, but this one was difficult to talk about. Where would she start, and how would she explain? She just wanted to forget about Mason and move on. And the adage should be more like “don’t set him free, he won’t come running back to me,” because that was exactly how she was feeling.

  “Yes,” Mom agreed, smiling.

  “Is that what happened with Dad?” Though the topic of Dad was off limits, she needed to know. After what she’d been through and what she’d discovered with the Grand brothers, she had to get every bit of information possible, even if it meant Mom would shut the subject again.

  “Why would you say that? You and I are trying to move forward, not backward. And no, that is not what happened,” she said calmly, but Skylar could see the anger and sadness in her eyes.

  Not wanting to upset her mom, she stopped pursuing her questions and changed the subject instead. “So, what did you want to tell me?”

  “Oh, yes. I’m thinking of selling our house.”

  “Why?” Skylar’s tone was loud. She suddenly felt like a little girl, upset with her mom for not allowing her to have her way.

  “Honey, I need you to understand. When Steven and I get married, I’ll be moving into his home. You kind of figured that, didn’t you?”

  “Yes…no…I don’t know…I guess.” Though she had no right to be upset, she was. She felt like everything was being taken from her…her dad, Mason, her mom, and now the stupid house. But she had to stop thinking about herself. Her mom had sacrificed a lot for her. She’d vowed never to remarry until Skylar was old enough to be on her own.

  Gina placed her fork down on the table, crossed her arms, and leaned forward. “Now that you’re off to college and you’re hardly home, I think it’s time to sell the house. It’s a seller’s market right now, and the return would
be profitable. I would like to save a chunk of that for your grad school, or…some day when you get married.”

  There was nothing Skylar could say. Though she wished she could rebut her decision, she gave her mom the biggest approval smile she could conjure up. Skylar was old enough to live on her own, which she was doing right now. But her home, her room, was her sanctuary: The room that held her memories, where she kept her secrets and wished upon the stars looking out the window, the room where her dad had kissed her goodnight and tucked her into bed. It was the only house she’d known and loved since she was born.

  “Oh, before I forget. I would like for you to be my maid of honor. Steven and I agreed we would have a small wedding. We’re inviting our immediate family only. If you feel uncomfortable, I’ll understand.”

  “I would love to, Mom,” Skylar mumbled with a mouth full of broccoli. Seeing her mom’s eyes sparkle when she spoke of Steven confirmed she had moved on. At that moment, she knew that in order to heal like her mom, she had to let her dad go…perhaps Mason too, but maybe not just yet.

  Gina smiled, looking relieved. “Thank you for understanding. I told Steven it was going to be daughter and mother night, so he won’t be stopping by. You know he really cares for you like his own daughter. He just isn’t good at showing it since he doesn’t have children of his own. So…what would you like to do? The same as usual—watch a movie and eat popcorn—or go out and have a wild night out?”

  “Mom….” Skylar cringed at her talking like that, “having a wild night.” It was the same feeling as when they’d had the talk about sex. “Oh, before I forget…thank you for making me take self-defense classes.”

  “Did something happen to you?” Gina’s eyes grew wide and a worried expression settled on her face.

  “No, no, no,” Skylar rapidly shook her head, trying to calm her down. “Nothing happened.”