by Dee King
“I do love him. Whoever told you that, doesn't know me. None of you know me.” She stays strong.
“Okay, you win. You better hope that on the day of the wedding you’re prepared for what is to come. I won't allow anyone, and I do mean anyone to hurt my son.”
“Except you, right?” This time I made sure I had the last word.
“Sebastian, I need you to come home with me for a little while. I'm sure that everyone here can keep themselves occupied.” He points around to the group of us.
“Whatever.” I face Selene.
Sebastian, what the hell is going on?
I don't know. He has never hit me. Ever. I think I need to go with my father, but I'm going to bring Cato with me. Or do you want him to stay with you?
He should go with you, but I will wait with everyone else for your return.
Everything will be fine, I promise.
I kiss her sweetly on her perfect pink lips and turn towards my father.
“Cato comes with us.” If he wanted to hash everything out, I wanted everything out in the open.
“Fine.” My father walks away, leaving all of us standing outside looking like orphaned children.
“Let's go.” I look at Cato. He nods yes, and we follow our father.
I will stand outside of the house and I will watch Selene.
Thanks, Zack. I glance back and he nods at me, taking my place beside Selene. My nerves, my fears, and my father were all making me second-guess myself. What did he want? Why did he slap me? The one question I had was why is he making such a scene?
Chapter Fifteen
The poison begins to spill
My father took the first carriage that came, while Cato and I followed in another carriage pulled by our Pegasus. We flew fast out of Alexandria and into Mount Olympus, halting in front of what used to be my home.
“Wait.” Cato pulls back on my arm.
“What?” I jerk my arm away from him.
“We need to stick together in there.”
“Sure, like I trust you?”
“Sebastian, I'm all you got right now. So yea, you should trust me.”
“Whatever, let's just get this over with.” I step out of the carriage, seeing my father walks inside of our home, leaving the door open, Cato looks as if he may actually be scared.
I don't think he has ever had to deal with our father's wrath before, and I don't think he was looking forward to it right now either. We step inside and my dad takes me in a big embrace, closing the door behind him with a wave over the door.
“Get off me!” I push him back.
“I'm sorry, Son. I had to make a public display of what Zeus wanted to see. He is looking for a way to break up everyone from each other meaning EVERYONE, and especially to get Alex to believe that he is going to get Selene. He wants to see you fail. He needs Alex more than ever. That's why he built Alexandria.” My dad looks deep into my eyes.
“That's never going to happen, and you did what you wanted. This isn't even about me! This is about you making sure that you are the one who wins in the end. You’re just trying to justify your ego. This isn't a damn
game! This is my life, Dad. So, what do you really want?” I walk over to our largest couch.
I sit down and spread out my body, showing I had not a care in the world. My dad takes a seat across from me, leaning on his knees. Cato sits beside me, but not near as comfortable as I perceive to look.
“No, my ego is perfectly intact. You should know me better than that.
What I did was for your benefit.”
“If that's what you have to tell yourself, then you keep doing that. Let's just cut the shit, Dad. You came over because Alex was there, and you were worried your plan was going to fail. I will have you know; I am with
Selene because I want to be. Because I love her. Not because you and your bro, Poseidon decided to try to live your lives through us.” I am now sitting forward facing my father.
My dad's eyes grow dark. “You’re treading a thin line.”
“No, I haven't even begun.” I make sure he knows that this time I'm not backing down.
“Part of you is right. I did come because of Alex. That was for him to run back and tell his Daddy that we weren't getting along, and that's the plan we will keep. Zeus needs to think that you’re losing her and everyone you love. That way, when he has Alex say he disapproves of your marriage, you won't make it through the trials.”
“We already know all this. But how did you know Alex was even there?” Cato interrupts him.
“What? Don't be ridiculous. We always know where he is. Did he tell you anything?” Now, my dad is curious.
“We already know Zeus's plan. We have a plan of our own.” Cato is now sitting close to our father and me.
We exchange looks. My father watches us closely. He knows now that we know more than what we are sharing.
“Well, I see.” My dad sits back, pondering what he just heard.
“What is this great plan then?” Cato and I look at one another, then back to my dad.
“That's classified.” Cato tells him, and I couldn't help myself, I began to laugh.
“This is serious. I'm trying to help you.” My dad searches my face for answers he is now badly seeking.
“We aren't telling anyone anything. No offense, Dad, it just needs to go how we plan it, not how you plan on it going.”
“And what if your plan fails? Then what?”
“Then nothing. I'm not scared of what is to come. I know what I will do, and I know how I will do it. There are no worries for anything, but the fact that you don't trust me to be able to handle my own life makes me question where your loyalties lie. I mean, come on, Dad. You didn't have
to slap me. You definitely didn't have to make a scene, but you did that for your own personal gain. We aren't alike in that way. I care about others. You care about you. Isn't that the truth?”
I can't believe I just stood up to my father like that, but the truth was, he knows I am right.
“I raised you, so I would say that you are more like me than you know.”
This time my father is the one getting angry.
“I said I was sorry, and that won't happen again. I am doing this to help you whether you believe me or not Sebastian.” My dad isn't taking my harsh words well, but he is listening.
“Let's talk about how I magically have a brother that I never knew about, and about Mom and her scheming ways. I'm sure, Cato here, would love some answers, too. Let's discuss that because my love life is all good, and
frankly, Dad, none of your business. I mean how do you even keep up with your own life, when you’re hiding children and plotting their lives out for them? Why don't you tell me about that?”
“Cato knows he is my son. It was best for him to not be around here with your mother, and it was best for you that we kept it a secret from you, so that his mom couldn't get to you.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Cato stands over my dad.
“You kept me a secret for your own damn reasons. Don't put this on me or my mother!”
“Sit!” My dad points to the couch and the whole house shakes as he yells.
“I will not sit. You tell him the truth right now or I fucking will!” Cato is furious and I'm totally lost.
“You will shut your mouth if you know what's good for you, Son!”
“I won't! I'm sick of your lies and secrets! Tell him!” He points to me.
“Somebody should tell me something.” I finally say.
“He lied to you and kept me a secret because you are the only rightful heir to the Underworld. He has my mother locked up down there and he won't release her. He made sure I grew up in both worlds, a secret from you.
That way I could never fight for my title as the son of Hades. He wanted to make sure that you married Selene and I didn't stand in the way. He also only kept your mother in this house so that you would be raised by the
woman who called you son,
not your real mother.”
“That's a lie! You come in my home, spitting lies at my son. You will join your mother if you don't watch yourself.” My dad is calm... yet... I can see that what Cato said may have been true.
“Mom, is not my mom?”
“Yes, she is your mother. He doesn't know what he is talking about.”
“I don't? Tell him the truth. The only way you would ever have Sebastian as the heir is if the goddess you married was his mother. If she had been mortal, you would be raising two migades sons, and I would be the one.
Not him.”
“What?”
“His mother is Persephone. DO NOT question me again. That's your last warning. Your mother lies. She always lies. She tells you these things so that one day she can walk among us and I just can't let that happen. Not
now.”
“MOM!” I shout loudly. I was nervous and confused, and this was getting me nowhere.
My mother walks slowly down the stairs, staring at me.
“Yes, son.”
“Are you my mother?” I can't believe I had to ask my mother if she, in fact, is my mother.
This sounds like a stupid question, but I know she would tell me the truth.
“Yes. Why would you ask such a silly question?” She rolls her eyes as if I had just asked the dumbest question in the world and it annoyed her.
“Persephone, tell him the truth. Tell him that his mother is the same as mine.” Cato is pleading with my mom.
“Cato, I know that this is hard for you. I really do. Medusa has always been your father's dirty little secret. That's his true love, not me, but I am the mother of Sebastian Hades Andreas.” Her eyes look as if she is about to cry.
“No, no, no. That can't be true, my mom told me... she told me she is the mother of Sebastian.”
“She lied to you, Cato. She wants your father to let her out, to join us here. But he knows he can't have two wives, and he chose for me to live in this... this life. I am a prisoner to this home. I can't even go to the Underworld anymore. I can't go to Earth. Medusa, your mother, can't
come here, and most definitely cannot go to Earth. It was always rumored that she had a child, but not Sebastian. He is mine. Hades wanted us both and decided this would be the only way he could have it. He couldn't deny
his dear brother's rules. So, prisoners we both became.” I am in shock. If I hadn't been sitting down, I would have fallen over.
“Dad?” I look towards my father who is nodding no, in disbelief.
“Dad!” I question him again.
“Persephone, you want to be free?”
“You know I do.” My mother stares straight at my father, and then slightly glances to me.
“Fine. I will set you free. Everyone should have a right to live their lives how they want, as Sebastian has reminded me.” He stands, looking at my mother.
“Are you sure this is what you want? Because you know what it means, don't you?”
“Yes. Anywhere away from you is what I want, no matter the cost.”
She glances at me, and whispers “I do love you”. Before I can even blink, she has disappeared. I start searching the room for my mother. She is nowhere to be found.
“Where is she?” I am outraged with my father.
“She is free. That's all you need to know.” He says with such a sarcastic voice.
“What did you do? What does all this mean? You made Mom a prisoner? Medusa too?”
“No. I only had your mother as a wife for her to be your mother. Medusa is the one I love.” He turns to Cato.
“You two will need to go. Now.” We hear a loud banging on the door.
“Why? Dad? Where is Mom?”
“She is no longer a Goddess. She is free to roam Earth till she dies.”
“Huh? She is on Earth? As a mortal?”
“Yes. That's what she wanted. I gave it to her. She should be dead soon.”
“Dead?”
“Yes, when you’re a god or goddess you can live forever. On Earth, you don't have that luxury. She chose to leave you, leave me, and go die on Earth. She is thousands of years old son. She won't make it. But she chose that. I would say she is just now reaching the Underworld Gates. She will soon be at the island.”
“You just killed my mother?”
“No, I freed her. Now, leave.”
“Who is at the door?” Cato proceeds to go to the door where the loud banging is still happening.
“Never mind that. Look, I bought you some time. They will be focused on this now and you can live your life. The both of you can. She knew what she was doing. We both saved you. Now, LEAVE!” Frustrated, angry, sad,
I walk out the front door with Cato following along. As we exited, we found two centaurs at the door.
“Hades, you have been summoned to meet with the All Father.”
“Yea, yea. Keep your pants on. I heard you.” My father says, walking out behind us.
“Dad? Where are you going?” The two centaurs have trapped my father in between the two of them.
“You don't worry about me. You go find Selene. Take care of her and I will see you soon.” We watch as he walks with them, heading towards Zeus's home.
“What the hell was that?” Cato turns to me.
“How the hell would I know? You were there. I saw the same shit you did.” Zack is now racing towards us, with Ian, and Selene striding along with them.
“Holy... holy shit, man. What just happened?” Ian exclaims.
“What do you mean?”
“Your dad? What did he do? We all felt it. Whatever that was, he is in trouble now.” Ian is shaking his head back and forth.
“Are you alright?” Selene is hugging me and holding me as if she may never see me again.
“What do you mean you felt that?” I wrap one arm around Selene's waist.
“I mean that the ground shook and we felt someone leaving the mount, but not like when we leave to Earth, like a real leaving. It was the strangest feeling I have ever felt.”
“My dad set my Mom free.”
“Huh?” Selene is now turned into me, looking into my eyes.
“He set her free, to Earth. He has kept her a prisoner here, and I guess she was ready to die.”
“Die?”
“I don't know. I don't know what the hell is going on.” We all stand together, searching each other’s faces for the answers.
Clearly, none of us had a clue as to what to do, and I didn't know what was going to happen next. My mother had been a prisoner? Medusa had another child besides Cato? Who? This place isn't at all what I had thought. It was a prison. A poisonous toxic prison. My father made a huge scene just to show Zeus that we weren't getting along?
Had all the Gods gone mad? I didn't know what was happening, and I really didn't know if I wanted to stick around to see what the answer was.
Chapter Sixteen
Where's my mother
“I hate to say this, but we should see your father.” I tell Selene, knowing that this wasn't what she wanted.
“To give you answers?” She bites on her lower lip.
“Yea. If there was any other way...”
“No, no. I get it.” She releases me from her embrace, and this time we follow Selene to her father's house.
It was funny, but she already knew where she was going. She already looked like she was happy here and this was where she belonged. I hope that she still wants to go back to Earth, because I am really ready. Dealing with all of this is making me miss my normal life I had become
accustomed to in Malibu. I needed answers for so many questions. I was questioning what was right and what was wrong. I hope that Poseidon will have some answers for us. We walk inside of his magnificent home and he
is sitting fireside on his oversized couch. Selene's hands are shaking. I know what I asked her to do would be hard, but we might as well get all the dirty laundry out tonight.
“Dad?” Selene walks into the room where her father looks
stunned to see her.
“Selene? Please, come sit down. All of you.” He stands letting all of us sit and I sit close to Selene, holding her frail hand in mine.
“Dad, we need answers. Well, actually, Sebastian does.” Poseidon sits back, and nods yes.
I begin telling him what just happened, and ask what the truth was. Where was my father, and what do we do now? He stays quiet. Not moving, sitting perfectly still. He nods at me as I speak, and says “yes”, “I understand”, and a lot of” umm, uh hum’s...” Then he asks Selene and me to
