by Dee King
Anger becomes you
I took Selene by the hand, walking outside. No one dared to follow. All I had ever wanted in the past four years was for Selene and I to be a couple. I never understood why she had a choice between Alex and I. Why was it
a choice? Had they done this to her, made it to where she would have to choose between good and evil? Was I the good one or the evil one? As I look into her beautiful blue eyes, it made me realize that she wasn't the
only one I was hurting. She wasn't scared anymore; she was realizing that this was our life. Our life we didn't ask for.
“Sebastian?” Her lips moved with a quiver. I had scared her.
“I'm sorry, Selene. I am just so angry... angry at all of this.” I try to explain myself.
“What do we do? We need them.” She is searching my face for the answers that I don't have.
“We will get through this, and I think I have a plan.” I honestly didn't have a good plan, but I had one.
“I trust you.” She wraps her delicate arms around my waist.
She was the one I had dreamed of, she was the one that was worth this fight. Selene, my Charming Selene. Whatever was going to happen would be worth it for her. It was always about her, it's always been about her. I
see that now. There is a reason that it has to be this way. There just has to be. We know that our parents planned this, but what is the real reason – because Poseidon didn't want the job? There has to be more to this, and I
wanted this over with before we even begin. I hear footsteps behind me. Selene and I turn to see who it is. Cato. Of course, he would be the one to come out first.
“What?” I ask him releasing Selene from our embrace.
“Chill, dude. I come in peace.” He waves a white handkerchief in front of us.
“Stop.” Selene laughs.
“Alright, I get it you’re pissed. You should be, but all that anger needs to go to somewhere else. To someone else. You know I am right.” He places his hand on my shoulder.
“Oh, okay. So, you have the answers that we need, and how the hell we are going to win this battle?”
“I have somewhat the same idea you do.” That meant he had listened in on my thoughts.
“That's not smart.” I tell him.
“It's probably the best answer we have. You know it and so do I.”
“Would someone like to include me in this conversation, since my life is involved in this also?” Selene interrupts.
“We want to take the fight back to the mount.” Cato and I say in unison.
Which was really weird.
“You want to what?” Her face says she isn't to hip on this idea.
“Honestly, it's our best option. If Alex is truly building an army, then we need to go where everyone is at their strongest, and that's home.” Cato tells her, as Iris walks up behind him.
“What? You aren't serious. You want us to go back to the mount, where Zeus is also at his strongest?”
Iris shakes her head back and forth. She knew that this would be a risk. A huge risk.
“It's really the only option we have.” I say quietly. She knew Cato and I were right.
“What's the big deal if we go there, or we stay here? It's still a fight, wherever we go.” Selene questions us.
“The difference would be that we can fight fair there. Here, we are limited.” Cato holds up his hand with his charmed ring, showing her that we have limits. Selene glances down at her own arm, looking at her charm
bracelet.
“Then I guess we do what we have to.” Selene says understanding, only one thing she was forgetting.
“Selene, this would mean... this would be... this would be goodbye to Earth for now.” I tell her.
“What do you mean? Aren't we trying to save the lives here? What do you mean?”
“It means that we would have to choose, we either live there or here. Right now, we are in a limbo if you want to call it that. We left in a rush. We still have to choose whether we live here or there. If we go back, then we have to stay.”
“Well, our fathers come back all the time, so why can't we?” She did have a point.
“Because we haven't won yet, and until that happens, these are the rules. You can only be here for a short period of time.”
“When we win, that's the first thing I am changing.” Selene says to us all, pushing her way past us back inside the house.
I look at Cato and Iris, and smile following behind her. She was going to change both worlds, and I had a feeling people better get on board fast.
That was my girl. That was my love. She is determined, strong, willing to change the world. I walk in behind her, hearing another argument, this time between Medusa and my father. Apollo is shaking his head back and forth, with a small smile creeping across his face. Whatever they were arguing about he found amusing. Selene walks in between them.
“Do you think you could put this little marital spat on hold while we deal with the real world?” She asks them.
My father would like to say more, I can see it on his face, but he refrains.
“Thank you. Okay, I guess we all need to go to the mount. If everyone would please gather whatever you need, and let's get this over with so we can all have our lives back, that would be great.” She just opens her mouth and the room is quiet.
No one had ever seen Selene how I had always seen her. Fierce. She walks away from them, running up the stairs. Everyone is still just standing around.
“She said NOW!” I yell at them, as I run up the stairs behind her.
I find her in our bedroom gathering what I guess she thinks she needs to take back to the mount, only that's not what she was doing. She is throwing things around the room. I duck my head as a book comes flying by me.
“Whoa. Slow down.” I tell her.
“Where is it?”
“Where is what?” I am puzzled by her question.
“Where is my book? My journal, the one that my father gave me with like his writing or whatever?”
“I don't know. Why do you need it?” I am still confused.
“Because Ian just sent me a message.”
“Huh?” I sit down on the bed as she keeps tossing things in the air.
“He telepathically sent me a message. You know, that thing we can do? Read minds or hear thoughts? And I need to find it.” She is frantic.
“Okay, okay, calm down. What did he say exactly?”
“He said find the book, answers are in it.”
“Wait. That's all he said?”
“Yes.” She stops scrambling around the room, staring at me.
“Um... that's pretty vague.” I tell her.
“No, duh! That's why I figured I needed to find it.” She rolls her eyes at me, while she goes back to throwing things around the room. Selene is now searching under the bed, cursing.
“Dammit!” She yells. I come to her side, kneeling down beside her.
“It's okay, Selene. Calm down.” I lay my hand on her back. She lies down beside the bed on the floor, looking up at me.
“I have to go say goodbye to my Mom. Like for real this time, huh?” That's what was bothering her.
She was missing her mom. It was one thing to be mad at her, but to know you most likely won't see your mom again hurt a lot more than she had let on.
“Yea. I guess you do. I'm sorry. I didn't even think of that. I will go with you if it helps?” I ask her.
“No. I got this. I am a goddess after all.” She winks at me, as she stands to her feet.
“Could you just keep looking for that damn book? I will be back soon, then we will go. Hopefully, we find the answers in that.” I stand up beside her, taking her in my arms, kissing her softly.
“I shall see you soon, hubby.” She giggles as she walks out of the room.
Somehow the feeling that this was the beginning of something dangerous hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt like I should follow her, but she would hate that. I keep looking for the journal,
hearing the Bugatti's engine start.
She peeled out of the driveway. There she went. Man, that girl loved to drive. Turning to see Iris standing in front of me, spooked me.
“Don't do that.” I tell her, laughing a nervous laugh.
“Sorry. I think that you are going to want to come down stairs. We need you.” Her lips pursed as she spoke. She was serious.
I raise an eyebrow at her. “Why?”
“Just come.” She pulls on my hand, as we walk out the door.
I can hear the yelling again. What was it with these people? We were in a crisis and all they could do was yell and scream at each other. We were gods for goodness sake. This was getting ridiculous. This time it
wasn't just my father, it was everyone. They were all in a yelling match with one another. Seriously? Why does any of this bickering matter? Lives were on the line. Selene and mine’s especially.
“What the hell?” I ask Iris.
“This isn't going to help, but they are fighting over something really stupid.”
“What?” I ask her. We are just standing back from them, watching this charade play out.
“Selene's journal.”
“What?”
“Yea, I know. How stupid!” Iris says frustrated.
“No, what? Why are they looking for it?”
“I guess something about an answer is in it?”
“Did Ian tell them that?”
“Huh? Wait. How do you know, and it wasn't Ian?”
“Then who?”
“I don't know. How did you know?” She asks me. I just look at her.
“Oh. Ian told Selene?” I shake my head yes. This wasn't getting anyone
anywhere. I walk to the table, pushing a chair back, without anyone even noticing me. I stand up on the table.
“EXCUSE ME!” I yell at them. Everyone stops fighting with one another.
“Can someone please explain why the hell you guys are fighting over Selene's journal?”
“Because it's a trap.” Poseidon tells me.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that there is nothing in there that will give her the answers. I should know.” He turns to my father.
“Well, that's not what I was told.” My dad tells him.
“And, I am telling you that it's a trap. There won't be anything in there that will help in this situation. If there had, don't you think I would have said that by now?” He asks my dad.
“And I know that in Sebastian and Cato's book there is more than enough information that could possibly help.” They are still fighting with each other.
“ENOUGH!” I shout.
“We don't know where her book is, and I don't care where mine is. Could you all just pull it together so we can get this shit over with?” I had all I could take.
My heart was pounding in my chest. Not only
was I mad that they couldn't get it together for us to get ready to go back to the mount, but to fight over our journals. No one ever cared about those now. That feeling in the pit of my stomach was really starting to get to me.
Selene. Something wasn't right. I could feel it. I could feel her. I step down off the table. I wasn't going to let her be by herself. When the word trap was used, I just felt it. I had to reach Ian. Sitting down in the chair beside
the table, I focus.
Ian?
Sebastian?
Yea. Did you send Selene a message about her journal?
No. Why? What's up? How are things down there?
Not good. Think we are headed your way soon. I had a feeling you didn't.
Thanks. I will see you soon.
Oh, I am always ready for war. Time for a little pay back.
Yep. See ya soon. Be prepared.
Always. That's our motto.
I break the connection, standing from the chair, I now knew. Alex. This was a trap after all? Poseidon had been right. Throw everyone off their game, and now Selene was by herself. Cato looks to me, then nods. He knew where I was going. We both start to run to her jeep that
was parked in the driveway. He hops in on the passenger side, as I take the keys from under the visor. He has her right where he wants her. Alone. He had been listening to us this whole time. Now, I had to get to her before he
did. I can't help replay the last time we did this. One of us was dead by the time we had arrived. That wasn't going to be my fate or hers. Not today, not ever. Not as long as I was breathing was she going to be taken away from me.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Selene's Point of View
Selene tells her side... It's going to be a bumpy ride...
I drive the Bugatti as fast as I could within reason, but this car wants me to drive it fast. I truly hoped that Sebastian could find that journal, if it really did have the answers in it that we sought. Otherwise, we were wasting our time on something pointless. Replaying what Ian had said, I didn't even ask why I was looking for it. I didn't ask if it was Ian. I just had assumed.
What if that wasn't Ian? I knew the voice wasn't Alex's, but I don't know anyone else it could have been besides Ian. What was in that journal anyways? I keep driving till I see my mother's home. Her car wasn't there.
Great. The one time I needed her to be here. I step out of the Bugatti, taking in what used to be my home. It was such a short time ago that this was where I called home, but now it felt like I didn't belong. Walking up
to the front door, I stop, turning around slowly. Some guy was standing there behind me.
“Can I help you?” I ask him.
“Yes, I think you can. I was looking for Selene.”
“Why?” I didn't even say it was me.
“Well, my brother would like to see her.”
“Oh, okay, well, I don't know who or what you're talking about. Sorry, Buddy.” I turn back around, feeling like that was my first mistake.
His hand is on my shoulder before I can even take a step. I grab his hand flipping it around on him, using most of my strength.
“I told you, that I don't know what you are talking about. Now, I think you should leave.” I don't release his hand yet, so he knows I mean business.
“Colin said you were feisty. Alex said you were beautiful... he didn't lie about that.” The guy laughs at me.
Releasing his hand from my grip, like it was nothing. Oh, now we are getting somewhere. This was one of Alex's army guys. Of course. He wouldn't show his face here.
“I think you should leave.” I tell the guy.
“But, we haven't been formally introduced. I'm Ryker. Ryker Zane. I am a friend of your brother's, Colin.” My mouth about fell open. Zane.
Like Alexander Zane. The Alex. Alex had a sibling? No. He only had Iris, who was his half-sister. Was this a cousin or something? I didn't care he was giving me the total creeps either way.
“I can see by the look on your face that this shocked you. No one ever mentioned me, huh?” The guy chuckles.
“Um, who was supposed to mention you?” I am still trying to play dumb.
“You are adorable. Seriously. I see why they were fighting over you, but you and I both know I can't just let you go.”
“Let me go? Are you holding me hostage? Where would you like us to go?” I ask him.
“The mount.”
“The what?” I was starting to get under this guy's skin and I could see it.
Good.
“Seriously? How long are you going to play this game?”
“What game?” I ask him.
“Look. Your mom isn't home. She is safe, though. I promise. All I need is for you to come with me.”
“You touch my mother and I promise you will know true pain.” I step towards the guy.
“I wouldn't do that. I swear, but if you don't come with me soon, Alex will be here.” He looks over his shoulder, as if he was waiting for him.
“Now, why would I do that?” I start trying to walk to my car.
“Because I have the journal, and I am not the only one
who wants you. You could be in serious danger. I promise, I will take you somewhere safe.”
“Um... sure. Okay, yea. This sounds like a great idea. I am going to go with you, someone whom I have never met, and then go where? I don't think this is how this works. How about you come back with me, and then I will go with you, wherever it was you wanted to go?” I pose a question to him.
