by Dee King
“We could do that, but then what fun would that be?”
“Oh, it could be lots.” I snicker. I wedge myself a little closer to my car.
At any moment I am going to make a run for it. That was my genius plan. Not a great plan by any means, but a plan none the less. Before I can start my sprint, Ryker had me in a body hold. I kick, scream, and yell for him to put me down. He wasn't budging. I bite him as hard as I can. He screams out a curse word, but still doesn't release me.
“You have got to calm down. I promise I am here to help you!” He yells at me.
I felt like I was being kidnapped, but in like a nice way. Why are they always trying to kidnap me? It’s like having flashbacks of Cato. I don't know how to explain my feelings. I know that I could hurt him, but he
could hurt me. I stop struggling for fear of using my powers. He loosens his grip around my body.
“Look, we have got get you out of here. Don't ask me how I am about to do this, because I can't tell you, but you have to trust me. I promise, I am going to help you, but if we don't hurry that war you are in fear of is going
to happen right here in front of your mom's house.” He tells me quietly.
I knew I didn't want that. I look towards the sky, as I see the clouds rolling in. Alex was close. If this guy was my saving grace for the moment, then might as well give it a shot. A part of me wanted to wait for Alex and Cali.
I wanted to see them. I wanted to make them suffer, but somehow I knew now was not the time for that.
“Alright, let's just get this over with.” I tell Ryker Zane, whoever the hell this guy is.
“Close your eyes, it will go faster if you do that.” I move slightly looking at this guy.
I roll my eyes, but I close them regardless. If he was going to hurt me, he had another thing coming. Before I can even argue back, I can feel my feet are no longer on the ground. I try to open my eyes, but I can't see
anything. It's as if we are in a tornado. We are definitely flying, but so fast that I can't make out any images. Then, with a thump, we land hard on the ground. He keeps saying sorry and how he thought that was going to go
smoother. I open my eyes seeing we are in Mount Olympus. You have got to be kidding me! We are on the mount? Plus, in someone's home? One of the houses I hadn't been in.
“What the hell?” I am furious. We are on Mount Olympus? How did he do that?
“Shh...” Ryker tells me. Oh, yeah, that's what I want to do, be quiet. No. I want to scream for help, but at this point, who is going to help me.
“Ryker?” I hear a voice say, and turn quickly. It's Ian. I run to him as fast as I can, almost knocking him over.
“You know this guy?” I ask him, while trying to catch myself.
“Yeah, I thought... I thought you were like dead or something?” Ian pushes me behind his back.
“Nope. Alive and in the flesh.” Ryker says with a huge smile spread across
his face.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Ian asks, standing still, with his body now shielding mine.
“Alex is coming for her. I saved her.” He is still smiling. I feel like he could be trusted, almost.
“How did you save her? You took her from Sebastian? Her father, everyone?” Ian's tone was stern.
“This way she is here and they will bring the fight to the mount, not on Earth.” Ryker makes his way to one of the couch's in Ian's living room.
Sitting down he puts his feet up on the coffee table in front of him. Ian moves slowly towards him, taking me with him, behind his back.
“Um. You can't stay here, Ryker.” He tells him.
“Why not?”
“Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you are wanted by everyone? You have to take Selene back to Sebastian. Like now!” Ian raises his voice.
“No can do. I am kind of stuck here too, now.” He folds his arms behind his head, relaxing even more.
“Look, this was fun and all, but I need to go back. So, just do whatever that was and take me back to Earth.” I was tired of dealing with this guy already.
I couldn't help but wonder what Ian meant by he was wanted by everyone. I started wondering how in the hell I was going to get out of here, and was Sebastian even aware I was gone? He probably thinks I am still visiting
with my mom. Great, stuck on Mount Olympus where I have no support.
Guess it's time for me to take my life in my own hands.
Deal with this as a goddess would. Slowly, I inch myself around Ian's back, making my way to the only door I can see at the moment. There has to be a way out of here. As Ian moves towards Ryker I move closer to the door, watching Ian cover for me. I make it to the door just before Ryker notices I am no longer behind Ian. The door opens with a wave of my hand. I am sprinting with no idea where I am going, but I keep running. I can hear the Pegasus flying over my head as I look towards the sky. He
stops right in front of me, pausing for a brief moment, then I jump on his back. We are now soaring through the sky at a faster pace than I believed we ever could. I hold on tight, leaning my body forward as he dives in and
out of the sky. It was magnificent. The colors of the clouds, the sun slowly setting, and I was riding a Pegasus. I whisper in his ear for him to take me to Sebastian. He lets out a loud sound, and we swoop down below the
clouds where I see we are flying above the water. He goes faster
as we approach the water. I knew where we were now. My beach. My beloved beach. The Pegasus halts to a stop as we land on the sandy shore.
I jump off, he looks back at me, and is off flying again through the air. I take a look at my surroundings. Not a single soul in sight. I see the lights of Sebastian's house, making my way to it. I had no idea what was
happening, what was going on, but I know that I was ready for this fight to be over with. Whether Alex liked it or not, he wasn't going to win. He wasn't going to think he could hide me and take out the people I loved.
Not today, not ever. I had finally found something inside of me to live for and I would be damned if anyone was going to stand in my way. Running to the house, I can see Iris's silhouette in the window. I am running so fast that I am almost flying. Taking the steps of the back porch
two steps at a time, I swing open the door with a wave of my hand. I'm not even out of breath as I run inside. My father is standing in front of me, as I come to a stop.
“Selene? What happened?” He knew immediately that something was wrong.
“Ryker.” Now, I was trying get everything out at one time. Ryker was all that I could get out?
“No. No, where?” My father starts to make his way past me, walking outside.
“Dad. No. He took me.” I say following him outside.
“He WHAT?” My father's voice shook the whole house.
Obviously, this wasn't what he had planned for me. I try to tell him how everything went down, and how Ian helped me escape. I hear footsteps behind my father to see Sebastian and Cato. They look furious.
“Did you say Ryker?” Sebastian asks me, making his way to me.
“Yes. Is he Alex's brother?” No one answers. They all just stare at one another for a brief moment.
“Yes.” Iris says, joining us outside on the balcony porch.
“What the hell, Iris?” Sebastian asks her.
“Yes, he is Alex's brother and also mine. You saw him?” She pushes past Sebastian walking slowly to me.
“Saw him? You could say that. He kidnapped me and took me to Mount Olympus.”
“He did WHAT?” Now, this time it was Sebastian yelling. I try to tell the story again, then I realize that he looks frantic.
“What happened?” His face showing signs of distress.
“You weren't at your mom's, but someone else was watching your house. We came home to get everyone.”
“Who was at my mom's house? Is she okay?” My voice cracks as I am scared to ask.
“Alex. He didn't see us, but we saw him, and our car
was there. We looked everywhere for you, hiding from him, then we decided to come back here to get everyone.” He embraces me tightly.
I let him, and hug him back as tight as I could. We were about to go to war on Earth, and in front of mortals, especially in front of my mother. This wasn't going to go well at all, for anyone.
“Ryker had told me he was trying to save me from Alex, and bring the fight to the mount. Also, that Colin had wanted this. I was so nervous, I panicked and just left.” Shaking my head back and forth.
She had been right. Colin was in this somehow. Cato had been right too. My fear had led me to make this huge mistake on Earth. We had to get back to the mount now before mortals were aware that they walked amongst gods.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Sebastian's rocky road to Mount Olympus
“We have got to get the hell out of here people. This can't happen on Earth! I won't put innocent lives at stake for all of this stupidity.” Selene exclaims, trying to gather everyone on the back porch.
I agree with her, but for some this would be no easy task getting back on the mount. Only a few of us can go back and forth to the worlds. Once we all make it there; we need to have a plan. Alex would follow soon if he
wasn't already on his way to my house now. My father proceeds to hand everyone a coin, only this time, it's not for the Underworld. It's one I had never seen.
“You will take this coin and it will be a bumpy ride, but we will arrive on the mount. There is only one problem. Each of you will be where you were when you came down to earth this last time. Meaning, if you were
somewhere besides being with all of us at the time we decided to leave, you will be placed where you had been. Take the path to my home as fast as you can. We will prepare there.” Everyone looks down at their golden
coin.
This would be tricky for some because they weren’t with us before coming to Earth. Selene would be at Ian's, since that's where she had been
last. I would have to run to her. I wasn't taking the chance of her getting caught by Ryker again. Turning to her, I tell her that she has to stay with Ian till I can get to her. She nods. My father raises his hand and we are lifted off the ground in a cloud of smoke. I try to keep ahold of Selene's
hand. I can feel her pulling away from me. I try to scream for her, but nothing comes out. We are moving fast and I can no longer see anyone through the smoke. I feel my fit hit the ground as the smoke clears.
Everyone who had been together was standing in front of me, but some were missing. My mind raced. Selene. Selene. I have to get to her. I run to the door finding my way to Ian's house. The sun is setting; it's becoming dark on the mount. It wasn't time for dusk and I know Zeus
knows we are here. I keep running towards Ian's house at the fastest speed I could maintain. Pushing the door open with a wave of my hand, I see Selene standing with Ryker and Ian. I didn't even think. I just did what came to me. I kept running, right into Ryker pushing him all the way back into the wall, my feet skidding across the floor. Ryker strikes back landing a punch to my face. That didn't stop me. I kept on punching him until I felt
arms around my stomach pulling me off of Ryker.
“Don't you ever touch my wife again!” Ian is holding me back as I yell at him. Selene is standing there with her face askew.
“Don't you ever think before you go off hitting someone?” Ryker takes the back of his hand wiping off his lips where blood is slowly coming to the surface.
“Stop. We don't have time for this shit. Sebastian, you're going to have to hear him out.” Ian is still pushing me back from Ryker.
Cato comes sprinting inside the house with Colin and Iris right behind him. Cato slides across the floor, stopping just in front of Ryker. They stare at one another, as I try to calm myself. Selene comes to my side. Her lips pursed with her eyes moving fast over everyone.
“Ryker, as I live and breathe.” Cato stands tall facing him.
“Cato.” Ryker is brushing himself off still after the mini-fight we just had.
Cato and Ryker knew each other on a different level then most of us did. They were the best of friends at one time. No one had heard from Ryker in what seemed like forever and Cato never once mentioned him? From what
we thought, he had been banished to Earth for going against Zeus. No one even spoke his name anymore. None of that mattered to me at the moment. He had kidnapped Selene and I wasn't just going to forgive that. I
never trusted him or Cato and I wasn't going to start now. Iris hugs him.
Colin shakes his hand. Who are these people? This is my team? No way. This is Alex's brother or cousin either way he kidnapped Selene! And they all want to be friends? No freaking way.
I take Selene by the hand and turn towards the door. Ian follows behind. I knew he wanted me to turn around and listen to what Ryker had to say, but I didn't have time. My instincts were kicking in. I could feel the shifts of wind in the air. Zeus.
“Hold up a second. Let me tell you what Alex's plan is before you go on a rampage.” Ian says grabbing my arm. We stop.
“I don't care what he thinks or he says is going to happen. There is no trust with him or any of them for the most part.” My hand is tightening into a fist at my side.
“He isn't on Alex's side, but he isn't on our side either. He is going to watch what happens and pick a side from what I gather.”
“What?” Selene asks Ian.
“He says Alex is going to start the war with something you won't think is coming or could happen. He says it will be soon, and he also says that he doesn't care whose side wins, as long as his dad is no longer in charge.”
“Of course, he plans that. He is just like Alex. Never get involved unless it concerns you. Typical.” I turn my back to Ian to get back to my dad.
He may not be on my side at the moment, but he is never on the side of Zeus. Ian stands there staring at us as I turn my head looking at him. This wasn't how I had ever wanted anything to go, but I only had one concern
at this very moment. I wanted to save the woman I love, and save a world who didn't even know we existed. That was what a god was supposed to do. Care for the ones who may not care for you. None of them seemed
to realize this. With Selene's hand in mine we walk towards my home, my father's home. The darkness surrounds us. You can hear people all around
us scurrying by. None of them know what's about to happen, but they know something wicked is about to go down.
We reach my father's home without anyone stopping us. I find this odd, too. It was becoming eerily quiet on the mount. My mind told me to prepare myself for the fight that was to come. My hands had a different idea as they were shaking. Could we really defeat an army of Alex and Zeus?
We all would have our full powers on the mount, which meant that we would all be able to truly die.
Death was something that seemed out of my realm of understanding. We didn't die, we were gods. But this was war amongst the gods. This fight happened once before. The three of them beat their parents for control,
how were going to do this? This was going to make that look like child’s play versus what was about to go down. We were going to cause Armageddon for worlds as the fates will collide.
“Well, I figured you would be back soon.” My father says to me, trying to invite us in the home.
I had forgotten. I was no longer his heir to his thrown. I may be his son still, but I had no real home. Apollo and Aries stood side by side at the barrier of the door.
“Sebastian.” Apollo nods as we walk over the threshold.
“What's the plan now?” I ask my father.
“Son, all I know is that we are going to have to use every ability we have to win this fight. That means that you will have to listen, no more arguing.”
“Yep, got it, Hades.” Calling him that name, I can see the anger that comes across his face.
I didn't care anymore. We had been pawns in this game they were playing and my life and
Selene's were on the line. I haven't even had time to mourn my mother before he married that witch, Medusa. I also knew if we
wanted to win, I would have to take some of his advice, he knew Zeus far better than I. This wasn't going to be an easy task. Learning that Alex was definitely up to something bad only made me that much more nervous.
There was one thought that kept crossing my mind, Selene's mother. He had made it very aware that he was there and waiting for her, but the thought of him hurting Selene's mom made it much worse for me. That
would bring war for sure because Selene wouldn't sit back and let that happen. We may have made it to the mount, but if Alex starts the fight on Earth, I don't know if I could hold her back from not using her powers to kill him right where he stood. I don't want to be right about this being the move he makes to start the war, but something wouldn't let me move past it.
