by Muse, M. W.
“Y-you killed Medusa?” His eyes were wide.
“As if you didn’t know.” She smirked.
“I didn’t, but I’m glad she didn’t succeed in abducting you if that was her intent. Did she hurt you at all?” he asked, concerned.
As she stared at him, hope swelled at the possibility of him telling her the truth. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head furiously, trying to keep that hope from taking root.
She opened her eyes and glared at him. “Of course she didn’t hurt me. I killed her, and I’ll kill you if you try anything.”
“I’m not going to try anything,” he said calmly. “I’d just like a chance to explain, if that’s all right.”
She stared at him, knowing that whatever he was going to tell her would be a lie, but her morbid side was curious as to how he’d explain his presence here. “Explain.”
He took a deep breath. “When I visited my dad over Christmas, he had some theories about my ascension.” She remembered reading this in Adin’s journal, but he hadn’t elaborated in it. “He told me Adonis is a life-death-rebirth deity, and since I was created in the likeness of him, then maybe I was that type of god too.”
“What does that mean?” she asked evenly.
“It’s a mortal who becomes a god upon his death. Dad knew about the warning you’d received about you killing me if we stayed together.” He grimaced. “Of course he didn’t want to test the life-death-rebirth deity theory, but he knew there was a chance that I’d die soon because I wasn’t going to give you up. He hoped that upon my death, I’d be reborn.”
She stared at him. This was very good as excuses went, but she really didn’t know much about Greek mythology outside what concerned her. She couldn’t allow herself to just believe him. When she didn’t speak, he continued.
“He told me about this on the winter solstice because it’s a celebration of rebirth. He kicked himself for not thinking of it sooner, but since Adonis has been around for thousands of years, it’s been a long time since anyone considered him mortal.”
She continued to stare at him and pursed her lips, nodding slowly. River had told her about the significance of the winter solstice on their date that night, but she needed to stay focused. “And you just became a god. Just like that?”
“No, not just like that. When a mortal dies, there has to be a divine intervention into that death for the mortal to become a god. When Adonis died, Aphrodite was there with him. She mixed his blood with nectar and anemone, giving him his godly life through the use of natural elements. That’s how he was reborn.” He paused, looking at her with gentle eyes. “When I died, you cried over me, showering me with your love, your tears mixing with my blood, washing away my mortality. You are Mother Nature. You gave me a godly life through your natural elements.”
She didn’t know what to think. She’d love to believe him, but she couldn’t just take his word for it. She knew that Hades would stop at nothing to capture her. “Where’ve you been then?”
“Ascending. My ascension wasn’t like River’s was, or how yours will be. It wasn’t instantaneous. I had to die first. Then transform, then heal. But to answer your question specifically, I’ve been in Texas with my father.”
“Why should I believe you?” she asked, crossing her arms, looking away from him.
“Because it’s the truth,” he whispered.
The truth? She had no way of knowing if he was telling her the truth. But if she could get some answers out of him, maybe she could figure this out.
“Did you send me the flowers on Valentine’s Day?” she asked, looking at him again.
He half-smiled and nodded. “I didn’t want you to feel alone. Plus, I knew I’d be able to see you again soon. I’d hoped you’d look into Adonis’s life and make the connection to me being a life-death-rebirth deity. Then when I saw you in person, you wouldn’t go into shock, thinking you were seeing a ghost.” He chuckled.
“Why didn’t you just call and let me know what was going on? Or email me? Send me a text? Hell, message me on Facebook? If you really were Adin, you wouldn’t have put me through that misery,” she said, her voice trembling. She took a jagged breath. She didn’t want to cry in front of this man. She couldn’t let him have the upper hand.
But he could see she was upset. He gave her a sad smile while he shook his head slowly. “I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it,” he whispered. “I was,” he paused, looking down. “I was in really bad shape. I knew my dad was on the right track since I was able to be revived after dying, but I wasn’t sure how long it’d last. Sure, you have natural abilities, but you’re not a full goddess yet.” Tears formed in his eyes. “I knew you were devastated already. I didn’t want to give you hope that I’d lived, and then it not work out that way.”
That was definitely how Adin would’ve reacted. He would’ve wanted to protect her from the additional pain. “Is that why you didn’t tell me about your dad’s theory when you got back?”
“Yes,” he murmured.
She nodded, looking away from him. She just referred to him as her dead boyfriend. She needed to be careful not to do that again. “Here’s the problem. I’ve been having a dream, warning me about some man being evil—”
“You told me,” he interrupted, and her eyes flashed to his. He was still watching her protectively.
“But I woke up on Valentine’s Day with a new warning in that dream. My mom said, ‘Be careful. He’s not dead.’ Then I get the flowers you just confessed to sending. I figured the dream was warning me about Hades. Mom said he had a plan. He could’ve safely assumed I was involved with Adonis’s likeness since Persephone wanted to be with him. If Adin died or was retrievable from the underworld in some way, either way, Hades could use Adin to his advantage. If I thought Adin was trapped, I’d do whatever I could to get him out. Your—” She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head. “I mean, Adin’s grandmother commented that Hades could use Adin to get to me. And…” She trailed off, raising her eyebrows, waving her hands toward him as if to show that Hades was doing it now.
“He didn’t send me here, Legacy. I haven’t even seen Hades since the day of my death.”
“How can I believe you when the evidence tells me otherwise?” she whispered.
He gave a short, frustrated laugh. “Ask me something, anything only you and I’d know.”
She stared at him speculatively, fighting a smile. She had to remind herself that this could be part of the plan to lure her in. She needed to stay focused. “Okay. In the summer, Adin picked me up in his car—”
“A blue Chevrolet Camaro,” he rattled off quickly. She stared at him, and he pursed his lips, waiting.
“To have lunch with his mother. I remember I was wearing—”
“A coral skirt and white top. We put our hands on each other’s knees, and I wanted to make out with you in my driveway before we—” He saw her eyeing him, so he stopped. “Sorry,” he mumbled. But he was still waiting eagerly for the question.
“His mother made homemade—”
“Lasagna,” he said with her and smiled.
She stared at him with narrowed eyes. “Right. She said something to me about Adin moving—”
“I wasn’t moving. She told you about my dad moving to Texas.” He smiled.
“Whatever. Will you let me ask the damn question?”
“I won’t interrupt again, I promise.” He smiled crookedly at her.
“Anyway, she said something about his dad moving, and I got upset. He took me upstairs to his bedroom, and we sat his on the bed. It was the first time he’d ever said something to me. What was it?”
His eyebrows furrowed. “Er, I said a lot of things,” he mumbled. He tapped his chin, looking up at the ceiling. “Let’s see. You were crying. I apologized for my mom bringing it up and told you I’d planned on telling you about his move. I told you he wanted me to go to school out there, but that I wasn’t going to, so I needed to visit him and explain in person. Then you asked me
to the Fourth of July Parade.”
“You haven’t said the answer I’m looking for,” she said evenly.
His smile faded. “That’s everything we talked about in my room. After you asked about the parade, we went back downstairs.”
“I remember. But you said something when we were in your room. It was the first time I’d heard you say it.”
“Um, I think I said something about hating to see you upset.” He shrugged. “I’ve already hit the highlights of our conversation that day. I didn’t tell you I love you.” He looked at her gently. “Though, I was already in love with you. So I’m not sure what you’re looking for here. I may be in love with you, Legacy, but I don’t remember every word of every conversation we’ve ever had. And neither do you.”
“It was significant to me,” she whispered.
He looked at her, dumbfounded, shaking his head. He was quiet for several seconds, probably scanning back over the conversation on that day, seeking out the right answer. “Sweetheart, I honestly—” He stopped and smiled widely. “It was the first time I called you sweetheart.”
“Took you long enough,” she mumbled.
He chuckled. “So now you believe me?” he asked, standing up and taking a step toward her.
She put her hand up to halt him, and he sighed, stopping where he was.
“If Hades is behind this, he’d have covered all his bases.” She hesitated, looking at him. He was gorgeous; not one characteristic differed from her Adin, but she couldn’t get distracted. “Er, where was our, I mean Adin and me, er, mine and Adin’s first kiss?” she stammered quickly.
He chuckled, taking a step toward her. “Technically, it was when we were at the zoo. When we were babies.”
“Um …” She glanced around her room. “What did I wear, ummm, to school on my seventeenth birthday?”
“A green dress.” He took another step, locking his gaze onto hers.
She swallowed loudly. “What color was my homecoming—”
“Orange and blue.” Another step. “Unless you’re referring to your underwear—that was just blue,” he murmured, taking the last step to reach her. “Your dress was stuck, and I had to unzip it for you.” He leaned his head down, putting his lips to her ear. Her body was shaking. “We almost had sex right there on your bed, and I taped the condom I had in my pocket that night to my journal entry,” he whispered.
Gods, he seemed so real. She felt weak in the knees. He even smelled like Adin. She missed him so much. She really wanted this man to be her love. He didn’t touch her. He stood still, face still by her ear. She could feel his breath hitting her neck. He was waiting for her to say something or do something. She didn’t know what, but he was waiting for some kind of sign from her. She had to think to remember how to use her mouth.
“O-obviously, I want t-to believe you,” she muttered shakily.
“Can I hold you?” he whispered in her ear. “I-I’ve missed you so much, princess.”
Her breathing hitched, and she started to cry, her will gone. She took a step, pressing herself against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her tightly.
“Oh God. I’ve missed you,” he said again, rubbing is arms up and down her back.
She slowly slid her arms around him, and he buried his head in her hair while she cried softly. She heard his breathing become jagged. “I love you so much,” he whispered as he started to cry too.
They both cried, holding onto each other. She didn’t want to move. She didn’t want to think about what was actually happening. She knew if she thought about what was happening, what she was doing, she would hope that he was telling her the truth, but even worse, she would feel bad that she wasn’t strong enough to resist.
Then he slowly pulled way, walking her over to the bed. “It’s late,” he said as he pulled the covers back. “We can finish this in the morning.”
She nodded, her thoughts in a jumbled mess. If he wasn’t really Adin, she could at least pretend for now. It was a big gamble to take, but right now, she just couldn’t fight the need inside of her. In the morning, she would have renewed clarity to be objective. That was what she told herself at least.
She took off her robe and got in. He walked around, pulled off his shirt, took off his jeans, and climbed in beside her. He drew her up against him, wrapping his arms around her. He kissed the top of her head, and she looked up at him. His eyes were red-rimmed, pale blue. She wanted to kiss him, but she didn’t need to lose all objectivity. As she thought about that, she realized she wasn’t really objective anymore. She wanted him to be her Adin. She started to cry and dug her head into his chest at the realization she was now desperately clinging to that hope. He cried too, wrapping an arm around her head, crumpling her hair and kissing the top of her head repeatedly through his own sobs.
And they fell asleep in each other’s arms, just like old times.
Chapter Thirteen
When Legacy awoke, she felt the man in bed with her gently rubbing her back. It felt just like she’d remembered, soft, warm. Not a forced imposter with signs of deceit. No, this felt like her Adin. She looked up at him, and he smiled gently at her. Every detail was exact.
“How’d you sleep?” he asked, the voice spot-on to Adin’s.
“Better than I have in months,” she answered honestly.
“Me too,” he breathed.
She needed to know once and for all if he was really Adin, and she finally realized how she’d be able to figure it out. It was a fool-proof plan, but it’d require others knowing about him. Well, one other person. But it would work. It had to. She sat up and looked at him.
“We need to go talk to River about some things.”
He didn’t know that River could read his energy. She’d only discovered that he could read other people’s energies after Adin had left for his dad’s. River would be able to tell her if this guy was really Adin. She doubted he’d want to go see him since they’d been fighting when he’d died. The reason for that fight was still valid. She’d long ago forgiven River, but she wasn’t sure where Adin…or this man…stood on the issue.
“You’re right. We do,” he agreed. She gaped at him. That was unexpected. She stared, waiting for an explanation…or the punch line. “When I told you last night I only saw Hades on the day that I died, well, it was long enough for him to discover the truth about you.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, standing up. He sat up, watching her.
“I mean, he knows about your true abilities. Lissa was right. You never should have told me that. In between my death and the start of my rebirth, he had possession of my soul, and my knowledge. It was a very brief possession, but it was long enough. He knows everything.”
Her eyes narrowed. “So if he knows everything, then he could’ve told you everything Adin knew.” So he could’ve very easily answered those personal questions last night. She shook her head, walking to her closet and putting on her clothes. She should’ve been mad at being tricked, but she wasn’t. She was devastated he might not actually be Adin. This morning didn’t bring any new objectivity because she’d already started believing that he was him.
“No, Legacy, that’s not what I meant,” he said, standing up and putting his clothes back on. “You have to believe it’s really me.”
She knew she was going to find out for sure anyway, so she wasn’t going to press it now. “If Hades knows about my abilities, why do you want to tell River?”
“Because he’s a god too. Now that I’m a god, I can think a little more objectively about him,” he said a little sheepishly, looking down. “You know I was jealous about his immortality. Now that I actually get to spend eternity with you, I don’t feel threatened by him anymore,” he explained, meeting her gaze again. “And we need his help to keep Hades from getting to you.”
She nodded. “Okay. Let’s go.”
She tossed the keys to him, then wondered if she should drive. This was Adin’s car. He’d given it to her. Legacy giving this man the k
eys was a sign she believed he was Adin. Plus, he could very easily drive her somewhere else. She ignored that thought as they walked to the car.
When he got in, he had to move the seat back, and he smiled. “How’d you like driving it?” he asked as he backed out.
She shrugged, looking out the side window and pulling out her cell phone. She called Calli and told her to meet her at River’s house because she had some news for them.
They pulled up to River’s gate, and she gave him the code to get in. He gave her an odd look because she knew the code, but he didn’t voice any questions.
Once he parked, she opened the door and started up the porch, not waiting for the man she was with. He followed closely behind, though.
She didn’t knock. She opened the door and walked right in.
“In here,” Calli called out.
They walked into the kitchen, and River and Calli were standing beside each other, leaning against the counter, laughing while River touched her shoulder. Legacy thought it was odd, but she didn’t have time to process it because as soon as the man she was with stepped into their view, they both stood up with audible gasps.
“Don’t say anything,” she said to them, putting her hand up. She turned to face her company. “You stay right here.” Then she walked up to River, who was staring intently at her. “I need you to help me with him like you helped me with Olive,” she whispered.
River’s eyes flashed to the man she was internally hoping with every bone in her body was Adin. Then he looked at Legacy. “Okay.”
She nodded and took a deep breath. She walked back to the man she’d brought with her and looked into his eyes. “Tell them what you told me last night. About why you’re here, I mean.”
Her body shook while he watched her closely. This was it. “Umm.” He looked at River. “I’m a life-death-rebirth deity. Legacy saved me from a mortal death, and I’ve been spending this time away ascending to my godly status.”
