by Dee King
“It’s just something I can do. You can control water like that, right?”
“I guess.” I am still looking at the vase in Sebastian’s hand.
“Well, I can control something that can hold water.” He tells me.
“Really? Like what? Like a glass of water?” I am now very curious about what Sebastian can do.
“Yes. Pretty much anything that can hold water I can do that with.” I look back down at the vase, then back to Sebastian.
“Cool.” I say with a grin on my face. I start to move towards the giant picture frame again, and Sebastian moves closer to it too. We both are staring at the photo. He looks at me, I look back at him.
We know.
That’s him and I as children.
I almost trip backwards over the chair. We both look at one another, our mouths gapping open.
He looks just as shocked as I do. You can tell he has never seen the picture himself.
How are we both in this picture at the same time, yet we have no memories of it?
“Sebastian? Do you even know when this was? Where we were?” I walk around the table to sit in one of the wooden chairs.
“No. Actually, this shouldn’t even be possible.” Sebastian is still staring at the photo.
“What do you mean?” Sebastian finally takes the seat across from me at the table.
“I mean from what we have always been taught, we were not allowed on Earth till we entered the age to attend mortal high school.” Sebastian runs his hand through his hair. His lips purse together.
“Where are we anyways?” I look around the cottage type home.
“I have never been here before. My father told me of this place. I had no clue what I was looking for to be honest. I just knew how to get out here. Knowing my father though, I knew it would be nicer inside than outside. I just never needed to come here.” Sebastian looks around the room.
“Wait! You said I would be safe with you, but you didn’t even know where the hell we were going?” I move the vase to see his face better.
“Yes, No. I mean yes, I knew where we were supposed to go, but I had never been here. I just knew that we would be safe here. No one can get in or out without me or my father.”
“What do you mean in or out?” I glance at the door.
“I mean. Oh, how do I explain this. Okay. You know how that bracelet is charmed?” He points to the bracelet from my father.
“Yea.” I look down at my bracelet for a brief moment.
“The house is charmed the same way. Only my touch or my father’s can open or shut the door. There is only one door in the whole house. It’s the only way in or out.”
“I am confused. Are you saying that if I wanted to leave I couldn’t because you would have to literally open the door for me?” I tap the table with my finger’s.
“Pretty much.” He wiggles his eyebrow’s at me.
“So, I am trapped here?” I turn my body away from him.
“No. I would never do that. If you asked me, I would let you out.” Sebastian reaches for my hand. I move it and place it on my lap.
“This makes no sense. Nothing has made sense since Friday night.” I put my hands up to cover my face so he can not see the tears forming in my eyes.
“Selene. Please, don’t cry. I promise I only brought you here because this was the only place I knew where I could keep you safe.”
“I do believe you. I am just stressed out.” I pause.
“Where is this picture from? Who is the man chasing us?” I ask him these questions, because I assume he has the answers.
“I believe the guy chasing us is actually chasing you. He wants to talk to you. He wants you to do something for him.”
“What? What could I possibly do for him?” I stand up from the chair.
“Sit back down. I will try to explain this to you. It’s time.” Sebastian points at the wooden chair.
“I do not want to sit down. I want to know what is going on!” I yell.
“I will tell you. Maybe we should start a fire first. It’s getting colder in here.” “I don’t want a damn fire. I want to know whatever you’re not telling me. NOW!”
Sebastian stands and pushes his chair under the table. He walks over to the fire place. He leans down. He looks inside the fire place. He looks at the logs of wood.
“Selene? Would you like to start the fire?” I walk over to the fire place. I have no idea if I can do what I did before. I lean down beside Sebastian. I open my mouth and blow on the logs. Immediately, sparks come from the logs. I blow harder. The logs catch fire.
Sebastian kneels down. He waves his hand over the fire and the flames rise higher. He stands. I stand. I look at his hand.
He isn’t even burned?
I take his hand in mine. It’s hot. It goes cold as I touch him.
“Whoa! Did I do that?” I look at Sebastian’s face. I drop his hand immediately.
“I think so. That’s never happened before. Thank you.” Sebastian stares at his hand.
“What do you mean? You never tried to burn yourself before?” I start to giggle.
“No. I have always been able to start a fire with my hands. I meant the cool off part.”
“Oh.”
“I think I understand more now than I did before.” He tells me. I still have no clue. Sebastian takes a hold of the massive blanket draped over the couch and lays it out flat on the floor in front of the fire. He motions for me to sit.
“I mean that we are destined to be together. I just never knew how much till this moment.” I stare oddly at him.
“We are destined to be together? I’ve never heard that one before.” I snicker.
“It is a part of our fathers’ plan. It’s why Alex wants you to be with him.” Sebastian sits on the blanket.
“I am lost.” I sit opposite of him.
“About Alex? I tried to warn you. I know you have liked him for as long as you can remember, but hear me out. Okay?” I lean back on both hands sitting with my legs crossed.
“Go ahead.”
“Alex’s father Zeus, well he thought if he had a child, and he could get that child to convince one of our fathers’ children that they were destined to be together that they would rule the worlds.” He sounds like he just fell off the deep end.
“That makes no sense. Zeus wanted a child to carry on his name, and if your father or mine had a child of the same age that they would be together forever? So, like they could take over the worlds?” I ask.
“Yes. Not carry on the name. That is a mortal thing. To RULE the worlds, Selene.”
“Rule the worlds?” I am feeling amused by this. I start to smile, but hold back my laugh.
“Yes. If all of them were to have children of the same age, and if one was a girl, they could be together. That couple would rule the worlds.”
“You mean if I were to be with Alexander than we would rule the worlds?” I sit up closer to him.
“Yes, but not for the greater good. You would be the kind of god and goddess that Zeus wanted. If you were to chose someone besides Alex, then he would just be a god.”
“So, what does that have to do with me? You mean like they would have to get married?”
“It does not work like that in our world. Yes, you marry, but not like mortals.”
“I don’t want to be married. I am only eighteen. That is insane.” I lean back on my palms.
“Listen, no one is saying you have to get married. What I am saying is that if you chose to fall in love with Alex, than you would be together forever because you gave him your heart.”
“I don’t think I love him.” I look down at the blanket beneath us.
“Wait? I think I understand. If I am with either one of you than WE would rule the worlds, but what does it matter who I love?”
“It matters because the gods are counting on us.” Sebastian looks annoyed at my questions.
“You mean to tell me that it doesn’t matter what I want, that I will chose betwe
en the two of you because this is what the gods want?” I stay still.
“Yes and no. You may chose whoever you want, but it will be one of us.” Sebastian looks at the fire that is blazing.
“So, I have to chose you or Alex, the end?”
“No. You have to chose what your heart tells you to chose. That is one thing all the gods agreed on. To truly love someone takes free will. Since Alex can not seem to get you to fall in love with him on his own he has been trying to control your emotions so that you will think you do.”
“But, if it’s my heart than that would not matter right?” Sebastian leans forward to lay on his side.
“That’s tricky. See, Alex has the ability to touch someone and make them feel like they are in love, or however he wants them to feel. If you felt like you really did love him it would be too late once his Spell wore off.”
“He doesn’t really like me?” I can feel the lump in my throat as I tried to spit out the words.
“I honestly don’t know. He has been trained to do this. He only knows he wants the power. I am not sure if he knows what true love is.”
“Wait. Your father is Hades. The god of the Underworld? How would you know what love is?” Sebastian’s eyes turn a darker shade of blue as he stands up.
“My father is nothing like you think. Zeus is the one that made him the god of the Underworld. He did not want that. In fact, the one thing my father does do well is love. He is the one that mortal souls come to. He looks deep within to see their true intentions.” I can clearly see I have upset Sebastian about his father. I stand.
“I am sorry, I know very little about this.” I walk towards him.
“No, I am sorry. I just think mortals do not understand. It’s okay. You will see that what I am saying is true.”
“Okay. Let me get this straight. I only feel what I feel for Alex because he wants me to?”
“Maybe. You know how you truly feel. You know whether you are in love with him or not. I can not answer that.”
“Oh.” I look towards the picture. Sebastian turns too.
“Explain that?” I point to the framed picture of us as children.
“I can’t. I know that my father bringing me to Earth would have been a big deal at that age. I assume our fathers set that up. We look happy, though.”
“Yea, but why don’t we remember that? I remember my swim suit. Why don’t we remember this?” We both walk towards the picture.
“I have no idea, but it does look like maybe we have liked one another before.” He smiles at me.
“Maybe?” I say with a grin on my face.
Chapter 19 I reach up to take the framed picture off the wall.
“What are you doing?”
“I am looking for clues.”
“Clues?”
“Yes, clues to when this was. Clues to who took the picture. Clues to why this is the only
picture in this house.” We both pause and take a look around. No other photos are in the small room. “Oh, those clues.” Sebastian helps me sit the framed picture on the table. I flip it over to see the back. I rub my hand down the side to see if I can pry off the back of the frame. I find a place. I pull the backing off. There is a folded piece of paper behind the photo. I hold the letter in my shaky hand.
“Do you want me to read it?” Sebastian takes a hold of the folded letter. “Yes.” I nervously hand him the letter.
Sebastian unfolds the letter. I can see there is quite a bit of writing on the letter. Sebastian
starts to read the letter out loud.
“Sebastian and Selene. Malibu. Ten years old.”
I look at Sebastian as he keeps reading.
“We planned this day many a year ago. Selene is quite the beauty Poseidon said she was.
She and Sebastian should find each other in four more years. Our plan is working wonderfully. The children will not even remember this day. If Zeus ever knew they were together before they were allowed to meet it would fuel his anger. We must do everything we can to keep these two as happy as they are on this day. If this letter is ever found then I hope that we have made the right choice for our worlds. Sebastian and Selene should rule the worlds. Zeus is raising his son how we knew he would. The boy already needs the power. Sending Athena’s daughter to help in this plan may not work, but we have to do everything in our powers to get Sebastian and Selene together. Hopefully, this one day will help them see who they were meant to be with.”
Sebastian lays the letter on top of the photo. He stands back. I turn to look at him. “Who wrote that?” I ask. Sebastian’s head lowers.
“My father.”
“You mean to tell me that our fathers planned our lives before we were born so they
could win over Zeus, because that is exactly what that letter states.” I feel anger boiling inside of me. “I always knew that I was destined to be with someone, I just never knew for sure who. I found out this year that it was possibly you. Once I saw your charm bracelet everything became very clear. Only one problem.” I look at Sebastian as he looks into my eyes.
“What? That I was not an object to win and you would actually have to try to love me?” “No. That I was already in love with you. Now, I just don’t know if this was how I truly feel or if I was made to feel that way for you.” Sebastian stares off at the photo.
“Oh, so let me get this straight. Now, you don’t know if you love me? Well, let me tell you something. I hated you for most of our high school years. So if that was the case they failed on my part!” I am furious. I slam my hand down on the table and break the glass in the frame. I walk to the door.
“NOW! I want to go NOW!” Sebastian just stands there staring at me.
“No.” He tells me.
“Did you say no?” Sebastian folds his arms over his chest.
“Yes. I said no.”
“You better open this door right now!” I slam my hand on the door. Nothing happens. Sebastian has a smirk on his face.
“Open the damn door Sebastian. NOW!”
“Or your going to do what?” Sebastian starts to walk towards me.
“You don’t want to find out!”
“Oh, but I do.” Sebastian is still smiling. He puts out his hand out.
“I am serious. Open the door. Take me home.” I step very close to him. “You know you are only mad because you got your feelings hurt.”
“How could you hurt my feelings?” I say with a sarcastic tone.
“Because you may be in love with me too?” He scratches the back of his neck.
“That’s ridiculous.” I look down at my feet. Sebastian steps near me. He puts his hand on my chin. He raises my face very gently. I look into his gorgeous blue eyes.
“I am not wrong. I can feel it.” I push his hand off of my face.
“You know nothing.” I turn my back to him.
“Fine. I know nothing. Your reaction says you might though, and that’s good enough for me.”
“Whatever. Can we go now? I have school tomorrow.” I step closer to the door.
“Yes. We can go as soon as I know the truth.”
“What truth?”
Sebastian walks towards me. I can feel the butterflies in my stomach. He leans down and kisses my lips. I kiss him back. I can feel his hands wrapping around my waist. I wrap my arms around his neck. I stop.
“We have to go.” I feel the embarrassment on my face.
“Okay, but just so you know the truth. I am madly, deeply in love with you Selene Athans. It is not because I am suppose to, it’s because I have been since the first day I saw you. You can try to hide how you feel about me all you want, but we both know.”
I stand there still as a board. I was actually remembering the first time I saw Sebastian. He was in my English Literature class and he dropped a pen beside my desk. I leaned over to hand it to him. I had been embarrassed because he smiled at me, and I felt he hardly noticed who I was till that moment.
Although I was ready to go I was still nervous
. I do not know who the man is that is stalking me. I look around as we walk to the Land Rover.
Actually, I run as Sebastian laughs.
“You are going to be okay. You know that right?”
“Yes. Let’s just get out of here.” I look down to see my phone. I have over twenty messages, and it’s about one o’clock in the morning.
I hope I don’t fail tomorrow. I need that grade to be good.
“You know that it doesn’t matter if you fail or not right?”
“Huh?” Oh, he heard me.
“It matters to me.” I say, looking out the window on the way to the mansion.
“Okay. Then it matters to me.” Sebastian tries to lay his hand on my knee. I let him.
We finally turn the corner into the mansion’s driveway. I am so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open.
“We are here.” I open the vehicle’s door, and step out to see Colin.
“Your safe, okay?”
“Yea.” I barely get the words out I am so tired. I can feel my body being lifted off the ground. It’s Colin. He is carrying me into the house. I lay my head on his shoulder.
“Thank you.” I whisper.
The rest seems a blur. I could hear Colin and Sebastian talking as he carried me to my bed. I remember hearing Sebastian saying we found the photo, but then I was just too tired to care.
“Come on, Selene. School.” It was Sebastian in my room. Beside my bed. The sun was just rising.
“I’m coming.” I roll out of the bed. Taking a shower seems to be the best idea I can come up with at the moment. I can see there is a cup of something steaming on the side table.
“Coffee?” I grab the warm cup.
“Yea, I thought you may need that.” I take a sip.
“Thanks.” I lay the cup back down and retreat to the shower.
Dressed, and running to get my backpack, I hear Sebastian talking to someone. He must be on the phone, because I do not hear Colin.
“I don’t care! She is in danger. You just do it. No. I want it done today. Yes. Today.Yea. Bye.” I stand very close behind him. He turns.
“Selene? You ready?” He tries to move past me to get to the front door.
“Who were you talking to?”
