by Dee King
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Whomever wears the crown…
The time had come for us to release the mortals who wanted to go home to Earth again. My heart raced for many reasons, but I kept one eye on Chloe as we progressed to the event. Everyone had backed down the stage leaving Sebastian and I to do the work. Hands shaking a little, I tried to force myself to not focus on what the future could hold for us by doing this. Sebastian stepped forward. He announces that we will be letting them leave on the ship, they will be protected, and that we wish only the best for them. We still weren’t sure of how any of this would go. Would they even remember being here? Would they fear my name if they heard it? Lastly, would love win today or would the Earth be too much of a draw for Chloe? With Colin’s wife by his side, Olivia nods to me as we make our way to the boats. Many of the mortals had decided to leave. We had built Nirvana for them, and yet they still wanted out. A part of me couldn’t be mad. I too had once longed for my home there. California would always hold a special place in my heart, but the time had come to let it go. Alex had made the promise he would be the one on the ships to guide them home, as Colin would hold the seas. It should be smooth sailing for everyone who was leaving. Sebastian and I stood at the pier, saying goodbye to all who walked the plank onto the ship, each one doing a form of a bow with their head. Hundreds were lined up to go back to the only home they truly knew. I didn’t see Chloe anywhere. Searching for her every so often, not capturing a glimpse of her, feeling a sense of relief that she was staying, I began to smile at the ones leaving.
This was their freedom. We would see them again, just not anytime soon. As my fears fell to the wayside I greeted everyone who boarded, waving to each of them. This was a good feeling. Colin boards the final ship as Olivia comes to stand beside me. The God of the Seas somehow seemed to be where he fit. Zack and Ian stand guard still, just because they never trusted anyone. That was probably due to my way of thinking, but nonetheless, they stood guard. The ships were all full, the trumpets sounded by the centaurs, and they were to leave. We would never know of their future until they arrived on Earth. The last couple was young. Dressed in dark hooded clothes covering their faces from us, they both stepped onto the ship. They never looking up at us even though we waved. As the ships were released, the crowd had grown to say bon voyage to them. That’s when I saw her blonde hair. The winds shifted as the gates opened. Staying with their heads down, that was when I realized Chloe had also taken Chris with her. My heart sank. Yelling for the ship to stop, running along the shoreline, no one could hear me. She had just killed Chris and she didn’t even realize it. Tears begin streaming down my face. She had chosen to go back to Earth, thinking they had fooled us, only to realize that she had just murdered him. Again. A life through hell now awaited them. With the rules set in place as they were, Chris would never have been allowed to go back to Earth. He had died before my parents had caused the chaos. He wouldn’t be allowed back to the Mount. Cato would now be his judge. There would be no mercy for going against a goddess. Much less the goddess of all, who had set these rules into motion. Some of the rules I hadn’t set, they had been set before me, but I couldn’t change them for just one person. Finding Cato and Iris, I begin to beg for Chris’s life to be spared. He wasn’t paying attention until I grabbed him by the collar, telling him to please have mercy. With Zack and Ian now standing behind me with Sebastian trying to release my hands from Cato, it didn’t hit me that I was hurting Cato. He began falling to his knees while I still had ahold of his collar. There was pain scorching through his body as Sebastian pulled me back, screaming out my name. All I could see was red. Cato fell to his knees, Iris falling with him, holding him, as Sebastian kept screaming my name. Opening my eyes to really see what had happened, there were burn marks all over Cato’s neck from where my hands had been. Pulling away from Sebastian and dropping to the ground I try to help Cato as he yells at me. That was when I knew that the pain I had caused wasn’t just from me. Turning my head slowly I see Ember’s eyes fixated on him. She was helping me. My voice carried over the scream in my head as I yell for Ember to release him. Atlas was running towards Cato, dropping to his knees to heal him with water from the sea. Sitting on the ground, my dress raveling around me, this was what I had done. My children were slowly becoming the monster I was. No one would stand in their way. My tear stained cheeks become blushed from the embarrassment that I had caused. Sebastian began to yell at Ember, then back at me, then his voice quieted. Ember didn’t know why I was angry, she just knew that I was, and her only option was to help me. She lowered her head, storming off, pushing people past her, as I stood trying to follow her. My knees gave way as the road seemed to meet me. Sebastian still screamed my name in the distance. What had I done? What had I become?
“Selene!” Sebastian’s voice rang out.
“I’m here…” My voice barely above a whisper.
“Why?” He says to me, bending down to help me up.
“I… I didn’t know she could do that… I was trying to save Chris.” Standing back up, I leave Sebastian standing there among many.
It took some time before I found our daughter. She had hidden herself in Nirvana.
“Ember Rose.” My voice stern.
“Mama… I didn’t mean to hurt Uncle Cato, but…” Her voice carried through the wind.
Finding her wrapped up like a ball, crying, I go to her. Laying my hands on her, picking her up, holding her in my arms on the cold, damp grass. We cry together. This wasn’t what I wanted them to learn. My pain had poured over into them. All she knew was an angry mother and all she wanted was to help me. My mind raced with how I would explain this… How would I ever become the one I wanted to be with all the pain that lived inside of me? Helping Ember stand up and walk back to our home, I listened to her explain how she just wanted to do what was right. That meant helping me in any way she could. Unsure of the answers she was seeking, I knew something had to change. Something had to give. It was never my plan to hurt anyone, especially not with my daughter’s help. Even still, we had. Someone my daughter and I both cared very deeply for had been hurt by my anger. As the mansion came closer into our view, Zack stood patiently waiting outside. Waving at him, he came running towards us.
“Everyone okay?” He asked, searching my face for the answer.
“Yes, and Cato?”
“Oh, he’s tough. No worries.” He smiled at me then bowed his head.
I would need to talk to him before I did anything else. Regardless of how he may feel towards me at this moment, I still wanted to save Chris. Walking into our home, it felt… off. Something wasn’t right, something was very different. Holding my arm across Ember before she could walk in, I turn to her and tell her to stay there. She nodded in agreement as Zack and I stepped inside. Lights were all aglow, but none lit by light, they were lit by fire. Sebastian. He was angry, and this was his way of letting me know. Stepping further inside, I turned quickly to make sure Ember was still standing behind me, then back around. There he stood. My father. Sebastian was nowhere in sight. I had been wrong, or had I?
“Selene.”
“Poseidon.” I didn’t lower my head or eyes, staring him down as he had always done me.
“We need to talk.”
“Yes, but not right now.” Walking right past him, searching for Sebastian and Atlas.
“They aren’t here.” My father says matter-of-factly.
“Who?”
“Your son nor Sebastian.”
Turning around, searching for them, my eyes only finding my father’s.
“What do you mean? Where are they?” My words louder than anticipated.
“Soon you will find out, but for now, we must speak in private.” He steps closer to me.
“No. Now where is my son? Where is my husband?” Folding my arms across my chest.
“Sit.” He tells me, pointing at the couch.
“Stop with the theatrics. I don’t have time for this.” Shaking my head i
n annoyance with him.
Trying to move past my father, he grabs me by the arm.
“The time is now…” He says to me as I stare up at his face.
Now I knew where my son and husband were at. This was the end… His end. My father and mine’s end to all the past. This was the time that others had dreaded, and the time I thought I would have waited forever for. The time was now. This was it. This truly was our end.
Chapter Fifty-Eight
When the end comes, are you as prepared as you thought you would be?
Something hit my heart like a piece of glass, shattering all my feelings. Staring up at my father, this was goodbye. He was going to be leaving, but all I could think was we would have more time. Time. The word kept repeating in my mind. More time. I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready to face this. Goodbye? Goodbye to a father, goodbye to a mother, goodbye forever?
“Mama?” Ember whispers, hiding behind Zack.
“It’s okay sweetie, come in.” My voice wavering.
“You may go Zack.” Telling him that he should go say goodbye to his parents, as he nodded and bolted out the door.
My father releases my arm as we find places to sit on our oversized couches. Ember curls up beside me, laying her head down on my lap. My eyes begin to fill with water as I run my fingers through her long dark hair. My father bows his head, then brings it up slowly, smiling at me.
“I never doubted any of this. Ever.” His voice the quietest I have ever heard him.
“Never doubted?” I whisper as Ember was falling asleep.
“You would be the goddess you have become. We always knew that you would make us proud.”
I couldn’t even bring myself to smile at him. These were going to be our last moments together, and yet my heart and mind weren’t on the same page. We sat in silence for many moments, just listening to the crackle of the fire. My mind raced with so many words I wanted to say, but none were coming out.
“Will you answer me something?” Finally breaking the silence between us.
“Yes, of course.”
“Why me? Why did you pick me for all of this? Why not Colin? Why did you put me through hell, my entire life, just to watch me suffer?”
He didn’t answer. His eyes switching back over to watch the fire. Leaning back, his eyes slowly found mine.
“Because… You were always meant to be this. Colin was always meant to guard the seas. But for you, we knew…”
“Knew what?”
“That putting you through what you call hell would make you the fierce leader you are becoming.”
“That’s a really messed up answer. You did this so that I could feel pain, so that I would be like Zeus?”
“Yes. In a way. We needed someone who would lead the worlds, someone who would know pain, and someone who could love. There was always only you for this role. That’s how it has always been planned.”
“Who’s plan?” Trying to keep my voice down but getting emotional with what he was saying.
“Mine, your mother’s, Hades. We thought all of this through before either you or Sebastian were even conceived. This was how it had to be. We knew we could never defeat Zeus on our own, he had made sure of that, so… This was how it was always meant to be. It was your fate.”
“That’s the biggest crock of...” My words deleted as Ember grumbled in her sleep.
“This is goodbye, Selene. I hope you know that you were and are loved. I’m very proud of you, but I always knew I would be.” A single tear drops down his face.
“Goodbye is all you want from me? I don’t even understand why you wanted this to be my fate. I don’t know if I will ever understand…” My words choking to come out.
“Yes, goodbye is all I could ask for from you. We will leave quietly here soon. One day we will see you again… But not for a very long time from now. Just know that you are loved beyond whatever you could imagine. Believe in that if you want something to believe in. I could not be prouder than I am right now of who you are and who you have become. As parents, we may not have always made the right choices, but I know looking at you right now, that we did what was best.” He stands to his feet as I lay Ember’s sleeping body down where I had been sitting.
“I don’t know… I’m at a loss for words…” He comes to me as I rise to meet my father.
Holding me in his arms, this was our last goodbye. No way had I been prepared for what was happening. My heart had been so cold for so long that I didn’t even know if I could muster the words to say a proper goodbye to my own father. I decided not to speak, wrapping my arms around him. This was the first and last time that I would hug my father. He steps back, holding my hands out to the side of me, looking me up and down, then pulling me back into his embrace. Then he walks away from me as Hera stood at the door. She bows her head at me, holding out her arms for me to say goodbye to her. Whether it was my heart or mind, saying goodbye to her just wasn’t something I could do. My pain from her was a long, deep pain. She wanted closure, but that wasn’t something I could give her right now. I had to learn how to love and let go. That time hadn’t come yet for me, but one day… One day it would. For right now my mind kept replaying the thought that she had left me, she had made my life turmoil for so long, and all I had to do was take the first step. With poise and grace, taking each step slowly, I meet her halfway.
“You are amazing. You will rule the worlds how we had always known you would. I love… I love you…” Her words quiet.
“Goodbye and thank you.” Was all I could say as I bowed my head at her.
No, I love you from me, no long goodbye. My heart longed for her love, but words were never enough. Too little, too late, with words that I had always wanted to hear from my mother. How could I ever let all this pain go? Wasn’t this the time where I could finally be free? Free of the burden of me loving them, them not loving me, trying to see what a future would have been? It was never to be in my future. Standing there in front of them, showing no feelings as they ripped apart my heart, Sebastian walks through the doorway. His eyes red from crying, our son leaning on him, as Hades and Medusa now follow behind them.
“Selene, my dear.” Hades embraces me with the biggest hug I had ever felt in my life.
“Hades. Thank you for always being the father we needed.” Hugging him back.
“Medusa, thank you.” I let go of Hades, hugging her now.
“My darling, it’s been my pleasure.” She embraces me tightly.
As we all stand in the middle of the room, not a word was spoken among us. This was goodbye… This was what goodbyes felt like. Sad, words unspoken, tears staining our cheeks. My eyes filled with tears as I tried to let these last minutes truly sink in. I wasn’t ready… but it was time. No one is ever ready to say goodbye. No one is ever truly ready to let their heart feel that kind of pain. This was our last time we would all be together, and not one word was spoken. Ember, waking from her short slumber, runs to Sebastian holding him as Atlas did. Watching our children say goodbye to their grandparents almost broke me. Almost. They make their way outside, where everyone has now gathered. Tears and sniffles being heard among the ones who stood in our presence. They weren’t ready for goodbye either. Making our way around to each of them, telling them thank you and we loved them, the time was drawing near. Finding Sebastian among the crowd, taking him by the hand, his eyes finding mine. He wasn’t ready, immortals were to live forever… this was where his heart would break. Sebastian squeezed my hand, trying to show how strong he was, but I knew different. We had so much to learn, and now the ones who could teach us were leaving us to figure it out for ourselves. This is what life is all about. A piece of me was longing to say all the things I wanted to say to my parents, a piece of me wanted to tell them I loved them. My heart wanted to forgive and forget the past. Forgiveness would be the hardest part of all this for me. Sebastian’s pain would be of mourning a loss. We would be on different pages yet again, but this time we could learn to heal together.
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Are you ever truly prepared for what is to come?
Hugs, tears, a little bit of laughter, and the words ‘till I see you again’ had been said numerous times in the past few minutes. Everyone was going to miss their parents, miss their relationships with the ones they loved. Taking Apollo to the side, my heart seemed to be beating out of my chest. Thanking him for always providing me with the courage to carry on in my daily life, to become the goddess I would now strive to be to make him proud. He tells me of a time that he once thought was the beginning of the end. The day I was born. Apollo tells me the story of my life in a very short version, and how he knew that they had all done their very best for me. He had failed on numerous occasions he said, but in the end, he knew that I would be triumphant. It was hard to hear that. Hugging him one last time, his muscular body leaning over mine… he whispers something I wasn’t prepared for. Another secret that I had to keep. As my blue eyes find his, he smiles down at me, telling me he knows that in the end, it will all turn out how it was supposed to. As the tears filled my eyes, stepping back, watching all the great ones before me, Hades leads the way. One by one, they wave goodbye to us, each with tears and smiles. This was the end and the beginning. My parents were last. Colin and Olivia come to stand by my side. This was my last chance to say how I felt, yet the words betrayed me. Then suddenly without any warning I yelled.
“I do love you!” As my words traveled the air to their ears, I watched with everyone else as my father took my mother into his arms.