by M. W. Muse
The rest of the guests were pretty much preoccupied with doing their own things. Adin and she chatted with them periodically and were in and out of the pool the rest of the day. Each time they swam, she wound her legs around him, and he held her up. He was more relaxed with each swim that they took.
By early evening, most of the guests had left, and Adin and Legacy had started cleaning up the mess. After they were finished and the last person left, Adin put his arms around her.
“Would you like to swim one more time before I take you home?”
She liked this idea. “Sure.”
They walked outside and into the pool from the shallow end. Once inside the pool, she dunked under the water to wet her hair. As she came back up, she smoothed it back.
“You are so beautiful,” Adin whispered as he stepped toward her. He said that a lot and she liked it. More than liked it.
She reached up and put her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist like she had been doing all day. Adin gently walked them to the side of the pool and into slightly deeper water. When her back hit one of the pool’s walls, she gasped, and he slid his hands down to her waist. She twisted her fingers in his hair, trying to anchor herself while she looked down at him. She could tell from the intense look in his eyes that he wanted to kiss her, but at this angle, she knew he wouldn’t be able to reach without her bringing her head down. Her heart was racing, and oh yeah, she wanted to kiss him. But she wasn’t going to make that move. If he wanted to kiss her, he’d have to figure out a way to make it happen.
He did. He grasped her waist and pulled her down so that her face was at his. That quick move sent a shock through her system. The man who wanted to go slow was replaced by the one that was hard and demanding before her. His lips found hers, and they kissed for awhile. She loved it. Gods, she loved the way this man owned her.
Adin groaned and pulled away from her suddenly. He looked heaven bound with his hands on top of his head. She panted while she watched him, wishing he’d just come back to her. He took a deep breath, and then brought her body back up against him, but he didn’t pin her against the wall again. Adin moved them around the pool, away from the temptation of cornering her against the wall, so she let him. He’d only just kissed her for the first time—really kissed her—yesterday. He was still at war with taking things slowly.
A few minutes later, he was splashing water at her, being playful. Now that they were alone in the pool for the first time today, she felt a little playful herself. But in a different way. The little escapade a few minutes ago gave her a taste of the Adin she’d longed for, dreamed about for years. She put her lips to his ear and kissed it gently.
“I really like your shirt being off,” she whispered into his ear and then kissed it again while she rubbed her hand down his chest.
She felt Adin shiver and heard his breathing pick up. She wondered if it was her kissing his ear or rubbing his bare chest that stirred that reaction. It could have been a combination, but she wanted to see. She put her hand back around his neck, but kept her lips at his ear.
“Do you like having your shirt off in front of me?” she asked right in his ear, and then kissed his earlobe, savoring the taste of him.
A shudder rocked through Adin, and he put one of his hands in her hair, holding her head to his ear. He moaned and shifted his weight, breaking the water around them.
“Yeah,” he said, sounding strangled.
The ear. Definitely the ear. She giggled right into it, and her hot breath against his skin was apparently too much for him to bear. He started kissing her neck, and her playfulness vanished.
“Do I still taste like lotion?” she panted.
“No,” he groaned as he kissed up her neck and to her ear. “You taste like heaven,” he breathed into her ear before kissing her there.
It felt so good that she wanted his lips back on hers. She weaved her fingers in his hair and pulled his face over so she could kiss him again. He was more than willing.
It seemed like her life was getting better and better. She knew she had problems dealing with the news of her mother and her destiny at first, but now, she was getting used to it. Honestly, she really didn’t care about what was going to happen to her at eighteen.
She felt like Adin was her life, and she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
No matter how short, or different, that life might be.
Chapter Fifteen
The rest of July had gone by way too fast. Adin and Legacy had spent every free moment they had together. He’d taken her out, visited her at home, brought her to his house. It didn’t matter what they’d done, as long as they’d been together. And things between them had gotten hot and heavy. Well, in the PG-13 sense.
As the summer progressed, the days just kept getting hotter and hotter. She didn’t think it was possible to be this hot already when it wasn’t even August yet. And the heat wasn’t like normal. The humidity was almost nonexistent. It was so dry that there were burn bans all over the state, and Calli often commented about her parents’ irritation that their beautiful pond was slowly evaporating.
When she’d slept, she’d dreamed, so now she was dreaming every night. Her dreams were always variations of the same nightmares. She either saw the tornado or knew it was coming, but she was never scared of it. The little girl in her dreams was always scared enough for the both of them. Either she saw the snakes, which seemed to accumulate, or the three snake holes. Every now and then, she’d dream of the bright vivid sky with the confetti of lightning bolts falling like rain, and they always disappeared before reaching her.
One new characteristic was present, though. Her hands were always different temperatures. One was always hot and the other was always cold. She didn’t think much of this in her dreams, so she hadn’t paid much attention to that detail when she’d been awake either.
Working became annoying because that was just less time she got to spend with Adin. But she needed the money, so she went, grudgingly. Ms. Gorgos had stopped using excuses to keep River from the store when she was there. Either the woman had accepted their friendship, or she was picking her battles more wisely. Legacy figured it was the latter.
River and Legacy talked all the time at work, but he properly kept his feelings in check. She hadn’t called him after that first time. There wasn’t a need, and she didn’t want to lead him on. Besides, when she wasn’t at work, she was usually with Adin anyway.
But as time went on, she was beginning to feel guilty about keeping her friendship with River a secret from Adin. She felt as if she needed to tell him everything. Not only did she want to be honest with him, but she wanted him to know.
She hadn’t told River about her plans. He’d only try to talk her out of it. She knew Adin was only human and wouldn’t completely understand this mythical life she was part of, but she wanted to be with Adin for the rest of his life, so she needed him to know…to understand.
Adin was leaving tomorrow to go to his dad’s for the weekend, which only solidified her resolve to tell him now. That’d give him the weekend to deal, and she could get this out before she lost her nerve. If that made her a chicken, then she’d wear her feathers proudly.
Adin’s mom was out of town, so he’d asked her over to his house so he could cook her dinner the night before he left. At least if he got mad at her about River—and her silence—no one would be around to hear him yelling.
When he picked her up, he complimented her on her outfit, though she knew he never really cared about the clothes she had on—he was complimenting her. When they arrived at his house, he held her hand in the car and put his arms around her several times while he finished up dinner.
They ate out on one of his porches. It was hot, but breezy. The food was very delicious. He made grilled fish and sautéed vegetables, and she ate everything. They were past the stage where she would pretend she wasn’t hungry and not eat much, thank heavens.
Throughout the evening, she did
n’t talk much. She was going over her speech about River and her mom and her dreams, trying to decide how best to start. She knew he wouldn’t like any of this, and she hated thinking that he may be leaving tomorrow upset with her. By the time they finished eating, she couldn’t stop obsessing about what she was going to say to him.
She was so deep in thought that she barely noticed Adin clearing the table. She stayed outside on the porch while he put the dishes in the kitchen. When he came back, he took the seat right next to her, instead of the one he sat in across from her when they’d been eating.
Adin brushed his hand across her forehead and tucked her hair behind her ear.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked softly.
She wasn’t ready for this! How in the world was she going to get this all out without him getting mad? She didn’t want him to be upset with her, even though he had every right to be. Everything had been so perfect, and she was going to ruin it.
She shook her head faintly and felt her eyes moisten. She couldn’t look at him.
He saw the expression on her face and became alarmed. “Please, Legacy. Tell me what’s wrong.” Adin stroked her face between his hands and gently turned her head toward him.
She looked at him briefly and then shut her eyes so he couldn’t see them. Tears fell down her cheeks.
“Is this about me leaving? Don’t worry. Please don’t worry. My dad’s not going to change his mind about school. You know I’m just going down there to help him unpack.”
He’d jumped to the wrong conclusion, but she understood why. The last time he’d gone to see his dad, she’d been upset then too.
She shook her head without opening her eyes. “It’s not that,” she said, her voice thick with sadness.
She heard Adin catch his breath, and he dropped his hands. She opened her eyes at the sudden change in his demeanor and looked at him. He looked like he was bracing himself for an impact, but his face looked pained.
She started crying and threw her hands up to cover her face. “I need…to talk to you…about something, and I-I don’t know how to do it,” she said through sobs.
He sat there quietly while she took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. He wasn’t talking or trying to console her, but she could clearly hear his fast breathing.
She finally dropped her hands and looked at him. His mouth was open, eyes wide, face gravely pale. His body still braced for the impact.
“What?” he asked, barely a whisper.
“Please, please…don’t be mad at me,” she begged, shaking her head, but watching his eyes.
He just sat there. His expression unchanged. Gods, he was going to be pissed!
“I’ve been talking to River…about my mom,” she said cautiously.
Adin’s eyebrows furrowed briefly. Then his whole body relaxed and hunched over. He slowly put his hands on her wrists, moving them up her arms as if he were struggling to climb a mountain. He reached the tops of her shoulders, put his arms loosely around her neck, and leaned his head on her shoulder. It felt like he could barely hold himself up. “Oh,” he breathed into her neck.
That wasn’t quite the response she’d been expecting. She sat there for a minute, waiting for Adin’s jagged breath to return back to normal.
It didn’t. But he found his strength again, and his loose arms tightened around her. One hand slid to her back to press her to him while the other twisted into her hair, clutching her head.
She put her arms around him, but she wasn’t sure what was going on. “Um, this wasn’t a reaction I’d considered,” she whispered. “I thought you were going to be furious with me.”
He sighed. “I just need a minute.”
He was still obviously disturbed, but at least he was seeking solace in her rather than screaming at her.
“I thought you were breaking up with me,” he whispered into her ear.
Her body tensed up, and she grabbed him tighter. “No,” she whispered. “Never.”
She felt him nod his head as though he couldn’t talk.
They held each other for a long while. Then he lifted his head and kissed her. This kiss felt urgent, and because she was already so emotional, more tears spilled over. She realized how the thought of being without her caused him all this pain, so now she was hurting for needlessly doing this to him. She pulled away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
“Shhh…” Adin shook his head and crushed his lips to hers again.
When they finished kissing, they held each other. She knew she still needed to talk to him about River, but Adin was obviously not ready. After several more minutes, he finally pulled away and looked at her. His eyes were a little red, like he’d been fighting tears. But nowhere near the color of red that her eyes had to have been. She could feel how swollen and wet they were.
Adin took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, watching her eyes. “So you talked to River about your mom?”
Great. He felt better, but she still felt horrible.
“Yes,” she said, looking down.
“You can tell me,” he said sincerely. “I won’t get mad.”
She needed to tell him, so she figured she should just get this over with now. At least he wouldn’t yell at her. Not after thinking he was losing her.
“Do you remember talking about the whole Greek mythology thing?”
“Yes, River told you something about descending from the mythical gods.”
“Right. Well, we’ve talked a lot about his family and mine. He confirmed what Lissa told me about how the gods descend. He mentioned a goddess named Anesidora after noting the similarity of my mom’s name. There are some versions of myths that connect Gaia through Demeter to Anesidora. Some say they are the same person, just different interpretations. Regardless, Demeter is Persephone’s mother and there is some connection to Anesidora.” She waited to make sure he was following her, making the connection to what they’d already discussed about her connection to Persephone through her last name Kore.
“Go on.”
“According to one of the myths, Zeus created Anesidora and gave her a beautiful container she was never to open. Her curiosity got the best of her. When she opened it, the evil contained within spread across the earth. She quickly closed it, but the only thing left in the box was the spirit of hope.” Legacy sighed. Gods, this was all so weird. “This Anesidora is also known as Pandora.”
Adin sighed and shook his head.
“The night you asked me out, I found a box in Lissa’s room. When I opened it, it had the word Elpis carved in the bottom. That words means hope. Do you see how this is adding up?”
“You think that container is Pandora’s Box?” Legacy couldn’t decipher Adin’s expression, so she slowly nodded. “And I take it River agreed to this.”
Okay, so Adin wasn’t very happy. It would be downhill from here.
“Yes. He also confirmed some of my research where I discovered Persephone was created by Demeter and Zeus. Demeter hid her from several gods who wanted her, but then she was abducted by Hades and taken to the underworld. I asked River about his theories, and he thinks there are a couple of possibilities.”
Adin’s expression was hardening, but he was staying calm. “What did he say?”
“Either Demeter created Dora, who created me, or the original Demeter, Anesidora, whatever, is my mother, and I’m actually Persephone. Either I am her or a likeness of her.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“I know. When I asked him why gods would create a similar god, he said something about changing destiny. So he thinks if I am Persephone or like her, then my mom, whichever one she is, created me to stop the abduction. That’s why my mom left when I was a baby. Not because she was in danger, but because I was.”
Adin’s eyes softened. “Nothing is going to happen to you.”
“I know this sounds weird. I had a really tough time believing it myself. But you have to look at all the connections. If I am a goddess, I’ll reac
h my full power by my eighteenth birthday. If I make it until then.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Besides the threat of Hades, I think it’s River’s family that’s after me. His mom specifically. He said he thinks my mom created a powerful god with a pure ability—me. Most gods don’t know how powerful a new god is until that god reaches maturity. But that there are some who know, and if that knowledge gets into the hands of a vengeful god, then that god may try to destroy the new god. The weather has been acting weird this summer, and River thinks it’s his mom’s doing. Ms. Gorgos is powerful. If she can destroy me before I turn eighteen, then she’d assume my powers on top of the ones she already has. Plus, she doesn’t like my mom, so killing me is just another incentive. One of many.”
“What does that mean?”
Crap. “You’re really not going to like this.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” He sighed.
“Just don’t get mad, please.”
Adin looked at her calmly. “Legacy, I won’t get mad at you, I promise.”
She nodded and took a big breath. Here goes nothing. “River said the night Lissa told me about my mom he also found out about a prophecy, and it’s the same night you showed up at my birthday party.”
“Me?” Adin looked confused.
“Yes. River said the three of us are bonded together through a prophecy. Which is that I would end up with River as long as you were alive. He thinks that’s why you finally asked me out after being friends all these years. Maybe my turning seventeen triggered the prophecy.”
“That’s absurd! No one knows what the future holds. Asking you out had nothing to do with a freaking prophecy. He probably just likes you and wants to be with you.”
“He does like me,” she said, looking down because she actually believed River’s feelings were stronger than that. “He said he already feels attached to me. That’s why he’s told me all of this. He said he wasn’t supposed to, and he’s fought with his mom over it. But he couldn’t deny me anything, so he gave me what I wanted,” she whispered.