Fin

by Maggie Walsh

  Strong arms wrapped around him from behind, causing Jesse to jump slightly. “What has you talking to yourself in here, baby?” Micah whispered against his ear.

  “Why does everyone keep catching me deep in thought?” Jesse said with a chuckle.

  “Because these days you always seem so lost in your thoughts. So what exactly is troubling you, mate? It seems like more than just this battle we are about to face,” Micah replied, turning Jesse to face him.

  Jesse placed his hands on Micah’s chest and looked up into his mate’s amazing blue eyes. “It is. The word Utopia keeps running through my head, and every time it does, I actually get a knot in my stomach like a sinking feeling.”

  “And why do you think that is, baby?”

  “What does Utopia actually mean, Micah? I keep looking it up and keep coming up with the same answers, which are not really answers. First, it always says it is a made-up name used by authors for a perfect world. The first being Sir Thomas More in his book called Utopia in which there was an imaginary island with perfect legal, social, and political systems, but even with that, is it really an ideal thought? Is there really such a thing when you have so many different people on the planet with different thoughts, ideas, and needs? As well as different thoughts on what exactly is perfect. What is perfect to me isn’t the same thing as what is perfect to others, so then how can it really be a perfect world? The only way that would actually be possible is if everyone was exactly the same.”

  “I never thought about it that deeply before, but you’re right, baby. The only way a perfect world could come about is if everyone was exactly the same. Especially in their thinking.”

  “And if that were to happen, then where does free will go? I know the thought of no war, hunger, homelessness, illness, hatred, evil, and so on sounds good, but at what cost? And is that cost too great? As I think about it harder, I think, I don’t want Utopia. I don’t want to be just like everyone else. I like being me, and I like everyone we know and love being who they are. If we were all the same, life would be so…so…”

  “Boring?” Micah mumbled.

  “Exactly.”

  “Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do about that, baby.”

  Jesse lifted a brow and gave Micah a smirk. “Or is there?”

  * * * *

  “What is it now, Etera?” Zeus asked as he turned to face the young angel.

  “Forgive me for the interruption, my grace, but it is the Heart. He has called upon the gods. He wishes a meeting, your highness.”

  Zeus’s brow rose in question at Etera’s words. “Jesse seeks a meeting with us again? At this late hour of the edge of time? Surely Aurora has informed them we cannot assist them in this war,” Zeus said, mumbling to himself as he ran his hand down his long white beard.

  “I am not sure, my grace. He only said that it was of grave importance and he needed to speak with you all as soon as possible.”

  Zeus sighed heavily and turned from Etera. “Fine. Call all the gods to assemble in the throne room in one hour. Then notify the Heart and the Prime that they may have their meeting and summon them here.”

  “Yes, your grace,” Etera replied with a bow, then turned and left the room.

  * * * *

  An hour later in the Gods throne room

  Jesse and Micah walked side by side, hand in hand, as they followed Etera down the long aisle to the front of the grand room, once again. This was now their third time meeting here in the heavens with the gods, and it wasn’t much easier, or less intimidating. Jesse was still filled with the sense that he was unworthy to step foot in such a place as well as set eyes on such beings as the twenty who sat before them on the dais.

  As they reached the front of the room, Etera bowed to the group, then disappeared, leaving Jesse and Micah to face these all-powerful men and women alone.

  “Why have you insisted on coming back?” Hermes, the god who had given them a hard time the first time they came, asked in his usual cold, clipped way, showing his impatience.

  Jesse and Micah both bowed their heads respectfully, then rose, and Jesse’s gaze locked with Zeus’s. “We apologize for the interruption, my lords, but what we would like to speak with you about is imperative, and we don’t have much time. As you know, the battle with Minos and Hades approaches―”

  “And as much as we would like to help you, young one, you know we cannot,” Poseidon interrupted.

  Jesse turned his gaze to the god of the seas. “Yes, we are fully aware of that, my lord, and thank you, but we do not come here to ask for your help in the upcoming battle. We know we must stand as one and face this. What we come to talk to you about is what happens after the battle. In the aftermath.”

  “I’m not sure I understand what you mean, Jesse,” Zeus said.

  Jesse turned his attention back to Zeus. “The prophecy stated we must stand as one and we honor that, but it also stated that if victorious we would gain utopia for the earth. With what has been happening down there and Earth pretty much being destroyed we wonder what would be left, and how this utopia would be? Would it just be us and the ones who take sanctuary with us that remain, and Sanctuary will become utopia, or what’s left of the world as a whole?”

  “You may be a demigod, Heart, but that still does not give you permission to question the gods,” Hermes hissed.

  “I am not questioning you, Lord Hermes. Any of you. What I am wondering is if utopia is realistic. Is it really what anyone would truly want? Or is it just a childish dream?”

  Aurora sat forward as she stared at Jesse intently. “What do you mean, Jesse?”

  “I don’t understand why that would be questioned in the first place,” Hermes interrupted. “Who wouldn’t want a place that was perfect in every way? No illness, no poverty, no hatred, as well as many other things?”

  “Let him explain, Hermes. Go on, Jesse, answer Aurora’s question,” Aphrodite said.

  “Thank you, Goddess,” Jesse replied with a nod, then looked to Hermes. “I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but…I…wouldn’t want that. And after speaking with other members of my family, many feel the same way. We do not wish for this utopia to come to pass.”

  Hermes’ eyes widened in shock, then his brows dropped as his gaze turned angry and he got to his feet, towering over them. “Well, you don’t get a say! Do you enjoy living there with all the war and hatred? The famine and hunger? And what about all the illness and death? With utopia, you would have none of that. All those governments down there would not exist. Only one governing body would rule them all, and with the majority of creatures still remaining, that would mean you, your mate, and your council. I thought you to be of a good heart, Heart. A good soul, but clearly we were mistaken,” Hermes huffed and threw himself back down into his seat.

  “And once again, you would be wrong, Hermes,” Zeus reprimanded, then turned to Jesse. “There is so much more to it than that, isn’t there, Jesse? I can see it on your face. Hermes will remain quiet. Go ahead. Explain.”

  “Thank you, my lord. To truly have a utopian society like you described, then technically everyone would have to be the same. Think the same. And who is to say what a utopia would be? What I think would be a perfect world may differ from what another would think, and so on. If you asked a hundred people what utopia meant to them, I am certain you would get a hundred different answers, so then how do you decide? If you pick one way and make it so, then it will only truly be a utopia to a few.”

  Jesse took a step forward. “I have visited the underworld and a small portion of hell and noticed that even there, there are different chambers. In creating the underworld and an afterlife in hell, you have made many places for the condemned to be depending on their crimes in life. It was free will that had them living the life they did and making the choices they had. And I am assuming that heaven is a bit of the same in that aspect for the afterlife. Each being lived their lives a different way and made different choices, so their life experiences are differen
t, and their idea of heaven would be different.

  “Again, it all sounds wonderful in theory and looks good on paper, but is it really realistic? Of course, I don’t want people to suffer, but isn’t that what you had told me and the others? That it was the lives we lived, the good and the bad, that made us who we are today? If we don’t have pain and suffering how do we know when we have happiness and goodness? There needs to be a balance, or everything can fall apart with worse consequences. For there to be heaven, there must be hell. For there to be good, there must be evil. To truly and completely appreciate what I have now, I had to endure what I did before. Because if I hadn’t, then I would not understand how blessed I am now.

  “If this utopia comes to pass then all will lose their free will. All will be of like mind and suddenly all the exact same. Which would make for a very boring existence. Some of the best pieces of art in all genres happened because of pain and because of the joy that was found after the suffering. Music, photography, painting, sculpting, acting, writing, and a thousand other forms of art would be no more because everything would just be the same.

  “I hate that there is poverty and hunger in the world, as well as homelessness and disease, genocide and war, but it is those things that make us see and feel when we have goodness and love. That we know how to appreciate our fortunes, big or small. I love every member of my family and all our friends, and one of the things I love about everyone the most is their uniqueness. Their individuality. I love my mate more than anything else or anyone in the world, but to have a world full of beings that were just like him would be horrible. As it would be if the world was full of only those exactly like me.

  “I love that when you created all the creatures of the earth, the biggest gift, besides life itself that you have given, is free will. And it is because of that free will and all the suffering I had to endure, that I appreciate it and am grateful for it. If I was molded to conform to this utopian society, then I would not be truly appreciative or grateful. I wouldn’t even understand the concept. So what we have come here to ask you is, that if we stand victorious, we ask that you don’t make a utopia. That you leave the earth as it is and those who are left still have free will. And hopefully with those left, we, or they, will be able to do better than the past.”

  Jesse finished and took a step back and clasped his hand with Micah’s. Everyone sat silently just staring at them for a few moments before they turned to look at one another. After a few more moments, all the gods turned their attention back to them. Jesse chanced a look at his mother, and found Aurora sitting proud and tall, her shoulders back and chin up, as she gave him a soft smile. He could see the happiness and pride shining in her eyes, and it gave him hope.

  Suddenly Zeus began to speak, bringing Jesse’s attention back to him. “You have given us much to consider, Jesse. I am sorry that I cannot give you an answer right now, but I can promise you that we will discuss everything you have said in depth and we will let you know when we have come to a decision.”

  Jesse gave Zeus a small smile and bowed his head. “Thank you, my lord, for hearing us out and at least discussing it. We appreciate your time and your consideration.”

  “You are most welcome, Jesse, Micah. We will send you back now to five minutes after you left so it is as if no time has passed on Earth. You both need to prepare for what is to come, and all I will tell you is that it is very soon. Sooner than you think.”

  And with that Zeus waved his hand and suddenly Jesse found himself and Micah sitting on their bed. They both turned to look at one another, their eyes full of worry. Micah reached out and wrapped his arm around Jesse’s shoulder and pulled him close. “You did amazing, my love. There is nothing else you could have done. You tried your best, and now it is in the gods’ hands. But I am so proud of you, baby.” Micah kissed the top of his head.

  Jesse cuddled up to Micah’s side and rested his cheek against his wide chest. “Do you think it was enough?”

  “I do, baby. Now we just need to wait and see.”

  A pounding came to the door, causing them both the flinch slightly. “What is it?” Micah called out.

  “Can I come in?” Raith asked from the other side.

  “Of course, Raith. Come in.”

  The door opened, and Raith stepped in. His eyes were full of worry, and frown lines marred his face. “We need you downstairs. Papa and Evan are here.”

  Micah and Jesse stood. “It’s three in the morning. What are they doing here at this hour?”

  “Papa said he had a vision and needs to talk to you and the council right away. Dante, Dare, and Dale arrived also, just before I came up here. Dale had a vision, too. I think it’s time, Micah,” Raith explained.

  Micah looked down at him, and Jesse could see the concern in his mate’s eyes that he was sure was in his own. Then Zeus’s words ran through his head again. “You both need to prepare for what is to come, and all I will tell you is that it is very soon. Sooner than you think.”

  If it was coming now, then thank Zeus for sending them back now, only five minutes after they left instead of the week or two they may have been gone. Jesse, Micah, and Raith hurried from the room.

  * * * *

  A half hour earlier.

  “No!” Raphael jumped up out of a sound sleep, screaming and panting, his heart racing, pounding in his chest.

  “What is it, love, what’s wrong?” Evan asked as he sat up and placed a hand on Raphael’s sweat-drenched chest.

  “My boys. I need to see my boys,” Raphael said in a hurry as he tossed the covers off and stood from the bed. He ran to the chair in the corner, grabbed his pants, and began to pull them on.

  “What is it, Raphael?” Evan asked again as he too got out of bed and began to dress.

  “He’s coming. I need to warn them,” he replied as he raced out of the room while pulling his shirt over his head.

  “Who’s coming?” Evan asked, grabbing his shoes and shirt, and following.

  “Hades!”

  * * * *

  Dante rolled over, settling between his mate’s thighs as he pinned Dare beneath him and kissed his mate with passion. Dare ran his hands down Dante’s back, then cupped his ass as he moaned.

  “Not fair. I thought you two were going to wait for me while I put Alessandro and Patrick back down?” Dale pouted as he walked into the room.

  Dante and Dare broke their kiss and looked to their mate without releasing each other. “We were just warming each other up, bello. Now get in here so we can make a Dale sandwich,” Dante said.

  Dale smiled bright as he ran toward the bed, ripping his robe off. As he put one knee on the bed, he froze. His eyes went wide, and he gasped as he clutched his chest.

  “Dale?” Dare yelled in concern and pushed up on Dante.

  Dante moved back allowing Dare to sit up and they went to Dale’s side, each taking a hand. “Dale, what is it?” But they got no response.

  “Dante, I don’t think he’s breathing,” Dare said in a panic and placed his hand over Dale’s heart.

  “I can hear his heartbeat. But what is wrong with him?” Dante replied.

  Suddenly Dale gasped again, and tears came to his eyes as he started to tremble. He blinked a few times then looked to Dare, then Dante. “It’s time. They’re coming.”

  “Who’s coming, love?” Dare asked.

  “We need to get to Micah. They must be warned,” Dale said in a rush and jumped from the bed.

  Dante followed him and grabbed Dale’s arm, spinning him around to face him. “What is it, bello?”

  “Minos and Hades. They’re coming.”

  * * * *

  “This better be good. It’s the full moon, people. Even if we can’t see it up there, we can still feel it. Do you know what I was in the middle of? We went for our run with the pack, then those of us with frisky feline genes, those that came naturally and those that were oops into us, have some other things to do. Like get my groove on with my man,” Taylor bitched as he an
d Gabriel walked into the kitchen.

  “Getting your groove on has to take a back seat, Tay,” Jesse replied.

  “Exactly. I was taking a back seat already if you know what I mean? And I was taking it real good, too.”

  “Mmm, yes you were, sweet baby,” Gabriel said with a purr as he wrapped his arms around Taylor from behind and began to nibble on his neck.

  “Hey, if they can keep feeling each other up, then why can’t we? We were in the middle of some back seat taking, too. Shit, I was taking two back seats,” Rory complained as he crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.

  “Oh, my gods, are you kidding me? We all got interrupted, and these three were having some Oreo action,” Taylor said while flipping his arm in Rory, Raith, and Aaron’s direction.

  “Oreo action?” Lexi asked in confusion with a tilted head.

  “Double stuffed,” Crew grumbled from his place sitting at the counter with his mates beside him with Haven sitting on Laylen’s lap.

  “And you knew what he meant how?” Lexi asked.

  “What the hell do you think I do with two mates, man? What do you think we were doing when we were so rudely interrupted? One of my mates is a feline, too, remember?” Crew huffed.

  “All right, everyone. I’m sorry that we threw cold water on all your lovin’, but something has happened, and we need everyone here right now,” Micah announced.

  “If we had to stop, then where is everyone else?” Lexi asked.

  “They’re coming.”

  “Yeah, I was just about to, too,” Taylor bitched again.

  Shelby and Xander walked into the room followed by Liam and Xavier. “So, what took you all so long?” Rory asked.

  “I was um…” Shelby started to say but stopped and looked to his mate.

  “We were in the middle of something,” Xander replied.

  “See! They got to finish,” Crew complained.