by Dee King
“Because he is still in charge till he admits defeat. You are the only other one who can bear witness. If you do not, then Cato takes my place. Today.” This should be an easy answer.
This should be something I do for my father, but this wasn't what I wanted. Selene lays her hand on my knee, calming me for a brief second.
“Is this what you want?” I asked Cato not my father.
If I had the power that I could feel inside of me, then I had to ask if this was what was best for everyone. Cato turns, staring at my father, then back to me.
“This is the way it must be.”
“No, you know it's not. If you detest this, then I have to take that in consideration.” My father pulled on the collar of his shirt.
If Cato wanted this to be his time, he would be the God of the Underworld in a few hours, but his mother would still be trapped in the Underworld. This time I put the weight of the world on his shoulders. He now knew what it was like to be the son of Hades. He waited to answer. I watched his eyes go straight to Iris. If he were to take the place of the god of the Underworld, he would have to marry someone soon. This was the rule of the gods under Zeus. A god had to have someone as an equal to rule
beside. Poseidon was the only one that was exempt from the rule. I still had no idea why though. He was contemplating all this in his mind, watching my father begin to sweat.
“Yes.”
“Yes, what?” I ask him, pushing back my chair from the table.
“Yes, I want him to marry my mother.” That was settled then, I had given him the opportunity to take his spot today, he chose to let our father still rule the Underworld.
Iris's face looked relieved. She would have said yes to him, I could see it on her face. Yet, she knew she wasn't ready for that.
“Then so be it.” I left the table, with Selene following me. I had to get some air, walking outside watching the stars begin to shine from the sky.
“Sebastian, you can do this.” Selene's hand was on my back. There wasn't a way that I could stop this.
It was going to happen whether I had a say in it or not. Looking towards the sky, I was thinking of my mom.
Could she see what was about to happen? Selene moves around to the front of my body, her fingers gingerly touching my skin on my arm.
“It is what it is, huh?”
“Kinda.” She laid her head on my chest. I hugged her.
The time had come for me to witness something
I had thought would never happen. We were going to the Underworld to bring this wretched woman to rule by my father, in my mother's place.
“Let's just get this over with.” She pushes back from me, leading me into the room.
“You will need to change.” My father tells me, staring at my clothes.
“Get real. I could give a shit less about what I'm wearing. It's either like this or I don't go.” This was going to anger my father.
We had a dress code to follow, but that was no longer my problem.
“Fine.” It wasn't fine with him, but now, he didn't have an option if he wanted me there.
It may have been something small to get back at him, but this was big in his eyes. We followed most of the rules. I had broken one. Many more were about to come; he just wasn't aware. We prepare to leave for the Underworld. This would be the first time for many of them to see the
Underworld with us. Especially, Selene.
“Here we go folks, hold on to your hats.” I told them all, laughing with a laugh that I didn't know I had.
An evil, sinister laugh. I take Selene in my arms, her eyes showing no fear. My father makes a fake cough noise, then he pulled his hand from his pocket with the golden coin. The coin was our only way down to the Underworld. We were below the Earth in seconds in what I liked to call
his lair. Except it was far from that. It was a magnificent place down here. Dark, secluded from the worlds, it was still beautiful. Chandeliers lit with oversized candles, a huge fireplace that kept the room always warm.
Furniture every place you looked. Mahogany tables at the ends of the furniture. Selene was in shock. We follow my father down the hall into a chamber room. He stops us before we can go any further.
“Sebastian, please take everyone into the great room. We will meet you in there.” My dad is waiting for me to move towards the room.
Contemplating the idea, I decide to obey him. Everybody followed me down the next hall into the great room. This was the biggest room in the Underworld. It was made to look like our living room, just on a larger scale. No one spoke a word. We waited for my father in silence. There
really weren't many words for what we were about to witness. You couldn't look at Medusa in the eyes or you could be turned into stone. If my father married her, she would be the exotic beauty she had been before
she was doomed to live in hell for eternity from Athena. Obviously, my father never had a problem with this. Whispering to Selene, I remind her of this. She puts her head down, prepared for her and my father's arrival.
Cato was the only one who was the exception to this rule. He was her son. He could stare at her all day and nothing would happen. Honestly, a mother with a head full of snakes, I probably wouldn't stare too much anyways. Selene finds my hand, holding it, with the other hand holding my arm. She was nervous. A part of me was, too. I held her hands where they were. Then I heard voices. They were coming. Then it was quiet, as we all heard footsteps. My father addresses us, telling all of us how
long he has waited for this. I coughed out loud trying to get this to move on.
My father says, “Yes, let's proceed.” I didn't want to hear how he had always loved this beast.
He said he loved my mother. Lies, lies, and more lies. Maybe he was the effing devil after all. Apollo begins the service; luckily, he skipped all that glad everyone could make it part. The question came for anyone to speak now if they disapproved of this marriage. Selene began
playing with her bracelet from her father. I watched as she tried to keep moving the anchor back to where it was laying. She disagreed as much as I did with this. Was she going to say anything? She was getting frustrated fast. Apollo had to wait the exact amount of time, if I was right she or I had seconds before we could stop this. She didn't. She kept her head down, now playing with her wedding ring. The ceremony commences without a peep from anyone. They kissed each other. You could hear them,
it was disgusting. I made a gagging noise, then Apollo announced the new mister and missus. No one put their heads up, except Cato. We waited for him to give the all clear. His voice was quiet.
“You may all meet my mother and father, Mister and Missus Hades Andreas.” His voice wasn't happy; it was the voice of him being shocked.
I heard Iris gasp. Selene and I stayed with our heads down. I didn't trust them.
“Sebastian, Selene, it's okay now.” Iris was bending down underneath me, looking up at Selene and me.
Slowly we lift our heads, seeing my father and the woman who stood beside him. My stepmother. The beast was now the beauty. She was stunning. She smiled at all of us, running her fingers through her hair that ran all the way down her back. My father looked like a kid in a candy store. Everyone congratulated them, even Selene, but not me. I couldn't lie. This wasn't what I wanted at all.
“Sebastian, my dear, it's so great to finally meet you.” Medusa is trying to shake my hand.
The right thing to do is to shake her hand, kiss her palm, because she was now the goddess of the Underworld. That would be the right thing, but I chose to do what I wanted, which is usually not the right thing. I refuse to touch her. Whether out of anger for my mother or anger with my father, there was no way I was going to address this woman as anything other than the beast she was.
“Is it? I don't find it a pleasure meeting you. Not even a little bit...”
My father wanted to say something, hell, punch me, but he wouldn't. Medusa took her hand back, laying it on my father's chest, looking up at him
, then back to me.
“It's going to take some time. I understand that, I just hope you know how much I love your father. How much I have loved you.”
“Really? You turned people into stone for years, laughed about it, and told Cato you were my mother. I don't think it's going to take time, Medusa. It's going to take an effing miracle.” Everyone was surrounding the four of us now.
Cato moved to my side.
“We aren't done yet... with everything.” Meaning we hadn't announced that he was the heir of my father.
He smiled at me. That's when I thought I was going to lose it. Until Apollo asked if this was a good time for that.
“Why wouldn't it be? He wants the damn throne so bad, let him have it.” Everyone remains quiet.
My anger was getting the best of me. I no longer cared. My whole life I was taught and raised to be the God of the Underworld, and that whole time, Cato was gunning for it. He could have it. Have this life. I was over it.
“Son, you will always have a place here, but this isn't your fate. Obviously.”
“Obviously.” I say in the most sarcastic voice I can muster. My father is patting me on the shoulder.
Selene is gripping my hand tighter. All I want to do is run away from this nonsense, but I can't. I have to be this strong god they think I am.
“Whatever you say. Let's just get this over with, I have a war to prepare for.” I move my shoulder away from my dad.
He steps with Medusa to stand beside Cato. Apollo commences the service making Cato the next in line for the God of the Underworld. Eye rolls coming from everyone, and Colin grunts as Apollo says the words,
you are the rightful heir to son of Hades and Medusa. Obviously, I wasn't the only one thinking this was a huge waste of time. The small ceremony ended, and Iris congratulated everyone again. I move closer to the other
room, to get out of the Underworld. Everyone slowly follows me. Hand in hand, Selene and I make our way to the room where we can leave. I flip a coin in my fingers, twirling it around, then looking over at her, I smile.
“Time to get out of hell.” I wink at her, as she slightly smiles.
I flip the golden coin in the air, tossing it high above our heads, as our feet arrive back on sand. That takes some time to get used to, moving so fast. The coin lands back in my hand and I place it my pocket. I watch as Selene catch her breath.
“You alright?”
“Yeah, that was just a little more than I was prepared for.” She leans her body on mine, hearing everyone around me, I tune them out.
This was all I wanted. Selene. She would wash away all my fears, all my sadness. She was going to be my saving grace in this mess we were calling life.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Gut Feelings
The days started to seem to run together now. We were always on the hunt. Watching our backs for whatever was coming at us next. Word had spread throughout the mount that Selene and I were on our way to becoming the next Zeus and Hera. We didn't want that, we wanted to be us. After all, we were just married. This wasn't something shocking for our world, but in Selene's, that was a different story. Christian and Chloe hadn't called since
the night we were married. Selene wasn't sure of what they remembered, except that we were married. No one had ever wiped away a mortal’s memories like that, and she was starting to worry. She never said a word, I
could just read it on her face. That's when I decided it was time we make the call.
“Chris, it's Sebastian.”
“Hey, man. What's going on?”
“You know, same crap, different day.” Lying to mortals was something I was quite used to. It came so naturally to me.
“I hear that. Hey, I was about to call you, anyways.”
“Yea? What's going on?”
“Alex, actually.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I saw him here. I swear to you. He and Cali were with a group of people. I pulled Chloe back and we watched. Is he hiding out?”
I wasn't for sure how to answer this. He was supposed to be on the run, why would he be with a group of people. There was a small lump in my throat this time as I answered him.
“Um, yea. They are kind of on the run. Just stay clear of him. You never know what is going on with him.” I hear Chris laugh into the phone.
“Yep. That's an understatement with that guy.” This time I laugh.
“True. So, anyways, I called to see if you guys could use a break from the European tour.” He chuckles loudly.
“I know I could. I don't think Chloe could get away as easy as I could, but yea, I will check with her. Is something going on with Selene?”
“No, no. Just think she could use you guys. That's all.”
“Alright, I will let you know by end of the day if we could spare a couple of days.”
“Cool.” I hear the phone end and decide to wait to tell Selene, until I knew if they could return home.
Just as I toss the phone down beside me on the couch, she appears. She is wearing a white tank top, cut off shorts, with a blank look on her face.
“Who were you talking to?”
“Chris.”
“Oh yea? What did he say?” Her face lights up immediately from me just mentioning his name.
“They are going to try to come out here soon.” She almost jumped onto my lap.
“Awesome.” She wraps her arms around my neck as I lay my hand on her knee.
I wanted to be more excited, but thoughts of Alex were creeping into my mind. What the hell was he doing? The last time we had heard from him, he was supposed to be on the run, but that wasn't anywhere near Paris.
Now, he was there, and with others. That doesn't sound very hidden to me.
“Okay, what's going on?” She stands up, and looks down at me.
“Nothing.” I lie.
“Oh, there is something. So spit it out.” I stand up beside her, taking her by the waist to my waist.
“Nothing, I can't handle.” Kissing her softly on the forehead.
That wasn't going to satisfy her, but I didn't know what I was going to do yet. I pull away from her, walking outside to the balcony. She follows me.
“Sebastian, I'm not gonna play this game with you. Tell me now.” She grabs me by the arm, pulling me around to face her.
I ask her to sit down and I decide it was safer if we spoke mind to mind. If my thoughts were said aloud, and someone heard me, that could tip anyone else off. I then tell her of my suspicions I had.
Alex is playing us.
What? He is hiding. He gave up his seat, that's why we are where we are right now.
No. I think he is lying. I have a feeling there is something we don't know.
Like what?
He is building a group against us.
Why would he do that? He said he wanted this.
I think he is lying. I think he is playing us, him and Cali. Chris saw him in Paris.
No way. He is supposed to be in Australia. That's far from there.
Yeah, you're telling me.
Shit. I think your right. I knew he would do this, why didn't we trust our instincts?
Selene, we have to keep this between us. If anyone finds out, we may not be safe, and we trust no one.
I don't trust any of them anyways. You’ve seen Cato lately, acting very strange. He is probably helping him.
He doesn't make me near as nervous as Colin has been lately. I don't know who's on our side, but I am going to go with Cato before Colin.
Why? Cato isn't trust worthy either.
Because, Colin likes rules, and frankly Cato could care less.
Hmm... True.
She shakes her head yes to me. I nod in agreement with her. He may have something planned against us, too. Who knows, really, who is on our side, but we need to start knowing who we can trust and who we can't. I had to
make a plan, and this time, no one was stopping me. Sick and tired of always being a pawn in these stupi
d games they play. They wanted WAR, and war was exactly what they were going to get.
“I need to see who we can trust.” Standing, taking her hand in mine, we both walk down the steps to my Land Rover.
It was time for a change and it was time for us to start acting like we were the rightful heir to the throne of the Gods. First stop, new car. Second stop, Colin. We reach the car dealership and within minutes we walk to our new
car. When money is no object, plus you’re a god, you should probably use that to your favor. I let Selene pick out the color. She looked in love with a machine. I had heard her speak about this car only one time and if we were going to need to fight or hide, well, we needed the best.