Evolution of a Goddess (The Charming Series Book 3)

by Dee King

  “You can’t fight fire with water my daughter.” My father now stands before me, water dripping from his body.

  Of course, whatever I can do he can do, whatever powers I have he has. I don’t even have a clue as to what powers Hera has, but I know that this won’t be easy.

  “This can all be handled a different way, Selene, if you would just hear me out. Hear us out.” Hera is now by his side with a look on her face that scares me more than my father.

  “You have done something that I didn’t see coming, but that’s okay, you wanted the truth out. You want to try to hurt us as you feel that we have done to you, but it’s going to take a lot more than a little fire ball to do that, my Darling.” Hera’s smile fades as it turns into an evil grin.

  “You don’t scare me.” I tell her as calm as I can.

  “Oh, but I should.” She moves quickly, too quickly.

  She grabs me by the neck, holding my body above the golden street. Panic almost takes over as I look down at her eyes. But I wanted a fight, I was fighting for more than she was. Placing my hand over hers where she was holding my neck, I let the powers of three grab ahold of her. She drops me suddenly, landing on my feet. Without hesitation I push her back, watching her eyes watch mine. She wanted me to stop, but it wasn’t going to end like this… Sebastian without a word, comes to my side, as Zack now stands face to face with Hera.

  “Well, well, well, a family reunion, I see.” That voice is unmistakable.

  Hades is now standing beside my father, with Medusa at his side.

  “Sebastian, just stop this. Your father and I don’t want to see any of you hurt. We can take it from here.” Medusa speaks to him like she thinks he will do exactly what she says.

  “Who the hell are you talking to? Not me, you must be talking to your other son, because I don’t take orders from you or anyone else for that matter.” Sebastian spits out his words as quick as snake.

  “Sebastian, you will back down.” Hades slides his way to Sebastian.

  “No… I think you forgot just who the hell I was. I don’t back down to the likes of you or anyone else.” Sebastian punches Hades square in the mouth, making him bleed.

  Hades wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, looking down at the blood that now covered his fingers. With that one punch, it was the start of a war of worlds. This was the beginning of the end. God versus god, father versus father, brother and sister versus brother and sister, this was going to destroy any link we may have all had to one another. With a fury that raged inside of us all, the war had begun, not the battle. Sometimes it only takes one ounce of courage, one angry thought, just to begin a war that you may have never wanted. Words can often be said, but actions spoke loudly here. Our actions spoke for us. Enough had become enough.

  Chapter Ten

  When a father is angry, you never know what’s going to happen…

  Fists were flying, every person hitting one another, blood dripping from everyone around me. This wasn’t getting us anywhere; it was just god versus god at this point. It was becoming pure chaos, as I try to keep ducking and dodging punches from people I didn’t even know. Most of them didn’t even know why they were fighting me, but they kept coming back. This all started with Zeus and he should be here for this. He should be the one that carries this burden. Not me. Not us. As my mind races to how to get to him, Alex is now fighting by my side.

  “Your father…” I say to him as we both block a punch from a pair of twins that looked like men with bodies of horses.

  “Follow me!” He screams as we dodge the twins again, making a quick get-a-way.

  Sebastian, follow us!

  I let my mind wander to his for just a moment. Hearing me, he begins racing towards me with Zack on his heels. We run hard to get away from the fight, with Cali and Ian now following behind us. I didn’t even know they were there, but we were all together. No way of stopping what was coming for him. Alex stops abruptly, halting all of us in our paths, he slowly turns around to me.

  “I’m sorry for this.” Alex whispers to me as strikes me with his hand across my face, my eye dripping with gold blood, knocking me back for a second.

  Standing there, this was it… This was the traitor amongst us. He had played me; he had played us all. There wasn’t a word I could say as I searched his eyes for answers. I felt no pain where he had hit me, I felt no love for Alex as I had before, and I felt no bond to him. Cali’s mouth drops open, searching Alex for the same answers we all now had.

  “Why? Why would you do that? What is wrong with you?” She begins to plead with him.

  “Because this is how it has to be…” He pushes her back from him, moving back away from me.

  “He’s right. This is how it must be. It was never about Zeus, it’s about Alex. It’s always been about me and you... Right?”

  “You are smarter than anyone gives you credit for Selene.” He smirks.

  “You’re going to die!” Sebastian could no longer hold his anger back.

  He races towards Alex taking him down to the ground, making the loudest crashing noise as the world under our feet begins to quake. Sebastian is over Alex’s body, hitting him with such a force you can hear Alex’s jaw being crushed. He wasn’t going to stop till Alex was dead. I turn my head, nodding at Zack and Ian. They rush to Sebastian, pulling him off Alex. He lay there on the ground, blood spilling out of his lips. He rolls over, coughing up more blood, as Sebastian keeps fighting Ian and Zack to let him go, kicking Alex as he lays on the ground.

  “Stand Alexander.” We all look up from where Alex is laying, seeing Zeus stand in front of us.

  Alex moves slowly, going to his father’s side, wiping the blood from his face.

  “You were never to become what I see now in front of me, but you surprised us all. The little forgotten child, a Migades none the less, who now wears my colors. How is it that my son, who deserves his rightful place by my side, is being defeated by the likes of you? Little Migades girl? Just because your father is the God of the Seas, you should be no match for my son. Speak now child, or you will have the fight you so badly seek.”

  “You’re a tyrant, you fight for nothing but greed and power and along the way your son became the Migades you so badly hated, you fool. You should have been watching your wife instead of trying to make your son something, he will never and could never become…” My words strike him into a silence, as his face turns a shade of crimson.

  “My son is the rightful heir to my throne. You speak foolish words, trying to take me off guard, but your little tricks will not work on me.”

  “Tell him. Tell your son the truth, or I will!” Zeus’s lighting rod appears by his side, as I yell to Hera.

  “You have no idea what you’re speaking about. I don’t know how you became, well, whatever this is in front of me, but you are no heir to my throne. You will not defeat me or my son.”

  “I won’t have too, because you and I both know, he is not a full god. He is the Migades.” My words have confused him, they have confused everyone that now stands around us.

  The crowd had gathered around us, following us as we had left the fight. I straighten my back for the next words I spoke would be the words that he had feared were going to come to life. He was going to strike at me, and I was ready.

  “Alex is the son of Medusa and you. He is the Migades child you raised. It was never me. You see, when you were trying to rise above others you lost sight of what’s right in front you. Your son is not the rightful heir; he will never be the rightful heir. At first, none of this made sense to me, especially when Sebastian and I became the gods that were to rule. Slowly, piece by piece, I put the puzzle together. Today, your son, proved who he was. Alex is your only son, but it’s not with Hera. I am Hera’s only child. I am the daughter of Poseidon and Hera. When you thought she was giving birth to your son, she stole your son from Medusa and raised him as he was hers. Locking her own child away on Earth so you could never find the truth. It’s sad that you didn’
t know what was happening in your kingdom because you were too worried about control. I’m now the forgotten child you so badly wish I wasn’t. Everything you thought you knew is about to come crashing down on you, and you could have had it all. I never wanted this, but since this is who I am, this is where you learn that you should have paid more attention to what was happening right in front of you. You say I speak foolishness, but the truth is, that this hurt you and now you have been betrayed by everyone that you ever loved. How does it feel to be so in the dark as I have been, your majesty?”

  The strike comes just as I suspected it would, blocking it with my hand, pushing it back from me, it moves striking Alex. He tries again, this time, I duck down, sliding onto the ground, kicking his feet out from underneath him. He crashes to the ground. Standing tall, I wait for him to come back up. He moves quick, striking at me again, cursing my name. The fire burns inside of me, I begin throwing fire flames all around him. He can’t move to get to me.

  “You wanted the truth, this is your truth… Now you will watch everything you love turn to ash.” My smile was too hard to hide, turning my back to him, looking at everyone around me.

  They wanted a goddess to rule the worlds, they all had wanted to see and hear the truth, and here it was. The cold hard facts had stunned everyone around me. My secrets were finally free. Their world was about to change; they never saw the truth coming out like this. With mouths gapped open, taking Sebastian by his hand we make our way through the crowd. This is the part I had been waiting for, and damn it felt good.

  Chapter Eleven

  Secrets can often lead to unexpected events.

  There were no words to describe how I felt in this moment. I was reveling in the chaos that was now surrounding me. Everything was out in the open and I no longer had to hold back all that I felt. Not telling anyone my secrets was hard, but it was worth it. Alex would have always betrayed me at one point. He never had a choice in the matter. For the longest time, I had so many questions on why me, why this, why did I have to make these choices, and why was I the one who had to change the fates? But one night, while lying in bed, it all came to me like a dream. This was never about me, Sebastian or Alex. It was always about them. They had lied and deceived each other so much that it was time for all to be revealed. All we did was help push their agenda along. It’s hard to put into words the amount of the burdens lifted off me. Telling Zeus exactly what was what, well, that was almost as great as watching Hera and my father’s faces. Keeping all these secrets from all their children had finally came to light, and I finally felt a sense of relief. If there was only one thing I knew, it was that there was no way they were going to just let this go without retaliation. They had pushed for me to be with Sebastian and although I’m grateful for that part, they weren’t prepared for what was to truly happen. I couldn’t foresee the future, but it seemed as if it was getting brighter. I had been manipulative in so many ways, and I’m sure I’ll pay for that in one way or another, but in the meantime, I could hold my head up high. Sebastian may never forgive Alex for what he did, but it’s who Alex is. Although, I understood why and firmly believe that Alex was prepared for what was coming. Sebastian will never understand that Alex doesn’t know how to not do his father’s bidding, but when his plans had failed, and he was the one who got his true love murdered on Earth… I knew then that Alex would be as angry as I was. Up until the moment Alex whispered to me he was sorry, I had thought maybe I was wrong. But then I knew… Alex needed to do this, so I could share my secrets. In a way, I owed him. There was never going to be the right time to bring all this to the forefront, but when he took the blow to my face, he knew. He knew exactly what he was doing. In another way, I felt guilty for airing his dirty laundry so to speak in front of so many people, but it had to be done. Medusa now had the son she had so badly yearned for besides Cato, it just wasn’t the one she had hoped for. The lies they had told each other and themselves must have been such a burden, no wonder they were so angry. Nothing could compare them for what I had done, not even Sebastian. Maybe I should have told him what all I knew, but it wouldn’t have mattered. He wouldn’t have been able to play his part in that moment if he had. Only one thing still bothers me, who is Colin’s mother? Why is this still such a secret? Apollo would have the answers and that was the god we were going to find. We make our way down the golden road to find Apollo, as my strength seems to be growing stronger. Sebastian’s hand in mine, we were stronger together, just like Apollo had said we would be. I could almost feel Sebastian’s anger as he gripped my hand tighter, but this wasn’t the time for us to fight. We still needed answers for what was to come. Turning the corner, Colin appears out of the corner of my eye.

  “You really should stop creeping up on people like that, you’re going to get yourself hurt.” I tell him.

  “You had no right! No right to do what you did, and none of that was true, you just did it to start the fight!”

  “Colin, I have no reason to lie. The damage that’s done, that’s their fault, not mine. Sorry you had to find out this way, but the truth had to come out one day. You know this to be true, and you know I’m right.”

  He stands there before us, watching, searching my eyes for any signs of a lie, but he doesn’t find it.

  “Why would you do this? Why would you want to start a war that you can’t win?”

  “I never wanted to start a war, they did. They just used all of you as pawns as they have always done. I’m just the one who wasn’t raised by psychopaths.” I shouldn’t laugh, but it was true.

  “So, is this it? This is what you want? A war you can’t win? I told you that it could be handled, I told you that I was going to help you, but you couldn’t wait?”

  “What’s there to wait on Colin? More lies, more of us turning up dead? That’s what you want? More bodies? More pain, more suffering at their hand? You can blame me for everything if it makes you feel better, but the sad part is, you still don’t get it.”

  “Get what?” He was becoming angry with me very quickly.

  “They used you, they lied to you. The only thing that’s ever been real to you is our father. Who knows how many times he has lied to you. I mean, do you know who your mother is? Because at this point we are all dying to know.” The smirk that eerily creeps across my face was also a question.

  “Go to hell!” He shouts at me.

  “You first!” Letting go of Sebastian’s hand about to punch Colin in the face, Sebastian stops me.

  “This is it! You two are going to have to figure out how to deal with all this. It’s too much. You’re going to kill each other for what reason? Your parents?” Sebastian asks frustrated.

  Colin and I both stand still not moving. I didn’t want Sebastian to be right. I was mad at Colin for never seeing my side, and even more, all I wanted was for him to see the truth. Colin moves to the side letting us pass, it wasn’t over between us, but for now, we had to call a truce. As we kept walking, I wanted to say something, but the words just wouldn’t come out. I may have felt invincible, but all I truly wanted now, was peace. Peace among all us, and that was truly my hope for seeing Apollo. Maybe he would have the answers to all this? Maybe, just maybe, more blood wouldn’t have to be shed.

  Chapter Twelve

  It’s time for someone to stop the chaos…

  Apollo was nowhere to be found. Honestly, I didn’t expect to find him. He had answers to most of the problems, but he wasn’t going to share how this all ended. No, he wouldn’t do that for fear of changing everyone’s fates. There weren’t many places we could hide from anyone on the mount, and the tensions were growing. Zeus was searching tirelessly for us as we moved from place to place trying to figure out how we end this. We gathered as many as we could to our side, that took quite a few of them by surprise. Many didn’t know who to trust and who’s side they should be on. We hadn’t found Alex or Cali yet among the ones we searched out, and oddly no sign of Colin either. We knew that our time was coming soon. All I want
ed at this point was it to be over, whatever that meant, I wanted peace. Growing tired of running, fighting with them, and I think I wanted answers for all they had done. Within hours of what had gone down between Zeus and I, we were being hunted by anyone or anything that could fight. Some had come close to finding us, but never did. We didn’t hide because we were scared, we hid so we could have a fighting chance. We hid and sought out the others, so they could have answers too. We wanted this finished. Enough had become enough. Sebastian had learned more of his powers, as mine grew stronger every passing minute. Soon, I wouldn’t be able to hide what was happening inside of me, and as I grew stronger, they did too. I had finally told Sebastian everything, down to the fact I was sure I was carrying the first set of twin gods. There was nothing else to hide.

  We found that as we grew together we were stronger. That must have been what it was like for Zeus and Hera in the beginning. A strong love, a strong bond, but then it disappeared. We had heard rumors that Hera was preparing to go against us also, making it sound as if everything I had said was a lie. She denied I was her daughter to most and my father remained quiet. He never spoke a word to anyone that we knew. I didn’t know where he was going to stand when this final battle was going to take place. It shouldn’t have been a question that weighed so heavily on my mind, but it did. Would he take her side or my side? Did it even matter at this point whose side anyone chose? Days have now passed, and we are on our way to the fight of the worlds. We gathered our army to prepare with them, we hoped we had the smarts and maneuvers to beat them when this was all said and done. Sebastian had let some rumors of our own begin, to see where the loyalties lie. We were now the ones that the others wanted to rule, it was no longer that we had too.