“Maybe they remember some of us more than others,” Poseidon added with Kelly by his side. That was a shocker. I had a feeling he would fill her in on his secrets. It was only fitting, since Kayla knew. They seemed to get along, talking and laughing the night away.
I gave Sky a nudge and gestured at Poseidon and Kelly. She shrugged with a smile. My eyes shifted to the ceiling, admiring the fake stars that seemed so real.
“So where are you going on your honeymoon again?” Victor asked.
Hades and Zeus moved over to allow Rhea and Victor to join our circle.
Sky gazed at me. “We’re going to travel around the world. First we’re going to Asia, Europe, Canada, and we have a long list.”
“Sounds like a great plan,” Rhea said. “You should enjoy yourself before starting a family.”
“We’ll be back before the baby is born,” Sky assured her mother.
“I have no doubt you will,” Rhea said.
“Did I hear someone is having a baby? Skylar?” Kayla appeared with Nick from behind us.
“No,” Sky said. “Mason and I are waiting. Besides, I need to finish college. And I’m still very young. We have things to do.”
“Okay,” Nick drawled. “I want a nephew or a niece soon.”
I arched my brows and leaned into Nick so only he could hear. “I want a sister-in-law soon.” Sky zapped my arm lightly with her power. I jerked. She had overheard our conversation. “I meant when you’re ready. No pressure.”
Nick waggled his brows and curled his lips just enough to let me know something was up. “Anyway, why are you picking on me? What about this guy?” He elbowed Everett who had been quiet, gazing toward the dance floor at Sarah. “He needs a woman.”
Everett blinked and then finally caught on to what we were talking about. “I don’t need a woman.” He shyly turned away. That big teddy bear had more love to give than any one of us.
“I can’t believe Hades pulled it off.” Victor glanced around. “When Rhea told me what Hades had planned, I couldn’t believe it.”
Hades pulled back his brows. “What? You don’t think I’m capable?”
Victor took a sip of his wine. “No.”
Everyone around our circle chuckled.
“I’m capable of a lot of things. Though sometimes if I don’t feel like doing something, then I pretend I can’t,” Hades confessed. “How did the almighty Hades pull the reception off, you ask? I checked the internet on the computer and…” He pulled out a cell phone. “I have one of these. All I have to do is research. All human information is in the palms of my hands. And I also had Persephone’s and the Oracles’ help. I give credit to all of us.”
Poseidon’s eyes widened. “You know how to use the computer?”
“Nick has been teaching me.”
“You have a phone?” Zeus narrowed his eyes at it. “Who are you going to call?”
Hades wrinkled his nose. “Don’t worry, Twinkle Toes, I got one for you.” He took one out of his suit jacket pocket and gave it to him. Shifting his attention to Poseidon, he handed him one too. “This one is for you, Pinkie Pie. You can reach me any time. Except the phone doesn’t have reception here.”
Poseidon chuckled, admiring the phone. He grazed his finger along the keypad. “I guess if I want to blend in with the humans, I better start learning their ways. And why did you call me a My Little Pony name? I’m not anything like Pinkie Pie. I’d say I’m rather more like Rainbow Dash. Not only is he beautiful, but he’s the smartest of them all.”
I blinked in surprise. “You’ve been watching My Little Pony?”
Poseidon’s cheeks flushed. “I was curious. And I’m not the only one.”
We all looked at Zeus.
“Only once.” Zeus shrugged.
Hera patted his mountain bump bicep. “Only once, my love?”
Zeus pressed his lips together and opened them. “Maybe more than once,” he grumbled. “They’re sort of cute. The ponies that can fly are my favorite. They remind me of Hermes and Pegasus. I also wanted to keep him for myself.”
“Does this mean you want to live in the human world?” Nick asked.
Persephone gently placed her hand on Hades’s arm, probably wondering the same.
“No.” Hades lifted his chin boastfully. “We—” he glanced at his brothers “—will visit our home the Grand boys have graciously bought for us, but our true home is Olympus. We can’t survive in the human world. Truthfully, I hate work. Zeus and Poseidon hate to cook. Everett wants to fire us.” He winked at him. “We’re too old to be bossed around. We’re officially, what do humans call it…retired.”
Just then Hermes appeared with the Oracles.
“Did I hear my name?” Hermes had taken off his hat with wings and slicked his golden hair back. I almost didn’t recognize him.
“No, nothing,” Zeus answered.
“Pegasus,” Hermes muttered with a smile. “He’s Zeus’s favorite.”
We let out a chuckle while Zeus turned red. I had never seen him so embarrassed.
“Now we know what to get them for Christmas.” Sky giggled.
Zeus’s eyes beamed. “They have all the little figurines.” He paused and cleared his throat. “I mean…they showed them on the television screen.”
“Sure, whatever you say, big bro.” Hades elbowed him on the rib with a wink.
Zeus jerked back, his staff sizzling.
“Whoa, children.” I stood between Zeus and Hades, not wanting to ruin our special night. “The night is still young. Why don’t we hit the dance floor?” I gestured everyone to move it and took Sky to the dance floor. Hades and the Oracles had done an outstanding job planning a reception, but I had something up my sleeves.
“Did I tell you how amazing you look today?” I embraced Sky closer as we swayed to the soft music.
“If you did, I wouldn’t have remembered. I was too busy staring at my hot husband,” she said.
“I guess you’re trying to tell me how handsome I look?” I hummed to the music.
“Maybe?” She lit up a huge smile, her eyes twinkling. God, how I loved her smile. She outshone the lights in the banquet room and expanded my heart so full I didn’t know if I could bear any more happiness without exploding. No room, for she had filled it to the limit.
We continued to sway to the music. It was nice to see happy smiling faces and everyone getting along. We finally got our happily-ever-after ending. Of course, there would be trouble ahead. Life wasn’t perfect. But it was good to have family and friends through good times and bad.
“Was this your dream wedding?” I asked. “Were your wishes fulfilled?”
Sky lifted her head from my shoulder to look at me. “I’m happy because I’m with you. My dream wedding is you. My wish is you. As long as we’re together, my dreams and wishes have been fulfilled.”
“My wishes have been fulfilled since the moment I saw you, Sky. Thank you for showing me life can be great again. Thank you for agreeing you’ll live the rest of your life with me. This is how you make me feel when I’m with you.”
Sky’s adoring expression turned to confusion. Her eyes grew round, taking in the soft, slow-moving lightning glowing around the room, filling every wall, every corner, every inch of the floor and ceiling. Blue silvery lights glowed like magic, sizzling and flashing, engulfing us. Everyone stared in awe, feeling the gentleness of the power I possessed.
“Mason. It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful,” Sky exclaimed, hypnotized by the lights traveling along her arms and down her body. “What are you doing?”
“Taking you in Mason style.” I winked. “We’re getting out of here so I can give you more of what I’m showing you.”
Sky smiled wickedly as the lights swirled around her, lifting us up.
“Thank you for coming. We’re tired, and we’re going home.” Sky waved, and I did the same.
Some of our friends waved back with smiles, and the others looked baffled. My power pushed us forward. The door op
ened automatically. Then Sky and I flew out together, still in the bubble of light I made. I loved having powers. I loved being a descendant more than I ever thought I would. Never had I imagined the intensity and the strength of my power would grow so much. It was all because of Sky.
The twinkling lights below from Olympus grew dimmer and dimmer the farther I took us away. Olympus had been beautifully remodeled, but I believed the sight of it in the dark showed its true beauty, glowing against the darkness, showing that light always shined through the dark. Good would always prevail over evil.
Chapter 34
Skylar
Five Months Later
“Sky, have a seat.” Mason patted the empty space next to him.
“I can’t.” I continued to pace behind the sofa as I admired the painting of the three gods on the wall. Instead of wearing their white robes, they sported suits and ties. I smiled at the fact.
We waited in a room at New Olympus for my mom to give birth. Mom was in the hands of the Oracles, and Dad was with her. We had been waiting at least an hour.
Nick leaned back into the other sofa and dropped his arms behind his neck. “Sky, if you pace faster, it’ll force the baby to come out quicker.”
“No, it doesn’t.” Kayla lightly smacked Nick on his thigh.
“Just trying to make Skylar relax.”
I released my finger from my mouth. The pain caused me to realize I had been biting it. “I am relaxed. This is me relaxing.”
“Eating your finger?” Noah chuckled. Amanda sat by his side, quiet for once.
Mason frowned. “She’s not in the mood for stupid comments.”
Amanda glared at Mason. “His comments are not stupid.”
“Okay,” Nick drawled, sitting straighter as if to get ready to stop a fight.
“Here, have some wine. It should help all of you relax. The tension is rather hot in here.” Zeus passed out glasses filled with wine.
When he got to me, I shook my head. “No, thank you.”
“What’s taking them so long?” Auntie Kelly looked worried too. “Should I go and see if I can do anything to help?”
Poseidon held Kelly’s hands in his. “There’s nothing you can do. The Oracles have got this.”
Poseidon and Kelly had been dating for the past three months. It took some time for Auntie Kelly to soak in the gods’ world, but eventually she’d come around. She had been mostly shocked to know her sister was Rhea, and that Kayla had known about the gods before she had, but once everything was open and the secrets were out, we were one happy family…sometimes.
“The Oracles have been delivering babies for ages. You need not worry, little one,” Hades said, taking a sip of wine.
I halted. “I’m dying to know if I have a brother or a sister.”
“I think it’s a boy,” Hera commented, crossing her legs and leaning her head on Zeus’s shoulder. No matter the occasion, she always dressed her best.
“How can you tell?” Persephone stood next to Hades by the table, glancing at the various wines.
“I just have this feeling. Call it gut intuition or women’s sixth sense or what have you, or maybe it’s from having so many children.”
“Do you know if they’ve picked out names for the baby?” Zeus asked.
I plopped next to Mason and snuggled into his arms. Warmth, comfort, love. What the heck was I thinking, pacing like a fool by myself? “Nope. They never shared. Even when I begged. It’ll be a surprise for sure.”
“I personally don’t care about the name as long as the baby doesn’t turn out anything like Hephaestus.” Hades finished his last drop of wine, placed it on the table, and caressed Persephone’s braided hair.
Everett had remained quiet. “The baby won’t be like Hephaestus. The baby will have all the love and attention. All we need to do is create a loving and supporting environment.”
Zeus dipped his head low. “Gods are not perfect. I’ve always wondered, had I treated Hephaestus better, would he have turned out differently?”
Hera stroked Zeus’s arm. “You can’t think like that. What’s done is done. Cronus didn’t treat you well, but you didn’t turn out crazy like Hephaestus. I believe we can only do our best in a given situation, and then it depends on the child to do what’s right. They do have a mind of their own after all. We can’t control them.”
Zeus rested his hand on Hera’s. “I guess you’re right. I defeated Cronus because he tried to kill us. At least I didn’t try to kill Hephaestus.”
The room became silent. Whether they agreed with Zeus or not, their faraway gazes showed they all turned over the question in their minds.
I twitched. Others snapped their focus to the double doors. The crying sound of the newborn infant had me in tears. I gripped Mason’s hand tighter. Then the door opened. A blue blanket had been wrapped around the baby in Dad’s arm.
“It’s a boy,” he exclaimed proudly.
I rushed to him. Dad placed the baby in my arms. The smell of something euphoric filled my nose. I could breathe him in all day. Happy tears rolled down my face. As I admired his small face, I took in his beautiful features. It was hard to tell who he looked like, but he was perfect in every way.
“Hi there, little one,” I cooed. It was the first time I held an infant, and I couldn’t believe how natural I was. “What’s his name?”
“Alexander. He’s named after my father, your grandfather you never had the pleasure to meet.”
“Hi, Alexander,” Mason whispered.
Then everyone stared quietly with a smile. They had been as captivated as I had been. This little one would bring happiness, love, and hope to our lives. It was funny how a small person could hold such power over us. He would have all the love and attention he needed. His family would make sure of that. We didn’t need another Alana, Hephaestus, Eris, or Cronus in our lives ever again.
“How’s Mom?” I asked, unable to peel my eyes off of my little brother’s face. It would take some time for me to get used to the fact that I had a brother.
“She’s doing just fine. She’s sleeping.” Dad too couldn’t look away. “He’s perfect.”
“He is.” I peered up and met Mason’s eyes and mumbled, “I can’t wait to start our own family.”
Two Years Later
“Why is he constantly moving?” Zeus pointed his staff at my little brother. Standing under a tree, he glared.
“Zeus, he’s only two years old.” Hera clipped a pink rose off the bushes and placed it in her hair to match her long pink gown. Surrounding her were other types of flowers—tulips, orchids, daffodils, and various kinds I had no name for.
“Just look at him. He’s making me dizzy.”
“You don’t have to look at him,” Nick suggested, sounding agitated, sitting on the bench with Kayla.
Kayla leaned over to feel the petals of the roses. Her diamond engagement ring sparkled, catching my eye. They had been engaged for almost a year, and their wedding was to be held in New Olympus next week.
“Fly horsey, fly.” Alexander ran in circles around the fountain, raising his My Little Pony Pegasus in the air. His dark brown hair glistened lighter under the sunlight, and his beautiful topaz blue eyes, the color only gods and their descendants possessed, twinkled with happiness.
After the wedding, the statue of Mason and me holding hands had been replaced by the three gods. Our statue was delivered to our house. It had been planted inside a fountain we had installed. It wasn’t as grand as the one in Olympus, but it was just as beautiful.
Hades and Persephone appeared, her arm linked around his. The white gown she wore hugged her bump. Hades, determined to have descendants of his own, persuaded Persephone to have children. They looked so happy. It saddened me when I reflected on how long Hades had been in the underworld and how Persephone visited only six months out of the year. Mason had been gone for a month and it killed me, so I sympathized with Hades’s anger. But the past was the past, and the future seemed bright for everyone.
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Hades guided Persephone to the bench. “I don’t know how Mom does it. Alexander is adorable, but he’s so full of energy.”
“He’s a thief too,” Zeus spat, frowning.
“You’re calling that little one a thief because he’s playing with one of your My Little Pony toys?” Hades chuckled, his chest bobbing from laughing so hard.
“No, no, no,” Zeus groaned, watching Alexander dunk Pegasus inside the fountain. He ran his hand down his face. “Now it’s all wet.”
“You can buy another one, you know?” Hades said.
Zeus rubbed his hand along the ridges of the tree. “You don’t understand. It’s a special edition. It’s one of a kind.”
I smiled at the fact that a grown man, no a god, cared so much for a toy. It goes to show that there is a child in all of us, even when we’re older.
“Time for a bath.” Alexander drove Pegasus in and out of the water. Then he jumped in, splashing water out of the fountain.
Mason and I jerked and ran to Alexander. The fountain was about three feet deep, and Alexander hadn’t learned to swim yet.
“No swimming, Alex.” Mason pulled him out, cradling him. Water dripped down both of them.
Alexander coughed, spitting water out of his mouth. “No swimming,” he repeated in the sweetest voice, looking innocent with apologetic puppy eyes. Alexander’s strong grip around Mason’s shoulder showed he had been scared.
“That’s right. I’ll teach you to swim tomorrow. We’re going to the lake house.” Mason brushed Alexander’s hair back to wipe away the wetness. Mason was going to be a wonderful father. I’d had no doubt, but he proved it from his interaction with Alexander.
“I want Mommy,” Alexander whispered.
I gave Alexander a peck on his cheek. “Mom and Dad will be here soon. Remember, you get to have fun with us.”
Mom and Dad took a week vacation with Poseidon and Kelly to Europe. I had assured them Alexander would be in good hands. And he was, but he was a handful.