Season's Change: Summer: A Goddess Legacy Companion Novel (Goddess Legacy 1.5) (13 page)

"Anything interesting?"

"Not on TV." He sat down, his eyes flashing to mine to make sure I caught the real meaning of his answer. I blushed.

We all ate, but it was difficult to eat my lunch quickly. Most of the conversation was centered on me with Myrha asking open-ended questions that required long answers. A few times, I caught Don giving his mom an exasperated look. He was pacing himself so that he didn't finish his meal before I could. Even though that was such a little thing, it still made me smile.

I continued answering questions while we cleared the table. It was really easy talking to Myrha, but the last question she asked me threw me for a loop.

"Did Don tell you his dad's moving to Texas?"

Shocked, I snapped my gaze to Don. But he didn't look at me; he stared at his mom through narrowed eyes.

"Um, no, he hasn't mentioned it yet," I said, trying to keep my voice even. Why was she telling me this?

"I was going to talk to her about it tonight," Don muttered. "Oh, I'm sorry." But she was looking at me, not Don.

What could I say? For some reason, I felt that this topic was very deliberate, and I didn't want to think of the reason why. I continued clearing the table, hoping she didn't read the fear in my eyes.

But Don did.

He walked over to, staring at his mom. "Will you excuse us?" It sounded like he was trying hard to be polite.

He turned my shoulders, pushing me forward since my legs didn't want to work.

He helped me through the kitchen and up the stairs, knowing exactly where we were headed. Yet when he eased me down on his bed, I was too shocked to feel nervous about being in his room. He sat beside me and took both my hands into his.

"Season," he said softly. "I'm really sorry about that. I really did plan on talking to you about this tonight."

I just nodded, staring past him at his wall. I felt the moisture in my eyes and didn't even care if the tears spilled over.

"Sweetheart, look at me, please."

I was not too shocked to get butterflies in my stomach at his term of endearment.

I shut my eyes to find the strength to force my gaze to his. Tears leaked over before I opened them.

He brushed my tears away. "My dad got offered a promotion if he transferred. Now that I'm eighteen, there really isn't a need for him to live in the same town as my mom."

I just stared at him, unsure if I could talk without breaking down. What he said made sense, but something just didn't feel right.

"He called me last night. He wants me to go over for a couple days while he looks at houses. I'm leaving in the morning but will be back Thursday night."

"Why . . ." My voice cracked. I looked down and cleared my throat, leaving my eyes on our hands. "Why did your mom bring it up?"

He sighed. "Because my dad wants me to go to school out there."

My head snapped up, and I stared at Don with pleading eyes, shaking my head. I felt like someone had just punched me in the stomach.

He released one of his hands and held my face. "That's why I've decided to go tomorrow. I need to explain to him why I want to stay here, and I need to do that in person."

I took a jagged breath. "But he thinks you're going out there to help pick out a house because you'll be living with him."

"He knows I want to stay here, but I'm sure he's hoping I'll change my mind. He's already registered me for the fall term—just in case."

"But you're staying
here
, right?"

"Yes. I don't want to leave. I want to stay here. With you."

I nodded and leaned my head against his shoulder, feeling exhausted, the stress almost too much to bear. He put his arms around me and squeezed tightly.

"So you'll be back by Friday, then?" "Yes."

"That's the Fourth of July."

"I know," he said, rubbing my back.

I remembered telling Chloe I didn't want to ask Don to the parade, but after this, those silly fears disappeared. "Chloe is in the parade, so she asked me to come watch her and then hang out. She'll have a date, though, so she suggested I ask you to come with me."

"I'd love to go to the parade with you." "Good," I breathed into his chest.

"In fact, I'm having a pool party over here on Saturday. I'd like for you to come."

"That sounds like fun."

He held me for several more minutes, comforting me. "Are you okay?" "I think so." Though I wasn't really sure.

We spent the rest of the day enjoying each other's company. Myrha left to do some shopping, so Don and I had the house to ourselves. It was too hot to really do anything outside, so we got comfy on the couch and watched some movies. Don propped his feet on the coffee table; I had mine on the couch beside me. I snuggled into his side, resting my hand on his leg. He put his arm around my shoulders and put his other hand on my knee. He was touching my bare skin, but it didn't faze him, not visually anyway.

I loved spending time with him, and as this day came to an end, I knew my feelings for Don were solidified.

I was in love with him.

I
t was raining
when I woke up, making my already somber mood that much more pathetic. Don had just left, and I already missed him like crazy. He wouldn't return until Thursday but would be getting in really late, too late to come over. I wouldn't see him again until the morning of the parade.

And the rain just made the day feel dreary. I guessed Ms. Gorge wasn't looking forward to me working today. That was fine with me. I didn't feel like being in a good mood anyway.

While I got ready for work, I wondered if Don's dad would pressure him into moving out there. Thinking about that only made me more miserable, so I tried not to think about it . . . much.

At work, the dreariness continued. Tracy was cranky. Chrys was busy running errands, so I figured Ms. Gorge intentionally kept him out of the store since I was

working. When he was there, though, his mood was also sad, but I was so wrapped up in my own gloomy feelings that I didn't really think about why he was moping.

When Ms. Gorge announced she was running to the bank, she seemed pleasant.

If I didn't know better, I wouldn't think there was anything wrong with her.

I saw Chrys walk in and over to Tracy. I heard their conversation, but I wasn't paying attention. I busied myself organizing the magazines on the display rack for the hundredth time today, lost in my thoughts of Don. I was so absorbed that I didn't hear Chrys walk up behind me.

"Season, can I talk to you?"

I turned around to face him. "Sure."

After we walked into the break room, he turned to face me. "What's wrong? I can tell something's bothering you."

I knew I appeared sad, but I really didn't want to tell him why. He was sad already and hearing me talk about Don would probably make that worse. "I'll tell you why I'm sad if you tell me what's wrong with you, first," I hedged.

"I can't do that." "Why?"

"Because I promised to keep this on a friendship level." "What does
that
mean?" I asked as I folded my arms.

"It means that I'm sad for reasons you don't want to hear about."

Well, I was already in a mood, so that just irritated me. Now, I really didn't care if he knew the reason why I was sad.

"Fine," I snapped. "I'm sad because Don is out of town, and I
miss
him."

Chrys flinched and grabbed the back of the chair he was standing behind to brace himself. He then took a deep breath and looked at me calmly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I could tell he didn't want to know. He only asked because he was concerned about me, so I started to feel guilty for hurting his feelings.

"Not really." I sat in the chair beside me.

"Are you sure? You know you can talk to me about anything." He sat down, too. "And if we're friends, you should be able to talk to me, too." I leaned toward him,

"Okay, if I tell you what's bothering me, will you promise to talk to me about your sad feelings?"

I nodded.

"I-I'm . . ." Chrys paused and looked down at the table. "I'm
sad
because you're sad. I heard you come in, and I could tell from your tone that you were upset. I knew my mom planned on keeping me out of the store, so I wouldn't get a chance to talk to you. Not being able to console you made me feel even worse."

At least he was honest. Now, it was my turn.

"Don's dad is moving to Texas, and he wants Don to go to school out there. Don's visiting him now."

"When will he be back?" "Tomorrow night."

I could see the curiosity building in his eyes. "Is he . . . um . . . Where is Don going to school?"

"He's going to school here," I said, looking Chrys straight in the eyes. "But his dad registered him out there, too."

"Do you think his dad will persuade him?"

"No." But for some reason, my voice didn't sound as sure as I was. "I see."

"I just miss him; that's all."

"I understand. It's hard going a couple of days without seeing that special someone," he murmured, and I knew he wasn't talking about me not seeing Don.

I stood up. "I should get back to work."

"No. Wait," Chrys said as he got out of his chair and grabbed my arm. I turned around to face him. "What?"

He stared at me without saying anything, and I heard his breathing accelerate.

"I can't do this right now."

He dropped my arm. "I'm sorry. I'm trying. It may not seem like that to you, but really, I am. I'll get better at this. I promise."

"I'm sorry this is so difficult for you. I really do like you being my friend." "You don't know how much that means to me," Chrys whispered.

"I need to get back in the lobby before your mom gets here." I just needed to escape.

He nodded. "Let me give you my cell number. My mom is going to make it really difficult for us to have any time alone up here, and I want you to be able to reach me if you ever need to talk."

After getting his number, I worked the rest of my shift and went home. I went to bed as soon as I could without it being too obvious I was a little depressed.

That night I had another dream. It had some of the same characteristics as previous ones, but when the storm started brewing, I didn't run. I stood under the storm clouds, waiting for the tornado to form. I wasn't scared of it. I wanted it to come. I needed it to come.

I saw the same girl as before, but she was across the field. She watched me in horror as I stood under the storm clouds. She started to run toward me, and I turned to face her. I extended my arm in her direction with my palm out.

"No." I didn't yell; I said it calmly but with finality.

She rocked back on her heels, my order stopping her in her tracks.

I knew I was dreaming, and I knew I wanted to ask her questions the next time I dreamed about her, but in this moment, it didn't matter. I didn't need her answers because I was aware of all the answers. My conscious self didn't know, but my mind knew.

I gazed at the clouds waiting for the tornado to form, and the girl screamed. "You have to run! It's coming for you!"

"No!" I yelled so forcefully that the ground shook below my feet. My gaze shot up to the sky, and I yelled, "No!" again.

The black storm clouds faded to light gray and parted, forming a circle of beautiful blue sky. A voice—a female voice—spoke.

"You have no choice." It was so soothing that it felt like a trap. "Who are you?" I demanded.

"I'm everything. I'm everywhere. You can't stop me. You have no choice." Then the storm clouds went furiously black again, and I woke up.

It was early in the morning, and I knew Melissa would still be here. I decided it was time to come clean with her. I wanted to tell her about the dreams I was having and maybe even tell her about everything else. If she knew what I knew, maybe she'd tell me what was going on.

I ran downstairs and to the kitchen where she was eating breakfast. "Season? What are you doing up already?"

"I had a dream. I've been having weird dreams ever since you told me about my

mom."

Melissa looked away.

"You said my mom would be contacting me, but you didn't know when or how. I

think she's contacting me through my dreams." "Season, that's absurd." She sounded panicked.

"I don't think it is. I think I'm descended from Greek gods."

She gasped. "How?" She shook her head. "Um, I have to go to work." She was trying to get away from me.

"You're a priestess, aren't you? All the priestesses have the title of Melissa." She froze.

"My heritage is linked to Zeus. That's why you're here—why I was left with you.

That's why my last name is Crete." "How do you know all this?" "I figured it out," I lied. "How?"

room."

"Not with your help," I snapped. "But I did find my death certificate in your

"What in Hades are you talking about?" She was no longer shocked; she was

concerned.

"Oh come on! I saw it in the box under your bed."

She jumped up from the table and ran into her room. I was right on her heels.

She looked under the bed and then stared at me. "There's nothing here."

I dropped to my knees to check. She was right. "Where did you put it?"

"Season, I have no idea what you're talking about. What did the box look like?"

I explained the box to her, but she was adamant that she'd never seen anything like that. From the look in her eyes, I could tell she wasn't lying to me.

"Do you think my mom put it there to help me find out about myself?" "Season, I don't know. But it could have just as easily been a trick. You have to

tell me everything you know. I need to make sure that someone else isn't interfering with your . . . your, umm . . . change."

"So, I'm going to be a powerful goddess like my mother?" "If you're asking me that, I can't answer you."

"I don't need to ask you. I already know everything I need to," I lied, baiting her. "What do you know?" she asked, grabbing my arm.

"What do
you
know?" I retorted. "I can't say."

"Then, I
won't
say what I know."

"By the gods, this isn't a game, Season!"

"Then, quit toying with me. You're the one who set this into motion." Chrys had told me Melissa was the one that set all this into motion the night she told me. "You should be the one to come clean."

"I can't. I honestly wish I could, but I'm prohibited from saying anything."

I stormed out, needing answers Melissa wouldn't give. As soon as she went to work, I got on the Internet. It was time to find out what I could about Demeter.

There was a lot of information on her. All the websites said she was a goddess of earth, harvest, and seasons. Well, that was where my name came from. I guessed it was sort of a family name after all.

With dominion over earthly things, she was considered the personification of Mother Nature. Besides presiding over the harvest and the earth, she also ensured the sanctity of marriage and reigned over the circle of life and death.

She had several children, but only two with Zeus: Zagreus and Persephone, but other stories about Zagreus's origin conflicted with this account. Some said Zagreus was the offspring of Persephone and Zeus.

Regardless, the story of Zagreus was that the Titans tried to destroy him, so Zeus destroyed the Titans and retrieved Zagreus's heart. His divine flesh mixed with Titans' ashes, creating humankind, which was why humans had both good and bad tendencies. Interesting twist, but not really relevant. Zagreus's line seemed like a dead-end.

Persephone was a different story. There was only one account of her birth, so there was no denying she came from Demeter and Zeus.

I felt the blood rush out of my face when I read about her abduction. Several gods wanted to be with Persephone, and Demeter kept her hidden from them. Hades abducted Persephone and brought her to the underworld, making her his queen.

Demeter fell into a deep depression, and since she was the goddess of nature, life on earth stopped while she searched for her daughter.

Zeus ordered the return of Persephone, but Hades tricked her into eating pomegranate seeds; anyone who consumed food or drink while in the underworld would have to stay. Persephone was eventually allowed to return to her mother, and when reunited with her, the earth flourished. But because of Hades' trick, Persephone had to return to the underworld for part of the year. When she was in the underworld, the earth turned barren. This was how the myths explained the development of the seasons on earth.

I knew I was on the right track.

Other than her time with Hades, there were other stories that said Persephone spent four months each year with Adonis, and also linked that to the changing seasons, but there wasn't really much. The only offspring I found that she created was Macaria. Persephone created her with Hades, but the only entry about her showed she was the goddess of blissful afterlife.

Since I couldn't be sure I descended from Macaria, maybe my line came from one of Demeter's children not created with Zeus. If she created children with him and was a goddess, then maybe he still protected her when it came to her other children. I just felt like both Zagreus and Persephone seemed to be dead-ends, Zagreus more so than Persephone.

It was late afternoon by now, and I knew it would take me too long to read everything about the other offspring. Then I thought about the one person who would help me.

I grabbed my cell phone and called Chrys. "Hey, it's Season."

"Um, hi." He sounded distracted. "What's up?" "Can you talk right now?"

"No," he said casually. I assumed he was in earshot of his nosey mother. "Is your mom around?"

"Yes," he said just as indifferently.

Crap. That meant he definitely couldn't talk. I wondered if he could get away from her.

"Can you meet me at the park behind the waterslide in ten minutes?" "Sure."

I ended the call, jumped in my car, and went straight to the rendezvous point.

Chrys was already there, dressed like he was playing football.

"Hi," I said to him as I walked up. "You didn't have to dress up on my account." I laughed.

"I was supposed to meet some friends out here to play, but I sent texts to the other guys and cancelled after you called."

"Oh." I felt bad for taking him away from his plans. "We could have met later." "Don't be silly. You need to talk, and I want to be here for you." He was sincere,

but kept it friendly.

We walked behind the slide and sat at a picnic table away from where the neighborhood kids were playing.

"So what do you want to talk about?"

"I did some research on Demeter, but it doesn't make much sense. How much do you know about her?"

"I know some. But I only really started looking after I met you." "Well, I only found two possible kids she had with Zeus, and—" "Only one that is for sure," he corrected.

"Right. Zagreus seemed like a dead-end from the start anyway. He died as a kid and didn't have any offspring . . . unless we count the one that Zeus put his heart in.