Kidnapped by a Greek God

Chapter 8: Eventually

Chapter 8: Eventually

I wander aimlessly throughout the house after my talk with James. I hear a huff of breath behind me and quickly turn around to see Persyus standing there wagging his tail. "You're not so mean after all." I chuckle and rub his ears, in return he drops to the ground like a sack of potatoes. "Haven't seen him that way, you must really be master's beloved." A female voice sounds, looking up I see an older lady with a sweet smile on her face. "I guess, I mean I'm not staying, I eventually have to go back home, my parents must be worried." A sad look crosses her face then as suddenly as it showed it disappears. "Well, I'm Karene, James and Alec's substitute mom," She chuckles with a smile and a hint of a blush. "I'm Emaline." She waves her hands in the air. "Oh we already know who you girls are." 

She takes my hand and leads me down the hallway. "First, young one, let's get you some clothes." I look down at the T-shirt that I'm wearing and my cheeks heat up. "We don't want an angry ruler do we?" She winks at me and returns to leading me down the too long hallway. "Were these hallways made to confuse the kidnappees?" It's a sore attempt at a joke, but there's a snort from Karene. "No, unfortunately that is just the many perks of Hell, everything seems ten times longer." Sounds like hell, she stops at a doorway and turns around and looks at me, "So the way this room will work, is always to your advantage, whatever you feel, however you feel, the room adapts to you." I'm awestruck at her words, but I mean do I really have room to be surprised anymore? "Thank you so much Karene, you are truly the best Substitute Mom them boys can have." I see her brighten at my words, a charming smile sneaking it's way onto her face. "Oh and your sister is three doors down this way." She informs me pointing to the left side wing. "Oh, she's not my...." Karene face shows something, how many surprises can I go through? Instead of diving further into that rabbit hole, I dismiss Karene and open the door to the room in front of me. 

The room is a dark green interior, the bed more inviting than a warm hug from a grandma. There's A Bow window across from me, looking out to a beautiful garden. "How do they get anything to grow with the sky like that?" I question aloud, but revel in the beauty of glowing bulbs of all different types of weird, yet strangely beautiful flowers. I turn around and see three more doors, I go to the door closest to the bed and go to open it, locked. Not questioning that I go up the the twin doors on the other side, one opens to a big bathroom with everything I would ever need, right down to my favorite scented shower soaps and scrubs. "This bath is to die for!" I squeal. In front of me is a giant Jade, like the gem, bathtub that can fit four of me in it. I walk back out and up to the last door, this must be a closet. 

And not just any closet, it's a walk-in and huge. The lights automatically come on when I open the door, I step in and close the door, walking through a short hallway I turn and see a full closet, everything from sweaters to ball gowns. "Oh wow." I walk to the dress side and find a flowy black dress, I slip James' t shirt off and slip the loose fitting dress on. The material feels magical against my skin, and goes down to my ankles. I decide to stay barefoot and go back to the bedroom. I walk to the vanity and sit down. Looking through the drawers I find and hair brush and get started on the mess of hair, after taming it, I walk out of the bedroom with a satisfied look on my face. Heading three doors down I knock on Ana's door. "Come in." I open the door and see a completely different room from mine, but it suits Ana. "Emaline, you're okay." I hear a sound of relief in her voice, as she rushes over and wraps her arms around, my instincts take over and I immediately hug her back. "Ana, there's something I have to tell you." 

Ana starts shaking her head in disagreement, she holds her hands up and motions for me to sit down on her bed. I oblige and sit, she follows my actions and sits besides me. "I already know we're sisters, and I didn't just find out today." Her smile shows a hidden apology. "You and I are sisters, one of us were adopted." There's hurt in her voice, as she takes my hands I realize, she wasn't the one adopted, It was me. "Where are they now?" I mean she's never talked about them since we've been friends, there must be a reason why. "Emaline, there's so much that I need to tell you, but you've been through enough in the past twenty four hours, and so have I." I don't want to hear anymore excuses. "NO, tell me now, I mean you kept this away from me since middle school?" I stand up from the bed feeling angry and confused at all of this news. "I mean you should just tell me now, it's not like it can be worse than a lying best friend." I retort glaring at her. She doesn't bother meeting my eyes, "They died." The words send a chill through my body and I feel my heart shatter. "You, no." I say shaking my head and walking out of Ana's room, her calling after me. I turn around long enough the see a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Please don't talk to me, just leave me alone. You've done enough." I've done enough, I close the door and wonder further down the hallway. at the end there's another door, I open it to find an enormous indoor pool. I walk in and close the door the inside is a comfortable temperature, and I sigh in awe. The pool itself is crystal clear and full of more greenery, but no other life insight. The water laps around the sides calling to me. I walk over to the edge and peek below into the water, getting a better view of all the green vines and leaves, there's some more colorful glowing flowers. I sit down dipping my toes into the water, the water feels so warm, like it's inviting me to swim the water seems to surge as it touches my bare feet. Watching the scenery sway back and forth below, I become aware of how everything feels in Hell. Warm and inviting, but it's definitely not as safe as it looks. Is James like that, can I trust him like I feel I should? I feel it's a reasonable question, being as everyone I've ever trusted has hurt me in the end in some way. 

Instead of dwelling more on the day I had, I slip into the water and dive under the surface, I open my eyes, there's no pain so I keep them open and take in the details of everything. Something flits through the water beside me too fast for me to see, so I slow down and focus on trying to see what I'm actually swimming with. I float there just under the surface long enough for me to see a Sea turtle, swimming right towards me. When the turtle is within close distance I reach my hand out, amazed alone by the beauty of this creature in front of me, ignoring all warning signs telling me my time is up, that i should swim back up to the surface. Just a little closer and I'll be fingertip to beak with the Sea turtle. I feel arms around my torso as I pulled away from it, I try and fight the strong arms but they tighten around me even more, restricting my movements. We breach the surface and I'm dragged back onto land, I inhale some much needed oxygen, head ringing. "What the hell were you thinking?" James sounds angry, but all I wanted was to touch the turtle. "Look without the proper ceremonies you are still just a mortal, that means you can't just decide to not want to breathe, were you even going to come up for air?" there's panic written all over his face, "Eventually." I pointed at the water. "I just wanted to take everything in." James grabs my face and pulls my attention towards him. "That doesn't mean literally take everything in." He takes my hand and leads me out of the pool room. I blush at the close contact but instantly sober up when I see Alec and Ana standing in the hallway. 

James pushes me behind him at the sight of them. "Come on Ana, we were just seeing if she was okay." Alec says to James and turns Ana around, my eyes sting at seeing her walk away but anger takes hold again. "I'm sorry you have to learn so many things today, none of it was meant to hurt you, and yet it still did." he sounds sincere. "How do all the plants grow here?" the question is off guard but I'm so curious. James chuckles and shakes his head. "That would be Persephone's powers, she enchanted a lot of her creations from home and made it to where they would survive down here as well. She always missed the life part of Earth." He points to the garden. "Persephone enchanted the seeds, while my dad made the garden and pool and a couple other rooms for her plants and creations alike." My heart melts at the sweetness of the story, wondering how much history change this perfect Love story, twist and jumble it to something else entirely. 

"You aren't going to trap me here are you?" he pauses at my question hurt glazing his eyes, shaking his head he grabs my hands. "You have the decision to be here or not, you don't have to be here with me, you can go back." There's so much hurt in his voice, my plan wasn't to leave, it was a joke. I shake my head at his words, I don't think I could ever leave without giving him a chance anyways. "I'll give you a year, if I don't want to stay I'll tell you, but if I do we'll carry out those proper ceremonies you were talking about."