Forever Yours

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Ready to go back to school?" Quinn asked. They were relaxing in Makaria's room, Quinn sitting on the massive plush sofa while the girls sat in the two oversized chairs.

Ian had been gone for nearly a week now. She'd known the moment he left the Underworld, she could feel the emptiness his absence left within her soul, like a piece of her was missing. Frowning at Quinn, Makaria just shook her head and chuckled. "After what happened the last time I was there, no... I'm not looking forward to returning." She hadn't told Kaethe what had happened with Ian, wanting to hold on to that intimate moment a little longer herself. But she knew that with them returning to the mortal realm soon, she'd have some explaining to do. While Ian hadn't officially told her she was his girlfriend, she assumed it was in the works. After all, he had said he loved her, so it was only natural to believe they were an item.

"Screw school," Kaethe commented. "What about your birthday! What are we doing on that momentous night?"

Makaria shrugged her shoulders while moving her hands up into her long dark hair, pulling the strains back into a ponytail. "I don't know," she confessed. "It's always just been the two of us celebrating my birthday. I'm not sure what she's got planned now since all this has gone down, if anything at all."

Kaethe nodded her head, thinking. "Well... What do you say to the three of us doing something, then? Paint the town red in Kilma. We can go out to eat, catch a movie, whatever you want to do."

"Sounds good to me," Makaria agreed. "I'll ask my parents... Wow, that sounds strange to say..."

Quinn looked over at Kaethe, a worried expression on his face. Standing up, he stretched out his muscles and nodded his head towards the door. "I'm going to go find your dad... He said he had some cool artifacts to show me." He walked out the door, leaving Kaethe and Makaria alone.

Once the door closed, Kaethe glanced over to Makaria, a frown on her face. Reaching out she laid her hand on Makaria's own which rested on her leg and squeezed. "How are you taking everything?" She asked as she tilted her blonde head, her oversized earrings jingling with the movement. "I can't even begin to understand what you're feeling, but know that Quinn and myself are here for you, if you ever need to talk."

Makaria laid her other hand over Kaethe's, giving her a small smile. "I know and I appreciate it, I do," she said. Staring into the fire that burned within the hearth, she watched as the flames danced against the aging stone. "It's weird, you know... I spent my whole life believing my dad was dead and it was just Mom and me only to find out that everything was a lie." She moved her gaze to Kaethe, who sat there, listening. "I knew who Hades was, knew all about the Greek gods, Mom made sure of it. She's been telling me stories since I was born, all about 'our heritage'." She made the little air quotes, making Kaethe chuckle. "But that what I thought it was, stories. Who would believe that everything you learned in school was true?"

"Well, not everything," Kaethe commented. "Your mom came down here of her own accord, unlike the stories that said she was kidnapped. Seems that got that part wrong."

"True, but still... Kae, my parents are gods! What am I supposed to do with that knowledge? Just act like everything is all honky-dory when it's not?"

Kaethe thought about that for a moment, not really knowing how to answer her. "Have you spent any time with your father?" She said instead.

Makaria shook her head. "No, haven't really had the chance."

Kaethe brighten, a smile coming across her face. "Well, there you go! We aren't leaving until tomorrow night, so why don't you spend some time with him before we leave?"

Makaria thought it over, knowing Kaethe had a good idea. "But what if he wants to spend all his time with my mom?"

"Family outings, Mak... Family outings."