Chapter 16

"Thank you, Astraios. I know you didn't have to do this but it means a lot." I smiled grabbing a hold of the watch.

"Only you and Helios can hold onto this watch, if any other creature has a hold on this then time will not be moving at all, it'll kill whoever holds it."

"Helios, maybe you should hold onto this." I handed the watch to him feeling my bones tremble with anxiety.

"Whimp." Helios laughed as he took it and stuffed it into his pocket.

"You better get going before your husband has an aneurysm. He's been waiting all day." Zeus smiled at me.

"Can you tell Hades goodbye for me? He's been more of a father figure for me then my own father. Not including Jarrod." I laughed as a tear formed.

"I'll tell him. Goodbye Rae." He smiled and hugged me tightly.

"Goodbye El- Rae." Kronos walked over pushing Zeus out of the way and hugging me.

"Thank you Kronos. I wouldn't have been able to do much without you." I squeezed my arms around his neck as he held onto me.

"Yes you would've. You just wouldn't have dealt with this guy." He pulled back and looked to Helios.

"Can we go now?" Helios rolled his eyes and got on his chariot.

"Real quick! Thank you Gaia and Astraios. You didn't have to help me but you did and it means so much. Thank you, I really mean it."

"Come here would you." Gaia grabbed my arm and pulled me in for a hug. "I'll always help you Rae. Your heart's too warm and pure not to." She whispered into my ear. I pulled back and looked to Astraios who had his arms crossed and glaring away from me.

"One more." I laughed as I wrapped my arms around Astraios neck.

"Get off of me." He scoffed trying to push me off.

"Give me a hug and I will." I laughed. He rolled his eyes and held his hands on the small of my back giving me a light hug.

"My mothers right tho. Your heart is warm and pure. Don't let anyone take that away from you." His words sent chills down my spine along with a spark in my chest. I squeezed my arms around his neck once more. His grip on me tightened and he held his head close to me. He didn't want to let me go, I could feel it in our hug. Hearing Gaia's gasp I let go and stepped back. Astraios almost seemed disappointed.

"You're all more then welcome to come visit." I tried to break the silence.

"Oh uh. I'll take care of Nyx and Erebus for you. You won't be hearing from them unless they just want to visit." Gaia said as she looked back and forth between Astraios and I.

"Don't forget when you break the news to all the creatures, to break it lightly!" Zeus shouted.

"Thank you. I'll see you guys later." I got up on Helios chariot and waved goodbye. They stood together and waved goodbye as we took off to our new home. Kind of new home.

---Narrators POV---

Zeus and Kronos had left along with Gaia and Astraios back to there homes. Kronos to Elysium and Gaia and Astraios towards Olympus to their homes above.

"What did I see there?" Gaia asked Astraios impatient as can be.

"See what mother?" Astraios sighed. He was nervous but he showed no signs.

"You and Elea. You two had a connection!" Gaia jumped with glee.

"Mother, her heart belongs to someone else. Can we move on?" He hid his smirk from his mother as he knew the reality of the situation.

"You cannot ignore that Astraios. I know what I see in you when I speak her name." Gaia's glee was overflowing as Astraios annoyance was becoming draining.

"Mother, please. I'm tired after creating another world. I'd like to just go to bed." He sighed.

"Fine. Go home and get some rest. I'll be back within a few days and see how you're feeling since I know it can be draining to create mimics." She kissed his forehead and waved goodbye as she walked alone to her own home.

Astraios sighed in relief as he walked home and locked the door behind him. He looked in his mirror and smiled as he snapped his fingers and transformed into his human form.

"I'll see you soon Rae." He smiled as his heart fluttered.

---Renaes POV---

"How much longer till we reach the mountain?" I asked impatiently as I looked over trying to see past the shining horses.

"Can you relax woman? Just two more minutes." Helios laughed as we began descending. I held onto Helios arm as he guided the horses and chariot to a swift landing on the hilltop. I looked and saw Eros and Adam slouched over holding onto their heads. They seemed dizzy and sick. I stepped off the chariot along with Helios. Helios snapped his fingers and I watched the chariots shine vanish leaving the white horses and white chariot.

"Adam?" I asked as I slowly walked towards him. He stood up stumbling and turned to me.

"Rae?" His eyes filled with tears. He attempted to run towards me still stumbling on his dizziness. I ran to his arms and held onto him tightly.

"I'm so happy." I sighed as I felt his arms around me. His head tucked into my shoulder he didn't hold back any tears and broke down dropping to his knees and crying into my chest.

"I-I'm ha-happy too." He said muffled into my chest still sobbing. I held his head in my chest as I felt him sway from the dizziness. I looked and saw Eros swaying and staring at me trying to adjust his swimming vision.

"Come here." I smiled and lifted one arm. He walked over and wrapped his arms around both Adam and I and rested his head on my shoulder and cried.

"Touching. Elea, if you need me, I'll be finishing a new home for myself here." Helios rolled his eyes and stepped onto his chariot.

"Wait, Helios! Am I still a goddess? Wasn't I supposed to turn back into a hybrid of sorts?" I held onto Adam and Eros as they continued to cry. I looked back at Helios and realized his lips weren't moving when he talked.

"You'll turn back into your form of a vampire-wolf-witch when you leave the mountain. It will be painful, like when you transitioned but it'll only last a few seconds, and you need to learn to talk to me through your head since we'll be ruling this place together." He smiled and pulled on the reigns lifting his chariot into the air.

"Goodbye Helios, I'll see you later." I thought to myself.

"Not soon enough precious." I heard him say. I laughed and looked back to Adam and Eros.

"Are you two okay?" I asked as Eros stood back up and blinked multiple times.

"I think so, I'm still a bit dizzy. What happened?" Eros grabbed the bridge of his nose and sat down on the ground.

"That kinda depends on what exactly your talking about? There's a lot of grey area in just what happened?" I nervously laughed.

"The earth quake and everything was spinning." While Eros spoke Adam just held onto me tighter. He held my waist, scared to let go.

"About that. I'll tell you guys when we get home okay? I have some news for you guys. I just- I can't tell you right now." I sighed. I'm not sure how to tell them, especially since they're so dizzy.

"Can we just stay here for a bit longer? Please?" Adam asked sniffling holding onto me as tight as he could.

"Adam, you can hold onto me but I do have a beating heart right now and you're not letting it have a lot of room to beat." I coughed out.

"Sorry." He loosened his grip and just held me.

"It's okay. We can stay here till you're ready." I smiled brushing his hair with my fingers. It was longer and tangled. He even seemed skinnier. He was weaker then before but still strong enough to break me.

-

"It's been almost an hour. Lets go Adam. The dizziness is gone." Eros said annoyed tapping onto Adams head.

"O-okay." Adam stood up and grabbed my hand. He stared down at me with tears still in his eyes. He almost seemed scared to accept that I was here.

"This is going to hurt." I huffed as we started walking down the mountain.

"Do you need me to carry you?" Adams shoulders found their way closer towards the sky and his chest puffed forward.

"No, I'll be fine. Let's go see our children." I smiled tearing up. It had been a few months but it had felt like years.

"About that. We need to go see your Dad first. He came into a bit of a hiccup." Eros scratched the back of his neck nervous.

"I'm sorry, what?" I stepped back and felt my heart skip a beat, "What do you mean bit of a hiccup?"

"Well.. He went a bit.. how do I put this?.."

"SPIT IT OUT."

"He's gone territorial since you've been gone." Adam squeezed my hand while he ripped off the band aid making my heart race faster.

"Okay, I know you didn't just say territorial. Because if he's territorial, he lost his mind and he has access to our children. Not to mention the council would have killed him the second they found out."

"He did say territorial. He's locked in the prison below the school. Rosia has the children there's not much to worry about. The council doesn't know."

"Wait. Where's Tyler and Jefferson?" I could feel my memories of being on Olympus begin to fog as we made our way to the bottom of the mountain.

"We... didn't exactly tell them you were coming home for sure today.. Jefferson's been preoccupied with Braxton and Tyler's been going back and forth spending time with his family and learning new magic with Rosia."

"Well, lets get home and surprise them." I felt the joy spark in my heart. Finally we reached the bottom of the mountain and I couldn't manage to move my foot forward.

"Are you okay?" Eros stopped and turned to me as I continued to hold onto Adams hand.

"As soon as I step off this mountain, my heart will stop beating.. I'll go through my transition once again. It won't last longer then a second, but I know it's going to hurt. I'm just preparing myself." I sighed heavy as I lifted my foot.

"Can we help?" Adam held onto my hand noticing the change in my heartbeat.

"You're helping by just being here." I smiled a reassuring smile and looked to the ground. Not wanting to drag the pain out I took a deep breath and jumped a foot onto the flat land. As my feet touched the ground I felt pain rise from my feet to my head in an instant. Without knowing how to react my body fell to my knees. For the split second my lungs felt like two bricks weighing my chest down but just as the pain shot through my body in a explosion from the soles of my feet, it was gone. Relief washed over me as I took a breath in. I grasped onto Adams hand tighter and I felt my heart wanting to race but the only thing I felt in my chest was joy and love.

"Was that it?" Eros asked extending his hand to me.

"I think so." I grabbed onto Eros hand and stood up as Adam released my hand and picked me up bridal style.

"I can walk Adam." I couldn't help but smile as I felt how close he held me.

"I know.. but I just need to hold you for a little bit. Let's go home." He kissed my forehead. All I could manage to respond with was a smirk and a nod of my head. I nuzzled into him as he carried me to the hotel and at some point drifted to slumber.

---

"Babe." I opened my eyes to see Adam brushing my hair from my face.

"Hmm? Adam?" I rubbed my eyes almost in disbelief.

"We need to get out of the car. You slept the whole way home." He smirked as he continued fiddling with my hair.

"Home? Are.. we home?" I looked around and saw the inside of a car. I looked outside and saw the memories flash in my mind as we approached the school.