Season's Change: Summer: A Goddess Legacy Companion Novel (Goddess Legacy 1.5) (19 page)

me a warning, but not just about the hurricane. They were warning me about the woman. The woman appeared motherly but then turned evil. And I couldn't understand why she was holding a red fish. A kipper. A herring. I gasped. A
red herring
. Something really wasn't as it seemed. But what? And why was Chrys a hurricane? At least he wanted to stop this woman from hurting me, but then he turned on Don. He wanted to kill him. If he killed Don, then Chrys and I couldn't be together. Why would Chrys attack Don with deadly intentions when he believed in the prophecy?

I grabbed the phone as it rang again. "Hello?"

"Season, it's Chrys. I need you to come in today. Tracy had a family emergency, and my mom's out of town."

Ugh. I didn't want to cancel my plans with Don to help Chrys. But this was my

job.

"Fine. I'll be there." "Thanks. I'm really sorry."

I hung up and called Don. Luckily, he was already awake. I explained the

situation to him, and he understood, though now I wouldn't get to see him at all today since he had plans later with his mom and grandma.

As I got ready for work, I noticed it was raining outside, the first time it had actually rained in weeks. That was good because we really needed it. But it felt prosaic, which was symbolic of my emotional state—totally lacking any creativity or initiative. I found out yesterday that Don would be going away for a week, and now I wouldn't get to see him today. At least we couldn't have gone hiking in the rain anyway.

When I got to work, Chrys was storming around the store. It seemed as if he were trying to take care of something, but he was clearly irritated.

"What's going on?"

"The roof is leaking again." He stalked past me with a ladder as thunder rolled outside.

"I'll get a mop."

"No. I've already cleaned it up." It was raining and the roof was leaking. Did he really think there wouldn't be another mess?

He walked up the ladder and took down the ceiling tiles. More water spilled out.

Surprise, surprise.

I grabbed a mop and started cleaning up the water while Chrys examined the roof. I stared up at Chrys, making sure he didn't fall, and not paying attention to the mess I was cleaning. I slung the mop around quickly, as I stood in a puddle of water.

Chrys yelled a curse word. "The handyman didn't do this right! I'm going to have to call a roofer."

The thunder got louder outside.

He climbed down and made the call while I continued cleaning up the water.

After he got off the phone, he started preparing the register for the store to open since I hadn't done it—I was still busy with the mess.

"Did you have fun last night?" he asked curtly. Thunder crashed.

I didn't want to talk to Chrys about that. It was none of his business. "Yes."

"I was really happy to see you until I realized who you were with." "You should have known," I hissed.

The rain pounded on the roof, leaking through the ceiling onto the floor. I continued to mop it up, but it was coming in faster than I could dry it.

"I didn't like seeing you with him that way." "You didn't have to watch!"

Lightning flashed through the windows.

"It was hard not to when he was all over you like that!" "
You
could have left!" I screeched.

"
I
was entertaining family. And he thinks I need to treat you with more respect?

What a joke!"

"What the hell does that mean?"

baby!"

"It means he should follow his own advice and not treat you like a conquest." "Ugh!" I screamed.

Thunder crashed and lightning glared violently outside.

"You have no idea what my relationship with Don is like! You're just jealous." I was yanking the mop, sloshing the water around.

"Of course I am, but I'm not the one who's afraid to admit how I feel. That's you,

"Oh! Don't baby me! I'm not your baby!"

"I guess it was a good thing I called you in today. You couldn't have gone hiking

in
this
weather." He smirked.

"What? How did you know about that?" I was too mad to be as shocked as I should have been.

"I know everything," he said, glaring at me.

"Did you set this up so that I'd have to cancel my date?" I screamed.

I slung the mop into the base of some metal shelving right when lightning struck the building.

I felt a jolt and slumped over.

I could feel water all over my face as I sprawled, unable to move, on the floor. "Season?" I heard Chrys ask frantically and felt him pulling on me.

"Season, please answer me."

Chrys kept tugging on my arm until he managed to gently turn me over. I felt his hands on my face, opening my mouth.

"Oh no . . . you're not breathing. Season, baby, please, please."

I wasn't breathing? Then, how could I hear everything he was saying to me and how could I feel the cold rainwater soaking my clothes?

I felt Chrys's lips on mine, forcing air into my lungs. It hurt going in. Then I felt his hands on my chest, compressing against my heart. He continued to go back and forth while I heard the beeping of his cell phone.

"I need an ambulance," his voice broke; he was crying. "1887 Main Street. Med

U.S.A. Pharmacy. M-e-d U.S.A. Season, stay with me, baby. They'll be here in a few minutes." I heard him say, as he continued the chest compressions.

But I was too busy reeling over what he'd told the dispatcher. The store's address. I knew 1887 was dangerous. Don warned me about this number in my dream, and Chrys told me his mother was evil. But what I hadn't discovered until Chrys spelled it out just now was the pharmacy's name, Med U.S.A.—
Medusa
. Of course. She was the monster who had snakes instead of hair.

The woman in my dream last night was Ms. Gorge. Chrys told me there were monsters in his lineage. His mom was Medusa. He said she had weather abilities and wanted to kill me.

It was apparent she'd just tried.

I
was rushed
to the hospital and put in intensive care. My life hung on by a thread. Though I could hear and feel everything, I couldn't move or speak.

I heard Chrys at my side, crying and holding my hand. "I'm so sorry," he kept repeating.

I wanted to comfort him and tell him everything would be all right, but I couldn't. And I didn't really know if everything was going to be.

I wondered where Melissa was and if she'd contact Don. I knew Chrys wouldn't because he wouldn't leave my side. I was beginning to feel the bond he'd always talked about. It had always been there. He was right; I was fighting it. I'd have to continue fighting it because I didn't want to be with him like that. But I could no longer pretend that it didn't exist.

While I lay in the hospital bed, I started to drift. The voices in the room faded.

Then I began to panic. What if I was dying?

You're not dying,
a beautiful voice said.
Every season will be yours. Mom?
I thought to myself.

Yes. I must tell you to be careful, my beautiful Season. Chrys and Don do not understand, but they will. You must be patient with them.

What do you mean?

You are changing. In some ways, you have already changed. They will not understand how you feel about the other, but they will both be there for you in the end. Medusa will try to interfere with your change, but your greatest fear is Hades. He has a plan. If he gets his way, you will not be with Chrys or Don. I don't want that to happen to you again.

Again?

Yes, you are my beautiful Persephone. Hades drove you to the afterlife, but you are reincarnated. You are a new body but an old soul. I am Demeter, the goddess of nature. As will you be.

to see.

Why can't I see you?

Because you have no true memory of me. You've only seen the photographs I wanted you

I was really talking to my mom. Well, sort of. But I needed to try and get all the

answers to the questions Melissa refused to answer.
What about my dreams?

That's your old soul trying to help you cope with everything. The little girl in your dreams is you. That's why you wanted to protect her in the beginning and that's why she was scared. You wanted to protect yourself from the unknown, and you were scared of what was coming.

Why did I see a death certificate?

Because that is the day you officially ascend. It was not meant to signify your ending. It was to signify your beginning.

If this is common among ascending gods, why didn't Melissa tell me this when I asked

her?

Melissa is not a god; therefore, she had no firsthand knowledge of this.

The prophecy? Why would I stay with Chrys if Don lives? I want to be with Don.

I know, my darling. Stay strong, and you will have what you want. No matter who you want in the end. If you do not stay strong, you will have neither.

The beautiful voice faded into the blackness of my mind. I could hear Chrys's weeping more clearly now. He was alone with me, and I was okay with that.

"Season?" I heard Melissa call after a few minutes. "She still hasn't . . ." Chrys's voice cracked.

"Season, it's Melissa." Her voice was right by me, her hand stroking me. "I'm Melissa Beasley. I don't think we've met."

"Um, Chrys Gorge. Season works at my mom's store." "Have you called her friend, Chloe?"

"No, ma'am."

Melissa seemed very calm despite what was happening. "I'm going to call her." She walked away.

"Baby, can you hear me?" Chrys whispered in my ear, stroking my face. He leaned down, crying. "Please . . . wake up."

"She's on her way," Melissa said as I heard the door open to my room. "You have to stay positive," she whispered, but not to me.

"I—I don't know how to be positive. I love her so much. It's hard enough not being with her, but I—I . . ." He starting crying again. "I don't want her to be hurt. I'd rather never have her, for her to keep on living without me, than to ever see her hurting."

"You know who's responsible for this."

"Yes," he hissed. "I know. She doesn't understand."

"It doesn't matter. She's not going to allow it to happen. I know you know that."

I'd never heard Melissa talk about any of this before. I was briefly relieved she had no idea I could hear her.

"I know. I can stop her. I just didn't expect her to try so soon. I thought she'd wait until Season got stronger."

"Your mom doesn't need to wait. In her mind, she has less than a year to take down a god, defying other gods in the process. She's going to take every chance she can get."

Chrys kept stroking my hand in his. "Why does this have to be so hard?" "Because you're changing, too. You may not realize it, but Season was helping

you when you thought you were helping her."

"What do you mean?" His hand stopped moving.

"I mean you have both been helping each other cope with the changes in your lives. I can't tell you if she will love you in the end. Only she knows the answer to that, and she doesn't know that answer yet."

"I don't even want her around Don, much less in love with him," Chrys muttered. "She can't stop the way she feels, just like you can't. He's not your enemy. You

both want Season safe and happy." I heard the door open.

"Melissa?" It was Chloe's voice. "Oh no! Season?" I heard Chloe run to my side, and I felt her rub my arm. "What happened?"

"She got electrocuted," Chrys whispered.

Chloe gasped, but I could tell it wasn't from the news. She must have seen Chrys's face.

"Um, I called Don," she said gravely. "He should be here any minute." "Good," Melissa said. "She needs to hear his voice."

Chrys sobbed, holding my hand up to the side of his face. "I can't leave her." "No one's asking you to leave," Melissa said calmly.

I heard the door swing open and a breath catch. It was quiet in the room except for heavy footsteps coming around to the other side of me.

I felt a familiar hand on my face and melted into his touch. Don. He put his lips on my ear.

"Season? Sweetheart, can you hear me?" His breathing was jagged. He must have been crying before he even got here. "Please . . ."

He reached over and took my free hand. Now, both guys were holding my hands. He leaned down, resting his forehead on mine.

"Season, please wake up," he pleaded through tears. "I love you so much. I need you more than anything. You
have
to be okay."

After several minutes of Don crying with his head down on mine, he finally spoke to the others, but he didn't move from his position.

"What happened?"

"She got struck by lightning," Chrys whispered. "She thinks your mother controls things like that." "I know."

"Do you think that?" "Yes."

Even though they were being short with each other, they were trying to be civil. "She should have tried to kill me instead," Don mumbled. "Not her . . . not her." It seemed like the two men in the room where the only ones crying. Melissa and

Chloe must have been sitting there watching the two of them fall apart.

I wanted to console them. My love and my friend. We were all bonded together. But Don wasn't the link. I was. If I hurt, we all hurt. If one of them was hurt, I'd be the only one suffering. It was me all along.

"She no longer works for you," Don said, his head still down. It wasn't a request.

It was an order.

Chrys didn't say anything. I was sure he agreed with Don on this. "Excuse me, we need to examine the patient," I heard a male voice say as he

entered the room. "Only her family can stay while we do that." I felt Chrys's hand slip from mine, but Don didn't move.

"I love you," Don whispered into my ear, and I wanted to tell him I loved him, too. I wanted him to stay. I didn't want him to let go of me. He lifted his head off mine and placed my hand back at my side. He started to release it, but I squeezed his fingers.

"Season?" Don asked frantically. "She just squeezed my hand," he said, talking away from me.

"Don," I barely breathed, not sure if he could hear me.

He was right back at my ear. "Yes, Season, I'm here. We're all here." "Don't go . . ."

"I'm not going anywhere," he cried, but I could hear a hint of relief in his voice. "I'm hurting."

I heard several people gasp. Now that I was able to speak and move a little, I realized I was in excruciating pain.

"Where are you hurting, sweetheart?" Don was panicked. "Everywhere."

I lost the grip I had on his hand. I could no longer speak or move. "Season?
Season!
"

"Everybody out," someone ordered. "I'm
not
leaving!" Don bellowed.

"He can stay," Melissa said. Since I asked him not to go, she wasn't going to make him leave.

"C'mon Chrys," I heard Chloe say.

Chrys's breathing spiked, and I knew he wanted to stay, too. But he left quietly. I felt hands all over me. Don let go of my hand, but he was right by my head,

talking to me, letting me know he was right there with me. "Why is she in pain?" Don asked angrily.

"It's actually good she's hurting. It means she can feel." The voice turned away from me, I guessed talking to Melissa. "Now that she's woken up, we can treat her pain, but the medication that she'll be on will cause her to be out of it for a few days. She'll wake up here and there, but only briefly while her body heals itself." He lowered his voice and said, "Because of who she is, it's the best way."

"Okay," Melissa murmured, and I realized the doctor was in on the family secret.

When he spoke again, he used a regular tone. "After a few days, we'll start to taper her off the medication to see where she's at in the healing process. If she's in a great deal of pain, we'll start all over again."

The morphine must have kicked in because the next thing I heard were monitors beeping, then some voices, and I could feel both my hands being held. I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn't.

"Ouch," I mumbled.

"Season?" I heard Don ask. "Get the doctor."

The other person dropped my other hand and left. I moaned again trying to move my body.

"He's on his way," Chrys said and held my hand again. "Melissa's on her way back up, too."

The pain was building slowly, getting more intense. "I'm really hurting."

"The doctor will be in here in a minute," Don whispered. "Your pain medication is wearing off, and they need to check on your healing progress."

I started crying. "It's getting worse." "I'm sorry, sweetheart."

I felt Don's hands on my face and Chrys's hand stroking my arm. I was on fire! I started screaming. The pain was unbelievable.

"Season? I need you to calm down," I heard an older man's voice say.

I tried, but I was hysterical. "Why am I hurting? It hurts all over. Don!" I turned toward the hand he was holding again.

He put his free arm around my neck, hugging me. I cried uncontrollably. "Shhhh." Don tried to sooth me. "What are you waiting for? Please just give her

the medicine."

"We just did. I was afraid of this. We'll give it another try in a few days." I whined as the pain lessened.

"Try to relax, sweetheart." Don had his hand on my face, stroking it as the pain disappeared, and I fell asleep.

Sometime later, I heard the monitors clearly but didn't hear any voices; not even a breath disturbed the air. I felt something in my hand, the same hand Don had held, and it was hard, cold. I grasped it, trying to figure out what it was.

Then I heard the door open.

"Season, I'm your nurse. Can you hear me?" I mumbled.

"Good. There's nothing to be scared about. I'm going to call Melissa. She just stepped out for a minute. The beds aren't very comfortable, so she was having trouble sleeping."

"What time is it?"

"It's two in the morning." "Don?"

"He left when visiting hours were over. He's been here every day and so has your other friend. You have quite the little fan club." She chuckled. "I wish my boyfriend looked like either one of them, and girl, they both think you hung the moon."

I wanted Don here.

"She's awake," the nurse said away from me. She must be talking to Melissa. "Season, Melissa is on her way up."

"'Kaaay."

I felt like I was falling asleep, but I heard the door open again. "Season?" "Hmm?"

"It's Melissa. How are you feeling?" "Tired. I want Don."

"I know, honey. He'll be back in the morning." "No . . . call him, please."

"I am. He asked me to call if you woke up."

I started to fall asleep, but I heard Melissa mumble on the phone. "Season, he's coming up here right now. You can go back to sleep." I did and woke up with Don's hand in my hand.

"Don?"

"Yes, sweetheart. I'm here." "What time is it?"

"It's about ten in the morning." "When did you get here?"

"I've been here since Melissa called me last night."

I tried to lift the hand he wasn't holding, so I could touch his face, but someone else had it.

"Who's over there?"

"Chrys. He's been here every day, too. So have Chloe and Melissa. Laurel has visited you, too, and so did my mom. Everyone's been so worried about you."

"Every day? How long?" I wanted to ask how long I'd been here, but I didn't have the strength to finish.

"You've been here six days. They did two rounds of heavy medication. This is the second time they've tried weaning you off. Do you remember the first time?"

"I remember hurting, screaming."

"You did," Don whispered. "You were in a lot of pain. It was very hard seeing you like that. Are you in any pain now?"

"Yeah."

I felt Don move and fidget with something on my bed. The intercom buzzed. "She's awake and hurting. Can you send in the doctor?" Don asked.

"Yes, sir."

"You need to rest," Don said to me. "Your body is healing, but you seem to be doing much better this time. They'll give you some more medicine after the doctor examines you, but it won't be as much as before."