chapter FOUR
Kallos hears the front door slam, and it startles her out of her beautiful dream. She hears muffled voices, and she slowly walks to open her door a crack to hear what is being said… She can hear her dad and mom talking. “You think she knows?” her mom asks. “How would she find out?” her dad says. “Maybe they told her. James, you didn’t see how she looked when she came home. I think we need to talk to her. They said that her change would come when she was about this age. Plus, she is going to school with them.” So, it is true. She can't believe her ears. She opens the door and walks toward the living room. She needs to have them say it to her face. She can see her dad looking out the window, and her mother is standing near him.
“Mom, Dad.” Her voice cracks, and they both turn to look at her. She notices that her mom is crying and her dad’s face is blank. She takes a deep breath and holds it for a few seconds, then lets it out slowly. “I know that I’m adopted.” Her mom starts to cry harder, and her dad puts his arm around her shoulder to comfort her.
“Oh, Sweetie!” Her mom cries out. She reaches out for Kallos' hand, and Kallos grabs it. No matter what, this is her mother. “How long have you known?” She looks into her mother’s eyes and smiles.
“Not long, Mom,” she says and squeezes her hand.
“What else do you know?” Her dad asks. She looks at him, and she knows that they know everything. Kallos can feel her birthmark heating up, and she looks at her mom to see if she can feel it. Her mom must have because her mouth drops open, and she gasps. She quickly moves away from Kallos as if she has just been burned. Her mom looks at her dad; he doesn’t look as shocked as she expected him to.
“I think I know everything.” She looks right into his eyes and says, “When were you going to tell me?”
“When you were older.” With obvious regret in his voice. She can feel the tears wanting to break free. She closes her eyes and prays they don't fall.
“When I was older? This is something I should have known for a while.” She says and reopens her eyes. He looks away from her. She turns around and stomps loudly as she walks up the stairs. She slams the door and starts to cry again. I’m a freak!
Ian said that Kallos would have some power and she has no clue what powers he was talking about. She just wants to be a normal girl who has boy problems and trouble with her homework. Kallos wants to worry about when she will get her first kiss not changing into a goddess. She has no clue how she will be changing. In the matter of just a few days, her whole world is falling apart. Kallos’ head is killing her, and her eyes burn from crying. She looks up when she hears her cell phone ringing. She grabs it, looks at the screen, as she sees a number she doesn’t recognize, she pushes the answer key and says, “Hello?”
“Kallos, are you all right?” Just hearing his voice makes her heat up, and she knows who it is.
“I’m fine, Sean. It got a little crazy here, but now it’s fine.” Which is a lie. She doesn't know how things will ever be fine. Her parents have lied to her for the past sixteen years. She hears Sean chuckle; she isn't in the mood for being made fun of.
“You, my beauty, are lying to me,” he says as he laughs. “But that’s okay, for now. You have found out a lot in a little time. I just wanted to know how you were doing.” That is kind of sweet, even if he and Ian did start everything. She isn't mad at them; she is just confused. Last night when she looked up Aphrodite, she remembered seeing something about her and Aries. She is going to have to look at that again.
“Thank you, but I’m okay. Can I talk to you tomorrow?”
“As you wish. Good night, my beauty. Sleep well.”
“Good night, Sean.” She hangs up the phone and to her amazement doesn’t feel like crying. She smiles and thinks of Sean. That’s how she fell asleep.
Kallos looks around and can see nothing. She is standing in the middle of darkness. She blinks a couple of times and nothing. Okay, this is a dream. She can think of something and it will just show up. She tries to think of a flashlight, but nothing happens. She hasn’t been afraid of the dark since she was five, but right now she is terrified. Kallos starts to breathe faster, and she can feel her whole body tremble. “Hello?” She asks in an unstable voice. All she can hear is her own echo. She puts her hand inches in front of her face and can see nothing. She wants to cry because she doesn’t know where she is. She can hear footsteps, and she turns around to face whatever is coming for her. “Who’s there?” She tries to sound tough, but her voice is shaky.
“Hello my dear Kallos,” a soft woman’s voice says. “There is no need to be fearful of me. I will not harm you.” The woman’s voice sounds calming and relaxing. Somewhere inside Kallos, she knows that is true. “Would you like out of the darkness, my dear?” Kallos nods because it seems that her voice isn’t working. All she can see of the women is her eyes, and they are the brightest blue she’d ever seen. “Kallos, you need to close your eyes.” She does.
“Light from Mount Olympus we need you to guide our way and take away the darkness and leave only and the innocent.” Kallos's entire body tingled and feels warm. She gasps at the pressure; it is too much. As fast as it happened, it is gone. The woman places her hands on her shoulders. Kallos inhales her scent, and she smells like springtime with flowers in bloom. The woman’s hands on Kallos are light and warm to the touch. “My dear, open your eyes.” Slowly Kallos opens her eyes only to have to shut them rather abruptly because the light is too much for her mortal eyes to take in.
Opening her eyes slowly, the sight instantly takes her breath away. Looking around she notices the sky is the brightest blue she has ever seen and the grass is the most brilliant shade of green her eyes have ever laid eyes on. She looks around and notices that there are millions of flowers in every color and size. Bright reds and deep purples fill her vision. Kallos finally looks at the woman who helped her. She is stunning: tall, blonde, and just perfect. Her eyes were almost as bright as the sky. Her dress fits her as if it were made for just her. It’s the brightest red you would ever see in a garden of the prettiest roses in bloom. Her skin is a softest shade of the sweetest golden honey. She smiles at Kallos and Kallos smiles back.
“Do you know who I am?” Kallos looks at this woman. She isn't sure where she has seen her, but she knows she has. She shakes her head. “I am part of you, as you are part of me. You see my dear I am Aphrodite.” Kallos’ head is spinning. How is she supposed to be the reincarnated her? Aphrodite is beautiful, and the most perfect women Kallos has ever seen. How is Kallos supposed to be her?
“You are about to go through the change. You will have more powers than you can imagine.” The change, she can remember the boys telling her that it would be painful, and that scares her to death. “Why the worried look on your face?” the beautiful goddess asks.
“I’m scared about the change. Will it hurt?” Aphrodite quickly looks away from Kallos, and she doesn’t say anything for what seems like an eternity.
“The transformation will be very painful. There is only one way to relieve the pain.” She still isn’t looking at Kallos.
“How do I relieve the pain?” Aphrodite whips her head around and looks at her. The look in her eyes scares Kallos.
“You must find your soul mate, and he is the only one who can take some of the pain away. You will still feel some.” Her soul mate? She is only sixteen. How does she have a soul mate?
“How do I find my soul mate?” Aphrodite smiles which lights up her whole face. Kallos is once again shocked by her beauty.
“Kallos, my dear, you have. If you think about it, you’ll know who he is. You don’t just listen to your heart; you listen to your whole body.”
“But it would be easier if you just told me.” Kallos says playfully.
“It would, but you need to find him for yourself. It could be in the first kiss.” She has to kiss both of them? She will have to think about that later; now she needs to think about the change.
“When is my change coming?”
“I’m not sure, but I do know soon. You are already starting to feel the burning here.” She reaches out and grabs the hand that Kallos' birthmark is on and traces her thumb along it. Kallos nods at Aphrodite’s question. “And you also get mysterious feelings that you can’t explain.” She nods again. “Then I would say sooner than I thought.” Kallos can hear a bell somewhere in the distance. “Kallos, I must go. Please find your soul mate soon. You will need him.” She leans down to kiss each cheek and hugs Kallos. She lets her go and starts to walk away from Kallos.
“Wait!” Kallos yells towards Aphrodite. “How can I get a hold of you when I need you?” Aphrodite smiles.
“That’s the easy part, my dear; just think of me. But you must think of this place or you’ll end up in the darkness, and I might not be able to find you. You must wake up now.” She watches Aphrodite disappear and wonders what she is going to do now. She closes her eyes and thinks of home. She thinks of her bed and of her room. She is just wondering if this is going to work when she opens her eyes.