Author's Note! Hello again, my friends! Here is the next chapter! I have decided, and I say this now, to put up the original second part of Beauty In Itself and save the rewrite for later, so I can focus on writing more of The Nature Of The Soul. Knowing me, there will be quite a few changes; the biggest I am planning is no more typos and hopefully better grammar lol I hope you enjoy this chapter. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it!
Love Jasmine
Chapter Twenty-Three
Reverie
I sat next to Ariston in his truck as we drove to the stables. I can hardly believe our week is almost over, and that tomorrow I will be presented to the gods. The week has been wonderful; we spent most of it in bed, but I am in no way complaining. We had Margret and Jack over for dinner; I invited Aaron, but was told he was not ready for that.
"Are you going to miss it here?" Ariston asked, pulling me from the reverie I was lost in. I met his eyes as they darted between the road and inquisitively gazing into my violet eyes.
"I honestly do not know." I admitted. "This is where I have been for the past three years of my life, but I am looking forward to moving on to the next step in my life, and am grateful to do so with you by my side. My mother has a saying, 'For every end, there is a beginning.' I have found that saying to be true so many times in my life. This is one of them." I gave his hand a squeeze.
Ariston smiled to me for a moment before looking back to the road. He brought my hand that he held to his lips and kissed it. Ten minutes later we reached the stables. The sight of that enormous, white edifice was sure to be a great thing I would miss. Horses, however, would forever be in my life. They are my life, and I cannot express my gratitude to have fallen in love with a god whom loves them as I do!
"Would you like me to start getting your things while you hook up the trailer?" I asked. He smiled to me.
"I would love that. I will bring the trailer around for you." He said.
He stopped in front of the stables. I opened my door and went to get out when he pulled me back to him and kissed me. I laughed one breathless laugh, while his sky blue eyes excited me to no end.
"Now, you may go." He said, and we both chuckled before I got out, the sounds of a stable filling my ears. The clop of horses hooves on the flagstone floor; Their whinnying and the laughter of their owners/riders, carried on the crisp fall breeze.
I walked into the barn, admiring the architecture. How the sunlight streamed through the skylights set into the tall, vaulted ceilings. A memory of drawing the details before me entered my minds eye. Ariston had showed up, popping out of thin air and taking my breath away.
"Mera!" Margret was the one to bring me forth from my reverie this time. She was on her way to me with her boyfriend Jack in tow. I quickly made my way over to her and hugged her tightly.
"How have you been?" I asked as we released each other.
"We're doing great." She smiled.
"We wanted to surprise you and see you one last time before you left." Jack said.
"What a wonderful surprise." I smiled and gave him a hug.
"Do you need help with the tack?" She asked.
"I would love some." I said.
We walked towards the tack room together. We talked and gathered the things up, which was not difficult since Ariston is so organized. I noticed out of the corner of my eye Jack awkwardly trying to pick up one of Ariston's saddles by the flaps on the side. Margret saw this and paniced.
"JACK!" Margret screamed. "What are you doing?" He dropped the saddle back onto the rack.
"What?" He asked, startled at her outburst. She crossed her arms in aggravation.
"How is it, you have known me for four years and still have no idea how to properly pick up a saddle?" He was speechless from her words. "You pick it up holding the pommel and the cantle. You do not lift the skirts!" He smirked at her, we all knew the joke that was coming.
"You know me and lifting skirts." He replied, making her face turn red as she shook her head in irritation.
"You are lucky I love you." She nearly threatened, but the warmth hidden behind those words were evident. His grin grew.
"Duh." Was his very intelligent reply. He went to pick up the saddle again, but Margret grabbed it first.
"Will you carry something else?" She asked, he looked up as he pursed his lips together, as though he were debating it.
"Maybe, if you," Before he could ask, Margret kissed him. I looked away with a smile, loving how they know each other to that extent, to that depth. Ariston joined us shortly after.
"I was hoping to say goodbye to Aaron," I said to Margret and Jack while we walked back to the barn. "Have you seen him?" Jack's dark blue eyes lost their nearly undefeatable humor.
"Aaron left." He informed me.
"What? When? Where did he go?" I asked. I just saw him a few days ago; he seemed to be doing well.
"Yesterday." Jack said. "He came into his room and started packing everything, or at least what he could fit. He seemed pretty freaked out. When I asked him what was wrong he told me that something came up and he had to go. He said he would not be coming back, that he got into some boarding school in another part of the country."
Worry filled me. I walked a few feet away from them before I took out my phone and dialed the number, a number that was in my speed dial.
"Hello?" I sighed in relief.
"Thank the gods! Aaron, what is going on? Where are you?" I asked.
"Hi Mera. I wish I could tell you… but I can't." He said.
"Are you well? Are you safe?" I asked, that much I must know.
"Yes, I'm both. You don't need to worry about me; this place is not half bad." He laughed. "This is where I am supposed to be. I am happy here. I am sorry I couldn't say goodbye, I wanted to, but there was no time,"
He stopped short as if he was about to say too much. I felt something from Ariston and looked up at him. There was something in his eyes. He knows something about this, I can feel it. I looked away again as tears brimmed in my eyes.
"Will I ever see you again?" I asked Aaron.
"I don't see why not." He told me, his tone comforting. "It's not as if I am a captive in this place…. But it will be a while." I nodded, my throat constricting.
"I am going to miss you." I told him.
"I miss you already." He sighed. "I have to go, I will call you again when I can."
"Alright."
"Goodbye." He said quickly and hung up.
"Goodbye." I said into the phone even though there was no one to hear it.
I turned back to see Ariston looking at me and Margret and Jack pretending they were not.
"He's alright." I said around the lump in my throat. "I have to get Vrontos' blankets."
I turned around and went quickly towards the blanket room before they could see my tears, realizing I may have just lost one of my closest friends. I went into the room and closed the door behind me.
"Mera."
I turned around and ran into Ariston's arms. He held me close.
"He is alright Mera, I promise you that." He said.
I looked up at Ariston. He knows something and I am going to find out what it is.
"What do you know about Aaron?" I asked him.
"It is not for me to say." He said.
If it were anything else I would have dropped it, but I had to know.
"Ariston, please, my love…" I begged, looking into his eyes.
He sighed and looked up for a moment before looking back at me.
"I suppose he would not mind if you knew." He said. "Aaron is on Olympus."
That shocked me. The news made me feel as if I had whiplash.
"What?" Stuttered out
"He is a Descendant." He said.
I smiled slightly as the pieces fell into place. I never stopped to wonder where Aaron got the strength, speed and precession, which made him Blueridge Prep's star quarterback. I shook my head, I should have known.
"How long have you known?" I asked him.
"I always knew what he was, I could sense it. I do not know any more than what I told you; Aaron is not my responsibility, I was sent to you, not him." He said.
He looked at me with this expression which made me feel all the more guilty for forcing it out of him. It was the last thing I wanted to do, and now I felt even worse about it.
"Are you angry with me for asking?" I asked.
"You know full well that I do not have it in me to deny you anything." He said, he was upset. "And you used that against me. You know how I feel about giving away other people secrets. I was not supposed to tell you that."
I felt terrible. I remembered something in that moment, and before he could say anything more, I leaned up and kissed him. I felt his upset melt away and I deepened the kiss. He found he could not hold onto his upset while kissing me. Just as his wonderful kisses have the same effect on my soul.
"That is not fair." He said breathlessly, caressing my cheek.
I chuckled.
"That is what I said." I replied. He shook his head.
"Am I forgiven?" I asked
He nodded.
"Always. But you must understand that there are some things that are not for me to tell." He told me, I nodded.
"I understand that. I would not have asked you if it were anything else." I said. "He is still one of my best friends; I had to know he is alright."
"I know." He smiled and I returned the smile.
He kissed me again and we did what we could to keep it at only a kiss, both wanting more. When we broke apart, we each grabbed a few of Vrontos' blankets and went back out to see Margret and Jack, who were waiting for us.
"We thought you might have gone missing." Jack said with a grin. I blushed and Ariston laughed.
"It was tempting." I said, looking up at Ariston.
"I will go get Vrontos." Ariston said after we had all of his tack in the trailer.
"Alright." I said.
He leaned down and kissed my lips once, then walked away.
"Mera!" I would know Ella's voice anywhere.
I turned to see her just as she came bounding up to me to hug me.
"Hello, Ella." I greeted her.
Marge, Olivia, Heather were there, I greeted them and gave them all hugs.
"Do you have to go? Can't you finish the school year then move after we graduate?" Ella asked. She had grown an attachment to me. I gave her a sad smile.
"I have to go. It is time." I told them.
"When is your flight?" Marge asked.
"Tomorrow morning" I told her. "I can hardly wait to see Greece, and to meet Ariston's family."
I told everyone that I got into a college in Greece and I am moving there with Ariston. I told them I am going to finish out high school there, since Ariston needed to return home. So far, everyone seemed to buy it.
"Are you sure you don't want to go to Harvard?" Margret tried to tempt me for the hundredth time. "We could all be together. We could go shopping all the time." I rolled my eyes with a smile.
"I know what I want, and Ariston and Greece are it." I told her. She nodded her head in understanding.
"Well make sure you let us know when you two get married. I am not about to miss that." She said. I laughed.
"In the wise words of Jack, duh." I said, making everyone laugh. "We will." I assured her.
Ariston walked back in with Vrontos, our smiles grew when our eyes met. I went over and helped Ariston put on the shipping boots on the stunning cream stallion. When we finished, Ariston loaded Vrontos into the trailer.
"Be sure to visit when you can." Heather said.
"We will." I promised.
I gave all the girls a hug except for Olivia; she is not the hugging type. Or at least she is not one to hug anyone around here.
"Good luck." Olivia said, it was the first thing she has ever said to me that was not in sarcasm. She held her hand out, I smiled and shook it.
"Thank you, Olivia. Good luck to you as well." I told her.
Ariston and I said our goodbyes to Margret and Jack, then got into the truck and drove off as we held hands. When we were in the woods there was a bright flash behind us, I looked back to see that the trailer was gone. I looked inquisitively at Ariston.
"Vrontos is on Olympus now, most likely running for the river." Ariston explained with a smile.
I shook my head and laughed. We sang to the radio on our way back, belting our hearts out! Once we arrived back home and were standing in the foyer, I turned to face him.
"You know what I would love?" I asked, he raised an eyebrow.
"What?" Ariston asked, taking me into his arms.
"Pizza." I said, to which he chuckled.
"Mmm, that does sound good. Rome or Sicily?" He asked, and I laughed then kissed him.
