A/N: Hey there! Long time no reading! Yeah, I'm sorry. But I'm behind on my school work and have to get it all done before the 31st so that I can pass the 9th grade. Enjoy!

Chapter 7:

The Truth

Mother sat on the couch opposite to me. She smiled, obviously happy that we were together. As if I could ever forgive her for leaving me and Daddy. Which reminded me…

"Daddy told me you died." I blurted out. "He said that you died giving birth to me."

Mother nodded. "Most parents say that. Sometimes, they say that the child's other parent left."

"There are…others like me?"

"More than you may think, dear."

It took me a while to process that I wasn't the only one. There were others like me. I wasn't alone. "Why did you leave?"

Mother fingered the dying roses in the vase; they bloomed fully, looking brand new. "We- we aren't supposed to have any contact with our children."

"But you came here. To see me."

"It happens, occasionally."

"Why aren't you allowed to visit us?"

Mother stared at me, contemplating her answer. "Poseidon spent too much time with his son, Perseus. He began to change, and he had to leave them. Zeus didn't want that to happen again, so he decreed that the gods were not allowed to visit our children."

Linda brought out tea for Mother, Dad, and herself, and hot chocolate for me and Matt. Matt stared at Mother carefully. "You're actually Demeter?"

"Yes,"

"As in, the Demeter, Greek goddess of the harvest?"

"Yes, dear boy."

"Then…if you're a Greek goddess…aren't you just a myth?"

"Matthew Harvey King!" Dad shouted. Matt stared at Mother expectantly. "No, it's alright, Michael. Your son's question is a perfectly good one."

Mother inspected Matt carefully, hiding a smile. "I suppose I am just a myth, dear boy, to most people. But to others, I am real. To your father, your sister, and even others you may know, I am as real as you are."

Dad looked up at Linda and smiled. He held out his hand and 'helped' her sit next to him on the couch. Mother smiled tightly and looked at me.

"Daughter, I came here because I wanted to see how you were. When you were with your grandmother…what did she tell you?"

"Nothing…Mother. She wasn't able to say a word."

Mother was still stiff. "Then I must be the one to tell you." She said reluctantly. "Though I would rather have my family with me, I suppose you having your family around will be enough."

"Demeter, she doesn't need to know right now." Dad warned.

"She has a right to know what her future holds."

"She's only a child!"

"I may not have been around for the first ten years of our daughter's life, but I intend to be part of the rest of it!"

Dad gritted his teeth, glaring at my mother. I leaned forward. "Mother, what does my future hold?"

Mother smiled tearfully. "Before you were born, the oracle prophesied of a child who would be the most powerful of any of my families' children. 'Blessed with powers no other can understand,' were the oracles exact words."

"What else did she say about me?"

Mother took out a creased paper, and unfolded it with shaking hands. "Apollo gave me a copy of the prophecy after he read it aloud to the Council. I suppose…I'll read it to you now." She looked up, glancing at Dad. "You have a right to know, Elizabeth."

I settled back into the couch, putting my arm around Matt. he shook it off and moved to the other side of the couch.

"Half-blood child of nature and man

With powers no other can understand.

To bend the elements to her will

And Olympus with kindness she shall fill.

Her fate intertwined with the craftsman's son,

Mortals shall pray, "Her will be done."

Casting a spell born from rage,

Only she can write her final page.

And though she dies, Death will let her go

To save her friends and to know

There is magic on her side

Her fear, she shall set aside."

I hugged my knees to my chest. Mother put the paper back in her pocket. "We do not know what everything means, but we have some idea. Hecate is responsible for most of your magic. She dabbles in the element of time, so she saw this coming and was prepared."

Dad stood up. "Demeter, this time I mean it. Elizabeth is still only a child and doesn't need to know everything."

"Michael, she does need to know this. Like I said before, she has that right."

"Would you look at her? She's terrified!"

"So am I." Mother replied coldly. "I may not show it as much, but I am absolutely terrified for the life of my daughter."

"Then stop acting like Zeus and show your emotions!"

Mother stood also and shot a withering glance at Dad before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"She was right, you know," Linda said. Dad sighed and walked into the kitchen.

"Dad and Demeter don't get along well, do they?" Matt said.

"Only because Dad didn't want me to know about the prophecy." I grumbled.

Linda frowned. "Kids, this…this is a really delicate situation."

"What's delicate is that I just found out I'm going to die!" I shouted. "Normal ten-year-olds don't have to worry about that kind of stuff! But, wait, I'm not exactly what you'd call normal, am I?"

"Lizzie, please-"

"No, I'm sorry. But this…" looked around, backing away. "I can't stay here, Linda. I'm sorry."

Linda stared at me silently, and nodded. "Okay Lizzie. I- I can take you to a place where you'll be safe. A place with more kids like you."

I paused at the back door. "Where?"

"In…it's in New York."

"What?!"

"I know it's a long way from home, but…you'll be safe there. And Daddy and I can always come get you at the end of the summer."

"Linda, I will not send my only daughter away! She can stay here, like a normal child."

"Daddy, don't you get it already? I'm not a normal child, I'm far from normal!"

"Elizabeth, I won't tolerate this! You're not leaving, and that's final!"

I shook my head. "I'm sorry Daddy, but I can't stay here. Not if you keep pretending that our lives are not filled with magic."

I picked up my "emergency backpack" and ran to Grammy and Gramp's.

Elizabeth: You really ran away?

Me: *sigh* Yeah. It was hard.

Nicole: But necessary?

Me: Yup. I missed them, the first month I was on the run to New York.

Elizabeth: How did it work out? Did your dad call the police?

Me: Naw, he knew where I was going. He just had Mom keep a closer eye on me while I was running.