you don’t want to. You have a choice. Yes, someone will get hurt, but you have to look after your own heart. What works for me may not work for you.” Aphrodite walks over to Kallos and takes both her hands. Kallos knows she can’t be with them both forever. She knows she will always love both of them, but she can’t have a future with both of them. That isn’t her, and it never will be. Sometime, she will have to choose but not now.
“In the future, I will pick just one. What will happen to the one I don’t pick?” Kallos thinks back to the necklace that would kill them if they take them off. Will they always feel her feelings? Aphrodite said that Kallos could feel her mate’s feelings, but Kallos isn’t ready for that yet. Aphrodite squeezes Kallos's hands.
“He will go on with his life. And the necklace can be removed by us.”
Hope flashes in Kallos’ eyes; they won’t feel what she is feeling forever. “I thought it would kill them to take it off?”
“For your mate it would, but not for someone you rejected. So, whoever you don’t want to be with will be able to take it off, but it has to be done by me and you.” Kallos must have looked confused because Aphrodite continues to explain, “We put our blood on the front of the necklace and it will disappear. It has to be done after you have mated with the other.” Well, that isn’t going to be happening anytime soon. Kallos isn't ready for that yet. She hasn’t even chosen who will be the one.
She looks down at her feet. “I don’t know who I’m going to choose.”
“You don’t have to pick now, my dear. It doesn’t have to be soon either.” Kallos nods slowly; her life has gotten so confusing. “You have to be careful with your new power; it can be dangerous. That means you have to learn to control your anger.”
“I know and I will try.” Kallos watches Apollo walk away from them. He is walking over to the pond. He reaches into the water and pulls something out. He walks back to them and Kallos looks at his hand. He has a white rock that is shaped like a perfect heart. He hands it to Kallos.
“I thought that since you have a flower from Ares that you should have something from me.” He reminds her that the flower still is looking fresh.
“Thank you, it’s beautiful. Will the flower ever die?”
“No my dear, the flower will always stay alive. I believe that is why he gave it to you,” Aphrodite explains. “You should be getting back. It’s going to be morning soon, and you don’t want to worry your boys.” Kallos walks over to Aphrodite and hugs her, and then Kallos walks over to Apollo. He put his arms out to welcome her. She hugs him tightly, and then she closes her eyes.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Kallos thinks of home, and she can feel her body being pulled back there. She wakes up gasping. She turns her head toward Ian; his eyes are shut and his breathing is even. Eventually, she is going to have to choose between them. Her heart hurts to think about that, but she knows it has to be done sometime. She sits up in bed and looks at her closed hand. She opens it, and the heart shaped rock is still there. It's so smooth and glossy. She is rubbing her fingers on it when she hears Ian moving around. She glances at the clock and can’t believe what time it is, almost eleven.
“Good morning, Ian,” Kallos says before she looks at him.
“Good morning, Kallos.” She looks at him, and he still looks like he did last night. Hurt and regret are written all over his face. She knows yesterday Ian wasn’t himself, but that doesn't excuse him for what he said last night. It still makes her really mad. They have been the only boys she has ever kissed. Kallos does know Sean and her did get a little carried away, but they wouldn’t have done anything. She gets up and walks to him. He looks away from her and to her hand. “What do you have in your hand?” She stops when she is almost to him, and she opens her palm to show him. He looks at it and smiles.
“You’ve seen Apollo.”
“Yes, how did you know?” Ian looks up to meet her eyes.
“Because