More petals fluttered into my vision and I looked up. Petals were slowly falling from the ceiling to the bed.
“Like it?” Tristan’s low voice made me shiver. He was in front of me, watching me as the bed was being covered in petals.
“I do, it’s very romantic of you.” I was playing coy. It was fun to play once in a while.
“You deserve a little romance.” He leaned over me, making me fall back onto the bed, smile going from ear to ear. He was like a lion about to eat his prey, and I was a willing gazelle.
He must have felt the pure desire in my soul, because his grin turned into that cocky smirk, then his lips grazed against mine. It seemed like it had been forever since we had touched like this.
His hands moved to my breasts, and I lightly moaned into his mouth.
“Not too loud love,” he cautioned. He was right. I didn’t want to do anything that would wake the babes. We needed this time alone. I managed to get my shirt over my head, separating our lips briefly, but then he was back on me. We couldn’t stop touching each other. His shirt was gone and my hands moved over his sculpted chest and abs. Our exploration of each other was a glorious foreplay, but I was ready to be filled.
“Inside me. Now.” I growled at him, and he unbuckled his jeans. Then it happened.
Callista’s whimper started, to the warning before she began to cry. My eyes found Tristan’s and we were both thinking the same thing.
Damn!
He sat up and composed himself while I tried to do the same. Callista started to cry, and then Ren joined in shortly after. We held the babies and checked to make sure everything with them was ok. They were fine of course, just wanted their parents. We gave in and laid down with them both in the bed cuddled against us. When I looked into Tristan’s eyes again, we were on the same train of thought : It sucks that we didn’t get our time together, but this was perfect. We’d get our moments, right now being with them was the most important thing. Especially since we didn’t know when we were going to have to hand them over to my mother.
“Do you think it would be safe to leave the underworld? Maybe go somewhere in the middle of nowhere?” I asked when we were both waking but the babies were still out. I had thought of going back recently, and was kind of missing home. Maybe if he thought it was okay, we could invite Leander and Lacey, if they weren’t too sick of us.
“I’m not sure,” he answered honestly, and even though I knew it was probably best, I couldn’t stop the small frown from hitting my face.
“Yeah, it’s a bad idea.” We laid there in silence before he spoke up about the subject again.
“I’ll get us a place in the mountains. No cities, where there could be spies from the gods. We can only stay for the weekend. Then we come back here.” He wasn’t angry with me for asking, he wanted to do things for me. He was just nervous, and I couldn’t blame him there. I was so excited that I did a little wiggle.
“You’re so getting lots of blow jobs for this! Thank you, love.” It was a statement I was happy to make. His body shook from the laughter he was trying to keep inside.
The babes woke up, and I told them we would be going to the mountains. They smiled, and I kissed them both all over their little bodies, loving on them so much they started to laugh. My head popped up and looked at Tristan.
“They laughed!” I was in awe. It was their first laugh! I immediately went back to kissing them again, trying to get them to laugh some more. Their new trick had instantly become one of my favorite sounds in the world. I would listen to it on repeat if I could.
Until a new sound echoed throughout the room, and all eyes went to Ren. He smiled.
“Calli bear!” She farted, and it was loud. She had that face that said she knew what she did and it made her laugh. I loved my babies.
“OK, I think It’s time to give them a bath, anyway.” Tristan stood with Ren, and I followed with Callista. They had only had one bath, and they seemed to like it. Together we worked to get them nice and clean. They were being very good babies.
After bath time, we did what we had been doing, relaxing with the babies, eating, and sleeping. Tristan had to go walk around the underworld to make sure things were starting to get back to normal.
Once we were up and moving the next morning, we packed a bag full of everything we needed, and Tristan flashed us all to a cabin in the Tennessee mountains somewhere. When we touched onto the wooden floors, I looked around and smiled. This was exactly what I needed. The cabin had two bedrooms and a nice open kitchen and living room. The whole cabin was made out of wood. Very rustic looking, but still had some luxurious touches here and there.
“We stay for two days, and then we have to go back. Anything suspicious, and we’re gone. Okay?” He looked at me seriously.
“Crystal clear.” I wasn’t about to chance the babies, if something was nagging at me. Right now, everything felt fine. First hint of danger, and that would be it. Needing to feel the air outside, I cradled Ren in my arms, and we walked out onto the wraparound porch. It was like coming home. The underworld had air, and wind, and a sun. But it wasn’t the same. A soft breeze caressed my skin, and swished my hair across my back. Ren was just looking around, committing everything he could to memory.
“This is Earth, baby. Feel the sun on your skin, and the wind dancing over you?” I held him up and showed him the wonders around us. Tristan brought Callista out, and we all sat on the nice green lawn that had been cut recently. Their little hands were moving around in the blades of grass, feeling its texture, then looking around some more. A hawk flew by, perching itself on a nearby limb. I oo’d and ah’d over it, while telling them what little I knew about hawks. But at least to them I sounded smart and fun. Tristan was just enjoying watching me play and try to teach the babies. He kept eyeing the hawk a little more than I would have expected, but he wasn’t showing any signs that we were in trouble, so I let it go and returned to telling the babies about all the cool things they were going to see, then taking them back inside for their lunch, and naptime.
Chapter Twenty Four
Tristan
I watched as Thalia took the babies in to feed them and put them down to bed. I told her that I just needed a few minutes, and then I would be inside. Hopefully nothing sounded off to her, because in truth I was going to be having a little chat with my brother. I walked deeper into the woods so she wouldn’t be able to see me, and then called his name.
“Horus.” The hawk above me tilted his head, and then flew down the ground, becoming a man once again.
“Brother.” He stood there in a T-shirt and jeans, looking very normal.
“I sense you’ve come for a reason?” I just wanted him to spit out whatever the reason he was here, needing to get back to my family.
“To the point. Got it. Well, I’m here to help; I told you I was on your side. The first battle, I was detained. Osiris found a way to keep me busy so I didn’t even know until after it all happened. Not again. I know they—the gods and some of the demigod minions— are planning to attack soon. It’ll be the final battle to end it all, one way or another. I wish to stay near, so I can be of assistance.” He looked sincere, and nervous, placing his hand in his pockets and waiting for me to say something. His soul showed no ill will towards my family. I knew what he was saying was true.
“Any help we can get.” He smiled that I was accepting his offer, and then looked around. Pride for my family bubbled up in my chest.
“Wanna meet your niece and nephew?”
“Fuck, yeah, I do.” He grinned, and his eyes blinked like a hawks. He was so excited that he was a bit out of control with himself. We walked back to the cabin together, and when Thalia saw us, her eyes went wide.
“He’s on our side. He was held back during the battle, but wishes to remain near us for the next. To battle alongside us.” I could tell she was uneasy about him. The only real interaction she had with him was in Egypt, when he and Osiris took me away from our wedding, and then at our rece
nt wedding. They really didn’t talk much then. She eyed him, then set the babies down in their little bouncer seats that we had brought. She moved with long strides to him and pointed at his chest.
“God or not, I will find a way to torture you until you go insane for all eternity if you do anything to harm my children,” She was one hundred percent serious. Horus knew she was, too.
“Brave woman you have.” He looked at me, then winked at her.
“I’ll show you brave when I shove a cattle prod up your ass on high.” She winked back at him sarcastically, which made him raise his hands in surrender.
“Honestly, I mean no harm. I only wish to help protect my family.” His hands came down and he leaned down towards her.
“You are my family now.” He urged her to understand him. She huffed and muttered something under her breath.
“May I see them?” His voice held vulnerability now, and she looked into his eyes then mine.
“Okay.” She walked back over to the babes, who were watching their mother with curious eyes. She picked up Ren and held him out to Horus. I tried to hold back a laugh when he looked nervous about holding a baby. It had been a long time for all of us. He opened his arms for Thalia to set Ren inside Horus’s grasp. Ren looked up at Horus and smiled. His hair changed from its natural color to black, to match Horus’s black hair with a brown streak to the side of his temple. He’d adopted that look in the last century, said it was his true colors.
“He is a blessing,” he said to us but his eyes never left the child’s. They watched each other curiously, before he was caught in the babes’ web of cuteness. My brother was officially won over until the end of time. He held onto Ren for another five minutes before switching to hold Callista.
“So much like you.” He complimented us on my daughter’s hair and looks. She had her mother’s eyes, but she did have strong features from me. I was thankful to have a mixture of Thalia and I in our children. It was going to be beautiful to watch them grow. We all sat down and watched as the two babes fell asleep being held by their family. When it was time to eat dinner and settle in for the night, Horus took it upon himself to stand watch all night. He turned into his hawk form, and then flew around searching for any danger that was near.
“He wasn’t too bad,” Thalia commented as she lifted up the covers and slid underneath them. I went to wash up real quick, and then crept into bed myself.
“No, he was always the responsible one. But when he sees something is wrong, he will not stand with it. He knows our children are a good thing, and will protect them fiercely. Her eyes closed and I knew she was having troubles. Her heart was hurting, and I wanted to ease her pain. My arms reached out and brought her against my chest.
“It’s going to be all right, love.” She was feeling so emotional, all I could do was hold her until she fell asleep. I wished our troubles could be over, and we could finally have the peace we had been chasing for so long. It was always one thing after another. I looked down at her peacefully sleeping face and still agreed with my decision. Through all our trials, death, and suffering, I would never feel like this was all a mistake. Somehow, Thalia cuddled into me closer than before and I smiled, eager to meet her in her dreams, and show her my love, over and over.
A loud knock on the door woke me from me from a very nice dream with my wife. I looked over at the clock on the nightstand on Thalia’s side of the bed and guessed I’d only been asleep for an hour. Looking down at my love and then the babes, who were all still asleep, I got up quietly and went to handle whoever was at the door myself.
“Leander?” I opened the door surprised. He walked in with a big duffle bag on his shoulder.
“They’re coming. Dad came and told me to come tell you. He even dropped me off.” I looked behind him expecting to see Lacey, but there was no one there.
“I couldn’t let her come. She’s not a fighter. I can’t let her die.” His face was hard, and menacing. Even in our last battle, and our hunt to find Thalia before, I’d never seen him this livid.
“Start your plan, and get ready. They know where you are and will be here in an hour.” His eyes leveled mine and told me the truth of it all.
War was coming.
Horus flew in a moment later and confirmed what Leander had said. Now we would see what their army could do. Leander had called the last of the demigods who were left from our previous battle and arranged to get them here. It was no easy feat, but he managed get them on their way.
With haste, I walked into the room and woke Thalia. She smiled, and looked at me with warm eyes. It pained me to spoil that sweet gaze. When she finally took in my expression, she sat up and looked around.
“What is it?” Trying to see a threat around us.
“They’re coming, love. It’s time.” She looked at the babies, still asleep, completely unaware what was coming for them.
“I don’t want to leave them.” She stood and walked over to the sleeping babes in the portable bassinet that we brought. She bent down to softly run her fingers through their hair.
“We have to do this, for them. It’s the only way.” And it was. She looked up with me with a tear coming down her cheek. My heart was shattering. I was torn about leaving the children too, but she was heartbroken. I prayed right then that this would be over soon. The longer she was away from them, the worse she would get. She launched herself into my arms and nodded.
“Okay.” When she pulled back, she had the look of determination. She’d dug deep and found her strength.
“Aphrodite. It’s time.” Seconds after she called out to her mother, Aphrodite appeared, dressed in exercise clothing. She was dressed to run, to run away with our children. Her face said she knew how hard this was. The babies slept peacefully while Thalia picked up each one up and hugged them close, kissing their little faces, showing them all the love she possessed. When she handed them to me, I did the same. Their little faces were serene. I prayed they never knew the pain that we were feeling right now, giving them to Aphrodite.
Chapter Twenty Five
Thalia
I was hurting so much, watching Aphrodite take my babies. I knew it was the right thing, but it didn’t stop my heart from feeling like it took a bullet. She took a look at me, and shook her head. I felt a shimmer of power cover my skin, and when I looked down I was wearing a warrior’s gear of ancient times. Sort of like what I wore on my venture to find the god blade, except this time I was wearing both Egyptian and Greek. My shendyt was white and had jewels on it, much like what Tristan’s would look like once he transformed himself. My top was tight, and made of leather that conformed to me like some comic book version of Xena, showing off my cleavage while making sure the girls wouldn’t fall out of the material. My hair was braided back and I felt heavy makeup around my eyes. In the eyes of the enemy, I looked fierce, which I needed to be this warrior woman. Aphrodite knew it.
“No worries, daughter. We will be seeing you soon. Be brave.” She gave me once last look before shimmering out of the cabin with my two extensions of myself with her. I took a few breaths to steady myself.
“Breathe, love. We must ready ourselves.” Tristan was staring at the spot where Aphrodite had just left. He was suffering with me.
“Right.” I nodded to myself and walked out to the living room. Leander and Horus were finishing up on their gear. Leander looked like a SWAT team member, and Horus looked much like Anubis did in his Egyptian form. I suspected when we got outside he would transform completely, like Anubis did. This cabin would not be able to handle their ten-foot stature.
We were all silent as we grabbed our weapons and prepared for battle. There was nothing to say. We had to have hope that we would win.
When we walked out onto the porch, a small crowd awaited us. Our allies all looked to us and I raised my kopis at them.
“For my family, and what is right in this world.” My voice was loud and showed no fear. The people raised their weapons in salute. We were ready, now all we could d
o is wait for them to come.
“Quite the crowd.” A sultry voice commented, from our right.
All but Tristan raised their weapons to fight. He had flashed to the person and had a blade at his throat.
“Easy, I’m here for you.” The man had bright red hair standing up all over his head. He was tall, and resembled Tristan and Horus. Was he family?
“What are you up to, Set?” Horus spoke up and Tristan moved his blade for from the stranger's neck, but still held the point towards him as he stepped back towards us.
“I’ve always been on his side, longer than you have Horus. Osiris did the same to me during their first battle. Keep us busy like the good little boys we are. Or in my case, distracted me with chaos. I’m here now to fight on your side. Rebellion is my thing.” He winked at me with red eyes and I wanted to roll my brown ones at him, but didn’t. This guy was cocky, and seemed immature.
“Set, you’re not fucking with me?” Tristan growled and stared at Set. Set! The god of chaos. He was Osiris’s brother, known rival of Horus, and true troublemaker. He didn’t look a day over twenty-one.
“I see my reputation precedes me.” He bowed, and that time I did roll my eyes. He changed his appearance and was wearing battle armor like Tristan and Horus. Again, it was uncanny how much they all looked alike. Tristan must have seen into Set’s soul and saw he was telling the truth, because he dropped his sword.
“If you screw us over, Thalia will torture you. She’s fond of a cattle prod up the ass.” Horus slapped Set on the shoulders and threw his head back towards me. When Set’s eyes found mine, I winked back at him sarcastically. These gods were going to drive me up a wall. But at least the playing field was starting to be leveled some more. We had key people on the Egyptian side. Hopefully once they were here we could talk and convince others to join our cause. It was the only hope we would have. In a pure battle, all these demigods would lose. Hopefully their parents would have compassion, and wouldn’t fight their own children, but I wasn’t so sure. It was a gamble.
Battle of the Heart Page 12