At least that’d been what they said. After the conversation with her parents’ souls, she couldn’t help but wonder if that was the truth.
The knowledge of her betrayal still hurt. She’d been part of their destruction. She’d allowed her jealousy and hatred to destroy her parents.
New pain seared through her heart. She knew her parents never wanted to see her again. She couldn’t blame them really. By the time she’d realized King Antyon and his plan weren’t for her, it was too late.
Near the end Amberlee witnessed what King Antyon was really capable of. She knew he cared for no one but himself and he intended to destroy everyone and everything that didn’t agree with his way of thinking. That included her parents, and even his own son.
She’d witnessed it first hand, so while everyone in the cave with her knew Ramien had been evil, they would soon realize King Antyon was a close second. He didn’t feast on their souls, he believed he was too good for that. Instead he tortured, trampled, and cut into the very essence of a Kelarian until they were still alive, but dead inside.
“Whatever you say, Venus.” She spat the word out and immediately felt bad. It was difficult though. She didn’t know how to react to Venus.
“Thank you, Amberlee. I intend to be there as well.”
“Why?” Palmo asked, once again sounding like the spoiled prince he was.
Amberlee grabbed his hand.
“I want to make sure Amberlee is given the welcome and respect she deserves.”
Amberlee couldn’t help but question Venus’s motive. Sure she was a god now and petty fights wouldn’t bother her—at least she didn’t think so, but Amberlee hadn’t just got in a fight with her. She’d been instrumental in sending Venus to Earth, killed her irrihunter, and convinced the people of Alayeah that Venus was a traitor. Amberlee studied Venus. The goddess seemed sincere. Amberlee grabbed Palmo’s hand and walked over to the stairs. “Thanks, Venus, but don’t do me any favors.” She bolted up the stairs, leaving the thousands of souls, including those of her parents, below with Venus and Michael and Dervinias.
She watched her sister run up the stairs. When she couldn’t hear Amberlee and Palmo’s footsteps any longer, she let out a sigh.
“How you holding up?” Michael asked.
“Fine.” It was true. Physically there wasn’t a scratch on her. Emotionally, though, she’d been through a lot.
Michael looked like he wanted to say more, but Dervinias stepped into view. He’d been so quiet she’d nearly forgotten about him. “What are you going to do?” he asked.
“Take Chev’s soul in your hands. Hold her steady. Do not let go.”
Dervinias swallowed, but did as she said.
Venus could hear Chev’s soul crying, begging for release. She went to it. “Hush. Everything will be okay.” Chev quieted her cries, but they didn’t stop. Venus reached out and whispered in the strange tongue the words that would make her forget everything. Venus sensed the numbness flow through her friend’s soul. It would last a few hours. “Take her home, Dervinias.” She created a Transport out of thin air. If she hadn’t been so overwhelmed she would’ve thought it was totally cool.
Dervinias’s face filled with the surprise and wonder she wanted to feel. “You really have changed, V.”
Venus couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, Dervinias, I have.” She remembered Zaren’s Ostwallow sword and called it to her. It appeared immediately in her hand. “Take this, just in case.”
He took it and stepped into the Transport, Chev’s soul in his hand. “Are you going to give her back her body?”
“Of course. As soon as the door is closed.”
“You’re freaking cool. I’m just saying.”
“We’ll see if you still feel that way once you’ve returned.” She gave him a pointed look. It was difficult to imagine Chev’s child growing up without her. Venus cared for the human and as much as it pained her to think about the King and Queen of Alayeah, the people she’d believed were her parents for so long, she was glad she’d had them in her life. Venus shuddered. The child needed Chev and Chev needed her child. They would be in each other’s future; she could sense that, though the sense was vague without having the child nearby. But she knew their lives would intertwine again one day.
Dervinias was looking at her strangely. She cleared her throat. “There isn’t time to look for your daughter now. I need you to come right back.”
Venus sensed his epsis speed up and saw the way his eyes scrunched as though he were fighting back emotion. “I know.” He pressed a button on the Transport and it purred to life. “It pains me. I want to look for Tawny and my daughter, but I owe you and I promised. So I’ll be back.” He cuddled Chev’s soul, wishing he could talk to her, see her smile, but that wasn’t an option either. “Close the door, Venus,” he said dejectedly.
She pressed the button, watching it close. When it was sealed, she said the words that would return Chev’s body and soul to each other, but the girl would remain asleep. When she woke she would be back in Wyoming and would never remember the aliens, including Michael. All of those memories would be wiped clean.
The Transport rose, picked up speed, and then shot out of sight, leaving her alone in the cavern with Michael.
The air suddenly felt chilly. Michael pulled her so that her back rested against his chest. She allowed him to wrap his arms around her.
“What’s next?”
His breath moved the hair at her neck and sent shivers all over her body. She’d been dreading this moment: Them alone. Because now she’d have to deal with her husband. Turning in his arms, she looked up.
His eyes were soft, full of the love she’d seen on the night he brought her back to Kelari, the night Ith and Aetha made him tell her he loved her.
“Hi,” she said, self-conscious.
Michael smirked. “I can already tell that marriage to a goddess is going to be…” he paused and pushed a tendril of hair off her forehead, “interesting.”
In spite of everything, Venus laughed. “I have a feeling marriage to a half Ferether, half Kelvieri is going to be just as interesting.”
“Oh, it is. Trust me.” Images of the two of them kissing, touching, and loving each other filled her mind.
Her face got hot. “Seriously. Is that all you think about?”
Michael chuckled. “No, I think about this too.”
Another image, more sultry and graphic than the last entered her mind. She gasped. Electric butterflies danced low in her belly.
Michael leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers. “Soon we’re going to make this marriage official in every way.” His voice was low, gruff, and made her thighs quake.
Venus swallowed nervously. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Michael kissed her again, pressing her mouth open and flicking his tongue inside. She reciprocated, running her hands up his arms, feeling the thickness of his biceps, and wound her fingers into his messy dark hair.
She kissed him until her fears melted away, until she couldn’t remember the pain, the agony of the last several months. She kissed him until she forgot everything but him, his lips, and the way his body felt pressed against hers.
Kissing Venus was like coming home. He’d told her she mended his soul, helped him believe he mattered. That was still true, sappy or not. He felt connected to her, even more now that they were married. The Ferether in him desired to taste her soul as he had on the beach, but he resisted. He didn’t want to hurt her. And the Kelvieri part of him made it so he didn’t need to feed on a soul to survive. He liked the taste of a soul, the way it made him feel, especially tasting Venus’s, but he could live without it.
Venus pulled back and searched his eyes. “I know what you want.” She blinked sweetly. “It doesn’t hurt me.”
He was stunned. “Really?”
“On the beach I felt a tugging, but it didn’t hurt.” She looked away, her fingers playing with the sleeve of his shirt.
Love flowed t
hrough his veins. She really was his match, made for him in every way. “That’s good to know,” he said, picking her up and hugging her tightly.
When he set her down, he felt her change. She needed him to do something. “What is it?” he asked, touching her chin with a finger.
She found his eyes. “It’s the creatures that King Antyon is releasing on the planet. They are called Leviathans, evil creatures that can’t be killed except one way.”
“How?” he asked, recalling all of the information he’d read in the Sistine Grimp. The Sisters, who’d been so quiet, woke. He felt them stir as though they lived within him.
The Leviathans are evil.
Only one way.
Death .
He shook his head, trying to get a grip on the Sistine Sisters voices in his head. It’d been a while.
Venus smiled. “The Sisters?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said, surprised she understood what was happening to him.
Venus gave him a quick hug. “I’ve got a lot going on in here too.” She tapped the side of her head. “It can be a challenge to deal with.”
Michael kissed her cheek. “What do you need me to do?”
“I’ll show you.” Venus held out her hand. What looked like a charm in the shape of a winged horse appeared. She brought her palm to her lips and whispered, “Sadraden.” The black charm shimmered and grew. In the next second an irrihunter stood before them. Around Sadraden’s neck dangled a transparent emblem in the shape of the symbol he’d seen carved into his mother’s body. It looked like a sun with a moon inside it and a kanji character inside the moon. Without thinking he stepped forward, drawn to it. “What is that?”
“It’s called the Illeyse.” Venus moved so that she stood next to him.
Sadraden roared, sending warm air into his face. This situation is so frustrating, the animal said into Venus and Michael’s mind. Venus placed a hand on Sadraden’s furry black head, scratching between her eyes. It appeared as though Venus wanted to say something. Maybe she did, but kept it from Michael’s mind.
“What’s it for?” Michael asked.
Venus faced him. “It’s a vessel. King Antyon has been searching for this from the beginning. It’s the only thing that can destroy a Leviathan.”
Michael reached out and touched it. The material was smooth, like glass.
“I need you to take Sadraden to the world of the Leviathan.”
Michael shook his head. “I won’t leave you.” The last time they’d been apart had been the most difficult time in both their lives. “We’re better together,” he added tenderly.
“I agree, but this is of such importance I can’t ask anyone else to do it.” She ran a hand through his hair. He leaned into it. “If there were anyone else, I would send them.”
It has to be you.
Only you.
No one else .
Venus caressed his cheek. “Whatever the Sisters are saying, listen to them. They know what is required and will help you.”
Michael clenched his jaw, wrapping his hands around Venus’s waist. Sadraden pressed against their sides, adding her encouragement. “They are saying I’m the only one who can do this, but why? What’s on their planet? What needs to be done?” He’d always needed to know the details. It’d been like that with football, with life. The more he had to focus on, the more likely he was to succeed.
Venus reached out and lifted the glass Illeyse. “Three things are required to make this work. The first is the blood of the Leviathan leader. The second is the pure essence of the first fallen.”
A difficult challenge.
We will help.
Ramien’s seed.
What do you mean? Michael yelled back, but within his mind. I haven’t fallen.
You’re the chosen one.
You are half Ferether, half Kelvieri.
You possess the power.
Michael ignored them and spoke to Venus. “But the demon of Helker is gone. We destroyed him.” Michael grabbed her hand and held it tightly. Could she really let him go so easily? And on a mission that couldn’t be accomplished.
“I know, but somehow it must be done. You must find him or all of Kelari and Earth will be lost,” Venus said tenderly.
Michael swallowed. “How will I find the blood of a Ferether that didn’t bleed even before we destroyed it? Ramien isn’t a man or a monster, but a thing without a soul.”
“All very good questions. You must remember them and you must find a way.”
We will help.
The answers are out there.
Together .
The Sisters voices filled his mind.
I’ll be with you as well, child . That was the voice of Sadraden.
Michael thought he might go insane if any more voices started speaking inside his head.
“And the third item? More blood?” Michael ran a hand through his hair. This quest Venus wanted him to go on… it worried him.
“The final element, Michael, is your blood.”
Michael took a step back. “Mine? Why?”
“I don’t know,” Venus said honestly. “But without it the Illeyse won’t work and the Leviathan and King Antyon will win.”
“I—Do you want me to die?” He was in shock. How could she ask this of him?
“No.” Venus wrapped her arms around his waist. “Michael, I love you.” She dropped her chin to her chest. “I’m hoping death isn’t the necessary path, but that’s something you have to figure out.” Her voice was barely above a whisper and he wondered if she were speaking out loud or in his mind.
It’s true.
The Goddess is right.
You must .
The sisters had only just started talking to him again and he was already sick of them.
Michael let out a huff. “I’ll do it because I know it is necessary, but I don’t like it.”
“Neither do I,” Venus whispered fiercely, pulling his head down and kissing him.
Michael felt the passion and responded. He knew he needed her and she, him. When they pulled apart, Venus touched his lips. “You’d better go before I change my mind.”
Michael took her hand and kissed the palm. Images of the first time they met came to mind. He’d been in a dark place emotionally, ready to end his life. He’d been mean to her, so awful, and yet she’d saved him. She brought out the best in him, gave him a reason to get up in the morning, helped him forget the way his earthly father and mother treated him. And it’d turned out she’d done so much more.
Though he still wasn’t sure what he was, he knew without a doubt he was meant for more than football and friends, that he had a destiny only he could accomplish.
“I’m coming back,” Michael whispered, taking her in his arms.
“You’d better, Husband.” He heard her sniffle. She let out a sob, grabbing hold of his shirt. “I need you, Michael. I didn’t know it until I met you, but without you I’m not whole.”
He kissed the top of her head, released her, and moved over to the waiting Sadraden.
Climb on, child , Sadraden said. She lowered her left side.
Venus touched her forehead to Sadraden’s. Once again he got the feeling they spoke to each other and was curious about what they said.
When Venus stepped back, she said aloud, “Keep him safe, please.” There were tears in her eyes. They shone like tiny diamonds.
Michael grabbed hold of a tuft of fur and pulled himself onto her back. He longed to reach out and comfort his wife, but the sooner he left the better. A lot needed to be done.
Sadraden’s wings beat against the air, sending debris raining down around them as she rose. Venus lifted a hand in farewell.
Without thinking Michael blew her a kiss. It was cheesy, but it’d been what was in his heart. If his friends on Earth could’ve seen him, they would’ve made fun of him.
Venus reached out as though to catch it and placed her fisted hand over her chest.
She watched her irrihunter and her
husband fly away, up through crack in the earth, past the sea, and into the ashy gray night. Their silhouettes hung against the sky momentarily before Sadraden shot out of sight. It was one of those moments she’d never forget, as though she died and came alive at once. A scream ripped from her throat and she fell to her knees and then to the dirty ground. She lay for a long time, unable to move.
At last, she rose. She’d been sad long enough and there was much to be done.
Her power ignited. She was a god, and this world needed saving. Focusing on the castle, she imagined herself there. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and…
She stood in her room. It felt like forever since she’d been there. The bed, the vanity, and her overstuffed green chair remained just as she’d left them.
It felt like several lifetimes ago.
She’d brought a piece of cake from her sixteenth birthday party. Her sister had come in and given her a necklace with an irrihunter charm. They’d talked, and that was the last thing she remembered until she arrived on Earth.
Her sister had sent her there to die. Then she’d killed Sadraden and her unborn baby.
Emotions—anger, sadness, hurt, and betrayal—overwhelmed her. She lowered herself into her favorite chair. She needed to focus. The things her sister did were for her benefit, in the end. They’d led her to Michael.
Besides, regret meant nothing.
There was a knock on the door. It shimmered open. She stood as Zaren, Palamina, and Seth walked in.
“How did I know you’d arrive before we did?” Zaren said with a tight smile.
Venus shrugged. “A god’s gotta do what a god’s gotta do.”
Palamina laughed, pushing her red hair over her shoulder.
Seth smiled.
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