Instantly, tears poured free and my throat felt thick with emotion.
“Lord Almighty?”
God stared at me, and His eyes were narrowed as though He were displeased with me. Though my heart skipped a beat, it was a sight I wasn’t unused to seeing. But, while millennia might have passed since last I’d beheld it, it didn’t take away my nerves.
Upon his throne of pure gold, I stared upon my Maker’s face, feeling overwhelmed with joy and love even though He did not appear to share the sentiments.
“I’m disappointed, Adam. You know that.”
I gulped. “I know, Lord. I know.”
“I doubt it.” His mouth tightened. “Do you know why you’re here today?”
Because I didn’t, inwardly, I cringed. “To be punished again?”
“No. To be forgiven.”
My eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
“To be forgiven. The final Jannah, do you know what her last request was?” He didn’t wait for an answer, instead said, “When I gave her a boon, she requested I forgive you and Eve. My first children. The most disappointing of them all.”
Despite myself, despite His words, I had to smile. “She is a good child.”
“Hardly a child now, not with six grandchildren of her own,” God retorted.
I shrugged. “She is an infant to me, and still looking as though barely thirty years have passed.”
God narrowed His eyes at me. “I can give boons as and where I choose.”
Hiding a smile, I murmured, “Of course, your Grace.”
He huffed, then drummed His fingers against the armrest of His throne once more. “Eve didn’t realize what she set in motion when she made that request of me. Do you? Do you know what she did?”
“When no more Ghouls were created, when only majnūn were born without the warring of their souls? I thought your hand was at play, but I didn’t know it was related to Eve.”
“Well, it was. She sacrificed her happiness for your forgiveness, and in doing so, I removed Lucifer’s taint from your line.” He grunted. “A selfless child but even she doubted…”
Swallowing back the nerves, I whispered, “Sire, no matter the gifts you have granted us, we are only human. We were born to make mistakes.”
“You think I don’t know that?” God demanded, His eyes snapping with annoyance.
“O-Of course, my Lord, but—”
“But nothing. This is a pointless conversation. I did as the last Jannah requested. Only my forgiving you and Eve broke the taint in the line.” He grunted. “Lucifer certainly knows how to twist my intentions and use them against me.” Another drum of His fingers against the throne. “It is time, Adam.”
His words were boomed out, surprising me after His pensive ones of moments before. “It is, my Lord? For what?”
“For you and Eve to be welcomed back into the Kingdom of Heaven.”
I blinked back the tears that welled in my eyes. “Truly?”
“Aye. Truly.”
“Where is Eve?”
He flicked His fingers, and suddenly, behind His throne, I saw the large golden gates of home. She was there, my Eve, waiting for me. My heart lit up at the sight of her, as it always had and always would.
When God saw my joy, He sighed. “I did something right.”
“My Lord?”
“Love… before you fell, you did not love her. You loved only me.”
“Love was born of sin?” I questioned, my voice shaking for I hadn’t known that.
God grunted. “Aye. You were born to help her, to protect her and shelter her, but instead, you gave her what I didn’t even know she needed.” His jaw clenched. “Now, go along before I change my mind.”
Heart full, I dropped to my knees in thanks but before I could leave, I dared ask after the children I’d never be close to, but who were born of my love for Eve: “Nicholas? My other sons…”
“When it is their time to pass, they will be welcomed here for their services to this Kingdom,” He intoned.
And with that, I could do no more than smile joyfully at Him, bow deeply once more in thanks after I’d jumped to my feet, and scurry over to the woman who I had loved since the earliest days of humanity.
This feeling for her may have been born of sin, but forgiven by God, love had become the holiest of emotions, and as grateful as I was to be back in His Kingdom, nothing made me happier than the sight of the love in Eve’s eyes as she opened her arms and welcomed me home.
Forever.
THE END
Afterword
These past few weeks have been a whirlwind. This story came to me in a blast of inspiration, and while there are those of you who may be wondering why I’ve written it as a trilogy and not a super long standalone, the answer is…
Time.
Oh, and organization.
Those who’ve joined me in my Diva reader group will know that I’m not the most organized of people, and with this trilogy? I’ve had to be. Book one has been with the editor while book two was being written, and while book three was being written? Book one was with the proofreader and book two with the editor. LOL.
It’s been manic.
Even as I upload book one (sneakily,) book three is still being proofread.
So, why didn’t I do it as one standalone?
Because to undertaken this mammoth mission of having all books in the trilogy out, all 260,000 words of it, ready to release all three links to the public on the same day, I needed time, and doing it this way enabled me to do that.
Yes, it’s been stressful, but do you know what? It’s been worth it. This story is so kickass, and Eve was just demanding for her tale to be told, so who was I to get in the way of that? :D
And though this is what dedications are usually for, I have to thank Jessica Rousseau and Bri Bressman from Elemental Editing and Proofreading for their patience, dedication, and hard work. I know I’ve been a nightmare. LOL. And I apologize profusely, and thank you for being my sisters from other misters, accepting I’m crazy, and loving my work as much as you do.
I can’t forget Adina, either. The Write Wrapping is my go to cover design company, and these covers are just banging!! She’s made the ‘write wrapping’ for these badass books, and I’m grateful because, as with Jess and Bri, she was working to an immense deadline.
To Julia for the endless support, D for putting up with my mood swings, and, as always, to Trev for bringing joy to my days.
Where would I be without any of you?
Serena
<3
Also by Serena Akeroyd
I’d love to see you in my Diva reader’s group where you can find out all the gossip on new releases as and when they happen. You can join here: www.facebook.com/groups/SerenaAkeroydsDivas. Or, you can always PM or email me. I love to hear from you guys: [email protected].
Until I see you there or you write me an email or PM, here are more of my books for you to read…
The Caelum Academy
Seven Wishes
Eight Souls
Nine Lives
Naughty Nookie
Sinfully Theirs
Sinfully Mastered
The Gods Are Back In Town
Hotter than Hades
The Sun Revolves Around Apollo
Five Points, Hell’s Kitchen
A Screwed Duet
Screw You
Screw Me
Filthy Feckers
Filthy Hot (COMING SOON)
FourWinds
Queen of the Vamps
Kingdom of Veronia
Perry & Her Princes
Her Highness, Princess Perry
Long Live Queen Perry
QUINTESSENCE
Charmed by Them
Healed by Them
Worshipped by Them
Protected by Them
Loved by Them
QUINTESSENCE: The Sequels
Sawyer
Andrei
Kurt
Sean
Anchor Pride Series
Claimed by Caden
McKinnon’s Mate
The Corsakis
Three’s Never A Crowd
Old Enough to Know Better
The Federation
A Menage Made on Madison
La Belle sans La Bete Series
Menage Material
A Thoroughly Modern Menage
Forever Theirs
Secrets & Lies
The TriAlpha Chronicles
Origin
Trinity
Triskele
Triad
Triumph
Trierna
TriAlpha
Los Lobos
The Raw Touch
The Salsang Chronicles (written with Helen Scott)
Stained Egos
Stained Hearts
Stained Minds
Stained Bonds
Nine Lives: The Caelum Academy Trilogy: Part THREE Page 30