Chapter 28

28

" O h my, I really need to work on that landing," the girl who just fell out of the sky mutters. She slowly gets up and dusts her clothes. She's on the taller side, dressed in an off-white regency-style dress. Her bright red hair is gathered atop her head in an elegant bun, with a few curls falling down her forehead.

She blows air upward to move the hair from her eyes. Then she glances around until her eyes find the stranger.

He straightens his spine and brings the back of his hand to his eyes to wipe the blood dripping from a gash in his forehead.

"What are you doing here, Thea?" he asks in a dry, bored tone.

"Do you even have to ask, Cer?" She shakes her head. "You really couldn't choose a more hospitable realm? It took me ages to find you since you know that my navigation system isn't the best. And how do I find you? Bleeding and with a hole in your stomach." Her mouth curls down in disgust. "Aren't you ashamed of yourself? I can see what you had for breakfast." She points to his stomach.

Curious, I glance at his stomach, too, but I can't see what she's referring to. The wound is almost closed by now.

"Is that why you are here, Thea?" He sighs. "To lecture me some more? Could you not have waited until I got home?"

"Good on you to remember you have a home. Don't you know what day is tomorrow?"

He blinks, staring at her, unmoving.

"Oh no, no. Don't you dare tell me you forgot!" She shrieks, launching herself at him.

He extends his arm, his open palm connecting with her forehead as he keeps her at a distance. She flails her arms around, her nails growing in size until they resemble claws as she tries to get a hit on him.

"Thea, if you don't mind, I am in the middle of something," he mutters while holding a squirming Thea at arm's length—literally.

Nykander inches his way toward me, his expression one of confusion that mirrors my own.

"What are we watching?" he asks on a whisper.

"I think it's a lovers' spat," I whisper back. "He probably forgot their anniversary or her birthday," I wager a guess.

"Something?" she repeats, narrowing her eyes as she finally takes note of our presence. "Don't tell me you're fighting over a female!" she exclaims, outraged.

I frown, confused about how she got to that conclusion. But seeing that Nykander is the only one bedraggled in this situation, I can understand her misconception.

"Are you out of your freaking mind, Cer? With all the problems we have, you're now chasing after a female?" She slaps his hand aside and takes a step forward. Despite her being taller than average, she's still much shorter than him. "Have you forgotten about Aethon? What about Wyn? It's her coming out ball tomorrow and you're out here fighting another male over a female!"

"Thea, that is not?—"

"How could you do this, Cer? I am so disappointed in you," she continues. "And to make matters worse, while you're out here having your fun, Ze has decided to move into our guest room. That wretched male is corrupting my friend and it is all your fault."

"How is that my fault?" He frowns.

"Because you brought him into our home to begin with! Ugh!" She throws her hands in the air in frustration.

"So let me understand this. I am guilty of everything bad that has ever happened in your life."

"Exactly!" she agrees. Her eyes widen. "Well, it is true. You have singlehandedly ruined everything for me."

"Thea." Cer takes a deep breath. "I think you should go home."

"But—"

"That"—he points to Nykander—"is a Son of Tenebreis. And the female is his. I am not fighting over her. I do not care about her. I am merely performing my duty by interrogating him on the whereabouts of his brethren."

She blinks slowly as she realizes what he's saying. She spares us another glance before she whispers a low, "Oh."

"So you see, I am in the middle of something important. And as a matter of fact, I am searching for Aethon."

"But you did forget about Wyn's ball, didn't you?" She points a finger at him accusatorily.

"No. I did not. I will be there. I promised her the first dance, and I would never renege on that promise."

"Good." She tips her chin up. "It is the least you can do."

He raises a brow at her.

"Why do I feel like we're watching a telenovela?" I whisper to Nykander.

"What is that?"

"It's a TV show where there is plot twist after plot twist and never-ending drama. You know it's terrible, but you can't stop watching."

He nods thoughtfully.

"You are right. This is terrible, but I cannot stop watching."

"Hey!" Thea turns to Nykander, at the same time as Cer pins him with his deathly glare. "How dare you say that? Cer, go win that fight!" she instructs him. "Do you want me to take the female? I have gotten quite good at cat fighting as they call it in the human world. Remember what I did to that foxy lady?" She wiggles her brows up and down.

"Thea. I do not need your help. In fact, please leave. You will only make matters worse."

"Why don't we all agree not to fight?" I chime in. "We can go on our merry way and you can attend that ball or whatever. It's a win-win situation."

"She has a point, Cer. Do you even have a proper suit for tomorrow?" Thea nods, her features grave. "You cannot show up in an old suit. What will people say? That awful Elora already has it out for me. The last thing I need is for the entire court to laugh at me for having an unfashionable brother. They already laugh at me for other things." She sighs. "That's it. You're coming with me. Finish your fight and we're going home so you can get fitted for a new suit."

"Thea—"

"Thea this, Thea that. Do you even know how to say something else?"

"She's right." Nykander and I nod.

"No one asked you." Cer rolls his eyes.

"Look, we battled, no one won, so let us call it a day. The ladies are right. We have better things to do than blow holes through each other."

"But you are a demon," Cer states mechanically.

"Is he, really? He's never turned a soul into a demon. He's quite a good person by those standards, which is ironic considering his nickname is the Dark One. But he is really not that bad. And we have kids together—erm, dogs. Can you really leave my dogs without a father?" I pout.

"You have dogs?" Thea blinks, coming closer.

"Thea. It is not the moment," Cer mentions from behind.

She doesn't mind him, though, shushing him with her hand as she comes toward me.

"Can I see them? I love dogs. My friend has a wagyu cow that she named Belinda, but she'll unfortunately leave soon to better pastures and all that." She waves her hand.

"Greener pastures, Thea," Cer corrects her.

"Same thing."

"You must promise you will not harm them in any shape or form," I add suspiciously.

"Of course! Cer will promise too. You will, won't you, Cer?"

Cer glares at her.

"You will, will you not, my darling Cerenios?" Thea bats her eyes at him.

He mutters something under his breath, which I believe counts as a yes.

"Yes! Can I please see the dogs now?"

Nykander and I glance at each other, and he shakes his head.

"She seems nice," I whisper.

"You are far too naive, Barbi. They are Aperite deities," he grits out.

"Barbi? Your name is Barbi?" The girl nearly topples Nykander over as she places herself in front of me. "That is just like that doll humans play with, no? I used to steal—uhm, buy—some for Wyn when she was younger. She loved them."

"Yes, that is the doll," I mutter, a bit taken aback by her manner. And here I thought I was odd.

"How cute! She's named after a doll, Cer. Isn't that awesome?"

"Thea… This is not the moment."

"The dogs. May I meet the dogs, please?"

She seems genuine, so I convince Nykander to bring the dog house over. When she sees it's pink, she can't stop gushing about how cute it is, but her reaction only gets worse when she meets PomPom, BonBon, and Ander.

"Cer," she cries out—as in, she actually sheds tears. "I need some. You must get me a dog, Cer."

"Thea." He sighs.

"I know the spiel, okay? You are not allowed to behave like this Thea. It is no wonder you remain unmarried in your old age because of this, Thea. You should focus on passing your exams, not on dogs, Thea. Am I missing something?"

"No, I think that covers it all," Cer mutters.

Dressed as she is in that elegant gown, she's now rolling in the grass with the dogs, letting them bite her updo until her hair tumbles down her back.

"Do you think she's stranger than me?" I lean in to whisper to Nykander.

He purses his lips as he thinks for a moment.

"She is strange. But stranger?" He shakes his head. "I think you shall maintain the crown, dear poop master."

I chuckle at our inside joke.

Thea plays with the dogs. Cer scowls by the side. And Nykander and I flirt a few feet over. And just a few moments ago, they were tearing at each other's throats.

"Cer, you must leave these two people alone. How can they be evil if they have such cute dogs?"

"Thea, I am sure there is no correlation between the two."

"Well, I am making it one," she says as she gets up. Her dress is now stained from the grass, but she does not seem to care. "I require a dog too. Even Ze got Luce a cow. What have you ever gotten me?"

"I will not answer that question. Nor will I argue with you further."

"Good. Then we can go home to get you fitted for your suit. And then we can search the universe for a cute dog."

"I will do no such thing."

"Cer." She tilts her head. "We will discuss this further when we get home. We can leave now."

Both Nykander and I stare at them, dumbfounded.

"It was nice meeting you, dolly. You too, bloody man. You have very nice dogs. Take care of them, okay? And don't turn any souls into demons. Then my brother will have to hunt you down and kill you and these cuties will remain without their parents."

"Uhm, thanks?"

She grabs Cer by his shredded shirt and leads him away.

"Thea, you must stop interfering with my work…"

His voice drifts off as they both disappear.

I turn to Nykander.

"What just happened?"

"I think we just got lucky."

"What do you mean?" I frown.

"If I am correct, that male was Cerenios. He is one of the generals in the Aperite army, and he is the protégé of The God Killer."

"The God Killer?"

"The ultimate commander of the Aperite army. He is said to be unmatched in strength. And if that was his protégé, I doubt our fight would have ended anytime soon."

"I suppose it is a good thing he did not question my identity."

He nods.

"But do not think I did not notice you looking at him," Nykander suddenly adds, his eyes narrowing at me. He steps to the side to pick up a clean set of clothes—his last one.

"I was just curious," I reply.

"You also said he was beautiful ," he continues, making a disgusted face.

"Objectively, he was. But then, so was his sister. They were both a good-looking pair."

Nyk pulls a shirt over his chest and pauses to stare at me.

"More good-looking than me ?" He raises a brow.

"My, my, are you jealous, oh my dear Dark One?"

He mumbles something under his breath.

"You are ," I accuse playfully, planting myself in front of him. I arrange the collar of his shirt as an amused smile plays at my lips. "He might have been handsome, but no one compares to you, my good-looking friend. You are the only one whose looks I care about, and the only one I would stare at for an eternity."

He blinks slowly before a flush creeps up his cheeks.

"You…would?" he asks slowly, uncertainly.

"Yes, Mr. Dark One. You are the only good-looking man for me."

He nods, satisfied.

"Now it's your turn," I whisper as I give him a small nudge.

"My turn?" His brows bunch. "For what?"

"Your turn to tell me I am prettier than that girl. Than any girl, for that matter. That I am the prettiest for you in the entire universe."

And to accentuate that I mean the entire universe, I extend my arms in an all-encompassing gesture.

He stares at me for a moment, speechless.

"You…are the prettiest?"

"Nyk! Don't just repeat what I said! Didn't you hear the way I phrased my compliment? You must do the same," I tell him.

He scratches the back of his head as he mulls this over.

"You are prettier than that female to me, Barbs—than any female. That is not a compliment. It is a reality. I am not one to offer false platitudes, so when I tell you that you are the most beautiful to me, you must believe me."

"Girls like pretty words," I mutter under my breath.

His lips curve up. Tipping my chin, he curves his palm along my jaw.

"Words are meaningless if they are not backed by actions. So let my actions speak for themselves. Let the fact that my eyes see only you be proof enough that no other can measure up to you. Let the fact that I am who I am, what I am, because your blood flows through my veins be proof enough that I am, because you are." He takes a deep breath. "Let the fact that my body reacts to you and only you be the only proof you need, sweet thing."

My lashes flutter in surprise. He claims words are meaningless, but then why do his words make my heart flutter? Why does my mark heat up at hearing him speak so prettily?

"You might not think so, but words are also important, Nyk," I whisper, taking his hand and kissing his palm. "The words you speak are the words I hear, the words I replay all over in my head, and the words I carry in my heart. Actions are important, yes. But words are to actions what kisses are to making love. You don't have to kiss to make love, but it's certainly a much more pleasurable activity with it. Same goes for words. You don't need them, but they can enrich everything."

He tilts his head, smiling as he studies me.

"And you are suddenly an expert in making love?"

"No, but I am becoming an expert in kissing," I murmur as I lift myself on the tips of my toes and touch my lips to his. "And I would never give them up for anything in the world. Same for those pretty words."

"Ah, Barbi, Barbi. You win. You will have your kisses and your pretty words," he whispers before he swoops me in his arms and proves it with his actions.

We arrive at the portal at dusk. Even with the darkening sky, the portal is a mass of black swirling energy, resembling a black hole.

A shiver of fear and anticipation goes down my back.

This is it. This is the moment he's been waiting for over seven thousand years.

Despite being happy about the prospect of helping him accomplish his revenge, I can't help but be a little apprehensive about what this journey will have in store for us. His home holds so many memories for him—memories of Mo.

Deep down, I am still anxious about his feelings for her, especially when everything around him will remind him of her.

It's okay, Barbi. It's all going to be all right. He will kill his brother and then we will live together happily ever after. It's that simple.

I keep telling myself the same thing over and over again, but seeing the portal in front of me has all these doubts returning with a vengeance.

Nykander places the dog house on the ground and turns to me.

"You must not at any point reveal your energy signature, Barbs. All right? The moment you do, everyone in Tartareia will know there is an Aperite deity in their midst and they will not stop hunting us."

"Okay." I nod. "I can do this."

"I know you can." He smiles as he leans in to kiss my forehead. "And before we cross over, I want you to do something for me."

"What?"

He materializes a knife in his hand and gives it to me.

"Cut my hair."

My eyes widen at his request.

"It will be much easier to avoid attention if I do not look as I used to," he explains.

"Oh, all right."

He takes a seat on the grass in front of me. I thread my fingers through his hair, admiring the silky texture of his locks.

"I think I'll miss you with your long hair," I murmur.

"I can grow it again for you after everything is over," he mentions.

"Good." I chuckle.

It takes me a few tries to cut through his thick hair, especially since I'm using a knife instead of a pair of scissors. He sits patiently, helping me here and there until I'm done. His long locks fall to the ground, his hair now barely above his ears.

"Is this fine?" I ask as I step back.

He ruffles his hand through his hair and nods, satisfied. Despite being so used to his long hair, I have to admit he looks dashing with short hair too. In fact, this new cut gives him an air of danger and mystique that wasn't there before.

He gets up and brushes the remaining hair off his clothes. But as I peek on the ground at the leftover strands, I can't find it in my heart to leave it all behind. Bending down, I grab a thicker strand and braid it.

He looks at me curiously, his eyes widening when he notes what I want to do with it.

"Barbs…"

"It would be a shame if it went to waste," I explain shyly as I tie the newly pleated strands around my wrist like a bracelet.

"That is…" He clears his throat. "I appreciate it."

"Now we can go."

He picks up the dogs and the small baggage and we step forward. The knife is still in my hands and I bring the tip of the blade to the middle of my palm, imbuing my blood with my essence. A few drops fall onto the surface of the portal, and the color immediately changes. From a foreboding black to a welcoming pink.

"It's time." He sighs. A look of pure determination descends upon his features.

Grabbing my hand, we step together inside the portal.