The Dark God's Bride Trilogy, #3 (33 page)

“Even the pink-haired one?”

“Oh, yes, about that. When my daughters were very young, I was gifted three apples by the one I served. They were meant to be eaten together. The golden apple was for strength, the silver apple was for courage, and the red one was for love. My naughty daughters each
ate an apple in my absence and now their colorings are a bit… tinted. Never mind that. I really shouldn’t have gotten sidetracked.  I’ve come for different reason.”

“Oh?”

“I know what you did, Summit.”

Noctis frowned because he knew what she knew. “Knowing is what you do.”

“Precisely. How long do you think you can hide the fact that you are no longer an immortal?”

“As long as I can,” he said with a heavy sigh. “I am a man not without enemies.”

“Even knowing that, you still went after Daniela.”

“I’m a dangerous man to cross.”

“So how are you adjusting to the fact that you will die of old age?”

“Or long before then,” he murmured.

“Do you regret what you’ve done?”

He went quiet for a moment. “She
will outlive me.”

“Yes.”

“She will find other lovers after I’m dead and buried.”

“Probably.”

“I don’t like that fact, but I can’t say I regret what I’ve done. She’s still alive and well and still trying my patience. I’m a happier man than I’ve ever been.”

The Oracle laughed and said, “Alright, let us get to the point. I’ve come here to ask you to deliver something to Gaila for me.”

“What is it?”

The Oracle placed a small leather pouch on the desk. “You must deliver this to Gaila without looking inside.”

“What’s inside or am I not allowed to ask?”

“Inside the pouch is a piece of paper containing a part of Lucifer’s true name. It’s something Gaila ha
s always wanted to get her hands on.”

“Why do you trust me with something so important?” Noctis frowned. “If one knows a demon’s true name, one would be able to control him. Are you not afraid that I would take a peek?”

“That choice is up to you. You did save my daughter by sacrificing your immortality. If you want to know what’s inside then by all means open it.”

“What if I refuse to deliver it? After all, Lucifer did help me escape from my time trap.”

“Lucifer, himself, once traded a part of his name for your immortality. Do not worry. Gaila would never be able to learn all the parts of Lucifer’s true name. You have my word as an Oracle.”

“Fine,” Noctis accepted the Oracle’s request. “I will deliver this pouch to Gaila without peeking inside under the condition that you will tell Amara exactly who you are.”

“In good time,” the Oracle promised. “It is not an easy topic to approach.”

“Don’t take too long.”

The Oracle nodded and then departed.

Noctis grabbed the leather pouch on the desk and went to find the Goddess Gaila at the sanctuary. The Goddess was aghast when she saw him.

“Summit!”
Gaila cried out.
“You’ve lost my gift!”

“A bit of a long story,” he said. “That aside, I’ve come to deliver this to you.” He tossed the leather pouch into the fountain.

The Goddess opened the pouch and read the piece of paper.
“What is this?”
She inquired.

“The Oracle said that it’s a part of Lucifer’s name.”

Her eyes widened as she gripped the piece of paper in her hand. The goddess could barely contain her excitement. But then she asked with suspicion in her voice,
“Have you taken a peek, Summit?”

“Would you believe me if I said I hadn’t?”

“You wouldn’t lie to me,”
the goddess said warningly.
“There would be terrible consequences awaiting you if you did.”

“I haven’t peeked, Gaila.”

“Very well,”
The goddess nodded.
“What is it that you want in return?”

“I’m just the delivery boy. I’m not entitled to ask for anything.”

“Come now, Summit. You must know that I never accept anything without giving something in return and since there is no way that I can reject the gift you’ve delivered to me, I must give you an equivalent gift in return.”

Noctis chuckled softly. “…Now, I see why the Oracle wanted me to deliver the pouch to you.”

“I will give you back your immortality. How does that sound, Summit?”

Noctis shrugged. “If you insist.”

Once again the Goddess filled his lungs with the water of life and drowned him a second time. He awoke sometime later that night on the floor of the sanctuary an immortal once again.

When Noctis returned to his home, the birthday party was still as lively as ever. His bride was playing strip poker with her friends on the dining room table. She was down to her bra and jeans.

“You lose again, Amara.” Dimitri winked at her and spread his cards on the table. “What will it be this time? The bra or the jeans?”

Noctis groaned from aggravation. He marched up to the table and said to his bride, “We’re going to bed.
Now
. Party’s over.”

“Wait a minute!” Dimitri protested. “We won fair and square so we demand our prize. Amara, strip!”

His bride hiked her shoulders even when she read the disapproval in his eyes. “They won fair and square.”

“I forbid you from taking another article of clothing off of that body!” Noctis said firmly. “We’re going to bed and you
can take them off then.”

His bride
looked up at him with pleading eyes. “I don’t want to be known as the loser that doesn’t pay out.”

“Must you insist on this?”

She nodded.

“Fine!”
he said, his voice disgruntled. He then turned to the rest of the table and said, “I’ll do it in her place.”

The men made loud objections while the women giggled loudly. He didn’t give a damn about what they
thought. The sooner he got it over with, the sooner he could take his bride to bed.

He tugged at the fabric of his shirt and yanked it open. He shrugged out of the shirt and dropped it on the floor. The men tossed their cards into the air and walked away while the women held onto their stomachs and laughed.

“Enough of this!” He bent over, grabbed his bride by her legs, and lugged her over his right shoulder. He then carried her upstairs and into their bedroom. She was still laughing when he deposited her on the bed. He shifted to his study to retrieve her gift and shifted back to the bedroom. He lightly tossed it into her hands.

She sobered up and asked. “What is this?”

“Can’t you tell?”

“You got me a present?” Her grey eyes visibly warmed up as she carefully und
id the ribbon and unwrapped the gift. “Did you gift wrap it also?”

“No,” he replied. “It was complimentary of the purchase.” With
the price tag that it comes with, it was only fitting that giftwrapping was complimentary.

She opened the box and stared at the piece of jewelry in it for a long while before
she gave any reaction. Then, she whispered softly. “It must have cost a fortune…”

“It
did,” he confirmed with a soft chuckle.

“Do you still have the receipt?”

“It is impolite to return a gift.”

“But…
it’s so… excessive.”

He frowned at her reaction. He had had high hope
s that she would like the gift he had prepared. He wanted to spoil his bride, but he didn’t even know how.

“I do love it,” she assured him. “But… what am I going to wear this diamond necklace to? It’s too flashy. I would get mugged wearing this outside!”

“It is yours and you do with it as you will. Throw it out of the window if it displeases you.”

“Don’t be angry,” she pacified him. “I didn’t mean it that way. It’s the most beautiful necklace I’ve ever laid eyes on. I really appreciate the gesture. But you see… my time is different than yours. I can’t wear this outside or it will blind people. People only wear something like this… well, only
high-class people wear something like this at charity balls and whatnot. My goodness, even a royal princess would be able to hold her head high with this piece around her neck. But I’m no princess.”

“You would have been if I still
had my titles.”

She smiled at him.

“Like it or not, it belongs to you now.” He picked the diamond necklace out of its case and draped it across the base of her neck. Her grey eyes were so beautiful that the sparkling diamonds couldn’t outshine her. She trembled as his fingers brushed by her satin smooth skin. The blush on her cheeks was incredibly sensual. The woman was just beckoning to be kissed.

He leaned over the bed and pulled her close enough to kiss her hungrily. Already, he was filled with the devastating need to have her. They were exchanging breath for breath and sigh for sigh in the gaps between their heated kisses. When his hands attempted to pull down her jeans, she stopped him.

“What is it?” he asked gently. “Was I too rough this morning?”

She shook her head. “…I went to the doctor earlier this afternoon.”

He cupped her face with both of his hands. “Why? Are you unwell? I thought that—”

She shook her head again. She took his right hand and slowly guided it to her lower abdomen. Nervous grey eyes were looking up at him. He was trying to decipher what she was telling him when it hit him like a boulder to the back of his head. One second, he was experiencing pure bliss and the next second he was in complete despair. He pushed from the bed and forced himself to stand on two numb legs. He had taken every precaution to prevent this from happening. Was it from the night he came back to her while his body was still in disfigurement from the burn?

His bride sat up and stared to him in a moment of nervous anticipation. He made her wait for so long that her expression turned to hurt.

“You shouldn’t have told me…” he muttered in cold
sweat.

“But…
but you are the father,” she said in a barely audible voice. “…or do you doubt that?”

“Of course, I don’t doubt the child is mine!” He retorted, his breathing rapid. He
was so overwhelmed by her acceptance of him even at his worst that he lost control of himself. He wanted to possess her wholly and completely that he…“W-what are you planning to do with it?”

“What am I…?” She lowered her eyes when she realized what he meant. “Do you still think that I am capable of something like that?”

“Amara…” He was at a loss for words. Her grey eyes flared at him.

“So it wasn’t enough that you accused me of murdering your wife?” She grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. “Get out!”
she screamed at him. “Get out!”

He wasn’t about to let her chase him out of his own bedroom again. He couldn’t stand another night apart from her. He hurried to her side and embraced her tightly in his arms.

“Get out…” she sobbed. “If you still think that I’m an evil and wicked woman then don’t share a bed with me…”

“I don’t think you are evil and wicked and I
wouldn’t care even if you were. I fear that you still haven’t forgiven me for how I treated you.”

“So I would make an innocent life suffer for what you did? Am I messed up in the head like you are?”

“You weren’t going to…”

“No!” She cried. “I hate you for even thinking that! Haven’t you got any idea how important family is to me by now? I’ve spent my childhood living off whatever scraps I could
find because I came from a broken family and a broken home. In my heart, all I ever really wanted was a home and a family of my own. When I found out I’m having a baby, I felt so much joy I didn’t think I could even breathe. I’m going to be a mother. This is a chance I never thought I would be blessed with. Why would you think I would do such a thing to my own flesh and blood? How could you stand there and accuse me of trying to destroy my own child? How?” She attempted to shove him away. “Oh, just get out!”

“Shh,” he hushed her. “Don’t cry.”

“I’ll raise my child alone!”

“The child is mine too. Even you are not allowed to take our child away from me.” He kissed away the tears on her cheeks. “Hush now.”

She struggled against his firm hold until she grew tired of struggling. He cradled her in his arms until she calmed down and the tears dried on her cheeks.

“I thought it was you,” he confessed.

“What?” his bride asked softly.

“At the time, I didn’t know Rion had taken your place to deceive me. I thought it was you that I couldn’t save. I had promised that I wouldn’t fail you but I–”

“You couldn’t face your own failure?”

He sighed. “If only it was just that. You were the only anchor that had kept my mind in place. When I thought I’d lost you, my mind began to drift. Daniela took advantage of the opportunity and filled my head with deceptions.”