Page 55 of Hers to Keep

She let out a delighted laugh that cut off when she saw the serious expression on his face.“What?”

“You’re tapping my nexus through me.”His voice was soft with foreboding.“It shouldn’t be possible.”

“Why do you sound afraid?Wasn’t this what you’d planned to do?”

“Not exactly.I’d planned on renouncing my claim to the Hells entirely and forging my own connection to your nexus.Holding two at once risks bringing the Heavens down on our heads.”

She let go of the magic slowly, painfully.“So do that now.You break your connection, and nobody is any the wiser.”As she said the words, she mourned the loss of the heat roaring through her.Shewantedit.Why should she have to give it up?

“Even without that desolate look on your face I couldn’t withdraw it.It’s yours now.Like everything about me.I am your vassal.”

Now that she was obeying the rules of gravity again, she tried to push him away halfheartedly, but he held on tight.“I didn’t ask you for that.”

“You did not,” he said solemnly.“I gave it willingly.”

“I don’t want it.”The lie tasted like ashes on her tongue.She wanted everything he had given her, even though she didn’t understand what half of it meant yet.He washers.

His smile was endlessly patient.“And yet, everything I am is yours until I die.”

They all kept talking about dying, and it was more than she could take.Tears ran down her face.“Don’t say that.Nobody is dying.I’m having babies that will live for thousands of years to keep you all here after my stupid mortal heart gives out despite all of you saying you’ll die without me.”

“Oh, duckling.”He ran a hand over her hair and pulled her against his chest to comfort her.“Is that what all the worrying has been about?While you can certainly be killed, you won’t die a mortal’s death.You’re a goddess.”

She sniffled, fisting her hands in his shirt.“Most days I don’t feel like a goddess.”

“I can assure you that you are.”He started to walk back toward the house with her in his arms.“Have you ever even been sick aside from the times you’ve exhausted yourself magically?”

“Not that I can remember.”

“Any kind of physical ailment at all?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Assuming we can deal with the Forest Lord and avoid drawing the ire of the Heavens, you’ll live a long, long life.”He kissed her temple.“So stop worrying about that.”

The crushing weight of the responsibility for all of their lives lifted considerably, until she parsed the rest of what she said.“Who is it that will be coming after us from the Heavens?”

“I believe he’s talking about me,” came a rich feminine voice from above and behind them.

Chapter 18

AshdeiwhippedaroundwithMari in his arms, as a brilliant, winged form descended slowly until she hovered just above the ground.The angelic figure had wavy, dark hair that billowed around her, honey-brown skin, and was dressed in armor that shone with almost blinding intensity in gold and white.Her expression held unbridled contempt.

Call the dragon, Ashdei said in Mari’s head.“Darveyn,” he said to the angel in a bored tone.“What brings you to this realm?”

Mari reached out for Dohal but couldn’t make contact.She tried not to let panic about what that meant overtake her.“Put me down.”

He hesitated for only a moment and set her on her feet.When she turned to face the unwelcome guest, he set his hands on her shoulders.His magic hummed along her skin.

The angel he’d called Darveyn glared.“I’m here because the rules have been broken.”

“Always a stickler,” Ashdei chided.“Except when you weren’t.”

Pink stained Darveyn’s cheeks.“Our dalliance was a mistake.”

“You never thought so when you were swallowing my cock.”

“You’re disgusting, as usual,” Darveyn spat.

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