Page 37 of Total Lunar Eclipse
Her surprised laugh echoes in the valley around us, and I smile at the carefree sound.
“What’s so funny?”
“I remember wishing for the same damn thing a lifetime ago. . . back when we were in Arizona. I was even going to check the resort gift shop to see if it had one,” she giggles again. “I guess women really are from Venus and men are from Mars. Or Pluto. Or Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Mercury, Neptune, and the Sun.”
I chuckle at her silliness. While I’m not of the same stern discipline as Saturn, death and rebirth are still very serious business. There has not been much to laugh about.
“You know,” Zahra says. “I think that is the first time I have ever heard you laugh! You should do it more often; I love the sound of it. But not as much as I love your accent. Come to think of it, why do you still have a brogue?”
Her comment takes me by surprise. I hadn’t realized I was still speaking with an accent, especially considering we were speaking Zodian. I assess my thought processes for a reason, and I’m intrigued to learn that it has been a subconscious attempt to please my Venus. Lina was so very hard to make happy, but Zahra takes pleasure in the simple things.
My accent reminds her of home, and I instinctively knew this.
It’s scary how quickly she burrowed her way into my heart- into all our hearts.
I realize now that even when we thought she was Lina, Zahra the Human was making an impression. Sun and Merc knew it, though. They recognized the light in Zahra even before we knew who she was. It wasn’t difficult to give Venus my heart because Zahra had already won it. I meant it when I said I loved her; I do love Zahra, and that’s what’s so dangerous about her.
She could have been Lina and made us all fall for her human incarnation.
I think about this and acknowledge that it’s not entirely true. Because of her curse, Lina has never encouraged ‘lighter’ feelings in us. The curse makes us darker, and therefore, unable to love. I don’t know if Lina even realized this aspect, but she practically made it impossible for us to reciprocate any true loving emotion.
Zahra, though, slowed Lina’s curse. As the Goddess of Love and Beauty, she made it possible for us to feel again. And it’s for that reason, I believe, that we fell in love with her; because our souls recognized the light in her as our counterpart. She is the other half to our incompleteness.
She is our soul mate.
“I never thought I would say this, because I hate Barney, but you make purple the sexiest fucking color ever. And that smile kind of melts my heart. What’s it for?”
Her words bring me out of my thoughts.
“It’s for you,” I say simply.
I wait for her response, but instead feel her push into my arms. Even blinded, I can tell this woman is stunning, as I slip my hands possessively over her curves. She purrs under my touch and I growl like an animal in need. She arches into my body and I bury my face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent deeply while trying to regain my self-control.
Of course, she challenges this by rolling her hips and turning her face into mine.
“Zahra, we need to talk ab-”
Her mouth silences mine, and I kiss her like a starving man.
Which I am.
Starved for love.
For compassion, trust, affection.
The darkness of death repels many. Even in human form, people recognized the shadows within me and gave me a wide berth. Only my brothers feel comfortable in my presence.
But Zahra accepts me.
“Mo shíorghrá, I want this more than you can possibly know, but why are you here?”
“I came to get you. And to power up. Once fully charged, we are going direct and meeting back on Earth. We really need to focus on breaking the curse,” she mumbles between kisses.
Her body undulates against mine and it’s becoming difficult to breathe, let alone think.
“Ok. Do you think we should talk fir-”
She puts me out of my misery she whispers, “No.”
