Page 74 of Total Lunar Eclipse
Which kind of chaps my ass, but I think when Zahra made the Elements, she imparted some of herself in the process and they simply understand and respond to it. I still think they’re ass-twerps, though.
“Who knows; who cares,” Mars remarks nonchalantly.
“I care,” Zahra says softly. “She was unbalanced, Caed. You know what that felt like when only the darkness consumed you. I just want to help her.”
“You have a tender heart,” Vesta compliments. “And a very perverted mind.”
“Thank you,” Zahra accepts graciously. “Can I ask you a personal question, by the way?”
“Sure,” Vesta replies.
“Are you a squirter? I mean, you are with the water element. . .”
“Excuse me?” Vesta splutters, while we all groan at Zahra’s appalling lack of manners.
“What? It’s not like she’s a sweet, old virgin, Besides, I can’t call her Gerty McSquirty if it’s not true.”
“Can you give us a moment?” Sunny asks the Minors and they rush to exit the room, probably fearing Saturn’s lecture on manners to Zahra.
But we’re not going to lecture her.
Much.
We form a circle around our goddess and wait while she rants about just teasing ‘General Gerty’ and Mars finally clamps a hand over her mouth to shut her up.
“Zahra, I know we haven’t been you dating long, but every last one of us worships the ground you walk upon. And not because you were the answer to our curse, but because you are the sunshine in my life,” Sunny tells her.
“And because you’re the life to my death,” Pluto adds.
“And my fantasy come to life,” my twin says.
“Because you temper me,” Mars puns.
“Because you piss me off,” Saturn says in seriousness.
“Because as much as you think I’m the Devil, you’re a little she-devil, too,” Merc says, smiling.
“Because I can always be myself with you,” I murmur.
“Because you make me feel like the luckiest man in the universe,” Jupiter concludes.
“Venus, you are brilliant, brave, stubborn, and so fucking clueless. I love you. We all love you,” Saturn asserts and we all shakes our heads in agreement. Zahra’s eyes fill with tears as we all get down on one knee. “Will you be our media naranja, love?”
Saturn opens a box and nestled in the center is a ring cut with every gemstone imaginable. The rainbow of crystals creates prisms of colorful light to bounce around the room and Zahra’s breath catches. Next to it is a crescent-shaped brooch studded with opals. Beside the brooch is a golden bracelet with sphinxes at the ends, their held-hands the clasp. Brilliant sapphires are their eyes. Lastly, there’s a silver ouroboros pendant with a shiny black onyx behind it. The serpentine form is swallowing its tail, symbolizing our eternal love.
“They’re beautiful. Before I answer, what does everything mean?” she asks.
“We already know you’re going to say yes,” Saturn says arrogantly.
“Maybe,” Zahra teases.
“The crescent with opals is obviously forLina. We know now she lacked her balance and thank you for being better than us. We would have just killed her, but that’s not your way. You found a way to, not only spare her life, but bring her a new one. The sphinxes are because you constantly talk in riddles and we never understand you. And the onyx ouroboros is for many things, but mainly to express our undying love. Like this circle, it will never end. The onyx is for Lilith and while she may be Moon’s balance and Goddess of Darkness and the Taboo,youare our balance and our little Goddess of Freaky Sex. It’s to remind you of all you have done for us. Now say you’ll marry us,” Saturn directs imperiously.
“Fine, but under one condition,” Zahra bargains.
“Anything,” Jupiter agrees the same time Mars says ‘what’ suspiciously.
Zahra just laughs.
