by Erica M Kim
“Oh yeah. Crap.” I completely forgot about my precious car that I left at a random parking lot downtown.
“Then I went back to Vincent’s place.” Lio continues as he put eggs and toast down on my plate. “It looked like the police hadn’t come yet, so I did a final check to make sure we got all the evidence. I brought your knives back,” he says as he points to my coffee table, where a set of clean knives laid. “Did you know he has an entire basement dedicated to distributing cocaine? It’s pretty insane. More drugs and cash than you can imagine. The police are going to have a field day with that.”
“No, I didn’t see that.” I realize then that my lack of knowledge about Vincent’s house led to my near death.
“Lio, thank you for last night,” I say sincerely, staring into his eyes. “I wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for you. But I really need you to explain to me how you knew everything.”
“Okay. Eat, and I’ll tell you how I know.”
The eggs are perfectly cooked over easy, and the taste of yolk bursting in my mouth makes me feel a hundred times better. My back is very tender, so I can’t quite lean against the chair. Lio butters my toast while he watches me scarf down the eggs, followed quickly by a bite of crispy bacon. His face attempts to hide a smile.
“Good?”
“Mm-hmm,” I let out between chews. “You gonna tell me the truth behind the light show you put on earlier?”
Lio nods as he brings his hands together in front of him and takes in a deep breath. “Your parents were Classics professors, so they must have told myths of the ancient Greek gods and goddesses?”
I nod. My parents frequently told me these myths as bedtime stories.
“Well, what if I told you that those stories are rooted in some truth? While the Greek gods and goddesses are made-up fables from storytellers such as Homer, the ideas are grounded in reality.”
“Keep going . . .”
“Religions all around the world worship many deities. In the very core of our being, we want to believe that there is some omnipotent power out there that helps right the universe when everything is falling apart. Well, some of these deities are real, Lunis. There are eight of them, and each of them represents different divine powers in the world.” Lio’s eyes inspect my reaction, and I try to remain neutral despite my serious desire to burst out laughing.
Lio continues, “The eight Devas work together to maintain balance in the universe, ensuring that not one Deva has more power than the other so that mankind does not crumble under imbalance.
“Many, many centuries ago, when faith for the Devas was strong, the men of the Manos family dedicated their lives as temple priests for Solis, the Deva of the sun, healing, music, warmth, and peace. For hundreds of years, our family was blessed with the honor as Solis’s protector, and our job was to guard his temple.
“With the rise of other religions around the world, most temples and relics of the Devas were destroyed. Stories of the Devas faded from history and morphed into mythologies of other religions. For centuries, depending on the ruler, there was persecution, followed by a grace period, only to be followed by more persecution. But the most loyal followers remained, and throughout time, we have watched our beliefs turn from religion to mythology to nothing.” Lio looks at me with sadness in the depth of his eyes.
“The Devas who had remaining loyalists wanted to reward their followers. Solis selected one bloodline, the Manos, to act as eternal stewards. The other deities did the same. I am the protector, the Guardian, of Solis, as my father was before me, and my grandfather before him, and so forth.”
“So . . . what does that mean exactly?” My curiosity is kicking into full fledge.
“The Devas have accepted that they will never be a stronghold religion in the world again. They mainly act as silent deities that ensure universal balance. The Devas seek to keep balance amongst each other. The chosen Guardians are there to make sure that not one Deva is abusing his or her power in this world. We all act as a system of checks and balances amongst each other.
“The day Astra, Deva of the moon, transformation, animal, instability, and darkness, cursed your mother’s womb, the other Devas were aghast. Astra acted foolishly and impulsively out of jealousy. The Devas have been watching you and the woman you have become.”
My mind struggles to cope with this new information. I am quite frankly stunned. My brain flies to the letter written by my mother years ago. She was telling the truth. It was all true.
“Do you know the story of why Astra cursed my parents?”
Lio looks away, lost in deep thought. “You won’t believe the reason, even if I told you.”
“Try me. I know that something happened during their honeymoon, when they traveled to Turkey, something at a cave that overlooks Lake Bafa. But I never found out exactly what they were doing before they heard that voice curse them.”
After staring at me for a split second, Lio answers me. “They were making love in a cave where Astra rests nightly with her eternally slumbering human mortal. Astra witnessed them, and it struck her with such jealousy and anger that she cursed your mother’s womb. Astra has always had a volatile temper . . .”
“Seriously? The story of Astra is so similar to the story of Selene.” My mind leaps back to a memory of my parents discussing their favorite myth of Selene and Endymion at the dinner table.
“Yes, they are nearly one and the same. As I said, much of Greek mythology is based on the Devas.”
My fingers dig into my temple. This is so much for me to digest. “My mother wrote to me in a letter that doctors told her she couldn’t have children. She viewed Astra’s curse as a blessing in a weird way.”
Lio holds my hand between his warm hands as he continues. “You are a blessing, Lunis.”
I don’t have a response to Lio, so I change the subject. “How come Astra doesn’t have a Guardian?”
“The family line that was selected to protect Astra was decimated by a plague centuries ago. She has not selected a Guardian since. But you . . . you kind of are her Guardian.”
Whoa. I did not expect that last statement. And to think that there could be others that are like me, and potentially more powerful, is mind-blowing.
“Devas are able to bestow power onto humans as they wish? Or in my case, by way of a curse?”
“We have never seen or heard of that. It must have been a special place, during a special time for Astra to be able to do that to your mother,” Lio says pensively. “Solis was summoned by the other deities to rectify the mistakes of Astra, his sister, and he, in turn, summoned me.”
A realization dawns on me and sinks in slowly as other doubts rise to the surface.
“So, you’re telling me that you came into my shop knowing who I was?” My voice spikes with suspicion.
“Yes, I had already been watching you for a while, Lunis.” Lio remains calm despite the anger rising in me.
“And what about everything else, Lio? Was it all a sham? Our dates? Were you stringing me along for a ride just to keep tabs on me while you played games with my heart?” Rage and venom seep into my accusatory words as betrayal hits me across the face. I yank my hand out from Lio’s grasp.
“No, Lunis. Of course, it was a part of my assignment . . .” Lio’s face softens, his eyes pleading.
“Assignment?!”
“Yes. Hear me out,” Lio says as he tries to hold my hand again, but I quickly snatch it away again. He continues calmly, “It was an assignment to follow you and track you, but it was not a part of an assignment to fall for you, Lunis. That part was me . . . and all real. That’s why you may have sensed hesitation from me around our relationship. I couldn’t help that my emotions were getting mixed in with what I knew I had to do.”
“And what exactly were you tasked to do?” Lio looks away at my question, and I’m certain I’m not going to like the answer. “Lio, what was your assignment?” I ask again.
“It was to take you out in order to restore balance.
The chaos you have been causing with your assignments has not been well-received by the Devas. They see your actions as retribution and spiteful, a reflection of Astra’s emotions when she bestowed her powers onto you.” Wow. This whole time I thought I was playing games with my targets, and here’s Lio, playing the biggest game with me. I could not fucking believe it.
“Lunis, you have to understand that after getting to know you, there was no way”—Lio looks at me, and his eyes are filled with pain and sincerity—“that I could ever hurt you. No matter who you are or what you’ve done. You are not at all what I expected,” he says as he grabs my hand again, this time successfully. He gently massages the pads of my thumb. “I abandoned my assignment when I went to Greece to visit the sacred temple of Solis. I told Solis that I could not follow through with what he expected of me . . . because of . . . love.”
I am too shocked to say anything. I look at Lio instead, trying to decipher if he’s telling me the truth, and all I see is honesty in his eyes.
“Solis took pity on me. He realized that the reason behind your curse is due to Astra’s grief and obsession for losing her mortal, and he realized that doing the same to me would essentially repeat the curse on his line of guardians.
“He pardoned the original assignment, and he decided we need to protect you instead.”
Lio’s eyes search me for some sort of response, which I’m unable to give as I try to take in everything he’s telling me. I am beyond shocked.
“By the time I figured out Vincent was your next target and pieced your plan together, I was already too late, and you had already become . . .”
“A monster?”
“No, Lunis, never that. You had become your other self.” Lio gently smiles and massages my sore wrists.
“Luckily, Ramon told me where you were. And when I saw you tied up to that wall, stripped down and covered in blood, it made me boil.”
It’s hard for me to look at Lio as shame prickles my face once again.
“Lunis, you were doing what you had to do, but I hope you realize that I don’t ever want to see you sell your body like that. Never.”
“I know, Lio.”
“Lunis,” he says seriously, lifting my chin so his eyes could pierce my own. “Promise me. Promise me that you’ll never sell yourself ever again.”
It’s not an easy thing to do, but I know it’s the right thing. It’s what my parents would want. “I promise, Lio.” Lio lets my chin go after a few moments of scrutinizing my sincerity.
“So, what’s next? For me? For you? For us?” I emphasize “us” to make sure Lio knows what I mean.
“Well, we are still in a state of imbalance, and now that I have shown allegiance with you, I imagine the other Devas are preparing their Guardians to gear up as well.”
“I don’t understand what that means.” My eyebrows are knitted together, trying to make sense of the implications of Lio’s words.
“It means that the others are going to be stepping up soon, and some will seek to restore balance, while others will try to use the chaos to their advantage. Some will be on our side. And some will not.”
“Have we started some deistic war?” My voice edges on the border of hysteria.
“I wouldn’t jump to that conclusion yet. But I think it’s safe to say that the future is uncertain.” Even though Lio’s voice is reassuring, I can see the worry in his eyes. “I’m going to help you, Lunis. Not only protect you but train you.”
“Train me? How?” I ask, genuinely perplexed.
“I believe in you, Lunis. With proper training and guidance, you’ll be able to overcome what you call the monstrosity that takes over. You’ve been doing this alone for too long.” Lio rubs my arm gently as he continues. “I also believe that you have only tapped into a part of your powers. I believe that there’s more that you’re capable of than you or I can imagine. After all, the moon evolves not just once a month, but every night. There is power in that truth. We need to rein your power before it reigns over you.”
“And . . .” My voice trails off unsure of how to address the matters of the heart. “What about our relationship?”
“What about our relationship? What is there to ask? I care about you deeply, and I think you feel the same about me. I want to be with you, Lunis. You are the first person and the only person that I’ve ever felt this way about. You make me feel complete, and I want to give us a try. A real try.”
“Me too.” And I mean it wholeheartedly.
Before I can say any more, my lips are enveloped by Lio’s. His tongue softly caresses my own, and his arm pulls me onto his lap. I realize at last that I feel at home. I wrap my arms around the man who saved me, my man, and deepen my kiss, spilling myself into him. For once and for all. I feel his warmth crashing over me. Again, and again.
I have just begun to learn about why I am the way I am. I realize that there’s nothing left to hide anymore. I may be made of darkness, but I am starting to accept it, and I fully believe that I deserve more than the life I’ve granted myself so far. I want to give love a try. And above all, I want to give myself a try. A real try.
I am Lunis Kendall. Dog groomer extraordinaire by day. Bloodthirsty monster by night. Cursed by some crazy jealous deity. Starter of deistic wars. I have many faults. I have made many mistakes. And I have so many fears. But I am going to start accepting and embracing myself from here on out, little by little.
“Lunis, baby,” Lio says, at last breaking our marvelous make-out session.
“Mmm?” I say in a haze.
“Do you know what’s in three months?” This time my eyes fly open, and I’m a bit annoyed that he’s breaking this moment with cold, cruel reality. Seriously, now?
“Yes . . . the Super Blood Moon.”
The End
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Acknowledgments
First and foremost, James, thank you for believing in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. Through every moment of doubt, insecurity, and uncertainty, you pushed me forward. You helped make my childhood dream come true, and for that, there are not enough words to express my gratitude. We make one hell of a team and I’m so proud of it.
A special thank you to my friend, Sunny, who read the very first draft of the manuscript and encouraged me to actually publish it. And to my beta readers, who helped provide invaluable feedback to improve the story. As well as to Ty Hutchinson, for guiding me through this process and answering millions of questions about being an indie author.
I also need to thank my umma for watching our little ones so we could spend the weekend working to bring this book to life.
And lastly, to my two little humans. Without you, I am nothing. You two truly are my sun, moon, and stars.
About the Author
Growing up, Erica frequently got lost in worlds full of mages, vampires, assassins, and spaceships to escape the mundane of everyday life. Books have always been, and forever will be, one of her favorite ways to pass time. At sixteen, Erica knew she would one day publish a book, and every day that she writes, she feels like she’s living a dream.
Erica believes life is just more interesting with supernatural powers and paranormal romance, and is incredibly excited to share her stories with you. Erica lives in Southern California with her husband, two children and cat.
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