by Andur
The male blanket which is covering me mumbles something, shifts, squeezes my ass and goes back to sleep.
If he wasn't a hugger I would have nothing to complain about him. He is smart, has skill and influence, his heart is in the right place and his endurance is exquisite. I could really get used to having him in my bed. Oh, and he is definitely not a morning person, but that works for me.
I sigh. So does that mean that I have to abduct him too when I go back home? That's so not going to work. Though Mom would surely have nothing against it. She is fire and flame for educating men into proper husbands, damn the guy's opinion.
But what will Marcus do once I have him in my realm? The members of my family are the only ones who can use the pathways. I would have my very own prince waiting for me in my bedroom. Dad will surely make me some sturdy chains if I ask nicely.
Oh, yeah... but there was the call from his mother. Perseus was temporarily arrested until all his ex-girlfriends are questioned. Once all the evidence is taken care of, charges will be pressed and Perseus will most probably lose a lot of his power and prestige. This realm has some pretty harsh laws against any form of mind manipulation.
Perseus's attack on me alone can get him a few years if I personally press charges against him. All in all the royal family of this country will have a nice scandal on their hands once the reason for Perseus's imprisonment becomes public.
And that means that the succession might shift, making Marcus even more important.
Coffee. I need coffee to start the day. And then I can deal with all my slip-ups.
Pushing his shoulder, I slowly ease myself out from under Marcus and crawl to the edge of my oversized bed. I swing my legs to the floor in order to get up.
At least that's what I intended to do...
One of my legs halts mid air and I lose my balance, slipping with my butt over the bed's edge and landing on the floor with a loud bump! This results in me lying on the floor, with my left lower leg still on the bed.
I use my hands to get into an upright position and inspect the golden shackle which is around my left ankle. From there, a silver chain runs to a similar shackle which is attached to Marcus's right ankle.
He is grinning at me, propping his head on his right hand. So either the noise of my fall, or the tug on the chain, woke him up. Raising his leg, he rattles the chain. “Not twice. Not with me. If you run off after giving me the best night of all my memories, then you at least have to properly say goodbye.”
I reach for a pillow and throw it at his face. “I didn't have the intention to run! What good would it do me? You've proven that you would just run around and search until you find me.”
Nodding, he reaches forward and unlocks the shackles. Which have number locks... I strain my neck to see the correct code and Marcus readily allows me to watch. “Having the number does you no good. The chains are spelled to wake me up either way if they are removed. And that was the whole goal of having them anyway.”
I furrow my forehead. “You are that afraid that I'd run away?”
“I am just prepared for everything. Falling in love with a mysterious goddess like you causes a man to be careful.” He slides closer. “Your eyes are back to normal, that's good.”
Falling in love... that's what I fear will happen to me if he gets any more likeable. I reach up to my eyes. “Normal?”
He shrugs. “You went all snake eyed on me yesterday. So I figured that saying no to your request would have been bad. You have to work on your control, though your eyes are beautiful.”
I shake my head. “No, that's fine. They simply do that when I get excited. It's not like I am in danger of losing control.”
Once the shackle is off, I get to my feet and invade the kitchen area. There I use some powdered coffee to make me a quick fix. Looking out of the window, I pull a grimace. “It's already getting dark again! Our day-night cycle will be totally out of sync after pulling an all-nighter.”
“Not a single second of it was wasted.” Marcus sits up, but just in that moment something pulls on my magic. Someone is trying to get into the shop. And not only that. There is a very strong curse trying to find a target, but my wards are blurring our exact location.
Marcus gets to his feet and releases his aura as he starts a defensive working of his own, dispersing the attack while sending his mana into my magical formations, strengthening the wards.
The runes on the walls, floor and ceiling start glowing and I scream for Marcus to take cover as something shatters the window. I quickly hide behind the stove. A torrent of fire shoots into the room, just to be bent out of shape by my runes. The firestorm is redirected back outside to be returned to the attackers.
My wards scream in alarm as someone breaks into the shop below and my hearth magic automatically attacks. Before I can stop him, Marcus is up and out of the window. His exit is followed by an explosion shortly afterwards.
I give up my hiding spot behind the stove and follow him outside. I jump out of the window, dropping one floor to the street in front of my shop. Right into a group of eight spirits. Marcus is enclosed by his own opponents, four bodies at his feet.
Two of them are charred and crispy while the other two look like broken dolls. I recognize his handywork.
One of the spirits jumps at me and I dodge, placing a perfect roundhouse kick on his upper torso. The force sends the creature flying into the ground floor of my shop, where several other zombie spirits are fighting for their lives as my hearth magic tries to kill them with dancing kitchen knives, forks and pans. The brooms are doing their best in trying to stake the intruders while animated chairs and tables are running rampant.
The whole of my inventory bursts out of the shop to attack my enemies. They turn to flee, but are either staked by the two brooms, or overrun and trampled by the furniture. The brooms remind me of oversized shashlik skewers. I didn't fully realize how dangerous they are when I spelled them.
Taken by surprise and falling into complete disarray, the spirits try to retreat towards an open transport truck. One of them gets into the driver's seat, but Marcus summons an axe of light and hurls it at the creature. The spirit is torn apart as the summoned weapon splits like a fragmentation grenade upon impact.
I follow his lead in cleaning up the rest of the attackers, making sure that none get away. Despite our best efforts, some manage to escape over the fence and into the park.
As I pound the head of a zombie into the hard pavement, I notice the lights of DF vehicles and the screams of civilians who were still outside on the street when the attack happened. Since the spirit's forehead has an unhealthy dent, I deem it as unnecessary to further desecrate the corpse. My father taught me early on that a fight is only over when you are sure that the enemy is down and stays down. Forever.
Just in time, I notice Marcus finishing off the last attacker with an axe of light. Viking style, splitting his head and a good part of the upper body.
Then I realize that the battle must have taken longer than it felt. DF personnel is screaming and running around, some of them heading into the dark park to search for escaped spirits.
Charles and Clarity pop into existence right in the middle of the battlefield. Despite the late hour, they look perfect in their clothes. I have to give them kudos for their reaction time. Seems like they are really behind the problem with the new form of spirits.
From somewhere appeared reporters with cameras. Only Fate itself knows how they got here so fast. Cameras and flash-lights light up the road even better than the street lights. And a not a small amount of them are focused on me!
I look down on myself, just to realize that I am in my birthday suit. Completely naked. Just like Marcus.
Clarity's eyes widen upon taking in Marcus and me, displeased. Well, she should be happy that there is no semen dripping down the inner side of my thighs. Had the spirits struck last night or later tonight, that would have been a real possibility.
There are several options to deal with
this situation.
I could cover my womanly parts and scream like a little girl, running back to my house... no, I have more dignity than that.
Or I could start crushing all the cameras in the vicinity and wipe the mind of everyone who laid an eye on me. Strikes me as the arguably better solution, but probably not possible with three very strong divine ranks right next to me.
Finally, I could simply take this with dignity. It's not like having a beautiful body is a sin. I'll never understand why Mom is trying to train this so called 'decency' into me.
“Seria! You aren't hurt?” Marcus lowers his light-axe and hurries to my side, which results in rapid clicking of cameras as the paparazzi have a feast.
If there was any doubt about our relationship before, then that last piece of uncertainty is now well and truly gone. I straighten my back and strike a pose to ensure that nobody gets the idea that I am the girly type. My back straight, chest out and arms crossed, of course not in a way which makes it look like I am trying to hide something. My stance is wide enough to show that I don't care about the leechers all around me, but not so wide as to expose myself unnecessarily.
At last I smile coolly at Marcus and the royal couple. “Of course not. But these spirits should be taught that it is rude to attack a lady at her private quarters.”
“Especially if she has company!” Oops. Why did that last one have to slip out of my mouth?
21. ~Famous.~
“To become famous, you must do one of three things. Something incredibly stupid, something incredibly smart, or nothing, and let others do the work.”
The Journey to the Afterlife
Kingdom Newerth, Capital City
Seria
I sweep up the broken pieces of glass and shards of wood. “My beautiful store looks like a battlefield! Scrap that, it was a battlefield. Someone has to pay for this!”
Jimmy and Patricia already joined me in restoring everything to its previous glory. They were shocked when they arrived this morning at their workplace. For it to be attacked by the new spirits is a mystery in its own right. First, the fact that this was obviously a targeted attack.
Then the unexpected fierceness. I know that it ended in a one sided slaughter, but had my wards not been there, the first death curse could have assassinated Marcus and me and nobody would've known what happened. It was a strong spell, strong enough to slay a god. It was only after their curse failed that they tried more direct methods.
Adea watches me from her usual place in the back of the shop, her chin propped up on her hands. “I don't want to sound impertinent, Seria, but why are you using a broom to clean? Everyone knows by now that you are a god, so just wave your hand and restore everything to its proper state. You are on the news! Everyone is talking about you, no point in hiding your skills.”
I sigh and look at Adea, then at the broom. “I guess not showing off with my powers feels natural by now?”
Surveying the shop, I assess the damage. Much of the damage just requires cleaning and replacement of broken equipment. But there are also things which require professional craftsmanship. If I do this without magic, it would surely take over a week to repair everything by hand. I bite the inside of my cheek, considering. Two weeks of being closed down costs money, and I want this business to be successful.
I drop the broom and release my aura, carefully holding in the death magic. My mana floods the place, enveloping everything in its energy. Some people on the street gasp and halt in their tracks, overpowered by my aura. I pay them no heed.
Then I close my eyes and search my memories, imagining everything returning to its previous state. Slowly, the shattered glass rearranges itself, returning to its place in the windows. Broken wood knits together, the steel fence bends back to shape.
My minds expands as the world reshapes itself according to my wishes. When it's done, I reel myself back in together with my power.
Upon opening my eyes again, the shop is whole, ready to welcome customers. Though there are still bloodstains in the front, and the crime-scene tape is a deterrent.
Patricia gasps and gets back to her feet. At some point during the process she had to sit down. “You really are a divine. I heard that their power equals a god. Experiencing it first-hand though is something completely different.”
I smile wryly. “Sorry about that. Maybe I should have kept it down a little more.”
Patricia wrinkles her forehead. “You could release even more power?”
Adea answers the question for me. “All divine have almost unlimited power reserves, Mom. Gods are keeping their auras mostly suppressed, limiting their own power. If they don't do that, most lesser ranks would get overwhelmed by their presence. The lower ranks who are living in this city would be writhing on the floor with foam in front of their mouths.”
I touch my cheek, basking in old memories. “Aw, aunty Jazira! Don't try to be polite. If you let go completely and release your whole power, even the ground under your feet melts away and your immediate surroundings are charred crispy!”
Adea whines and squirms. “Don't call me that! I am Adea now. The Jazira who I remember was much too girly.”
I decide to tease her. “Aw, the immortal empress simply knew that she has womanly charms. The current you just has to regain a little self confidence. And then you can finally take the lead in your relationship with the prince.”
Patricia eyes her daughter with renewed interest. “Her previous reincarnation was more womanly? That's somehow hard to imagine when I think about my daughter. She is always hiding behind others and plays the meek little girl. Maybe it does her good if her relationship with the prince forces her into the limelight.”
Adea shakes her head. “Luckily Seria is a much stronger magnet for attention. The media are calling her the flashing goddess of death!”
I gasp. “Flashing goddess of death!?”
She nods. “Yes, mainly because of that video. Haven't you seen it yet? The one where you bash in the spirit's head while being naked? They say that you corrupted the second prince and stole his innocence. Some groups are demanding an immediate marriage to restore the honour of the royal family.”
I clench my teeth. “And what's with the escapades of the first prince?” The scandal regarding him isn't even public yet.
Adea raises both hands. “That's just what the people are saying. It doesn't mean that anyone forces you into anything. The masses are always coming up with the stupidest ideas. Where is Marcus by the way? I thought you promised to yourself that you wouldn't end up in bed again?”
Patricia charges and hugs me. “Kyaaa, so it's true!? I knew it! You two are such a good match.”
I push her away. “Don't overdo it! I don't love him.” Yet. “I simply wanted someone to relieve a little stress. We are... friends with benefits.” If I want to have sex, I can damn well fuck whoever is in reach and attractive. It's not like I am married.
Adea purses her lips. “Riiight... but it seems like you can tell that to your honeydue yourself.” She points behind me and I turn around. Marcus is approaching my shop, coming from the street. While I stayed behind after yesterday's attack, he went with the authorities, namely his parents, to make a statement regarding the attack. Of course I was also questioned, but Charles and Clarity seemed much more interested in having a private word with their son.
Or to clarify the nature of their discussion, a word from king and queen to the second prince.
A few moments later he enters the shop, his expression transforming into a smile. “Seria! You are fine? What happened to the shop? It's back to its former homeliness!”
I shrug. “I figured that using my powers would be forgiveable if I keep it tuned down.”
Patricia nods. “It was awesome! She simply closed her eyes and then there was this power... and everything returned to its former state.”
Jimmy sighs, entering the discussion for the first time. “It just means that she doesn't allow me a single day off, even if the s
hop is torn to pieces.” Until now Jimmy sat silently at one of the tables, waiting.
As if on command, the first guests enter the shop and Jimmy walks off to tend to them.
Marcus joins us at the back wall of the shop and takes his usual seat. “I've got some very disturbing news regarding the spirits.”
I raise both eyebrows. “More disturbing than that they attacked us here? Or the fact that someone must have informed the media for them to be at the scene just a few seconds after the attack? More disturbing than spirits who apparently have enough brain cells left to formulate a plan? Why we even became a target at all?”
Marcus presses his lips together. “It's correct that all those questions need to be answered, but I learned that the DF caught one of them alive. And it talks.”
I lean back. “A talking spirit? If that isn't interesting. What does it want?”
Marcus's expression turns confused. “That's the strange thing. It's talking about other dimensions and gave us an ultimatum.”
“Ultimatum?” Adea asks.
Marcus spreads his hands. “Yes. It accuses us of hiding someone from Dedessia. But we have no idea who, or what Dedessia is. The spirits want us to hand over the person in question. Otherwise they threaten to intensify their attacks. My parents want you to see the spirit.”
Why do they want me to see the spirit?
22. ~How far.~
“Civilised nations don't conquer other nations and don't torture prisoners. They know that torture doesn't yield results.
Uncivilised nations conquer other nations and torture prisoners. Do they know something others do not?”
The Journey to the Afterlife
Kingdom Newerth, Capital City
Marcus
“We want you to interrogate the spirit. Find out everything you can, then inform us of the results,” Charles addresses Seria with a severe expression on his face.
