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Kassam hesitates. He moves to my side, running his knuckles lightly along my jaw as he gazes down at me. I can see the torment in his eyes. He's weighing whether or not my good opinion of him outweighs his need to go home. "I care for Carly, as much as any god can care for a mortal," he admits, looking over at Seth. "But I know you care nothing for yours. I have made a promise to mine to keep her safe. I need you to make the same promise to yours."
"What? Why?" Seth sounds offended. "She's a mortal. She could die from any number of things. Why do I have to vow to keep her safe? Why do you care?"
"Because Carly cares," Kassam says simply.
And even though I'm still angry over the “little light” situation and the fact that Margo's being manipulated, I kinda want to hug Kassam for that. He cares because I care. Because I matter to him. I'd cry a little if my tear ducts weren't frozen.
Seth sighs, the sound a little petulant. "Fine. Whatever. Can we just get going?"
"Do you agree not to harm the female?" Kassam states specifically. "I need a better answer than 'whatever.' Do you swear to protect her with all your might?"
A moment ticks by. Then another. Seth glares at Kassam. "Yes. Fine."
Definitely going to kiss Kassam when this is all over and done with. My guy turns to Lachesis. "And I need a promise from you, as well."
She rolls her eyes, taking a pull on her cigarette before flicking it. "Here we go. Spit it out."
"Promise you will not pull Carly's thread prematurely. Nor this other female."
"Honey, I don't pull the threads. That's my sister."
Kassam gives her an icy look. "Then make her promise."
Lachesis sighs. Her eyes turn completely black for a moment, then flicker to normal once more. "She promises."
Kassam grunts, as if satisfied. "Then I am ready. Send us through."
The goddess nods. "Good luck, you two. Hold on to your mortal, and when you cross over, they'll unfreeze. I don't dare do it beforehand or we're going to be here all night." There's a note of impatience in her voice. "And I'm already growing tired of this. So both of you, snag your humans, and when I start pulling on threads, you're going to see a portal open. I advise you to go through it quickly before someone gets wind of what we're up to. Understand?" She looks between the two gods. "Okay. Great. Let's roll."
Warm hands cup my waist, and then Kassam pulls me—still frozen like a mannequin—against his chest. I can't see anything now but his shoulder. He strokes my hair once and murmurs, "All will be well, Carly. I promise."
Then there's a bright light that sears my frozen eyelids. I can't blink away. I can't scream. I can only stare at Kassam's shoulder as he gives my back one last pat and then surges forward.
Something hard and painful yanks, and for a moment, it feels as if my spine has been ripped out of my body.
Then…nothing. Nothing at all.
28
When I wake up next, it's to a crick in my neck, an ache in my pussy, and my stomach growling.
My eyes flutter open, and I stare at the green canopy overhead. Trees. Big ones. Okay, that's not so weird. Considering we were in a park, that's kinda expected. I raise a hand to my forehead, rubbing it to get rid of a forming headache. I can hear water somewhere, trickling and pleasant, like a fountain.
Something moves into my sight, and then a tongue licks my forehead. I frown, lowering my hand as a big deer with an enormous rack of antlers licks my brow, as if I'm an errant fawn in need of cleaning. I sputter, trying to move away from that licking tongue. "Hey now!"
There's a chuckle somewhere off to my side, and the liquid heat that pools in my belly tells me that it's Kassam. Pushing the insistent deer aside, I sit up.
And I get my first look at my new surroundings.
Wow. Just wow.
It's like something out of a Disney movie. I'm lying in lush green grasses that make a soft bed underneath me. The wind picks up, rustling the leaves out of the tall, fantastic-looking trees all around, sunlight trickling through the branches and dappling the scenery. In the distance, I see a charming waterfall, cascading over rocks into a pool below, and the mist that forms around the rocks is full of rainbows. The air smells like flowers and fresh air, and I breathe deeply, because I've never smelled anything quite so fresh before. Birds chirp and dart through the skies overhead. As I look around, I see deer and small animals everywhere. They nibble on the greenery and wander about in the glade, content.
