To my surprise, the High Father smiles.
"The very fact that you worry about such things tells me you will not," he says to Kassam. "You have truly grown and I am pleased. This Anticipation has taught me much. It always pains me to punish my children, but I like to hope that the rewards will be as sweet." His smile broadens. "This Anticipation is showing the true colors of all. Riekki welcomes war on her doorstep to cling to power, and Magra abuses her anchors by draining them of life to prolong her own and then switching them. Vor thrives on creating chaos, and Gental has set himself up with a harem of women and men eager to do his bidding. I fear they are lost."
His expression grows sad, and the questions I have—like who Magra is, what sort of chaos Vor is causing—die in my throat.
"Others have shown me that even though things are changing, it is not necessarily bad. So I have decided that we, too, shall change…if you are willing to try?" The High Father gives Kassam a fond look. "Or is your heart set on abandoning this world?"
I can feel Kassam hesitate, but his answer is firm. "My heart is set upon being with Carly."
My eyes burn with tears, because I'm not sure what I did to deserve such a sweet, perfect partner, but I'll take him. I hug the arm he has wrapped around me, never wanting to let go.
The High Father watches us, and I could swear that fondness in his eyes flickers over me as well as Kassam. "Aron of the Cleaver was given an anchor from the other realm, as well. It was an experiment that the Spidae and I came up with. Perhaps lessons will be learned if they are learned together. An anchor that is mortal, with all its failings, but who is also yet unfamiliar with this world can help point out some of the problems, and bring new ideas with them. It worked very well, and Aron was restored quickly. What I did not anticipate was that he would fall in love with his anchor. He was furious when she was taken from him and stormed Death's realm to retrieve her." He chuckles. "Rhagos was not pleased."
"What happened to her?" I ask, unable to remain silent.
The High Father blinks at me. "I have decided that the Aspect that ascends shall keep his anchor at his side, to allow that anchor to continue influencing their partner—their god—just as they did in the mortal realm."
"Forever?" I'm breathless at the thought. Kassam squeezes me so tightly I swear my ribs are going to pop, but I get it. I feel the same way he does.
"Forever." The High Father casts an amused look at Kassam. "But you must promise to listen to her advice and not spend all your time in orgies with dryads."
Kassam chuckles like a naughty boy and presses a kiss to my hair. "I am only interested in touching Carly. All others have lost their appeal."
I rub my ear. "I'm sorry, did you say orgies with dryads?" Am I going to have to kick a bunch of dryad asses if they try to touch my man?
"Will you stay, then?" the High Father asks, not looking at me. His focus is entirely upon Kassam, and for a moment I could swear his emotions show through, and I get the impression that he doesn't want Kassam to leave at all. That if Kassam turns him down, it will hurt him unbearably. I wonder if even the High Father has favorites. It's easy to love Kassam, so I get it.
Kassam turns me in his arms, his gaze seeking mine. "Will you stay with me, Carly? Be my wife and my anchor? It will mean that you will remain here in my world forever. You will be forced to endure me, day in and day out." His expression grows flirty. "Though I promise we shall continue our one-up games."
I grab him by the ears and kiss him. "I love you, you idiot. Of course I'll stay. You didn't even have to ask." I kiss him again and then pull back. "But you have to promise to keep off the dryads."
"Did I not just say that I only have eyes for you?" He arches a brow at me and sticks a finger in my ear. "Is your hearing going, my little light?"
I push his hand away and grab a fistful of his permanently tangled hair. "I'm just warning you. If there's an orgy on your plane, it had better be an orgy of two. Me and you. That's all."
The smile he gives me is one of delight. "All holes filled by me shall be yours. I understand."
I squint. I'm not sure if I should agree with that. "Can we focus, please? You need to give your father an answer…" I turn around, trailing off, and then frown as I realize we're in the room alone. "Did he leave?"
"He did. He knows my answer." Kassam settles me in his lap, tucking me against his chest. "You swear you will not mind staying with me? I do not want you to be sad, my little light."
Sad? How can I possibly be sad? I reach up and caress his jaw, at the short beard that's been coming in slowly. "You and me forever? You getting your powers and your realm back? How could I possibly be sad?"
He gives me another fierce kiss, and then another, and another, as if he can't stop kissing me. "Because you're forced to stay with me now. You will be at my side for all eternity. You will not be able to go back to your world." He kisses me again, each one more fervent than the last. "I will make it up to you, I promise."
Am I sad about that? I won't miss tending bar, or drunk customers. I won't miss being behind on rent payments, or the smells of the city, or when my car breaks down on a snowy day. I won't miss a lot, actually…but I'll miss my mom. My mom, who I've been too busy to fret over, and who is probably losing her mind with worry over her only child. "Oh, Kassam, my mother—"
Kassam nuzzles my face, all affection. "I will speak to the Spidae and make a bargain with them. It won't be the same as your thread. Hers will be whole." He draws up, suddenly remembering. "If I ever hurt you again, you have to tell me. I had no idea I'd pulled so hard that I broke you. It wasn't worth it. Nothing is worth your pain, my sweet Carly."
"There's nothing to be done over it," I say. "It's in the past. All of that is." I touch my chest, where my stitches are, and to my surprise, they feel loose. My skin suddenly itches, and when I scratch at the stitches, they fall away, revealing smooth, bare skin. "What—"
"He has healed you."
My skin prickles and I sharply look up at Kassam, because that's his voice, but…it's different. Richer. Full of strange, deep, echoing tones like the High Father's was, tones that remind me of the forest. As I stare up at my husband, his silver eyes seem ablaze, his bronze skin luminous, as if he's glowing from within. The broken horn atop his head repairs itself as I stare, surging out and then branching tall and proud. He suddenly looks like more. He radiates power, his scent that of open air and flowers and pine trees. Vines crawl up his skin, twining in his thick hair, and he's the most gorgeous, most untamed thing I've ever seen. Kassam takes my hand in his.
I can tell the moment the bond between us kicks in again. After weeks of feeling not much at all, the moment our fingers touch, my stomach growls, my mouth feels like a desert, and my libido rears its head. I orgasm immediately.
Just like old times.
The look he gives me is positively devilish as he kisses my fingertips. "Come, my little light. Let us go home."
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