Chapter 39
THIRTY-NINE
I feel the surge of energy coursing through my fingertips as I press them to his frozen face. The chill of his skin slowly gives way to a warm, rosy hue as life returns to his features.
He blinks and drops of moisture fall from his lashes, remnants of the ice that had once encased him.
“Are you all right?” I ask, my voice shaking with anxiety.
He tries to speak, but the chattering of his teeth muffles his words.
“Oh, what have I done,” I whisper, my heart racing in panic.
Forcing myself into action, I help him to his feet and guide him to the tub at the end of the ice chamber. A quick glance behind me reveals that even the fire has been extinguished, so I hurry to rekindle it while carefully lowering him into the tub.
Summoning every ounce of my strength, I focus on the ice around him, willing it to melt. The temperature of the water rises with a powerful surge of energy.
“My powers haven’t been this uncontrollable since I was just learning to use them,” I admit through gritted teeth as sweat beads form on my forehead.
Slowly, his body begins to regain its healthy glow as he lowers himself into the tub. The hot water envelops him, warming every inch of his once-frozen skin.
“Don’t blame yourself, Minnie,” he says with a reassuring smile. “It was rather…hot.”
“No, it was freezing. I froze you!” I exclaim, more guilt washing over me.
He resurfaces from under the water, droplets cascading off his slick hair. Leaning forward with a mischievous glint in his eyes, he rests his arms on the edge of the tub. Despite nearly succumbing to hypothermia just moments ago, he appears lively and playful.
“I must say, though,” he teases, “before I became a human popsicle, I got to see you climax and that alone is worth everything.” His smirk widens.
“Did you like it?” he asks knowingly.
“Of course I did,” I reply breathlessly. “But I almost killed you!”
He shrugs nonchalantly. “Nah. I’m stronger than you think.”
With a flick of his hand, droplets of water land on my chest. Steam rises in the air as the hot water makes contact with my icy skin. A disappointed sigh escapes me as I realize just how close I was to seriously harming him.
“No, no.” I shake my head. “We can’t risk this again. I did not realize that my powers would be out of control if I…if I…” I blush.
“If you orgasm?” He raises a brow.
I nod and avert my gaze.
“And here I was going to ask you to give me one daily,” I grumble under my breath. “I guess I’ll settle for donuts instead.”
His fingers, now much warmer, are on my chin, turning it so he can see my eyes.
“Am I to understand you liked it better than donuts?”
“Are you kidding me? It’s ten thousand times better. I’ve never felt so alive, so powerful, so…” I trail off as I realize my words are too enthusiastic when I should be the opposite now that I know the consequences of this.
“So what? Tell me,” he insists, still keeping his hold on my jaw.
“Invincible,” I whisper.
He stares at me, his expression inscrutable.
“I made you feel invincible,” he murmurs proudly.
I nod.
He smiles and shakes his head. Scrubbing his hand over his face, he suddenly lets out a laugh.
“Thank God! I was so worried you wouldn’t like it, that I wouldn’t do a good job at it…”
“If you had done a better job, you would be dead, Mine,” I point out matter-of-factly.
He chuckles.
“Dead but in heaven.”
“It’s not the time to joke about this. It’s serious! I could have killed you.”
He surprises me by grabbing me by my waist and pulling me into the tub on top of him.
“Maybe, maybe not. But it was just your first time. I have no doubt you will learn to control your powers if we practice more.”
The mere notion that we might do it again has me squeezing my thighs together as moisture seeps out of me.
By the Source, he’s ruined me! I will never be able to think of anything sexual again without remembering what he did to me with his mouth and how that made me feel. Am I bound to get wet every time he smiles at me for the rest of my life? With no relief in sight?
“We will not,” I feel compelled to add, though my voice lacks conviction.
“Is that so?” he asks playfully as he sneaks his hand between my legs and finds out just how soaked I am.
“Uh-huh,” I croak as his fingers part my folds and he teases that bud again.
“You don’t seem too sure.”
“You have a death wish,” I counter, pushing my hips toward his palm.
“I can’t think of a better way to die than between your thighs.”
Heat travels up my cheeks.
“Stop it,” I whisper.
He trails his lips over my own as he continues to languidly touch me.
“Let me prove you wrong,” he murmurs before he kisses me.
But this kiss is unlike any other. His tongue plunges deep in my mouth just as he thrusts his finger inside me.
I gasp and he swallows all my sounds, sucking my tongue in his mouth as he continues to pump his finger in and out of me.
The flat of his palm is against that pleasure bud, and the delicious friction is starting to make me tingle again.
This time it’s faster than before. Almost as soon as he increases his speed, the pressure inside me mounts.
For a moment, I try to contain my power since I know that release is coming. But as he claims my mouth again, all thoughts fly away from me.
He holds my nape with one hand, kissing me deeply, and he ravages my sex with the other.
Without warning, that wave of pleasure crashes over me. My energy points snap open again, and a flood of raw power travels through my veins.
I gasp into his mouth.
My eyes snap open and I remember in time to push him away from me.
I’m frozen in place, my back against the icy wall of the house as the tremors wrack my body. Pleasure and power both pulse through me, and a wave of ice bursts out of my body.
By the time I can breathe again, I blink and realize Mine is fine.
This time, he’s not frozen, though everything around us is. The fire I’d started is gone. Everything is covered in another layer of ice.
Everything but Mine and the water we’re in.
Mine’s gaze is heavy and hooded as he looks at me. He palms himself through his pants, squeezing the outline of that big, big thing.
“Do you…” I clear my throat. “Do you need help?”
He smiles sheepishly at me.
“Too late. You came so hard, Minnie, I came in my pants just from watching you.”
“Oh,” I whisper.
I remember him mentioning that males can do that if they find a female attractive.
“That is very nice of you,” I add. How could I have ever found a better male? His touch not only brings me pleasure, but it also makes me stronger. And he’s so attracted to me he can spill his seed without any stimulation.
“Nice…” He chuckles. “Only you would call it nice.”
“How else would I call it?” I frown.
“Never mind. Let’s get cleaned up and start up that fire again.” He yawns. “We need to get some rest before we start our journey.”
I nod.
After a quick, refreshing wash, we slip into clean clothes. I then replace the ruined mattress and pillows with fresh ones.
But as I start to conjure a new fire, I am hit with the realization that something has changed within me. It usually takes great effort for me to manipulate heat or create any kind of fire—actions that are completely opposite to my natural abilities. With my normal energy reserves, I would only be able to do so a few times before feeling completely drained.
Yet as the flames dance to life, burning hotter than ever before, I feel only a small dip in my energy levels. It is almost as though my powers have strengthened, evolved even. The fire crackles and flickers, casting a warm glow over our surroundings. And for the first time in a long while, I feel a novel sense of control and strength coursing through me.
That’s… interesting. I must investigate this more. Do deities experience some type of energy charge when they engage in sexual activities? Is it only females or do males experience this too? Is this something that happens across the board regardless of the level of the deity or only for those who have attained a certain level?
“Come here.” Mine beckons, pulling back the warm blanket to make room for me. I slip in beside him, his warmth radiating against my body.
“Since a little ice won’t kill me, I’ll gladly do my duty and worship my little goddess every single day,” he murmurs, his voice low and intimate.
My heart flutters at his words, hope and excitement bubbling up inside of me. “You will?”
“And I’ll even treat you to some donuts,” he adds with a playful smile.
“Both?” I ask in disbelief.
“Both,” he confirms with a nod, delight shining in his eyes.
“You spoil me too much,” I tease, though I’m secretly reveling in his attention.
“What about you? Don’t you want…” I trail off, hinting that he might want me to reciprocate. I’d gladly do it, but we might need to take it slower. While he’s had plenty of material to read, the only knowledge I have is, well…what I know from him and what occurred between us.
Mine shakes his head without hesitation. “All I want is you,” he declares, his tone suddenly becoming serious and intense. “Marry me, Minnie. Say you will marry me.”
“That again.” I sigh. “What do you mean by it? I know what marriage means in my world, but what does it mean in yours?”
“A vow. A promise. A celebration.” He pauses. “We don’t have many traditions, but I would love to vow my love to you in front of my parents and get their blessing for our union.”
I turn sharply.
“Your parents?” I ask, half panicked. “But what if they don’t like me? What if they don’t give their blessings? What if?—”
“Shhh,” he says as he presses a finger against my lips. “They already adore you.”
I blink. “But?—”
“They know all about you and how much you mean to me and they can’t wait to meet you.”
Biting my lip, I nod along, though I can’t help but be nervous about meeting his parents.
He gathers me in his arms, kissing my temple and murmuring how much he loves me.
And that’s how we fall asleep.
But it’s not how we wake up.
“W-what?” I groggily open my eyes, my mind still foggy from sleep. But Mine is already on his feet, his expression tight and focused.
“We’re under attack,” he says gravely.
That’s when I hear it. The unmistakable sound of gunfire hitting the outside wall in rapid succession. My heart races as I realize the gravity of our situation.
“The ice won’t break. It’s indestructible.”
“Might be, but that will only pique their interest. They won’t leave us alone until they find out what this is,” Mine replies, his tone resolute but tinged with worry.
“Damn it,” I curse under my breath. “And I can’t hurt humans.”
“You can’t. But I can.”
Mine’s words hang heavy in the air. It takes me a few moments to shake away the sleepiness and understand what he wants to do.
“What?” I jump to my feet. “Are you insane?” I demand, panic rising in my chest.
But then, a loud boom shakes the ice structure, startling me even further.
“They have guns. And bombs,” Mine’s voice remains calm but urgent.
“You have nothing!”
“So get me something,” he counters matter-of-factly.
My lashes flutter in surprise. In fact, not only is he too calm about this entire situation, but it’s almost as if he’s…excited about it.
“Teleport some weapons from the base and I’ll use those.”
“But—”
“Trust me, Minnie. I can take care of them.”
More shots echo outside, accompanied by loud explosions. The hostilities are getting worse by the second.
Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes and mentally go back to the base, looking around for any weapons. Inside out little shed, I find a couple of pistols and a larger weapon. I teleport all of them back to us.
“This is perfect,” Mine says with a nod as he inspects the guns. “Can you tell me how many people are outside?”
I press my lips together. How much can I help him before I am considered directly responsible for what befalls those humans?
Alas, before I can contemplate the intricacies of Aperite laws, I flash myself outside. As I wander around, invisible to all but those with a strong spiritual energy, I take note of the surrounding situation.
Ten soldiers stand next to the towering ice structure, their weapons at the ready. In the distance, a tank and five more soldiers can be seen, while three tanks and five cars line the main road.
Returning to the ice room where Mine awaits, I relay what I observed. He nods solemnly, his expression grim.
“They’re most likely here as part of the evacuation,” he explains.
My brow furrows in confusion.
“Shouldn’t they move on then?” I inquire.
“Not if they suspect this may be of interest to their leader,” Mine replies darkly. “Hitler is known to have a fascination with the occult.”
“Occult?”
“Things outside of the realm of possibility. And what would be more impossible than a house of ice that is impenetrable?”
“That makes sense. So you don’t think they will leave us alone.”
“No. They will not.”
I let out a heavy sigh. “It’s a lot of people. And they have tanks.”
He shrugs. “I can handle them.”
“You’re one person.”
“Still don’t have enough faith in me?”
“I do, but I’m also a realist and?—”
He shuts me up with a kiss.
“I’ll be fine. Wait for me here, all right?”
“No dying. Promise me.”
“Promise.” He gives me a lopsided smile.
“And if you need help, I’ll teleport you back to safety here.”
“All right.” He winks at me, his tone dripping with confidence.
“We can still just teleport back to the base and?—”
“Trust me,” he repeats.
“Fine. Go kick some Nazi butt.”
“It will be my pleasure.”
He swiftly reaches for his weapons, the gleam of metal reflecting in his intense gaze as he gives me one final kiss. “Teleport me out,” he commands, urgency lacing his voice. “And wait for me inside.”
I comply with the first request, but the second… I may not be able to physically intervene, but that doesn’t mean I won’t keep a watchful eye on my male.
As soon as Mine leaves, I transport myself to the top of the ice structure and sculpt a comfortable chair out of ice.
Settling into my icy throne, I also pilfer some more dessert from that fancy restaurant. Unfortunately, today they don’t have any donuts, so I have to make do with some oddly shaped pastries drizzled with a bit of chocolate. Sighing in disappointment, I take a bite and savor its sweetness nonetheless.
Good enough, I suppose.
I settle back and watch the ensuing action, ready to intervene and save Mine should he need it. I might not be able to harm those nasty humans, but I can save my human.
The moment the soldiers notice Mine striding toward them, they direct their weapons toward him. A barrage of bullets ensues.
I tense as I wait to see what Mine does.
He easily moves through the curtain of bullets, his fluidity and speed baffling the soldiers.
It baffles me too.
It’s not the first time I’ve witnessed his fighting skills, and for a human, he is certainly impressive.
But is that enough in this instance?
He spots the nearest man and heads toward him, all the while moving around the bullets with unnatural speed and precision.
I take a bite of the pastry. The chocolate is nice, but something is lacking.
As I chew, I note he’s shot the man in the face, right between his eyes.
A kill shot.
I smack my lips together, enjoying the sweetness of the pastry. For someone whose job is to pilot a plane, he’s certainly got a good aim. And good fighting skills.
He reaches the dead man and grabs the body before it hits the ground, positioning it in front of him and using it as a shield.
And good strategy!
Ah, but how can someone be so perfect?
I sigh dreamily as I take another bite of my pastry.
More bullets rain down on him, but they hit the dead man instead. Mine moves to the side—surprisingly at the same speed, considering he’s dragging another body with him. He goes for another soldier and repeats the process.
Shielding himself, he lets the corpse take the bulk of the bullets while he positions his gun through the crook of the man’s shoulder and takes aim.
Another soldier falls.
With impressive swiftness, he drops the first body and grabs the second.
I can see his plan now, and to be perfectly honest, I’m surprised it works.
Those soldiers must be idiots because they can’t get one proper shot at him. Not that I want them to, but it would make the fight a little bit more exciting.
As it stands, I’m watching a one-man show.
Why did I have qualms about him before? I should have never worried. Mine is far, far superior to all those men combined.
In fact, by the way he dances around the snow, switching one body for another, I’d say he’s having fun with this.
His new clothes are covered in blood, and there are splatters of red all across his face as well.
He’s dirty, but he’s smiling. That’s enough for me to know he’s enjoying this far too much. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have drawn this out. He would have killed them and demanded another shower and a change of clothes.
I smile fondly and shake my head. Oh, he will certainly demand a shower after he’s done. And like the supportive lover that I am, I will get him one.
Minutes pass by and more soldiers drop to the ground.
I’m almost finished with my pastry when one crucial thought flashes inside my mind.
Where. Are. The. Souls?
I should have seen them exit the dead bodies, yet as I scan the ground littered with corpses, there is nothing.
Nothing.
Mine shoots the last of the ten men before dropping the body shield to the ground and turning to look at me. He has a bright smile on his face as he waves excitedly at me.
But I’m not looking at him. My eyes are focused on the man he just executed.
He’s lying in a pool of blood, a hole between his eyes. I focus on his body and listen to the sound of his heart.
Nothing.
He is dead. But his soul is nowhere in sight.
And that can only mean one thing…
Demon.
I flash myself by Mine’s side.
“The others are coming. They must have heard the shots,” he says, his voice edged with anticipation.
“We must leave. Now. There’s a demon somewhere here.”
His brows go up.
“Demon?”
I nod. “The souls are gone. He must be a high level too if he consumed them so easily.”
“But—”
Marching footsteps echo in my ear. They are getting close. It seems that the woods are not hospitable enough for them to bring their tanks or other vehicles. But that doesn’t help our situation.
If there is a high-level demon there… I will have to fight him. And though I am confident in my abilities, such a confrontation would draw the attention of any nearby deity and that is the last thing I need right now.
“Let’s go. I can carry you,” I tell him and turn with my back to him so he can mount me.
Even without teleportation, my speed should help us get far enough away from them and avoid a direct confrontation.
“You want me to…” he croaks.
“Yes. Hurry!”
He blinks, his lips trembling. Is he cold? It is quite cold and he is only wearing a shirt. Even more reason why we must leave now.
With a wave of my hand, the eternal ice dissolves. Nothing remains of the ice hut except for the tub, which I promptly send back to our shed at the base.
“Hurry!” I repeat, pointing to my back.
He shakes his head, his mouth curved in a smile.
Why is he smiling? Can’t he see the danger?
I roll my eyes at him but just as I’m about to berate him, he moves.
He places his arms around my neck and hauls himself on my back, his legs on either side of my waist. I grab onto the back of his knees to support him.
“Hold on. This is about to get fast.”
“Sure thing, tiny darling. Show me what you can do,” he purrs in a low, velvety voice.
I huff at him. He might not realize it, but with my enhanced strength, I could carry him with one arm only, too.
“Right,” I mutter drily. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
The soldiers are behind us, only a small distance away.
Holding on tightly to him, I start running.
I hope he’s not concerned about his male pride and sensibilities. It is his fault, after all, for falling for a goddess much stronger than him. And it is he who wants to marry me and make it official. Not that I’m not a willing participant. I am rather enthusiastic about it too.
Though he seems to find this situation amusing, it is good he is at least cooperating.
“Oh wow,” he breathes out when he realizes how fast I can run.
I breeze through the trees, logging in a mile per minute at first before getting to my maximum of ten times that.
“This is amazing,” he adds in awe. “You are amazing.”
He tightens his hold on me and leans back, closing his eyes and enjoying the way the breeze brushes against his face. I use some energy to wrap him in a warm cocoon so he won’t get cold in this weather.
“You weren’t kidding when you said you were fast.”
To my surprise, there isn’t anything remotely insidious about his statement and it makes me gain a new appreciation for him. I don’t think any other male would have so willingly jumped on a female’s back and allowed her to save him.
In Aperion, a male would rather face death than suffer such ignominy.
I glance at Mine’s carefree expression and exuberant smile, and I find myself sharing his sentiments, too.
This is amazing. He is more amazing than I ever dared to imagine my mate would be.
Because that’s what he is, whether the fates will it or not.
My mate.
“Oh, fuck,” he mutters when we come to a halt. He jumps off me, grimacing as he looks around.
It’s dark out, the air frigid and cold for the mere mortals walking the streets at this hour. A church looms ahead, its dome tall and proud as it scrapes the skies. All around it, there are other majestic buildings displaying stunning architectural opulence.
A long bridge extends over the river, dots of light making it seem almost ethereal in the way it connects one part of the city to another.
I may not have intentionally decided on this location, but now that we’re here, I am not mad.
Mine does not seem to share the sentiment.
“What’s wrong?” I frown.
“We went too far and in the wrong direction.”
“I don’t understand.”
He points to the imposing church in front of us. “That’s the Frauenkirche. And that”—he nods to the building next to it—“is the Semper Opera House.”
I still don’t understand why he is so concerned about that.
Turning to me, he presses his lips in a tight line. “We’re in Dresden.”
“And that’s bad because?” I raise a brow. “We can just take the train to France as you said.”
This city is comparable to London in its beauty—well, before the bombing. But it’s clearly a cultural center, so I am sure it is also a hub of transport. If anything, we probably ended up in the right place.
“Not so easy, I’m afraid.” He takes a deep breath just as the wail of sirens rip through the air. The piercing sound shatters my optimism since I know fully well what it means. I have experienced it before.
“This city is about to be bombed.”