Chapter 31 Selma
Selma
“You silly girl.”
The motherly scolding tone that broke through the sensation of bathing in light made Selma frown before cracking her eyes open.
More than a little confused, she stared up into the most beautiful face she’d ever seen—high cheekbones, full lips, and dazzling golden eyes surrounded by golden-blonde hair.
Behind the incredible woman was a starry sky beyond a shimmering veil of light.
“Who are you?”
“I am Bealith, Goddess of Seers. What is your name, my child?”
Goddess? She must be the one in charge of the Sanctum. “I’m Selma. What… happened?”
“You tried to cross the boundary while carrying one of them in your womb. The barrier expels all demons, including the unborn.” Bealith’s hand skimmed over her belly in a gentle caress.
If Selma hadn’t been so dazed by the shining light and waking up staring at a Goddess, she might have felt a bit more than mild surprise at that revelation.
“Oh. I thought it was supposed to be difficult to conceive with a demon.”
The goddess’ perfect lips quirked into a smile. “I take it the father is the demon who single handedly tried to tear down my defenses?”
Selma frowned. “Is he all right?”
The smile turned decidedly mischievous. “A bit upset, but perfectly fine. He claims he brought you here for protection. Is that true?”
“Yeah. Why is he upset?” She struggled to sit up, annoyed at the dizziness making her head buzz. It felt a bit like being drunk, only without the fun parts.
A shining wall came into focus when she was finally upright, and behind it was her mate, his face almost unrecognizable with rage as he slung wave after wave of pure black energy against the shield. A faint echo hummed through the air with every hit.
“What did you do?” Shock cleared her head and she whipped around to stare at the goddess again, anger filling her. “Drop that shield! He thinks I’m in danger—I need to calm him down. Now!”
Bealith cocked her head as she looked at her.
“I will, but first you and I need to talk. However, if you could convince him to stop attacking my shield, it would be much appreciated—he’s very strong for someone who just poured enough magic into my Sanctuary’s barrier to crack a few of the wards, and I need time to explain. ”
Selma narrowed her eyes at the beautiful woman. “If you trick me, he will kill you.” There was an odd feeling of calm in saying those words, in knowing that someone as powerful as the demon Lord raging just a few feet from them would stop at nothing to protect her.
“I know, but you have no need for his violence to shield you from me, little Seer. I will never harm my daughters. Please, tell him to stop and I will explain everything.”
Seer? Daughters? Selma gave her a hesitant look, but then nodded. Whatever a goddess had to say would be worth listening to.
She wobbled a little as she got to her feet and had to place both hands against the wall of light to balance herself. Her palms buzzed pleasantly at the contact.
Kain’s black gaze locked with hers through the wall, fear plain on his face.
He put his hand against the barrier opposite hers, but pulled it back with a growl when sparks flew at his touch.
Dark energy burst from his injured hand against the wall above her head, making the entire thing vibrate, and anger once again marred his features.
How did one go about calming down a demon Lord seemingly hell-bent on wreaking havoc?
Selma waved a hand to get his attention, and when he paused his assault, she shook her head determinedly.
His dark brows drew into a frown and he gestured agitatedly at the goddess, who remained seated on the ground with her back halfway turned in an obvious attempt at seeming nonthreatening.
Selma nodded at him, hoping he’d understand. He seemed to, because despite the less-than-amused expression on his face, he nodded once and stood back, arms folded over his chest. Waiting.
She smiled in thanks and then turned back around to the goddess.
“I don’t know how long he will hold back for, so you should hurry with that explanation. Please.”
She tacked on the last word at Bealith’s quirked eyebrow—it was undoubtedly bad form to make demands of a goddess, and Selma blushed at her poor manners. Apparently, being around demons for too long wasn’t good for her social skills. Carefully, she sat back down.
“Why are your here, child?”
Selma blinked in surprise. That wasn’t exactly what she’d expected to hear. “You mean at the Sanctuary? I was told it—you—take in Breeders who escape their Masters.”
Bealith wrinkled her nose delicately. “You are not a ‘Breeder,’ Selma. You are so much more than what those meatheads can imagine. You are a Seer, one of my beloved daughters.
“Yes, I take in those of my daughters who cannot accept a life by a demon’s side, if they are lucky enough to make it here. But you seem to care for the one who has chosen you, so I ask again: Why are you here?”
“I…” That question should have been a lot easier to answer. Selma glanced at the man who called her “mate” and felt her heart clench. “He gave me my freedom. If I don’t take it, I will forever be a slave to them.”
“Do you know how many demons have willingly given up their mates before?”
Selma shook her head. “Few?”
“None.” The goddess stared unblinkingly at her, those odd, golden eyes piercing right through her.
“Not a single one. Yet here that big brute is, bringing you to my doorstep for protection. He is the first demon I have ever heard of to go against all those primal instincts they’re filled with in order to do what is right.
Do you think if you chose to stay with him, he would enslave you? ”
A shameful heat rose in her cheeks. No, Kain would never do anything to her she didn’t want him to do, and she’d done him a great injustice by implying he would.
“No. Never.”
“The Seers who find their way here are damaged. They have suffered at the hands of these beasts, and I suspect you have too. But his seed has taken root in you, and I cannot offer you sanctuary. I never wanted this for you—for any of you—but I wasn’t given a choice.”
She bit her lip in a very human gesture, glanced at Kain’s impatient form, and then looked back at Selma. “What I want to tell you was never meant to be shared with anyone who isn’t a god, but I need you to hear it nonetheless.
“The war between gods and demons has waged for millennia, and before the fertility goddess Mattla intervened, we were losing.
They were too many compared to us, and had we not done something, the balance would have shifted in their favor—and trust me when I say that neither we nor the humans would have fared well had that happened.
“But then Mattla put forward her plan. She suggested a way we could make the demons fight amongst each other whilst also lessening their number of offspring. The gods—all of us—agreed to the plan, and the female demons who’d been forced into subservience by the demon king accepted.
“It seemed perfect, and for many years, it was. The female demons birthed only more females, and with their increasing numbers, they had the strength to fight against the Lords. The upheaval among the demon race meant they lost their focus in their war with us. But after decades of dwindling numbers and lost battles, they opened negotiations. And we had to act.”
Bealith reached out to grasp Selma’s hand between her palms. The buzz of her touch was oddly exhilarating—like drinking too much Irish coffee.
“That’s when I lost my children, the Seers. I was always so proud of you—the gentle souls who carry the light within you. You spread joy and hope among the people you lived with, and were revered as wise women and shamans.
“Unfortunately, the demons have always favored you—they cannot resist the light you hold, even though they shun goodness in most other forms. They tricked or captured many o you into servings lifetimes by their sides, and that is how Mattla got the idea to grant the male demons sons birthed by humans—but only Seers.
It would greatly reduce their rate of procreation, seeing how rare you are, but it would break the negotiations between the males and females, ensuring that the demons would not unite and overrun us.
“I tried everything to plead for my children, but the other gods had already decided. Because the demons favored you, you were selected, and the only way I am allowed to interfere is by ensuring that there is a sanctuary on each continent where those who cannot endure their fate can seek refuge.”
Selma stared at her. “I’m sorry… I’m some sort of a… shaman? I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but I’ve never been accused of being particularly wise. And I haven’t given a whole lot to charity, either. No beacon of light within me, no superpowers of any sort. I can just see demons.”
Bealith smiled. When she spoke, her voice pitched with sorrow.
“It was the trade-off for ensuring you could reproduce with demons. Naught but an echo remains of what you were—the light in you had to be dimmed to make room for a demon’s claim. But your sacrifice has meant the world isn’t overrun with their darkness.”
Sacrifice? Something about that phrasing made it sound awfully willing, and Selma didn’t remember being asked to swap magical powers for the ability to be impregnated by demons.
“Why are you telling me all this? If you can’t protect me, then… then I will need to go back to them.” To Kain. There was a distinct lack of despair at that thought. Then she remembered what—or who—else she would be bringing, and anxiety finally nestled in the pit of her gut.
She was pregnant. With a demon’s offspring.
Kain’s offspring. He was going to lose whatever control he still had over his temper once he found out.
Noble intentions or not, he’d made it clear he never wanted a mate, and even though he’d sacrificed his beliefs to save her, she didn’t think he would be particularly happy with adding a baby to the mix.