Epilogue 2 Chasm
Twenty-two years later…
Chasm dragged himself out of the wrecked bed, the blood, sweat, and semen-stained sheets tangled around his feet, and made it two steps on wobbly legs before they gave out, and he hit the floor.
His knees bore the brunt of the impact, and then his wrists when he lurched forward and almost took a header. Several seconds went by as he tried to catch his breath and gather his strength to get to the bathroom.
His blurry eyes were barely capable of focusing, but when they did, just for a second, he gasped.
His hands…his arms …they were so…big.
He knew his body would change during his transition into a mature Seminus demon, but to actually see it? It didn’t seem real.
He had muscles now.
Not that they worked. His olfactory senses seemed okay, though, because the aroma of the potato soup, beef sandwiches, and German chocolate cake on the TV tray made his dry mouth water.
His stomach growled in agreement. How long had it been since he’d eaten? Masumi had tried to get him to eat…at least, he kind of remembered her shoving burgers, chicken strips, and french fries at him. He’d been in too much pain and too exhausted to eat, though. He did remember being parched and taking massive gulps of water. Sometimes, it even stayed down.
Every inch of his body felt drained and bruised, and damn he needed a shower. But he needed food first.
Groaning, he crawled to the tray and reached for a sandwich. Coordination, however, was not a thing, and he only managed to spill the soup everywhere. Finally, he got a hold of the extra-thick roast beef hoagie. His hand shook as he shoved it into his mouth, and by the time he finished, he was wearing at least half of it.
But he already felt better. His trembling eased as he shoveled two hefty slices of cake into his face. He was pretty proud of himself for only dropping a few crumbs and one glob of frosting into his bare lap.
And, oh, hey, look at that. His penis no longer looked like a cocktail wiener. Nope, that was a freaking summer sausage.
He grinned at the comparison, something Mace had once said.
“ Kid, you’re gonna love the transition. After it’s done, I mean. The actual transition is possibly the worst thing you’ll ever go through. But when you come out on the other side? Say goodbye, cocktail wiener, and helloooo summer sausage .”
Mace was awesome. And now that Chasm was transitioned, he could join Mace at DART. He’d dreamed of battling demons as part of DART’s spec ops teams, and he’d been training his entire life. But now that he had actual muscles and had grown a few inches, he might actually be worth something.
But what gift had he been given? He couldn’t wait to test it out. He hoped he got the mind-altering one. Fucking with people’s heads like his uncle Rade sounded like fun.
He’d gained something else during the transition too, something unique.
A personal symbol at the top of his dermoire , just above his father’s Mpatapo glyph.
The personal symbol was, perhaps, the most anticipated—and feared—of all the changes brought about by the transition. What if you got something super lame, like the worm Tavin had been stuck with until he mated? Or Zhoin’s unfortunate scribble that looked like a pile of dog shit.
Not that it really mattered, he supposed, since most Sems’ symbols changed following an important life event. Usually, it happened after bonding with a mate, but he’d heard of a male whose symbol changed from a spoon to a shepherd’s crook after he saved the life of his sworn enemy. His own father’s had gone from a square to a symbol of forgiveness and peace after he got his life together.
His heart pounded as he contemplated getting to his feet and walking to the bathroom mirror. What would he find there? What would he look like, and what was going to be etched into his skin?
Absently, he stroked the area just below his jaw where his symbol would be.
Stop stalling. Go look .
Yeah, it was time to grow a pair. The thought made him chuckle, because he had grown a pair. Looking down, he smiled. A big pair.
Awesome.
The memory of Masumi stroking him, her every move and word meant to help ease the process, came back to him in a sweaty rush, and his groin grew heavy. Thank the gods he was actually feeling arousal because, with the exception of the very last time they’d fucked, every time his cock got hard, all he experienced was pain. His body had driven him to take Masumi over and over…and over and over. But even as his body was churning and frothing, his mind had been screaming, knowing what was to come.
Pain like a thousand acid-coated needles shooting through his shaft.
With the exception of the last time, he’d passed out afterward, the agony too much to bear. But now, he felt like he could go another round…and enjoy it.
Later. Right now, he had to see what the Fates had chosen to slap onto his neck.
He could still feel Crux’s presence somewhere in the house as he eased to his feet, relieved that his muscles were strong enough to lift him. His uncle Crux, who used to be his brother, had insisted on being nearby in case his proximity could help Chasm through the transition. He’d said that having Chasm nearby during his own ordeal had helped, but Chasm didn’t see how. Yes, they shared a unique connection, but it seemed to be stronger on Crux’s side. He always knew when Chasm hurt himself, but Chasm had never experienced anything more than a vague awareness when Crux was nearby.
Standing, feet planted wide for stability, he tested his new body, swinging his arms above his head, rolling his shoulders, touching his toes. Energy filled him. Colors seemed brighter, his vision was clearer, sounds were crisper.
He’d never noticed that ticking sound from inside his computer before.
He took a step. His legs didn’t buckle, so that was a win.
Two steps. Knees didn’t even wobble.
Three steps. He wondered if this was what toddlers felt like. At least his mom wasn’t here to watch this time. She was probably downstairs with his dad and the rest of the family, though. Transitions were family events, part celebration for the passage into maturity, and part gloomy deathwatch since it wasn’t unusual for Sems to die during the process. Everyone stressed out until it was over, and then the party began.
He made it to the bathroom and only bumped into the wall once, so again, he’d call that a win. It would take some time to get used to those size giant feet, though. He kept kicking his own heels when he walked.
“Light on,” he called out, and the bathroom lights blinked on. He braced his palms on either side of the sink and ignored the mirror on the wall. Instead, he focused on the drain, because at least then, he wouldn’t be focusing on his throat.
What was his symbol going to be?
Taking a deep, bracing breath, he looked up.
And froze.
The male staring back at him…wasn’t the same one he’d seen when he brushed his teeth before getting into bed with Masumi for the first time. The one who had been cocky and ready to take on the world and prove that every Seminus male before him had been a wuss when it came to their transitions.
He’d been wrong. He’d been such an idiot. And thankfully, the male staring back at him in the mirror was not that idiot.
This idiot had cheekbones. A hard, sharp jawline. And tendons that supported thick, ropy muscles through his neck, shoulders, and chest.
Still, he hadn’t shifted his gaze to his dermoire . His peripheral vision gave him a glimpse of a new shadow, maybe a wavy line or a flame?
He couldn’t look.
Dammit, look! You’ve waited your entire life for this .
Sucking in a breath, he tilted his head and studied the new glyph.
Holy shit.
He backed away from the mirror so fast he slammed into the wall behind him. Holy shit ! He stared at himself in shock. He knew that symbol. It had been the first one he’d ever known. One that he’d known on instinct.
The glyph sitting just above the symbol of his father’s was the symbol of chaos.
Chasm had known the story of Chaos since his parents sat him down and explained everything from his death to an angel stuffing Chaos’s soul into the fetus his mother carried. Chasm’s fetus.
So, logically, Chasm knew that he was Chaos reborn, and that his father used to be his brother. But he remembered nothing of his last life.
Inhaling deeply, he leaned back into the mirror and studied the symbol. Chaos. He couldn’t decide if that was cool or creepy. But what he did know was that he’d gotten a second chance. In this life, he was going to make a difference. Like his father, he was going to put his stamp on the world.
Still gazing at the glyph of chaos, he grinned.
He would do that symbol proud.
Also from 1001 Dark Nights and Larissa Ione, discover Legacy of Temptation , Bond of Passion , Bond of Destiny , Reaper , Cipher , Dining With Angels , Her Guardian Angel , Hawkyn , Razr , Hades , Z , and Azagoth .