Page 44 of Claimed By Her Monsters

“But…I want you to experience being a mother publicly. To be allowed to take pride in having a daughter and being loved by someone as powerful as Lucifer. I could tell he still loves you dearly. He almost went ballistic at the news that you were dead. I gave him hope that I’d have the ability to bring you back…to encourage you to return to where we need you…but now…”

I had to tell her the truth.

“Now…I feel selfish,” I admitted. “After experiencing a moment in this tranquil paradise…I can see why you wouldn’t want to return. How peaceful it is compared to how burdensome life felt in the mundane world. It would be mean of me to force you to return, making me no different from the Elders who forced you to be the Goddess of Darkness but…”

I want my mom back.

It was the truth, and maybe that’s what made tears shed down my cheeks as I fought to not feel defeated.

“There’s nothing selfish about wanting your Mother back,” Naomi whispered and drew our attention to her as she looked between the two of us. “I think the only problem standing in Athena’s way is the main problem at hand, Nerissa.”

“Main problem?” I didn’t understand.

“Athena’s return will only mean she will have to decide either to be the Goddess of Dark or the Goddess of Light,” she voiced. “If Athena chooses Dark, she’ll be back where she was before. Being a Goddess she wasn’t meant to be. If she becomes the Goddess of Light, that will leave the Goddess of Darkness role wide open.”

“Wouldn’t Nerissa be able to fill that role?” Cornelius inquired.

“She could,” Athena noted. “But is my child ready for such a burden?”

I bit my bottom lip.

“Not yet,” I confessed.

No one had much to say, which left us in a moment of silence before Naomi sighed.

“I guess I could always return,” she announced which made us all frown as we looked to her.

“Huh?” I questioned. “How would you return?”

“And which role would you take if you did?” Atticus pondered.

"Well, I was actually forced to be the Goddess of Fire,” she revealed. “I’m a dual element. Fire and Darkness. My husband was of darkness and wind. It’s exactly why Natalia can probably use fire and wind magic with ease, but hasn’t tapped into the dark powers she possess.”

“Hold on…” I was already trying to piece it together. “But you can’t return. There’s no body to return to.”

“That’s not true,” Athena admitted before she looked to Naomi. “But…you wish to leave here?”

“It was rather lonely without you, honestly,” she confessed with a shrug. “Paradise is grand but without my best friend in the picture and everyone else still alive, it’s rather repetitive. You know I’ve always been one for action.”

“But how?” I asked the prime question.

“All Goddess’ who served properly and honorably bodies are preserved,” Naomi revealed. “They do this for if a time comes when the Goddesses of the pass needed to be summoned by the new set of Goddesses, it can be done. It doesn’t mean they can be revived, but their spirit can be called down to aid them with knowledge or comfort. What we’re aiming to do is an extremely rare case.”

“You’ll be the Goddess of Darkness?” I whispered to Naomi who shrugged.

“Might as well until you’re ready to take over. I’m sure the Elders will be too shell shock to see my annoying ass back, so they wouldn’t have much to say, and I’m sure Natalia will be pleased with my return.”

“Then Mom can be the Goddess of Light again,” I voiced with a sense of hope as I looked at her. “And maybe get a long vacation?”

Athena smiled as she looked a bit nervous.

"Would anyone wish for my return?”

“So many,” I voiced. “You’d be able to help all the light beings who’ve been tortured by Danica heal. Give them the love and affection they’ve been craving all this while. The balance would be restored…and well…we’d get to spend some time together as Mom and daughter.”

I rose up and walked up to her before crouching down and holding her hands in mine.

“Please, Mom?” I whispered. “I still need you.”

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