Page 54 of Thanatos' Craving

She whimpered, not daring to open her eyes. Her hands shook as she continued to hold on to my robes.

My work was done. She was her own walking light. She wasn’t so bright that it would blind me, the animals, the flora, or the scenery around her so she could witness nature in its true form.

She was the moon of the darkness.

I grasped her curvy waist, feeling the softness of her skin beneath my fingertips. With a swift motion, I lift my wings,causing a gentle rush of air around us. The sound of a small gasp escaped her lips, encouraging me to hold her waist even tighter. As I admire the elegant curl of her hair, the flush in her cheeks deepens, adding a touch of warmth for both of us. My thumb delicately glides along her waist, creating a tingling sensation, and that is when I graze the lower part of her bust.

Fuck, what was I doing?

“Juniper, open your eyes,” I commanded.

She squinted, gradually opening her eyes, and as her vision cleared, her mouth fell open in awe. The brilliant light emanating from her body bathed the surroundings, casting a warm glow that revealed every detail. The air hummed with a gentle energy.

“W-what? Why is my skin glowing? Why is it doing this?” She held onto my robes, still with one hand while she gazed at her other arm. “This is amazing!” She laughed. “But I thought you were death; wouldn’t that mean you cannot create light?”

I hummed in an agreement. “That would be correct. I cannot create light, but I can mirror souls.”

She looked at me in curiosity.

“I have mirrored the soul in your body. Meaning I can create a reflection of your soul to the outside of your body. When I saw you for the first time, I dove into your eyes, and this is what I saw. It wasn’t the brightest, it wasn’t dark, it was the perfect shade of light for me. Perfect to thrive in the darkest of night.”

I traced her arm and watched the tiny hints of color running across her skin. The light was a golden hue of her soul. Wisps of green followed tiny gold sparkles. “These green boughs of color are part of your aura. What makes you, you.”

“And what does green mean, then?” She tries to catch them with her fingertips, but since it’s just a reflection, it runs right through them.

“I am only a reader of souls, not auras.” I chuckled. “There is one male that is quite good at it, but I will never let you meet him.” My voice grew low.

“Really? Who? And why?” When she turned her head, her red hair flew back into my face, and she indeed smelled of bright sunshine.

“He is a king, King Osirus. He is a fae that lives in Bergarian. A land far from here, and I don’t trust him.” I growled.

The corners of her mouth turned up as she gave me a playful grin. She looked at her glowing arm again, and then back at me.

“Alright, Thanatos. It seems I have a bit more to learn about you, doesn’t it?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at her comment. “Indeed, you do, my treasure.”

She put her hand on my chest, I felt her heat upon my body and my heart raced in my chest. “I guess I should be more open-minded then, right?” she said with a chuckle.

I wasn’t sure if I should lean closer, to smell her hair, to nuzzle into her shoulder. Instead, I remained straight as a board and kept my hand around her waist.

“Absolutely. It’s better to embrace the unknown than to live in fear of it.”

And yet here I am, not living by my own words.

“Well then,” she said, her eyes shining with curiosity, “let’s see what else you have in store for me.”

Chapter Nineteen

Juniper

There are flowers in hell.

There are flowers, trees, bushes and even animals all around the black stone mountain where Thanatos and his brother lived. For the next few days, he took me around the area of his home and let me explore.

The nature down here wasn’t the same as it was on earth. Deep, dark petals, of various deep shades of color. The branches of bushes with other sorts of coverings besides leaves I couldn’t describe. It was interesting, new, and different.

Thanatos told me I could go on my own, that I was free to roam wherever I wanted in his and his brother’s space.

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