Page 42 of Christa's Obsession

“I’m not sure what you mean?” Wanda looked at Christa frowning, eyes full of worry. “Belong?”

“Yes, belong. I speak perfect English,” he snapped. The sigh that followed when Wanda winced at his tone was unexpected, as was his apology, which left Christa slack jawed.

“I apologize. We are taught about Blissful Ones as young demons. Yet I have no recollection of ever meeting a couple whohad—have such a connection until Dakata… then Merihem and Peni.”

“I can see how that would give you some concern,” Wanda replied softly. “I only knew of such a connection before Christa, because of my brother. He felt an attraction to Dakata upon sight and became intrigued.”

“Intrigued? How so?” King Asmodeus came forward in his seat, making it creak. The glass he held appeared forgotten as the juice swished dangerously close to the rim.

Wanda rubbed a knuckle over her eyebrow, pushing back her tumbling curls. “He couldn’t stop thinking about Dakata after he saw him.”

“Was it the same for you?”

Christa now found herself fascinated by the many emotions she could see as Wanda nibbled on her lower lip, looking down at their joined hands. “I have no recollection of seeing Christa in the demon realm.”

Was she hedging?

“I see.” Asmodeus brought the glass to his lips, sipping. His eyes widened as he looked at what he held. “Why, it’s delicious.”

Wanda giggled when her trees made sure to let the king know they were pleased he liked it.

Looking back towards the trees, the king’s long hair shifted around his shoulders like a black silk cape. The girls swayed and Christa caught Wanda’s eye roll before the king returned his attention to them. “So when you did meet, what did you feel?” he asked, clearly not letting the subject drop.

“The first time Christa came to the forest to see if I was alright, something about her tugged at…” she blushed, plucking at the fabric of her dress, once more not looking directly at anyone. “She touched me, and I felt”—her brow furrowed—“alive.”

“Alive. How?”

Her slim shoulders shrugged. “My soul, it connected to Christa’s, even when my head was terrified of what it meant with Christa being a demon and what happened in your realm.”

“What changed?” Wanda held all of Asmodeus’s attention.

Her lips formed a wobbly smile. “Dougal, a troll who lives in the forest, is a dear friend. Between him and my trees, they explained Christa would never harm me.” She sighed and lay her head on Christa’s arm, regret lodging in her stomach. “I knew it, deep down, but my fear wouldn’t let me acknowledge it. I spoke with Silas, too, trying to make sense of it all.”

Asmodeus’s eyes narrowed, his chest moving rapidly. “Have you?”

“Made sense of it?” she questioned, and he nodded. “I don’t think we’re meant to make sense of it.”

He could not deny the honesty in her words, yet Christa could see the skepticism in the sneer. “How can that be so? To determine the world around us, we must be able to make sense of things. Reason them out.”

Wanda shook her head. “No, I don’t believe that when it comes to bonds like this. Fate, they decide if someone should receive the gift of a mate—blissful one. How can we apply logic to this when there is no reasoning as to who gets such a gift? And it is a gift, one our souls recognize and accept with no need for any clarification. It just is. Logic comes from the mind and not the heart and soul. How can we apply it to something that has no logic at all?”

King Asmodeus’s lips parted, closed, parted, then closed again. His dark eyes swirled with so many emotions that Christa found it difficult to take a breath waiting for him to respond, when clearly he didn’t like, or perhaps understand, what Wanda had said.

Christa understood. Accepted it. Wanted it with all of her being. It didn’t need to be justified when Wanda now wanted what they shared.

He brought the glass to his lips and drained it, then it disappeared a moment later along with the peach he’d held before he stood. Wanda’s brows arched as she leaned back when the king towered over her.

“I’ll protect the forest and surrounding lands, you’ll have nothing else to fear, Wanda. No being, human or otherwise, withmalicious intent will get past my wards. You have my word on this.” He gave a curt nod.

Christa became confused by the sudden change in topic and the mask of indifference Asmodeus now wore.

“Do you need anything from… me?” Wanda asked bravely, her hand trembling in Christa’s.

“No, it is already done.”

“How do we know it’ll work?”

Christa braced, wary of how the king could perceive Wanda’s question as a challenge to his ability.

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