Page 41 of Death God

“You keep track of my words for me, don’t you, little Pip? Dark and twisted do not contradict wonderful. The world spins fast, so we must adapt swiftly. As a result, I’ve accepted my new role. I’m no longer the dark angel of war. I’m the savior of this world. That’s why I had to stop your father, no matter how much it pained me and how deeply it wounded me to do so. He came to destroy this planet and bring death to all. He was set in his ways and couldn’t be persuaded. To defend what’s left of this world, I have to be stronger and more powerful. I might have stopped your father, but Plague will come next, then Famine. They have no business here while I’m Earth’s guardian. You’ll join me and be the hero you were born to be.”

The scorpion was saying he stung others for the greater good. His bipolarity was obviously getting worse.

“I was only a solder in Heaven. I was a pawn,” he continued. “But on Earth, I’ve found my true calling. I’m a superhero. There is always someone who needs to be saved. Everyone is at my mercy, so I offer them my mercy.” He flashed me a smile, all white teeth and no fangs. “I feel liberated talking about this openly with you.”

“Did your history books say that you started a global war and erased a few nations?” I asked. “That’s called genocide, right?”

“A few bad apples had to go to keep the race pure on Earth,” he said.

“It’s also in your best interest to keep the supernaturals at war with each other and with the humans,” I said. “How’s your shadow government doing? How many powers and nations have bowed to you already?”

“I might be war in nature,” he said lazily, “but even without my influence, beings on this planet have gone to war with each other unceasingly since the dawn of time. Violence is part of humanity. It’s in their blood. Without me lifting a finger, humans will destroy each other eventually, and so will supernaturals. They’re all set on a path of destruction. So the angel of death, your father, came to bring everything to an end. Yet I took pity on all the beings on Earth. The human race in general isn’t worth saving, and nor are the supernaturals. But I have found a noble calling within myself, and I still want to save them, from any external forces and from themselves. I’m the only power standing between the lives on this planet and the other horsemen. They’re coming, and we’re running out of time. You need to open your eyes and see the world in its true form and ally yourself with the true hero, Ophelia. I’m not the villain here. I am your protector. Word has reached every corner concerning the emergence of Death’s daughter and what it means to the survival of this planet.” He gave me a meaningful look. “You’re a smart girl. You know what’s at stake.”

“In a nutshell, to protect the wonderfully twisted world and me”—I wiggled my fingers to make air quotes—“you need to mate with me to be able to take my power for yourself.”

“It sounds bad when you put it that way,” he said. “You always make everything sound bad, little Pip. It’s a bad habit. But I know where you come from. I’ve seen that you’re capable of change. Let’s cheer up and rid ourselves of the negativity. You think you can do that?”

I licked my lips and fought the urge to spit on the motherfucker.

“You’re my uncle in essence,” I said, cocking my head to the side to regard him as if he was a worm. “Isn’t it gross that we are even thinking about mating?”

“I’m not exactly your uncle,” he protested. “True, your father and I formed a brotherhood, but we don’t share the same genes. We’re beyond the reach of human DNA and the concept of morality. As a celestial halfling, you should free yourself from the limits of earth-bound thinking. And if it’s any comfort to you, if you insist on holding on to their ideologies and standards, know this: it’s Jared, the body of your destined mate, that will fuck you on your wedding night. While you two mate like beasts in heat, I’ll slumber. I won’t take a peek. How’s that? Feel better? And if you want to ride Jared’s big cock beforehand, be my guest. I won’t judge. I’ll close my eyes.”

He flashed me a lewd grin. “I saw his memories. He really cherished it when you gave him your virginity, even though he didn’t know you waited for a century to give him the best of you—your purity. He plays how he fucked you over and over whenever he masturbates. He does that a lot. Poor boy. He considers it the best fuck he’s ever had. No other woman can hold a candle to you. He can’t wait to taste you again. And I can promise you this: When you come together again, you two will make fireworks and possibly babies.”

I wanted to gouge out this motherfucker’s eyes.

“How did you kill my parents?” I asked, my face devoid of any emotions.

A dark gleam flashed in his eyes.

“You’re determined to ruin our first date, aren’t you?” He gave me a nod. “It’s okay, I can always be gentle and patient with you. As for your parents’ tragic end, it couldn’t be avoided. Anyway, it’s a long story for another day. I regret that the angel of death had to go so billions could live. At first I was afraid that you might be like him, so I tried to remove the death essence from you. My intention was pure and noble, but you got hurt in the process. Now I’ve learned that you aren’t your father, and you won’t hurt anyone under my guidance and protection. I’m confident that we’ll be a good team. Speaking of family, I want to show you something, Pip Ophelia.”

CHAPTER 11

As soon as Spartoi pushed off his chair, stood up, and clasped his large hands, a group of witches in black robes led four humans toward us.

The human woman was a brunette in her mid-thirties, warmth and intelligence sparking in her honey brown eyes that looked so familiar to me. She held the hand of a shy boy of about six years old. He tried to hide behind his mother.

Trailing behind them closely was a college-age couple. The young man had dirty blond hair down to his chin. His eyes were a warm gray and set wide apart.

The humans stared at me with wide eyes, a riot of emotions—shock, disbelief, sadness, joy, and uncertainty—playing in them.

A flood of memories chose that moment to hit me.

A series of montages overlapping each other—

The coffin confining me exploded outward, shards of crystal flying everyone. I crawled out of the coffin in a silky white gown, landing on all fours and panting hard while I darted my wild gaze around.

“Look what we got here. A hidden treasure.” A dark mage laughed. His body had started to deteriorate with the horseman possessing him, but he managed to pin me down with War’s spear. Rage burned in me, but I was too weak to do anything other than collapse to the icy ground.

A second wave of memories flashed by—

I was cut open on an operating table, my eyes widening in terror, my screams muffled. It became so unbearable that my spirit managed to escape my shell.

It took the form of a seven-year-old girl.

My spirit became flesh and wandered in the dark streets, lost. A plump woman, who had a kind face and honey brown eyes, took me in. She became Mom.

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