MORTALE

2

L'ARRIVO 

CHAPTER TWO

Deimos/die-mos/noun

1.: the personification of dread and terror.

_

FAYE giggled as her calico cat sniffled her face. "Your whiskers are tickling me!" She laughed as Turtle simply meowed and moved away. A crack resounded through the forest both as Faye and Turtle popped up. 

"Hello?" Faye asked, looking around the trees. Turtle eventually lost interest and went back to grooming herself. 

Another crack, this time closer. 

"Hello?" Faye was on alert, looking around. 

Turtle began to run off; Faye got up and quickly packed her basket and blanket. A low growl resounded from behind her, and she began to run after Turtle, not looking back. 

The sound of cracking sticks grew louder as if someone was chasing her.  The creature behind her did not relent and seemed to pick up the pace. Suddenly, her small cottage came into view, making her pick up her pace to get inside quickly.  She ran into the clearing and made it up to the small stone steps in front of her house. Pausing, she turned around to see what had been following her. But alas, there was no creature, no demon-looking creature coming to eat her. 

"I must've just been imagining it," she muttered. 

"Faye?" She heard her mother call out to her as she rushed inside, brushing herself off before giving Turtle a big kiss on her fuzzy head as she lay relaxing on the couch. 

"I'm here, Mom!" She laughed and walked into the kitchen. 

"Oh, there you are. You've had me worried sick, don't ever run off for too long, angel. Okay?" Her mother pressed a kiss to her hair before grabbing more ingredients. 

"I'm sorry," she pouted. She looked at the delicious-looking treats on the table. "What are you making?" 

Celine looked over at her innocent daughter. How to tell her that her Mate is coming? How to prepare her for the inevitable consequences of his presence, how he will tear her from me? 

"Nothing, baby. Just some small treats for us." 

Satisfied with the response, Faye only nodded and walked back to the door. "I'm going to go out to the garden, Mother!" She didn't await a response and stepped into the backyard, walking down to her garden that housed her favorite fruits, herbs, and vegetables. 

She sat in the garden, watching the small honey bees fly from flower to flower, gathering pollen and spreading it. 

"Faye," her mother walked out to find her sitting in the grass. "We need to talk." 

Faye looked at her mother in worry. "Of course, what's wrong?" 

Celine only shook her head and sat down next to her daughter. 

"It's time I've told you about your Mate." 

DEIMOS growled lowly, looking at Lucifer. 

"I am not here to listen to you give me a lecture on how I am to treat my Mate." 

Lucifer sighed and rolled his eyes. "You must understand, she's human and still only a girl. If you go down there with the same attitude you have now, you'll scare her." 

Deimos only stood, waiting for Lucifer to send him down. 

"It's my Mate. No harm will befall her. I guarantee it," Deimos responded. 

"Fine," Lucifer agreed. "Then send him down. But don't forget: you break any of your bounds, and you will be torn from her forever,"  his voice lowered to a threatening state. 

Deimos only growled and didn't say anything more. 

Finally, the portal opened to allow him to go to the world that held his Mate. 

Earth. 

"And Deimos," he turned to see Lucifer staring at him with eyes of coal. "Don't scare her too much, okay?" 

But he only let out a resonating growl and stepped through. 

CELINE searched the eyes of her small daughter, looking for any emotions. 

"He's going to...Take me from you?" Faye whispered. 

Celine gave a small nod. "You will want to go with him. Your bond will be unbreakable, it will cause you both too much pain to be separated." 

But Faye didn't understand why a strange man would come and take her from everything she's known. 

"But why?" 

Celine sighed and brushed a gentle hand down her hair. "Because love, that is what mates are. You are mated together for eternity, bound to each other. Without each other, you will die. Trust me, when he comes it will all make sense." 

Faye only nodded and decided to trust her mother. "When is he coming?" 

Celine once again sighed and looked at the dark forest surrounding the house. "Anytime now. I got the feeling that he was coming a few days ago. The Moon Goddess must've granted his permission due to the full moon last night. He should be here soon." 

Faye once again nodded and launched herself on her mother. "I'll miss you," she whispered into her mother's neck. 

Celine closed her eyes and held Faye tightly to her body, nodding. "I will miss you too." 

DEIMOS sat behind the powerful car, the engine beneath him rumbled as he picked up speed, curving through the dark forest around him. 

He only wanted his Mate. 

Finally, he found a small gravel road that led into a forest. He had a feeling deep in his chest, knowing his Mate was in there. He began to walk down the path, looking at the scenery. 

"She must love nature," he spoke aloud, watching the birds fly and the small animals run across the path. He drove into a small clearing and noticed lights in the distance. 

There's her home, he thought. No, her home is with me. 

He chuckled to himself, looking at the small cottage that came into view. He noticed the small garden in the back, the lanterns hung about and the line full of clothes seemingly forgotten to be taken inside. He parked the car at the end of the long gravel driveway and got out. 

He spent time outside her house, looking at each thing that he knew was hers. A clothesline held her dresses and socks; with the cold weather, they were nearly freezing to the touch. He took the clothes off the line, folded them up, and carried them to the front door. 

He made his way to the door, looking inside to see the lights on. He wanted her to be up to meet her but also knew it was late and time for her to be asleep.

He slowly raised his arm, looking at the dresses and socks in his arms. 

And he knocked.