Apostolos I Summon You to Human Form

Chapter 16

The first sensation Acheron was awareof when he slowly awoke was the warmth of someone laying next to him.The person had their head on his chest, and their palm on hisstomach. Without having seen her, he knew beyond a doubt it wasAccalia. He felt her – not just the physical sensation of her bodyheat warming him or their skin touching, but her heartbeat and hersoul. He could feel her emotions, her consciousness, and her health.This wasn't like his eavesdropping on others' thoughts. Thisawareness he'd only experienced with one other person: Artemis.

He sat up suddenly, causing Accalia tofollow suit in surprise.

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

Memories came flooding back. The nightof unrelenting, burning pain, and the sensation of nearing death yetagain. The taste of Artemis' blood, and how its effect was no betterthan a glass of water. He could recall Accalia's voice and her strongwords against Artemis. Ash licked his lower lip when he reflected onthe taste of Kae's blood on his tongue, and how drinking it soothedevery cell in his body and reinvigorated him. He watched herconcerned face, wondering if she knew the extent of the actions shetook that saved his life.

"You gave me your blood," he saidquietly, unsure if he still believed it. She brightened into a smileand he heard her heartbeat quicken.

"That's what saved your life."

His anxiety overtook him and hecouldn't speak. He was at her mercy. At any second she would bring upthe price she expected not just for her blood but for the act ofsaving his life.

"I'm so relieved you're okay. Igenuinely thought I was going to lose you, forever." She slid herfingers into his hand and squeezed it. Ash watched their hands, andthen lifted his head to look her in the eyes again.

"What... what payment do you wishfrom me?"

Accalia paled. "Nothing. Never. Ilove you, Acheron. You've made my life infinitely better by being init. I never want to own you, in any way. The only time I want to sayyou are mine, is when I'm speaking of my partner, my spouse."

He could tell from their bond that herwords came from a place of passion, but even if he hadn't consumedher blood, he would have been touched by her sincerity and theemotions shining in her eyes. He softened.

"You'd want to marry?"

"Standing in front of a large crowd,vowing for all to hear that I would forever be devoted to you? Hellyes."

Gods, how much he loved her. Hegrinned to her, fangs showing. "We're already halfway there."

Her expression twisted in confusion."What do you mean?"

"We're blood bound."

"H-how? Doesn't that involve medrinking your blood? Weren't you bound to Artemis?"

"Yes on both accounts. I was boundto Artemis because she had consumed my blood when I was human, so herblood was the only way I could have come back like I did. I don'treally know the details, but somehow your blood healed me whereArtemis' couldn't."

"That doesn't explain how the bondgoes both ways."

"D'you remember the first time Icame to visit you at your parents'? We walked down the stairs and Ihit my head."

"Yeah, on one of the hangingdecorations or something."

"My forehead was bleeding. When youkissed my wound, my blood transferred to your lips."

"That was such a small wound! Anyamount of blood would have been negligible."
"Don't forgethow fast I heal. The cut would have looked insignificant after you'dkissed it."

"Would that amount of blood havebeen enough?"

Acheron grinned. "You tell me. I'mstill here, aren't I?"

"For which I will be eternallygrateful. Where do we go from here? Do you still need Artemis' bloodto continue living?"

"No," he shook his head. "I doneed blood, but not necessarily hers."

"Could you live off of mine?"

"You really would be willing to livean immortal life?" He pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. Shenodded.

"Only if I spend that life withyou."

Acheron pulled her into his lap andkissed her . He felt her arms ring around his neck and rest on hisshoulders and she returned the kiss. His hands roamed to the small ofher back. He hadn't yet fully recovered, still fatigued and drainedfrom healing, but he wanted to bury himself inside her and feel theirbond on another level. He could tell the desire was mutual in how sherubbed herself against him.

Ash still wore his leather pants, andher clothes were the same she'd wore when they went on their walk. Heslipped his hands between her panties and bare skin. His body achedfor her, and he could feel her body's yearning for him, too.

Just as his fingers came around to herfront to unfasten her pants, Acheron heard the soft sound of a womanclearing her throat. He broke from the kiss and looked up to see theimage of his mother standing to the side. Accalia followed his gaze.The goddess was smiling.

"Apollymi?" she asked. The goddessnodded.

"I see you're celebrating Apostolos'recovery," she said. There was a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Just about," Ash said under hisbreath. No doubt he loved his mother, but at this point she had somebad timing.

"I had supposed the two of you hadunanswered questions that sought solutions."

Accalia met Acheron's gaze briefly andlooked back to Apollymi. She slid off of Ash's lap to sit on the edgeof the bed.

"What had happened to Acheron? Whywas my blood the only cure?"

Apollymi's expression hardened. "TheDaimons tested their fates with the Theolofo and unfortunatelysurvived with... souvenirs."

"Theolofo? God killers?" Acheronasked, translating the Atlantean portmanteau.

"You've never seen them," Apollymiinformed him, "as they only exist in Kalosis." She waved her handbeside her and a visual like a hologram appeared next to her, aboutthe size of a large dog. The creature had a horse-like body, thickneck and tail, and very sharp-looking teeth, horns, and claws. Thedemon-like animal was animated – moving its head about, sniffingthe ground, and walking in place. It looked dangerous as hell. "Thisis a Theolofo; this visual is about a quarter of the true size."

"Something about this creaturecaused my wound?"

"Yes. I'm not certain if it was itsblood, some sharp part of its anatomy, or both, but Acacia and I hadseen Daimons fleeing from an aggravated Theolofo. I am thoroughlyconvinced it had something to do with what happened."

"My chest felt like it was on fire;it felt like I was melting from the inside."

"It kinda looked like it too. Yourskin was so red and black," Accalia added.

Apollymi eyed her image of the demon,like she was unsatisfied with how much it did – or didn't –represent the creature in reality. "Theolofo body temperature isfairly high, and its fur is reflective and iridescent. In most light,it has the appearance of liquid fire."

"What does my blood have to do withthis thing? Is it because I had tasted Acheron's blood before?"

"Yes, in a way."

Acheron and Accalia exchanged glances.

"How?" Accalia pressed.

"Because you, Accalia, have Theolofoblood within you." At the lost expression on Kae's face, Apollymicontinued. "You are more than a mortal human. This life you know isonly one small snippet of your twenty-thousand-year existence."

"I don't understand. How is thatpossible?"

 "You are an Atlantean goddess,Accalia. You lived with me in Kalosis as my koris."