Recovery

Legends...

Urdu 

The glamour was pretty convincing.

Though Urdu couldn't see it, she could sense the magic that Samantha had woven over her, making her look human so that they could go out. She had to hand it to her mate; Sam had studied everything Urdu had tried to explain magic-wise and figured out how to cast a spell, or use her power, to disguise the fact that Urdu was a demon.

It had never been something that Urdu had really bothered with. Anyone with power could see through glamours if they wanted to, and Urdu had always shapeshifted, anyway.

But Sam had wanted to take Meriwa out shopping and after a couple hours of instruction, had figured it out as far as Urdu's senses could tell.

Around humans, it would be fine. The mundane species sought the normal, so even a poorly done glamour would be accepted as their minds just filled in the spaces that made little sense.

Urdu didn't mind spending the time with Sam or Meri, and was finding herself tolerating Ryker's presence, as the two women housing goddesses wandered through the mall. The crowds weren't that bad and Ryker had relaxed and stopped, growling at anyone who got too close to his pregnant lover.

Not that Urdu was anyone to judge.

She wasn't impressed with the ignorance of some people around Meriwa, who was heavily pregnant with supposed twins. Humans weren't supposed to have litters. They rarely had multiple babies, meaning the woman was larger and more tired than she would be if she only had one. And the crowds passing by sometimes got closer than they should, and would have jostled Meriwa more than once if Ryker hadn't been in the way at the drop of a hat.

But humans also didn't seem to have as strong of an instinct to settle into their dens and avoid contact with others while with child, and Samantha said Meriwa was getting bored. Especially since Urdu had been very adamant about the fact that the use of power, especially the amount and type of power a deity would have, was not advisable while pregnant.

Demons didn't do it, angels didn't do it.

In fact, no kin that Urdu was aware of willingly used their power regularly while with child, as it caused fluctuations within the body that the baby's fragile form was not ready for. It was the same reason children of all these kin didn't immediately have access to the power they would eventually yield.

It interfered with development and taxed their physical bodies.

It was a wild guess that the same logic would hold true for ancient ones, but no one had been willing to take the risk, though Urdu didn't know if the ancient ones had also remembered all this.

Or if they even knew it.

They weren't all knowing beings and with the mortal bodies still in the majority of control; it was hard to figure out if the gods had access to their full knowledge when it counted.

Urdu frowned and stopped dead in her tracks, sneezing several times and feeling her eyes water.

"What is that?" The overwhelming amalgamation of several unfamiliar scents assaulted her, wafting through the surrounding air.

"Oh! It's the body shop!" Samantha perked up from her one side. "I wanted to get more body wash and things."

"Oh, me too." Meriwa, who was nestled between Sam and Ryker, murmured.

"In small little doses, it's fine, but that store gives me a migraine, from here." Ryker murmured softly, sounding like he was bracing himself for battle at the thought of getting closer.