Dark Nine ❈ Dark Nine Universe Bk1 ❈

Chapter Thirty-Three

Diana's POV

There's nothing sweeter than waking up to Neptune's kiss and feeling light again.

I had been dreaming.

But I experienced the rare, good kind of sleep paralysis as I woke up slowly, and my dreams meshed with life, so I could see a little green child running around already, this tiny little thing, being chased by a laughing Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury.

Mars was watching with an emotional smile, and meanwhile he was flanked by Pluto and Terra, and I even noticed the chains on him.

Around his mouth. Temporary, for sure, but even in the dream – I saw E come over and advise it was okay to take it off.

That's when I knew everything was fine, as I was waking from an upright position.

I was not down. Like, not on a bed.

I didn't really get it entirely yet, but I was comfortable, wherever I was.

It was Neptune's sweet kiss that was helping me navigate the paralysis back to full reality.

His venom was powerful, working to dispel any heaviness in my head.

Eventually I moan awake and his lips are still on mine, devouring me, his hand tight on my neck.

I'm awake.

I'm panting.

I'm... how the fuck am I wet and horny? I just delivered a kid.

I feel it though, I feel how needy I am and it's real.

When the kiss is broken, Neptune lets me go – he had been visible the whole time, but the moment I blink and try to focus on his airy eyes, he turns invisible with a smile.

I look through him with annoyance and I try to reach out, but I can't. I hear a rattle, my body sways a bit.

I then take in my position. Stuck in the Kor prison, mid-air with my arms out and my ankles out. I feel like I'm stuck in the middle of a spider web, chains attached to shackles, and I'm balanced so perfectly in the middle, it doesn't hurt.

And my belly? Low and behold, my translucent skin and Fey empowered muscles have pulled everything back in to how I was before.

I also feel like I smell clean, and I think someone wiped me over, helping me feel fresh.

I don't even care that I'm chained up, because I can hear my baby running around. I'm grinning at the little half Kor child running laps around the Kors and eventually scaling a wall and screaming in joy as it scurries into the wild.

It's the weirdest and cutest thing.

He was a little Mars. Green, just bald.

None of the Kors follow our baby.

I believe them when they say they're self-sufficient – and he is safe on Dark Ninth.

Afterall, there is no one here.

My laugh at watching my kid escape the prison like a little Danger, catches the attention of the rest of my Kors.

Nothing can stop my joy, nothing.

We don't discuss the chains.

Each Kor waltzes closer, while Mars hangs back, a proud smile on his face as he paces slowly across the room, unable to keep the love out of his eyes.

"Well, you did it, Diana," Saturn starts to welcome me back, his golden eyes sparkling with pride like Jupiter, "You impressed us all."

"Stressed us all," E growls under his breath, but even his eyes have softened, even if his voice hasn't thawed out yet.