Cody the Guardian of Hell

Chapter 34

            Celeste sat close to Tommy, watching him rest. It was strange seeing him with his hair shaved off and parts where his head and face that were burned were now completely healed. She gazed at the metal attached to him while still processing everything that was happening and was currently happening.

Stolas gently placed a hand on her shoulder, "Are you alright, dear?"

Celeste nodded, "I'm as well as I can. It's just . . . it's a lot to process. Cody's a knight of Hell and has powers. He's fighting a war, my husband and I got attacked by a secret organization, so it's too dangerous to go back to the surface, and on top of all that, I'm pregnant. Which means I have a child to worry about."

"Hmm, yes. It is a lot to process, but I assure you it'll all pan out. Cody's quite capable, and this I.S.N.A. will be punished for their actions."

Celeste rubbed her eyes.

"Also, I can show you my palace whenever you are ready. It's quite lovely, really, despite it being empty sometimes, but Via and I can make it feel like home," Stolas promised.

Celeste nodded again, but as she stood up, she suddenly felt the need to cry. She buried her face in Stolas's chest fluff as she hugged him. Stolas was stunned at this as his four red eyes widened, but then he gently hugged her back in comfort.

"There, there. It'll be all right, sweet child. It'll be all right," Stolas said sincerely.

Celeste softly cried for a while until she was ready to leave. Loopty and Lipton assured her that Tommy would be kept safe and would text her the moment he woke up. Tim, Shadow, Vortex, Kimi, Stolas, and Fuko went with them through the portal, but Fuko had to leave.

"I gotta check on my daughter. Sometimes she gets into trouble," Fuko said.

"Okay, see you tomorrow," Vortex said as he disappeared.

Celeste got the grand tour of the palace and was shown her room. It was big, clean, and very luxurious. Celeste was amazed, but her surprised look quickly faded away, remembering her situation.

Kimi broke the silence and crossed her arms, "Have you eaten, honey?"

Celeste shook her head, "No, not in a long while."

"You should eat. Keep your strength up, and you've had a long day," Shadow said.

"I know she's early in her pregnancy, but should she worry about what to eat and to avoid? Because there are certain foods that pregnant women should not eat, right?" Tim asked.

"Yeah, you're right. There are foods she should avoid, like undercooked or raw meat or seafood and sushi, along with soft cheese, unpasteurized milk, soft-served ice cream, and obviously alcohol. That's a big no-no along with caffeine," Vortex explained.

"Caffeine?" Celeste asked.

"Oh yes. Caffeine increases your chances of a miscarriage, and we don't want that, do we?" Stolas added.

"No, we don't."

One Imp servant appeared, "Would our guest like cooked eggs or perhaps some smoked salmon? Those are acceptable options."

"Well, if it's no bother, some smoked salmon sounds lovely," Celeste humbly requested.

"No bother at all," Stolas replied, turning to the others, "I hope you all brought your appetites because we indeed have salmon. Quite a lot, really."