Black Crescent Moon

Thought It Was an Origin Story, Did You?

I turned to Adrian, who had picked up the letter off of the floor. “What do you mean by your woman?” I demanded, crossing my arms. Even though I still felt dizzy as all hell, there was no way I was going to just leave it alone.

He sighed tiredly, running a hand through his thick, black hair. “Perhaps we can discuss this later, Kathryne?” He looked exhausted too. “I just kicked out a god, and I don’t have the strength to argue with you about something I said in the heat of the moment.”

My right eye twitched. “So? If you said it when you weren’t thinking properly, then on some level you must actually think that.” Though that fact didn’t annoy me as much as it should have. In fact, I felt a little flattered, but he didn’t need to know that.

A smile tugged at his lips. “Because I do think that way. I’m a tad possessive, if you haven’t noticed,” he replied, grabbing my wrist before I could step away from him. “You need sleep,” he said once he got a good look at my face.

Did he seriously think I was going to just let this go? “Oi, don’t change the subject!” I protested, shooting him an annoyed glare.

“Love, you just used your powers twice today. Your eyes are red, your nose is leaking blood, and you yourself are on the verge of collapsing. You need to rest, preferably before you accidentally use magic again.” I could see his fangs starting to poke out underneath his lips.

Was I really leaking that much blood? Or were his fangs just sensitive? “What if I do it on purpose?” I asked, growing tired of the striped leather speedo. I really was starting to miss his suit.

Adrian tugged my wrist up to his mouth and nipped the sensitive underside. Not hard enough for his fangs to pierce the skin, but hard enough for it to hurt, the pain jolting me to my senses. “No, definitely not. You may not feel it now, but later you will be feeling the consequences of using up so much mana at once. If you don’t get some rest now, it’s not going to be pretty.”

“What about the elephant?”

Just as I turned to look at it, there was a small ‘pop’, and in a puff of black smoke, the giant pink elephant disappeared. “This is mine now,” Hadyn’s voice was clear as day, though the god himself didn’t bother to reappear.

“That’s because I’ve technically banished him,” Adrian had read my thoughts again. “Though while he can’t come back physically, he can still use his powers to do as he likes here.” He sounded none too happy about that fact.

Fun. “So, you didn’t really do much at all,” I replied, shaking my head and instantly regretting it. The room was going all wobbly.

He snorted. “He’s a god, Kathryne. There’s not much I can do to him, save for frequently upsetting him.” He placed a hand on my chest, and his opposite arm wrapped tightly around my waist. “Now, get some rest. It’ll keep the worst of the side effects at bay.”

He didn’t really think I was just going to conveniently pass out for him, did he? “No. I’m not tired,” I argued, fighting against my own consciousness. “And is it really necessary for you to be groping me right now?”

“Yes,” Adrian answered, completely serious. He squeezed gently, making me turn seven shades of red. “Dormi, Kathryne.”

His hand felt warm and tingly, quite different from the last time he’d knocked me out.  I hadn’t felt much at all before. It sent a rush of heat through my veins, and my heart stuttered in my chest before slowing down. My knees buckled, giving way whether I wanted them to or not, and Adrian easily swept me into his arms. “I’m going to kick your ass when I wake up,” I growled sleepily. My tongue felt thick, like it was coated in peanut butter.