The Last Goddess

Chapter Sixty-Nine: Midnight

Before I could comment, some random man came up to Samara and asked to dance with her. She seemed hesitant, and when she was just about to take his hand, I snatched it away.

"Yeah, that's not happening, pal. Move it along." I glowered.

"Aryan," Samara called, making me look down at her. "Was that really necessary? It's just a dance."

"No, it wasn't." I tsked.

I didn't have to read that man's emotions to know that he was not looking to dance with Samara. And neither were the ten other people that were slowly building the courage to go round two with me. I mean, seriously, did she not realize how she looks? She was... stunning.

"You leave me no alternative then." She smirked, clasping our hands, and placing her other one on my shoulder. "You'll have to be my dance partner then."

I chuckled sardonically. "Yeah, no. I don't do dances."

"Then, I guess I'll just—" Samara began to pull away from me in search of someone else, but I tugged her back into my arms. Only slightly irritated that she knew how to play me.

"Fine," I groaned. "But if I step on your feet, that's on you."

She giggled, a jolt of excitement running through her. "It's a risk I'm willing to take."

With that, we began to sway to the slow song the band played. Samara laid her head on my chest and seemed content for the first time in days. Surprisingly, we danced well together. I guess there's a first for everything.

The feel of Samara in my arms was somehow strange and comforting. She held no reservations about being this close. In fact, she seemed like she wanted to be closer. And despite that flash of longing she felt for the god of darkness, I'm not sure it was really her feelings. In this moment, nothing really mattered except for—

Whoa. Whoa! What's this line of thought here?? I asked myself, not sure I wanted to feel this. Hell, not sure if I was even the one feeling this.

"Aryan, about what Colton said..." Samara started slowly, he jade eyes looked at me with innocence. "...about Neri. Was he right? Was it hard to move on from her? To... to become my familiar?"

Damn you, Colton. I cursed at the darkness. I was hoping she didn't pick up on that, but Samara's too curious and clever to let it pass.

"Why are you asking?"

"I just..." she paused, thinking. "I just want to know more about you." She said sheepishly. Her face turning red instantly. "And also, everyone I've met that were a familiar or handmaiden felt some sort of deep affection for their goddess. Don't you feel that type of love for Neri?"

Instead of giving her a hard time—my natural plan A—I found myself wanting to open up to her. "Honestly, no." I shrugged. "At first, I missed Neri, but the thing about her is that she's not all sunshine and rainbows. She's tough. She expects a certain level of commitment and loyalty to her. That's why her Jauni guard—my guard—were so fierce compared to the others in Arcanum. But... I'm not sure you could call that love. I guess, it was more like admiration."

"Is that what you feel for me?" Samara asked so point-blank that I was briefly taken off guard.

How I feel about you? I— So many emotions went through me that the line was blurred, and once again, I didn't know who was feeling what. Truthfully, the most notable thing I felt was our skin pressed together. The way her eyes seemed to memorize my every expression, and finally, the way we swayed so effortlessly to the music. Like we were one.

"I... think we should get some food.

Colton

I watched the lanterns bob in the breeze as I awaited Samara and Aryan.

"Nocturne," I called.

My halfling emerged from the nearby shadows seamlessly. He nodded before saying, "Yes, sire?"

"Do you think it's true?" I pondered. "Can that mortal really bring back the goddesses?"

"Well..." he started slowly, thoughtfully. "It is my understanding that this woman had seen Lady Seraphina prior to coming here."

"So?" I asked, watching my shade pace to and fro.

"Wouldn't that mean that Lady Seraphina has tasked her with this? Or at the very least, believes she can, in fact, return Lady Zenaida?"

Before I could comment, Nocturne tilted his head up, like he was listening to something.

"Your guests have arrived." He said, gesturing me towards the door.

We descended the stairs to find Milo, Aryan, and Samara waiting in the foyer. The three of them were all still wearing their masks. Milo and Aryan's were quite plain—one black and the other white—but Samara's...

I looked towards the firefly Janus. He shrugged, knowing exactly why I was looking at him. Before I could think about it, I reached for her face, gently touching Zen's mask.

Samara stared up at me sheepishly. In her jade eyes was a faint glimmer. A recognizable glimmer.

However, before I could look further, Aryan swatted my hand away. "That's enough now. She can take the damn mask off if that's what you want to grope so much."

His actions were so shocking, I lost control of the darkness for a moment, and it began to swallow us whole.

Aryan glared accusingly before he reached for Samara's wrist, holding on to her. Milo tried to illuminate his skin, but it was being blotted out by the shadows.

I did my best to take calming breaths—to regain control—and just as I was about to, a ball of white light appeared in Samara's hand. It grew bigger and bigger until we were all temporarily blinded. As if we had stared into the sun for too long. And in the blink of an eye, it was gone, and my shadows had receded to their proper place.

That glimmer I witnessed earlier had shown a little brighter in that moment, and I was awestruck.

"What the hell was that about!?" Aryan snapped. "You were going to hand us over to Soren, weren't you!?" he pulled on Samara's wrist to move her towards the door, but she refused to budge. "Samara, let's go. They're just playing us. They don't want to help."

"Aryan," she said slowly, placing her other hand on the arm he was using to pull her a bit. "Wait, I really think this is just... a misunderstanding." She glanced over at me. Her look spoke volumes. Samara was trusting me. She was waiting. She was hopeful.

"Ok." I nodded, ignoring her seething dragon. "I will bring you to Zenaida."

"Then, let's go." Aryan replied, arms folded.

"No. Not tonight." I told them, still keeping my eyes on Samara. "Not in darkness. Zen... she deserves to awaken in the light."

Samara nodded understandingly. "Ok. In the light, it is." now." I finally said, pulling her with me before I said something I could never take back.