God Bones

Chapter 30: Metallic Rain

Arion tossed a towel towards me and I tried my best to dry my hair.

He didn't ask me any questions. What was that all about? Why did you freak out? Are you having second thoughts?

Nope. Arion was a perfect gentleman.

"Feel better?"

"Yeah, thank you."

"We don't have to," Arion said, gesturing to the bed. We both had cringed so hard when we saw those rose petals arranged into a heart on the comforter. "It's not like we haven't had sex multiple times before."

I laughed. "Don't you want to?"

He grinned and tugged me close by my waist. "You know I'm powerless to say no to you, my beautiful bride."

I looked into his eyes and felt myself grow calmer. I know the full embarrassment of my meltdown at the alter would hit soon enough, and I'd have to worry about other things. The Vagi. My father. Sera.

I'm doing all this for them.

But was it so wrong to feel such comfort in Arion's arms?

Fuck it. Nobody has to know. Nobody has to know how much I like his touch. After everything I'm giving up, after everything I'm risking, I fucking deserve this.

"Well," I said, smiling at him. "It would be a shame to let this lingerie go to waste, considering it was really expensive."

"Oh, I'm sure it'll be worth it," he said, pressing a kiss to my neck.

"I doubt it, they're just scraps of lace that almost cover nothing."

"Almost cover nothing? That sounds terrible," he said, smiling into my shoulder.

"You don't seem too unhappy."

He bent down and scooped me up, gown and all and carried me towards our bed. He tossed me right onto the cringey red heart and we both watched the petals fly off in satisfaction. He climbed over me and winced, effectively killing the mood faster than a phone call from a parent.

"What?" I asked.

He fumbled under the blankets and retrieved a long rectangular package, wrapped in deep red.

"It's for you," Arion said, scowling at the gift. He laid down on his side and handed it to me. "What the hell? Why would someone leave it here?"

"Is it a bomb?"

"No, can't sense any electricity."

"Ah, right. I forgot you can do that," I said. He smirked. His hair was already messy from the rain.

I looked at the gift, it felt heavy and very expensive. The label on the front only hand my name written in elegant cursive. I carefully unwrapped the paper and found a simple black box with a note taped on it.

"What language is that?"

Greek. But it was written in Ancient Greek, Myecenian Linear B.

Dear Lucifera,

Congratulations on your wedding.

A small gift from one of my temples, it is said that the animals sacrificed using it feel no pain. Maybe you can use it on your husband as a mercy.

- Dionysus

"It's from Rhys," I told him.  "He's here?"

"That bastard," Arion cursed, his accent becoming prominent. "We had to invite him for the wedding."