Eden
"What do you mean my magic is feeding off of Damien?" I question Persephone, horrified by the idea I've been unknowingly leeching off of him.
"You're a Reapers mate, their mere presence strengthens your magic. Although none as much as Jericho." She confirms to me.
I had thought it was just me leaving the forest that had my magic practically humming through my veins, it seems I was wrong.
"Is this what's been compelling her to seek me out?" I turn my head towards Damien, feeling awful about everything that's happened between us here lately.
"I'm not sure about that, I'd have to look into things more, if that's something you'd like me to do?" She asks mischievously.
"For now I'd like to strictly focus on finding Jericho, if you don't mind." We don't have time to waste looking into why I sought Damien's presence. The only thing that matters to me right now is the possibility of a breakthrough in finding Jericho.
Persephone's expression becomes serious. "You're right. My theory is that if you can fall asleep and dream of where he is clearly I can use my seer abilities to see into your dream and find his location."
"There's nothing to see though, it's just endless darkness."
"You think that matters? My eyes will see what others cannot. I will be able to know his location just by sensing his presence through you." She says confidently.
"I'm willing to try anything. What do I need to do?" I ask eagerly.
"I just need you to fall asleep like usual," She pauses and looks at Damien. "with him this time of course, we'll need him to strengthen your connection by strengthening your magic."
"So I need to fall asleep with Damien, with you present?"
"Yes, that shouldn't be a problem considering you two have been-"
"Yes, okay, enough. When can we do this? Now?" I'm ready to get my mate back and any second wasted is more time Jericho is forced to wait.
"Are you tired?" She questions.
"No, but Damien sometimes uses a sleeping spell on me that works, we could just do that?"
She turns to Damien to glare at him. "You've been doing what?"
"She needs it sometimes, it doesn't hurt anything to use a little magic to sleep." He defends his actions. I honestly never minded, but now I wonder why Persephone seems so displeased with it. That'll be for another time, though.
"Just, yes or no?" I ask a little too loudly.
She pouts her lips before answering. "Very well. Come to a spare room to lie down."
"Oh goddess! Thank you so much! I truly can't repay your kindness." I say to her with a slight head bow. Although she doesn't demand anyone to address her as such, she is the queen of the underworld, sometimes I forget to show my respects to her, not that she's ever said anything.
Damien doesn't say anything as we follow Persephone down the halls and into a spare bedroom. The room has dark grey walls with white crown moulding, there are two strikingly white chairs in a corner near a small reading table, and a large bed with red satin blankets sits in the center of the room.
Persephone points to one of the chairs and motions for Damien to move it beside the bed, he does so quickly without complaint.
I look at Damien and then awkwardly at the bed and the lovely woman sitting beside it. I put my feelings aside as I kick off my shoes and climb into the bed, not getting under the blankets, trying to make this as non-intimate as possible.
Damien looks just as uncomfortable having to lay down with me while someone is present, but still he doesn't hesitate to climb in and wrap me up into his arms like he had done the night before when I dreamt so clearly.
"Now once you're asleep you need to seek his presence out, you'll need to try to reach out harder to him than ever before if this is going to work." Persephone tells me intently.
"I'm ready, I can do this." I swear my limbs are trembling in anticipation, though I try not to show it.
She nods, leaning in closely. "Let's begin then."
Damien goes to open his mouth just to have Persephone hush him with her hand. She smiles at me and winks before whispering, "Sleep."
Slowly consciousness fades and I'm sent into the never ending darkness.
"Jericho?" I call out.
I wait a moment while the silence surrounds me. "Jericho?" I call out again, louder.
"My mate." My heart leaps at the sound of his voice, the slight hesitation instantly making my mind jump to conclusions of the worst kind.
"We're coming to get you, I promise. We will be together again soon."
"My mate, will you ever cease to amaze me?"
"Oh Jericho," tears begin forming in the corner of my eyes as I sense it.
Her presence.
"Oh goddess it fucking worked." I cry out.
I can sense Persephone's presence, before I sense someone else too.
Damien?
The darkness seems like it begins to shatter all around me, loud rumbles that shake the very air.
"Eden! Get up!" Persephone's voice calls out to me, waking me from the abyss.
I sit up frantically as my eyes dart around the room, only to land on Damien dragging Jericho's limp body from a portal Persephone stands beside, seeming to lead to the world we just rescued him from.
Just as the world collapses Persephone closes the portal, sealing away the destruction left behind.
I jump from the bed and over to my mate, knowing it won't feel real until I can hold him within my arms again.
My knees land with a loud thud in front of Damien as he cradles Jericho's body. He looks at me before setting Jericho's upper body on my lap.
I hold him close as I stare at his face as his eyes remain closed, I slowly caress his face, silently begging for him to open them.
"Jericho?"
He weakly presses his face into my hand before opening his eyes, looking at me with his golden gaze.
"Jericho!" I cry out in relief, not caring how ridiculous I come across as I begin sobbing and holding him close to me.
"My mate. My Jericho. I thought I had lost you.."
He smiles weakly before closing his eyes again, seeming to be very weak.
"Persephone?" She seems to know my unspoken question.
"He's okay, he's just very weak. He'll need time to recover from what has happened to him." She says in a calming voice as she sets a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
Damien places a hand on Jericho's chest as he begins chanting quietly. His breathing grows steady, his skin seeming to take on a healthy glow as well.
He's helping restore his strength.
I look up at Damien through my tears, my heart feeling torn at the same time it feels whole again. How is that even possible?
I shove the thoughts aside as I look away from him, realizing his refusal to meet my eyes.
I look down at my mate who seems to be looking much better after Damien restored some of his strength.
"I'll carry him back to your room, the healers will be by to check up on him." Damien says quietly.
I look at him again to find him looking at me intently. "Thank you, for saving him."
He smiles at me, though it doesn't reach his eyes. "It wasn't just me.. but there's nothing that could have kept me from helping bring him back."
I nod, knowing that a chapter has closed between me and Damien. I look down at my mate and smile before Damien grabs him out of my arms, preparing to carry him back to the palace of Reapers.
I can't help the smile that makes its way to my face as I watch Damien carry Jericho around like a giant sleeping child.
I turn to Persephone before leaving, and although it might not be acceptable, I swoop her up into a hug and squeeze her tightly. "I can't thank you enough."
She squeezes me back as her musical laughter fills the air. "Oh dear, I'm just happy I was able to help." She pulls away slightly and kisses my forehead before releasing me, sending me off with a small wave.
The walk back to the room is silent as neither me nor Damien speak. We chose the portal closest to my room, thankfully not running into anyone yet, although there are only a handful of rooms in this wing, reserved for the Reapers and special guests only.
We walk into the room and I quickly make my way over to the bed, pulling the blankets back. I don't say anything as I begin undressing Jericho as Damien holds him, causing him to jerk away. "Calm down, I just want to take off his shirt and pants so he's not sleeping in something he's been sleeping in for a month."
He nods in agreement and helps me undress Jericho down to his underwear before laying him in bed, I cover him with the blankets before I turn to Damien awkwardly.
"I'll leave you to your mate then, little witch."
I don't have time to think of any words to say as he makes his way to the door and closes it silently.
I don't dwell on it as I immediately turn around and climb into bed with Jericho.
I get under the blankets and snuggle up as close to him as possible, needing to be near him.
I stroke his face as I stare at him, not caring if it's creepy. I've went too long without seeing his face, I'll stare at it as long as I want to. I take in his full lips and long eyelashes, the perfect shape of his nose and his chiseled jawline. My perfect mate.
I wake up alone, instantly panicking.
"Jericho?" I call out loudly, after so long without him I fear I dreamt everything, until I hear noise from the bathroom, looking over I see the door leading to it is slightly open.
I quickly get up out of bed and dart over, needing to see him with my own eyes. I open the door to find Jericho naked in the tub, submerged in steaming water.
The sight of him takes my breath away as I take in all of him. His eyes are closed with his head leaning back against the wall, his dark messy hair wet from washing it, his upper body exposed to me as I watch little water droplets trail down his pecks and into the water that surrounds him.
"I called out to you, why didn't you answer me?" He smirks before opening his eyes to look at me.
Goddess above he's magnificent.
"Because I knew you'd come to me." His voice comes out low, seductively. My heart leaps in my chest at his words, it had been too long since I've heard him outside of that dream-like realm.
I walk over to him, needing to be near him. His eyes trail my body as I come closer. "Remove your clothes and join me, my love."
My heart leaps at his words. Surely he's upset with me for what I did while he was away? He's so quick to have me join him in such a way? I feared the worst, that he would withdraw from me and need distance, though I would have understood.
I notice I'm taking longer than I should to join him and immediately begin undressing, letting his hungry eyes devour every inch of my body.
Slowly I make my way over to him, everything seeming surreal. He smiles and grabs my hand to help me into the water with him.
He sits me in front of him between his legs, my back against his chest as he begins washing my hair the same way he always has, as if nothing has changed. As if he wasn't just taken away from me for over a month.
My tears fall silently as I keep my eyes closed. My tears of relief mixing with tears of shame. "I love you so much, Jericho.. I don't deserve your kindness.. you're aware of what I did in your absence.." My voice trembles as I speak.
He remains silent for a moment, as I anxiously wait to hear what he has to say.
"I'm aware that you slept in Damien's bed, yes." His voice comes out calm and even as he confirms this.
"Then how do you not hate me?"
"It was him who was the key to saving me, was he not?"
This time I remain quiet in thought, debating on how to word things. "Yes, it seemed he was. But still, I should have been strong enough to reach you on my own."
"It's okay to need help sometimes, my mate."
I turn and face him in the tub, staring into his eyes as I speak. "You don't get it. I hate me! You were suffering, Jericho. You were alone and you needed me! And I slept within Damien's arms seeking a comfort I couldn't find there! Because it's you, Jericho! You're my comfort, my mate. I should have never sought Damien out-"
"And then what? How long would it have taken? I'm not sure how much longer I as going to be able to hold on, Eden. When you came to me I had almost accepted my seemingly infinite life had come to an end.." He refuses to look me in the eye at the last part, seeming to hide the despair that comes with admitting this to me.
I don't know how to feel, knowing that if I wouldn't have done what I did Jericho might not be here right now, and we could possibly still be looking for answers on how to find him had I not figured out Damien was the answer we were searching for.
"Forgive me, Jericho.. though I know I don't deserve it." I say through my tears.
"My beautiful mate, I already have." He says as he wipes a tear from my face with his thumb.
"What?" I ask, feeling numb.
"Let's finish speaking of this another time, I'm still feeling a bit tired." He says as he leans his head back.
"I just.. I feel like you should be mad at me. You should at least yell at me." I say as I try to hold back more tears.
Jericho's laugh fills the bathroom, seeming to think what I just said was amusing. "The only one who's going to be yelling is you." He smirks with his eyes closed still.
"What do yo-?" Before I can ask what he means his lips are crashing against mine, savoring the taste of each other after so long of not truly being together. My stomach flutters as his tongue finds its way into my mouth before he pulls away and begins kissing my neck and biting at my ears.
He brings his lips close, his breath tickling my ear, causing chills to run throughout my entire body.
"In fact, my beautiful mate, I'm going to make you scream my name." He growls out darkly.
2,568 words.
I still need to go back over this and check it for errors.
There will be smut next chapter.