Chapter 175

Chapter 175
Aeron
The days start to slip by. With each passing hour, I watch Persephone. She's the last remnant of an old world. A world that should be dying. It bothers Isla, and I wish I could make it easier for her, but most of the time she doesn't pay much attention to me.
In between keeping the goddess company, I teach my bride about a vampire. She ties her first familiar to her, successfully, which is a miracle because most of us fuck it up the first time, she makes friends with mother siblings. But mostly, she finds company with Michael, and if she's not with me or Michael she's out there on the balcony, talking to Persephone.
Sometimes, I get the distinct feeling that she pities the goddess.
Vladimir decided that the fae doesn't hold any danger for him after all, he takes his sullen bride and leaves.
And the world settles down. Time moves on as it always does.
In the corner of our balcony sits a petrifying goddess - one, who once upon a time approved a curse be placed upon my family. She's neither alive nor dead. She's a part of the decoration.
Some days, I walk out on the balcony and I find Isla talking to her. Persephone has long since stopped responding, but that doesn't stop my wife.
And just like that - in the blink of an eye or the the crawl of a snail, ten years went by.
One morning, after spending most of the night with Persephone again, Isla gets up and touches her. The goddess explodes in a cloud of dust.
"What the fuck?" I call out and run onto the balcony to check on my bride.
She's covered in... what I can only call Persephone. "The last fae finally died," Isla explained. "Last night."
"You mean Persephone died?"
"No. The last fae. That is how long it took for their entire realm to collapse. Ten years. Ten years of suffering."
My insides turn liquidy and tears burn the back of my throat. "Did they feel it? The remaining fae?"
"Yes. Every minute felt like a day to them. They tried. The prayed. The invoked the gods who never came. A lot of them were innocent." She goes quiet for a long time, staring at the dust that used to be Persephone. "Most weren't. The children. Only the children deserved saving."
"And were they saved?"
Isla slowly turns her head from side to side then turns her back on the pile of dust. "My sisters. Are they well? I have not been to see them in quite some time."
I smile and nod. "Yes. all of them. They declined matches and decided to get degrees instead. I approved all their applications."
Isla inhales deeply, then slowly lets the air out of her lungs. "I'm not quite sure what to do now. I spent my whole vampire like keeping dying a goddess company."
I put my arms around my bride and hold pull her flush against me. "You do whatever you want. You have all of eternity stretching out ahead of you. Today you are a queen. Tomorrow, you could be traveling blood peddler selling exotic bloods."
Einar left for parts unknown. He may never return. I have been tempted to go back to the pits to retrieve Idun, but then a new memory comes back to haunt me, and all my pity for her vanishes.
One day, perhaps, I'll go back for her. But not now.
Not now.

\--

Isla

The space we chose is perfect. Nicolette and I are having the time of our lives here. She procures the humans keeps them on special diets, Morvahn infuses their blood with all sorts of herbs and spices, and I mix it. It turned out that I had a special talent for it. I can mix two or more different kinds of bloods together and create blends that are irresistible to vampires.
It's not even that hard. I just need to look at a vampire, and I know what kind of blood he's after. Vanilla virgin with a splash of strawberry whore and run. It's fun, and I always get a little thrill when I guess it right and I watch the moment of ecstasy on their faces when they taste my mixes.
My exclusive cocktail lounge is right on the ocean. I charge a hefty entrance fee, and it doesn't include the drinks. To say that Aeron wasn't happy with my decision is an understatement, but I soon garnered the nickname the 'blood queen,' and people here respect me, despite Aeron's fears that they wouldn't.
Without an active war to fight and the kingdom running smoothly, Aeron spends more than half his time in the bar with me anyway. We even had to start stocking human drinks, because we're attracting human clientele - people who want to be fed upon.
Life is good. It's fun. And for now, I'm very fucking happy. Most of my jealousy issues have been resolved. Aeron rarely wants another in our bed, and whenever it happens it's because I want it. I have very little experience compared to him, and I want know it all. I want to taste everything, see everything, smell everything, feel everything.
And the more he tells me to be patient, it will happen, the more impatient I'm getting.
Like tonight, when three handsome men, one of them definitely pitching for both teams, catch my attention. Aeron follows my gaze. "Those three?" he asks, not a hint of shame or jealousy in his voice.
If they meant me harm, if they wanted anything more than just sex, they'd be dead... but they are here for only one thing. Getting fucked by a vampire. And as someone who has been fucked by one - both as a human and a vampire - I understand their desire all too well.
Aeron puts to martini shaker down, smooths his hair back and gives me a little wink. "Time for me to get to work, I guess."
I watch him for a while. Watch him charm the literal pants off those men.
One day, perhaps tomorrow, perhaps a hundred years from now, we'll move on. We'll find a different life, a new world, new adventures, but for now we are happy.