Part 37

/Talia's POV/

The moon princess wallowed in her room some more as Clio and Artemis left to their respective homes. Her sister, Clio, was now married to a King with two young children while Artemis still went on missions for her dear father. Nothing changed drastically. Only Hera was missing from the Castle.

Something the pregnant woman was very much happy about. Talia didn't want to stress even more than she already was.

The very next morning, the daughter of Zeus was joined by her sister and her husband at the beach just before noon. She didn't have much going on, so their presence served as a good distraction. Talia quietly listened to their peaceful chatter as they all decided to sit in the sand, toes curling in. In her bathing suit, Talia's rounded tummy was tentative but prominent.

Clio, on the other hand, was having a hard time making her kids settle down. They were going too close to the waves, and it kind of scared her.

For a short moment, an image of the future flashed to life: Talia sitting on the porch of their house back in Hell, Lukas tan and in a handsome dress shirt and braces, grinning with a dazzling effect at their multiple kids running around the front yard. For a moment, the sudden image startled him, but as it settled, she felt a thick knot building at the bottom of her throat. It indeed was a case of not knowing what the young woman had until it was gone.

"Father?" Clio greeted happily and grinned as she received a side huge from him. Talia glanced away and stared in the opposite direction as her father settled down next to her, humming pleasantly to himself. That's new. Ever since she's forcibly dragged to Mount Olympus, Zeus had been nothing but gloomy, desperate and wallowing in guilt. His face was blank, as if a dark cloud hovered behind him.

"Nice to see you up and about, daughter of mine," She merely arched a brow whilst being addressed by her father properly after the way he left off things last time. Talia wondered if the work he was rushing off had been done to put him in such a jolly mood.

"Here."

It took the young woman a minute before she realised that once again Zeus was talking to her. She tilted her head and almost started in shock at the item that her father was holding out toward her. Toes curling around the sand and she'd dug her feet into, Talia blinked at the black cover of a thick book, crimson writing over the top.

The God of Lightning cleared his throat. "I was going to gift this to you on your wedding day."

Talia stared helplessly, unsure of what to do, how to completely fathom it. That book was something she always wanted but could never get—her mother's favourite book. Zeus had held that in his chambers, refusing anyone to even go near the item. Talia grew up hearing stories, fairy tales from that same book. Her mother used to read that book every night to the moon princess before retiring to bed.

"Take it," Her father said softly. She carefully accepted the book, swallowing thickly as the older man once again cleared his throat, eyes averting, turning to watch the ocean before them. Talia couldn't rip her gaze off the novel she reverently held in her hands.

"I happened upon the gazebo the other day, and I had a look at some of your older books I always find you head first in. Then it made me realise that the gift I was supposed to give you stayed with me all this time."

Her vision blurred with tears as she stared at her father with wide eyes. She knew how much that book meant to her father, especially with him still keeping it after all these years.

Her throat went painfully dry, she shook her head. "No, it's — It's okay, father. I know how much this book means to you," Talia said hoarsely, something sharp and simultaneously warm cutting into her chest. She gently stroked the cover, fingertips adoringly brushing the red letters.

"And I know how much you want this too. Keep it. It's time I pass over something you can cherish and give the next generation too." His eyes darted towards the round belly, a nervous smile touching his lips.

It was the most honest declaration of affection Talia had received from her father in years, and it mattered more than any fight they'd ever had. She wasn't naive enough to believe everything had suddenly changed, but it was important enough to have tears brewing in her eyes. The young woman couldn't find enough strength or the right to thank him for the book, but she had a feeling her father, on some level, understood.

All of them spent the next couple of hours on the beach. She didn't return to the room until the rest of the company decided they'd had enough of the sun, and by then, her skin already felt a bit sore. She always had a paler complexion, and today the sun had been particularly harsh. Rubbing her left arm, the pregnant woman turned on the radio and cranked one of the windows open to let some fresh air into the room. Sitting down on the bed, she brought the book her father handed her closer to the chest.

A warm feeling settled in her chest, inhaling the smell of an old book, clenching her eyes shut; she listened to the soothing sound.

***

Not even a minute later, something sizzled, the sound making her ears ring. She sat up, squinting at the bright light flooding her room. Before Talia could comprehend, a dark figure stepped out of the circle. Squinting against the glow, she was able to make out the person.

"Lukas?" She stumbled forward. It's as if someone has landed a solid punch to her chest, a loud gasp echoing around. Talia blinked through the light flitting from behind him, vision blurred around the edges.

Her demon King was back. He still looked the same, and yet he appeared entirely different as well. His hair was longer, jaw more pronounced, light stubble prickling around them and eyes sunken. She noticed that his eyes were still unusually dark, hollow and they bore the same warmth, love and kindness as they settled over her.

The first tear that rolled down her cheek comes as a surprise – the second, not so much. She smiled, or rather, she attempted to, aware that she's shaking like a leaf, feet unsteady, lips quivering.

"Lukas?" She choked on her breath, and her heart clenched painfully when he smiled back, eyes wet, dimples still there and cutting deeply into his cheeks.

"Yes, my love," The demon said, slowly approaching, and she itched to reach out and touch him, but at the same time, the moon princess was terrified of hallucinating it all, of Lukas slipping through her fingers like dust and the horror of waking up alone yet again.

"Talia, it's me", Lukas crooned; his voice caressed her skin, making her knees buck.

"You're real?" She blinked several times, trying not to collapse on the spot. Talia was afraid to take a step further, feet frozen on the site.

"Yes, baby"

As if Lukas realised her inner battle, he approached her, one step at a time, hesitant as if he's walking near a wounded animal. Talia sure felt like one.

"I promised, didn't I? I promised I'd find you."

Her breath hitched in her throat, eyes moistening with a fresh set of tears. If she were to stretch out her arm, Talia could place her palm over his beating heart. "You did. Oh...I cannot believe this."

And here they are, over one life time later, aching for each other just the same. Talia still loves him as much as she'd loved him as a moon princess and as much as she'd loved him in a candlelit room back in his place on earth and her room in the Castle, in that bar they first met or even when she's in Hell as his captive—perhaps even more now.

Lukas reached out because she needed him to be real, and when her hand fisted the fabric of his shirt and his knuckles brush along her warm, soft skin, her body just sagged forward, falling into his arms.

He still felt the same, and he smelled just the same as well, most prominent just below his ear and down his neck, perfect for Talia to turn her face into.

"I'm sorry I made you wait," His deep voice curled over her like a warm blanket on a cold day, and she shook her head against the crook of his neck because Lukas came, and he's got nothing to be sorry for.

She breathed into his scent deeply, and then again, and then again just because she's finally able to. Her eyes clenched shut, head pressed firmly against his shoulder.

"Please take me back home."

***