“What does it mean?”
She smiled. “It means that I have the power to bring life back to Minatsol. To the dead lands beyond the furthest rings. I can return everything that has been stolen from my home.”
It annoyed me that she still thought of Minatsol as her home. I wanted her to feel that way about Topia, but I couldn’t exactly blame her. Staviti was going out of his way to make everyone feel like they were in the middle of a war.
“We definitely need to keep you from Staviti now,” I told her, my tone grave. “He hasn’t allowed any children to exist in Topia. Only Abil’s Trickery was able to finally defeat his determination to keep children out of this land. Not even Pica was allowed to keep her child.”
“I thought he always loved Pica,” Emmy said, surprised.
I shrugged. “He loved her so much that he wouldn’t allow her to have a child with another.”
Emmy froze, and I knew that her brain was immediately processing what I’d said and had reached a conclusion. “Staviti can’t have children?” she asked me.
“No,” I told her. “Pica told me once that it was his greatest desire. Whatever happened to make him into a god caused infertility. He can create gods, but no biological children.”
“That’s why,” she breathed, shaking her head. “That’s why he won’t let the gods have or keep their children, he’s angry that he doesn’t have any of his own.”
“That might be one reason,” I allowed. “But it might also be a fear that any other beings born into godhood the way he was will only pose a threat to his power and rule.”
She was worrying a finger against her lip as she sank deep into thought about something, and I took that moment to turn away, discreetly adjusting myself so that my obvious erection was a little less … obvious.
Fertility.
Just what I needed. Emmy’s power was forcing every molecule of my being to crave something that I hadalreadybeen craving. I had a feeling that my life was about to get much more difficult.
“Can you put it away so I can think?” I finally growled at her, as I watched her pacing slowly back and forth in thought.
She paused, and her eyes widened. She quickly stepped into my space, and I cringed at the worry in her features. She wasn’t using her power on me. I realised it before she even opened her mouth.
“Never mind,” I grumbled, cutting across her words. “Let’s get back to my home.”
I pulled her into me, stepping us through a pocket and into my bedroom. I had intended to bring her into the lounge, but my thoughts had been distracted at the last click. I took some secret satisfaction in the heat that she tried to shield from her eyes as she quickly stepped away from me, casting a glance toward the mattress strewn across the debris on the floor.
Fuck it, I decided, moving over to the door.
“Donald!” I shouted.
“Yes, Sacred Ass—”
“Don’t even think about calling me that again,” I cut across her, as she appeared before me.
She quickly prostrated, her apologies raining down over me. Emmy or Willa would have pulled her up. I allowed her to grovel before I finally spoke.
“Go to the other side of the cave. Don’t return until I call you, I can’t have any more interruptions, am I clear?”
“Yes, Sacred One!” Donald jumped up, quickly hurrying off, and I waited until she was out of sight before closing and locking the door.
I didn’t really need to lock it—but the click of the mechanism falling into place had the desired effect on Emmy. She started to back away from me, her expression becoming alarmed.
“W-what are you doing?” she stammered out.
“I helped you discover your power. Don’t forget our deal. I agreed to help you, but in exchange I want you. I’ve been helping you since that promise, but now it’s time for me to start collecting.”
She stopped moving immediately, and I was sure that she even stopped breathing. Her fists were clenched by her sides, and to anyone who wasn’t me, she would have looked furious … but I knew better.
“What will you give me?” I asked her, as she battled with her needs.
She needed me, I could see that in the pooling of desire that had flooded into her gaze. Unfortunately, she also needed to be as stubborn as possible.
