Harlee POV
The sensation of my hair being gently stroked woke me in the morning. Sands was running his hand over my head. I looked at him blearily.
"Not that that isn't comforting-but what are you doing?" I asked him.
"Your soul was crying out in distress. I had duties to attend to, but when I returned, these two said you'd had nightmares all night. I was merely attempting to provide you some comfort." Sands replied softly, removing his hand. As soon as he withdrew, I felt like the soothing, radiating calm left with him. I also noticed I was wedged between a very warm and a very cool body.
Zeev held me tightly against his chest, his face nuzzled in my hair, body curled protectively around me. I was hugging Ash, well, using Ash like a body pillow was more accurate. Ash was laying on their back and I had my head on one shoulder, my arms hugging Ash's chest and one leg draped over Ash's waist.
"Oh God Ash, I'm so sorry!" I cried, shrinking into Zeev swiftly.
"I wouldn't apologize. Ash loved it." Zeev growled. "A little too much." Ash gave off a light musical laugh.
"I fell like I assaulted you." I whispered, horrified. Ash rolled over to face me, propping themself up on an elbow.
"That implies lack of consent, Mistress, and I definitely consent. This body is yours to do with as you please. Even if it's just to drool on." Ash gestured at their shirt, laughing.
"Oh God, and the embarrassment never ends, wonderful." I groaned. I sat up. "Good Morning Sands, how have I humiliated you this morning?" I asked sarcastically. Sands looked at me with confusion.
"You haven't." He replied hesitantly.
"It's still early." I said with a wave of my hand. "I'm starved and I need a bathroom break. Hope you otherworldly beings don't mind.." I sighed, scooting off the bed between them. Zeev chuckled and also got up.
"I'll get breakfast started." He remarked and I tossed a grin at him on my way out the door.
Zeev POV
I followed Harlee out of the bedroom and went to the kitchen. Ash and Sands floated into the living room. I could feel Sands hesitating for a second before deciding to flop down on the sofa.
I had just cracked two eggs into a bowl and began to whisk them when I felt an uncomfortable sensation in my-no Harlee's stomach. I grabbed at my stomach and bent over the sink. What the Hell was this?
'Harlee?!' I shot through our link, but the next instant she was bent double over the toilet, vomiting anything and everything her stomach held, while I dry-heaved along with her. Ash jumped up and ran to the bathroom door.
"Harlee, are you ok?" Ash asked, knocking. I heaved again as Harlee's stomach tried to empty itself of more contents it didn't possess. Harlee groaned and Ash tossed open the door.
"I'm good, I'm good." Harlee moaned, clutching her stomach and then Ash suddenly looked like they understood.
"Morning sickness?" Ash asked pityingly and Harlee groaned again. Ash entered the bathroom and picked her up. "Something light and dry Zeev." Ash instructed, carrying Harlee back to the bedroom. I stared in shock.
Harlee POV
I nestled against Ash's coolness. It felt so good after the vomiting. I pressed my forehead against Ash's neck and sighed with relief.
"Hey now. Don't get so comfortable. You're going to give me ideas that you care for me more than you do." Ash scolded gently.
"I do care for you Ash." I sighed. "I felt sympathy for you before I even knew you were a Demon. Once I knew your story, I began to feel even more for you. Your life was unjust. It doesn't justify your actions necessarily, but I get it. The Bond just drives me closer to you, forces me to listen in to your thoughts, pay more attention to your actions. The kinder and gentler you become, the harder it is to despise you." I sighed. Ash flinched.
"I become what you need me to be Mistress." Ash responded dully.
"Well, I need you to be patient and understanding. You were just as duplicitous and scary as Zeev when I first met him. It took us ages to truly bond. Give it time Ash."
"Alright, but Mistress-that road runs both ways. If you want me to change more swiftly, you must also be there for me too." Ash replied softly. I grimaced. Ash was right of course. It wasn't until I more fully accepted Zeev that our relationship swung towards the better and he began to truly change. Speaking of Zeev..
"Um Ash.. I think one of us might want to go check on Zeev. I think he's still in shock about experiencing my morning sickness, and I think he just started to realize the implications of what that will mean down the line.." I laughed and Ash looked at me curiously for a moment before also bursting into laughter.
Zeev POV
I had never felt nausea before, except mildly through the link Harlee and I shared, but never had it actually made my body react. I was still standing over the sink when Ash walked in.
"Regretting your life choices?" Ash sneered.
"Is this normal?" I asked quickly.
"Her nausea or yours?" Ash laughed hard and I turned to snarl, but Ash held up a hand.
"You will always be able to tune into the Nephilim or Cambion offspring you bear because they are literally a piece torn from you. The nausea is a normal human pregnancy response. Yours I'd say is due to this." Ash plucked the thread that bound Harlee's soul fragment to the one now bound with my Heart. I gripped my chest and grimaced. "I hope you're ready for the birth." Ash tossed the images at me like they were lobbing a grenade and they exploded in my mind. I recoiled.
"Will Harlee-"
"She'll be fine." Ash cut me off. "She's part Demon and weirdly, Sands mixed in a little Divinity when he Contracted with her. She doesn't know it yet.."
"Didn't!" Yelled Harlee from the bedroom. I tapped my head and Ash grimaced.
"Didn't know it, but she's made of sterner stuff now. Though you knew there was a risk of her dying if you tried this while she was fully human anyway, which is why you were waiting, wasn't it?" Ash accused. I turned away.
"Wait, what?!" Harlee shouted.
Harlee POV
I stumbled up from the bed and to the bedroom door. Zeev's mind was tumbling through so many tings, it almost made me dizzy. He was trying to shut me out, but I was able to just hold the link open because he was distracted.
"Explanations." I demanded.
"Harlee, not now, I.." Zeev protested. I touched the Mark on my jaw.
"Explanations NOW! Please." I ordered and wobbled to a kitchen stool. Ash helped me sit and then tried to silently escape from the room. "STAY!" I growled, gripping the back of Ash's shirt. "You're like the trickster in an old fairy tale, dropping horrible little clues and then disappearing." I could feel Zeev's brain working, looking for loopholes to prevent having to talk while I scolded Ash.
"None of that!" I snapped at him. "And you! Sit!" I tugged Ash into the seat beside me. I saw both Demons flinching as the control I was suddenly exhibiting affected them. However, I started to get the distinct impression Ash was enjoying it a little too much. I knew that Zeev, in certain circumstances would get a little hot under the collar when I took control, but surely not..
"Ash are you..."
"Totally aroused-yeah. I can smell it from here." Zeev grumbled.
"I can't help it-it's in my nature! It's exciting to have my Mistress cracking that whip. Though I have real ones I'd like her to try too." Ash responded. I rolled my eyes.
"No more distractions. Ash stop wiggling for God's sake! Zeev, out with it!" I crossed my arms. Ash moaned lightly and I swatted at them while glaring at Zeev.
Zeev POV
Harlee brushed her fingers across the Mark again and glared harder. I was fighting hard not to spill everything at once. Damn that snake! I glared at Ash. The urge only increased, making my Core burn, I gasped, gripping the floating island in front of me.
"You might as well tell her-you will eventually anyway-that Bond you have'll force it out of you." Sands called from the living room calmly, still flipping through channels on the TV.
"Shut up Sands." I spat through clenched teeth. Then my mind worked up a possible out... A partial truth..
"Like Ash said, I was trying to wait to ask you about children because not all human mothers handle Demon pregnancies well. I had planned to ask you after you had become Corrupted a little more.." The words came out forced and I had to bite back further explanation. No use scaring Harlee now.
"What usually happen to the mothers?" Harlee asked breathlessly. Shit, shit, shit, of course she picked up on that.. I ground my teeth together tighter.
"Zeev.." Harlee cautioned and I felt the zing through my body and Core like I'd been zapped with an electric current. If I wasn't so worried about her reaction, I might be feeling like Ash right now.
"ZEEV!" Harlee yelled, and I felt the Bond pry my mouth open against my will.
"They die!" I snapped and flinched at the venom in my own voice as Harlee looked shocked.