Grim!! show yourself!"
"My lord, you called Grim replied as he appeared in the room.
"You have failed me."
The sky darkened and thundered as Morian's eyes flashed with rage.
Grim fell to his knees.
"Forgive me, my lord."
"I left you in charge of the nether realm and it has fallen apart. What part of keeping things in order didn't you get?"
"My lord, I have done my best, but the creatures of the nether realm are treacherous. They only fear you, my lord, in your absence, they have grown bold and defiant."
"How is it that two soul eaters have found their way to the earth now? how did they come to be here? Someone has betrayed me."
"My lord, I assure you, I will never betray you. I don't know how they came to have such knowledge to escape the nether realm or walk amongst the living but I have no hand in this my lord. it could be the librarian Zilo, he has had pronounced protestations about your decision to court the soul Mortala. he has knowledge of such magic to leave the nether realm."
"Soon I will return to the nether realm with Mortala as my queen. Inform every single foul being about that. Anyone who steps out of line or dares to make this transition difficult will be dealt with permanently."
"Hearing Mori's plan to return with Mortala signalled to Grim that Mori had somehow gotten Mortala."
"I am happy to hear that my lord, only there is a slight problem."
"What is it now?"
"Ciaran's spirit has somehow escaped the Nether realm."
"What!" Morian couldn't believe his ears. just when he was so close to having all he wanted the one person who could undo it all was missing."
"How did he escape?"
"Powerful magic my lord, the type only another entity of nature can conjure up."
"Somnium?"
"My lord?"
"That meddlesome Mistress of the astral realm has entered the fray. Ciaran had been communicating with Mortala through dreams which was a power granted to him by Somnium, but to pluck his spirit from the Nether realm, now that is ballsy. She would risk war with me over some soul? Why does she dare incur my wrath?"
"My lord, if Ciaran is gone, he can contact Mortala and undo everything you've worked hard to accomplish"
"You idiot, don't you think I know that? Get out of my sight before I lose my temper with you, Grim."
"Yes my lord" Grim said as he bowed his head and disappeared.
***Lance's Tower***
"Well hello there," Lance said while holding the glowing orb in his hands.
Lance had been awake all night, channeling the power of the blood moon to cast the spell that would bring Ciaran's soul back from the Nether Realm.
Ciaran was weak and disoriented; he had no idea where he was.
"Mortala will be so happy to see you."
"Mortala?" whispered Ciaran.
"Yes brother, she will be here soon."
"Who are you? What am I doing here?" Ciaran asked confused.
"It is I lance, it's been so long old friend."'
"Lance? Mortala found you? How ?"
"Let's just say that the bond that binds soulmates is one of the most powerful forces in the universe. Her love for you brought her to me. Plus I always had a soft spot for you two."
"Mori, Mori trapped me and he is on the earth. I need to protect Mortala."
"Relax tiger, I know, and Mortala will update you on all that has happened soon, but for now you need to rest old friend,you need all your strenght for whats to come next. Soon you will walk amongst the living again." Lance said as he kept the orb that held Ciaran's spirit in his locker.
****
Delilah was agitated; she hadn't been able to sleep since Morian had left her in the morning. She was anxious, nervous, and her mind was clouded as she waited for Lance to contact her.
When her phone rang and it was Lance, she answered it right away.
"Hello, Lance"
"Hello Delilah, it is with the greatest of happiness that I announce, I have Ciaran's spirit, it wasn't easy but he is safe for now. There are things I require from you. You see spirit can't exist on this plane for long without a body, so we need a body for him.
"A body? where am I supposed to get a body from?"
"You mentioned an old friend of yours who died, I'm sure he wouldn't mind if we borrowed his body."
"What? no, no way this is too freaky. You want to put the spirit of my soulmate in the dead body of my ex-fiance. No way can I agree to this."
"Listen to me, I know it isn't easy but if we don't get him a body soon, Mori can call his spirit back and I assure you we will never be able to get his spirit back once it's called back to the Nether Realm. So I need to know you understand and are on board."
Delilah inhaled deeply, a thousand thoughts racing through her mind. Sweat began to rise to the surface of her skin.
"Ok, even if I do agree to this, Kim has been dead for months, his body has probably decayed by now plus he was badly burnt in his accident."
"Never mind about that, I can restore his rotting corpse. I just need to know where exactly his body is buried and I will retrieve it."
"My God, I cannot believe this is happening, this cannot be real."
"I understand just how creepy this all is but we have no other choice unless you have another dead body at your disposal."
"I hate the way you are so callous about these matters. I will text his grave site to you now. But how is Ciaran?"
"Once I'm done, you will be able to speak to him,"
"What should I do? I cannot keep pretending with Morian, I cannot go on like this Lance."
"You must for your sake and Ciaran's. Mori is a very powerful entity. If you wish to protect Ciaran, you must continue as though you know nothing. If he senses even the slightest change in your demeanour, we will all be in danger."
"Ok, I will continue to pretend."
"It shouldn't be that hard being that you are in love with him."
Delilah couldn't deny it, she was in love with Mori and Ciaran, but how could she face Ciaran knowing she had fallen in love with the very entity that had imprisoned him and was now pregnant with his child? Ciaran would never forgive her betrayal. She was tense beyond belief.
The call ended.
*****
Mori returned to the apartment that evening, adoring her and going out of his way to accommodate her.
She tried everything she could to remember who he was and what he had done to her and Ciaran.
Delilah was so angry at him that whenever she looked at him, all she could think about was the truth she had just discovered about him. She avoided him whenever he tried to touch or kiss her.
She went to her room to get away from his enticing hands.
"Come on, whats wrong?" Morian asked as he stood by the room door.
"What do you mean?" Delilah asked acting oblivious.
"You have been avoiding me since i got home, are you upset with me."
She wanted to scream at him, she wanted so badly to express this anger and hurt that she felt but she remembered Ciaran.
"Why would you think that my love?"
"Well you've been acting strange."
"Morian im not uset with you, i just feel rather weak after what happened at the library."
Morian cleared his throat, he had journeyed into the nether realm and ripped the soul eater that attacked her apart. it was greusome the terror he eneacted on them. if only she knew the lenghts he would go to to protect her.
"I'm sorry, my love," he went to her and sat next to her on the bed.
he held her face in his hands and pulled her into a kiss.
"You are my wolrd Delilah, i would neverlet anyone harm you." she looked in his eyes, they flashed a murderous rge in them., she believed him, his words carried a weight and intensity she felt.
"I cant stand being away from you for too long my love." He said this as his gaze rested on her cleavage, then returned her gaze.
He knew how to turn her on with just one look, heat rose to the surface of her skin. This upset her; she despised herself and despised him for what he had done to Ciaran, but she knew that if she rejected him now, he would suspect something was wrong. He was ravenous and wild, she poured all her anger and passion into that kiss, it drove him crazy, he liked how aggressive she was. They started undressing each other.
He spread her legs apart on the bed, climbed on top of her, and slid inside of her, and she let out a soft gasp. His strokes were slow and deliberate, his lips found hers, their fingers interlocked in ecstasy. They look into each other's eyes. The world vanished in that split second. She couldn't fight or deny it; Death had taken up residence in her heart, and given how deeply her feelings for him ran, he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. She cried because she was in trouble.