Epilogue
Four months later…
The first time Savine touched Acheron's neck, she accidentally pulled on his long black locks and her love nearly bit her head off for it which did make her uneasy to be around him but also curious as to why he reacted that way. But that was before she read the journals and that was way before she started to remember her nine lives and was reborn as a goddess and protector of the Atlantean pantheon.
The second time she touched his neck, Acheron got on his knees and begged her not to pull on his hair while they made love for the first time and she didn't with gentle hands and even then he was still tense. Savine only loved him more for it because it meant he was trying and she was the only person he tried with. He confronted his fears and insecurities he grew used to for thousands of years, which spoke volumes, and he was so strong for confronting the horror that is his past and for daring to heal.
Savine couldn't imagine the guts it took for him to sleep in the same bed as her in the beginning of their relationship either. Even though, he did relax and loved to sleep in her arms, the nightmares still came but not as frequently and he grew restless. Acheron tossed and turned a lot, sometimes cried and bolted both of them awake by either pushing her accidentally out of bed or falling out himself and sometimes he would just turn on the lights in a panic if he felt her breath on his neck.
So, he took up sleeping with a pillow covering up his neck and he looked at her with apologetic eyes when he did but Savine didn't take it personally. She never did. She just made fun of herself for having crappy taste in toothpaste. What they were doing was progress and Acheron wanted to get comfortable with her on every level. This was why, after four months of being together, they were going to crack the pillow situation before they hit the hay after spending the day exploring the British Museum.
Acheron surprised her and Sebastian with the trip after she mentioned wanting to go there a week ago. They were now in her bedroom at her house in New Orleans. Sebastian was away at a friend's house.
Lucky and Seven, Sebastian's black cats were already purring the night away at the end of the super large king sized bed. Acheron insisted on the new bed after not fitting on her previous Queen sized bed. He was nearly seven foot tall.
"Are you ready tall, dark and handsome?" Savine rested on her side and questioned. Acheron stayed huddled in one of her pillows and didn't say a word but his gorgeous silver eyes were wandering over her form, which was surprising because Savine opted for wearing her most modest pair of pajamas this evening.
Sweat pants and a college shirt from Tulane University where she still managed to work as a secretary and studied archaeology. She also dressed Ash after his shower in some of his old clothes he left behind which was also a new experience for him: a woman dressing him up not stripping him naked.
He ate up the experience with bright eyes while Savine took care of him by toweling his hair dry, massaging his sore muscles and checking behind his ears to see if there was any dirt he didn't get in the shower. As far as she could tell, no one cared for him or her love didn't allow it until she came along. It was something she will do more often for him now.
"We will take small steps and I will only do what you are comfortable with, okay? You tell me to back off and I will," Savine said and Acheron reached out under the covers to stroke her thigh.
"I don't want you to back off, I want you to come closer," he said and he sounded husky. His silver eyes grew heated and his hand grew firmer on her leg. Savine almost fell for his seduction when he licked his lower lip and when she saw his fangs, she wondered if he was hungry and that was why she moved closer. The fangs only appeared when he felt like feeding unlike the Darkhunters, they had fangs 24/7.
Acheron wrapped his arms around her waist and shared his pillow with her and then tried to sneak a hand up her shirt and Savine hated herself for stopping him by grabbing his wrist because they had more important tasks ahead of them.
"Do you need to drop-fang baby?"
"No, are you hungry?"
"No," Savine quickly reassured. She had her own fangs too but she only dropped fang when she was really desperate for blood. Acheron was not a chew toy, he was her husband and best friend all wrapped up into one. She had no idea how Artemis or anyone could've treated him so poorly. He was a great man, an amazing human being…
Ash smiled when he caught wind of her thoughts and he placed her hand on his cheek.
"I love it when you touch me… I feel so clean… so right," he smiled another adorable smile and Savine kissed him.
"And love, I will only touch you with love," she traced his jawline and Acheron hummed in reply, his long body relaxing against her own and Savine got on with it.
"If this doesn't ease you, don't worry, I have a plan B."
"Okay." Acheron huddled a little and just like that the warrior was gone and the small shattered boy inside him made an appearance. She was the only one he showed such vulnerability too. Savine kissed his forehead gently.
"Keep focused on me, okay?"
"I trust you," Ash responded quickly and he gripped her waist tightly.
"I love you," Savine looked into his eyes deeply and Ash's silver eyes glowed brightly until she started to kiss his face. Savine kissed his eyebrow and slowly worked her way down his smooth cheek. As always he shaved before he came to her bed. He didn't want her to ever feel uncomfortable by his whiskers. This was another thing they were working on, Savine loved his whiskers and did want to experience at least one whisker burn from her beloved.
As she kissed his skin, Savine then opened up her heart chakra to him and send the most precious of memories she has of him so far. The memories helped him a little but when Savine got to where his jaw meets his neck, his body locked up and his breathing sped up. Savine stopped immediately and rubbed his back to sooth his anxiety. She was about to ask if he wanted her to back off but Ash just clutched her body tighter.
"Keep going," he growled and Savine sensed his frustrations.
"It is okay, baby," she reassured and followed his boundaries. She exhaled a little bit on his neck but before Acheron could flinch, she send him another memory, this time of her going down on him and Acheron opened his eyes with a moan. Savine then breathed in and exhaled a little bit more on his neck and again she fought back his flinch with another projection of her acceptance of him as a man with very strange tastes in music.
"Feeling okay?"
"Disco is strange not punk," he replied and for once, he mentally was not thrown back to the past when she breathed on his neck. Savine just laughed at his comment and congratulated him on his progress with a passionate kiss, he later took the lead on. He crushed her beneath him and the cats leaped from the bed from the sudden movement. They hissed loudly at being disturbed but their meows fell on deaf ears.
Savine moaned into Acheron's talented mouth and the sneaky god quickly got in-between her legs. His hands sneaking up her shirt. Savine broke for air when his hips connected with her own and Acheron wasted no time in continuing his conquest to devour her by suckling her throat.
It was only after taking in a deep breath of air, that Savine's head started to clear. Acheron's touch had a power over her body, she couldn't fight sometimes.
"Baby, we should try again," she suggested and Acheron stopped kissing her skin with a groan but at the same time he wasn't surprised. Savine was the one woman who could turn him down for sex. When it came to his curse, she was a rare moot point.
"You will never cease to amaze me, Savi."
In retaliation, he playfully bit her nipple through her shirt and Savine lightly pinched his stomach in return.
"Oh, we are playing this game now?" Acheron wriggled his eyebrows and he bit her nipple again but this time he didn't let go. This time, Savine fought against reacting to his play and she gently pushed his big body to her side and Ash let her do it but he didn't let up on her breast. With his own moan, he suckled the covered globe until Savine moved away to straddle his hips and Acheron clutched her thighs to support her. He just sat back and enjoyed the scenery with lust filled eyes.
"We are trying this thing again," Savine corrected and she lied down on top of his chest and Ash had no warning when she went for his neck again. His muscles freezed up when he felt her breath and Savine damned herself. She could get ahead of herself sometimes. Ash quickly closed his eyes and tried to calm his speeding heartbeat down.
"I am so sorry baby," Savine apologized and she went to move from his lap but Ash surprisingly stopped her. His two large hands kept her hips in place.
"Please distract me, goddess," he pleaded and Savine's heart went out to him.
"What do you want me to do?"
"Anything that is good."
Savine then had a flashback from her first life. She remembered how they played in the abandoned Amphitheatre, as teenagers on Didymous. Reciting the old classics for hours on end. These days, they go to the cinema and modern theatre quite regularly. The last show they saw was William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.
"Shall I compare thee to a Summer's Day?" Savine quickly blurted out dramatically and as always when presented with a great story by her, Ash started to relax.
"Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May," Savine continued and Ash pulled her up closer. His large hands stroked her back and Savine rested her forehead against his, their noses bumping into each other and lips in perfect kissing range.
"Such a poet."
"Always," Savine giggled.
"The Beatrice to my Benedict," Ash grinned.
"Juliet to my Romeo," Savine replied and Ash shook his head.
"No, you are Juliet to my Romeo," he corrected and this time, Savine shook her head.
"Juliet was smarter and you are the more intelligent one. You would think of taking a sleeping draught to pretend death. I am the foolhardy one that would drink the poison."
"That is where you are wrong. I would lose my head quicker than you think if I came across your lifeless body once more," Ash reminded her with a grave look in his eyes and Savine cursed at herself for unintentionally reminding him of their past.
"Which will not happen. I am your guardian after all." Ash hummed at that.
"Yes… in my dreams, guardian of my body, my mind, my heart, power and soul and guardian of my bed," Ash kissed her.
"Does this mean, we done with the exercises?" Savine spoke in between kisses and Acheron vanishing their clothes was her answer.
One year later…
Bethany followed Savine out of the nursery and closed the door behind her. At the same time, she heightened her senses in order to keep track of what moved in the nursery. Though, they had hidden cameras and baby monitors, Bethany didn't trust technology to protect the babies. She only trusted herself and her husband Styxx with protecting the babies, fully. Aricles was their baby boy.
As for Savine and Ash, she still had a long way to go with trusting those two fully despite the fact that they were technically family. Savine also did the same with her powers.
"Again, you think I am being silly," Savine went back to their original conversation before their babies distracted them.
"He is the harbinger and only the harbinger would survive the end of the universe," Bethany deadpanned but Savine allowed the comment to slide with a laugh. She was used to the goddess's negativity by now, it came with her whole goddess of destruction and justice package.
"Har-har, very funny."
"Silly, romantic human," Bethany rolled her eyes and Savine grinned.
"You bet."
"You really can't take the human out of the god killer."
Savine had to agree with that one, she might be a badass immortal goddess now but she will always live with the perception that she was still human but in the long run, she thought it would be a perception that will serve her well as a goddess. Life really was too short and you had to live every day like it was your last. You had to appreciate everything you had because anything could take it away and once upon a time, it nearly was if Apollymi didn't intervene and gave her dying mortal form a power boost that triggered her locked powers as a god killer.
"Mind my heartbeat for a couple of minutes?" Savine asked and Bethany's eyes warmed at the nickname she used for son, Castor and daughter, Rey. Her heart was all five of her children and Ash was her heartbeat.
"Be quick, Styxx will return soon and I have an itch to scratch," Bethany then got a faraway look in her blue eyes and it was a lusty look. Savine covered her ears and made a disgusted face. She might like her brother in-law and he might be Ash's twin but hearing about him with sex in the same sentence was just wrong on so many levels.
"Prude," Bethany nudged her arm.
"Styxx is like an annoying older brother and thinking about him having sex is just… creepy!"
Bethany laughed at her ridiculousness and with a wave goodbye, walked down the hallway in the opposite direction.
"Don't worry, I feel the same way about Acheron," She threw back and Savine returned her wave with a chuckle before leaving Katoterous. She then scattered her powers onto the wind and in no time located her husband in a tattoo parlor of all places near the back of Sanctuary in her old hometown of New Orleans. Styxx was there too, surprisingly. Sunset was still a couple of hours away so Savine used the side alley to mask her materialization. The tattoo parlor was called, 'Tattoo Wear' and Savine chuckled at the name.
Were-hunters owned the business, it was a dead giveaway. But before she left the alleyway, Savine changed her wardrobe to her favourite pair of jeans, black tank top and leather high-heeled boots. She couldn't enter a tattoo parlor in her sweat pants. It wasn't too cold today in New Orleans so Savine dismissed her jacket and quickly tied her long black hair back into a ponytail.
Now, it was time to go see what her husband was up too which wasn't anything dangerous as far as she could tell. She sensed no daimons or demons nearby so she went to the front door and the bell above the door chimed. But Ash being Ash, sensed her presence as soon as she appeared in the alleyway and he looked up at her expectantly, looking rather worried.
"Sav, is something wrong?" He moved to get up which was a terrible idea because he was getting a tattoo on his left pectoral and the tattoo gun grazed his skin a little before Styxx managed to make him sit still. The tattoo artist quickly turned his gun off with a curse.
"Are you alright, baby?" Savine quickly rushed over to his side and Styxx moved out of her way and his blue buttoned down shirt was strangely hanging open? For Bethany's sake, she quickly inspected him for injuries and spotted a large bandage over his left pectoral. What was going on here?
"I'm fine, it's just a scratch. But enough about me, are you all right? Are the kids-
Savine quickly shushed him with a peck on the lips and squeezed his hand.
"We're all fine, Beth is looking after them while they sleep, Simi is shopping and Bas is at a friend's house. I just missed you that's all," Savine looked at his hand with sudden shyness and Ash squeezed her hand back with a warm smile she didn't catch. He missed her too and his wife's presence as always instantly filled him with such warmth and love. How did he get so lucky?
"I missed you too," he replied and Savine looked into his silver eyes lovingly.
"As much as I hate to interrupt this reunion, Acheron with I assume is your wife, I have to finish this tattoo before you heal over the skin," The tattoo artist suddenly said and Savine muttered an apology. When she looked at him, the goddess inside her identified him as Cray, he was a white Siberian tiger who belonged to Wren's pack. Acheron then stroked her fingers when Cray went back to work or at least was putting the finishing touches on the tattoo it seemed and Savine's heart clenched at what she finally saw being imprinted on her husband and father of her children's chest.
There was two male hands embracing and there were inscriptions along the fingers, which said in Atlantean, 'Styxx, my brother to the end.' She couldn't help but tear up and a tear fell when Styxx pealed back the bandage over his own tattoo. He had the same thing except; Acheron's name was printed on his chest, directly over his heart. Upon closer inspection, Savine then realized that the two hands were exact replicas of their hands. Cray was a great artist indeed, the detail was too lifelike.
"That's a beautiful tattoo, Styxx," Savine said and Styxx smiled. "Thank you, I drew it," he indicated and Savine complimented him further on his work. She didn't know Styxx could draw so well.
"We need to get you a gallery," she said and Ash frowned at little at the idea. "No way, his giant ego wouldn't he able to handle it, he will explode from hubris." Styxx just laughed at his twin. He knew he was joking but not Savine, she whacked him on the leg and Ash cringed.
"You're a musician and you perform on stage every chance you get at Sanctuary, it is now Styxx's turn in this family to be the celebrated artist!" She scolded and Ash's silver eyes darkened on his wife. Whenever Savine scolded him like a naughty school boy, he grew hot for his wife and he wrapped his free arm around her hips to draw her closer.
"Is that a threat, wife?" He raised his eyebrows and Savine's skin shivered when Ash sneaked his hand under the bottom of her tank to caress her lower back. She was turning him on without meaning too again with her scolding and she folded her arms with a scowl. Again, Styxx laughed at the pouty look on her face.
"And done," Cray announced and Acheron looked at the tattoo in awe with Savine's help by holding up a mirror. Both brothers thanked Cray for his work. Then all went quiet between Styxx and Acheron then and Cray bandaged Acheron. Styxx took care of the bill and they all walked out in silence.
Savine just knew not to speak, Acheron's relationship with Styxx was quite messy and she hanged a bit back behind them while the two tall men seemed to walk a little aimlessly down the sidewalk for a couple of minutes before turning into an abandoned alleyway, Acheron then stopped walking and turned to Styxx and it was as if they mirrored each other. They both reached to hug one another and they stayed locked, chest-to-chest.
Soft words in Atlantean were exchanged and Styxx was the first to shake out a sob against Acheron before he too followed. Savine then returned to the street to give them much needed privacy. The moment was just too beautiful, astounding and incredibly emotional to witness so she buried her senses into her surroundings.
People came and went down the busy street in front of her while she leaned up against the wall and the wind started to pick up. It was jacket time, she thought and she was about to conjure her favourite leather jacket up when Acheron suddenly wrapped her shoulder with his jacket from behind. Savine jumped a little in surprise and Acheron buried his face in her neck with a chuckle.
"You're going to give me a heart attack one day," she scolded and Acheron kissed her neck.
"The only things I'll be giving you is endless love, mind blowing sex, support and trust," he corrected her and Savine damned him for being so sweet and she turned around to pull him down for a deep kiss.
"Have I told you, how much I love you today?" She nuzzled his nose with hers. Ash smiled against her lips.
"Not yet."
"I love you."
"I love you, more," Ash returned.
"I love you more than life itself," Savine kissed him again and just like that she won their little love game of who loved who more before Acheron took the lead by vanishing them home and mumbling against her naked flesh in Atlantean, "I love you more than the universe itself, without you, nothing would exist."
That was the ultimate truth, her husband had the power to make it so and when he slid home, everything was perfect in Savine's world.
Two years later…
For nine lifetimes she has lived, stretched out over the course of eleven thousand years and yet she could still not recall each one by vivid detail. Her husband could but he was extremely vague about it all and in a way, he was postponing the inevitable while they craved out a new life for their family and in the meantime, let the memories naturally come. They crossed paths a few times.
The call of their hearts prevailed over the odds but due to the curse something happened to ruin it. With a haunted look in his eyes, Ash said she died and since he was a god each time she died, he forgot she existed. Savine was just glad the curse saved them from having children. She didn't want another god to hand that misery to her love all over again like Artemis did.
Savine wished she could recall everything right now instead of just a scattered memory here and there. She wanted this rebirthing process to be over and done with. Her mother, Bastet said, it would take several lifetimes for everything to come back and, her grandfather, Ra made it that way as a blessing. He says it is better to process and reflect as slowly as she could otherwise she would slowly slip into.
Savine had her good and her bad days with this process and on the bad days, she did not act like her usual and bubbly self. She stayed quiet. Ash did not like her bad days one bit and he fettered but that was her price to pay for finally having an amazing life with the love of her life and it was a price she would gladly pay over and over again. They had forever anyway and forever was a lot longer than nine hundred years of reflection which is miniscule to what her brother-in-law experienced in the vanishing isle. He did eleven thousand years and his bout of reflection was a hellava lot harder than hers.
Castor and Rey, their beautiful one-year-old twins were asleep on Ash's chest. Ash didn't let them sleep in their basinets. They either slept on his chest or in their bed.
His past anxieties about his deceased nephew Apollodorus sleeping in a separate room nailed this sleeping arrangement down and Savine did not fault him for it.
In fact, she encouraged it because she knew how much it eased Ash and looking at her babies now, all snuggled up together and asleep in their bed, made her feel complete. Nothing was missing in that moment.
"If you were anyone else, I would fry you on the spot for simply looking," Ash opened his silver eyes to look at her across their bedroom. He kept his voice to a mild whisper and when Savine did not return his teasing, he grew concerned. The sudden concern on her husband's face, stilled Savine's heart and she quickly reassured him.
"It's nothing," She whispered and she moved to sit beside him but Acheron wasn't buying it.
"Who do I need to Hulk-smash?"
"You mean Papa Smurf smash?"
"Blue can be a terrifying colour," he replied and Savine moved to curl herself around his long body but Acheron wanted his wife in his arms too so he gently passed Castor to Savine's arms. He was the heavier sleeper out of the twins and Savine resettled her son on her bosom and Ash wrapped his strong arm around the both of them and Savine savoured his touch and Castor's weight on her chest.
His tiny hands moved to clutch her sweater and he took a deep breath as if he was relieved to be in her arms instead of the bassinet that he hated to use whenever his father wasn't there to play bassinet, himself. That bassinet laid within arm's reach on Ash's side of the bed.
All of her children of course had their own bedrooms to use but with Ash around those rooms acted more like decorative pieces in their home.
"So… when are you going to cut your umblical cord to the twins when it comes to them using their own bedrooms to sleep?" Savine asked her husband.
"When the world is no longer full of terrors," Ash replied in a clipped tone and he reached out to stroke Rey's sleepy head of blonde soft hair. She was their ray of sunshine. Castor took more after her with his black curls and hazel eyes. Savine just watched Ash with a mixture of sadness and love. Time might go on but the ugliness of his past stayed in some form or another.
"We could turn my closet into a room." Ash's silver eyes pierced her with a look that spoke volumes and he rubbed his daughter's back to distract himself. Savine rubbed his thigh with her free hand.
"Rey won't be one forever, baby. One day she will be eight going on thirty. Our daughter is our angel and angels have wings that need to spread," she tried to make him see her perspective and Ash nodded but his eyes still said he didn't like the idea. He liked having his children close while they slept.
"I know… and I will consider it if you tell me what's really wrong," he bargained and Savine agreed. That was the best she was going to get from her husband today. She then moved to place Castor into the bassinet gently and she did the same with Rey. She placed them how they rested in her womb, back to back and her sweet babies wiggled closer to the other and rested their tiny feet together. Her heart warmed at the sight and it stilled her world. Which was why she jumped a little when Ash moved to stand behind her suddenly. He placed a loose blanket over their babies.
"I love them so much it hurts sometimes… I would die for them," he whispered and Savine kissed his arm. "I know, baby. You are a great father."
Ash didn't move, he stayed standing there, watching his children sleep without a care in the world.
"Unless they want it, I don't want the twins separated," Ash whispered in a sad voice and Savine gently made him sit down on their bed. She straddled his lap and held his face with both of her hands.
"I promise," she rested her forehead against his closely and Ash caressed her waist in gratitude for understanding. He loved how he didn't have to filter his pain with his wife. With closed eyes, Acheron relaxed into his wife's embrace and he didn't stop her from nuzzling her nose into his neck. He stopped doing that a a year ago and now he wished he got over that particular insecurity sooner but you couldn't rush healing.
Now he loved the feel of Savine's warm breath on his neck, particularly the fang marks she left behind because it was a reminder of the delicious times they had before. Anything Savine gently did to his neck, soothed him and Acheron couldn't help but find that strange still. His insecurities were ironclad, well he thought they were but a couple of years with Savine and they became paper-thin.
"Thank you for letting me into your life," Savine suddenly whispered and a small smile crosses Acheron's features.
"No, thank you," he quickly corrects with a pointed look to his wife and Savine kisses his forehead. For centuries, he envied humans for experiencing such a kiss and now that he had it, he couldn't blame himself for envying such a kiss. To him, the forehead kiss was the most profound of all because it meant that you were treasured. It was also one of the few things that could ground him: mind, body and soul.
"Now tell me," he beaconed after he pulled himself back together and Savine sighed. "You know we've crossed paths before in a past life?"
Acheron grumbled in affirmative and he frowned as always when someone mentioned that they failed as a couple in a past life.
"I was just thinking that this time around is different, it feels different."
"How so?" Ash questioned and Savine couldn't help but smile a little at her love.
"I feel complete in this experience… like nothing is missing this time around."
"Oh?" Ash grew tongue-tied.
"Yeah, oh," Savine's smile grew and she rested a hand over his heart.
"This was missing. I was missing this," she said and Ash got a mischievous look in his silver eyes.
"A heartbeat?"
Savine crossed her arms with a huff. As always her husband though endearing at times can be a pain in the ass when he deflected her compliments.
Savine flashed them out of the room and they landed on the day bed in Acheron's throne room. Acheron then heightened his sensors so he could monitor their children sleeping from afar even though, Savine clutched a baby monitor in her left hand.
"No, you silly man!" She tsked at him with reddening cheeks and her husband dared to laugh at her. His wife was way too kind when it came to her previous run-ins with him.
"They were not as fashionable as me, now?" he said and Savine used her powers to gently rest the baby monitor on the table beside them.
"No!" She rested both of her hands over his heart. "I was missing this! Your heart! Your mind! Your soul! You and your love!"
Ash felt his heart burst at her words and he grew lost for words, as always when he felt just how much Savine loved him for him. The man not just the god. The soul that lived inside his body and not just the body at the same time. He couldn't form words in those moments but what he felt for her was beyond words anyway so he did the only thing he could, he pulled down his walls.
"You are amazing, Acheron, I want you to know that."
An overwhelming sense of love warmed Savine's insides then and the next thing she realised was that she was on her back and Ash was kissing the living daylights out of her.
"I know my dove but compliments and I are as you would say unmixy things." Ash kissed his emblem and traced the cursive lines of his name, Savine got tattooed on her right arm after they renewed their wedding vows.
He got a matching tattoo of her name with a moon on his left bicep.
"And we have forever to get you used to them."
And they did.