Chapter One: Gifts from the goddess
Numair's Point of View:
Death, the stillness of the body, the lack of air in the lungs, the absence of breath, of sound, of any sign of life. Daine was dead. There was no pulse, nothing. I was trying to focus on what was happening around me but I had no clue how I'd come to be at the palace or how I'd come to be standing near her body, next to Alanna, Jon, Thayet and Onua.
I had already cried all my tears out, but inside my soul was weeping an endless torrent. I who'd vowed always to protect her had failed, and now my magelet was dead. I began praying, over and over again in my head. "Goddess, please bring her back."
I had no clue if it would work, but praying is always worth a try because sometimes the gods act like they hear you.
Daine's Point of View:
When I died, I expected to show up, at the black god's lair, instead I showed up at a cottage near the forest, where my ma was.
"Ma?" I was confused. I knew I was dead, I knew she was dead but why weren't we where we should be.
She hugged me close and I clung to her, feeling like the child I haven't been since arrows pierced her chest.
A man who was tall but not as tall as Numair, with antlers on his head appeared.
"Daine I am your father."
My father a god? Didn't that make me a demigodess?
The goddess of Love's POV:
For centuries my job has been the same, get people to fall in love and try to ensure that they live relatively happy lives.
Some people however want to ignore their feelings of love for logic. Numair Salmalin was one and I just want to knock him silly sometimes.
Daine is the girl for him, if he'd realize it things would go so much smoother for them.
I hear the scream of his soul, and blink Daine dead? Now that just won't do at all.
I go to my sister's house, the hag. "Hey sis! Will you bring that mortal girl you used as a vessel back to life with a few strings attached.
I'd tried doing things the easy way, but if he was going to make things difficult. I was going to have to meddle. Yep he was screwed.
Numair's POV:
As we stood by Daine's body, we were startled by the appearance of the Graveyard Hag. Silver light flowed from the goddess's body and then Daine's eyes opened. She stared at the goddess warily.
"Veraildaine Sarrasri. You're now back in your own body, however the goddess of love has tacked on a fee of sorts dearie, you must receive true loves kiss within forty days or you'll be dead forever."
True love's kiss? I'll worry about it later, for now I embrace my magelet and hold onto her, overjoyed beyond words to see her breathing again. Once everyone had shown their relief at her miraculous return from the dead. We began to puzzle this love curse that had been tacked on.
Either forty days as things have been and an eternity with out her trying not to miss her with every breath I take. Life just wasn't fair to me was it? While fighting the urge to kiss her just to see if it was me, I began to churn through ways to find her soul mate.
Daine blushed when asked if she had a crush on anybody, but then she whispered sadly that she doubted he felt the same. If I find this man who doesn't value my magelet, I'll rip his soul out.
I pointed out the midsummer ritual, and then I suggested an idea that made me shudder.
"We could do a kissing booth."
Midsummer was thirty nine days away so Jon suggested that we do both. Just great, I get to watch Daine kiss others while fighting off homicidal urges to annihilate the enemies. Then he turned to me, and said the magic words.
"You're single, why don't you kiss her?"
I stared into the blue-gray eyes that I loved, for minutes or was it hours losing myself in there depths. She didn't turn away she met my gaze and her breathing intensified. It was like we were both spellbound trapped in a wonderful magic spell.
I inched closer to her, we were mere inches apart, I could feel her breath warm upon my skin and then I leaned into kiss her when a messenger ran in, "Your majesty, the City of the Gods is being attacked!"
The moment was interrupted. My chance to kiss her lost. Oh whoever is attacking the city of the gods was dead.
We were shipped out that day, and I knew that not only had I lost my chance to kiss Daine before she's taken from me, but that if she failed I'd never see her again. She was on my mind, pulsing through my brain. As I rode Spots as best I could.
I've never been particularly good at riding, and I've long suspected that Daine asks the horse to behave, and reassures the horse on a regular basis.
Once we were on the road, Alanna rode up beside me, "So how long have you been in love with her?"
I told Alanna my tale, about how I loved Daine with all of my heart and callous, arrogant soul, and I found myself spilling my frustrations with the fact that either
way, I'd lose her.
What Alanna said next, nearly made me fall of my horse. "Not if she is your true love."
Could it be possible? A few days hard ride later, we ended up at the City of the Gods, only to be drugged and given massive doses of dreamrose. It had been a trap.
But who had laid it and why had the laid it?
The goddess of love? Why would she be behind this? She merely smiled at me and left me to my sleep.
