CHAPTER EIGHT

ROSALIE

Two more wolves joined Bella, snapping and snarling.

They were smaller, but still intimidating. I hoped the strange and dangerous creatures would give Amunet, James and Angelique pause.

But Angelique raised her arms, palms turned to either side of her, and suddenly, the room darkened. The shadows had the consistency of smoke, but I could not smell a fire. Angelique's gift, I would assume. She held in her hands the ability to plunge the world into darkness. I found it fitting, given her alleged schemes with Amunet.

"Stay back. I doubt this fight will take long," ordered Amunet, and I saw the silhouette of Angelique taking slow steps towards the wall. After her mate moved away, the first vampire strode through the shadows, her red eyes glowing eerily in the darkness unlike any others I ever had seen.

Before Bella or her friends could pounce, the door burst open. I squinted through the smoke and saw Jasper and Alice come running through, chaos clearly in their wake. I see the rest of my family safe on their heels. Then I see the two-dozen silhouettes of pissed off vampires chasing them.

I did not want to think about how many of them could have gifts.

The wolves attacked, as did the vampires, and I felt James's grip loosen. Letting out a small scream of strain, I tore myself free and kicked him backwards. He ran at me, grasping for my arms, and I punched him square in the face. It made him briefly stumble, but he continued his pursuit. I dodged his fists and stepped deeper into the smoke.

I could see nothing in the pitch black, but that meant he could not either.

Then I witnessed a flash of blinding red light emanating from Amunet. She moved through the shadows like a shark through smooth water. Her claws landed on one of the wolves and she threw him to the wall like she was tossing something as light as a paper airplane. He fell limp after impact.

"The prisoners are free!" screamed Angelique and her shadows faintly faded.

I saw half the vampires were dressed in white. I did not recognize any of them except for my own coven. Alice smiled at me and I knew it must have been her who released everyone Amunet intended to kill. The rest of the vampires, however, were fighting with the others; they could be none other than her cult of devout followers.

Darkness fell again once Angelique alerted the cult of the prison break. Only the red light around Amunet like an aura illuminated anything in the pitch-black room.

What is she? was all I could think, and my hesitation led James to grab me by the arm and spin me around. I heard the fight between prisoners and cultists, but saw only the blond vampire in front of me. He bared his fangs, shimmering with venom.

I jumped towards him, but a large paw knocked me out of the way. I skittered back and saw a gleam in Bella's beautiful russet eyes.

She locked onto James, growling like a true beast.

Bella tore him to shreds with her fangs and claws. It was like nothing I had ever seen before in my long, long life. A flurry of cold vampiric blood and white limbs. His head rolled to rest at my feet.

James was no more.

The world was better off for it, but it earned Bella the attention of our enemies.

I ran to her side, my fingers brushing across her fur as I moved. Her chest rumbled with a sound I found oddly reassuring. The moment I smelled that blood I deeply longed to spill, I knew I was battling beside the greatest ally I could find. My… mate. The mate I wanted to kill for the sweetness of her blood, the mate who was born as a beast designed to kill me. The mate who came here to save my life, the mate I would rescue at any cost.

"Ready, Bella?" I asked under my breath.

She growled in assent.

We joined the clash of silhouettes, shadows, and the hopes we did not harm anyone who did not deserve it. When one attacker came on strong, Bella broke free of me and I ran to shove a vampire in white away from one of Amunet's cultists.

As I rose, I saw those glowing red eyes.

They turned and fixated on me.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw Emmett making his way through the clash of monsters. The wolves were occupied, and he headed directly towards Amunet, the smoke masking most of his movements. Quickly, hoping to help him, I locked eyes with her.

"How do you know I have a destiny?" I asked.

"Is this the proper time to ask such things?" Amunet demanded, her eyes flashing as she glanced around her at the raging fight in the middle of a parlor.

The honesty in my voice surprised me when I desperately pleaded, "I need to know now! I need to know! Please!"

"I have seen it. It is my gift," said Amunet as Emmett launched into a fist fight with a vampire trying to block his path. "A grand plan tethers everyone together. I see the world, see patterns, see things no one else does. My vision is perfectly clear. I've witnessed the plan. I have seen centuries into the future while lying locked in that coffin, and what I saw of you…" Pause. "Well, there is a reason I went after Carlisle before any of the other vampires who unjustly imprisoned me. I know your destiny, just like I know everyone else's."

"You could just tell me! You could just tell me my destiny!" I ferociously shouted over the fight, shaking my head as I spoke.

Emmett began to lunge at Amunet. I held my breath.

"It is not that simple." Amunet swished her hand through the air and those claws she called nails sliced open the side of Emmett's face.

I screamed and ran forward. She punched me in the chest, sending me soaring through the air. My back crashed against the wall and I crumbled to the floor. I was lost for a few moments, until a hand suddenly grabbed mine and pulled me to my feet. Red hair grazed against my face as the woman I met in the basement helped me regain my balance.

"Victoria?" I murmured, squinting in the darkness.

"Yeah," she replied, tugging on me again. "The weird short girl from your ball game freed me and Laurent to help."

"To help?" I asked, unsure when Alice even found this time. It must have been a vision, but I wondered what kind.

Victoria scoffed. "You think I'm siding with that lunatic?"

"No." I shook my head.

"Good," purred that enticing voice. "Then help out."

Victoria dragged me back into the fight.

[X]

I never once thought a vampire could tire until this moment.

Throwing my fist one more time seemed as if it would be impossible.

Then, suddenly, "Leave us! I want to speak to the Cullens and their pets!" ordered Amunet, and Angelique removed the veil of shadows that clogged the room.

No one could stop the remaining cultists from dragging away the remaining prisoners. Maybe we should have tried. I know Alice and Jasper twitched towards them, but we all stood mute, even Carlisle and Esme petrified by the woman before them. Alice gently released Victoria and Laurent and they stepped back to stand with my family.

If Amunet did not want the two of them there, she did not mention it. Hell, maybe they would end up joining us after this wild ordeal.

"Alice," said Amunet in that terrifying double timbre not of this world. My sister froze in place. "Mary Alice Brandon, do you remember me? Do you?"

Alice's eyelashes fluttered. "What?"

No, don't hesitate! I wanted to shout, but I could not summon the strength.

"I haven't seen you in centuries," purred the first vampire, striding towards the psychic. "I wondered if you would pursue Carlisle. It disappointed me you joined his golden-eyed coven."

"I've never met you. I don't know you," insisted Alice, and Jasper tugged on her arm.

Amunet breathed, "Yes, you do. Think about it. Remember, instead of foreseeing."

Carlisle gently brushed Alice and Jasper aside.

"Amunet, she may not, but I know you well," said Carlisle, stepping in front of our family as if he could protect us all. Perhaps he thought he could, but I knew better.

Amunet narrowed her eerie glowing red eyes, "You think you do."

Carlisle sternly states, shoulders squared, "I think I know—we both know—that no more of our kind need to be sacrificed on your altar of revenge today."

Silence.

A soft smile spread on Amunet's face. It gave me chills.

"You're right. No more of our kind need to be sacrificed on my altar of revenge today." Before anyone could react, she lashed out to the side and sliced Bella right open.

I let out a wordless cry of horror and rage.

Wolf Bella hit the ground and whimpered twice before falling silent. I choked and leapt upwards, bolting towards the monster in the middle of the darkened room. Esme lunged for me but fell short. Amunet turned to me, eyes glowing that alien hue of red I never had seen before.

Amunet demanded, "Fulfill your destiny and I will let your wolf live."

I hesitated. My instinct was to try to fight her with fangs and sharp nails but I knew I was not going to destroy the madness before me. So, I slowed down and locked eyes with the first vampire.

"You promise? You promise you won't hurt Bella?" I breathlessly inquired.

Amunet faintly faded as her feet again touched the floor. "I promise."

"Okay," I said, taking a few steps towards her. "I'll join your… cult. I'll fulfill my destiny, as long as I can bring Bella with me."

"Are you insane?" yelped Victoria, but I glanced backwards for a flicker of a second at Edward and Alice. Their calmness prevented my coven from intervening; Alice knew what I would do next and Edward could see the plans unfolding in my mind.

I turned to Victoria. "No. I am saner than all of you trying to fight this. Is Aro any better?"

The light faded further. I walked towards Amunet. She held open her arms, prepared for an embrace, and I wondered what destiny she witnessed, what she saw with her gift, what could be so important about me that she would be willing to stop her battle to snatch me up.

I started to move into her arms, but I darted to the side at the last minute. Knowing well that she could strike me down, I leapt at Angelique, tackling her to the rough hardwood floor. Amunet let out an unearthly scream as my fist collided with Angelique's face.

She was as strong as any vampire, precisely as strong as me, unlike her mate. She struggled against me and landed a bite on my neck. I barely felt the pain as I smashed the back of her head down against the floor. I clenched my hands down on her neck, ready to tear her apart.

One of Bella's pack ran to join me and instantly Amunet threw him against the wall. But that was a distraction, and Bella pounced. At that moment, Amunet ran forward and shoved us both backwards. Bella and I soared uncontrollably until we hit the creaky wooden wall.

Before I could recover or anyone else in the room could fight further, the first vampire and her mate were gone. Just gone. The smoke and darkness receded and I looked around at slain vampires and wounded wolves.

My Bella transformed back into a human. Her wounds were not as a bad as I thought they would be. Just scratches, dripping a bit of blood on her glistening pale skin, and a few bruises. I imagined Carlisle ought to examine them, even if she could heal at the rate of Wolverine.

I walked to her and kissed her passionately on the lips.

Bella blushed as our lips broke free. "I'm… I'm naked."

I could not help but smirk.

"It's fine by me." But, seeing her discomfort, I removed my white dress and helped her drape it over her naked body. "Don't worry. I have a change of clothes in the basement."

She stood mute for a moment, frozen in place, staring at me with wide russet eyes.

"Am I glittering or something?" I winked.

Bella made a small choking sound.

After a few seconds, I seized Bella by the hand and strode through the house, then back down the damp, creaky stairs. Waiting for me lay a pile of clothes I stripped out of when Angelique and Amunet gave me my melodramatic virginal white garments.

Slowly, I slid my clothes back on and smiled at Bella in the shadows.

[X]

The wolves—save for Bella—returned to La Push after the fight, while the rest of us—including Victoria and Laurent—lurked in the Cullen Manor while Carlisle patched us up and analyzed the aftermath of our battle with Amunet, Angelique and their cult.

Edward and Tanya sat on the loveseat. He kept brushing her hair aside and asking if she was okay. Alice leaned against the window, looking distant, and Jasper stood stolid and silent beside the love of his life. Emmett was in the care of Carlisle, fixing his face. Whatever Amunet was made of, it was nothing any of us had seen before, because it left a nasty gash in his skin. Esme spoke softly to Victoria and Laurent near me. They were discussing their decision to end their nomad life. Laurent seemed more reluctant than Victoria, but Esme remained kind and impartial, as she always did.

Bella and I held hands on the sofa, staring ahead at the blank television.

I kept thinking about drinking human blood. The rich flavor. The scent of Bella beside me was a thousand times harder to endure. After seeing her destroy James, I thought perhaps she would be the first to slip up and end my life. Now I thought maybe I would be the one to make the first mistake. I ate humans. I committed murder.

How could I tell my family that?

I needed to get it off my chest, but I was too ashamed to find the words.

My brother interrupted my racing thoughts by stepping away from Carlisle and striding towards me, "How does my face look?" asked Emmett, gesturing to where a nasty gash once was.

"No worse than usual," I teased, and he broke out in a big grin.

He laughed. "That's a relief."

"Women love scars," I said, smiling softly at my pseudo-brother.

"If it helps," said Bella, "I don't see a thing. You're still creepily gorgeous to me."

I playfully protested, "Hey!"

"You're more gorgeous, Rose," Bella said sincerely, a gleam in her eyes.

"I know it." I batted my eyelashes.

"That she is," purred Victoria. "Prettiest vamp I've ever seen, at least."

Bella and I spun simultaneously to look at her.

"She's my girlfriend," Bella said fiercely, glaring at the family's new red-eyed friend.

"I can appreciate a beautiful woman. That's all." The ginger vampire winked at me.

I set my hand over Bella's.

It was cute that she felt jealous, but she had nothing to worry about.

[X]

Seconds after kissing Bella goodbye and watching her truck pull out of the driveway, I said softly to Tanya, "I think I…"

"Love her?" Tanya said, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

I blinked several times. "Yes. How did you…?"

Tanya said with a small smile, "Anyone could see you two are in love."

"How?" I shook my head, lips twitching. "Love isn't visible unless people are making out and that could just be lust."

Tanya caught my gaze and held it. "It's in your eyes."

"Our eyes?" I shook my head.

Tanya explained softly, "She looks at you like you're the most amazing creature who ever lived. Like you're a sun and she's a planet revolving around you eternally."

I waved my hand dismissively. "I know. I'm her imprint, or whatever."

"But, the thing is, ever since your date, you've started looking at her funny too."

"How?"

Tanya explained, gilded eyes twinkling in the light, "Like the moon looking at the sun. Like for the first time in your life, you feel warm."

I thought about it for a moment, but perhaps I did not need to contemplate. Perhaps I knew.

It did not pain me as much as I thought it would when I admitted, "You're right. When I look at her, I do feel warm for the first time in my life."

Tanya smiled and touched my shoulder.

"I won't tell anyone. Don't worry," she said, calming my fears before I could even voice them.

I icily said, stepping back and away from her grasp, "You know me too well."

Tanya just coyly smiled and strode away.

Behind her stood Victoria, arms gently crossed. I walked towards her.

"Are you and Laurent staying?" I asked, eyeing her closely. My first thought was disdain for her red eyes and choice to kill, but not long ago, I drank human blood. I was no better than her now.

"I am. Laurent wants to go to Alaska."

"To the Denali Sisters?"

"Something like that. I wasn't paying much attention."

"James was your mate. Are you okay?"

"He made mistakes. He sided with Amunet. I stayed by him like a fool. I believe that you can have more than one soulmate. I believe that you can make mistakes and think the person you love is your mate when really it's just strong affection. I do not find myself as tethered to him as I believed I would be," she admitted. "Esme said I could stay with you."

"That would be nice. You seem… fine."

' She laughed. "Fine? Just fine."

I coolly explained, "For now, fine. I do not know you yet."

Victoria inquired with desperate ruby eyes, "Do you want to know me?"

"Jury's still out." I gave her a polite smile and strode up to my bedroom.

I felt her eyes on me as I walked away.

[X]

After everyone settled in, I approached Carlisle in his office.

"Carlisle," I said softly, and he turned around, "something is troubling me."

I wanted to tell him about the human blood. I wanted to tell someone.

"What is it?" he asked, and I panicked. I could not confess to him, but I did have other concerns. At least I could address them, even if I could not reveal what Amunet made me do.

"Amunet," I said. "She… she said something. She said I had… a destiny."

Carlisle frowned and gently explained, "Amunet is insane. She went mad long before she was buried alive, and I can't imagine her mind is anywhere near intact after being trapped in that coffin for centuries. Don't take her seriously."

"Oh." I furrowed my brow. "She asked me to join her."

"Why would she need to ask if she really knew your destiny?"

"You're… you're right."

Yet, for some reason, I struggled to believe him. Perhaps I was merely conceited, but I wondered if Amunet was right.

Maybe I did have a destiny.

And that thought terrified me to the core.

BELLA

A week after the incident with Amunet, I sat on my couch next to Alice. Rosalie went out hunting and I was left lonely, so I called up my best friend in Forks for a movie night.

Plus, I needed her help with something top secret. Rosalie could not know about it.

"I want to come up with a good way to ask her to prom," I said to Alice.

"Rescuing her from Amunet's cult probably counts."

"She's not an—an NPC in a video game who I can—can do a mission for and then get in her pants. She's a person. The person I'm going to spend my whole life with."

Alice clapped her hands together, grinning brightly. "Okay, okay, so I help you come up with the world's best promposal. Got it!"

Puzzled, I asked, "Promposal?"

"It's a thing. Do you never watch MTV?" Alice shook her head with a chastising expression.

"Not really," I sheepishly admitted.

Alice instantly rattled off into a thousand elaborate ideas involving cakes and tennis balls and ribbons. I agreed halfheartedly to each increasingly crazy plan.

In the end, we came to no consensus but promised to revisit it the next day.

After she cheerfully left, kissing both of my cheeks and prancing into the sunset, I started to shake. I was socially inept. Really socially inept.

Even if Rosalie and I were technically a couple, prom placed a great weight on my shoulders.

It was supposed to be perfect.

You were supposed to ask out the girl with magnificent style and grace.

Of which I had neither.

Yikes.

[X]

If there was anything I loved about Rosalie, it was the midnight texts. I guess a girl with insomnia had to be grateful that vampires never slept.

Tonight, though, something changed about the messages.

Do you want me to come over? she asked.

My thumbs froze over my phone. I did not know what to type in response.

Yeah. When?

How about now? I can be there in five.

You live across town.

Vampire, remember?

I'd love to see you then. Just don't wake Charlie.

Wait for me.

I tried to stay in bed but ended up pacing back and forth, messing with my hair, trying to look at least half as good as someone who deserved Rosalie Hale. I changed pajamas into something I decided was between modest and attractive—the big T-shirt I was in felt both too frumpy and too sexy at the same time.

Finally, I heard a tapping on my window and stifled a scream of surprise with the sweaty palm of my hand.

Slowly, I walked over and opened the window. The beautiful Rosalie Hale slipped into my room and stood across from me with that cocky, beautiful, beauty queen smile.

She kissed me gently. When she pulled away she looked slightly pained.

"What is it?" I whispered, glancing to the bed but deciding not to sit down. It seemed too much like an invitation. "What's wrong?"

"Your blood. I told you it was tempting. It's only a matter of time before we slip up," said Rosalie and I somewhat fondly remembered her kissing my fingers as she explained in the forest on our first date. "Kissing you makes me think about ripping out your throat."

"That's terrifying," I said, holding back a laugh. "But I bet a wolf could take it."

' "I hope so," said Rosalie. "Not that I'm planning on doing it ever."

Silence.

"Wanna sit down?" I asked, weaving backwards onto the bed and patting it beside me. Then I blushed, worried that seemed too much like I was beckoning a pet.

"I want to tell you something," Rosalie said. "Something I didn't tell my family. Something I couldn't tell my family. I drank human blood."

"When?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.

"Amunet made me. Before you got there," she said and I felt a rumble of rage surging in my chest. I wasn't angry at her, of course, but at myself. I should have protected her. I should have done a better job. "And it was—it was a bad experience, a horrible experience—but it was good. It tasted good. I don't want it again but I have to admit it makes you harder to resist."

My lips gently parted. I did not know what words could make her feel better.

"I'm sorry," was all I imagined, averting my eyes and clasping my hands. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"I have handled worse," demurred Rosalie, striding over and sitting beside me. "Can I stay here tonight?"

"As long as you sneak out before Charlie wakes up," I said, my heart thundering. I did not think I was ready for sex. I hoped she was not proposing it. Of course, it did not seem like something Rosalie would try. She was too perfect, too old-fashioned.

We shimmied under the blankets and laid side by side.

I closed my eyes and savored the feeling.

This was what I was made for. This was what I never had. This was seeing colors I never knew existed.

"I felt useless in that fight," whispered Rosalie. "I tried, but you shouldn't have had to…"

"You weren't useless," I earnestly insisted, trying to keep my tone as quiet as possible. "You saved us all in the end."

"In the end," breathed Rosalie. "A lot of people were hurt first. You were hurt first."

"I heal fast."

"That does not change the fact that I almost—you almost—we almost died."

"What's life without a few near-death experiences?" I joked.

Rosalie moved closer to me and draped her arm over my body.

"Thanks," she said, but I did not think I made her feel any better. I wished I could.

Her skin was ice cold against my fever. The sun and the moon bound together beneath outdated blankets Charlie bought for me. Our fingers intertwined.

"Does it bother you?" suddenly whispered Rosalie.

"What? Snuggling?" I smirked.

"Don't say snuggling," Rosalie chided. She then composed herself. "Does it bother you that you don't have a choice? You can't choose who you love, because you were born to love me and only me. It's not fair. I think people, monsters, whatever we are, whatever anyone else is, we deserve free will above all else."

"I'm happy loving you."

"But maybe your wolf brain just tells you that. Maybe you're blind."

"You're scared about Amunet telling you that you have a destiny."

Rosalie took an uncomfortably long amount of time to respond. "I believe in fate. God. Threads that bind us. Maybe I should believe in destiny, but I don't believe it's right to force someone to fall in love and give them no way out."

"A lot of maybes tonight, Rose."

"My life is made of maybes."

I faintly laughed. "Mine too."

Silence.

"Do we have any choices? Any choices in this world?"

"Yeah, uh, you have one." Okay, this was not the promposal Alice wanted, but it was the one that felt right to me. "Do you wanna go to prom? Together? As a couple? As a prom date couple?"

"I would enjoy that, Bella Swan."

I couldn't stop grinning like a fool after she answered.

[X]

The weeks before prom went smoothly. No ancient vampires attacked me. No new wolves joined my pack, to Jacob's dismay. I made no progress in my relationship with Billy. Every day I ate lunch with Rosalie and we learned more about each other.

We barely mentioned the dance, even though the school was abuzz. Alice picked out my dress before me, something couture I wore to make her happy.

Suddenly, a few days before the dance, at lunch, Rosalie blurted out, "So, after prom, do we intend to… indulge in all-American activities?"

I furrowed my brow. "Uhm, all-Amer—ohhh." It hit me. Sex. We were talking about sex. "I dunno. Do you want to?"

Rosalie quietly said with an intense expression, "Do you want to?"

"I… this is my first relationship," I nervously explained.

"It is also my first relationship." She bit her lower lip.

"I don't really know what to… to… to do… in the south."

"The south?"

"South of the Mason-Dixon line of your pants."

Rosalie laughed. It was infectious. I laughed too.

"Well, we are not ordinary high-schoolers. We have an eternity to… get to know each other that way. How about we keep it at first base?" Rosalie decided and I nodded.

After a moment's thought, I added, "Maybe second."

She smiled and stared at her designer heels.

[X]

The prom was as cheesy as one could imagine. The theme was Under the Sea and the green and blue balloons almost made me laugh. Streamers in matching colors twisted into a misspelled lyric, the scotch tape fraying. Silly seahorse stickers clung to almost every surface. The lights were the only impressive thing; they danced as if we were truly underwater, moving in tandem with the music the DJ spat out for the rowdy young people.

I sat at a table alone with Rosalie, her cold hand gently resting on my boiling hot one. Jessica ran off with Mike. Alice was with Jasper spinning impressively on the dance floor, attracting endless positive attention from the humans. Rosalie and I made lovely small talk for the entire night, but something deeper pried at me.

At last I caved in and asked, "Do you remember being a kid?"

"Vaguely," Rosalie said, shrugging one shoulder.

I took a sip of punch that did not encourage me as much as I hoped it would.

"I mean," I said. "I do. Which isn't surprising since I'm a lot younger than you, but uh… I remember being a kid. I'd play in the woods and I had this treehouse my mom's boyfriend helped me build and I would make up a little family and I'd play pretend and everything and make little meals out of bark and leaves. It seems stupid—"

"It seems normal." Rosalie softly smiled.

"I stopped thinking about it. I never thought much about marriage or babies or any of that. It never was too important to me. But now with this imprint thing, and with you, and we're going to be together forever. We're going to live together and maybe get married if you want and maybe have puppies if you want—"

"Puppies?" Rosalie asked, cocking an eyebrow.

My cheeks heated and flushed bright red. "Kids. I said puppies because I was trying to make a joke about me being a wolf."

Rosalie picked at her lip in a terrifying silence for a moment.

She whispered, "Kids?"

My heart leapt into my throat. "Does that scare you off? I'm so sorry. I…"

"Kids don't sound all that bad." She gave a soft smile with glassy golden eyes.

"Good." I said, although I thought perhaps I upset her. She seemed different after that statement, but I could not figure out exactly how. "I'm just a little scared because this feels like the first step into that forever. Are we ready for forever?"

"No," said Rosalie and I felt like she stabbed a sharp icicle into my chest. What had I done wrong? "But we're ready for tonight, and I'd say we ought to worry about prom before the domestic bliss of pot roasts and puppies."

I could not help but smile.

I was being thoroughly honest when I replied, "Okay. I'm cool with that."

"Shall we dance, Bella Swan?" Rosalie stood and took my hand in hers.

"That sounds really nice," I said as we strode over to the floor. A slow dance R&B song played smoothly like a bedroom jam.

Rosalie and I danced. She was better at it than me and I let her lead.

At least I stopped being so damned clumsy after growing fur and claws.

It felt perfect. Like I was in exactly the right place at exactly the right time.

Rosalie dipped me, and my heart fluttered. As she slowly raised me back to my feet, her lips brushed against mine and I felt true, pure Heaven flooding through my red-hot veins.

In a land of gods and monsters, I found paradise.