Malthael instantly felt Anu's spiritual body get stronger the moment Itherael's Song seeped into Anaurael. Itherael no longer needed to touch her. He even watched their two spiritual forms go back into her mental sanctum. The moment she reappeared in Itherael's arms, Malthael was quick to take her.
"Move her back into her bedchamber. I will remain with her here," he said.
"Very well," Itherael agreed.
"So...how was it?" he asked curiously.
"I cannot put what I felt into words," his brother admitted softly. "But...I can safely say that I will see Anu's new form as a bit of my own offspring now. I will protect her with all I have."
"Good. But...did it not feel pleasing?"
"Far from it. It was...something that I...well...it is best that I do not feel such a thing again."
"For fear that you will become far more attached?"
"Yes. Exactly for that reason. Let me take her physical form back. We can speak more after it is done, should there be time for it," Itherael said. Malthael nodded and carried Anaurael's mental body to the jungle pool she was at before. He cradled her in his lap and waited for her to wake up.
Outside her mind, Izarius had taken Anaurael's groggy form from Itherael. They nodded to each other, and Izarius teleported away with her. Itherael could only shake his head from what was done, but it was needed. He vowed to never lay a hand on her in such a way again. Gentle shoulder squeezes and hand grasps were fine. Nothing more. He couldn't let himself get attached to her like that. It was even worse, because he already missed her.
He went straight to Talus'ar and scoured through the threads it revealed to him. He quickly turned and went into his Library to gather up Cain's book. Then he went to her bedchamber with it.
"Itherael?" Izarius asked on seeing him appear.
"Imperius is coming here soon. He will sense a stronger presence in her from me. I shall use Cain's book to be my alibi. Yes, she lost her memories of me safely, but he will need further convincing," he explained. "Talus'ar revealed so much to me."
"Very well. I understand," Izarius nodded. At the soft groan from the bed, he was at her side to help her wake up. "Hey. Are you feeling well?"
"Where is Imperius?" she frowned. "I need him."
"Anaurael?" Itherael asked.
"Huh? Why are you here?" she asked.
"Tyrael really needs the location of his Horadric library found. I had vowed not to read anymore of Cain's book until you were ready. Remember?" he chuckled softly.
"Oh! Yes. That's right. Um...okay. I still want Imperius, though," she said. Imperius was quick to appear when he felt her need for him. He glanced oddly at Itherael, but he nodded to Izarius and moved to sit in the bed to gather her up into his arms.
"I was culling demons," Imperius growled. "Greed decided to set up the new treasure room with demons! Of all the disgusting things he could have decided to do!"
"Did he really?" Itherael asked with surprise.
"Yes. Not weak ones, either. I refuse to have demon filth in Heaven! Although..." he paused in clarification when her hand rested on his cheek under the helmet. "it was a touch...amusing...watching that human thief try and fail to steal things. I had Greed put mild teleport spells on each item of significant value in the room. They try to touch something, it shifts to another out of the way spot to frustrate the intruder. I did allow Titharius to be the last one to be summoned as a judge of sorts. To see if the item in question would be worthy enough to go to the one who wanted it."
"Oh? And what was the item in question for the thief?" Izarius asked.
"A gold crossbow," Imperius seemed to smirk. That got Izarius laughing a bit. "Needless to say, he was not judged worthy to have it."
"I heard he always wanted one. Now that I know who you speak of," Anaurael smiled and rested against him. "I missed you."
"I know. I have my duties, but I do try to come back to you when I can. Now...that's odd..." Imperius grumbled and checked her energy signature. "You have quite a bit of Itherael's Song..."
"I have been attempting to read Cain's book with her. And, with how my imprint is in her mind, would that not be the case? I had to come back here, too, to help Tyrael find the location he needed. So, if you think on this, the more I am around her, the stronger my energy signature within her. Talus'ar has informed me that it was needed for Anu," Itherael nodded.
"Oh. Well...nothing more?" he asked warily.
"No. Nothing more," Itherael said with a stern wave to show he was serious. Imperius still pressed a thumb to her mark to not only strengthen his focus to her, but to also glean casual memories. Once again, nothing of foul play was detected.
"Imperius?" she asked.
"I just feel like I'm missing something," he admitted. "As though I'm not grasping a true issue at hand. But...if everything is well..."
"You know that, if something was wrong, I would tell you," she whispered and pressed into him more. "Come and help me look through Cain's book."
"I should go back to training the troops," he said.
"But...I feel like I hardly get to see you anymore..." she swallowed. Now he studied her and rose up with her. She needed my core.
"Remain here, Itherael. She'll be returned to you shortly to assist with Tyrael's library location," he said and carried her to his sanctum. Izarius and Itherael looked at each other and chuckled.
"I just really missed you," she whimpered softly against his core.
"I know," he soothed and let her cling to him. "I may have to do this a bit more often."
"You think so?" she murmured.
"Yes. I believe that my growing offspring needs this. Hmm?" he saw her wince, and he hugged her to him as a cramp rolled through her. "Now I know. Yes. I had forgotten."
"What?" she shivered.
"You truly needed me at your side when this happened to you. Your mother even referred to it as...oh...ah! Hormonal. Something with how mortal females work. She was the same way with Ilerael at times, now that I recall. Remember how I would steal you away at your most severe ones? How we would simply go to remote areas of Sanctuary together just to watch the sun move through the sky?"
"I do. My parents were quite upset each time," she giggled softly.
"Maybe that's what we should do," he mused and stroked her hair gently.
"As in?"
"We will discover where Tyrael's library is. Then we'll go seek it out."
"You would come with me to do this?"
"I need to," he said and ran a hand up her spine. "You are bearing my offspring. True, I could have Izarius and the others guard you. But...if anything goes wrong..."
"It would seem...unlike you..." she panted when he worked her into a massage. "You should...watch over me again..."
"I feel as if I cannot do that any longer," he admitted. "I need to keep you safe. Yes, Tyrael can only do so much. However, I need to ensure that my offspring in you thrives."
"You don't want it lost..." she winced at the realization. "You're...afraid of it..."
"I am not afraid," he said lightly and cradled her. "Simply concerned. And very over-protective. As you aptly put it. Have you slept?"
"Some..." she yawned and winced at another cramp. He ran a soothing hand over her belly and rose her up to let her rest her head on his shoulder. When he saw her reach up to lightly touch the ring of glowing fire above his head, he chuckled softly.
"I never understood why you do that."
"It amuses you. That's why," she blushed softly. At how his hand now moved lightly trace over her cheek, as his other one supported her weight easily, she sighed and leaned into his caress.
"Do you feel better now?"
"I do."
"Good. I do need to finish with the troops. Learn what you can for me with Itherael. Do this for me. For us. A new place for us to go to. Can you do this?"
"Yes," she nodded. He kissed her gently and let it become something more. His Song was quick to encompass her and fill her soul with what she desperately needed. Once he was finished, he noticed that Itherael's spiritual essence seemed to mellow out to give way to his. Was that what the problem was? That I simply wasn't with her enough anymore, and others were able to mildly get stronger than my own essence? He didn't like that. He was now going to ensure that he was with her as often as he could. He usually was, anyways, but he was rather lax about it now. That was going to change.
"I love you," he said softly. Now she looked at him with surprise. She was the one that said it first. Now he did. Tears fell and she wrapped her arms around his neck, as he crushed her to him.
"I...love you, too...!" she gasped and let him continue to rock her and comfort her. Now he knew that it was this that she truly needed. I will tell her that I love her whenever I can.