"You mean Asag?" said Melinoe. "You know he's not technically a gallu even if his genetics was used to create the gallu demons."
"How did you know about Asag?" asked Zakar. He worked hard to keep Asag a secret from Melinoe.
"The memories of my experience in the dream realm are back and a lot of things are making sense to me. In my past lifetime, Zeus took me to Sumer to meet his mistresses. That's how I know the language by the way. I fell asleep in one of the rooms and that's when Asag first appeared in my dreams."
"Asag followed you back to Greece." concluded Zakar. "He stopped bothering you because I fought him."
"I suspected you did."
"I absorbed a bit of his powers. His blood made me resistant to the gallu's bite and almost drove me mad. I wiped out a lot of gallus during my madness. They developed pure hatred for me. They waited for the moment I was weak and took revenge. I was captured three thousand years ago. They held me prisoner and fed off my blood for centuries." Zakar omitted a few details. The little information he gave Melinoe was already upsetting her. She didn't have to know that he was impaled on a large stone by swords, his eyes were seared shut, his eardrums were pierced, and he was stripped of his powers.
Melinoe caressed his face and ran her eyes over his body. His flesh showed no evidence of the torture he endured. It had been healed by Katra, Sin's lover. Melinoe's face was hot and her green eyes glisten with moisture. "I'll kill those vermin!"
"No!" Zakar couldn't allow her to endanger herself. "Stay away from them. Their bite is infectious. You'll become one of them." He licked the tears that had trailed down her cheeks.
"I'm immune to them too." Melinoe's veins were filled with an assortment of demon blood. It provided her with demon powers and made her a delicacy in the demon world. She was forced to fight for her life on a daily basis, which garnered her formidable battle skills and a fearsome reputation.
"Be that as it may, you are not allowed near them. These creatures are dangerous." Zakar warned her.
"If you don't want me to then I won't go near them." Melinoe agreed without argument. "I need to use the bathroom."
Zakar released Melinoe. She got up, unabashed by her nudity, and smiled flirtatiously at him before closing the bathroom door. She used the bathroom like she said. Afterwards, she contacted her best friend Mintha and gave her information about tasty gallus.
When Melinoe exited the bathroom, Zakar was at the other side of the door, greeting her with a kiss. He devoured her mouth like he was starving. She closed her eyes and fell into his arms.
"I'm scared that if I let you out of my sight you'll disappear." The fear lingered in the back of Zakar's mind. How many times had he dreamed of this moment? Of seeing her, of hold her in his arms, of making love to her, of hearing her voice proclaiming her love for him. Her image would fade and her voice would be replaced by the laughter and taunts of his captors. When he didn't react like they wanted him too, they damaged his senses.
"I'm not going anywhere without you and you're not going anywhere without me." she said with sass. "I'll kill anyone who tries to break us apart."
Zakar chuckled. He loved the old Melinoe's carefree innocence. She was exactly what an ornery Dreamwalker like him needed. He appreciated the new Melinoe's ruthlessness. It matched his.
"You were perfect for me then and you're perfect for me now. We were made for one another."
"No matter how my body has changed, my heart is forever yours." Melinoe said. She batted her eye lashes, followed by a toothy smile just like she did when she was little.
"Are you still sore?"
"No,"
Zakar picked her up and carried her back to bed.
Sex in their physical body was much more intense compared to what they experienced in the dream world. He lost himself in the pleasure and got rough with Melinoe. The sheets were bloody and her body was marred by bites and scratches. Bruises were forming. Her new body was smaller compared to her old body. It healed slower too. He feared he might break her in two of he lost control again. He touched her gently and loved her body longer and slower.
Afterward, Zakar and Melinoe were sated with smiles on both their faces. While they rested Zakar told Melinoe his side of the story.
*Fifteen thousand years ago*
"Where is she?!" Asag demanded from Zakar.
Zakar looked left and right, exaggerating his actions. "Where's who?"
Asag was asking for Melinoe. Words had spread that he was harassing other Dreamwalkers, demanding information. No one in the dream world had information on her because Zakar had masked her with his powers.
"Don't play dumb with me, demigod. Where's my woman?"
"I don't know who you're talking about. Just because you can't handle a woman, don't blame it on others."
"Don't lie to me. The last time I saw her was after you interfered."
Zakar shrugged. He had built himself a solid reputation of being neutral. He wouldn't bother anyone as long as they don't bother him. His indifference was able to convince the demon of his innocence.
"If I find out you lied to me, I'll make you pay with your blood." The demon promised before vanishing.
Zakar snorted in response. He wasn't scared of some demon. He flashed to Sin to talk to him about Melinoe and the demon issue. Neither of them took the demon's threat seriously, although Sin warned him to be more careful with Melinoe's safety. Sin was the only person Zakar trusted aside from Melinoe. He told Sin about Melinoe after he met her. Sin was happy Zakar found a new friend.
"What does she look like now?" Sin asked.
Zakar crossed his arms in defiance. "Why do you need to know?"
Sin met Melinoe when she was little but he hadn't seen her recently. This was because Zakar wanted her all to himself. In Zakar's mind, Melinoe was his.
"I want to see the woman that stole your heart." Sin teased him.
Zakar caught himself before he tripped on his own foot. "What are you talking about? That's ridiculous! She's a child."
Zakar was lying to himself. Melinoe was not a child anymore. She was a fully grown woman. One with soft skin and curves he couldn't stop thinking of. Where had the time gone? One moment she was this adorable little girl, the next she was eye level to him and tempted him sweet smiles.
"She's nineteen. Not a child anymore." Sin leveled with his brother. "If you love Melinoe, tell her. I think she loves you too."
Zakar couldn't help but smile at the notion. "Do you think so?"
"I've seen the way she looks at you." said Sin.
"I think she has some type of aliment. She keeps blinking and twitching. Do you know a cure?"
Sin chuckled at his naïve younger brother. Zakar had been hidden in the dream world when he was ten and was never interested in women. The only woman he was close to was their mother until they were separated. "She's trying to flirt with you."
So that was what Melinoe was trying to do? She didn't have to flirt with Zakar. The mere thought of her made him weak. "She already has my attention."
"Does she know that? Have you told her that you love her?"
"Shouldn't she already know? We spend every night together." Zakar's routine consisted of accompanying Sin during the day and then be with Melinoe during the night. He had his personal time in-between.
Sin shook his head. "You have to tell her. Women need words."
"Words?"
That night, while Zakar was inside Melinoe's dreams, they confessed their feelings and made love. He had the woman he loved laying on his bed. With her head rested on the crook of his shoulder, her body was nestled against his. He was content. His world was complete.
Melinoe suddenly sat up, breaking their bubble of peace.
"What's wrong?" asked Zakar.
"I hear Ares crying."
"Stay." Stay with me here, forever. The words were caught in the back of his throat. "He has four nursemaids."
"I can't ignore him. He's only an infant." Melinoe said with pleading eyes.
Zakar sighed in defeat. He wasn't going to get between Melinoe and her family. "Go. But you'll make it up to me when you come back."
Melinoe gave him a long kiss before disappearing. Zakar missed Melinoe already but he had to let her go. He rolled to his side and touched the spot beside him, where Melinoe had lain. If he stayed there, he'd be miserable from missing her. His clothes appeared on his body as he got out of bed. He went to tell Sin about the change in his relationship with Melinoe.
"Congratulations, you're a man now." Sin said, patting Zakar in the back.
The grin wouldn't leave Zakar lips. "It was amazing. I want to do it again but she had to leave to look after her brother."
"She's great with her siblings, I think she'll be a great mother too." said Sin.
Zakar's jaw dropped and his face turned pale. "Children? I haven't thought that far. She can't get pregnant from sex in the dream world. If we want children I'll have to have sex with her physical body." The thought was tempting.
Sin's features darkened. "Forget I mention children. Don't do it, Zakar. Let Melinoe's physical body remain a virgin. I heard she is Zeus' and Hera's favorite child. Numerous suitors went to Mount Olympus to ask for her hand but her parents refused. She's well-guarded. Men are losing their lives just to catch a glimpse of her. She runs their household so well that they won't give her up. They'll geld you if they find out about you and her."
Zakar didn't hide his disappointment. "I understand. I won't do anything to jeopardize my relationship with Melinoe."
As night fell, Zakar was waiting for Melinoe. When she appeared she threw her arms around him and buried her face in his neck.
Zakar wrapped his arms around her as well. Feeling that his neck was wet, he pulled back to see that Melinoe was crying. This worried him. "Melinoe?"
"I'm crying because I miss you. I love you, Zakar. Make love to me. I want you." she said.
*Present*
"How do you feel about us having children?" Melinoe had to interrupt his tale and ask.
Due to their situation in the past, she never brought up the subject of marriage or children. She had always wanted marriage and a large family but kept her thoughts to herself. One selfish desire could endanger his life.
"I picture us with a dozen children." Zakar said. His eyes glitter down on Melinoe's with meaning. He was ready to build a family with her. Nothing was in their way this time.
Melinoe rained kisses over his face.
"I can't wait to carry our children. Our first child will be a girl. She's going to be a mixture of us and grow up to marry a Chthonian."
"How do you know all that?" Zakar asked because the part about their daughter was a bit too detailed. "Can you see into the future?"
Melinoe giggled. "No, but I've met our future son-in-law. He's that Chthonian I told you about."
"The one that put a chastity belt on you?"
"That's him. He saw a vision of himself and our future daughter."
"Was that the reason he put a chastity belt on you?"
"He mistook me for our future daughter when we first meet. He saw visions of me and you together and became jealous. The chastity belt was to prevent me from having sex with you. He realized his mistake afterwards and then removed it." Melinoe omitted that fact that he waited fifteen thousand years to remove it. "He's a good man and has patiently waited for us to conceive our daughter. He said she's a copy of me with your coloring and she's tall like you."
"She sounds like perfection."
Their daughter didn't exist yet but Zakar could picture their beautiful little girl already. He'd love and protect her from the cruelties of the world.
Zakar was pleased at the aspect of having children but there was one thing that worried him. "With the amount of demon blood in our system, will she and will they be...normal?"
"They'll be immune to demon infections like us but it wouldn't be anything we can't handle."
"No matter what they turn out to be or look like, I'll still love them." Zakar was going to give his children things he didn't have growing up such as a mother and father.
"Me too. I'd do anything to protect the ones I love." Melinoe braced herself for what she was about to tell him next. "I have an adopted son. His name is Ambrosius. He goes by Nick. He's a demon."
Zakar was surprised to learn this, although he was accepting of it. How could he not be? They have been parted for a long time. It wouldn't be wrong of her to adopt children even if her son was a demon. It actually endeared her to him more.
"My Nick had some trouble and I'm taking care of it."
Zakar was cautious when he asked, "What type of trouble?"
"He's the Malachai."
"What?!"
Everyone knew about the legend of the Malachai. They were a cursed race of demons. They were prophesied to lead an army of demons to destroy the world and unleash their master, some arrogant stuck-up ancient god.
Zakar already had the gallus to deal with, now this?
"No! I'm not letting you get involved in this type of mess. I forbid it!"
"My son needs me."
"I barely survived losing you once. I don't think I'll survive losing you again."
