"Monika," I whispers. "Monika?"

I can't feel my energy in her. Where-

She appears in front of me, the whites of her eyes red, tears of blood streaking down her face. "Slade. Did I find you? Is it you? Tell me it's you?"

I hold her at arms length, wiping her tears, as I inspect her.

Then I pull her into my arms closely, sinking down to the ground, holding her, my eyes burning.

"Don't you ever disappear like that again," I hiss. "Who did it? Tell me who was it?" I push her hair out of her face, pressing my forehead to hers.

My heart is beating so fast in my chest I think it may stop and for the first time I'm not sure what will happen if it does.

She shakes her head. "I dunno. I don't know what happened. One minute you were holding me and then I was this," she looks down at herself. "Don't ever let go of me again, I'm scared."

I pull her closer nodding. "I won't. I won't baby, it's okay. It's okay, my little wife, I have you now. I have now."

I kiss her head. I swallow, frozen for a moment.

I pull back, looking her over once more. "Do you still have your powers?"

She levitates holding my hand tightly. I smile, standing to my full height looking around. I don't sense any godly energy. And she...she doesn't have my energy. It's why I couldn't find her.

She had her own signature now. I smile.

"You're your own goddess, now, my love."

Her eyes widen. She shakes her head. "I don't want to be. Slade I just want to be your goddess."

"You will always be my goddess. From infinity to infinity, love."

She sniffs, wiping her nose. She looks at me, setting on my shoulder. I begin walking towards home.

"Make me yours again, Slade," she whispers suddenly.

I pause, setting her down, glancing around. "Here? In the woods?"

She nods frantically, pulling at my armour. "Now. Right now. I can't bear it."

I lay her down, pulling her clothes down gently. She keeps her hand on me, still shaking, shivering, afraid I'll disappear. I am too. Afraid she'll disappear.

I never knew she could before. But I don't let her know that. I am her rock and her god. She needs me to be sure. So I will be.

"I will make everything alright," I swear, snow against her long curly black hair, her eyes flickering from red and back again. I cup her face.

She holds my hand, leaning into my touch, closing her eyes.

"No matter what I have to do," I whisper, as I connect our bodies.

She exhaled sharply, her body accommodating me, even in this state. Her back arches off the snowy ground, she throws her arms around me.

"Slade..."

• • •

Nathaniel looks back at the locked door. His eyes dart about.

"What are you doing-"

"Where have you been? Since you've returned such unfortunate things have begun to occur. And for you, my son, I would overlook it."

I draw my sword. "But I draw the line at her. I want to believe you, Nathaniel. Tell me something I can believe."

He smiles, cocking his head. "Before that, I have a question. What do we share?"

I pause. "Excuse me?"

He chuckles. "You won't ever acknowledge it will you? You'll keep passing these broken ideologies from child to child. When it end?"

I step back. "Nathaniel. Answer my question."

"But don't you see, father? This is my family inheritance. And I deserve it more don't I? Your blood son?"

I close my eyes. "Tell me what you've done."

His eyes get that glow. I look away frowning.

"What don't you ever admit it. Why don't you tell them?" His voice shakes.

Ah...family secrets never stay secret forever.

"That I'm your true son. I'm not like them, those orphans-"

I hold up my hand. "You are not better than them, Nathaniel. This is your problem. You think you are..."

He raised his brow, waiting. His hands open, expectantly. "Better? A god? Because I am? Even though you deny me!"

"I never denied you," I hiss, sitting down.

"But you give away my gifts. This temple, our power. Dimonds sold to fools to humans-"

I sit down. Yes...my eldest son. My biggest mistake. And, incidentally, the only one of these children that I fathered.

He boasts of family but he knows nothing of it. I never taught him anything of it. I've never had it.

My first child. My biggest failure.

"And you take this woman in. You want to replace me don't you? She's a goddess now, so you'll have a full blooded son. You replaced me with fakes and now..."

I sigh. "Nathaniel, this is your trial my son. There is no place for your inferiority complex."

He frowns, flinching back. He scoffs, looking down at his hands. His skin begins to go black. I look up to the sky.

"Tell me what you have done. Tell me, so that I nag fix it, and..."

Nathaniel, backs into a corner, crouching. "You told me...I wasn't like you. Why? Why didn't you give me what you gave them?"

I clench my jaw. He reminds me of how he was when he was child. It was an accident, his birth. One of the only times I'd ever fraternized with humans.

I'd gone on a campaign, and the humans were cursing me as they did. If I'd known she was pregnant, I'd have killed her. He would've never led such an afflicted existence.

Even so...

"I did not give anyone anything different, Nathaniel. You didn't need my power. You born with it. They were not. That is all."

He sniffs. "Father...do you love me?"

I nod. "No matter what you have done, I love you, my child. Simply because I don't know how not to."

He frowns, his dark hair falling in front of his face. "I've done nothing. I had nothing to do with it, honest."

He looks up at me. "Do you believe me?"

I purse my lips, standing. I come up to him watching him flinch away. I pause, pulling him into my arms.

"No. But there's no surprise you turned out this way. I'm sorry."

He lays his forehead against my shoulder, shaking the child he still is.