Somehow, I am unsurprised to see the blue-eyed beauty before me. No one really comes visiting at the death temple. I can't blame them, the burials and mausoleums must be off-putting. My gargoyles don't help. Lately they've been standing at their posts, glaring down at all who pass into the halls of the temple.

Even Tafia and Sera prefer that I visit them in their new home. And, all the the Mother priestesses I am friends with are hesitant to visit me. Instead they invite death into their temple.

I thought that I needed, we needed, a relaxing day, so I accepting Priestess Deanna's standing invitation to picnic along the bonfires they have lit at the riverbanks. Soon winter will end this sport, so I came.

And she has come as well.

"Hello, Lady Anthea," I greet her smoothly. Tafia is staring at the lady with narrowed eyes, but Sera looks distinctly uncomfortable. So, some of her loyalty rests with her cousin, still. Even after everything the Fourth House tried to do to her.

Her eyes study me. I went without my veil today. My hair is braided tight against my head then flowing down my back. Poppy likes it, calling me a 'princess,' so Postite Farso did her hair the same way.

I wonder if Anthea recognizes me as Parijan?

What am I saying? Of course she doesn't. I look very different from the gangly child I was over a year ago and that child died, supposedly.

"Hello, Priestess," she greets me in return. Only the stiffness of her posture gives away her nerves.

I already know what she is here for. She will plead with me to let Thelios go. Female to female, she will tell me that I am the thief, the adulteress stealing away a bonded husband and father from his family. Sera may be sympathetic to Anthea, especially seeing as how she is a single mother of two small children.

But, I see no signs of grief in her soul... Because she thinks that Thelios is Thane? Or because she doesn't mourn her bonded, even when so little time has passed since he disappeared?

I decide to take away her power quickly, just as she once took mine. "You are here about Thelios," I say, taking a sip of the tea in front of me.

She hesitates. I can sense the readiness in Tafia, even without her cat. She is not fond of Lady Anthea. Mishu and Mushu have stopped stealing treats from the buffet table and are baring their sharp, pointed teeth, coming closer to the lady.

Momo sniffs her and falls over. My lips twitch. Lady Anthea probably does smell bad.

"Shall we walk?" I ask her. She nods, and I take us away from our audience with my gargoyles trailing after us. I walk in the opposite direction of where I know Thelios and Poppy are. I hate the idea of Anthea's eyes on my male.

The visit from the First House ladies has poisoned both of us. I forget, sometimes, how terribly Thelios feels with no memories. He is usually so confident that I forget that he doesn't remember his own past.

"He is my bonded," she says finally.

He is yours

I regard her carefully, looking for the lie, for the nerves. Thelios has no Bond-mark. His tattoos are all of the Recondite and me, none exist to show that he was ever claimed. His skin was wiped clean by the death god.

I rub my fingers over the scars on my wrists. They are the only reminder I have of my punishment in my previous life. My father left them behind of all the injuries. I catch Thelios staring at them in livid anger every so often. The First House and this woman will insist on trying to pry open his past. But I am tired of seeing self-loathing in his eyes.

"He is no one's bonded, Lady," I respond. It is the truth. Thane is gone, somehow, and Thelios is here. This woman is nothing more than an imposter, and not even that anymore.

"He is mine, Priestess!" comes the anguished reply. "Please understand, he has children, a family, a House that depends on him. Losing him was so devastating to us. His children, the youngest wasn't even born yet when he disappeared. Seeing him yesterday, surely the gods have given him back to us? But..." she straightens up a bit. I am careful to keep my own frame relaxed. "He is clearly... dedicated... to you. If you tell him to leave your side, then he can return to us! Please, Priestess, give him back to our family, to his family, to his House. It is his rightful place."

Blue eyes implore me. They are filled with sadness and anger, still no grief for her missing bonded. They also hold hope, but I have no problem crushing that feeling.

I feel the rage in my heart start to simmer. "Do you not understand the delicacy of this situation?" I say in my harshest voice. She flinches, maybe because of who I am, maybe because she expected me to acquiesce to the fine lady's demands.

"He is not yours. Thane of the First House is gone," I tell her flatly. "The sacrifice of his life allows the First House to continue to be blessed. Did you truly believe that there was a time when that would no longer be true?" I shake my head. As if six months would appease the god of Death. "Go home, Lady, and count your blessings as they are. Tell your children of their father's sacrifice, but do not ever be so foolish as to think that I will tell my male to leave this temple to play happy families with you." I turn to head back to my group and she follows, shaking in rage.

I ignore her, meeting her ire with cool collection. Inside I'm a riot of emotion. I have no idea if I will lose Thelios to this woman. Honestly, I have doubts. I hate that, but Thane forsook me once for her, for his House. Who am I to say it will never happen again? All I know is this; it would crush me to lose Thelios, though I'd survive, I suppose. I have no desire to be devastated again, so I'll fight tooth and nail for him.

He is yours

Relief. I trust my father that he gave me Thelios for a reason.

"How dare you?" Lady Anthea hisses, "who do you think you are?!" Spots of red color on her cheeks. Internally I smile at her words. Here is the selfishness, the arrogance. How dare I, as if I am nothing compared to the great Lady of the First House.

I stop walking. "I am the Priestess of Death," I remind her. Mishu and Mushu growl at her, snapping teeth, and bow to me as if I am sitting on a throne with a crown on my head instead of walking along a muddy riverbank in my second-best robes.

I'll have to try and clean them before Farso sees the mess...

She falters. I let some of my hatred show through. Perhaps she is not so awful, this woman, but either way she is my enemy and always has been.

I only feel guilt for the children. How would Thelios be their father and stay with me at the same time?

I don't let my doubts show on my face. Instead I watch her with no little satisfaction as she cowers slightly. "You are stealing him from his family," she whispers without meeting my eyes.

My blood rises to a steady boil. "Am I?" I say coldly. "His family that offended the Fates? The male who committed such a grievous sin against the gods that the entire House he was meant to rule was punished in unholiness for nearly a year? Three corpses from the First House are entombed in the sands, Lady. Three Forgotten tombs. Your House was cursed and yet you tell me that I have stolen your male?" My voice is growing in volume and raspiness.

The Lady flinches at my vitriol, but still she will not back down. "Yes, he made mistakes, but he has served his punishment. We have paid our price."

The rage dissolves, leaving laughter behind. "Your price?" I ask her in disbelief. "The price of rejection and murder? Of lies and sin against fate? You offended the gods! You truly believe that you have paid the price for this?"

Confusion colors her eyes. What is happening in the First House that the presumed Lady knows nothing of the truth? Is it possible that she doesn't know that Thane's life was stolen because of what he did to me?

"You don't know," I whisper, staring in shock. "You are aware that Thane of the First House was not your Fated?" I can't keep the sarcasm from trickling in.

Lady Anthea shrinks away from me, pale and shaken at my words. "She was a horrible female, his Fated. He loved me. Loves me."

I feel sick to my stomach. I turn my gaze from her for the first time since she came here. The riverbank is peaceful, the leaves of the apple trees falling in vibrant colors. Out of sight, beyond the orchard is the first tomb hill leading into the graveyards. The white stone is gleaming today. That is my home. It's where I belong. To Nateos. My god gave me Thelios. Death did it for me, but am I stealing my lover from his own love? His own mind?

"She was merely a child," I say softly. "An innocent. A pure soul." I turn my head to stare at her. "You have children, Lady. You should know better than to say such things."

"You have not paid the price, Lady. Thane of the First House has paid for you. He can not renege on that bargain. Besides, he was never meant to be yours."

She sucks in a shaky breath.

"Thane was yours, partially," I amend, "but Thelios is all mine. All of him. You can not claim any part of him, because Thane no longer exists. If he did, then your precious House would still be suffering."

Shakily Lady Anthea stalks past me, continuing her walk. I do not. I'm too raw from this conversation.

"I will speak with Thane. He will at least wish to see his children."

I hate her.

Mushu comes up next to me, his arms laden with rotten apples from the ground. He takes one and pulls his arm back to throw one at Lady Anthea's back.

"Moosh," I sigh.

He drops his arm and blinks at me innocently. "Ooonnee?" He holds up a finger.

"No, she'll think I'm throwing apples at her."

He shrugs, but drops his apples to scamper over to his brother and start arguing.

---

"There, you see the leaves, Poppy?" I point out the orange leaves of the trees. The color is as bright as her hair. She looks otherworldly here in the fall leaves.

The little female giggles on my shoulders, clapping her hands and reaching for the trees.

"We'll bring Mama back a few, right?" I say. I grit my teeth at Poppy squeals, saying 'mama' a few times in her sweet, childish voice.

Mara thinks I am her betrayer. All of those sideways looks she's given me... Her lack of trust in me. Fuck, the shit the gargoyles put me through, it all makes sense now.

"Papa?" Poppy pats my cheek.

I smile at her, reassuring her that I am paying attention to her. She shows me her treasures.

"Very pretty, Poppy. Not as pretty as my beautiful baby though!" I shout, tossing her in the air to her shrieks of happiness.

"Who is she?" the sharp voice makes my demon flash his teeth. I don't have enough opportunities to spend with Poppy alone. I don't want this time interrupted. Especially by this female.

"My daughter, Lady Anthea," I growl.

She flinches, her blue eyes falling away from me.

"Captain Thelios," she murmurs. She plays with the hem of her cape, fiddling with the strings. I take the time to assess her. I don't think she is really a physical threat, but with Poppy here I don't want to take the chance.

She looks... worn. Tired, and her clothing has seen better days with faded colors and fraying seams. Her shoes are quality, but patched, but she wears jewelry that would pay rent in the War district for a year. She looks like a lady fallen on hard times, one who may or may not be making the sacrifices that are needed to survive in her new reality.

"Captain," she says again. I wait, watching her eyes dart to mine, then to a silent Poppy.

She takes a breath. "Is she why you left us?" she whispers, her eyes on Poppy.

"I am not your Fated," I tell her flatly. I wonder for a moment, at the timing. We think Poppy must be about four, but she acts and looks younger. Does this female think that her precious bonded husband committed adultery with my Sprite? The thought of another male's hands on my female makes my gums ache as my fangs poke through.

She takes a deep breath. "You aren't," she admits, "but you are my bonded husband and the father to my children."

I narrow my eyes on her. This is such a clusterfuck of a situation. I don't remember my own life. I can't refute this female's claims because I don't know the truth of my own past.

"I am not Thane of the First," I tell her.

She shakes her head. "I know you are. The goddess... she told me that you would return."

"Did she?" I swear under my breath. The goddess... the Mother or Love?

"It is why we... we tried to have you declared dead."

Interesting.

"Why?" I ask coolly.

Lady Anthea draws a deep breath. "The Mother's priestess said that my husband was never truly mine. That all he can see, hear, think about, is the Death's Flame. His true Fated.

She was right. You didn't return to me. We need your brother to take the title," she says quietly. "The children are suffering. The House is cursed. Your children are suffering." Her eyes dart to Poppy again.

"Your children don't sleep," she says softly. "They are haunted. You left us with nothing and everything is falling apart."

I harden my heart against the tears in her blue eyes. I am meant to help this city, to protect and serve all of the gods. Sweat beads on my forehead. My demon snarls, not a sympathetic bone in his body, but then he's an asshole, isn't he?

"You loved me, once," she continues. "We were a family. We were happy."

"I am not Thane of the First," I tell her again, quietly but firmly.

I am not him.

Turning, I nuzzle Poppy's hair as I walk away from the weeping female and ignore the guilt eating me. The Lady Anthea's troubles are not my problem.

---

I grapple with the demon's tentacles. It took hours, maybe days, to kill the fucker. Now we're seeing how long the tentacles really are by stretching them across our cavern.

"This one goes all the way end-to-end!" Carnak shouts out gleefully.

"This one is halfway, only," Rolle calls out.

Nasir and Holsten groan as they heave the largest of the tentacles into place. "These fat ones are short," Holsten grunts.

"How are we disposing of this thing again?" Lier looks at me with a scornful glare.

I smirk at him. "In the fire," I say as calmly as possible.

His eyes narrow. "The whole thing?"

I resist the urge to punch him in the face. "It's hellfire, Lier. Do you think it won't burn the fucking thing?"

He steps toward me, scowling, "You-"

"Very impressive, Lord Thane!" Patriarch Rimon limps up to us. He has been missing for a long time. He seems able to leave the cavern at will. Ten demons we have killed, each one more disgusting and disturbing than the last, and except for the first the old male never seems to be around when they come here. More proof, as far as I'm concerned, that Patriarch Rimon is not Patriarch Rimon.

"I am not Lord of anything down here," I tell him, again.

"Oh, my apologies, Thane of the-"

"Do not call me that. That's worse. Call me anything but of that House."

He stares at me, a measuring look, weighing me. I am determined, though. I have seen nothing of the Father god. Heard nothing. Not once in my life. He is the patron of the First House. Love has spoken to me. Death is here, tormenting me for his own amusement. How am I still Thane of the First? I don't want to be him, not anymore.

"Pretending to be someone you aren't won't change who you are."

"What if I were my twin?" I blurt out, interrupting him. "You let him fuck your own daughter, don't you?"

The visage of Patriarch Rimon melts away. I've never seen this face, not this much of the god. Nateos' eyes burn, the dark black of my Fated's eyes are nothing compared to this darkness. I see the orange of flame flickering inside his pupils. Bones and blood, death himself is ageless and terrifying.

"Oh, you poor, pathetic male, Thane of the First. You would have to give up everything else before I ever allow you near my daughter. Even then, I doubt I would want to upset her with your presence." He moves closer, his eyes capturing mine. I struggle to keep his gaze, to not bow down to the god who owns my soul, now.

"Would you give up everything for her, Thane?" he asks.

I think. I don't want to let go of the bonds that seal my fate to my House. Not because of the House, but.. I don't want to destroy the fragile bond to my Fated, either.... But, I have a family... a child.

"I would give up everything?" I say softly.

Patriarch Rimon- no - no this is Nateos, his eyes... He wraps an old, wrinkled hand around my neck. His grip is stronger than an old male's could possibly be, as unforgiving as his eyes, but I don't fight it. I hold my breath, not wanting to miss anything he says.

"The male who has replaced you has fought a thousand and one demons. He has defeated every monster the Underworld possesses. He is a pure soul. He is my daughter's shield against the evil this world has pitted against her.

You are not. You are vile. You have let arrogance, greed, and selfishness seep into your soul. My daughter chose your soul as her Fated, you fool. And you destroyed her."

"I will fight for her," I breathe out.

"Against him? You are still selfish, Thane of the First." He drops his hand and begins to turn away.

"Wait! Wait, please. That's not what I meant. I want to protect her, to be her shield, her sword."

"You cannot be those things if you don't give up loyalty to everything else."

"I do," I promise desperately. "I will be loyal only to my Fated. To her. I swear it. Only her."

A slow smile slides over the elderly visage that Death possesses at his leisure.

"You will be the Captain of the Basru. Make no mistake, it is not a position that you can shirk. Ever. Now, go train your males, Captain."