For the damned | ✓

35

CENTURIES AGO - PART VIII

"IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY TOMORROW."

Delilah glanced up at Helio, to where he was sitting opposite her at the table, blinking in surprise. Her birthday had never meant much to her, so this wasn't the first time she had forgotten it had neared, but Helio always had placed a lot of importance on it. Honestly, she did appreciate it, because all immortality had given her was a certain numbness only he could make disappear. She adored him for that, the way he let everything matter still.

"Another year together," she smiled," and my mother hasn't tried killing anyone yet, so that's celebration worthy."

She hadn't heard of her mother ever since she had been crowned the new Soulweaver. The whispers of the gods however did travel to her, some presuming her dead, others thinking she was biding her time until she had found a way to kill them both. Delilah didn't know if she truly believed that. Her mother had been a lot of things, but she would never hurt her. It wasn't herself she was worried about, but Helio. Over the years she had heard her mother repeat to her often enough about how she would let nothing take her daughter away from her. If Helio had not been one of the strongest gods in this universe, she didn't doubt her mother would have killed him years ago.

How foolish. In the end the person who had driven them apart had been her mother herself after all. Sometimes Delilah still woke up from dreams where she was caged in a world with no air. She would never go back to that place again. In a way, Helio was her savior. More than that, he was the love of her life. She leaned her chin on her hands, smiling as she looked at him.

"You know I'd do anything for you, right?" she said," I'd burn this whole world to the ground."

"You wouldn't," Helio said, a smile tugging at his lips," you love the humans, Lilah, I know you do. You may complain to others about the work, but I see the way you weave their souls so gently, the way you watch their fates intertwine."

"You're right," she admitted," I like the human world. I like how they're allowed to make mistakes and grow, without having to be perfect. Perhaps I should have been born human."

"I'm glad you haven't," he said, standing up to walk to her side," I don't know what I would've done without you."

"I still mean it though," Delilah said, looking up at him," I would do anything for you."

"As would I, for you," he said, lowering himself to the floor as he took her hands in his," I'd even abandon my duty, Lilah, if you asked."

"I would never ask that of you," she said, squeezing his hands," I know your duty is your life and that's one of the reasons I love you so. So though I'll kill for you, if the threads of fate ever pull me apart, I don't want you to do the same for me. It would break you, Helio, and I would never want to see you like that."

"Let us not speak of this," he said, rising to his feet," such an event will never happen, I will not allow it to. Instead, tell me, Lilah, what do you want as a present this year?"

"I know you've already gotten one for me," she said," you're terrible at hiding things, Helio. It's wrapped in our room with a big bow underneath our bed, how'd you think I wouldn't find it?"

"I thought I did a better job at hiding it this year," Helio frowned, before adding," it's okay, I know you wouldn't open it."

"What can I say," she smiled," I like surprises."

"Still," he said," if there's anything you desire, tell me, I'll get it for you at once. One present is not enough." He glanced at her bare neck then, voice gentle. "A necklace, perhaps?"