Jack

Bizarrely, I heard a voice echo inside my head in response.

"Oh Me, I can't wait to sit down for the next decade and admire the look on your face when you saw the baby bump!" A female voice giggled in a manner that would make a normal individual sigh in adoration.

But as I'd been around for as long as I had, I held nothing even close to adoration for the owner of the voice in my head.

"Sick bitch," I growled darkly.

"Hey, you should be happy! As the Goddess of Creation, I gave you two children! Now your human toy can have something to do between your naughty bed-times." Her snickering voice echoed loudly, making me grimace.

"Don't talk about Nisha like that!" I snarled, barely remembering to stop myself from letting off a blast of cold energy that would have destroyed the room I was in.

"Hmm. It really is too bad that I can't kill you."

Grinding my teeth, I fought down the response I wanted to say. Considering everything you have done, death would be a relief. "Is this…your torment for this life?" I questioned very quietly.

Gaia was silent for five full seconds before she began to purr, exactly like a cat. "Why, of course, it is. Though, it is surprising how much you seem to care about this life's toy. It almost reminds me of that other one. Oh, what was the name? Umne? Yeah, her. It's been a long time since that one, hasn't it?"

Swallowing, Uma's dark complexion and blood-red gaze flashed through my mind. Even now, a thousand years later, I still couldn't completely forget her. Sweat began to run down my spine as I recalled some of the more (cough) explicit memories with her.

Snorting in delighted disgust upon seeing into my mind, Gaia's voice turned cold. "Hopefully this toy won't break and shatter like that one."

Terror coursed through my every nerve-ending.

My heart shot up to my throat with the speed and force of a cannonball blast.

I threw myself off the bed without rational thought and sprinted out of the room, nearly leaping down the stairs.

Barely ensuring to restrain my moving speed and strength to that of a human so I wouldn't break the house around me, I spotted Nisha standing at the kitchen counter. Not pausing to think about how she wouldn't like me so close, I stopped right by her side.

She let out a shriek of fright at my abrupt appearance, but I ignored that. Studying her features and figure closely, I looked for any injuries. Once I saw nothing of concern, I finally released my held breath and my heart returned to its normal place.

But my study did make it evident that something very important was missing from Nisha's person.

Frowning, I tilted my head to the side and stared at her. "Where is the soul stone?" Seeing the stunned, uncomprehending look on her face, I glared fiercely. "You know, our marriage stone?"

Nisha's face instantly lost all color as the blood drained away. Her knees gave out and I swiftly reached forward to catch her.

A strangled noise from behind caused me to turn my head and look over my shoulder. Grace Caldwell was by the fridge, her expression filled with shock and concern. "Y, Your Grace, Nisha doesn't remember it."

Sighing, I hugged Nisha's warm body a little closer. I wanted to keep her right here, but I knew she didn't like it. Already, I could feel her struggling against my strength, trying to break free.

Just a little longer….

Why did cuddling have to be such a bad thing for humans?

Even I could tell sex would be a no-go anytime soon. But that didn't mean holding someone close always had to lead to sex.

"...You're cold!" Nisha snapped, having regained her voice.

Reluctantly releasing her, I observed my wife backing up quickly.

Deciding to return my attention back to Grace (at least she didn't try to scuttle away like I was a beast about to eat her), I raised a brow. "Yes, I know she doesn't remember. It was, after all, part of the contract. But she still has the soul stone."

"What are you talking about? Why did you bring up marriage?"

Nisha's voice made me glance at her, raising another brow. "By the standards of your kind, we are simply betrothed. But by the standards of mine, this is our nine-year anniversary," I explained patiently.

It might have been an affair, but Nisha didn't know.

...Awkward. An illegitimate child born from it on top of things.

Rubbing the center of my forehead, I grumbled under my breath. If I actually cared about the politics, I'd be an absolute laughing-stock at this point.

"Wh—?! Ho—?!" Nisha tried several times to speak, but after managing a breath, she'd lose her voice in anger. Feeling the red-hot rage and confusion rock through me, I fought not to smile bitterly.

"Magic," I murmured calmly.

Grace let out a low whine of noise before quieting. Glancing her way, I raised an eyebrow in question.

When she shook her head slightly in response, I felt a little guilty when I saw how deeply her shoulders slouched. Scratching my left cheek subconsciously, I moved to Grace’s side and patted her shoulder firmly. "Thank you for your hard work, dear Nana," I teased.

She threw me a doubtful ‘uh-HUH’ look before pushing past me to Nisha's side. "Your Grace, could you perhaps continue to relax in the master bedroom upstairs? I feel like you haven't had nearly enough time to acquaint yourself with the surroundings, considering the journey you had to make to get here."

Smiling darkly at her subtle stab in my direction, I decided it was best to retreat for now. Tossing one last forlorn glance Nisha’s way, I sighed before making my way back up the stairs. But, unbeknownst to the two ladies, I couldn’t help but be curious and eavesdrop.

Walking to my bedroom, I opened the door and closed it, staying on the outside. Then, careful to ensure my movements remained silent, I crept back toward the top of the stairs, leaning against the wall to ensure I’d stay out of sight if someone were to look up from the first floor.

“Nana, what the hell is going on?!” Nisha demanded breathlessly. “Seriously, am I dreaming right now? Since that bastard showed up, all that seems to be happening is a bunch of nonsense and delusions.”

A long sigh escaped Grace. “How can I explain this?” she mumbled quietly under her breath. “...Alright. Snowflake, pay attention.” There were a few low sounds of shuffling and clanking of drawers and cabinets being opened and closed before she spoke again. “So, our planet —Earth — isn’t like how all the scientists think it is.”

“Nana.” Nisha’s voice was filled with exasperated disbelief.

"No, I know, but just go along with me here. Think of it like how the Harry Potter universe does things. Magical people and things are all around us, but normal people are both blind and purposefully kept out of the loop. I know you're still skeptical, but that's how our world actually is. In fact, there's an entirely different world directly connected to our own."

"Nana!" Again Nisha repeated, though this time there was more worry than disbelief in her voice. "Seriously, this is all going too far now. Magic? Really? If that's true, there's no way that—"

"With magic, nearly anything is possible, dear." Grace's voice was both firm and patient, like a parent explaining things to a child. "Whether you want to believe me or not, magic has been a part of my life since I met your grandfather and yours since you were born."

There was a short, tense pause.

"Are you telling me Grandpa Nicholas was a, a…a wizard, Nana?" Nisha's voice was a bit high and faint, but there was still an evident edge of mockery.

"Well, not a 'wizard'. But he definitely had powers and he wasn't human in the slightest."

I had to fight the urge to let out a low whistle of admiration.

Wow. Nana is really going in balls-deep here. No holds barred at all, huh? Though, I suppose that's probably the best way to manage things. I'm not sure if throwing off a presentation of my powers is a wise idea with Nisha's current mood. But it'll probably be the only way to convince her.

"Not? Human?" Nisha repeated each word in a slow, deliberate manner. "Nana, are you even listening to the words coming out of your mouth right now?!"

"Yes, Snowflake. Do you want to know the craziest thing about that fact? I never once felt an ounce of disgust towards Nicholas, even when I saw what he really was. In fact, I still think he was one of the most majestic creatures I've ever laid my eyes on."

I gulped, clenching my fists at my side. "Damn," I whispered under my breath. "Nana has some serious game when she decides to pull it out. No wonder poor Nicholas fell for her so hard." I smiled bitterly, leaning my head against the wall, eyes closed in a mix of emotions.

Though I knew the truth, I sometimes had to wonder if humanity was brought into existence to torment the lives of my kind.