“That may be, but if she had any sense, she would have told you, rather than jumping into the Devil’s arms.”
David sighed, tired of having the same conversation with multiple people. “She’s never seen how much worth she truly has. She does not think like we do. To her, none of us will care if she’s gone or what happens to her. All she believes is she must keep us safe from the darkness inside her—and Lucifer knew that. You never saw how evil that thing was. She didn’t think there was anyone else who could save us—and there wasn’t.”
“It still does not make sense. Why would God pair you with her?”
He glared at her. “Why wouldn’t he? I love Jane, sister. With all of my heart.”
A sad smile formed on her lips. “But you never had all of hers, brother. She never stopped loving Death; you said so yourself. How can you possibly say you love her when she does not love you equally?”
“You don’t understand.” He glanced at Nathan again. “Death was all she had—he truly adores her, and she fell in love with him. She cannot stop because it isn’t a simple love they share. I still feel there is so much more to them; they are too unique to describe—but I do not hold her devotion to him against her. The point is, she still chose me.”
“Only because he was not there,” she said, pissing him off. “You know I am right. Had he never left, she would have chosen him.”
David shook his head. “She cared for me already. She had the chance to leave with him, but she turned him down because of me. Still, she had already fallen for Death, and she was married—I have always been third in line. I cannot expect to have her all to myself when she already loved others so fiercely.”
“And you are okay with that?” Gwen watched him carefully.
“I have to be. I love her, and I want to spend the rest of our lives together. She wants that too. If Death is a necessary part of Jane, then I will deal with him. I didn’t expect my Other to have children either, Gwen—but I love them, and I would never expect her to give them up.”
She laughed sadly. “Brother, Death is not her child; he is a man she loves. I have heard about their intimacies from the other wives. She will not stay faithful.”
He growled, turning his head away so he wouldn’t bare his fangs at her. “They should not speak of her relationship with Death—they know very little of how much they mean to one another. She went so long without affection from Jason, and she craved Death’s attention after their reunion. I was still a stranger to her. I was jealous at the time, but I see it more clearly now—she needed his attention.”
“She should have needed yours. Not his!”
David faced her again. “Do not judge her for loving Death. I dislike him almost all the time, but I accept him. If I’m saying I accept him and what she has with him, so should everyone else. I am not a child—I know our situation is not the norm.”
“So, if she wishes to share his bed—just as she offered herself to him—you will sit back and let her go off with him?”
“She offered herself to save Jason’s life.”
“Do you really think that is the only reason? What if she does the same with Lucifer? If it is as Death says, that Lucifer cares enough to save her, how do you know she will not fall for him as well? Will you accept him as a part of her life?”
David glanced at Natalie’s little face. She was peering over the tub, staring right at him. “I don’t know.”
Guinevere stood, lifting Natalie before wrapping her in a towel. “I suggest you stop basing your decisions on what your heart tells you and start listening to your brain.”
“Is that what you did, sister?” He watched her eyes widen and shook his head as he took Natalie from her arms. “Do not lecture me on matters of the heart. I know what you keep hidden inside yours.”
Natalie wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “Love you, David.”
“I love you, too, princess.” David averted his eyes from his sister’s teary gaze as he rubbed Natalie’s back and carried her to where Nathan slept. It was a tad difficult, but he managed to lift the little boy without waking him. “If there is news from Arthur for me, see that I get it. Good night, sister.”
David finished tucking Nathan into bed while he waited for Natalie to put on her nightgown in his bathroom. He still wasn’t comfortable dressing her, but he was sure Jane trusted him with her daughter. He kissed Nathan’s hair, wiping the tears from his cheek. “Stay strong with me, little man.”
“Which star is Mommy?” Natalie asked softly.
David turned around, finding her standing by the balcony window. “What are you talking about, princess?” He went over to her, kneeling beside her to see what she was looking at.
She pointed to a bright star. “That one is Wendy, Mommy’s friend.” She pointed to one next to it. “That’s Daddy.” She scanned the skies, frowning before she sighed. “I can’t tell which one she is.”
His eyes burned as he pulled her into a hug to hide his heartbreak. “Natalie, Mommy isn’t a star.”
She gasped, pulling back with tears in her eyes. “Why? Did she do something bad?”
He cupped her little cheeks. “No, princess. I did not mean that she didn’t deserve to be a star—Mommy would be the prettiest star in the sky. I meant she’s not a star because she’s alive.” He wiped her tears. “She’s going to come back to us.”
“Are you sure?”
He smiled sadly. “I’m sure. You know how Ryder was here? He’s Mommy’s oldest friend.”
Natalie wiped her wet cheeks. “He loves Mommy. Not us.”
David kissed her head. “He loves you because you are a part of Mommy. He just cannot express it without her.”
“Oh.”
He smiled and pointed to the waning crescent moon. “Well, Ryder calls Mommy his moon. Perhaps she is not exactly the moon, but I like to think she’s staring at it the same time I am. That way she’s with me even when she is not.”
“It’s almost gone,” she whispered. “It’s all dark.”
His throat ached. “Not all the way. And that is only because the moon must go through phases. It always moves around the Earth and the sun. This type of moon means it’s actually closer to the sun. It will be dark tomorrow, but that’s when it is closest to the sun. It’s called a New Moon.”
Natalie kept staring at it. “So, she’s looking at it right now?”
“Maybe.” He rubbed her back, noticing she was trembling and tense, just like Jane whenever she held her emotions in. “You can tell her good night.”
“Good night, Mommy.” Her lip quivered. “I love you. I hope you come home soon.”
David smiled at her when she turned to him with glassy eyes. “She loves you, too. Very much.”
“Are you still gonna love her? Aunt Gwen didn’t think I could hear her, but I did. She told Aunt Elle you should consider marrying a different lady because Mommy didn’t stay with you. She said the other lady would make you happy if you gave her a chance. Someone named Art-mis. Do you love Art-mis?”