“I’ve always been honest with you and I’m not going to start lying now. Before we move on, there’s something you must know.” He used a mind link to share with Kamila what he had done the day of Orpal’s attack after sending her back to Belius.
How he had attacked the Hogum mansion, the people he had killed after rescuing Raaz. Then, Lith showed her his failed tribulations and the stirring of his core, including the day he had almost eviscerated himself after the bar fight with the Titania.
Kamila quivered in horror at that brutal violence but the mind link allowed her to share more than images. She could also experience Lith’s emotions, how he had felt after finding Raaz’s mangled body and believing him dead.
Once the vision stopped, she was crying.
“I don’t care, I’m still your wife.” She was quite shocked, yet she also knew that if it had been Zinya instead of Raaz and if Kamila had Lith’s powers, she would have done much worse.
Many times she had cursed her impotence and prayed to the gods to kill Fallmug and everyone that knew about the abuse yet did nothing. Even years after his death, she still hated him, his mistresses, and the rest of the house staff.
Lith embraced her in silence, needing no explanation.
“Gods, I’m a mess. I can’t consummate our marriage while covered in sweat, snot, and tears. I need a shower. Care to join?” She asked with a thin smile.
“Yes.” He replied.
“Before we go, there’s something I have to tell you as well.” Another mind link allowed her to share how she had gone on dates, trying and failing to move on.
Every first meeting was also the last. Then she showed him how she had started to hit the gym often with Jirni, how the stress and the bad eating habits as a single had affected her, often skipping meals.
“You dated. Big deal. I went out with Faluel once and several times with Peonia.” Lith shrugged.
“You left that part out from your sob story, didn’t you?” Kamila said in mock outrage. “Tomorrow you have to tell me everything. Right now, I just want you to know that I’m a bit less on the Friya side and more on the Phloria side now.”
She took off her clothes, revealing her naked body.
Her muscles were toned like those of an athlete, to the point where she had a four abs pack. Contrary to her words, however, her breasts were as big as Lith remembered them and her tight buttocks were as round as a sunset.
“What the fuck?” She said while noticing the missing centimeters being back only in the right places.
The Overlord’s Rebirth Magic had done more than just the equivalent of a spa. It had also restored the body balance to perfection.
“Thanks for your wedding present, Grandma.” Lith gave Kamila’s curves a deep bow. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, since you already unwrapped my gift at least let me play with it for a bit.”
***
When the sunrise arrived, the couple was still awake, leaving them only a few hours of rest before their departure. Kamila needed one more injection of Invigoration but the fact that she couldn’t stop smiling told Lith that she considered the experience worth the price.
“Gods, I had almost forgotten the magic you can ‘weave’ with your Tiamat tongue. It’s very versatile.” She said while they walked toward the dining room for breakfast.
“Kami!” Lith blushed up to his ears. “What if someone hears you?”
“You are so cute.” She replied with a giggle. “In the past you were always the one who’d made me blush. Who would’ve thought that our roles would be reversed after one night?”
“By the Great Mother, I’m serious! There are Aran, Leria, and Protector’s kids here. If they overhear your words and ask their parents for an explanation, I’ll die of embarrassment.” Those were the rare moments when Lith discovered religion.
“Selia knows how to deal with it.” Kamila shrugged. “As she always says, a shapeshifting husband has unique skills that a wife has the moral duty to help him master. You should be grateful for my sacrifice.”
Lith turned to a brighter shade of purple and wished to never continue that conversation.
After a hearty breakfast, they said goodbye to their family and friends. Solus arrived just in time to give Lith a long hug and Kamila a much shorter one before running away.
“That was awkward.” Elina said after several seconds of silence that no one else had dared to break.
“Yeah, also, since you don’t have communication amulets anymore, I made you this.” Salaark handed to each member of the family an elliptical piece of Orichalcum with a violet crystal at its center.
“They are not as good as Council amulets but have a wider range than those made of silver. They are also much harder to track and tap into. Also, these amulets have free access to the Desert’s information network.”
The Overlord showed them how to access the various databases, be they about public news or war reports.
“This way you can chat with our newlyweds and check how things are going in the Kingdom during your absence. My amulets have only limited access to foreign interlinks but are better than nothing.”
Everyone imprinted their respective amulet and exchanged their communication rune with the others.
Even Kamila, Selia, and Nalrond got one of their own. Lith and Protector didn’t need one because Salaark’s model could exchange contact runes with all models of communication devices, including Council amulets.
“Can we come to visit you, big bro?” Aran asked.
The little boy had grown fond of the Desert after the arrival of Lilia and Leran, but he still felt more confident knowing that Lith was around.
“Sure. Just ask Mom and Dad for permission.” He replied while looking at their parents with a gaze that begged them to leave him alone for a while.
“Bye!” Before things could get more awkward, Salaark Warped Lith and Kamila on a beach hundreds of kilometers away from her palace.
There was no one as far as the eye could see. A bit of grass and a few tropical trees grew in a glade a few dozens of meters from the spot where the Overlord had already set the house.
From the outside, it looked like a two-story cottage, while on the inside it was identical to the room Lith and Kamila had shared in the Flying Griffon hotel.
The building was made of redwood and comprised of several rooms. It had a living room furnished with a tea table and sofas to spend time with friends. On the first floor, there was a terrace where to dine while enjoying the sea breeze.
The rest of the floors were comprised of a kitchen, a sauna, a gym, a library, two huge bathrooms, and two even bigger bedrooms.
Even though all rooms were magically air-conditioned, most of them had a fireplace for ambiance. The Desert was very hot during the day but also very cold at night and a crackling fire made anyone feel at home.
“This is the pantry.” Salaark showed them around the house, opening a single cabinet in the kitchen. “There is enough food to feed one Phoenix and one Dragon for a year so you two should have plenty for a month.”
