367 THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS
All the gods, the goddesses and all the creatures that had been invited to watch this execution drew in a breath sharply every time the whip lashed again, against the prisoner’s back, who was none other than the new god. Chaos.
“Are you scared of watching this?” Hades, who happened to stand next to the nymph, could see how she grimaced at every blow that Chaos received.
The nymph would have begged for mercy if it was her, but Chaos didn’t even flinch. He only furrowed his brows slightly, as if that man, who whipped him was actually scratching his back and he was being uncomfortable, despite the blood that streamed like a river across this holy great room.
The nymph didn’t want to see this any longer, but she couldn’t leave this place, or even look away, since it would be seen as disobeying the order.
If she disobeyed the rule right now, not even the moon goddess could save her and to think that she would have to endure the same punishment, made her shudder.
If they were not obliged to stay, she would have fled or even closed her eyes right now.
“Are you not?” asked the nymph.
Hades then tilted his head and then glanced at the nymph beside him. She looked beautiful with her white hair and immediately he knew who she was.
“Of course not. I am not the one who is being whipped right now,” Hades said lightly. “I know you. You have the light of the moon. You must be the nymph that’s cherished by Selene.”
.....
The nymph said nothing, but she glanced at Hades briefly. She was afraid to turn her eyes away from Chaos, as she was forced to see this torture.
“What did he do to be punished like that?” she asked again in a low voice. She didn’t want to be caught chatting in this sacred moment.
“Do you really want to know?” Hades asked teasingly. He glanced at the nymph again, who was standing uncomfortably when another blow landed on Chaos’ back and a stream of fresh blood gushed out of his wounds.
His wounds had not yet healed when another blow came and it happened so fast, so maybe by the time the blows stopped, he would be split into two.
That was what the nymph thought.
“If you really want to know, I can tell you.” Hades glanced at the nymph again.
However, this time the nymph just walked away and moved to the other side of the great hall. She said nothing to the god of the underworld. She didn’t need to know about that.
She was not really curious. Or, was she?
Blow after blow and it got faster each time, until the leather was soaked in blood. The sight of blood and agony began to grow tedious.
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“I saw flowers in the garden of Chaos’ palace, is that your doing?” Selene asked the nymph. She was here since the punishment for Chaos had ended and all of them could go their own way.
“Yes,” the nymph replied. She was sitting near the moon goddess’ feet, staring at how beautiful this goddess was. Her light was so warm and it gave a sense of serenity.
“What were you doing there?” Selene glanced at the nymph at her feet. She was curious about this little creature for her bravery. Other nymphs wouldn’t have done that.
The nymph said nothing for a few moments, but she knew that she couldn’t lie in front of the goddess. “The garden looks empty and dull, so I grew flowers there.”
That was not a lie, but she didn’t say about her curiosity toward that new god. How could he be punished when he was new to this realm?
“Do you want to go to see him?” the moon goddess said all of a sudden. She looked aloof, but this question made the nymph raise her head and then look at the goddess.
She didn’t answer her for a moment, just blinked her eyes, but then she asked a question that she thought she wanted to know the answer to.
She didn’t get the answer from Hades, because she didn’t want to associate herself with the god of the underworld, but the moon goddess was different. After all, she was her favorite, right?
The gleam on her hair was from her, that was why she had hair of this white color like the moonlight.
“Why was he being punished?” she asked quietly, but she was very nervous to hear her answer, yet, the moon goddess just tilted her head and then caressed her hair. Her every stroke made it glow even brighter.
The nymph knew that she was beautiful, but even so when the goddess made her look even brighter with every touch of hers.
“Why don’t you ask him instead?” she suggested.
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A bloodied strip tore open on his back, each blow had peeled his flesh away in a long line that crossed and recrossed his skin. Tendons stood out on his back.
The smell of ichor drenched the air, as thick as honey. The rivulets of molten blood were still trailing down his legs and this made the nymph’s heart thump wildly.
Chaos’ chest rose and fell with a steady yet soft rasping rhythm, as he laid on his velvety bed, which was now drenched in blood as well. He looked exhausted after receiving such torment and now his eyes were closed, as if he was sleeping.
“Lord Chaos?” The nymph’s voice was thin when she called him. However, her voice echoed inside this silent room and this made the god open his eyes.
This was the first time for the nymph to see him very clearly, since their first meeting only happened for a few minutes in the dimly lit garden. She could only see his silhouette and the second time was not a pleasant meeting to say the least.
Chaos’ head lifted, as his eyes searched for the source of her voice.
The nymph was smitten with his eyes. They were blue, the color that she loved the most among all the colors. His eyes were large, framed with long lashes. He was also very handsome. His cheeks were smooth and beard- less, yet there was something about him that was ancient. Very ancient and dark...
The last one probably because he was one of the gods of destruction. They tended to emanate that kind of aura around them.
“I bring you nectar,” the nymph said. She stood in her place. The moon goddess had sent her to take care of him, but she didn’t know what she had to do. She didn’t receive any clear instructions about that.
His gaze finally landed on her, as he found the source of that voice.
“I thank you for that,” his voice was slightly hoarse and deep, but he didn’t look dangerous at all at this moment. His voice echoed in this room and resonated in the nymph’s heart.
This was the first time for the nymph to hear his voice. He had not even cried while receiving his punishment.
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How could he persevere in such pain?
The nymph walked closer, while in her hand was the goblet of nectar she brought for him. She got it from the moon goddess.
The closer she got, the clearer the wounds on his back she could see. It made her grimace. She couldn’t imagine getting whipped. She didn’t even know the color of her blood, since she had never been injured before.
The look of the wounds were gruesome. She trembled so much until she needed to hold the goblet with two hands, so she wouldn’t drop it.
But, the moment she reached his massive bedside, Chaos’ eyes had closed again and this made her hesitate. She didn’t want to disturb his rest.
“I am not sleeping,” Chaos said when he felt her not moving any closer than she was right now, he was too exhausted to open his eyes because he needed to save his energy, so he could heal faster. These wounds were really uncomfortable. “Can you bring the goblet over to me?” he asked her.
“Yes, yes. I can,” the nymph stammered. She then got onto the bed and she felt this was too intimate. Her heart was beating so hard, since this was the first time she was in bed with a man. She flushed until her face, neck and ears turned red. It was a good thing that he had his eyes closed.
The blue sheets were wet with his blood.
The nymph then raised the cup to his lips, as he drank gratefully, while she watched his throat moving gently, as he gulped down the liquid. His skin was so beautiful. How could someone so beautiful like this become the god of destruction?
“I will be here to take care of you until you are well again,” the nymph informed him and then added hastily. “The moon goddess sent me to take care of you.”
He breathed deeply and then spoke again after he finished all the nectar in the goblet. “I thank you for your kindness.”
Chaos spoke carefully, almost tentatively, yet he had broken a rule brazenly to be tormented like this.
“Are you hungry?” she asked again. “I can bring something for you to eat.”
“I don’t think I can eat,” Chaos said. He still had his eyes closed, while the nymph hoped she could see a glimpse of his beautiful blue eyes again.
“Can I ask you a question?” the nymph fiddled with the empty goblet. She waited for him to answer her, but he said nothing. Did he fall asleep? “You are sleeping already?”
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*Read my new book: KISSED BY THE DARK ALPHA*
Alpha Micah Donovan’s second chance mate.