Redemption

REDEMPTION

Bonus Scene from
THE GUARDIAN

Sherrilyn Kenyon

Copyright 2011

Blowing out a frustrated breath, Seth stared at himself in the mirror as he tried to do something with his rebellious hair.

It was useless.

Even worse than the curly mess he couldn’t control were the clothes Lydia had picked out for him to wear. The black pants that buttoned on the sides were extremely uncomfortable and they only went to his knees. From there down, he had on white... what had she called them? Stockings? And weird buckled shoes that pinched his toes and rubbed his heels worse than his armored boots.

But the thing he despised most was the gold, high collared, heavily embroidered jacket with a white shirt that had mountains of girly lace cascading down the front. She’d called it a cravat. He called it hideous. And that same scratchy lace spilled out at the end of his sleeves, covering both of his hands, all the way to his knuckles.

He’d bitched about this monstrosity the moment she’d shoved it at him. The only reason he’d finally agreed to wear it was that she’d pointed out the fact that it couldn’t possibly be any more uncomfortable to wear than armor- something he emphatically disagreed with. Only an outright moron laughed at a man in armor. Dressed like this, only an outright moron wouldn’t laugh at it.

And two, he wouldn’t have to wear it long. As soon as they were done, she’d promised to rip it off him and make him deliriously happy that he’d humored her.

Little did she know, he’d have worn it for her anyway. All she had to do was smile at him and he was sunk.

Still...

“I look like an effing idiot.”

Dressed in black tails and tie, Asmodeus snorted from behind him. “I would respond to that, but the fact that you have more powers now than you did when I served you in the Nether Realm, and the fact that I’m fond of my body parts in their current locations, prevent me from saying a single word.” He flashed a fanged grin at Seth. “Sorry.”

Yeah, right. His expression said he was anything but. In fact, that expression said the bastard was highly amused... and at Seth’s expense.

See. Point taken.
Asmodeus had never dared laugh at him when they were in Azmodea and Seth was in armor.

But in this...

Laughter was a moral imperative.

He was tempted to offer the demon money to change clothes with him. Unfortunately, Asmodeus was an amorphic demon who could take any form he wanted, and for the wedding, the little creep had decided to be only six feet tall with short, white-blond hair he had spiked up over his head. Then again, he could use his powers to simply change his clothes into something else.

Like armor.

But that would upset Lydia.

For her, he would suffer.

Maybe not in silence, but...

He stifled a whimper as he met Asmodeus’s gaze in the mirror. Those gray eyes of his were the only thing that stayed the same in all incarnations. Eyes that saw far deeper than the surface of any being.

While Seth had been locked in Azmodea, the demon had been the only one, besides Jaden, who’d never harmed him. In fact, it was Asmodeus who’d taught him to paint his face to intimidate the others. And in spite of what Asmodeus had said, Seth had never once done him harm either.

The sad news was that Asmodeus was the closest thing to an actual friend he’d ever had... which was why the demon, who’d been freed from Noir’s service a few years back while Seth had been confined, had been asked to be his best man.

Asmodeus moved closer to straighten the cravat. “I have to say that I’m glad you’re the only one she wants dressed this way. ‘Cause it is epically hideous and you look like a woman in it.”

Seth glared down at him. “You better be glad I’ve mellowed and that you’re one of only four guests I have.”

Asmodeus’s grin widened. “Infinitely so, Lord Master Guardian. Besides, you wouldn’t want your best demon to have blood on his rented tux at your wedding, would you? It might distress Mistress Jackal.”

A wave of anger shot through him. “I know you’re joking with the title, but don’t call me that anymore.”

Stepping back, Asmodeus inclined his head as if he understood why that reminder stung him. “What do I call you then?”

“Seth.”

He started to chuckle, then stopped the moment Seth lifted a questioning eyebrow. “Sorry, Lord Master... that which I cannot say.”

“What’s so funny about my name?”

“I just thought you’d have a more sinister one than Seth. Although it does rhyme with death... Perhaps apropos after all.” Asmodeus clapped him on the back, then changed the subject. “Are you nervous about this?”

Not really. Bored. Irritated. Impatient. But definitely not nervous. “Am I supposed to be?”

“I’m told many are when they go to tie their lives to someone else. I, personally, would be vomitous over it.”

“Why?”

“One woman? Forever?” Asmodeus choked himself.

Seth shook his head at the demon. “She’s not just any woman.” She was unlike anyone he’d ever known.

“That’s what they all claim. Then you marry them and they spend the rest of their lives trying to kill you.”

“How so?”

Asmodeus checked the list off his fingers. “Whining. Nagging. Expanding.”

Seth scowled. “Expanding?”

“You know, getting fat on you.”

Seth was baffled by his reasoning. “Lydia’s pregnant, not fat.” And that was definitely his fault and not hers.

“Asmodeus!” Maahes snapped as he flashed into the room. “Stop trying to run him off.”

“Run him off? I’m trying to save him.”

Maahes grinned at Seth. “I don’t think he wants to be saved.”

Definitely not from Lydia, but he wasn’t about to say that to them.

“Is it time?” he asked the god.

“Almost.” Maahes squinted at him as he studied his clothes. “You’re not wearing your hair like that, are you?”

Yeah, okay, that succeeded in making him nervous. “Why? I thought I’d tamed it.”

Maahes snorted. “Looks good, Poindexter.”

“Poindexter?”

Without answering, Maahes grabbed him and pulled him away from the mirror so that he could tug at Seth’s hair.

Seth tried to pull away, but Maahes wouldn’t let him. Then he tried to fend the obnoxious god off. “What are you doing?”

“Put your hands down.”

Like hell.

“What in the world is going on here?”

Seth pushed Maahes back at the sound of Ma’at’s voice. He turned to see an amused light in her eyes as she watched them. “Nothing.”

“I’m trying to make his hair semi-attractive.”

Ma’at arched a brow. “That is not attractive.”

Seth turned to look in the mirror. He’d had his hair kind of smoothed down. Now it stuck out all over his head like Asmodeus’s.

“I wasn’t through with it.”

Tsking at them, Ma’at came forward. “Come here, child.”

Seth’s first instinct was to glare, but he’d slowly learned over the last few months that Ma’at and Maahes weren’t his enemies.

They were his family. After all this time, he really did have one. He still couldn’t believe it.

That had been the hardest adjustment. Forcing himself to remember that not everyone wanted to hurt him. That there really were people in the world who could love him and not cause him harm.

Smiling, Ma’at patted him gently on the arm. “You’ll have to sit or kneel, Seth. I can’t reach your hair from here.”

Her powers and personality were such that it was easy to forget just how tiny she really was. Like Lydia, she barely reached mid chest on him.

Seth knelt down so that she could quickly style his hair.

Once she finished, he rose and went to look at it. The curls were all over his head again. Curling his lip, he reached to straighten it.

“Don’t you dare!” Ma’at’s voice was as stern as he’d ever heard it.

“I look like a woman.”

“No, you definitely don’t. Trust me.” She turned a sharp glare toward Maahes and Asmodeus. “And don’t you dare contradict me.”

Maahes held his hands up in surrender. “I would never contradict you.”

“Good.” She turned her attention back to Seth. “Lydia wanted a Beauty and the Beast theme for her wedding. I think you look grand.”

Asmodeus broke out into laughter.

Once he realized the three of them were glaring at him, he sobered. “Oh, c’mon. Don’t tell me that went over all of your heads. You know, she’s a jackal, A.K.A. beast, and dressed like that,” he gestured at Seth, “he looks like the beauty.” He laughed again.

Maahes met Seth’s gaze. “I can kill him if you want.”

“No, don’t do that. I want the pleasure of it.”

Ma’at stopped him before he could reach Asmodeus. “Your bride is waiting for you. Do you really want to waste time with an annoying demon?”

“Fine. But after... I want his head on a platter.”

###

Lydia tucked her hand into the crook of Solin’s elbow. Dressed all in black, he was stunning in his coat and tails.

He covered her hand with his. “You know, you don’t have to do this. It’s not too late to have George take us home.”

“Daddy,” she whispered to him, “I love Seth.”

He picked her hand up and kissed her fingers. “I’ve waited your entire life to hear you call me that. Thank you.” He returned her hand to his elbow.

“I do love you, you know that, don’t you?”

“Absolutely. And while I don’t like the idea of you marrying that bastard, I promise I will always be polite to him.”

Yes, but his idea of polite and hers had a bit of a gap between them. Still, her father was trying and for that, she’d give him extra points.

Ma’at opened the door that led to the hallway. “He’s downstairs, waiting.”

Dressed in a pale yellow gown, Ma’at made a gorgeous matron of honor. Since Lydia didn’t have a lot of people she was close to and everyone outside of this small group thought her dead, Ma’at had been the best choice.

Ma’at handed her the bride’s bouquet...

Pink and white lilies. Her eyes teared up as she gripped the handle. Seth had insisted she carry them.

“Are you all right?” Solin asked in a worried tone.

“Hormonal.” The only thing she didn’t like about being pregnant was the fact that she cried over everything. It was terrible.

Ma’at led them out of the room and into the main hall of her temple, then down to the throne room that had been decorated with more lilies and white crepe. 

But Lydia barely saw the decorations or the friend Ma’at had brought in to officiate the ceremony.

All her attention went to Seth in his baroque coat and breeches. She’d known he’d be gorgeous in them, but he defied her best expectation.

Yeah, he was totally lickable.

Her father stopped by Seth’s side and hesitated before he kissed her cheek and withdrew to sit beside Thorn and Ambrose.

Seth couldn’t breathe as he held onto Lydia’s hand and stared down into those brilliant topaz eyes. Dressed in a red gown... the color of a traditional ancient Greek wedding gown, she was stunning. The small red veil was attached to her black hair with diamond-tipped pins.

Ma’at took her bouquet so that they could approach Savitar who waited for them.

Savitar looked around at the small group that consisted of Ma’at, Asmodeus, Maahes, Ambrose, Thorn, Solin, and them. “Dearly weird and motley beings, we’re gathered here today for... yada, yada, yada. Seth say something profound to Lydia.”

It took Seth a moment to focus. While he’d never seen a wedding and had no idea what they entailed, Savitar’s strange introduction didn’t seem right. But since Lydia didn’t appear to mind, he took a breath to speak the words he’d been practicing to say to her. “My Lydia is like a star rising to guide me through the darkest night.” He glanced back at the men and felt a sick rush at speaking the rest in front of them. When he’d written the words, he hadn’t taken into account who his audience would be.

After a minute of his hesitation, Savitar sighed. “Look, kid, I can say the words for you, but I think she’d rather hear them from you. Ignore the assholes in the chairs.”

Seth tightened his hand on hers and remembered what Ma’at had told him.
Most girls spend their entire lives dreaming and planning for their wedding. Whatever you do, don’t step on her dream. If you love her, let her have this one day and go along with whatever strange thing she wants.

His gaze went down to her distended belly where their baby was still forming. This was his family. The others were completely unimportant to him.

He led her hand to his lips so that he could kiss it before he laced his fingers with hers. “When your hand is in my hand, I tremble with an unimagined joy. Never once did I think I could be as happy as I am right now. And every day that I’m with you is better than the one before it. For you alone, I would bleed and I would die. But most of all, without you, I could never live. So long as I breathe, I will always love you and I will spend the rest of my life making sure that you never doubt the fact that you are the air I breathe.”

Lydia pressed her lips together to keep from crying as he laid his soul bare to her. She placed her hand against his cheek and kissed his lips.