Nut jolted immediately from the strange, unusual trance she had fallen into. She couldn't comprehend what had just happened or what had put her in that trance. She looked up at Geb, who was already standing, and found that he was perfectly fine—no longer in pain. Surprised, she didn't hesitate to stand and wrap her arms around him in a tight hug.
"Geb, you're... Are you perfectly fine? What happened to you? Oh Geb, I thought I was going to lose you. Thank goodness you're just fine," she cried with relief, not worrying herself about what had happened to her. The only thing she cared about now was Geb's well-being.
"I'm perfectly fine, Nut," Geb said, releasing himself from her embrace with slight irritation—too subtle for Nut to notice. He was deeply disappointed in her. How could she stoop so low as to form an alliance with Aposis just to be with him? The thought of how crazily obsessed she had become irritated him even more.
He felt an urge to push her away immediately, to strike her with a powerful blast of his gravitational will—or even worse, kill her! His heart burned with anger that she still stood alive and whole, even after allying herself with Aposis! Aposis of all people—after everything that had happened between him and the demon lord, their bitter enmity. She deserved to be stripped of her godly will and left as a common mortal, doomed to die and rot in hell with the very Aposis she had chosen to join in alliance.
"Is the time not yet right for us to go back to our time?" Geb said affectionately. 'Oh, how I wish to end this act and punish her duly,' he thought, but he couldn't. He still had to keep up appearances if he wanted to find his Nessy. He was now aware of where she was—Morsi's mansion.
'Oh poor Morsi,' he thought with a slight pang of grief. His soul must be rotting now in the world of darkness while Aposis used his body as a puppet for his little show. Geb had suspected something was amiss from the very first day he met Morsi, but little did he know it was the demon god himself in possession of his mortal flesh—basically because Aposis wanted influence. So he had found a pawn that possessed just that, and unfortunately, it had to be Morsi.
"You know I can't wait to make you my consort when we get back to our time," he said with an alluring voice, stroking her hair.
Nut's eyes shone with happiness, their sky-blue color glowing with excitement. She tiptoed and gave Geb a sweet kiss. He didn't hesitate to kiss her back, deepening the kiss with passion.
"It's almost time, Geb, but don't think you're forgetting something," she asked with a wicked smile. Geb read her immediately and realized what she was talking about—'his Nessy.'
"What is that?" he asked in pretense, as Nut still didn't know he had penetrated the ancient replica magic through the mind link.
"Oh Geb, why are you being so forgetful? Have you forgotten how we're going to make that mortal pay for what she caused in our relationship?" she said, hoping he hadn't changed his mind.
Actually, he had not changed his mind, nor would he. In fact, the plan had just been upgraded: he was going to take his Nessy with him to the past, to his time, where he would have all the will in the world to protect her. Now that he knew Aposis was still alive and well, he was sure the only thing restraining him from battling the demon lord was his deal with Nut. And if he were to take Nessy from him, the deal would be off—and Aposis would stop at nothing to destroy him. To be honest, Aposis had the upper hand. He would defeat Geb in any fight because Aposis had grown stronger while Geb had weakened. So weak that he could feel his own aura diminishing and his will fading quietly. He needed acknowledgment and honor—and he was sure he wouldn't get it here, in her time, but in his time: ancient Egypt.
"How can I let such a thing go, Nut? Of course, I haven't forgotten. So how do you intend to help me?" he asked, caressing her cheek.
Nut would never get used to this—his touches were always new and electrifying, sending heat into her skin even with the slightest contact.
"I will take you to where she is, then buy you some time and space to teach her a lesson," she said with an evil smile.
"Good," Geb breathed. "But where is she? And who is she with that you'd have to buy me time and space? You know I can take out anyone who dares stand in my way," he said with a fake tone of pride, eager to find out what Nut was ready to reveal, so he could plan accordingly.
"She is with the one who helped me get to her—the reason why our love has another chance," she said, hoping he wouldn't press further to learn the identity, as she really didn't want to tell him about Aposis herself.
That was it! Geb had had enough of Nut averting every question, hiding things from him, and keeping her alliance with Aposis secret for some stupid reason.
He didn't have time to waste. He needed to get to Nessy immediately and get her out of here—out of this mess and the game of Aposis and Nut. He didn't want her involved in any of this, but this was totally not his fault. He had to take her away for her own safety, even though it meant pulling her away from her entire life and career.
---
"I would indeed love to see this person who helped you get to me," he said, sliding his hands to the small of her back and pulling her close. "To tell him how very appreciative I am for helping us renew our love," he added as he finally kissed her and teleported them both to Morsi's mansion.
Nut was taken unawares. She felt a strange sensation course through her body and opened her eyes to behold the shock of her life—they were in the hallway of Morsi's mansion.
"How...?" she wanted to ask but then felt Geb's strong hands on her arms. He grabbed her, tightening his hold slightly before speaking sweetly.
"Is this not the abode of the 'person' who helped us renew our love?" he asked with a blend of irritation and affection.
"Y... Y-Yes," Nut stammered, still in shock. "But how did you know?" she asked.
"I just guessed," he said with a smirk. "Now take me to the mortal," he said authoritatively.
Nut knew Geb hadn't simply guessed the place. He must have found out one way or another. Her only concern was that he not realize it was Aposis who had helped her; she could only imagine his reaction if he did.
She watched him closely and saw that he remained calm. That meant he didn't know yet. 'Thank goodness,' she sighed inwardly.
"I don't know exactly where she is at the moment, but I'm sure she's here somewhere," she said, looking around, confused.
'Dammit,' Geb cursed inwardly. She really didn't know where Nessy was—and neither did he. He was frustrated. He needed to find her before Aposis showed up. But then he remembered something… How could he take her with him to his time when his will was weak and he couldn't even take himself?
He thought of draining Nut's will to use it to enhance his own, but he recalled that her will was enhanced by Aposis—and he wouldn't want any of Aposis's darkness within him. Besides, he wasn't strong enough to do so. He was totally helpless at the moment.
He even considered tricking Aposis by taking Nessy instead of Nut, but he didn't know how to perform the replica magic—and Nessy was just a mere mortal. She wouldn't possess the godly aura that Nut had, nor any part of his darkness.
He was seriously out of ideas and didn't know what to do.
---
"We can look around and search for her before the one who stays here returns from wherever the hell he went," Nut said, hoping Geb would heed her advice.
'Seriously, Nut!' Geb thought in disgust. She was truly hellbent on not letting the cat out of the bag. But that was the least of his concerns now. He had to find his Nessy first—and then think about how to get her out of here...