Ditanu moaned softly, the sound tumbling over her, caressing her skin. He made another guttural sound of protest.
What?
Iltani shoved aside her internal musings and took note of what was going on around her for the first time in several moments.
Ishtar’s presence had increased tenfold while Iltani’s body had been adjusting to the new infusion of blood. The Queen of the Night was a goddess of many aspects. She could be a wager of war, a healer, or a bringer of life.
During a traditional blooding ceremony, it was an aspect of her battle magic that forged the ties between Blade and King, but the thickening magic swirling around them now wasn’t the scorched scent of Ishtar’s battle magic.
No, this power was warmer, mellower, but shared a familiar tinge with that destructive power. Heated passion and rich fertility. A mix that was usually saved for fertility rites or the Sacred Marriage.
What was Ishtar planning?
Ditanu wasn’t a candidate for either rite.
No wonder the king sounded distressed.
“Ishtar’s probably just being playful like she was during the first blooding ceremony in the bath,” Iltani whispered.
Wanting to give him some kind of reassurance, she reached out and patted his arm where it was wrapped around her waist. His muscles were so tense she might as well have been touching stone. Turning, she realized his forehead was pressed against her shoulder.
A wild swirling magic radiated off him.
It was potent, a sultry heat pressing against her skin, raising the tiny hairs along her arms and the back of her neck. She gasped, but only dragged in more of Ditanu’s scent and Ishtar’s magic, each lungful adding to a growing desire and a heavy throbbing deep inside. Iltani wanted to touch Ditanu, feel his warm skin brush against every part of her. She could only imagine what it was doing to Ditanu.
Yet that was not what made her gasp in surprise.
All around them, the priests and priestesses, even High Priestess Kammani herself, lay prostrate upon the ground, foreheads pressed into the stone. Only one winged being still stood, glorious power radiating off her as she stood at the king’s shoulder, her hand resting upon his back.
The Queen of the Night had come in person to lay claim to her King and her Blade.
Chapter 11
A heady mix of fear, anticipation, and confusion spiked through Iltani’s blood, setting her heart pounding. Ishtar had only ever appeared in person a handful of times during blooding ceremonies. Each of those times, she’d demanded the Sacred Marriage. It was a great blessing, but those participants had been unmated until the ritual forged mating bonds between them.
Ishtar touched Iltani and all higher thoughts fled her mind. Great need flooded her, radiating out from the spot on her shoulder where a goddess had laid her hand. Above her, the king shuddered almost convulsively, but he didn’t try to pull away or struggle.
For a time, Iltani floated cocooned in power and heat and need. One sensation blended into another until there was a great fiery ache centered low in her belly. She pressed back against the male body above her.
Her hearing crackled with white noise and raw power, but slowly she sorted through the chaos and realized the king was speaking.
“I won’t. I will not force her.”
Iltani shook her head, trying to clear her muddled thoughts. A moment more and she schooled her mind enough to focus. When she did, his thoughts came to her. His panic was the most forefront of his emotions. She stroked his arm, wanting him to know it was all right, that she was willing.
“I will not take her, not even at your command. You cannot make me.”
“Ditanu, it is all right.”
“No!” he roared. “I do not want this, not like this.”
Ditanu didn’t want her?
Emotional pain lanced through Iltani’s heart and mind, his words a swift kick to the gut, a sharp blow to the head. They were still piercing and excruciating and startling to hear even though they were a cold truth she’d known all along.
Of course, he did not want her, he could not want her.
He already had a mate—it didn’t matter that Ahassunu was unfaithful to him, he still loved her. He would not, could not, perform the Sacred Marriage with Iltani.
Her mind started to work again.
Even if Ishtar persuaded Ditanu, or worse, forced him, what then?
Ishtar would return to her spiritual home, and they would be left to deal with the fallout come morning. There was no way Iltani would willingly harm her king, even emotionally. Worse, it would drive a wedge between them that at some later point could damage her ability to keep him safe.
Unfortunately, the Queen of the Night seemed disinclined to listen to pleas from her gryphon king and was simply overwhelming him with her power, for Iltani felt the unmistakable evidence of his desire.
A part of her knew it was merely a reaction to the Queen of the Night’s power and had nothing to do with Iltani herself, but she was starting to think that did not matter. Ditanu wasn’t going to be able to control himself.
Ishtar wouldn’t let him.
Afterward, the guilt would set in. She knew Ditanu. That’s how it would happen, and it would destroy a part of him. Iltani couldn’t let that happen, but she didn’t have the power to deny a goddess.
Hmmm, but what if she and Ditanu gave the Queen of the Night some of what she asked? Would it be enough to keep her from demanding everything?
Perhaps if she beseeched Ishtar directly?
Not that she knew if her thoughts and prayers would even touch the goddess in their presence, but it was worth a try. With nothing to lose, Iltani shrugged and prayed.
‘Great Ishtar, long have you been revered for your strength, beauty, and passion,’ Iltani began, hesitant, but growing stronger. ‘Once called Inanna, by the humans of the outer world, but to the gryphons, you have always been our great Ishtar, Queen of the Night.’
Your gryphon king is loyal to you, and he would gladly offer himself to you if he were free to do so. But he loves his mate, as his instincts dictate—instincts you infused all gryphons with at their creation. Oh, great Ishtar. Please do not punish my king because he is as you made him.’
‘Punishment? This is not about punishment. It is about protecting New Sumer.’ Ishtar’s form shimmered, growing less ghost-like. ‘My beloved Tammuz and I only wish to share power, to strengthen you both for the danger we see looming ahead. You would do well to accept our offer.’
Dark thoughts and disastrous scenarios flew through Iltani’s mind. Ishtar was a goddess of battle. If she said there was trouble coming to Sumer’s shores, then it was true, and Iltani would do whatever she must. ‘Great Ishtar, I am a steadfast servant and am most willing to receive your gift. I would be honored to partake in the Sacred Marriage. But if I am honest, I have no interest in an unwilling male. Ditanu loves his mate.’
‘An unwilling male?’ Ishtar laughed. ‘Does he feel unwilling to you?’
‘No, but he loves his mate.’
A secretive smile graced Ishtar’s lips. ‘Yes, he does. Almost enough to resist me. I have no interest in an unwilling male either.’
‘Thank you, for understanding.’
‘But that is not why he resists the Sacred Marriage.’
‘No?’ Iltani now knew there was some unnamed danger coming to the island and she should be focused solely upon that. Yet, Ishtar had whetted her curiosity.
‘Ditanu is both stubborn and protective of you. He fears that one day his personality will completely swallow yours. He loves you too much to allow that, so he fights me to protect you.’
‘That is a foolish fear.’
‘Is it? You have always been in his shadow, serving his wishes, being whatever he needs. Not once have you ever challenged him for something you want.’
‘But I am a Blade. Am I not to serve both you and the gryphon king?’
‘Servant not slave. You must learn to stand up for what is yours.’
/>
Iltani was mystified.
‘We are out of time. You require my power. The amount you will need will be painful. Tell your king he can watch you writhe in agony or shudder in pleasure.’
‘We do not have to perform the Sacred Marriage?’
‘No, but that would have been the easiest, most pleasant path for both of us. You can still partake of my power, but without heated passion acting as a distraction, you will find the sharing painful.’
With that new knowledge, Iltani’s decision was an easy one. ‘I will not perform the Sacred Marriage, but I’m ready for your power.’
‘No, you’re not,’ Ishtar said as she reached out to touch Iltani.
At the Queen of the Night’s touch, Iltani’s own lingering desires flared up anew, burning hotter than before and she instinctively pressed back against Ditanu. Then Ishtar’s power rushing into her notched up into uncomfortable levels.
“Ditanu,” Iltani started slapping his arm to get his attention. He finally met her gaze. “Ishtar says there is danger coming to New Sumer and she needs to share her power to strengthen me. You need to let me go now.”
“Iltani?” Ditanu’s voice sounded drugged. He loosened his hold on her waist but didn’t let go. “I heard our Queen’s voice in my head.”
“Then you heard her say the Sacred Marriage is not needed.”
“Yes,” Ditanu’s lips were suddenly caressing the back of her neck. “That does not mean that I will sit by and allow you to feel agony when you can feel pleasure instead.”
Both his hands settled on her shoulders, holding her almost delicately as he placed gentle kisses across her back, nipping gently every few caresses until he reached her spine.
His tongue flicked across her birthmark, and Iltani’s entire body shivered. “Ditanu...”
“Ah,” he purred, “Ishtar’s mark is an erogenous zone for you.”
His lips started nibbling again and soon his hands dropped from her shoulders to her sides where his fingers stroked up and down.
For her part, she didn’t discourage him though she knew she should. Ishtar’s power continued to fill her, but Ditanu’s touch was so distracting, she hardly noticed.
Wanting to feel some part of him, she reached down and rested her hand against his thigh, her fingers stroking slowly up and down, feeling the slight flex of muscles as he moved.
Ditanu’s hands moved from her sides to her breasts, gently palming and cupping them through the fabric of her top. He varied the pressure of the caresses. Barely felt brushes, firmer tugs, and gentle squeezes—he soon had her arching into his touch.
Need grew within her, the need to touch more of him in return. Desperate, she tossed a leg over the bench and turned in his arms. She didn’t care if she was breaking the rules. Her fingers ran over his chest, caressing him, learning him. It was divine, but she wanted so much more. She buried her face against his shoulder and fought not to maul her king.
“Iltani, I’ll take care of you,” Ditanu whispered and stroked a hand down her hair gently. “I’ll help you get through this.”
Iltani gasped as another wave of power rushed through her body. Ditanu whispered soothing words to her and then he dragged her closer, arranging her, so her legs straddled his hips where he knelt on the bench. The new position let her feel his tremendous heat and desire. Only the flimsy layer of his loincloth and her skirt blocked them from being skin on skin.
She rocked against him and thrilled at the guttural sound he made. His passion had to be flaring as bright as her own, but he remained gentle, kissing her and caressing her oh so damn slowly. Somehow, his patience was making her own desires burn hotter. She placed open-mouthed kisses upon his shoulder, the column of his neck and then his jawline.
It was Ditanu who turned his head and captured her mouth. While his tongue was inviting hers to mate, his fingers were caressing along her sides. On the third trip back down, he hooked his thumbs into the scarf covering her breasts and slowly teased it down. His slow persistence won, and suddenly Iltani’s nipples were rubbing against his chest with each of her rapid breaths.
His right hand slid up to tease one while his other dropped to brush a caress along the inside of her thigh. Even in this, he was in no hurry, and Iltani thought she’d lose her mind long before his warm fingers completed their journey to the juncture between her legs. Breaking their kiss, she arched her back and spread her thighs wider, reveling in his touch as he guided her to a greater pace.
“Ditanu,” she breathed out his name as she reached down to touch him through his loincloth, wanting to give him the same pleasure he was giving her.
“You must not touch me.” Ditanu covered her hand with his and forced it to still.
“I’m sorry.” Shame darkened her cheeks, yet she was confused too—he was caressing her and purring like he enjoyed touching her. “It’s just…this is…”
He pressed kisses up the side of her neck. “There is nothing to forgive. We do this so our Queen can fill you with her power without harming you, this is not about my pleasure.”
His hand released hers and returned to caressing her.
It was all well and good to say they did this for Ishtar’s pleasure, but how was she supposed to survive this strange ritual and not touch him in return? She was nearly panting, on that cliff’s edge where joy was but a short step off, but she wanted Ditanu to go there with her...willingly.
The king seemed to sense her confusion or just now realized that his words might be confusing, for he elaborated. “Iltani, you are allowed to take pleasure in my touch, in my body.”
“But you just said…”
“I will not take you in the Sacred Marriage as Ishtar wants, but if I allow you to wrap those slender fingers around my manhood, I’ll lose control and forget myself. Now, enough talk, only listen and feel. I can sense you’re nearly there. Don’t fight it.”
“I…” Her thoughts scattered as his skillful fingers pushed her closer to that cliff.
“That’s it.” His voice was divine darkness, “Give yourself up into my keeping for a little while.”
There was no fighting Ishtar’s will or Ditanu’s sinful voice in her ear as he pleasured her, destroying the last of her self-control.
“Good…” Ditanu’s voice shook, and she was sure he was close to his own ending.
Iltani shattered. Surely she would shake herself apart. Yet she didn’t. Ditanu held her throughout the ordeal, and Iltani slowly came back to herself.
That earlier strong presence of Ishtar was fading. Next came the realization of where she was, what she’d done and whose body she was clinging to. Shame burned her cheeks. Oh, goddess, how could she ever look Ditanu in the eye again?
“King Ditanu…”
“Shhh…” His warm breath fanned across her cheek as he buried his face in her hair. “We’ll talk of this later. We have our home to defend.”
Ishtar’s presence reached within Iltani, touched her very soul, changing something and suddenly there was more than power pouring into Iltani, there was knowledge—an understanding of how to shape all that newly gifted power to her will.
It flooded outward from her, the tightly coiled power racing down her limbs giving her strength and sharpening her mind and all her senses. She felt the world around her in a different way, sensing other souls out in the ocean—an enemy army sailing into the harbor.
Ships from the outside world did not belong anywhere near the ten city-states of the gryphon kingdom. Somehow those ships had breached the great defensive dome sheltering New Sumer from the outside world.
“Outliers. Many ships. They are already in the harbor.” Even as Iltani shouted the words, her power continued to build within her.
Ditanu, not trapped by the same power, gently shifted her off him and onto the bench. His hand rested on the center of her back long enough to make sure she was stable and then he started shouting orders.
The surprised priests and priestesses raised their heads from the ground but
seemed unsure what to do until High Priestess Kammani ordered them to rise and warn the others of their order, to prepare the temple’s defenses.
The king did not hesitate and shouted for his Shadows to protect his cubs. Five Shadows immediately appeared from seemingly nowhere, but Iltani knew they had been just outside the circle of light created by the torches. Iltani wanted to rise from the bench and guard the king’s back, but she was still unable to move as more of Ishtar’s power flooded her.
It intensified in a pool between her hands where they were still braced against the stone of the bench. A sudden surge of magic had Iltani gritting her teeth against a scream and then a brighter flash of light blinded her for several desperate seconds.
When she could see again, the power surging through her had slowed to a trickle and was no longer painful. But that was not what held her attention.
On the bench, laying lengthwise between her braced hands was a golden hilt shimmering with power, almost like it encased living fire. Her eyes traveled up the grip to the cross pieces, and then along the entire length of the glowing blade. It was a sword the like of which she’d never laid eyes upon before but knew it was far deadlier than its mundane cousins.
Iltani reached for the hilt, her fingers closing around it as she watched the fire slowly flicker and churn deep within the blade. While she was mesmerized by the sight, the king was gathering himself and shouting orders.
“Get your priestesses and priests to a safe place, now,” he ordered his aunt. He glanced in Iltani’s direction, or maybe he was staring past her. It was hard to tell with spots obscuring her vision.
She forced herself to sit up straight, but that didn’t improve her vision in the least. Cursing under her breath, she gritted her teeth and blinked furiously.
It helped marginally.
“Take Iltani with you.” Ditanu directed three of his gathering Shadows. “She is in no shape to fight. I’ll rejoin you once I’ve found my cubs.”
A figure stepped in front of the king, blocking him. “Burrukan and Consort Ahassunu will see to the cubs’ safety. You must keep Iltani with you.” Priestess Kammani’s voice had lost some of its mellowness.
Queen of the Gryphons: Ishtar's Legacy: Books 1 & 2 Page 11