by Amy Sumida
“The Snake,” I named the second god.
Snake's fair skin and slim body seemed even more so when compared to Viper's stocky build and honey-oak complexion. The men had a similar haircut—sleek and short—but Snake's blond hair was a direct contrast to Viper's black. Pale yellow, slit-pupil eyes fastened on me, and I shivered. It was as if Arach were staring at me through him.
Keep it together, Star warned me. This is your first interaction with them. They must see you as strong. You are their goddess, no matter what nonsense you spout about family.
All men? I countered in my head. We couldn't have made one woman?
And have her challenge you for their affections? Star scoffed. No; bringing a woman into your council is not a good idea. These men must be completely loyal and utterly focused on you. You are the representation of all women to them. Even if you don't take them as lovers, they must crave you; it will keep them loyal.
Fair enough.
I moved on to the next man. Snowy hair, much paler than Snake's, streamed down this man's back in a sleek veil over his thick shoulders and barrel-chest, stark against the pitch-black of his clothes. Soft gray eyes settled on me with obsessive intensity. Their slant, in addition to the yellow undertone of his tan skin, made him look slightly Asian despite the pale hair. No; not Asian. He looked alien. Otherworldly. Godly. In fact, they all had a hint of that divinity to them.
“The Whirlwind.” I drew a hand down his silky mane before I stepped to the side.
The next god had a thick build. Not as bulky as Whirlwind, closer to Viper's fitness model physique. His shaggy, ash-brown hair settled around his head like a fur cap and his puppy-dog eyes stared adoringly at me. Despite that look, I sensed a wildness in him that I was eager to see on the battlefield.
“The Ravening Dog,” I gave him his name, and he bowed in acceptance.
Next came a bronzed man; both hair and skin done in that gleaming, reddish-brown color. The eyes that stared out of his angular face were dark and full of a strange intelligence. Something cool and calculating and not even remotely human.
“The Scorpion-Man,” I gave him his name, and he smiled as if he'd already known it.
The man beside Scorpion had a pair of deep-sea eyes and icy-pale skin that contrasted sharply with the silken length of his ebony hair. He was linebacker-buff and smelled like ozone.
“The Mighty Storm-Wind,” I declared, and he bowed his head reverently.
The last two men were the most startling of the eight. One had silver hair and skin just as pale as Storm's but more muted, not so bright. A delicate pair of lacy gills laid flat against the sides of his throat and his glossy eyes were utterly black, from rim to rim, with a nictating membrane that flicked down over them when he blinked.
The final man would have looked right at home in Luke's Hell. His dark skin glistened over bulging muscles, leading the eye down to claw-tipped hands. That is, if you could move past the crimson eyes and sin-black horns that curved out from either side of his forehead. He smiled at me and bared a pair of canine fangs.
“The Horned Beast,” I gave him his name first and then turned to the man with the gills. “The Fish-Man. These are your titles, but I shall call you; Viper, Snake, Whirlwind, Hound, Scorpion, Storm, Beast, and Sea. And now, my Council, I shall make the first regiment of our army.”
They followed me out to my lofty balcony and stood in a line behind me. Sin came up beside me as the Star pulled more magic through my heart. I felt her touch extend above me, gathering dark matter once again. But no souls this time. Nor did she give them an essence. Star was forming an army that I wouldn't have to worry about; alive but not entirely real. A living weapon that I could point at my enemies and release then replace as necessary.
The soldiers on the wall started to shout and scream but only briefly. Star sent out a calming wave of energy, and my human troops settled into awed silence. The Star Gods stood strong and stern behind me, not even a twitch to show their surprise, but Sin leaned over the balcony and peered down with open curiosity. We were high up, he probably couldn't see very well.
I released my dragon wings and finally got a reaction from my Star Gods as well as Sin. They all made sounds of surprise and flinched. Sin reached out and stroked the bones of one of my wings with a look of wonderment. The Star Gods started to growl.
“He isn't hurting me,” I assured them. “You may all touch my wings if you wish.” I spread my wings out wide, extending one claw-tipped length toward the Star Gods. “It's okay; go ahead.”
The men moved forward and hesitantly touched me. Then they grew bolder, stroking the sensitive membranes and trailing fingers along the bones. I sighed and closed my eyes to enjoy the soothing sensations. Then I felt a hand along my jaw and opened my eyes expecting to see Sin leaning in for a kiss. I prepared myself to gently push him away. But it wasn't Sin.
Viper's acid green eyes had darkened to ivy, their slit pupils rounded with fascination. His lips parted, breath coasting over them as he leaned down to whisper in my ear, “Is this desire I'm feeling a gift as well?”
“No; that's all yours,” I whispered back.
Liar. Star chuckled. Maybe you won't need to make yourself a lover. At least, not another one.
Hush.
Don't mind me; go ahead and enjoy your viper. But you might be interested to know that your general is watching, and he doesn't seem too pleased with the competition for your affections.
Have I not been clear enough with him?
A man can still hope. Most enjoy a good chase. Are you ready to dash those hopes so soon?
I could have him too if I wanted. I could have all of them, I pointed out.
Indeed. But you said that you only wanted one lover this time.
A woman can change her mind.
But then I saw Sin, and I knew that this wasn't the way I wanted to start our relationship. Whether or not we became lovers, I didn't want my general to see me making out with men I'd just created mere moments before. I eased away from Viper and moved out of the grasp of the other men.
“You are freshly born,” I said gently. “It's too soon to dive into desire. After you're more settled in your skin and you truly know what you want, then we can talk about such matters. But right now, we must introduce ourselves to our army.” I held a hand out to Sin. “General, care to go for a flight with me?”
Sin grinned broadly and stepped through the mass of Star Gods to take my hand.
“Hold on tightly,” I whispered to him.
Sin didn't need any encouragement; he wrapped himself around my body and clung to me like a lover.
“Take the elevators downstairs and meet us in the courtyard,” I said to the Star Gods.
Then, with a great flap of my wings, I lifted off the balcony and dove toward the ground.
Chapter Nineteen
Sin whooped excitedly the whole way down. I laughed at his antics and even let him kiss my cheek before I let him go. Then he got a good look at our army.
“Holy fucking shit!” Sin exclaimed.
Monsters; that's what most people would call them. But to me, they were strong and beautiful. I loved their curving horns and clawed hands. I admired their thick, resilient skin, covered in scales, and their agile tails with barbs on the ends. Their wings resembled mine; leathery and tipped in talons. In fact, they were very similar to the way I looked in weredragon form, just thicker, more muscular. It was their faces that differed from mine; more dragon than human. Long snouts with lizard nostrils at the ends. Mouths full of sharp teeth. Glowing eyes with slit pupils. Horns sweeping back from jaws and temples. Nothing human about them except for the fact that they stood on two feet and wore armor. They were true weredragons. I sighed in bliss.
I had made myself a Dragon Army.
Don't get attached to them, Star warned me. That was the point of creating them without souls. They have no emotions, only basic needs and the imperative to obey you. They were born to kill, nothing more.
&
nbsp; If you wanted me to look at them as nothing but weapons, you shouldn't have made them dragons.
They are not dragons. Not like any who have ever existed anyway. Look at them; this is their most human form. They can be such or they can take the shape of a full dragon. That is all. There is no humanity, divinity, or feyness inside them. They are not people, they are weapons. Use them, Vervain. Direct them. Lead them.
Oh, I will. But there is no reason for me to be cruel to my creations. People or not. Souls or none. I will treat them with the love a goddess has for her children.
Fine, she huffed. Don't say I didn't warn you. Again.
The Star Gods strode across the castle bridge and stepped up behind me. I glanced back to see their approving expressions. They saw the potential in these soldiers and in my leading them. I transformed into my full weredragon form then; body covered in golden scales, horns in my hair, both hands and feet sprouting claws, and a sleekly dangerous tail. I turned my fiery, dragon eyes on Sin, and he jolted back in shock.
Oops, had I just lost Sin's interest? Was my weredragon form monstrous to him? I nearly laughed out loud. His reaction immediately put him out of the running for the position of my new lover. I didn't want a man in my bed who couldn't handle every aspect of me.
One look at the Star Gods showed me that not only could they handle this form, but they also adored it. Their eyes traced my shimmering, golden body eagerly, visually stroking every curve until coming back to rest on my face. Unlike my army, I didn't have a dragon face in this form. I looked the same as I did in my human body with exception to my fiery eyes and the tiny scales that covered my skin. I could even cover my hair with scales if I wished, but I had left my long, dark locks out to stream around the horns that crested my head. I wanted my army to see the starlight strands; the mark of the Dark Star.
Despite the difference in our faces, my army responded to the similarities between us. They saw their goddess in my claws and horns and scales. In my slit-pupil eyes and barbed tail. Just like humans, they needed that connection to me; the proof that they were mine. That I had made them in my image. Unlike humans and their gods, it was true for us. I hadn't tricked them into believing I was a goddess and then allowed the sacrifice they gave me to change me physically. I had created life to resemble me. I was a true goddess at last.
“My children!” I shouted. “My beautiful dragons! Welcome to the world of Gods and Men. Welcome to life!”
They roared; dragon cries that my own beast responded to. I screeched with them, wings spread wide and arms open. When we finally settled into silence, the humans around us were on their knees. Not in fear—Star had made sure that the soldiers wouldn't be afraid—but in awe.
“Soon, we will go forth and conquer the world,” I went on. “We will fight to end all wars and bring everlasting peace. My Star Gods, your commanders, will lead you to victory.” I waved behind me, and the Gods stepped forward. “Respect and obey them as you would me. Give us your loyalty and faith and when we have brought peace to the world, I will create a paradise for you; a place where you can be free to live as you please.”
The Dragon Army roared again.
“The towers you see behind me, those attached to the main keep, are your new homes. You have tonight to settle in, find yourself a bed and perhaps even a mate to share it.” I grinned at them as they growled anxiously, casting eager looks at each other as they realized that I'd created a race, not just soldiers. There were both male and female dragons before me. “That's right; I ask for your loyalty and obedience, but I give you life and love and, hopefully, even laughter. Rejoice in your birth, my dragons. Discover all the joy that this world and your new bodies can offer you. Tonight is for pleasure; find it where you will but do not go beyond the walls. We will do that together.”
They went solemn and every dragon eye focused on me.
“No; I don't want you roaming the world just yet,” I confirmed. “That time will come soon enough. You will see it all; I promise. But tonight, we celebrate here, in our home!”
A banquet appeared on long tables around the enormous courtyard, along the edge of the tropical gardens. The scent of roasted meat drifted tantalizingly to the army, and my dragons started to become aware of all the hungers of their bodies.
“Feast, my children; on food and on life itself!”
The dragon warriors rushed for the banquet and fell on it ravenously. Teeth tearing into meat, jaws opening to guzzle wine, claws grasping for more, and growls of bliss rumbling up savage throats, the Dragons consumed the entire bounty laid out for them. The human soldiers backed away and disappeared into their barracks, not wanting to become a part of the feeding frenzy. When the feast was gone, different appetites rose and the sound of savage mating filled the night as couples paired off and ventured into the gardens to discover other pleasures.
“Perhaps we should get you back upstairs,” Sin suggested as he warily kept his eyes on the lusty Dragons.
“I'm perfectly safe, Sin,” I chided him. “They are my creations, they cannot hurt me.”
“I understand that you made them, but they're feasting and fucking for the first time. Things could get out of control.”
“I am in control,” I insisted.
Despite my protests, the Star Gods stepped up beside me, arms crossed and eyes scanning the area. I had no intention of staying to watch my new army enjoy themselves but since my general and commanders were obviously against it, I felt as if I had to, merely to prove a point. I crossed my arms over my chest and settled in to watch.
They were exuberant, to be sure, but not barbaric. There was no abuse, no sex that I had to stop because it wasn't consensual. None of them tried to venture beyond the walls either. Instead, they enjoyed the gardens before they started to head into the castle and find their promised towers. They bowed as they passed me, each of them reverent and grateful. That is, until one male decided to try his luck with his goddess.
“Goddess,” the dragon warrior growled, “I want to give you pleasure too. Will you join me?”
The Dragon warrior reached for me, and my commanders and general moved forward to stop him. But I didn't need their help. I stepped into the warrior's embrace and laid my hands on his cheeks. He went still, staring down into my eyes worshipfully. The Star Gods and Sin paused to watch us.
“I am your goddess, not your lover. That's why I made two sexes; so you could love each other. Find a dragon woman to mate with; a goddess only finds pleasure with a god.”
“I understand,” he rumbled and released me gently. “But I will think about you when I fuck my mate.”
“I'm okay with that.” I grinned at him and something inside me responded to the banter.
This was me, wasn't it? This playfulness. This silliness. This teasing. A dragon tells me that he'll fantasize about me while he has sex with his lover, and I take it as a compliment. Of course, I do. How else would I take it? In the midst of insanity, I crack jokes. That's my thing. Wait; was this insane?
Snap out of it! Star screamed in my mind. Damn it all; I thought we were through with this already? Why are you fighting me, Vervain? Look at all I've given you. You will rule the world. And yet you hold back. You cling to jokes. To your old, pathetic self. Enough. Maybe I shouldn't have stopped you from kissing your star gods. You need to get over your other life; your other men. And the best way to get over a man is—
“To get under another,” I whispered as I glanced at Viper.
Interesting that you turn immediately to him instead of Sin. Is it because you're more attracted to Viper or because fucking a real man would feel like cheating on those traitorous husbands you're still clinging to?
Viper is a real man, I snarled. We took his soul from the Void. The only difference between him and Sin is the fact that Sin got to have a childhood.
Yes; that's absolutely true. I just didn't think you were aware of it. So, my question is; knowing that, do you still want to sleep with Viper?
I went still
and stared at Viper. His eyes gleamed in the shadows of his face. That reptilian stare snared mine immediately and made things clench low in my body. Viper went still as he focused on me; a predator sensing his prey. Waiting for the right moment. Anticipating the kill. He blinked. One hand started to lift toward me as he stepped forward. My heart shivered. I spread my wings and shot into the sky.
Chapter Twenty
I had placed my bedroom at the very top of the central keep. A half-moon balcony extended from it, mirroring the one two floors below. I landed on that ledge and closed my eyes, trying to still my pounding heart. My body wanted to turn around and dive off the ledge. To swoop down and snatch up Viper then make love to him for the rest of the night. But it wouldn't be making love; that's what my mind told me. I cared about Viper but it wasn't love. It couldn't be.