by Nicole Fox
"She's my wife," Keir responded decisively, "Where is she?" he commanded.
Murale shook his head, "We thought that you wouldn't want her. She's so very different. She’s smart and has a good head on her shoulders. I’m going to regret removing it soon. It was so much fun toying with her during her final silly little test. She wanted to please you." Murale chillingly continued, "She would have agreed to anything for you like your mother." Murale cruelly concluded, "I had to punish your mother, too vocal and righteous."
Keir tightened his grip on his sword, "What are you talking about?" he sneered.
"Keir, I witnessed that final argument. Your mother nagging Azael about his lewd ways. She pushed, pushed, and pushed a little more. I was a bit drunk; I tossed him my dagger. I told him to shut her up. I thought it would scare her. Nope, she kept talking, and he stabbed her. She died on a set of stone steps. I drank myself into a stupor, and the reality crashed on me the next morning. Blanc was gone.”
“You allowed, no, you encouraged him to kill mother? She loved you.”
“It hurt so badly the next day… so lonely. Silke hugged my shoulders, and I had an idea to keep her pure… the marriage test. She failed me.”
“You’re insane.”
“That is very disrespectful.”
"Get out, Luna." Keir commanded, with a wave of his wrist, Luna flew out the great room. Luna banged on a shut and locked door. Keir knew had Luna stayed, the situation would have escalated, and his mind wasn’t clear to keep her from harm. He needed to deal with his father on his own.
"This is about us, Father."
"What do you think of my little friends?'
"They are deadly and dangerous."
Murale shrugged, "Will you accept a sorry?"
"Why?" Keir couldn't understand why he did it.
Murale scratched her head, "I wanted it all, the power, it is I who should have been happy and in love. I, Murale was the great savior of Oceanus. Alas, I didn’t get my happy times at the end.”
Keir stared at Murale; he looked straight into his soul and saw nothing but darkness, blackness, evil in its purest form.
Keir rubbed his head, "I'm tired of this, and I want the full truth."
The corners of Murale's mouth turned up, "I made a pact with Azael and Eris. Magical pacts have payments. The dark powers want … Keir." Murale waived his hands pointing in the air, "Connect the dots, Keir," he derided his son.
"Why?" Keir repeated. What of the concept of why did Murale not understand? He had spent years in wondering about his mother’s death. Now, his father had nothing to say.
"So far you have not told me anything particularly new. Let's cut to the chase and spill the beans."
"Eris needed payment of blood, purity, virginal blood, who better than Chan and Luna's pretty little baby?" His eyes shone with glee. "We planned to offer her as a gift to the darkness. That pretty little blood all over the altar, and Azael could have his way with her." Murale closed his eyes as he thought of the image. “Then, Azael saw her, and he went stupid, lusty.”
"Where do I fit into this?"
Murale grinned, "It's so easy to manipulate children. You were so sniveling with your sister after Blanc died. I spun a wonderful tale about balancing the good and dark. You did it. Such a punk not seducing those girls. Until you fell for those sad brown eyes. She ruined everything. Too many questions.”
Keir shook his head, "You came up with all of this?" Keir's shoulders sank. His mind was assaulted by thousands of images: walking with his parents and Silke, practicing magic with Murale and collecting bouquets of flowers.
"Yes, with Eris’ help."
He folded his arms, “The trials were brilliant. Changed my life. The rest of this is stupid.”
"It would have worked. Your wife and sister said I had a poor plan. It could have worked."
"Let me guess, we ruined everything."
"You did. You ruined my life without birth. She loved her children more than her husband."
Keir was tired of Murale. He had no patience to deal with the outfall from his father. He was a danger to everyone in this house especially Silke. Keir closed his eyes. He had to make a choice. He was a different person. They glowed amber when he slowly opened them, "Goodbye, Father." he smiled slightly, "I did it for love."
“You can’t kill me or Eris, or Azael. What can you do, Sonny boy?”
“Nothing, I can walk away.”
Murale’s crackling laughter echoed around an empty room. “Let the games begin. Come catch me.” Opening his mouth, thousands of black crows emerged from his mouth and flew out of a broken window, leaving Keir standing alone.
“Keir,” a bird croaked from the windowsill, “We didn’t stick to one name: test or Trials. It was confusing to do both.”
Keir flung his sword at the mocking crow before it flew away.
Chapter Twenty
"Daddy," Ruby cried in relief as she spotted her father. Her golden arms reached for him, "I was scared until Cormac arrived." Chan brushed his hand over his daughter's hair and hugged her tightly, "I'm here, Ruby. Always."
Looking over Chan’s shoulder, Keir saw Blane with his arms wrapped around Silke's shoulders. Blane smiled in embarrassment, "She hit me with a stick." Keir swallowed a smirk. His blue eyes searched over everyone's face. He noticed Tatum, Langston and Cormac were absent.
"Where are Tatum, Cormac, and Langston?"
"Keir,” Silke started to explain, "We hid when Murale went crazy during breakfast."
Keir swallowed; he issued a stern order, "Stay here. Regardless of what Silke says."
Blane wrapped his massive arms around Silke's squirming body.
"Keir, wait a minute?" Silke asked. Keir waved a hand when he heard whimpering in another room. Ruby smiled when honeysuckles surrounded her worn body. Keir's large hand pulled his sword from its holder. The afternoon sun gleamed on his sword. Carefully, he rounded the corner.
Keir concealed his feelings, and his eyes scanned around the temple. Fear trickled along his spine when he smelled her blood. A burning pain erupted in his leg. He could see her blood and feel her agonizing pain. It was like someone lit her blood on fire as it coursed through her body. Keir struggled to focus as her scent beckoned Keir's feet towards the stairs.
His heart stopped when he spotted Cormac holding Tatum in his arms. Langston was stroking her hand.
"Keir, it bit her," he cried.
Keir ignored feelings of dread that had crept up when he saw Tatum cradled in Cormac's arms. Her eyes shut tightly. She seemed so little in his arms. Cormac gave him a glum look, "One of those things bit her."
Cormac transferred Tatum into Keir's waiting arms, "Luna," he hollered as he hurried into a hallway.
“Somebody call for Sage. Save my wife!”
~~~
Sage arrived at the Temple; she shooed everyone from Tatum’s chamber as she set forth to drain the poison from her blood system. Keir sat with his hand covering his head as he thought over the last few days. Nothing seemed to make sense: his father was evil. He released Azael back into the world because he wanted to slaughter Silke’s child, all in the name of love. No, Murale‘s tainted version of love. He heard voices around him, yet he could not say anything to his friends and family. They just had to wait for Tatum to respond to Sage’s care.
Keir watched Tatum sleeping; a fine sheen of sweat covered her small body. Her skin felt so hot. She twisted against the cool sheets on his bed. He couldn't believe Murale's gnome thing poisoned her. Sage, Langston, and Luna removed the venom from her blood stream. Yet, she had to ward off the effects. He couldn't believe this happened in his home.
They needed to vacate his temple and formulate a plan. They were vulnerable in the open. Blane’s lair was impenetrable to his father. He ignored his stewards to pack.
Keir pressed a cool cloth to her damp forehead. Tatum flinched in her sleep; her fingers clutched the sheet. He wondered about what dominated her mind. Tatum struggled to open he
r eyes. They were so heavy. Her hand search around on her cool sheets. Her lips tugged into a smile when she touched warm flesh and trembled from a surge of heat.
Stroking her hand, Keir smiled down at his sleeping wife.
“Are you waking up?”
“Soon, so tired, Keir.”
“I can wait.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Tatum rubbed lotion on her legs. She couldn't believe that Sage was able to heal her leg and Murale’s blood was so deadly. She didn't even have a scratch on her, but it did feel a bit sore as if she had twisted her ankle. She kept the pain to herself; she couldn't deal with the constant hover. Tatum looked up when Keir entered the room. His brows knitted together.
"Why are you up?"
Tatum wrapped the slash of her robe tighter together, "I want to go downstairs and see everyone."
Keir shut the door while kicking his boots off in the progress. Blue eyes met deep brown eyes, "Everyone is on the way to Blane’s lair."
The bottle of lotion fell from Tatum's hand, "What?" Ruby and Silke just walked away from her. Because Keir gave a command!
"I made a decision. This temple is wide and open. It is too dangerous here. The underworld isn’t as wide open," Keir informed her.
“Silke and Ruby are gone.” They didn't say goodbye to her.
Keir nodded.
Tatum's chest heaved. "I didn't get a chance to say goodbye."
"You'll see them in a few days," Keir responded causally.
"Really? I don't get a say?" Tatum pressed her lips together.
Keir wasn't in a mood for an argument with Tatum. It had been a tiring few days. First, she hurt her leg. Second, his father was insane. Third, his father had poison blood. How to deal with that? Fourth, there was that debacle of something trying to eat his wife. He was out of patience and was not in the mood to discuss his choices.
"I made a choice. It's over. End of discussion," Keir drawled with a note of finality, wondering what was wrong with her. This is how their relationship should work. I say, and she respects and obeys my choices. It was all rather straight forward if anyone asked Keir.
"I don't get a say?" Tatum repeated her question.
"No." Keir did not understand why she would question him.
Tatum's fingers curled into a fist, "You don't control me, Keir. So, I'll go home with Silke, and reorganize my life on my very own, thank you very much."
Keir looked over his shoulder, informing her, "You live with me in our home, one day."
"You didn't ask. I’m too tired to argue with you.”
"I don't have to." Keir gnawed on his cheek. He didn't want to argue with her.
"I'm not a child, I am an adult." Tatum glared at him; her fingers itched to hit him.
“A recovering adult?"
Tatum hopped off the bed and stomped towards the door, "I think I'm going to go get dressed." She opened the door but jumped out of the way, never getting a chance to leave the room as Keir's hand slammed it shut in front of her, "Don't walk away from me like this."
She gasped in surprised when she felt his breath hot on her neck. "Open the door."
"Where were you going?" He asked softly.
“I need to pack."
"I packed for you." Keir placed his head onto Tatum's head; his arms snaked around her waist, and said, "It's been a bad week, Tatum. We fought Murale, and lost"
"For now."
"That's the problem. I'm not a nice guy. I'm hard and demanding."
"The cave man is getting old, Keir. Why…."
"Do you want me?”
Tatum stroked his thumb.
"Yes, very much so. These last couple of days, Keir. "
"I was terribly worried."
"You don't have a reason to be worried because I’m not leaving.”
“I’m a man; I can't stand the thought or sight of you hurt, ever again."
"I don't know to say." Tatum responded tightly.
"You're angry with me…again?"
Tatum rested her hands on his large hands.
"It's easy to be angry with you."
Keir chuckled, "I would say I'm sorry. But, I'm not. I set the rules here."
"Yes, lord and commander of the house. You forgot one minor detail; you do not control me."
Keir tightened his lip, which was exactly his problem. He, Keir, the God of Darkness, was not in control of her. She was bonded truly with him. Keir shut his eyes and softened them with love.
"I don't want to control you," Keir tried to wiggle himself out of the argument, "You belong with me, you are my wife."
“You’re only after 19 others."
"No, I want you, more than you know."
Tatum sucked her bottom lip, her eyes lowered, "I need to get dressed."
"You're fine." Keir's blue eyes darkened, "You are beautiful."
His hands felt hot through her robe. She hadn't realized how thin her robe was.
Keir brushed his lips along her neck.
"Keir…?"
"Shh."
Keir bent down and lifted Tatum into his arms. He carried her back into his bed. He smiled when she pressed his mouth against hers. Tatum’s hands rose to his shoulders, while his hands undid the sash to her robe. His hands ran down her soft legs.
The heavy breathing of two people permeated the room; her hands caressed his damp back as she closed her eyes tightly. Keir buried his face in Tatum's long tresses. His hand gripped her soft thigh as his mouth left kisses along her collarbone. His lips trailed to the curve of her neck leaving tender kisses on her hot flesh.
"Do you submit to me?" Keir whispered softly against her skin. Tatum's hand pushed her heavy hair away from her slender neck, baring it to Keir for the taking. She gasped in ecstasy when his teeth sank into her neck, nibbling and kissing. Her nails sunk into his shoulders as he lowered her to their bed.
~~~
Keir rested his head on his hands, "What I have I done?" he wondered as he listened to Tatum sleeping soundly. No, he knew what he did, he deliberately sent everyone to Blane’s temple to be alone with her.
"I had every intention of seducing her!" Keir wiped his face, "Why do I feel like a complete and utter bastard?" Keir thought it best to ignore his feelings of guilt. It was such a powerful experience for them. She was finally his; Cormac would never come between them again.
Keir leaned back and slipped under the covers. He pulled Tatum into his arms, "You are mine," he whispered as she snuggled into his arms. He brushed his lips across her eyelids; Tatum rested her hand on his bare chest.
He just wondered how long before he had to deal with his father. Happiness was not a common theme in his life.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Blane’s underground lair décor was vastly different from Silke’s immaculate Temple, and Keir’s spartanly furnished home. Keir tightened his grip on Tatum’s hands when she dug her heels into sandy gravel outside of the cave. Several husky dogs with long white pointy teeth stalked protectively in front of a dark opening. Cool air mingled with orange flames from torches hanging on the sides of the opening. Something howled as Tatum shivered in fear.
“Keir, this is just a little too frightening.”
He tugged gently on her hand. “Just until we can defeat my father, or Cormac and Ruby locate the dagger to slaughter him.”
“So, our lives depend upon your father meeting his doom. It won’t be quick. Nothing ever happens quickly with you people.”
“You are one of the “you people” now. Faith and Trust.”
“I’d rather deal with your oversize spider.”
“You’ll grow to love Baby.”
~~~
Silke rested a hand protectively over her slight mound, rubbing gently. “Honestly, I don’t love or particularly like Blane. I just can’t stay away from him and out of his bed. I accept full responsibility for creating this mess on Oceanus. Our friends are in peril over my confusing attraction.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, how
did you get pregnant after 20 years of marriage?”
Silke waved her hands, “Well, usually I crept out of my temple, and entered this filthy place through a back cave. I would make a brief stop at Helena’s temple. She’s Goddess of Home and Childbearing. She would give me a little potion. Nothing happened. Blane, the thoughtless rake, appeared one night with freshly washed hair, and he smiled like lavender. He wore a loose linen tunic with a slight opening at his chest. He offered me wine with a faint taste of honeysuckle. We did things repeatedly.” Silke patted her stomach. “Here we are… it was a goblet of wine.”
A female attendant rushed over to hand Silke a goblet of wine. Rolling her eyes, Silke shooed a wrinkly drone.
“He thinks… mistakenly that one of those hags,” Silke pointed at a collection of older women shrouded in black, “is going to nurse my child. Langston cared for me and Keir. We are fine examples of his nurturing nature.”
“It’s his baby, too,” Tatum said tactfully.
“Ha, this child lives and breathes in my body. He did very little in bringing this child to life.”
“If you say so.”
“So, I say.”
“It was fate.”
“My child is after… Murale going mad is not fate. It must have always been there underneath the surface.”
“No, your father is insane, and we didn’t see it coming on the horizon.”
Silke giggled. “We create the contest to mold me into the saintly image of my mother. That’s a bit mad. He plans to murder my child to restore purity on Oceanus. He’s insane.”
“I can think of another way to say it.”
“So, you love my brother.”
“With all my heart, and more. He’s my missing half. And you?”
“It’s the sex, and nothing more.”
“He seems nice.”
“As does a porcupine until you are pricked by a quill.”
“Any word from Ruby and Cormac?”
“He sent a message last night that they were nearing the Great Sea. He needs to explore the deep and darkest recess to locate that blasted dagger.”