Ishtar's Blade

by Blackwood, Lisa

  “Shhh, Little Blade. No harm will come to you. This is the power of Ishtar’s pact with the line of the gryphon kings. Even Ereshkigal cannot prevent us from coming together for the Sacred Marriage.”

  Ishtar’s power swirled stronger, but still it didn’t take over Iltani’s body. A slow realization dawned—the gods were waiting for her permission.

  “Did Ditanu agree?”

  “He did,” Tammuz answered. There was no deception in his look and his lips curved with a familiar slow humor. “And he instructed me to call you his beautiful Little Shadow.”

  His words and warm breath slid across her body, causing a case of fresh nerves to tighten her stomach. Ditanu needed this. The gods promised to return him to himself, healed and whole. As for Iltani herself, she wanted to know what it felt like to make love to her king.

  “I agree.” Iltani slid her hands up Ditanu’s arms, caressing her way up to his shoulders. Tammuz or Ditanu leaned down for a kiss, and she welcomed him. As a fire built in her blood, she arched her back, pressing her breasts against his chest as she parted her thighs to better cradle his.

  Ishtar rose within her then. Iltani surrendered her body to the Queen of the Night, sure in the knowledge Ishtar would have her Tammuz for a few hours and come the morning, Iltani would get her king back.

  “Welcome, my beloved,” she heard Tammuz greet Ishtar, his love for her clear in his voice.

  The thought of the Sacred Marriage ceased to frighten Iltani and she drifted, a passenger in her own body, but no longer afraid.

  Chapter Twenty

  Iltani’s sleeping mind told her it was close to dawn and yet she dreamed as if still deeply asleep. Although, now that she thought about it, this didn’t feel like a normal dream. This was sharper, edged with Ishtar’s familiar power. It nudged her spirit, demanding she follow. With a sigh, for she truly was tired, Iltani’s spirit followed where Ishtar led.

  Once again Iltani’s viewpoint of the world changed as the Queen of the Night dragged her consciousness into another body. Taking in her surrounding with a glance, she recognized she was in a seldom used part of the island. There were catacombs below the palace where she and Ditanu had used to explore as children.

  The catacombs had once been used as cold cellars for storage until one of the mountain streams had changed its course over time and the storm season runoff had started to find its way into these tunnels.

  Now they were abandoned even though they only flooded part of the time.

  Or they should have been abandoned. Except they weren’t. Whoever Ishtar had merged her with was slowly making her way through the corridors. The slowness of her walk had nothing to do with her unfamiliarity with the tunnels. Some injury slowed her and she limped.

  A slim hand held the torch before her as she walked, carefully picking her way around debris from past floods.

  Female. Cloaked and hooded. Walking with a limp down never used tunnels. She certainly wasn’t here for a pleasant walk.

  A stranger the Queen of the Night, wanted Iltani to see.

  One of the traitors?

  Most probably.

  As much as Iltani would have preferred a few moments rest after the events of the last day—this too was important. It might be the only lead she’d get about the traitors.

  Thank you, for this, great Ishtar.

  The woman continued to walk until she came to a door. It opened smoothly under her hand. No noise, only the smooth glide of recently oiled hinges. The stranger preceded through another door, entering a dimly lit room. Three other strangers turned at her arrival.

  Cloaks of dark gray, good quality wool hid their identities. With the cowls pulled up, the dark recesses didn’t offer Iltani as much as a glimpse of the faces inside.

  “You’re late,” said the tallest of the cloaked strangers, his voice deep with a slight gruff edge to it. Older? Or perhaps a voice damaged by smoke from the fires which had very recently burned on the island of Uruk? Neither possibility told her much about his identity, unfortunately.

  “I couldn’t get away without causing suspicion. Would you have preferred I led a bunch of Shadows to our meeting?”

  “Your sarcasm is not welcome,” the man snapped. “None of us will be safe if we fail Ereshkigal again, she is not as forgiving of failure as her sister.”

  “And Ishtar is not forgiving of traitors,” the woman said. “So we won’t fail Ereshkigal.”

  Ereshkigal? Back in the bed where her body still slept, Iltani’s heart started to pound with adrenaline. These traitors were serving Ishtar’s sister, the queen of the underworld? That would explain how they had sabotaged the city-states defenses. But why? What did they have to gain by destroying their own kingdom?

  More important at present: whose body was Iltani inhabiting? Iltani’s first suspicion was Beletum, but the king had given her terrible wounds. It was doubtful Beletum would be back on her feet so soon. Not even gryphons healed that fast.

  “How can we fix this disaster?” Another male growled. He was slightly shorter than the first man and broader across the chest, too. “One of Ditanu’s cubs was supposed to survive the battle so we could convert it to worship Ereshkigal, assuring her rise from the underworld. Ditanu’s cubs are dead and he is mad with grief. Ereshkigal will be livid.”

  How had these strangers lived to plot so long? There must be more to their network of traitors than just these four. How much power did they wield? How high up did the corruption run?

  Back in the king’s bed, Iltani’s hands curled into fists as rage rushed over her body. She would hunt down all the traitors and cut out this infection before she let any of them near Kuwari or her king.

  Iltani’s host body nodded in agreement to the shorter cloaked male. “I agree this has not gone as we planned. And, yes, we need a cub, but I think Kuwari still lives. That cloaked figure Kammani brought to the king—he was very interested in getting under her cloak, and I do not mean in a mating way. I am certain that was Iltani with Kuwari.”

  The fourth stranger spoke for the first time. “Ereshkigal be merciful. Let it be true.”

  “I am certain that was Iltani. No one else would have been foolish enough to go in that dome at that time.” The woman shivered. “She was lucky Ditanu didn’t try to tear her apart, too.”

  “Do you think the king will survive?” The fourth cloaked figure spoke for the first time. A male, but a mild sounding one. Young perhaps?

  “You saw him. He was worse than his father. No, Ditanu is already dead or will be by nightfall, and then Kuwari will be vulnerable. The council will name a regent.”

  “Your hunch better be correct for we have no other plan. If we fail, we will be found out. Ishtar will kill us and send us to Ereshkigal. Ereshkigal will torture us for an eternity for ruining her plans.”

  “There is that.” Iltani’s host body agreed. “It will not be an enjoyable wait, but we must. Once Ditanu dies, his Shadows will protect the cub most viciously. We will have to slowly earn their trust while at the same time gaining control over the council.”

  “Kammani will be a problem,” The broad-shouldered man reasoned, and reached up to scratch at his jaw. “She will likely try to assert herself as regent.”

  “She’ll have to be taken out,” the woman agreed.

  “I’ll worry about that,” the older man said.

  The room with the four traitors faded and Iltani’s spirit was cast adrift once more.

  A moment’s dislocation and she was housed inside her own body once more and her dreams became normal nightmares.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The dregs of sleep threatened to pull Iltani back down into sleep’s arms, but there was something important in the waking world she should face. Doubt nudged her closer to wakefulness. Something was wrong. Normally she awoke easily.

  Either Burrukan had been particularly vicious in his training session yesterday or she’d been celebrating and drank far too much wine. Still, this didn’t feel anything like an o
ver indulgence of wine.

  Safety, warmth, and comfort cocooned her in a way she’d rarely experienced—and not for many, many years at that. But this was different than that long ago time when she and the cub Ditanu had shared a nest in their old nursery room.

  Then memory returned and so too did all the horrors of yesterday’s attack: the battle, the death of two of Ditanu’s cubs, and Ahassunu and Burrukan’s sacrifice to give Ishtar time to spirit her away.

  So much horror, death, and betrayal.

  Last night came back to her. It was impossible not to remember with Ditanu’s arm around her waist, his warm breath caressing the back of her neck. He was still asleep, curled around her. Her blood link to him allowed her to feel his sleeping mind. There was a calmness that had been lacking the night before.

  Dare she hope Ditanu was himself again?

  It would make what she’d done last night more acceptable if New Sumer had had its king restored to them. If she’d been looking for a scapegoat, she could blame it all on Ishtar’s ways, but Iltani would still know the truth. She’d most certainly enjoyed making love to Ditanu and waking in his arms easily made the list of her most pleasant experiences.

  The arm around her waist tightened suddenly and Ditanu muttered in his sleep. If he were anything like he’d been as a boy, he’d still be a heavy sleeper, hard to wake even on the best of mornings. She hoped that was true because she needed to empty her bladder and there was no way she still wanted to be in Ditanu’s bed when he awoke.

  She didn’t know how much he would remember from the night before. Even if there were blank spots, he’d realize what had occurred quickly enough. Gryphons had a superior sense of smell even in human form. He wouldn’t miss the evidence of their lovemaking.

  However, she could and would give him a few moments to wake up and make peace with what had occurred between them. If their roles had been reversed, she’d want a few minutes to come to terms with the knowledge she’d betrayed the memory of a mate before their body was even cold.

  Sitting up, Iltani gently moved his arm and then looked down at him. Even though he was in desperate need of a bath, he was still the image of male beauty, messy from sleep and other activities, but still breathtaking.

  The guilt Iltani expected to feel this morning was strangely absent.

  “I don’t regret anything I did to save you,” Iltani whispered and she shifted away from him and eased out of the bed. “But if you have to hate me a little for accepting the Sacred Marriage, I’ll understand.”

  A quick search of the bed revealed two robes had been placed at its foot. Another quick scan of the room showed several Shadows stationed at various points throughout the room. Mostly by doors and windows.

  None tried to talk to her.

  Thank Ishtar.

  Not paying them any more mind, she made for the bath chamber.

  She didn’t want to so much as look anyone in the eye. Ishtar and Tammuz had been anything but quiet.

  Once she’d attended to her needs, she eyed the bath, wondering if she had time to get a quick one before Ditanu awoke. She settled for a quick wash and then exited. After a look to confirm Ditanu still slept, she padded to the other room where Kuwari and Priestess Kammani were sleeping.

  Iltani crouched down next to them both and gently shook the priestess awake. Kammani blinked her eyes opened and glanced around with far more composure than Iltani thought she would.

  All business, the older woman first looked over Kuwari and then Iltani. “Ishtar awoke me in the night, so I could check on you and the king to know you were both well.” The priestess stood, smoothing out her wrinkled robes. “You both pleased the gods.”

  A wave of heat climbed Iltani’s cheeks. She wasn’t sure what was worse. That Ditanu’s aunt had checked on them in the night or that Ishtar had been sharing intimate secrets with her high priestess.

  “Ditanu will be himself when he wakes?” There had been times near the end when she thought Ditanu recognized her, but he’d fallen asleep moments after Tammuz had retreated. Iltani hadn’t had a chance to ascertain how aware Ditanu was of his…surroundings.

  “Yes,” Kammani gave her a pat on the shoulder, “You saved our king, the unborn cubs, and Kuwari. That should gain any mere mortal a few days’ rest, but not you. We have much still to do. Here,” she handed Kuwari into Iltani’s arms, “I need to see about getting this one some fresh milk. He wasn’t interested in drinking last night, but I imagine he’ll wake up hungry.”

  Two Shadows burst in from the bedchamber at the same moment Iltani heard an anguished cry from that direction.

  “The king has awakened,” they said in unison.

  “Go, go.” Kammani shoved Iltani toward the sound. “Ditanu needs to see both you and his cub alive. There’s no telling how much he’ll remember from last night.”

  Oh, great goddess. Panic flooded Iltani’s mind even as she broke into a run, Kuwari held tight in her arms. The motion jostled the cub awake and he gave a plaintive grumble. Iltani ignored him as she burst into the bedchamber.

  The gauzy drapes around his bed obscured Ditanu from her sight.

  “Ditanu!” She brushed away one curtain, the gauzy fabric tearing in her haste. Her feet tangled in the bits hanging down and she miscalculated the height of the bed. Her jump fell short, her foot catching on the side of the bed, tripping her. With her arms full of cub, she couldn’t get her balance in time and had to roll in mid-air so as not to crush the cub. She landed with a grunt and had the wind knocked from her. Before she even had her breath back, she was on her knees, holding Kuwari out to Ditanu.

  “Iltani? Kuwari?” His voice came out hoarse, strained, his great emotional pain evident, but so to was a hint of incredulous hope.

  He sat up so quickly he sent pillows toppling sideways off the bed. Kuwari decided it was time to play and pounced on his father. His big hands scooped Kuwari against his bare chest and then he buried his face in the cub’s fluffy down.

  Tears came to her eyes as she watched Ditanu. His shoulders shook as he cried silently and curled forward around his cub.

  Needing to do something to offer comfort, she reached out and stroked her hand along his shoulder and partway down his back.

  After a time, her touch must have penetrated for he quieted and then glanced up at her. “Iltani? It’s really you?”

  “My king,” she acknowledged and bowed to him. “You are not alone.”

  “You’re not a spirit here to guide me to the afterlife?”

  Iltani glanced up through her lashes, debating what to say. At last, she huffed, “A ghost would have made a much more elegant entrance, I imagine.”

  “When I woke….I thought last night was…that you were dead and Tammuz took you to the underworld with him…and last night was your goodbye to me.” His words came out halting. “I couldn’t face a future without you in it.”

  Iltani didn’t know what to say so she hugged him fiercely. The arm not holding Kuwari circled her back and he shook with silent tears.

  “I know I wasn’t able to save everyone you love, and I did things that you might see as a betrayal, but Kuwari needed his father.” Her free hand went to her stomach and curved along the slight belly she now sported. “And your unborn cubs will need you in the coming days.”

  Which was a truth Iltani was only coming to realize now. The Blooding Ceremony would need to be performed several more times over the coming months to allow her body to complete its change to gryphon. She would die without further exchanges of Ditanu’s blood, and the unborn cubs were only exasperating the stresses on her body, but now wasn’t a good time to bring that up. He needed to come to terms with the fact she was his litter’s new surrogate.

  Again, shock marked his expression, but his eyes narrowed after a moment, turning thoughtful. He reached out, unceremoniously parting her robe and then pressed his hand against her belly. His gryphon magic raced over her skin, studying her. His glance sought out hers again.

  She answe
red his unasked question. “Ishtar took them from Consort Ahassunu after she’d been injured.”

  Ditanu still watched her, silent and unmoving, his unreadable king’s mask back in place. Nothing in his expression gave his thoughts way.

  Swallowing hard, she debated telling him the rest, but he deserved to at least know what she’d seen. “I was protecting Kuwari, and after Ishtar had placed the unborn cubs with me, I saw Burrukan and Consort Ahassunu and the few remaining shadows make a desperate last stand. Ishtar had already put Kuwari and me in a boat and then called fog in from the ocean to hide us. I’m sorry. I didn’t see what happened to them in the end.” Iltani looked down at her hands, not able to meet Ditanu’s eyes. “My body was still accepting the unborn litter and Ishtar put me to sleep.”

  Still he said nothing, and she didn’t look up. The rustle of blankets told her he moved and then he was placing Kuwari back in her arms. While she was still securing the cub, Ditanu reached out, his one arm going around her shoulder and the other under her knees. Yelping in surprise, she found herself lifted up and deposited back down in Ditanu’s lap. Once he had her settled, his arms wrapped around her shoulders and dragged her against his chest.

  “Iltani, thank you for saving Kuwari and my unborn cubs. Thank you for not leaving me.” A sob shook his frame a moment before his lips brushed her hair. After a second silent sob shook his body, he rested a cheek against the top of her head.

  Her earlier insecurities melted away. This was Ditanu. They had spent most of their lives together. As desperately as she wanted to know just how much he remembered from last night, in another way, it didn’t matter at all. She was both his Shadow and his Blade and would forever serve him in whatever capacity he needed.

  He rubbed his cheek against her hair again. “I know there is much I must do to assure my kingdom and its people are safeguarded, but the part of me who is simply a man wants to grieve. I will need your strength in the coming days.”

  “I will be whatever you need.” If that was a friend’s shoulder to shed his grief upon, she would be that shoulder, even if her own body’s cravings threatened to steal her sanity.