Going Deep

by L. J. Vickery

  “You will do no such thing.” If the royal goddess had seemed approachable before, Holly must have been mistaken. Provoked, she sounded downright queenly…and dangerous. “Nergal has made the tenets and you will abide by them.” She skewered Marduk with a dark gaze. “Do you have so little faith in me, thunder god, that I would abandon your women in hell? I have worked behind the scenes tirelessly to find your Chosen.” She indicated Tess. “As I will for all of you.” She swept her arm around the room. “Would I desert you now that you are all on the brink of redemption?”

  Holly thought that the queen had gotten taller during her speech. Did she have an alter ego like the gods? As a mortal, Holly was impressed and intimidated. “We’ll do whatever it takes, your majesty.” Holly addressed the queen in her most humble voice. “I, for one, believe in you.” She was about to kneel again, but the queen pursed her lips, and she abandoned that idea.

  “I do too.” Tess and Lenore added, quickly.

  “So it is agreed?” the queen asked.

  Holly looked around at the glowering men. She received a curt nod from a very unhappy Marduk, and a sigh of acquiescence from Anshar.

  The queen seemed happy with the outcome. “Good. I will outline the rules and then we’ll make haste to bring you to the Underworld.”

  Chapter Seven

  Dagon leaned against the warm, rock wall, watching his dinner cook over the open flames of a sinkhole. He had been given time to rest again. It was almost worse than constantly battling with demons. It seemed Nergal had figured out that mental torment was a far more effective punishment for Dagon these days. When he wasn’t fighting, or sleeping/regenerating after being torn apart, the banished god wallowed in agony far deeper than any physical pain. He couldn’t stop thinking of Holly, and Nergal gave him more and more time for introspection. He tested the large, meaty bug he roasted. It was almost done.

  Dagon breathed in the sulfurous air and imagined Holly’s soft, lavender scent cooling the acrid stillness that assailed his nostrils. How could fate be so cruel as to allow him to have her for such a brief period? He’d only begun to taste her, savoring the richness of her lips and feeling the urgent demands of her tongue. He imagined what it would have been like to sample her other flavors―the cream that would coat her pussy―and his cock instantly became rigid. He let the fantasy take hold in his mind.

  Holly would lower her skin-tight jeans, her downy curls just visible through the sheer panties that clung to her curves. He wouldn’t wait for her to remove them. No. Gently, holding her still with one hand curved protectively around her back, he’d move his hand down between the filmy material and the skin of her belly to reach the soft folds of her pussy. While she moaned and arched against him, he’d dip his finger, ever so slowly, into her wet channel, finding her heat and her warmth…

  Stop! Dagon’s hand had gone to the front of his own pants, pressing urgently at his prick, fumbling with his own zipper. But this was just what Nergal’s minions waited for. The first time Dagon had attempted to relieve his sexual need for Holly, his cock out and his weapons down, the hated demons had pounced, grabbing for his dick, determined to use his hard cock for their own pleasures. It had taken all of Dagon’s strength to pull away, but he would never forget the feel of their slimy hands violating his deflating rod, never get the images out of his head of what they had wanted to do to him.

  Dagon shivered. He had made it to his blades in time, and cut them down with a fury he hadn’t known he possessed. But Nergal had made his point. This was truly hell. Constantly hard and wanting his mate, Dagon would forever be unable to bring himself relief. It was the worst kind of torture, and his for eternity. Dagon wondered how long he could take it before he went mad.

  Dagon calmed himself, bringing his arousal back under control. He removed the bug from its whittled stick and set it aside to cool. He would still think about Holly, but concentrate instead on her bravery and her practical nature that had urged him to reunite with his cousin—an action that had kept Holly safe. If not for her belief in him, and her gentle suggestions, Dagon never would have approached the Blue Hills gods, and Holly’s fate at the hands of Erra would have been unavoidable.

  How would he feel if he hadn’t been able to save her? A shit-load worse than how he felt now, that was for sure. His relief at knowing she was guarded by his old friends was the only thing that kept him going. That, and possibly gaining an audience with Ereshkigal, convincing her that he was fully repentant, and asking her help in finding his way back to Holly. At least he had a plan to keep himself sane…until it proved fruitless. But he wouldn’t dwell on that now.

  Dagon came to his feet, his hunger gone. He tucked the cooled insect meat in a small pouch he had fashioned to wear around his waist. The fiends had yet to drain him of energy today. It was a good time to try and find the throne room. Every time he had a reprieve, he attempted to wend his way through the myriad of passageways in an effort to locate his queen.

  He had certainly sent enough mind links out to her. But either she remained blocked from his transmissions or didn’t want to open a channel to him. Either way, every time he came close, physically or mentally, something…or someone led him astray. Nergal had to be intervening, playing his game. Dagon jogged down the nearest stone tunnel. No matter. He refused to be deterred. His feet seemed to gain speed all on their own.

  ****

  Nergal was pleased. Dagon seemed full of hope today, and it lent a swiftness to his wanderings. This was good. He needed to put as much distance as possible between Dagon and his would-be champions before their arrival. Damn his wife for making him agree to let the goddesses come below. He didn’t know how much time he had, so he clouded Dagon’s mind and made the god run blindly on.

  Nergal had been misdirecting the immortal this whole time, but Dagon didn’t know it. The king had caused him to travel miles away from the parts of the Underworld with which he’d previously been familiar. Instead of heading to the throne room, Dagon wound into a labyrinth of channels Nergal had opened up to make any rescue that much more difficult. As far as Nergal was concerned, the searching women would have a very slim chance of making it to Dagon. The things he had planned to confuse and stop them along the way…well, let’s just say they were genius, and sure to lead to the females capture.

  Eresh was not going to win this one. She would have her fingers dipped into her sweet pussy for him before she knew it, and Nergal would have three captives to do with as he pleased. He adored that thought. Women in the Underworld were quite unusual. The ones who did make it below sported beastly personas not at all appealing to Nergal. But having a trio of luscious slaves… Yes. He’d put a lot of thought into their captivity.

  When he had forsworn sex with his queen, she, at least, had been surrounded by outstanding male flesh. That fucking group of gods—screw them all—appeared magnificent. The thought made Nergal see red. His choices, however, had been severely limited.

  He had briefly pondered a liaison with Beletseri, whom he employed to oversee all final judgments, do his filing, etc. Nergal considered her his goddess-secretary—although lately she had demanded he use the term goddess-administrative assistant. She was a stunning woman with an exotic Egyptian look. Long, straight, dark hair and a patrician nose graced a face with smooth dark skin that begged to be caressed. But she was such a cold bitch.

  She’d made overtures toward him that he couldn’t ignore, and been extremely insulted when he’d told her theirs could be a light-hearted liaison only. Beletseri, with something unreadable in her eyes, had stonily informed him that if that’s all he could offer, he could keep his mitts to himself, or find someone else to help him with his final judgments. He had been confused to say the least. Had she thought he would leave his queen for her?

  It had turned out for the best in the end. Beletseri remained his assistant, an outcome that might not have been assured if physical intimacy had been established.

  His other sexual options had been demons and
succubi. Shit. Better to remain celibate.

  He’d therefore become as chaste as a monk, with the exception of a personal hand job once every few days, to keep his frustration at the nearness of his sexy wife at bay. It was a very poor substitute for the real thing.

  Now, he had the opportunity to imprison three nubile young women—two, already full-fledged goddesses. If he had sex with them, their mates would be in agony. Of course so would Eresh. Nergal frowned. He’d have to think about that.

  But what about Holly? She remained human. Nergal had never had a human before, and even though this one—from his spying—seemed small and scrawny by his standards, it might be pleasurable to take her while Dagon watched. The pain his ex-right hand god would experience could be exquisite. He refused to think about his queen’s reaction.

  Nergal misted above Dagon now and smiled as the hapless god continued down paths that led him farther from the main rooms of the Underworld. Once he reached twenty miles down, well past the mind-connection limit of ten miles that defined the gods’ psychic parameters, Nergal would unfog Dagon’s mind and watch as he gave in to the despair of being hopelessly lost.

  Nergal laughed. He hadn’t had this much fun in thousands of years.

  Chapter Eight

  Holly was more than ready. She forced herself to calm down, quieting her brain to listen to Ereshkigal’s rules, but sputtered when the queen―instead of talking about their descent―asked Marduk for a tour of the gods’ compound, also known as Tiny Taj or T-Taj, as nicknamed by Tess.

  Marduk escorted the woman around their house like she was…well…more than royalty. Holly followed and observed.

  Odd, but Marduk wasn’t alone in his obsequiousness toward Ereshkigal. It was actually pitiful the way all of the gods fawned over her. They misted around her like little fireflies, and even without Dagon present, Holly could still see the invisible ones. Sort of. They were see-through, ethereal with a film-like quality about them. And like a star, if she gazed directly toward their shadow, they disappeared. But she was getting used to it.

  Outside, the gods showed Ereshkigal the grounds. Emesh made sure to point out the flowerbeds he’d just planted, and Kulla was all about having her approval on the two new guesthouses under construction. There lay some connection between gods and queen that went beyond being mere royal subjects.

  Holly tried to see the yard through the queen’s eyes and wondered if it looked beautiful to someone who had lived so long. She had no idea. What she did notice was that the queen had difficulty with her respiration. Her breath seemed, quite literally, to be taken away, and Holly didn’t think it was from the splendor of the Blue Hills.

  Upon Holly’s inquiry, the queen admitted that she had trouble breathing the fresh, clean air of the surface world. The only thing the resident genius, Lahar, could figure was that because her lungs had gotten so used to filtering the soot and heat from down below, the royal became lightheaded respirating so much oxygen. The queen would have toppled over if not for Marduk’s steady arm and Enlil flanking her opposite side, allowing her to lean on their strength. The queen insisted—and Holly expected no less—on continuing the tour.

  “Kulla did the designs for our home.” Enlil pointed toward the main house, which glowed a dulled bronze in the subdued light the gods maintained for the queen’s sake. The massive structure was stucco, imbued with a shimmering quality that changed with every movement of the clouds. The window trim glowed a mellow red, which matched the clay roof tiles atop the forty-foot high home. The whole of it was surrounded by raised stone patios and overflowing fountains.

  “Shall we go back in?” Marduk, ever conscious of his queen’s comfort, led the group up the covered walkway to the massive double doors, which he opened with a flourish, and urged the queen into the front foyer.

  Ereshkigal looked up, and Holly did too. The marble entryway, easily twenty feet across, showcased a sweeping staircase that led to the upper floor and a domed ceiling that could only be emulating the heavens. The stained glass in blues and greens needed light behind it to glean the full, rapturous effect.

  “My eyes have adjusted well to the brightness. I wish for you to release the sun from its prison of clouds so that I might see the glory of your dome.”

  “It shall be done,” the three in control answered, and they took off their hold on the elements. Sun streaked into the entrance hall, warming it with resplendent color.

  Ereshkigal marveled over it, looked her fill, and the tour continued. Tess grabbed Holly’s arm and curious, Holly let herself be pulled back from the group.

  “Holly, are you sure about this? Going to hell, I mean.” Tess reminded Holly gently about their destination.

  “I’ve never been more sure of anything,” Holly answered firmly. As a matter of fact, she was tired of wasting time and couldn’t wait to start. “I’ve heard a lot about it from your husband and the others, and without a doubt, it’s the same place we’ve been dreaming of all our lives.”

  Tess nodded. “You remember how awful things got, don’t you?”

  “I remember, Tess. How could I forget? The difference is that I’m older now and can put things in perspective. And I have someone dear to me I need to go after.” Holly looked into a face so much like her own. “I’m tired of running away from things, Tess. I need to—” she laughed in self-deprecation “—face my demons.”

  “Yeah, but an entire Underworld full of yours and everyone else’s?” Tess snorted in disbelief.

  “For Dagon…anything.” Holly put strength behind her words.

  “Then we’ll do it,” Tess hugged her twin tightly. “We’ll bring him back, and somehow we’ll make it okay for the two of you to live here.” Tess looked around. “But right now, we need to move and join the group.”

  The women’s sneakers padded noiselessly across the marble floor as they followed the unmistakable sound of Lenore’s heels clicking ahead of them. They entered the gym. “What have we missed?” Holly whispered to Lenore as they moved in behind the platinum beauty.

  “Just some ass kissing and brown nosing.” Lenore looked disgruntled. “What is it with these guys, anyway? They spend thousands of years as tormented guests in hell, and they can’t seem to get enough of this ho.” She nodded to where the gods showed Ereshkigal how to use a back and chest machine. “If Anshar wasn’t 100 percent mine,” she gestured at her left shoulder, which…what…gave out a steady, low wattage glow? “I’d kick his ass.” Lenore quirked her head at Tess. “You might want to make a small connection with Marduk, just as a reminder.”

  “Thanks. I think that’s a good idea.” Tess started to redden in the shoulder as well, and received a knowing smirk from Marduk across the room. She smiled back at him innocently.

  Holly looked from one to the other of the women incredulously. “What the fuck? Exactly what is going on with you two?” She eyeballed her sister with suspicion. “Since when do you have your own nightlight?”

  Lenore shushed her as they followed the group to the media room, waiting until the queen became engaged with the technology before whispering, “Tess, I think it’s time you filled her in on the whole amulet and Chosen thing.”

  Tess sighed.

  Shit yeah. Holly crossed her arms over her chest. It’s about damn time.

  “I’m surprised you haven’t forced me to tell you before this.” Tess tried to make light of something Holly had no doubt would be a kick to her midsection.

  “Well,” Holly narrowed her eyes, “it did kind of cross my mind when the queen-bee talked about me being Dagon’s Chosen that you hadn’t come clean about everything. And the part where I’d die even though I hadn’t done some amulet thing did beg some explanation.” She scowled and waited not so patiently. “So?”

  “So, I think you’ve pretty much figured it out, but I’ll give you the details.” The tour came to an end as they headed back to the kitchen, and Tess made short work of it.

  “Gods are born with this amulet thing in their left s
houlder, and when they find the woman they’re supposed to spend the rest of their lives with, the one they call their Chosen, the thing starts to glow.” She bared her shoulder and showed the talisman, visible under her skin.

  “That’s pretty cool.” Holly loved the simplicity of it, but then she frowned. “Wait. Dagon’s shoulder didn’t light up for me.”

  “Actually, it did,” Lenore told her. “He must have hidden it from you. But one of the first things he told me and Anshar was that he’d lit up, and you were his Chosen.”

  A slow grin spread over her face. Holly was inordinately pleased. Her resolve to get Dagon back grew even stronger. She wanted to see that shit for herself. But that still didn’t explain the glow from the females.

  “So how did you two get yours?” Holly puzzled. “Did you grow one when you found your guys?” She looked at her own shoulder, where nothing unusual happened.

  “No. Would that it was so easy.” Tess rolled her eyes. “They have to get half of theirs cut out and then it’s put into us. If it’s a true bond, the god’s amulet regenerates a ghostly half as soon as his mate’s is activated.” Tess smiled over at Marduk, who had finished with Ereshkigal and approached the women. “The cool thing now is that we can communicate and share thoughts no matter how far away from each other we are, and as an added bonus, we feel each other’s pleasure and pain.”

  Marduk had evidently sent something into Tess’s head when he heard the tail end of her explanation, because her cheeks turned bright red.

  “Tess,” Holly chided, amused. “It’s like you’ve turned into some kind of sex machine. Do you two ever stop?” She punched good-naturedly at Marduk’s arm as he moved into their circle.

  “Be prepared, little Holly.” Anshar had come up behind Lenore and snaked his arms around his Chosen’s waist. “A couple destined for mating has a hard time keeping their hands off each other. As soon as you get to Dagon, you’re going to be a changed woman.”