Tess loved the term “ensnared,” but wondered that Ishtar didn’t know about Dagon. Was he so disliked? “Holly has been claimed by Dagon,” she let the goddess know, waiting for a reaction.
“Oh, Dagon.” If Tess didn’t know better, she’d say a blush momentarily stained Ishtar’s cheeks. “We heard he had fallen away from your group, and was considered beyond redemption.” Was the goddess of the dawn even a little breathless as she continued? “We will welcome him back, and would be honored to attend his amulet ceremony when it occurs…if that is possible?”
Tess turned to Marduk who had been silent and looking slightly amused at the whole exchange. He spoke reverently. “Of course, Ishtar. I’m sure Dagon would be pleased to have you as a witness.”
The flustered goddess, who despite her elegance seemed very young, smiled and covered whatever confusion had briefly held her. She seemed to remember at whose behest she was here, and immediately turned her eyes to Erra. Her face lit up, but was she…nervous?
The goddess approached and gave him a slight bow. “Erra,” she intoned softly. “It’s been many years.”
The god’s hands visibly twitched at his sides, as if it took all his willpower to keep them from reaching out to stroke Ishtar-Dinitu’s soft skin.
Tess sighed.
One finger disobeyed, and traced a gentle line down the side of the blonde’s beautiful face. “It has indeed Ish-Din,” he responded tenderly.
Whatever trepidation the goddess harbored, melted away as if by magic, and on perfect cue, the sun shone even brighter in the sky. The goddess of the dawn gave Erra a brilliant smile.
Tess was sure the omnipotent god of destruction was about to bend and kiss the goddess, but before she could be certain, the aura was gone and Ishtar had turned in place, joyful and suffused with a new animation.
“My friends.” She waved one hand back to the split in the clouds. “Behold the rest of your gods.”
Six bewilderingly large and stunning males drifted down out of the sky where they’d been waiting for her introduction. There were more welcomes from Tess, a flurry of activity while all the gods became reacquainted and much scuffling while everyone found their seats.
Nebo, the speechmaker, stood on the top step of one cottage, addressing the august assemblage. “Gods and goddesses, human friends and…” he paused as if testing the air, almost tasting it, “…witches!” he finished with joyful relish. “We gather here today to honor our esteemed colleague, Kulla. Not just for his architectural genius and ingenuity, but because…”
Did Nebo’s eyes tear up?
“…we’ve missed him.” There was a great sigh from the crowd.
“Building in our realm has not been the same since he’s been gone, and many petitioned to be here today. If it were not for the unprecedented energy that such a large gathering of gods would garner, your Blue Hills would have been overrun with immortals. There is one, however, who would not be denied.”
The skies opened up once more, and out stepped a young man who, despite his youthful appearance, could have been Kulla’s twin. His honeyed hair and eyes the color of wine were a mirror reflection of the divine architect.
“Welcome, Kabta, god of bricks.”
Kulla stood as if transfixed.
When Kabta caught sight of Kulla, he sprinted the distance between them and swept the Blue Hills god into a crushing embrace.
“Uh, hum.” Nebo cleared his throat. “For those of you who don’t know,” he inclined his head to Tess. “Kabta is Kulla’s little brother.”
The two remained wrapped so tightly together Tess wondered if either one breathed.
“Kabta, Kabta.” She heard Kulla chant while rubbing his hand across his sibling’s chestnut head. “My brother.”
Marduk coughed. “I hate to break this up, but there will be plenty of time to reminisce in three days, when Kulla returns.” They all knew of Kulla’s enforced sabbatical in hell. “Kabta, we hope you will stay as our guest until then.” Marduk didn’t mince words. “Right now, I regret to say the ceremony needs to continue.”
The mood was light with good will and old friends. As the speeches ran down, wine offerings were made as well as milk, honey, and a sprinkling of the juniper Tess had procured.
Lahar came forward, and amid many cheers, turned briefly into his ram and sliced both forearms with his sharp hooves, to drip sacrificial blood on first one set of steps, then the other. Kulla finally stood up and spoke.
“My friends,” he said. “My family.” He looked to Kabta with tears in his eyes. “This is the most joyous day of my life.” Wetness ran freely down his face and he didn’t bother to wipe it away. “I have dedicated many a temple, a score of ziggurat, and more palaces than I can count. But these two seemingly inconsequential cottages have brought out the best in me, and given me back something of myself which I thought to have lost. Know that these structures have been built with great care to serve their new inhabitants well.” He looked at the one witch who could see him, and smiled. “Any sacrifices made here are done so with the fullness of my being.”
He disappeared before the next heartbeat.
For those who had seen it happen before, it still seemed abrupt. For those that had never witnessed it, his being so quickly vanquished before the celebratory party seemed downright cruel.
Chapter Thirty-Four
“Kulla!” Lenore hissed. “Over here.”
Nergal felt the architect appear. He also understood that Lenore was pissed that her plans might be derailed by the god’s sudden arrival. She’d be damned if anything interrupted what she’d started between he and Ereshkigal. Nergal chuckled to himself. Fat chance.
Kulla remained low to the ground, and sneaked toward Lenore’s cage.
She sent him a loud, hissing whisper. “The king and queen are a little busy right now, and I’d like to keep it that…”
“Kulla!” Nergal made his tone imperious, and cut through whatever Lenore had been about to say.
“Damn your nosy powers,” she bitched at the king.
Nergal ignored her. “To what do we owe this pleasure, divine architect?”
Kulla stood up and made a gracious bow. “Your lordship, I have just completed work on two Earth abodes, and as the law dictates, I have been brought to serve you for three days.”
“Bullshit.” Nergal disputed. “Something has brought you here unannounced. Eresh just mentioned that your ceremony was to be in two days’ time, and wondered if I would like to attend. Clearly you moved things up for a reason.”
Kulla swallowed, astonished to see Nergal’s arm draped over his queen’s shoulders, but managed to answer. “You’re right, my king. We hurried the dedication so that I would be sent here to see what evil has befallen Dagon and Holly.”
“Why didn’t you just reach out to Ereshkigal so that she could reassure you?” He knew, without asking, that they wouldn’t have tried to contact him.
“We did, sire, and we even tried you, but all of our communications with the Underworld and the Overworld is blocked.”
His wife huffed and looked disgruntled. “Let me raise Dagon right now and see what’s going on.”
Dagon, where are you? She called on an open channel so he, Kulla and Lenore would know she honestly tried to raise the god. Dagon? Can you hear me? Nothing but static met her pleas and her face turned suspicious. She turned to Nergal and looked daggers at him. “Do you have something you want to tell me?” She attempted to move out from under his arm.
He tightened his hold instead. “No, I do not. Whatever this is, it has nothing to do with me. Here, let me try.”
Dagon, this is your king. I need you to answer me immediately.
Again there was silence until a small tentative voice spoke up, so quietly that he almost missed it. Oh mighty king, forgive me for speaking for I am the lowliest of your servants.
Who is this? Nergal demanded. And where is Dagon?
Lenore spoke before the voice could continue. That’s
Lavarette, one of a group of demons who befriended Dagon. He calls them glowies, my king. He met their collective in the lowest level of Hell, and they’ve traveled with him, keeping him safe.
Nergal’s eyes widened, but he nodded. Tell them not to be afraid to speak, that you are here.
She reached out to the glowie who had spoken. Lavarette? It’s okay, this is Lenore. The king means you no harm. She gave Nergal a dirty look that said it had better be true. He’s trying to help us locate Dagon and Holly. Do you know where they are?
Yes, Lady Lenore. There are approximately thirteen of the most evil demons holding them captive in a small cave. We fear the worst because we are unable to communicate with them any longer.
What do these demons look like? Nergal had told his minions to detain the couple, but not to harm them in any drastic or irrevocable way.
They are small and white with long trailing tails and can become invisible at will. Oh. And they also spew some kind of poisonous gas that renders gods and humans unconscious.
Nergal knew just who Lavarette described, and he had not ordered these particular demons into the fray because they were extremely unpredictable. Had they taken something upon themselves, or was something more sinister at work here? He’d have to convene with them later to see if any one of them smelled of deceit.
The good news was that perhaps Dagon simply couldn’t be reached because he’d been knocked out. Can you tell us where you are? Nergal was impatient now. He wanted to get this inconvenience out of the way. Too many gods hung around and he needed to see where things would go with Ereshkigal. He couldn’t do that with such a large audience.
We are two caverns away from a room where roots hang from the ceiling that secrete a magical elixir.
“I know where that is,” Kulla spoke up. “It’s the place usually inhabited by the acid spitters.”
“I’m sure Dagon has defeated them already.” Nergal said offhandedly, gleaning a pointed look from Ereshkigal.
“What do you mean by that?” she asked.
“I’m not an imbecile, my dear. Some of the demons who escaped the fire pits came to me and told me of the potent weapons your gods wielded. It was only a matter of time before they would defeat all my fiends. I thought there might be some fun to be had before they crashed our party.” His hungry gaze stayed on Ereshkigal, and then Nergal gave his orders to the glowies. Go back to the cave of roots. We will join you momentarily. Nergal waved his hand and moved all the gods with one flick of his wrist deeper into hell.
Nergal was immediately astounded. Hundreds of opaque forms covered the floor and bowed in his direction.
“All rise!” Nergal’s voice rang out. He was shocked at their sheer numbers…and not much staggered him these days. “Approach.”
“Your highness.” Lenore whispered to him that Slaggat and Minrella were the two who came forward. “We are honored to be in your exalted presence.”
“You speak?” Nergal gaped, taken aback. None but the top-tier demons used a spoken language. How had he not known about this species?
“We’ve always spoken, your grace. I am Minrella.” She was clearly cowed by the presence of royalty, but her overriding concern was for Dagon. “Dagon, too, was amazed that we had this power…and speaking of the god…”
“We will find him immediately.” Nergal snapped his fingers. He would get to the bottom of what had happened. “Lead the way.” The king strode purposefully forward and a contingent of glowies parted. He was followed by Ereshkigal, Lenore, Kulla, and a vast sea of translucent beings.
****
Inside the small cave, Holly and Dagon woke to find themselves chained firmly against the wall, hands above their heads, Dagon tried to move, but he had been cut so badly that half his blood puddled on the floor, rendering him helpless, while the horrid, fetid breath of one demon held him further immobilized. He couldn’t even yell when they started in on Holly.
“Your god can’t help you now.” One taunted, drawing the knife close to Holly’s neck. “Tell us where the idol is, and we will let you go.” The entire contents of their backpack had been strewn across the floor in an unsuccessful attempt to locate the item.
Dagon growled. The worst thing she could do would be to give up the stone icon. Someone sinister was behind this, and the idol must have invaluable power if it was important enough to harm Holly, who was under the protection of the king and queen. Surely, if they handed it over, it would be used for pure evil. Dagon was sure they were about to lose their lives.
Holly turned her head to regard him with sorrowful blue eyes. “If we die, will we be together?”
Dagon wanted to reassure her, but he couldn’t lie. His voice came out as a whisper. “You will be in a wonderful place, but I’m not sure I can join you. I’ve done many things for which I must make amends, and,” regret choked his low voice, “I was not able to complete the amulet ceremony with you.” The joining would have guaranteed they would stay together, but obviously it hadn’t been meant to be.
“This is all very touching,” breathed the ghost monster nearest Holly. “However, it doesn’t get us what we want.” Without warning, he brought up the knife and drove it violently through Holly’s right palm where it hung against the rock. She screamed.
“Bastard!” Dagon twisted in agony as pain contorted Holly’s face.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she didn’t give in. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she wailed.
“Oh, I think you do!” He slapped her hard across the face.
The new assault caused bright lights to blink in Dagon’s head. He thought he might go insane with anger, yet he couldn’t turn into his beast. He had been left too weak. Holly’s tormentor yanked the knife out.
“Do you want me to stab the other?” he taunted, raising the blade.
Holly turned her head and braced for the attack.
Dagon spoke before the knife could move again. “Stop! I’ll tell you where it is.”
Holly slumped. “Dagon, no. Don’t do it,” she said through bloody swollen lips. “If they get it, they and whoever controls them will have won. We don’t even know what they’ll be able to do with it, once they have it.”
She made sense, but it tore him up inside. Watching her suffer.
“Don’t worry.” She smiled sadly at him. “Soon I won’t feel the pain anymore.”
“Oh, you think not, worthless human?” Her torturer opened his mouth to show row after row of razor-sharp teeth lining his mouth in concentric rings.
“No more knife.” He threw it to the ground. “I’ll be ripping out your organs using these.” His fangs glistened with slime. “We’ll see how brave you are then.”
Dagon could only watch in horror as the demon reached his damp clown hands forward and ripped Holly’s hastily pinned together shirt open. She screamed again.
“Close your eyes tightly, my love, and focus on me,” he choked out. “I love you, Holly. There will never be another.”
She closed her eyes tightly at Dagon’s words and braced against the streaming, putrid breath that trailed over her neck and down toward her quivering belly. Then all hell opened up.
Holly’s head filled with deafening noise. Was it her own shrieking? Is this what happened when you were eviscerated? No pain, just a never-ending vortex of sound? Curiously, she was still aware of the white-hot burn in her palm, which if her dazed mind’s musings made sense, she shouldn’t be feeling. She dared to crack an eyelid.
Oh, wow. Her torturer was across the room, up against the wall, being pummeled by…was that Nergal? She had to be hallucinating, because she also imagined she saw Ereshkigal and…Kulla…and Lenore?
“Hey girl,” Holly mumbled in the platinum blonde woman’s direction, not expecting an answer from her hallucination.
“Damn! What did they do to you?” Lenore looked angry enough to spit rocks. She stalked over and loosened Holly’s restraints.
“Hey!” Holly wasn’t sure she appreciated this
illusion. It hurt like hell as the phantom Lenore removed her chains. She finally looked over where Kulla was doing the same for Dagon, and thought…shit, maybe it wasn’t a dream after all. It was her last coherent thought before she succumbed to darkness.
Holly came out of her swoon, and blearily recognized Nergal’s throne room from where she lay, once again, atop the stone table. “No piercings,” she muttered. “Hurt everywhere.”
Nergal’s face hovered over hers. “Be easy, my little human. There will be no more injury to you. Lie still and I will heal you.” His warm hands came down over her face, and a wash of heat tangled throughout her body. Whatever energy he transferred, it felt damned good, but her suffering heart required more. “Dagon?”
“He is also recovering from his wounds. He is capable of self-healing, while you require a little help.” She felt a soothing aura to her left as she recognized Minrella sidling up beside her.
“The king is helping you,” the glowie said confidently. Even in her befuddled state, Holly could see that the little being was in awe of the king.
She felt good enough to snort. “Looks like you’ve got yourself some new demons,” she teased Nergal. “Only this time, instead of a spook-fest, it’ll be a love-in.”
“You top-dwellers and your romantic notions,” Nergal scoffed. “Now be still so I can finish taking care of your wounds.”
Holly felt as if she was submerged in a scalding hot tub, but in a good way. Her skin warmed—she almost felt like saying cooked—from the top of her head to the soles of her torn up feet. Inch by inch, something gently mushed at her from the inside out, popping things into rightness and displacing any foreign matter. Her feet healed, her hand, her head. She couldn’t believe how quickly the king accomplished it.
When Nergal finally said, “All finished.” Holly sat up and marveled at how awesome she felt.
“Have you ever thought of opening a spa?” she quipped, looking over her rejuvenated skin. “You could make a fortune.” Not to mention that the guy was such a hulking hotty; women would want his hands on them even if it weren’t for healing purposes. She actually felt good enough to hop down on her own.
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