by Amy Sumida
Azrael stopped walking and frowned, looking at me sideways. His eyes had dimmed but were still a startling color—like the shade of ripe limes. Or kryptonite.
“Carus,” he tested the name. “Beloved.”
“Yes!” I moved in front of him and took his hands. “Yes, that's what it means. Az, you've got to concentrate. You were infected by the fey magic, honey. You touched a fox that had been changed. Do you remember?”
Azrael frowned, his gaze sliding away from me. “A fox... yes. I remember. The magic left the animal and came to me. It gave itself to me. It made me better. Can you not see that... Carus?”
“No, baby,” I said gently. “That's not possible. You couldn't have gotten better because you were already perfect. This is not you. The things you've said made sense—humans have done some bad things to the planet—but this is not the way to change that or help them. You will scare many of them and cause them to panic. You could topple governments, Az. Hurt more than help. Please, think about what you're doing.”
Azrael lifted a clawed hand and stroked my cheek gently with it. “You are fey; I sense fire inside you. And yet, you do not control enough of the elements to see the necessity of what I'm doing. You will, my beloved. I will help you understand.”
He took my hand and started walking again.
“Where are we going?” I asked, trying to keep from screaming at him.
“To our bedchamber, of course. We must claim this land with our bodies and magic.” He grinned at me. “Together.”
“Ah,” I muttered, “you want to have sex.”
“No.” Azrael stopped again and turned to me. “I want to join our bodies in the ancient ritual of unity and fertility. We will come together like the beasts of the forest and I will empty my seed inside your body and my magic across this land. The power of our joining will sink into the earth and bind it to us.”
“And push fertility into it,” I added.
“Yes.” Azrael swept me up into his arms like a bridegroom and started carrying me through the twisting, flame-lit corridors.
“Az, I don't think I'm ready for that.”
“Yes, Carus, you are. I smell it on you. You are fertile.”
I went still. “I can't be. I use a spell to...” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Azrael, what did you do to me?”
Azrael grinned wickedly and slid his gaze my way. Something sparked within those green depths. “You are the Faerie Goddess now, Carus. You must be as fertile as the Earth. You will give me many children and they will help us rule this world.”
“Oh, fuck me,” I muttered.
“As you wish, but after the ritual.”
Chapter Forty-One
I argued with Azrael all of the way to the bedroom. Across the grassy floors, up a lot of stone steps, over more grassy floors, and into a massive chamber at the top of the keep. I even tried asking, then begging, my star for help once more but it remained dormant in my chest.
“Azrael, I'm not having sex with you right now. You're not you,” I said firmly as he set me on my feet. Then I saw the room and whispered, “Holy cannolis.”
Grass covered the floor there, just as it did in the rest of the castle but from this grass, wondrous things grew. Golden trees stood scattered around the room like lampposts, their branches sprouting little flames instead of leaves. Two of the burning trees held a full-length mirror in a golden frame suspended between them. Across the room from the mirror and closer to the crescent balcony at the far end, a natural-looking pool waited. It lay at the edge of a grove of normal, if small, trees that partially hid a door. I assumed it led to a bathroom.
Stone steps descended into the pool's clear water. Flowers clustered around the rocky rim and a tiny waterfall fed it, adding the calming sound of bubbling water to the room. Kitty-corner to that, closer to where we stood at the entrance, a collection of golden seats padded with green velvet pillows sat around a stone table reminiscent of an altar. The cushions matched the blankets and pillows heaped on a round mattress in the center of the room. Circling the bed—that rested on a golden platform of woven branches—were smaller versions of the trees in the Forgetful Forest. They breathed gently, stirring the air and moving the canopy of darkness that hung above the bed, draping the treetops. And all of that was reflected in the polished silver walls, making it seem as if the room extended forever and we stood inside a forest wonderland instead of a bedroom.
“Do you like it?” Azrael whispered in my ear as he wrapped himself around me from behind.
“It's amazing,” I admitted. “This castle... this room... it's as if you've made the Earth your territory.”
“I have made it mine and now, we will make it ours. I will share this power with you and we will rule together.” His hands slid down my sides and up again, sliding forward so that they coasted over my belly and came to rest just under the curve of my breasts. “Drop your armor, Goddess of Fire, and join your body with mine.”
Something shifted gently between us and I knew what that meant. I ground my teeth together and stepped away from him. Sure enough, when I looked back, I found Azrael standing there in all of his natural glory—or magical glory, rather. The shadow-clothes were gone and his new body bared. It was difficult to see him so changed while also feeling sharp arousal for his new form. Azrael's original body had been beautiful—sleekly muscled and lithe—but that grace was gone now, replaced by predator strength. His biceps bulged, his pectorals were thick slabs leading to washboard abs, and his thighs looked capable of deflecting bullets. Which they were and had always been, but now they looked it.
Azrael reached for me.
“No, Az.” I backed away. “Not when you're someone else.”
“I am who I was meant to be as you are who you were meant to be.” His stare softened. “Do you recall my first trip to Faerie?”
I frowned at the sudden shift in conversation. “For the Fey-God Ball?”
“Just so.” He nodded, his golden antlers catching the light from the burning trees. “Do you remember how your ring showed me a vision of you in the future?”
“Az, if you can remember all of that, you're still you,” I said urgently. “Fight this!”
“There is no reason to fight, Carus,” Azrael chided me. “That's what I'm trying to tell you.”
“All right. Go on then. Tell me about the vision.”
“It was of us, not just you.” He stepped forward and folded his wings behind him. “The fey magic called to me even then. It spoke to me through the Ring of Remembrance and told me that one day I would be fey too. You and I, fully gods and yet also fully faeries. We are meant to be guardians of the elements on Earth. This world needs us. It has been crying out for help for a very long time.”
“What?” I whispered. “That's what the ring showed you?”
“Yes. This—us.”
“No. You're confused.”
“Your star wouldn't fix this because it is fated, Vervain,” his voice lost its primal depth for a moment and became what it used to be. “This is what I was shown—what I couldn't tell you about. And not just because it could have altered our future. I knew you would fight it. You are too human to understand that this is exactly what the Earth needs. A fresh start. A god and goddess to guide the humans and show them a better way. We will make a fey new world.”
“But I like this world,” I whispered.
“Do you?” Azrael's voice deepened again. “Do you truly, Carus? Do you like the smog and the piles of refuse? How people take the Earth's gifts and use them up, then bury what's left inside her? Do you like the way the animals suffer and die in horrible ways? Do you like the way the humans flood even the oceans with their filth and send terrible sounds through the water that kill the big beasts who manage to survive? Do you like the way oil burns and coats the feathers of the birds? How the—”
“Stop!” I cried. “Azrael, this is not the way to fix all of that.”
“Yes, it is.” He took my hands and slowly, very slowly, low
ered his lips to mine.
The thick scales protecting my body melted into my skin at that light touch. Azrael's clawed hands curled around my arms and drew me closer. My beasts rumbled with pleasure and my magic sang. The bond between us glowed inside my mind, growing stronger with Azrael's touch. My body tingled with pleasure and power, arching up toward his as if pulled by invisible strings. Azrael made a low sound in his throat and ended our kiss to lift me into his arms.
I stared up at the horned faerie god with wonder, my entire being drowning in his allure—his magnetism—and traced the line of his powerful jaw. Azrael smiled down at me as he carried me to the expanse of green velvet in the center of the room. A cooling breeze played over my bare skin even as the flame-leaves flared on the golden trees. The water in the pool roiled and the thick trees around the bed—that sacred bower—held their breath as Azrael laid me down on the velvet. The scent of crushed grass rose around me as if the fabric were made of nature itself. As the faerie god moved over me, the canopy of shadows descended around the trees, sealing us within its protective embrace.
“Azrael,” I whispered.
“Vervain, my beloved,” he whispered back, against the flesh of my stomach.
Those golden antlers were inches away from my hands and I couldn't resist stroking them, then pulling Azrael's head to mine with them. He chuckled and allowed it, then covered my lips with his. He tasted of basil leaves and smelled of vanilla orchids. Still my husband. He was still Azrael. But Life now lived with Death inside him and the change was obvious in more than just his appearance. I could feel the magic racing through him—pulsing just beneath his sternum like a rapid heartbeat. I laid my hand over that pulse as I kissed him and peace settled inside me.
My star wouldn't shine. My ring had spoken. This was meant to be.
Azrael reared up suddenly and lifted me with him. He spread me across his lap, on my knees, and I reached between us to guide him home. As I sank upon his hard length, we both cried out—not just from pleasure, which was profound, but also from the feel of the magic. As I began to rise and fall upon him, the magic ebbed and flowed from his pulsing shaft into my core, vibrating through me. Azrael took my lower cheeks in his hands and guided me into a slow rhythm, his fingers clenching as my body clenched around his.
I wrapped my arms around Azrael's shoulders and met his gaze. It started to glow and the glow entered me as well, seeping down to meet the magic rising from my middle. My breasts grazed his sculpted chest as we moved together in a way that felt ceremonial. Our heavy breaths mingled and our stares held. I pushed onto him until he was fully encased and began to arch my hips, moving over him without releasing him. Churning him inside myself. Azrael's hands squeezed my ass before sliding up to my shoulders. He pulled me down even more firmly as he met my grinding hips with his thrusts.
Those sparkling wings spread behind Azrael, stretching out to the sides like his antlers. I didn't stroke them even though I wanted to. I felt locked into the primal movements, taking my husband into me with steady beats that were mirrored by our hearts. Firelight flickered through the film of darkness and I could hear a distant echo of drums guiding us. Our bond bloomed brighter and I felt Azrael inside my mind as well as my body.
I am yours and you are mine. Forget your past, beloved goddess, and embrace our future. I claim you for the Earth. I anoint you as Queen of the World in the way of the wild magic—with my essence and love and complete devotion. Do you accept me? Do you accept the magic and guardianship of this world?
I do.
With those two words, ecstasy erupted over and within me. The Faerie God roared in triumph and lifted onto his knees, thrusting upward powerfully as he held my legs around him. He emptied inside me and it surged deep. I felt his power swirling within my core, sparking and setting off little climaxes—small deaths—that collected into a second release and then a third. Golden light glimmered over our bodies as I roared with him, again and again, my hands reaching up to grasp those golden antlers as my back arched and I tossed my head in abandon. My whole body convulsed around his until, at last, Azrael laid me down gently, our bodies still joined, and rested his forehead on mine.
“Now, it has truly begun,” he whispered.
I felt Azrael's body slide free of mine as he rolled onto his back and cold reality slapped me in the face. My hand went to my belly. Was I pregnant? Were our sons even now starting to grow inside me?
And if they were, what the hell would they become?
Chapter Forty-Two
All through the night, we made love. After that first union, my body came alive for Azrael as if by command. It all became an erotic blur. Wings and antlers above me or below me or behind me. Glowing eyes staring into mine and a savage voice searing my soul. I became utterly his. I forgot my other lovers. Forgot my children, even those I might be carrying inside me. I was Goddess to the God. The true Gods of the Earth. And we rejoiced in our rebirth.
On all fours, Azrael would slam violently into me, claws tickling my hips and wings fanning our hot skin. The shadows of darkness clung to us while I was on my knees before him, and when he knelt to worship me, his antlers burst into flames, stroking my thighs with beautiful heat. The elements moved over and through us as we mated ritualistically and made love tenderly and fucked wildly. They joined us as surely as Azrael's staff and seed.
I didn't come to my senses until morning and even then, I felt hazy with pleasure and drunk on love for my husband. But, as I've always said, one love cannot replace another and the memory of my other loves returned to me with the rising sun. Darkness could only hide them for so long.
I slipped from the bed, stepping through the shadow curtains and beyond the breathing trees. As I walked over a carpet of grass, scales lifted from my skin and armored me against what was coming. I knew it would be painful—the price of the night's delights. But I had no idea that the price would be paid by the Earth.
“Oh, sweet magic mushrooms,” I murmured as I went to stand at the vine encrusted stone railing.
The nearby homes—which had been pushed far away—were as I'd remembered but were once again surrounded by fey land. Primeval forest flowed around them, studded with steaming, cracked earth and vast lakes. Mist swirled with shadows through the trees, crackling with magic as if searching for its next victim. From what I could see, it had already claimed many. Animals unknown to Earth prowled the magical lands and flew across the brilliant blue sky. They called to each other in echoing, eerie voices as elemental sparks shone on the horizon, moving steadily closer to human cities.
“We will change the face of the Earth,” Azrael declared as he joined me.
“This isn't Dune,” I muttered.
Azrael frowned at me in confusion.
“Dune, Az, you know what I'm talking about,” I looked at him sideways, hoping that he did.
“Ah, yes.” Azrael grinned. “No, this is not Arrakis and I am not a Freman with a hoard of water to release. This is the Earth and we are fey gods spreading our magic upon it.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” I growled. “But, Az, helping the Earth and changing it into Faerie are two different things. Humans have done a lot of bad things but they've also done amazing good. They created an entire realm with their technology.”
Azrael frowned. “Perhaps we should change that as well.”
“What?” I nearly screeched. “You can't shut down the Internet, Azrael. You would cripple the world's economy.”
“That is rather the point.” His head twitched in an alarming way—as if his mind were trying to reset itself but failed.
I backed away from him.
“Carus, don't be afraid. This is necessary.”
“I'm not afraid, I'm horrified, and this is not necessary. If the magic of Faerie showed this to you, it was meant to be a warning, not a blessing. Because I can't let you do this, Az.”
“My sweet beloved queen,” Azrael said gently as he stared at me possessively, “you cannot stop me. It would be like
trying to stop the breeze from blowing.”
“Azrael, where is your scythe?” I demanded.
“In Hell, I imagine. Where I send it when not in use. Why?” He gave me a sinister smile. “Would you like to fight me, Carus?”
“I don't want to fight you, Azrael,” I said as if the mere thought were ridiculous. “I want to remind you of who you are and I think that holding the scythe might help you with that. You are Death and Compassion. You know that life has a cycle and that the end is just another beginning. You're the man who held my soul in his hands. You know me better than anyone. So, sweetheart”—I took his taloned hands in mine—“I'm asking you to come back to me. Choose me, Az. You've shown the world the error of its ways. It will start to heal—that is enough. Let the magic go and choose me.”