Transit of Ishtar

by Natalie Gibson

  “She only answers to the Circle, never a sole Nephilim.” Eiran thought that was to keep one brother from using their common Great Mother against another, but he did not know for certain. She did not explain herself to them.

  Nathalia closed her eyes and tried. She listened to Ki and when Nathalia felt she could emulate the frequently and tone, she asked Mother Earth to hold Eiran. Ki must have known Nathalia meant Eiran no harm because soil crept up over his ankle and half his calf. It solidified, holding Eiran tight.

  Eiran looked at Nathalia with surprise and then acceptance. If now was the time, he would gladly accept her judgment. Ki answered to Nathalia alone. The prison and Justice Circles would become things of the past. With the weapon she was made to wield, she could obliterate Nephilim and Akhkharu alike. When she decided it was time for them to die, there would be no rejuvenation.

  Because of that threat, Eiran was uncertain of the other's reaction to Nathalia. Some would see her as dangerous, some as tempting, some as an escape from this long lonely life. They would want to hurt her, or incite her to hurt them. Neither of those would be pleasant for Nathalia and Eiran intended to keep them from happening. That is why they kept their distance.

  “I think that it is more likely, my brother, that you are afraid she might chose one of them instead of you. That is why you try to keep her from us.”

  Nathalia jumped at the sound, spinning around to face the voice. When she saw him all the color drained from her cheeks. The man standing so close to them was the same as the one who had feasted on her blood and made a dessert of her bone marrow. That face would be etched in her memory forever.

  “Come to me.” His voice commanded her. It held a strong compulsion. “I would hold you again, my sweet.” His voice was slightly different than she remembered it, but she didn't think about it for long.

  Before she knew what was she was doing, she found herself standing right before him. His arms were open, as if he was expecting a hug, but her greeting was remarkably less welcoming. He and she both looked down in shock at her hand that was piercing his side. She slashed to the side, spilling his guts. Then she pulled it out and stepped back.

  When she had leaped to him, she had unconsciously changed. She had pulled the metallic elements in her body and focused them into her hand, changing it to a small dagger. She had done, without planning to, what she had found impossible when Eiran tried to teach her. It was horrifying. She started to scream telepathically to Eiran.

  Ki released him and he jumped to her, covering her mutated appendage with both hands. He sent her soothing waves even as he changed her hand back to it's normal form. Her fingers were her own again but they were covered in the other man's blood. She felt the hunger rise at the sight. She pushed it back down but could not keep her incisors from lengthening. She kept her mouth shut so that no one could see, but Eiran knew.

  The man she had hurt tabalu'd while Eiran was tending to her hand. He reappeared in the same spot, but there was no wound. He had done it so fast that not one drop of his blood had hit the ground.

  “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Eilam and I was wrong to doubt that you were to be feared.” Eilam bowed to Nathalia, but instead of backing away from her, as his words would indicate, he took a step forward. “You are quite tempting and I find myself less able, or perhaps, less willing to battle my hunger for you. Perhaps that is your strength. We know we should stay away, but are loath to.”

  Nathalia got her strength of will back and spoke to him in her way, I would have thought your hunger for me was satiated at our last meeting.

  Eiran cleared up the confusion, “Eilam is my brother, as is the Akhkharu that attacked you. They are womb mates. Two halves of the same.”

  Twins?

  Yes. This is the one who spoke to you through me when I could not. He is the Guardian of our family line.

  Eilam could not hear what they were saying silently to each other. “I was unaware that you had met my other half. I am sorry you met him first as I am sure to lose favor in your eyes at our likeness. My twin chose the wrong path. I, as second born, took his duty when he abandoned it. ”

  Nathalia made no acknowledgment that he had spoken, but continued to speak to Eiran, How many brothers do you have?

  Just them. We are three when most of our kind are the sole offspring. It is both a blessing and a curse.

  “I apologize for interrupting your internal conversation, but...the blood, Eiran.”

  Nathalia could see that it was beginning to run down her hand and forming little droplets at the ends of her fingers. Soon it would drip off onto the ground, which Eiran had told her was against the rules.

  “I would gladly clean your hand for you, my sweet.” He smiled at Nathalia and she noticed his incisors were half out. He licked his lips when he thought of sucking his blood off of her fingers.

  Do I have to let him, Eiran? She tried not to think about how arousing it had been when his twin brother licked her palm.

  Of course not. I can tabalu us and the blood will go back to Ki..

  Do it. I don't want him to touch me. Nathalia shivered, but kept her eyes on Eilam.

  As soon as permission was given, Eiran acted on it. He wrapped his arms around her and took them away, reforming them a few steps from Eilam. Nathalia kept her eyes closed, trying not to broadcast her sexual delight to the stranger. Knowing that she found such intense pleasure from tabalu, Eiran tucked her behind his body. Eilam could not see her there and she felt secure. She wrapped her arms around Eiran's taut stomach, pressing her breasts against his back.

  “What's wrong, Eiran? Afraid she might enjoy the feel of my mouth? Afraid of a little competition?” Eilam baited Eiran.

  “As always, she commands and I obey. She does not want you to touch her and so I will not allow it.”

  “You could not stop me, third born. She does not wear your mark.”

  “Why do you try to anger your brother? You know she belongs with me. You were there when she chose me. I gave her my birthmark then. She will wear it again when it is time.”

  Nathalia didn't know what they were talking about. She got a flash of herself wearing a necklace when Eiran said 'birthmark', but she was still caught in the throws of passion from tabalu. She was having trouble focusing on anything except her own body. It felt electrically charged. Every cell was infused with Eiran.

  “Maybe she wants to wear another's mark. Maybe mine or maybe our br...”

  Eilam was cut off by a growl coming from deep inside Eiran. It was the same sound Nathalia had heard when she fed the first time. That shepherd had come out of his stupor for long enough to touch her and, apparently, endanger his own life. The sound was scary and comforting at the same time. She knew Eiran would never hurt her, but would destroy anyone who tried. The growl signified a line that no man should cross.

  When Nathalia opened her eyes, after the joy of tabalu had passed, she realized she was protected from view from all angles. Eiran did indeed have wings and they were cocooning her, without touching her. He used them to make a little booth for her to stand behind him in. She reached out and fingered one and a shiver went across it. They were indeed made of skin. Thin soft sensitive skin.

  How come you never showed them to me before?

  Eiran spoke to her in an intimate voice that softly tickled her mind, Before when you were alive, you did not care for my wings. You said they incited devotion when it was undeserved. You said that they made men into religious fanatics. Since then, I have only appeared with them when it was necessary. I am sorry if they frighten you. I do not want to be worshiped, only loved.

  I don't know if I can love you Eiran, but I certainly owe you devotion, with or without the wings. You saved me from death. Then a thought occurred to her, If Eilam is supposed to be the Guardian of our family line, why didn't he watch over me? Guard me? Or my parents?

  Nathalia could feel the anger radiating off of Eiran. She wasn't angry at Eilam, just curious why she didn't illicit prote
ction. Eiran, on the other hand, was furious. He had not thought that his own brother, this one at least, would allow anything so horrible to befall a woman of their line. This was a woman who could have been, and turned out to be, one of their mates. “She would like to know, as would I, why you did not protect her from Michael, the man who hurt her and murdered her parents.” He spat out the words.

  Eilam stroked his dark beard. “I can see, now that she in in my presence, that she is one of our line, but I knew nothing of her branch in the family tree. I did not know she, nor her mother, existed. There is no record of them in our Great Family Records.” Eilam obviously felt no guilt, only confusion. “Will she not speak to me herself?”

  Eiran waited but when she didn't, he answered for her, “There is your answer. I see no need for you to become better acquainted with her mind. You should not have a pathway to her thoughts. Our other brother has already forced that on her.”

  He did what, now?

  He took your blood and now is constantly attempting to contact you, to persuade you to his lifestyle. I have been careful to keep your hair bound in a way to keep him out, as well as garnish that effort with my own considerable strength, but still I feel him there. You have already felt him and heard him inside your head a few times, not knowing what it was. He is lurking, waiting until you or I or both of us are weakened. If that happens then it will be difficult for you to distinguish your own thoughts from his.

  “Yet you speak to her in our way. You have a pathway to her mind. Why you and not us?” Nathalia heard Eilam's voice inside her head, What do you think, my sweet? Does my presence please you? Would you like to come out and tabalu with someone new?

  Could he do that Eiran?

  I do not know, my love. It is possible, since we share the same blood, that he could. Is that what you want?

  Nathalia answered them both, No, only Eiran is for me. As soon as she said it, she heard Eiran echo her.

  I am only for you, Ereshkigal

  They both felt something click into place at those words. There was something magical in those words. Her last bit of resistance to him was gone. She felt it go. She and Eiran were together and nothing could undo it.

  “You are Eiran's true mate and I should have protected you from your parents murderer. I am prepared to take your judgment. I am prepared to be the first to meet his end by your instrument of destiny.”

  “Eilam, she has not yet found the weapon. You have kept us long enough. We have work to do and then we have a long flight back.”

  Flight? Why don't we just tabalu back? Nathalia asked from her hiding place. She was secretly and suddenly very anxious to be alone with Eiran. Her heart (and other places) ached for it.

  Because we will be transporting a prisoner and I cannot tabalu with anyone but you. Come, we need to go down and collect the ashes before the wind carries them away. Would you like to stay hidden?

  Can I? I didn't like the way he looked at me, like a cat looks at a canary.

  The others are likely to look at you the same way. You are the most tempting thing alive. I am sorry; I shouldn't have brought you here. It is like carrying a starving man's favorite food close enough for him to smell it. I just thought you should see the justice circle before you make it obsolete. Here, sit. Eiran adjusted his mammoth wings. One swept around and made a hammock type seat. The other moved to completely block the view of her as she sat. As her bare backside and thighs touched the wing, she thought it might be the softest thing she'd ever felt. It was very comfortable and she felt very secure nestled this way.

  Eiran started walking. Nathalia could see the grass rushing by under her dangling feet. She leaned her head back and looked up to see the bluest sky. Eiran adjusted his wings again so that she was laying down more and opened up so that she could see more of the sky. She chuckled to herself at how silly Eiran must look to everyone else. He was carrying the worlds largest leather backpack. With a woman inside.

  She felt him bend down, but, whatever he was doing, Eiran was being careful not to jostle her. Why did you use that name before when you spoke to me? When you said you were only for me?

  “Ereshkigal was your name when we met. We said those same words to each other on our wedding day. I... it just felt proper to use your old name. I hope it did not upset you, Nathalia.” The tip of his wing curled up and stroked her cheek. She leaned into the caress, even laying a soft kiss on the tender skin. Eiran stiffened.

  I'm sorry, was that wrong to do?

  “Not at all. It was very right. I would have every kiss you wish to bestow. It is only that a little of you given, forces my thoughts to taking more. I want all of you.” Eiran spun around, shifting her from the hammock. They stood face to face within the privacy his wings created.

  His thirsty gaze drank her in. “I have a great need to be alone with you.” He gently brushed a stray hair over her shoulder. His finger traced her collarbone, leaving a warm trail where his finger touched. He leaned in and Nathalia could feel his breath on her neck. He wrapped his arms around her low, resting them gently on the curve of her backside, but forcing their bodies together.

  She hardly knew what she was doing, so filled with sexual tension as she was. The words they had spoken were doing something. She closed her eyes and angled her head to the side to give him a better angle at her neck. She actually heard his incisors lengthen at her offering. She should have been scared but she wasn't. Eiran gently scrapped that sensitive skin over her pulse with his teeth. Her breath hitched and held. His touch made her skin turn inside out. Her nerves were left completely exposed. She shivered as Eiran laid a soft kiss there where her neck met her shoulder. He asked, “Are you afraid of heights?”

  What an odd question. No. Well, maybe a little. Why?

  “Then I would not look down.”

  She did. The ground was passing under them faster than she would have thought possible. Then again, she had been doing a lot of things lately that she had never thought possible. She laughed. When you said we had a long flight, I assumed you meant on an airplane. I didn't think you meant you were 'flying' me home.

  “We could take a flying machine, but it would take some time to procure. The Igigi have summoned you and they do not like to wait.”

  That sobered her up quickly. The Igigi would have answers. The Igigi would be able to explain. Her first thought, after being told that her death was quickly approaching, had been, not that it was too soon to leave the ones she loved but, that this world was filled too many mysteries yet to solve for her to die. She had died, but maybe that was the only way she could cypher the great secrets of the world.

  Chapter 7

  Lamashti found herself in a library. She couldn't remember how she got there, but the trip had been most pleasurable. She was with the Keeper of the Betrayers and his mate, the First, and then she was here. Here was all the way across the globe, in a Daughter's compound in the United States, a southern one from the near ninety percent humidity of the air. Had she tabalu'd? Surely not. Lilitu might be children of the light, but she could not travel in the way of the Nephilim.

  Her attention was quickly rerouted. The Nephilim she sought was right here in this room, staring at her with the most odd look on his face. A pregnant woman, who she didn't recognize, but looked vaguely familiar, was next to him. She was very tempting to Lamashti. Whoever she was, she certainly wasn't carrying a normal human baby.

  Lamashti streaked over to them, never touching the floor. The woman gasped and He who is for the One made a move to intercept Lamashti. The mother-to-be reached out and stopped the all powerful Nephilim with a simple touch to the arm. “I am Maeve, Abbess Interim Primo. The Daughter's of Women welcome all women of power.”

  Maeve mentioned Lamashti's odd abilities and appearance without questioning it. Lamashti felt no obligation to explain herself. “You are the Holy Mother of the One?”

  “That's what he keeps telling me.” She gestured towards her guardian with her head.

  “It is
true. I can see that the One is inside you.” Lamashti turned her attentions back to He who is for the One. “I am hungry as are you. Come, let us feast together.”

  “No, Lamashti. I am not responsible for your nutrition. I am for the One. You must go.”

  Maeve elbowed him in the ribs, “Rude, much? Of course Lamashti is welcome to anything she needs. All I have is yours. We do not turn away hungry women here.”

  “She offers to give what you do not.” Lamashti was getting irritated. The One wasn't even born yet. She couldn't provide for He who is for the One and yet he still rejected Lamashti, just as Keeper of the Betrayers had. These Sinnis were going to be a problem for Lilitu. Perhaps they should put a stop to this before it started. It would be easy enough to kill them. There was only the One, an unborn, and the First.

  The First. Lamashti looked at the Holy Mother again, closely and imagined her without child. This was the woman that the First had remembered with lust. Lamashti's body began to change. The thinness was replaced with toned hardness. She got taller, her legs more shapely. Her face too was changing into something very familiar to Maeve.

  Maeve's hand went over her mouth in disbelief. “Nathalia?” The question was no more than a whisper. When the transformation was complete, it was stunningly accurate. Maeve reached out to Nathalia, but her Guardian stopped her.

  “No, it is a trick.” He stepped between Lamashti and the Holy Mother.

  “I have faced the First and she did not destroy me. The law stands. Lilitu must be provided for. She has offered and I accept.”

  “I will not allow it, Lamashti. Your union would endanger the One.”

  Lamashti's body went back to normal and her face her own. “Your Sinnis is not yet born. You will provide or I will take what is needed from this woman.”

  He who is for the One had no recourse. Lamashti was right: his Sinnis was not born. He nodded his acquiescence to her, “I will provide but you must promise never to take from this woman or her child.”