Transit of Ishtar

by Natalie Gibson

  Nathalia held out her hand to the girl and it was accepted. The girls hand was oddly cool. Maybe she was suffering shock; she had just seen her whole community massacred. Nathalia squeezed reassuringly and the girl squeezed back. She smiled and when the girl smiled back, Nathalia knew there was a problem.

  This was no ordinary girl. This was a vitala, a vampire. Her teeth were all incisors and there may have been more than one row. Her eyes were pitch black, glossy and alien, from lid to lid, corner to corner. It was like looking into the face of a shark. Nathalia gasped, but that was all she had time to do before the vitala swung her around. Nathalia could feel the cool of the metal pressing against her throat. She would be dead in an instant if the vitala had Ereshkigal's dagger.

  A horrible growl came from the doorway where Eiran stood trapped, completely unable to come to Nathalia's aide, barred by her last commands.

  “One step and her head comes off. I know even an angel can't survive that.” She had a thick accent and her voice had an odd quality to it. It was almost like a guardian's voice was under toning her own.

  The vampire pressed the knife against Nathalia's scar, drawing blood and proving her point. Nathalia concentrated and brought her veins and arteries back from the surface, away from the blade. Not fast enough. She could feel two drips making a trail down her neck and between her breasts. She ran her finger up, collecting the blood and bringing the drop to her mouth. It gave her a rush and an idea.

  I am no angel. I am vitala too. I was telling the truth when I said I was here to help you and take you some place safe. I brought my own Nephilim to share with you.

  “I don't believe you. I saw your eyes and they are not like mine.” The knife was really cutting now. A normal woman would already be dead by now, with a kitchen knife embedded a half inch in her throat.

  No they're not like yours, but I'm obviously not human or I wouldn't be standing. You were made by an Akhkharu. I was made by him. My maker's blood is untainted, because I don't allow him to feed.

  “Allow! Women do not allow or forbid the Masters to do anything. Your lie is easy to see through.”

  It's true; I am in control. He took my virginity and allowed me to live. He's a fool and his weakness for women gave me the upper hand.

  There was at least a spark of truth to what she was saying. 603 had heard the Master speak about that. She had even been in charge of killing any virgin the Master took pleasures from. She knew he feared them and never allowed them to live for long afterwards. 603 pulled the knife a little way out from Nathalia's throat.

  Look at him. Do you think he would still be over there if I wasn't holding him fast?

  The Nephilim was thrashing around and growling, but his feet hadn't moved. Maybe she was telling the truth. 603 licked her lips. She had not tasted holy blood since the night of her change and then she had been repulsed by it, unable to truly enjoy the offering being made.

  Allow me to prove it. I will feed from him. Feel free to keep the knife in place and watch me. She said nothing to Eiran that the vitala couldn't hear, and she hadn't been keeping her side of the conversation from him. The truth of it would make this act more believable. Her voice took on a harder edge. Crawl to me. Your blood is mine.

  It was obvious Eiran didn't want to do it, but her command was actually impossible to resist. She did have the power over him. That part was no act. He crawled across the dirt floor towards the two women. 603 stiffened and angled to keep Nathalia between herself and the unbelievably strong male who appeared submissive but could at any point do them both in without breaking a sweat.

  When he reached them, his arm shook as he raised it slowly, offering it to Nathalia. “My blood is yours.” She took his arm and jerked it up to her mouth, being more violent than necessary to prove her nature to the vitala. 603 stood on her tip toes to get a better view as Nathalia bit down, but she was so tall and hard to see over. She was making suckling sounds and Nephilim blood ran down his arm. Eiran moaned, sounding like the feeding was very pleasurable. He was looking up at her in such an enraptured way, as if she were the smartest most beautiful woman in the world.

  603 had feasted on the blood of the women who lived here and should have been satisfied, but she wasn't. She wanted the holy blood. She decided to try to make a trade. In a flash she dropped the knife from Nathalia's throat and dashed across the room. Though she knew it would hurt, she reached into the sphere of power and dragged a girl out.

  Nathalia lifted her head from Eiran's arm. The puncture wounds in her lip healed up as soon as she pulled her teeth out, but the vitala didn't see. Eiran clutched the arm, holding it close to his body. 603 thought it was because of the injury or pain, but it was really to keep Nathalia's blood from hitting the floor. He couldn't very well tabalu. It would ruin Nathalia's clever ruse.

  603 held the woman, obviously one of the sisters, by her hair and pressed the knife to her lower stomach. The vamps arm was smoldering and obviously pained her, though she ignored it. She and her prisoner crossed towards Nathalia and the still crouching Eiran.

  Yes, a trade. How very thoughtful of you. I will take the woman and you can taste him. His blood is quite useful, but bores me.

  “I do intend to make a trade, but this is just an ordinary girl, hardly a fair offering to someone with such power. She's nothing except a bargaining chip.” Nathalia was uncertain where this was going, so she let the vampire continue. 603 gestured to the capacitors. “It burns worse than the sun in there, but she can bring them out.” She kneed the girl in the kidney, making her 'ooff'. “Do it! or I'll cut out your other ovary. And not one of those stony ones this time, give us a nice juicy live one.”

  The Sister was crying. Nathalia could see that there was a hole in her stomach where, presumably, the vitala had removed a reproductive organ. That was the worst thing that could be done to a Daughter of Women, eliminating her bloodline. Nathalia could feel it when the woman pulled power from the capacitors. The blackness that Nathalia had become so intimately familiar with, was hurting the witch, but she had to pull from the communal pool to work some kind of magic.

  A capacitor slowly began to separate herself from the group. She moved slowly, but not because she was long into her years there and mostly stone. She was enthralled, unable to keep herself from moving toward the Sister. Nathalia could tell she had not been plugged in long, maybe a year or two, but she was very charged. She gave off a slight glow.

  “She's not as delectable as them,” she gestured towards Eiran, “but she's more than human and tastes better too. What do you think of my offering? Fair trade?”

  Nathalia couldn't allow the blood sucker to get a hold of a holy one so she shook her head yes, and gestured to Eiran that he should go to the vampire. She couldn't think of anything to get the injured woman out of the line of fire and to safety. It was about to get bad in here and she wished there was a way to spare these women the sight of it. This whole situation was too horrible to think about. All this violence in a storage room in front of the magically charged holy capacitors!? A vampire drinking from one of them!

  Nathalia crossed to the capacitor, sending waves of reassurance and safety. She had to continue the ruse, but would not risk upsetting a holy one. She made sure both the sister and capacitor knew that they were being saved. No harm would come to them from her nor her guardian. She took the radiating woman into her arms and dipped her like a ballroom dancer. She finished off the image as she had before, by putting her mouth to the skin and biting through her own lip to draw enough blood to be smelled by the vampire.

  Nathalia sent a question to Eiran, This vitala was not always this way. Is there any way to save her?

  There is no redemption for one such as she. Whoever she was before the Akhkharu converted her, that woman is dead, replaced with this monster. Look, even now after her Master has abandoned her, she is doing his bidding. She mutilates and kills to garner power for Eitan.

  The vampire woman was covered in thin light scars of varying a
ges. As they all watched she sliced herself and her prisoner all over the legs and arms. Hers healed up quickly but the sister's did not. It was obvious that if the woman had once been whole, the corrupted blood had damaged her mind irrevocably.

  “Make him come to me, crawling, like he did for you.” Thinking the exchange complete, she dropped the bleeding prisoner to the floor.

  Nathalia had placed the holy one back in the sphere and was standing over the fallen comrade in a second and the next, the battle was over. Nathalia had released Eiran with a word and he had moved in, dispatching the vitala as humanely as possible.

  As he carried the body up to allow Ud's light to eviscerate that evil, Nathalia tried to sooth the injured sister. She couldn't tell if the woman's injuries were mortal, but they were nasty, especially the forced organ donation locale. She thought about using her blood to heal the wounds, but didn't want to risk conversion.

  She called to the only person she knew who might be able to help, Nanae Raphael, It is Ereshkigal of the Kafziel family line. I am returned. I mean you no harm as I can feel your mind is uncorrupted by brethren blood. Please come to me. An Akhkharu has attacked the Sisterhood cloister near Gish Abay, Ethiopia. He and his children have slaughtered all but one and she's hurt. She could be a 'Sinnis Ina Ummum Zumru' for you or some other worthy Nephilim.

  Nanae, the healer, shimmered into existence slightly to Nathalia's side. Having tabalu'd here, he was of course, naked. He certainly had nothing to be ashamed of in that area, Nathalia thought in passing. He was tall, like all Nephilim (They weren't called giants in ancient times for nothing.), but he was shorter than most at only six foot. He was stockier than Eiran, muscles rippling beneath taut tan skin when he moved. His dirty blond hair was tied back and lay down his spine in a tight plat.

  His voice was like that of all Nephilim, beautifully mesmerizing and frighteningly inhuman, “I knew of these Daughters, though I have no family line here”.

  He had not hesitated to come to their aid, but his steps did falter when he saw who had sent the plea. He went down to one knee. “Abbess Primo Nathalia. I heard a rumor that the first had been converted, but had no idea it was you. I am the servant and healer to all our brethren family and am truly honored to be called upon by the first Sinnis Ina Ummum Zumru”

  Nathalia remembered him too. He had come to Austin to help Marcie recover when she was abducted by an Akhkharu. Marcie had been a prisoner of the evil one for many hours and had sustained horrible wounds and seen what most people couldn't even imagine. Nanae had helped save her life and that of her unborn daughter.

  “I, like all our kind, am happy the first has been made, but having known you, I am thrilled to see it is you. I find you much changed and it seems to suit you very well. I am honored to serve you under any name.”

  Thank you. Please don't stand on ceremony now. Not when there's a woman that needs your help.

  She gestured that he should come forward and he did. He knelt on the opposite side and ran his hands the length of the woman's body, pausing briefly over her worst wound. He was mere inches from Nathalia but showed no hunger for her.

  “She will live. I cannot replace the organ that is missing, but she will be able to bear children.” He began singing and the smaller slices healed up immediately.

  Have you found your mate? Nathalia sat back on her heels. She did not see any other way this one could be resisting her involuntary call when the others could not.

  Nanae never looked up from his work, “Sadly no.”

  Perhaps there's a magical reason keeping you from finding her. That had his attention. His eyes were locked with hers now and she could see there was hunger deep within them. The beast was there, but carefully leashed. Perhaps it was from his years of healing, his extreme exposure to blood. You were there on the night that I died. The man I killed had a binding over me more strong than anything Eiran had ever seen. It kept my mate from locating me, but once it was broken, he pinpointed me instantly.

  She did not tell him that the binding spell had only been achieved by the brutal murder of her parents nor that it had been wielded by a man who used it to torture her for years. He would not want to think of his loved one, even if she was unknown to him, in that kind of life. She also didn't share with him her sneaking suspicion that it wasn't the binding that blocked Eiran, but something the Igigi were doing. 'Those who see and observe' meddled a lot more in human life than anyone else realized. She planned to end that interference.

  “Thank you, Ereshkigal”

  Nanae paused his work for long enough to take Nathalia's hand and bring it to his mouth. He laid a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. It felt very chaste, like a subject might treat his queen. It obviously didn't look that way to Eiran because a thunderous growl shook the walls of the sanctuary.

  Eiran had come back from dirty disposal of the bodies of Eitan's 'children' to find another Nephilim kissing his beloved. He did not like the way that sight brought the beast so close to the surface. He had not just taken a small portion of the beast and it's hunger from Nathalia after seeing the slaughter. He had taken it all unto himself. Now it threatened to take control. He let out another growl and the wounded sister murmured.

  Nathalia snatched her hand back from Nanae, but he knew better than to make any sudden movements. “I am no threat to you, Eiran, and I meant no offense. I can see the battle has left you both tired and hungry. I offer my residence to you. It is very near here and there are servants from whom you can take nourishment.”

  The thought of Eiran with a female maid or cook in his arms made Nathalia quiver with jealousy. We take our nourishment from each other.

  Eiran had Nathalia up and behind him in what could have been described as a fluid almost dance-like movement, if Nathalia wasn't so aware of the anger radiating from Eiran. She had brought Nanae here and now he was in danger. She thought to disarm the situation with some flirting. Come, Eiran. I need your prana and maybe a bed to lay on while I take it.

  Nanae offered again, “Then please use my home to do so. I will be here with this one for a few hours so you will have complete privacy.”

  Eiran gave the competitor one last growl before taking Nathalia in his arms. As he dissolved their molecules, Nathalia realized Nanae was being spared Eiran's anger but there would be no escape for her.

  ***

  Nanae's home was small, but richly furnished and refreshingly cool in the incredibly hot Ethiopian summer. Nathalia had warned the servants and compelled them to go away for a while. Eiran had not spoken a word since he found Nanae kissing Nathalia's hand. He only growled and snapped at her when she had insisted they retire in the bedroom. He was setting up his magical safeguards on the bedroom door.

  Nathalia eased herself down on the bed and slipped under the covers. She moved her arms and legs around soaking up the cool of the sheets. It felt like ages since she'd laid in a real bed, and this one was certainly that. The bedding was a high thread count but felt light. It had a rich mahogany headboard and a brass bed crown with hand woven mosquito netting that could be closed to protect the sleeper from pests. Well, Nathalia thought, they couldn't have everlasting mosquitoes flying around out there.

  You're hungry. I can't feel it, so you must be holding it back. We're alone now. Just let me have my half of the hunger.

  Eiran sounded like he was trying to speak but couldn't. His voice rumbled like a lion and Nathalia thought she caught a couple of words through the roar. The bed felt so good. She kicked her leg out from under and laid it on top of the covers, exposing everything from toe to waist on the right side. She closed her eyes and patted the bed next to her.

  Her lids snapped open when Eiran emitted a rumbling that sounded more like an avalanche than an animal growl. He had finished his precautions on the entrance and was standing to her side, not the side she wanted him to take but the side with her naked leg. He was staring at her skin and he looked different to her.

  His chest was heaving and he was sweating. Sh
e tried to slip her leg back under the bedding, but he latched on to her ankle and kept her from concealing herself. He leaned over the bed and sniffed her from toe to knee, then thigh to waist. His other hand shackled her wrist and he brought it to his face. It was the hand that Nanae had kissed and Eiran did not enjoy the smell of another man on her. He rubbed his face on her hand, replacing the smell with his own. When he looked up and met her gaze, she did not see the leashed savage. Though not the solid red of an Akhkharu, full flames raged in his oculus. His jaw hung loose and she could see his incisors were fully extended.

  Eiran? She asked softly. When she reached out she saw his mind was ablaze like his eyes. He had lost the battle with his beast. It was at the surface now and she had to find a way to tame it. But why? Why did she have to tame it? Nathalia was enjoying this show of jealous intensity. It was so unlike Michael's brand of the same. His was borne from confidence and a feeling of ownership. Eiran's was based in his doubt and uncertainty that if given a choice she would chose him.

  The beast that was Eiran tugged her foot, jerking the lower half of her body from under the duvet. Nathalia let him, after all the beast would be satiated after a feeding. It was what they came here for. She wanted this too.

  Holding one of her ankles in each hand, he pulled her to the edge of the bed and planted her feet firmly on the ground. He knelt, putting his knees on top of her feet to keep them there. He ran his palms up her calves to the very sensitive spot behind her knees. He pulled her knees even further forward and separated them.

  He inserted his shoulders between her sprawled legs and slid his hands up the backs of her thighs to her ass, lifting it, forcing her to her tip toes. He brought her opening to his mouth instead of bending his head to taste her. He spread her labia apart and launched an all out assault on her clitoris.

  He sucked it inside his mouth and raked his teeth over it again and again. This was not the gentle lover that took her virginity and Nathalia was enjoying it. Maeve had often commented on how odd it was that Nathalia liked such rough clit play and it had taken a long time to convince her that really was what Nathalia wanted. Not so with Eiran. Just a few sessions with him and he knew exactly what she wanted. His aggression sent waves of oscillating anxiety and arousal down her spine. Deep inside her something melted and she moaned in a way that only he could hear.