Transit of Ishtar

by Natalie Gibson

  Eitan stood to one side. He had been leaning against the door frame, but once the killing started, his stance had become a little more attentive. He was practically quivering with excitement. He was puffed with power, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. All this violence had added to his strength; it was like steroids to the Akhkharu. It also acted as a beacon to other corrupted Nephilim. Eitan thought he had tricked Ereshkigal into enticing them this direction, but it was what she wanted. She wanted all Nephilim, corrupted and pure alike, to witness what she was about to do.

  Nathalia's hand returned to normal and she flexed the newly reformed fingers. They were a little sore from the extended time in short sword shape. She was covered in blood and was patting her hands dry on her jeans when she felt their arrival. His arrival. She breathed a breath of relief at having him close again before sending a message to the Nephilim below. I am preparing to rid this world of the first. Ereshkigal request that all who can, come bear witness.

  She called out to Ki silently asking her to once again hold her own children, Nephilim and Akhkharu alike this time. Nathalia left herself, Eitan, and Eiran unencumbered.

  Eiran bolted through the open door, both hands out as if he would strangle Eitan, and ran towards his brother. His war cry was cut off abruptly and he found he was stuck in mid-stride. His body, seemingly of it's own free will, turned slowly and walked back to Nathalia, who stood in the center of the room amidst the remnants of a slaughter. Her arm was outstretched towards him. Her bloody fingers extended in a claw-like fashion. Their slight movements brought his body to life, inching to her and his death. She had developed the virginity-control bond so that she could manipulate him with not only a word, but a motion.

  Eitan's laughter rang out. The great hall was filled with it. “I am glad you took my advise. Eiran was always a sucker for a virgin, allowing them to rule his life for the remainder of theirs. He should have killed you after, as I would have, but I find myself glad he did not. You will make a fine companion for me, my sweet. You are much more suited for the life of that I can provide. Your scars tell me your human life prepared you, gave you a taste for it.” He took a few steps forward, slipping between two trapped Nephilim. Again he laughed. “I would wager that he was sweet with you, sensitive, not allowing you to experience the painful tearing of your maidenhood. Such a shame. To take that from you is a crime. Did you speak of love, brother? I am sure you did. Here is a little secret 'your love' been keeping from you. She does not want amour and pleasure but pain. I share her mind like you will never do. Her psyche was damaged by her human man, suiting her to my desires exactly. That, at least, I have to thank the Igigi for. Think back to your time together. Did she respond better when you were gentle and 'making love' or when you were aggressive, giving your beast rein to take her roughly? Your eyes tell me you hear the truth of it. Drain him quickly Ereshkigal We heard the anguished scream of a Nephilim calling to a dying child. Our work here is done. We must move, build our strength through the pain of one another along the way, and then confront the Igigi.”

  Nathalia lengthened her incisors, allowing every being in the room to see them, as she drew Eiran closer. He spoke to her on a private link, Your trick will not work this time. He will not fall for a fake feeding like a common vitala.

  That's why I don't plan to fake it. Everything slowed for Nathalia then. As Eiran crept closer, she could smell the dirt clinging to his body, signaling what area of the world he had rested in while they were apart. She could hear his heart pumping his prana dense blood throughout his chiseled masculine body. She could see the fear in his eyes now that he knew what she intended to do. There was another emotion behind that. She could sense that he was excited by the idea of being bitten and fed off of by her.

  Nathalia reached up with her right hand, fisting the hair on the top of his head, and tugged it to the side, exposing his jugular. His pulse jumped at her touch. Her left hand slid up his arm and came to rest on his shoulder, holding it for her feeding. Her tongue darted out, tasting the sweat first, and he shuddered. She scraped her teeth along the ridge of his neck, sending his nerves into overdrive. Enough foreplay; she could no longer contain herself. She bit down hard, slicing through every layer, opening the vein.

  The first gush came with such a rush that she barely tasted it. It went straight to her head, an immediate high like she had never known, not even in her drug experimentation phase as a teen. She was floating, no more than that. She was air. Everything dissolved, including her body. She was made of the elements and they were fueling and consuming each other at an incredible rate. The second gulp brought her back to reality and her body as the blood rolled across her tongue filling her thoughts with the taste of him. He was everything delicious she had ever tasted. Spicy and soothing, savory and salty, sour and sweet, she could not imagine ever craving another thing. His blood was more than water to a man in the desert; it was more than air to a drowning man. It was the ailment and the cure, the desire and the satisfaction. It was pure prana and could replace all other life's necessities. There was only the blood and the pleasure and she drank both up.

  Nathalia knew she would need this again and again. If this was what it was like for all Nephilim when they drank the blood of another, no wonder they had no resistance to it. Once they had given in to the beast, it knew what it was fighting for. It was more than an instant addiction. It was as if by taking a drug, she had become the drug. She was the dose and the drug was the universe.

  When the flow stopped, her head cleared. Doubtless this was why Eitan had moved on to her bone marrow, once her blood was gone. The high only lasted as long as the feeding took. The room around her was silent. The Nephilim and Akhkharu had been forced to watch as she broke the law. Their Ereshkigal, who was supposed to judge them all fairly and execute them humanely, was now tainted by evildoing. She had told them she had choice but none thought this would be it.

  I love you, Nathalia. Eiran's arms, that had been caressing her back as she fed, now fell limply to his sides. Nathalia cradled him to her while trying to look triumphant to Eitan, who had clearly enjoyed her little display.

  Eiran, while totally unconscious and unable to control his body, was not dead. It took more than a draining to kill a Nephilim. Nathalia used her virginity control bond to hold him upright, even demonstrating that she could still manage him if his body had no life in it with a few small jovial marionette-like steps. We can bring him with us, Eitan. He heals fast. He can be our never ending fount. I cannot die so he cannot rid himself of my dominance.

  Eitan clapped and the sound echoed around the sanctuary. He did not try to stop her or move away when she went to him. Ereshkigal had come back and this time she had chosen the right brother. Eitan and Ereshkigal would rule this world and that of the Igigi, together. Their reign of terror and malice would never end. Eitan kissed his new queen and recoiled at the flavor.

  “Illusionist! You tricked me. You taste of your own blood. Did you think that I, having tasted it so recently, would not recognize it? Foolish woman. Did you believe your trick would get you close enough to take the dagger from me?” Eitan held Nathalia tightly with one arm and the other held the weapon out far out of her reach. With a small chuckle, Eitan threw the knife down with all his strength. The bone blade shattered against the stone floor.

  NO! Ancient Ancestress damn you, Eitan. There was no trick. I did drink his delicious blood and will do it again whenever I wish. That was truth. I needed that dagger to wage war against the Shinar. Nathalia didn't struggle to get away from Eitan, but instead used her strength to start the spell.

  “I am not stupid, my sweet. Your little ploy did buy you some time, but what else did it get you? You are in my possession and the weapon is destroyed. You would have used it against us. You needed it to kill me.” Eitan nuzzled her neck, savoring the moment right before he fed.

  That's where you're wrong. You could have used it to kill other Nephilim, me included. If it weren't for the comi
ng war with the Shinar, I would be glad you smashed it. I have the ability to kill you with or without the weapon.

  Nathalia heard the click of his lengthening incisors and knew she was out of time. If he drained her, she wouldn't have the power to finish the spell. She used her free hand to tear the neckline of her shirt, exposing Eiran's birthmark. It glowed and hummed, live and waiting, beneath her skin in the hollow of her neck just below the jagged scar of her suicide. There was a collective gasp at the sight of it. No one had ever seen a birthmark given, be so completely accepted as to become an actual part of the recipient.

  Eitan froze, enthralled by the ruby red radiance. Nathalia spoke so that everyone in the room could hear, I, Ereshkigal of the Kafziel family line, Chosen Warrior, have witnessed this, our brother's, depravity. Eitan Kafziel killed his mate, destroying all hope for his salvation. Having broken the law and feasted on the blood of your brothers, you have lost the ability to control your cells. You are no longer Nephilim, guardian of mankind, but Akhkharu, addicted to violence, and as such you are found guilty in our eyes. The sentence is lasting death, from which none can regenerate.

  Nathalia called Eitan's lifeline to the surface, and jumped back away from him, bringing his silver thread of life with her. It arched between them, held fast to Eitan, but unable to resist attraction to Nathalia's birthmark power stone. No one but Nathalia could see it. That was the power the stone had given her. She had become the Ereshkigal, Atropos, Beletseri and Morta of legend. She could snip through the thread of life of any living creature at the time of her choosing.

  Eitan, seeing his time was short, argued, “You drank Eiran's blood. We all saw you. You admitted to it and that you would do it again, if given the chance. You cannot pass judgment on me when you too are guilty of breaking the law!”

  The wait is over. The time of mating is upon us. The laws have changed. You should have had the strength that your brothers had, never straying from the path of righteousness, never betraying the brotherhood. If you had stayed true and had not killed your mate, you would not now have to come to an end. She could have provided everything to you, including the blood that you couldn't wait for, but now she is gone and so must you be also.

  With that, Nathalia grabbed the silver string, stretching it tight between her fists, and brought it to her mouth. A small click of her razor sharp teeth and the thread of life was cut. She dropped both ends, which floated down to the hollow of her neck, where the birthstone waited patiently for it's prana offering. They connected with their goal and began to reel in the rest of life from Eitan.

  His death cry was horrific as the string tore from the places it was sewn throughout his body. Nathalia was held, forced to stare as Eitan died. As the silver thread of life unstitched itself, he came unseamed. It looked for a moment that his blood was boiling, but then as his skin broke down, rolling rocks could be seen replacing his flesh and bones.

  It was over in an instant. As the last prana pulled from him and joined Nathalia's birthmark, his body returned to the elements from which it was made. There was a flash as flame ate the air and then a pile of earth laying in a puddle of water was all that remained. Every Nephilim there could see that there was no life, no prana, left in this pile. The second of them was truly dead, both by her hand.

  Nathalia rushed to Eiran, tearing open her wrist on the way. She put it to his lips and commanded him to drink. At first the blood only slid down his throat, but then he began to swallow. He soaked up the blood like a sponge and it permeated his flesh, replacing that which Nathalia had taken. When he had enough Nathalia stopped the flow and stood to address the waiting. Eiran, his head now clear of the feeding high, cringed with the knowledge that he had again broken the law and taken her blood.

  I did not lie to Eitan. The law has now changed with my conversion. It is not abolished, but altered. It still stands that none is to taste the blood of another Nephilim. Those who do will be brought to a justice circle. If the One finds then that his mate is gone from this world by either his own hand or by his inattention to protecting his family line, then I will furnish his final death. If She says it is still possible that his mate lives, he will be punished by Ud and imprisoned until that Sinnis Ina Ummum Zumru can be found.

  It is not against the law to feed from your mate in any way that she accepts. Once she has been converted, she carries a similar enough, if not the same, blood as you. That is how I was able to feed from and feed Eiran and not turn Akhkharu.

  Eiran spoke to her alone, That is how you crossed the gisig when it was made only for me. The veil could not distinguish between us. You have known all this time.

  No, my love. I don't deserve the credit you give me. It took more than one piece for me to decipher the puzzle. She turned returning the love she saw in his eyes. Hold me, Eiran. Tabalu us away from here.

  She spoke to the assembly, but aimed the personal message to Eiran. A mate who can move through time and space with you, from whom you can take nourishment and satisfaction only if you are willing to give her the same: this is your reward for having withstood temptation and apathy through your long life. Cherish her, protect her, and love her. Though our battle with evil is far from over, your Sinnis Ina Ummum Zumru is your small reprieve. You have earned it.

  As they dissolved, proving that the exchange of blood between Sinnis and Nephilim did not corrupt, Ki released her children. Free, they scattered, carefully avoiding contact with what had been Eitan. Nephilim tabalu'd. Akhkharu ran. Word of what had happened would spread quickly. No one noticed the man in the security guard jacket slipping a sliver of the shattered dagger into his pocket.

  Chapter 14

  In her fourth, out of six, hour of transit, Venus was moving very slowly across Ud's face, obstructing the view of the sun, only visible itself as a result of the contrast. The tiny black orb could be seen as a dot against the large bright ball, tangible proof that Ki and her inhabitants were not the center of the solar system. Even the center of the solar system was not the heart of the galaxy and certainly not the nexus of the universe.

  The thought made Nathalia feel small, even after such a victory. She was the First, but not the One. She was thankful for the reminder of her place in the cosmos. It helped remind her of what her priorities should be. She didn't know if her animosity towards the Igigi was valid or if it had come from Eitan. She had plenty of things to do before she had to worry about that.

  Almost everyone was gathered in the sanctuary where the specially designed roof that multiplied the moonlight at night, dimmed the burning rays of the sun during the day enough for them to observe the transit. It occurred in a pattern that repeated every 243 years with pairs of transits eight years apart, so this ceremony was less jelled than their other more routine ones. It was more an occasion than a function. They did not worship Venus, but rather just had a party in her honor. After all, they had so much to celebrate. The Daughters had doubled their ranks by allowing men to join and already, after only a few days, could feel the rightness of the alteration. Like a metal alloy, having been through the fire together, they were made stronger.

  Nephilim were, while not relishing the loss of their secrecy, willing to try things her way for a while. She insisted that their cooperation with the Daughters would also strengthen both groups. She believed she and Eiran were proof of that. Her conversion and their complete integration had tamed the beast. Existence without it's gnawing, ever distractive hunger, allowed them both to live more fully, while shouldering their responsibilities more easily. They would always have each other. Nathalia danced a little closer to Eiran, happy that he had kept his Hunger in check for so long and proud she could provide relief from such a burden.

  Others crushed into them, but not in an unpleasant way. Without the demand to kill and consume beating at them, Eiran and Nathalia could enjoy the company of others, human and Nephilim. The room was filled with both along with love and magic. The floor with covered with dancing people wearing dress whites. Spun and woven by
hand at a Sister Abbey, infused with magical blessings and protections and soaked in the basking white pure joy of the capacitors, they were normally reserved for weddings and other high ranking events. Today everyone wore at least one piece of the holy material. Only a few people were missing the festivities. Camilla was downstairs in the storage room; there were still pregnancies to be protected. Maeve, Aaron, Harith, and Nanae were in the medical wing. Billy, ashamed of his attempt on Nathalia's life, had refused to come back to the compound at all. Sensing their son needed some time to sort things out, Leonard and Libby had gone on their anniversary trip.

  The Nephilim in the room were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the One, who was to be born during the Transit of Venus. They watched expectantly as their Healer made his way through the crowd toward Ereshkigal and Eiran. The Daughters (and Sons: they expanded the membership, why not adjust the name) did not suspect it would happen today, a full month ahead of Maeve's due date, and so took no note of the healer's approach. Jolie, whose due date was today, had delivered a few weeks ago after being confined to bed rest immediately following Eitan's attack on the One. Marcie, who lived off grounds, and was further into her pregnancy than either woman, had still not delivered. Nathalia suspected that the two women's exposure to the collected energy of the capacitors had advanced their pregnancies and Nanae's announcement confirmed her notion.

  “Maeve has delivered a beautiful healthy daughter. Holy mother and child are doing perfectly well.” A cheer went up and the celebrating blossomed in earnest, stealing attention back away from Nanae before he could continue. “Ereshkigal of the Kafziel family line, having served my brothers, their families and my own, I seek the final death by your hand.”