by Unknown
“I'm glad you're hungry,” he pulled out a chair for me before taking the one on my right, at the head of the table.
“Just feed me, Seymour” I grumbled.
“Immediately, my goddess,” he chuckled and snapped his fingers.
The slew of servants rushed forward and began filling our plates. I inhaled deep as a gold plate laden with stewed meat, warm flatbread, and roasted vegetables was set before me. There was a bowl filled with pieces of chicken in thick gravy and also a dish of olives placed around my main plate and then a glass of something red went nearby.
“It's just juice,” Re waved at the goblet.
“You and I both know that doesn't matter,” I huffed. “This baby's not going to be hurt by a little alcohol.”
“Well, just the same,” he shrugged. “Children should be cared for even before they're born.”
“Go on, Re” I said as I took a bite and then groaned in delight.
“With what?” He asked innocently.
“Your spiel,” I huffed. “You have me here, now say what you wanna say.”
“Alright,” he put his glass down and his expression went serious. “I didn't want to fall in love with you, Vervain. I didn't want to be a part of your complicated life or be counted as one of your numerous lovers. But we connected, we shared things, and since you don't remember the sharing, I want to tell you about it now.”
“Perhaps it would be best to just forget it all, Re,” I reached out a hand and touched his fingers gently. “There's a faerie spell for that. I can just take it away.”
“I am not forgetting,” he snatched up my hand and held it to his stunning face.
Even in the midst of this frustrating situation, I couldn't keep from admiring him. He was just that beautiful. And I knew his heart was even more beautiful. He was kind and generous and he'd been a good friend to me. He just wasn't thinking clearly at the moment. Love and lust can do that to you, make you behave like an imbecile. I, above anyone else, knew that and I tried to remember it, tried to remember that Re had been there for me. He had helped me get through my time with Anubis and he'd gone to war beside me... a war that had nothing to do with him and everything to do with me. The least I could do was give him some respect and hear him out.
“Alright,” I said and gently pulled my hand away.
“I can't stop seeing you beneath me, above me, all around me,” his voice lowered to a dangerously sexy tone and I began to rethink the whole hearing him out idea. “Your face is everywhere I look. Even, no, especially when I close my eyes. There you are, taunting me, saying such sweet things to me. Your words are worse than your face, they seduce and enthrall.”
“Damn it all,” I swore and looked away. “I'm so sorry, Re. I thought you'd forget me on your own but now I see that I should have helped you. Maybe if I had, you would have been able to move past this already.”
“No,” he leaned close and I found myself caught in his golden stare, caught in the scent of burning frankincense wafting from his tawny hair. Those long-lashed bedroom eyes were luring me in, turning my thoughts into traitors. I couldn't help it, sex practically oozed from him. It was in every angle of his face and every curve of his body. He lifted an elegant hand and candlelight glinted in the gold shimmer on his skin. I was caught like a snake, hypnotized by the light as he laid a warm palm to my face and whispered, “I'm in love with you and it's not something I can move past.”
“You're not in love with me,” I broke the charm and pulled away. “The future Re is, the future Re who will never be.”
“How much of those memories did you see, Vervain?” Re pressed me. “Tell me the truth.”
“Enough,” I swallowed hard and looked away.
“Months worth?” He continued. “Weeks? Days? Hours? How much?”
“I'm not sure exactly,” I frowned. “But it was enough to see that we loved each other.”
“No, not nearly enough,” he was whispering again, his voice dripping over my skin like melted butter. “If you had seen enough, I wouldn't have had to lure you here, you would have come on your own.”
“I saw the amazing chemistry we had together,” I sat back, away from him, and put a hand to my belly. His eyes drifted down to it and then darted to the side. “Yes, Re, I'm pregnant, in case you've forgotten. With another man's child. A dragon's child in fact. How can you even look at me with lust?”
“Because I love you,” he brought his gaze back to mine resolutely, dropping it pointedly to my belly before bringing it back up again. “Because you will not always be pregnant. You will have the baby and then I will have you.”
“No,” I sighed deeply. “I don't love you and you only think you love me. Those memories aren't really yours. They never had the chance to be made.”
“Of course they're mine,” he gaped at me. “How can you not understand? I may not be headed down the same path but I lived it once and you brought back a connection to it. You gave me the memories, and what are we, if not our memories? Why do we love people, if not for the past we've shared with them? And how do memories from a non-existent future differ from memories of the past?”
“But I don't love you,” I said again and watched him wince. “How can I not feel the way you do, if these memories are true?”
“Because you haven't had the right perspective,” his expression hardened once more and suddenly started to go blurry. I blinked and swayed. His hand shot out and steadied me. “They were my memories, you see? You need to relive your own.”
I swayed again and he got up, pushing back my chair so he could lift me out of it.
“What are you doing?” I felt the words slur on my tongue. “What did you do?” I knew that feeling, that weightless, blissful apathy. “Did you give me Net?!”
“Just a little,” his face was going in and out of focus for me. “Enough so I don't have to fight you when I cast the spell.”
“Where did you even get Net?” I blinked in confusion. “Hades kicked Pasithea out of the Underworld and destroyed all the poppies.”
“Do you really think she didn't have some poppy seeds stored for a rainy day?” Re shook his head at my naivete.
“Wait... what did you say about a spell?” I tried to be concerned but I just wasn't. Nothing seemed to matter except the wonderful lassitude stretching through my limbs.
“I'm casting a spell on you,” he laid me down on something soft and then his face filled my vision. “I am the greatest of the Egyptian gods, Lala. The creator. I have many spells at my disposal and if you can't remember me, then I will make you remember.” He laid a gentle kiss on my forehead and chanted, “Tudhkar lana.”
Over and over he spoke those words as his eyes began to brighten. They went so bright that I had to close my own against their radiance. As soon as I did, something shot into me, some kind of burning connection. Perhaps it connected me with my future self, the one that would never be. Maybe, somewhere in the web of time, she had been waiting, languishing in stasis, just for an opportunity like this. A chance to share her past with me. Whatever it was, the memories of my evaded future surged into me and sucked me down.
“Beware the Eye of Re,” I whispered.
Chapter Eleven
For one brief second, I knew I was trapped in memories and I looked down in horror to find that Rian was gone, I wasn't pregnant. But then even that small knowledge faded and the memories I was never meant to have, took over and became all too real.
“Are you okay?” Kirill found me hiding in a corner and he blocked my view of the rest of the ballroom with his body.
“No,” I whispered, afraid to even speak too loud.
Any sort of emotion might throw me into a tailspin... a lust-spin. Ever since Odin had left, my lioness had begun to get restless. It started with just a little ache in my gut, then had progressed slowly into this all-consuming need that would tingle through my limbs, making me weak until I fed it with sex. That was fine and all, my husbands were more than happy to comply, except th
e need didn't go away entirely. Even after giving into the lust, it would still be there, coiled in my belly and waiting to strike again.
Kirill knew exactly what was wrong; I didn't have enough lions in my pride. I know, that sounds silly when I have over a hundred of them now, but the pride my lioness was concerned about was the one we made totally ours; my lovers. I was now one lover short of making her happy and when Mama Lioness wasn't happy, no one was happy.
“Hold onto me,” Kirill whispered. “Press yourself into me, let her feel another Intare.”
I did as he instructed and the beast inside me eased back just enough for me to think, to get a little control. I exhaled roughly against his crisp, white, dress shirt and then pressed my ear to his wide chest so I could hear the pounding of his heart. His lion heart. The lioness gave a little possessive purr and eased back further. I was okay, I could do this.
“Is she alright?” Trevor came in beside us and behind him was Azrael, his midnight wings spread out a little to hide us even further from any curious stares.
We were at a wedding in Duat, the Egyptian Underworld, and no one wanted to make a scene. I especially, didn't want to ruin the day for Anubis, who had finally found his bride and was blissfully happy. She was an amazing woman even though she was technically a demon. I, of all people, would never hold that against her. I had some very good friends who were demons. Azrael's father was kind of their king.
“She's gaining control,” Kirill whispered back to the others. “We have to do somezing about zis, right now!”
“What?” Trevor huffed. “You want me to go around the wedding reception and find a bunch of guys she can interview in this corner? I don't think this is the place for that and I'm not sure I'm even up to the task.”
“This is what we signed up for,” Azrael said gently. “All of us knew Vervain has these needs. We have to support our wife.”
“I know that,” Trevor snapped. “It doesn't mean I have to like it or have to be the one hunting down her new lover.”
“You'll be fine as soon as ve find her someone ve like,” Kirill said reasonably. “Ze Intare magic vill ease your jealousy.”
“Yeah, as soon as we spend the night with the guy,” the tone in Trevor's voice was enough to tell me he was rolling his eyes.
“Please stop arguing,” I ground out and turned to face them. “You're getting her excited again.”
My lioness loved a good fight, especially if it was her men fighting over her. Oh yeah, that was popcorn time for my big cat. She'd relish the display but then she'd expect to reward the winner and I couldn't deal with that at the moment.
“I'm sorry, Minn Elska,” Trevor leaned in and laid his forehead to mine. “This whole thing has upset me. That bastard Odin leaving and now this. I hate seeing you hurt.”
“I know,” I lifted my face for a kiss. “Don't worry, I'll be okay. Just give me a little air. I'm drowning in beautiful men,” I smiled and pushed gently at his chest.
“Not enough of zem,” Kirill sighed. “You must choose, Tima, and soon.”
“Um, pardon me,” Re, the Egyptian God of the Sun and a close friend of mine, slid into view. “Am I interrupting something?” His golden eyes swept our group.
“Not at all,” I smiled at him and then glanced away.
Re had the kind of appearance that could be devastating to stare at too long. Like the sun itself, his was a dangerous beauty that had the potential of doing you lasting damage. On this night in particular, he was wearing a loose linen shirt, cut at the neck to reveal a modest amount of deeply tanned skin, which nonetheless looked pale from the metallic gold shimmer laid over it... a natural shimmer which couldn't be washed away. Though it might be fun to try.
His body was ballet dancer beautiful, with sleek muscles that made him look as if he could lift you over his head one-handed. His lips were pouting full, lips for kissing, and his gold eyes were kept from fading into the rest of his golden glow by extra long, ebony lashes that gave him that sated, I-just-had-sex look. The only thing even partially normal about him was his hair; a sedate chestnut brown, but even that showed brilliant blonde highlights when the light hit it. He was sex incarnate and not at all the kind of man I needed to be around at the moment.
“Would you like to dance, Vervain?” Re asked, his voice in that low tone reserved for bedrooms. He wasn't doing it on purpose either; he just talked like that.
My lioness lifted her head in interest.
“Um, I...” I frowned and faltered.
“She vould love to,” Kirill gave me a little push and I stared back at him in horror. “Tima,” he growled and looked at me pointedly. “Dance vith him.”
“I would love to,” I said gaily to Re and took his hand. “Thank you for asking.”
The Sun God frowned a little in confusion but escorted me to the wide dance floor in the middle of the Venetian style ballroom. The place was done up exceptionally gaudily tonight, with swaths of shimmering white fabric hanging on the mirrored walls, held in place by draping bouquets of flowers. A banquet table laden with food was set up against one wall at the far end of the room. It was near the bar and a multitude of round dining tables were set before it. Beyond them I could see the manicured gardens of Duat through the glass panes of French doors which led out to the balcony.
Above me hung enormous crystal chandeliers, spreading their sparkles all over the marble floor. There was one hanging over the exact center of the dancing area that Re was leading me to. Around the edges of the dance floor, were seating areas with elegant gilded couches and chairs. Liveried werejackals maneuvered through them carrying silver trays full of champagne flutes. I took a deep breath as Re took my waist and I tried to calm the rising tide of lust that he was calling forth.
“What was all that about?” Re asked me as he started to lead me around the floor. “And why are your husbands staring at me like that?”
“Oh gods,” I rolled my eyes and looked at him. “I'm so sorry, Re. We've been having issues ever since Odin left and I'm afraid you look like a good solution to them.”
“What issues?” He was immediately concerned. “I'm happy to help you in any way I can.”
“Oh, you do not want to say that,” I laughed.
“Vervain, what is it?” His voice went low and stern. “Tell me.”
“My Intare magic. You know; the one that makes me take multiple lovers?” I swallowed hard.
“Yes,” he frowned deeper.
“I'm one lover short,” I said simply.
“Oh,” his face smoothed out. “Oh!” He stopped dancing entirely and stared at me in shock.
“I know,” I chuckled. “Don't worry, I'm not gonna take you at your word and demand that you help me in any way that you can.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” he sighed. “No offense, Vervain but I have no interest in being a part of that,” he waved a hand at my husbands and I laughed harder.
“I know,” I looked up at him and found myself staring. The lioness roared inside me and my grip on his shoulders tightened.
“Vervain?” He leaned closer. “Do I need to take you back to them?”
“No,” the word ended in a purr as I held his gaze longer than I'd ever dared. It was my lioness taking over. She liked him, boy did she like him, and she had no intention of letting him get away. At least not without a fight.
Re took a long, deep breath, his chest lifting my clenched hands, and stared back at me. For once, I wasn't intimidated by his beauty, I saw the man beneath all the glamor... and he looked just as amazing as the mask. I was caught by it; the concern in his eyes, the kindness in his heart, the strength in his soul. Whoa, why had I never looked before? Maybe because I didn't want to see any of that, I had enough wonderful men in my life. Till now, that is.
I don't know what he saw in me. Whatever it was, it had him bringing his palm to my face and I shivered from the heat of it. The tips of his fingers trailed up into the hair at my temples and the lioness inside me growled, thrusting m
e forward into his chest. Re caught me, his arms sliding tighter around me as dancing couples continued to twirl around us as if nothing unusual were happening.
“Vervain, I...” Re let out a shaky breath and then gave an even shakier laugh. “I think I've just discovered how you attract so many men.”
“Son of a succubus,” I growled and looked away. “Did I do something to you? I'm so sorry if I did. Sometimes with the combination of the Love and Lust magic along with the Lion, I can't control myself and I-”
“Vervain,” his hand had never left my cheek and he used it to turn my face back to him. “I am the Creator God of the Egyptians, the most powerful Sun God in existence. You don't have to worry about enchanting me. At least... not with your magic,” his voice went low.
“Re, you don't want to start anything with me, remember?” I said gently.
“No, I don't,” he whispered. “But you're the first woman in a thousand years to look at me as if you really saw me. Just now, Vervain. Your eyes, they focused on me; me, not this visage my people dreamed up. Tell me what you saw... please.”
“You know what I saw,” I whispered. “But Re, I didn't have to look at you to see it. I already knew what kind of man you are.”
“No, you didn't,” he insisted. “You suspected but you didn't know until right now. So please, do me the courtesy of being honest.”
“I saw courage and horrible guilt,” I sighed. “I saw a heart that's full of love without the relief of someone to give it to. I saw loneliness and yet vibrant joy. You're supremely grateful for all that you have but you still want more and that wanting makes you feel ashamed. There's a deep well of kindness in you and a fierce need to see justice done. Even against yourself. A fighter and a lover, that's what I see in you.”
“By all that's holy!” Re exclaimed. “Who are you, Vervain? How did you see all of that in one look?”
“Some of it was simply an affirmation of what I already knew and the rest was recognition of things I myself have felt,” I swallowed hard and glanced over to where my husbands waited, watching both hopefully and dejectedly. They didn't want this, of course they didn't, but they wanted me healthy and happy and I, or rather my lioness, wanted more. Just like Re.