The Triple Goddess

by Stephanie Hudson

  “Oh, I would consider myself more than a pawn, Lucius!” I said trying to use my anger to overtake the urge to give in to my misery.

  “Ah, you fancy yourself a queen on the board naturally.” He mocked, making it so much worse but I kept going.

  “That’s your mistake to make not mine, I do not consider myself a queen at any point but I do consider myself a player, one next in line to kick the shit out of you!” I shouted making a few people turn to us and gasp. I didn’t care, I turned ready to storm off when I was grabbed from behind and spun so quickly it made more than my body spin. Before I could utter a single protest I found burning hot lips crushed to mine in such a powerful embrace I couldn’t breathe. My mind tried to function, to find the will it needed to push him away. I moved my hands and pushed at his chest but it did me little good. Lucius shackled my wrists and forced my hands behind my back.

  The whole room hushed but the beautiful solo of the violin continued on, creating a dream like quality to the night. His mouth took complete possession of mine and he licked at the seam urging me to allow his to deepen it further. I opened my mouth a little and that was all it took for him to take the kiss further. The light dimmed and the candles flickered for all but me and Lucius. No, for we were alone in the world, just myself the captive and Lucius my captor connected and merging as one under a blazing sun. The heat encircled our bodies like water crashing into the shore and I could almost hear the waves of my heart beating wildly in my chest. That sun felt like something holy was touching us and only when he pulled away did the empty darkness engulf the room. Yet the violin played on. Lucius let go of my hands but I couldn’t move. He cupped my face and tilted my head down to lay a kiss on my forehead which caused the candle to relight as if that little gesture used sparks from the sun’s energy.

  “Electiunamlucis.” (Means ‘Chosen one of light’ in Latin) before I could ask him what he meant he continued,

  “You’re most definitely a queen Keira, whether you wish to believe it or not.” I frowned at him but he chose to ignore my anger and he signalled to his people to continue dancing.

  “Now you are going to tell me what your problem with Layla is,” he said surprising me out of any other thoughts.

  “I…I…” I didn’t know how to answer that one. Surely if I told him that Layla had tried to kill me he would make her leave…wouldn’t he? But then again he had just told me I meant nothing but a means to an end, so what if he let the cat play with the mouse, would he care? I just couldn’t chance it so I shrugged my shoulders and said nothing.

  “Keira, I am not blind, did she do something to you?” At that moment the person in question came up to us and tapped me on the shoulder causing my skin to crawl and an urge held back to spit at her feet!

  “May I cut in?” She asked and before Lucius said his answer I stepped away before his grip on me tightened and I said,

  “Sure, I need a drink anyway.” I walked away hearing my name being whispered from Lucius but I didn’t look back, I just kept going until I reached Pip. She was my life saver in the cluster F-word storm. I sat down next to her and she put her arms round me for a much needed hug.

  “Thanks.” I said into her leather clad shoulder.

  “You look like you needed it,” she said softly.

  “You also look like you need this.” She passed me a cup of something that smelled like a mix of paint thinner and toilet duck, which was perfect ‘cause it burned like hell all the way down and took my mind off the poisonous Layla and King of the jerks!

  “So I take your need for enough alcohol to knock out a Barghest is due to your wanting to join the ‘I want to behead the bitch’ club?”

  “Barghest?” I asked first because I was at a loss on that one.

  “A legendary monstrous black dog with huge teeth and claws and hung like a friggin donkey! So you wanna join, ‘cause you know I am like, the president of that club?” She asked looking at her nails that were now painted like miniature Star Wars characters and she was playing with one of the storm troopers on her thumb and didn’t little Hans Solo just look adorable.

  “Pip, I need you to do something for me…” I pulled her closer and even Adam looked concerned.

  “You can’t tell Lucius but please, promise me you won’t leave me alone with her.” She stared into my eyes and when she must have realised my very real fear then she just nodded and turned to Adam to whisper something in his ear.

  I tried not look at Lucius dancing with Layla but when Pip started talking to Adam it was near impossible not to. They looked like bloody Torvill and Dean minus the ice! I doubted I looked that graceful in his arms and even though he said he was joking about my dancing skills I knew there was more truth in his teasing than not.

  He had just spun her round and dipped her so that her head arched back and her long blonde hair reached the floor but instead of looking down at her his eyes looked past the evil beauty in his arms and directly at me. I couldn’t help the blush that look generated, his eyes even flashed amber, hot like the glowing coals in the braziers that were dotted around the room.

  Layla looked up to wonder at her Master’s pause but then her gaze followed his and found mine. I looked away then, trying to escape her filthy look and turned towards a friendly one in Pip.

  “She doesn’t like you much, does she?” Pip said but before I could comment Adam spoke,

  “What did she do to you?” He asked in a calm tone but the leather on his gloves groaned as he tightened his fists. He too was dressed in this Steampunk fashion, with a black shirt under a dark red leather waistcoat and black pinstriped trousers. He also wore a pinstriped tie that folded into a cravat style held in place with a clockwork pin. His sleeves had been rolled up his forearms and his black gloves tied up to his elbows with rust coloured cord.

  To finish his outfit he had on his head a pair of goggles that reminded me of something an optician would use to check your eyesight, highly polished copper on one side and two different sized lenses on top of each other on the other side which was held together with the same dark red leather of his waistcoat. He looked quite dashing, like an explorer about to jump in his air balloon and find the treasures of the new world.

  “Keira, come here!” Lucius’ voice saved me from having to answer Adam’s question but when he pointed to my usual place in between his legs it changed from being saved to needing to be saved once again. I started to shake my head but his dangerous growl stopped me and I gave up, moving to do his bidding.

  As usual when I got within range he made a grab for me and pulled me the rest of the way. I managed not to look at Layla, who I could feel trying to burn holes in my head with her heated gaze. I was just lucky she didn’t have such gifts or I would be Swiss cheese by now.

  “You know, I would have thought little Pipper, that you would have told our guest about dressing appropriately for our Steampunk night, how do you think we will rectify this problem?” He asked full of ease, all traces of our earlier fight gone.

  “Umm…I don’t quite know my Lord, do you have any ideas?” She asked mischievously.

  “As a matter of fact I think I do. Turn to face me my little doll.” I wasn’t in the mood to play these games but the look on Pip’s face was sheer delight. I started to turn and Layla looked as though she wanted to rip the cogs off the wall and batter me to death with them. Well, the feeling was definitely mutual. In fact there was one that looked very sharp and full of spikes that would have done very nicely.

  “My Lord, you know I have something of great importance yet to show you,” Layla said trying in desperation to get his attention away from me but it didn’t work. Lucius held up his hand to halt her from removing an item from a leather case sat at her side.

  “All in good time, first I want to play and without interruptions!” The last word was certainly said in warning and Layla looked too shocked for words.

  Lucius turned me further until I had one of my knees bent and leaning against inside his thigh. He
placed a fingertip under my chin and applied a little pressure to raise it up to his face. He smiled down at me and then took off his hat to place it to the side on my head. It had to be on its side or it would have been too big for me. He then leaned back to examine me, making me blush. He tapped his chin and mouth with his finger.

  “Umm, it is missing something more,” he said to himself and then his raised his brows, when it came to him. He pushed his hair back and the removed his glasses from his pocket and placed them on my nose until they pinched enough to stay put without hurting. The smile he gave me now was one that warmed my insides and shot pure untamed hunger through to my core, one that needed to be stopped using ice water and a good stub to the toe!

  In true Lucius style, which he was making a habit, he ran his knuckles down my cheek in a caress.

  “Before there was beauty and now I have added ‘adorable’ to the mix.” I bit my lip, embarrassed at his complement.

  “And that blush only makes it more so,” he whispered onto the skin on my heated cheek before kissing it lightly.

  After that the night went on in a lighter mood and Lucius dragged me up to dance again but I was happy that Pip and Adam joined us. It was a faster number and more upbeat, though I still managed thanks to Lucius holding me and taking the lead from start to finish. I even found myself laughing whenever I would step on Lucius’ feet and he would then spin me round and under his arm in retaliation. I actually found myself having fun and when sat down I would be making conversation with Pip and even Liessa on the rare occasion that she wasn’t entertaining her huge husband, Caspian. Hakan, as usual, remained sat in silence only to nod occasionally to certain songs played.

  Of course I knew the easiness of the evening wouldn’t keep with Layla in the room. After her third attempt she finally got her wish and was given time to tell Lucius of her important news.

  “As I said earlier my Lord, I now believe your plans have to change.” Lucius was just taking back his drink that he was sharing with me.

  “What is it of which you speak Layla, I do not have time for your petty theories.” At this she frowned but when Lucius faced her she bowed her head to hide such a look.

  “I do not think of this as a theory but as a fact and I have evidence my Lord.”

  “Evidence to what?” Lucius snapped.

  “Evidence to suggest that the King no longer wants your prisoner, to bargain with.” I shot up out of his hold and stood over her shaking.

  “You liar!” I was so outraged I couldn’t control my hands from fisting so hard my nails dug into my palms, yet I didn’t feel any pain.

  “I have proof!” She said with a smug smile that I wanted to turn into a twist of pain.

  “Keira, sit down!” I couldn’t stop shaking, even as Lucius guided me back to his seat.

  “Show us!” He said through gritted teeth.

  “Yes my Lord.” She tried to conceal her glee but it was difficult when she couldn’t stop showing her teeth, she was so happy! She unzipped a leather case and took out an electronic tablet. After touching it with her fingers it powered to life and started to play a video clip.

  After less than a minute I screamed so loud it felt like the sound would crack my head open.

  “NO! It’s a lie, it didn’t happen! She lies, Draven wouldn’t do that to me! NO, NO, NO!” I screamed and even as Lucius tried to contain me, I was like a frightened bird, flapping my wings, desperate for escape.

  “I do not lie! This was filmed yesterday.” Layla said trying to appear insulted but this was just kerosene to an uncontrollable forest fire!

  “NO! That…it’s…no, it cannot be true! I refuse to believe it!” I was shaking my head over and over.

  “Keira…aren’t those the paintings I saw in your room?” Lucius asked so softly it just added to the hurt. Of course I had already seen the paintings Draven had taken from my room. The ones I painted for him.

  The very ones that were now over the bed where he was making love to Aurora.

  The ones he saw, when he broke my heart.

  Chapter 24

  Evidence, Deception and Heartache

  I think I actually felt the exact moment when my heart shattered. It was as though my mind was waging war, logic against emotion. One side I was convincing myself it wasn’t possible, that no way could it be true. Draven would never have done that to me! The other side was going back to the night he had surely seen me in Lucius’ arms through Ava’s sight. What had he thought? Did he really believe I would have done that to him, so what was this now, retaliation or worse, did he really still having feelings for Aurora and was mad enough with me to act upon those feelings?

  I wanted to scream again! I couldn’t stand not knowing the truth. I knew this could just be a ploy by Layla to get me to back off Draven but how? Was the footage even real?

  This was how my mind operated since that vision entered my mind and it started to consume me, slowly beginning to bury me alive, with each bit of earth shovelled on another question adding to the pile until I felt suffocated.

  “Pip, take Keira back to her room and stay with her. Layla, I will speak to you alone.” Lucius’ commanding voice brought me back to the fact that I wasn’t alone and I was staring down at my lap trying to work through my emotions, which was not something I wanted an audience for.

  I felt Pip touch my arm gently and I looked up at her through a veil of liquid where I tried not to shed my tears.

  “Come on Toots, let’s go somewhere private and have ourselves a girly chat.” She said so softly it was a voice I had never heard from Pip before. I did as I was told and walked away from everyone, but I was not far when I heard Lucius snap,

  “Layla, come with me to the courtyard, we need a chat you and I!” His voice was like ice and I was happy I was not the one on the receiving end of his cold displeasure, although I had obviously been there before, but not like this…this sounded deadly.

  Pip and I made our way upstairs and once out of sight I pulled her back by the arm and spun her to face me.

  “Pip, I need you to do something for me.”

  “Anything my friend,” she said without hesitation.

  “You may not be saying that when you know what it is,” I warned but before she could reply I carried on in a hurry,

  “I need you to go and spy on Lucius and Layla, I need to know what’s being said.” She started shaking her head and was about to argue but wouldn’t let her.

  “Please Pip, you’re the only one that can do it, I need to know or I will go insane!”

  “Toots I…I..”

  “Please, oh God Pip please. This is my life Pip, and I need to know what’s happening to it.” Pip closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

  “Hell’s bells and monkey balls! Fine, I will do it but if I get caught then I am blaming you for taking away my sanity!” I pulled her to me for a crushing hug and she made an ‘umff’ sound before patting me on the back.

  “Right, I’d better go quickly then but I will be back, go straight to your room and do not leave, you got it?” I nodded my yes in a frantic way just to get her to get going. She shook her head as though I was the biggest pain in her behind and I guess at the moment she was right.

  I couldn’t breathe until I saw her figure disappear around the corner and then I turned and walked back to my room. By the time I got there my hope levels had reached fever pitch. I was praying that Pip was going to come back here after discovering Layla’s deceit. Would she tell Lucius the truth, could he detect her lies or would she try and fool him as she had tried to do with me.

  After time to think I knew it was lies. She had somehow fabricated the whole evidence to try and give Lucius the excuse to get rid of me and then no doubt Layla would continue to get rid of me, in a ‘never coming back’ kinda way.

  I don’t know how many times I had paced the length of the room but when Pip finally did come back I collapsed on the bed with relief. I would have felt terrible if she had been caught and I should n
ever have put that pressure on her but now she was back I couldn’t bring myself to regret it.

  “Ok Kitten, you owe me big styley.”

  “You weren’t caught?” I asked as she came to plonk herself down on the bed next to me.

  “Oh please…me? Are you insane? I would never get caught and just so you know, this Imp right here is friggin’ awesome!” She said the word like a surfer dude and added a victory fist pump.

  “Ok, so are we ready for using some more Pip juice?”

  “Wait, I thought you would just tell me what went on, you know like gossip, only true.” She grinned at me and pushed at my shoulders.

  “Now where’s the fun in that little Toot? Now lie back and relax, this won’t hurt a smidgen.”

  “Oooh goodie!” I said sarcastically making her laugh as she straddled me again.

  “Pip have you got something to tell me, only this is the second time today you have climbed on top of me.” She winked down at me and shifted her jacket to one side in a dramatic fashion.

  “Sorry Toots, you just don’t have the right equipment for me but you do have a lovely bottom.” I laughed, even though it was harder with the extra weight on my solar plexus. She unclipped my glasses and threw the hat behind her, items that I completely forgot I was still wearing.

  “Ok, so you’ve played this game before, close your eyes and just relax, well as much as you can with a kick ass Imp sat on you.” I smiled and opened an eye to look at her but she just flicked my nose to tell me off. I waited and was about to let her know it wasn’t working like last time but then I was plunged into moments not long past.

  “Explain yourself Layla and make no mistake, if I find lies then there will be consequences!” Lucius said leaning against the waist high stone balustrades. His stance was one of ease but his facial features told a different story…he was royally pissed. The winter night was lit by an almost full moon and it made Lucius’ pale skin look as luminescent as the marble floor that gleamed like liquid.