by Dee Carney
My agapimeni," he murmured against her lips.
Each thrust inside coaxed a low groan from her that made his heart pound against his ribs. It wasn't enough. "Open your eyes, goddess. Look at me."
He increased his pace, driving into her. Beneath hooded eyes, she begged for more, for a reprieve, for him, before burying her face against the side of his neck. Indeed, her cries gained in volume, but he wanted more. "Call my name, Aphrodite. Let the heavens hear our love."
She moaned again and the sound vibrated through his chest. "Danyl, please…"
"That's it, agapimeni…"
Still he wanted more. Danyl slipped his hand between their writhing bodies and found that glorious place between her curls. The one that sent her body into shudders and made her slit clench around him. She matched his urgency with her own lusty cries and they echoed a beautiful sound.
" Danyl," she screamed.
Gods, yes. His body began to vibrate with liquid fire. His stomach tensed and when she spasmed around his pistoning cock, he came undone.
A hot tide of passion raced through his body and poured into her. It was a raw act of possession to push himself harder, deeper into her depths. The more of his seed she milked from his distended cock, the more lost he became in her hold.
" Agapimeni. " He kissed her mouth tenderly. "My beloved."
* * * *
They held hands as the boat approached several hours later. She looked to Danyl for reassurance, but he kept his gaze trained on the ferryman. He did, however, give her a gentle squeeze. Proud to stand at his side, she straightened her shoulders and waited. It did little to squelch a shudder of revulsion when the boat finally stopped. Charon, the ferryman, stood as nightmarish a figure as ever she could have imagined. Hollow, soulless eyes stared forward on a gaunt face. If he noticed they stood there, she couldn't tell. His unkempt beard hadn't seen soap in his lifetime, she'd bet. The tattered red-brown robe he wore fared no better.
He held a pole directing the boat in one hand, and opened the gnarled skeleton of the other toward them. Danyl slipped the obolus into his hand as he stepped aboard. The boat remained stock still regardless of the shift in weight. Di stepped in beside him, but frowned when Charon extended his hand toward her.
He'd been given his penance. What more did he want? "Danyl?"
His jaw tightened. "I was afraid of this." He moved in between Di and the ferryman.
"Charon, I am Danyl, son of Ancelin and Simeona. I am bringing my mate to the place of my father's home for his blessing of our union. She and I are one soul and I demand passage for us both. You've been paid adequately in this regard."
For a moment, she didn't think he would acquiesce. The ferryman's fingers curled around the coin however and he withdrew his hand. Apparently, the matter was resolved.
Except this business about being mates. She glanced at Danyl, a man who'd laid claim to her heart in the short time she'd known him. Did he really believe they were mates? Then again, he'd lied to Charon about their purpose for visiting his father, so it was possible that he'd lied about their being mates.
But just hearing that word come from him sent a thrill racing through her body.
Would it be unwise to latch on to that idea, no matter how much it appealed to her?
She looked into his face and knew the answer with unwavering certainty. In this short time, despite the impossibility of such a sudden bond, he held her heart.
Danyl pulled her into his arms, and they stood pressed together during the ride. She breathed in the masculine, slightly salty scent of him and let it soothe her fluttering nerves. The contentment vanished when the boat settled against a new embankment. It might have taken Charon hours to reach them, but he managed to approach the gods'
home in what couldn't have been more than mere minutes.
"Di, please stay here. Please." Danyl's exasperated voice would have normally been reason for concern, but damn it, she was not letting him out of her sight.
Ignoring his final plea, she moved toward the complex ahead of them. He released another frustrated breath and moved in beside her. They passed a huge cavern, and though tempted to peer inside, she hurried past it. Her skin crawled like a thousand millipedes had just run across every part of her flesh from the idea of lingering outside of the hollow.
"When we get inside, he'll know I'm here. He may know my reasoning, he may not.
In either event, please, Di, don't get in between us."
"You know, it's not too late for you to change your mind. Two wrongs don't make a right. Doing this will not bring your mother back."
"I made a vow."
"And I wouldn't think less of you if you broke that vow."
He placed a restraining hand on her arm, turning her to face him. "And I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't at least try to uphold it."
She studied his face, trying to understand. There had to be another way out of this.
Didn't his gods have to face some sort of tribunal or something for heinous crimes?
They'd spent the passing time while waiting for the boatman with a history of his people, and an explanation of their beliefs. She couldn't say she agreed with a lot of it, but then again, before yesterday, she wouldn't have believed in mermaids and mermen either.
Funny how twenty-four hours could change her world.
Di touched his cheek with a wistful gesture. "No matter what happens, Danyl. I'm here."
"His power is extremely limited within the walls of his home." His statement might have been a reminder for himself. "It's possibly the only advantage I have. That and he's not expecting me."
"Squabbling between the gods, right?" She knew enough about infighting between the omniscient beings. If the gods could manipulate the elements and their followers with just a simple thought, imagine if they took advantage of their abilities on each other.
There would never be peace without the restriction.
"Yes."
"You can do this."
He nodded with a taut jerk of his head and led them inside the expansive gate. She couldn't say what she expected to find beyond the tall walls, but the inside underwhelmed her. Expensive marble lined the floors and walls, but other than that luxury, nothing about the complex screamed opulence. This was the place where gods made their homes?
There was scant furniture to speak of. No decorations or busts of the inhabitants in sight. In fact, they encountered no one as they trekked through the place. The echoes of their movement were the only sounds. She would have expected choirs of rich voices to float down from above. Exotic scents and sights should have teased her senses. Instead, the place seemed more sterile than a hospital ward and just as enticing.
With long, purposeful strides, Danyl led the way. For someone who'd never been inside this place before, he moved as if the layout had been memorized a long time ago.
Before long, they entered a long corridor lined with golden doors. None looked different than the others, but it didn't slow Danyl. He stopped before one in particular, but turned to give her one last imploring look. Di met his gaze with a hardened one of her own.
He turned the knob and pushed the door open. They walked inside with Danyl in the lead. He paused after only a few steps and Di moved to his side to see what had caught his attention.
The man standing near a window turned to face them and Di gasped. Danyl was the spitting image of his father. The very image. If she ever wondered what he might look like in another thirty years or so, she no longer had to guess. They might never have met before now, but only a blind man would ask for DNA confirmation of their relationship.
"Father," Danyl growled beside her.
Chapter Nine
Pure malevolence poured from Ancelin's eyes. His upper lip curled into a snarl as he studied his son. "Danyl, son of Simeona. You are the last person I would have expected to see before me."
"This is no social call Ancelin." It seemed to her that Danyl had forgotten she stood with him. His foc
us remained trained on the man he held responsible for his mother's death. The last vestige of hope that this might end amicably evaporated into the emotion-charged air.
Ancelin's gaze drifted to her. "And who do we have here?" He drew back in horror.
"A human?"
Danyl stepped in front of her, blocking his view. "You are not worthy to look on my mate."
Never before had she thought laughter could bellow forth with such venom. Ancelin truly despised his son and cared not who knew.
"Your mate?" he gasped out in between jeering laughter. "Who would dare to mate with you, an abomination? I admire this woman much already."
Abomination? Oh, hell no.
With a yank, she pulled her hand from Danyl's and ducked from behind him to face his father head on. "Fuck you, asshole. You don't deserve to have a son like Danyl."
"Son?" he screamed, spittle flying. "His mother went against my wishes when she bore him. I would never claim him as mine. He is the product of a quick, unsatisfying fuck. Nothing more."
Beside her, Danyl vibrated with anger, but she knew his father's words stung him to the core. He reinforced Danyl's fear about his worth with those hateful words. "She loved you," he choked out. "Right up to her death, she loved you."
Ancelin leveled a bored gaze on Danyl. He took a deep breath, settling himself against the outpouring of rage he showed a few seconds ago. "We fucked a few times.
There was no love there."
"Don't say that Ancelin. For gods' sake, tell me that you loved her even a little."
Di's heart broke to listen to this exchange. For as much animosity he showed toward Ancelin, his strangled voice and labored breathing belied how deeply these words cut him. One look at the shadows on Danyl's face, at his red-rimmed eyes, stabbed her like a knife.
"Tell me," he continued, "tell me that when you killed her, you regretted it even the tiniest amount."
Ancelin steepled his fingers together before resting them on his lips. A long stretch of silence passed where he studied the merman. He exhaled loudly. "So, this is why you are here? You think I killed your mother?"
"I know you did."
Ancelin stepped forward two paces. His eyes narrowed. "And if I did? So. What."
Time stood still then. The thunderous beat of her heart was the only sound she knew.
Her mind slowed, her actions not fast enough. She knew what would happen next and had a feeling so did Ancelin.
Danyl charged.
Ancelin's head snapped back when Danyl's fist crashed into it. He held nothing back as he pummeled his father's head and torso, venting all of his penned-up anger. "You bastard," he growled between breaths and punches. "She loved you … she loved you!"
Not to be outdone, Ancelin brought two fists together and swung them at his son.
Danyl managed to duck, but caught a blow to his ribs on Ancelin's back swing. "You, my boy…" A loud crack echoed when Ancelin swung and brought another fist down on bone. "Are the bastard."
Danyl cried out and doubled over. He held an arm over his head, trying to block the next blow, but clearly he was on the defensive. Ancelin kicked and a sickening crunch and spray of blood indicated the breaking of Danyl's nose.
There was no way she would just stand there and do nothing. Di scrambled forward and let her foot fly. She caught Ancelin unsuspecting in the center of his balls, and listened with cheerful glee to his enraged squeal.
Whirling on her feet, she dropped beside Danyl while his father recovered. Asshole.
She should have stood over him and stomped on the family jewels until he passed out.
Instead, she had to focus on Danyl. This was no evenly matched fight and he would lose if he insisted on getting back up.
"Come on baby, we've got to go. You can't win this." She ducked beneath his arm, trying to bear some of his weight. He pushed her away for her effort.
"I can and I will," he said hoarsely. Turning his head to the side, he spat out a wad of mucus and blood. Unsteadily, he rose to his feet. "Father!"
Ancelin eyed him from the ground, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. Wild-eyed, he volleyed his glare between them both as he stood. He rubbed his testicles in a lewd manner. "Your mate is well chosen, Danyl."
"Simeona was a good woman, too, and deserved better."
"She was a whore."
Damn it. His father knew how to push every single button on his son. Danyl weaved forward, his face twisted into a hateful mask. It didn't matter though. Ancelin had fewer injuries to tend and threw a fist into Danyl's sternum. Thank God he dodged it and brought his arm around in a swing that had the power of the universe behind it. The blow landed on Ancelin's jaw and his head whipped around from the force.
Her heart in her throat, Di watched the fight and knew it would not end well. Ancelin was the more seasoned fighter and brought wisdom and dirty moves. Danyl only had righteous indignation and youth behind him.
Somehow Ancelin managed get behind to wrap an arm around his son's neck. He tightened until Danyl's face reddened, his hands scrambling for purchase, trying to loosen the grip blocking his airway. Unamused laughter wheezed out of Ancelin. "I haven't had to get my hands dirty like this in more than a century."
Throwing his elbow back, Danyl crushed Ancelin's testicles again, and Di almost winced in sympathy. He'd be resting those things on ice for the next week. His pained surprise gave Danyl a reprieve and he slid from beneath Ancelin's slackened hold. In a quick coordinated effort, he chopped Ancelin in the throat, and then backhanded him.
They separated and Danyl gasped unevenly, still trying to get his wind back. Already Di could see him get ready to charge again. So did Ancelin.
"Enough!" Ancelin roared.
" Enough old man?" Danyl taunted back. He rushed forward. "I'm only just beginning."
Ancelin bounced out of the way, barely missing another powerful blow. "Leave this place now if you want to save your woman and child, Danyl."
That caught Di's attention. Danyl's too. He chanced a look at her. She caught his gaze and held it, clueless as to what Ancelin referred to.
The older man gave them both a wicked smile. "Oh, you didn't know?" He straightened. "I truly love being a demi-god sometimes. Gives me insight that no one else has."
Danyl's hands curled into fists at his sides. "What are you telling us?"
Ancelin used the back of his hand to swipe the perspiration dripping into his eyes.
Go figure. Gods sweated.
A chair materialized out of nowhere, and Di took a step back. So that was the secret of this place. Residents could call things into existence at their whims. He dropped into the chair as if a lifetime of burden weighed him down.
"Your seed has taken root. A new generation of bastard is growing in your mate's belly. I can feel its tiny life from here."
Di's hand flew to her stomach at the same time Danyl drew a ragged breath. Could she really be pregnant with his child? The horrified expression on his face did not fill her with happiness. He shook his head from side to side. "No … gods, I would have never brought you here if I knew. Oh gods…"
"Your life in exchange for theirs, boy," Ancelin sneered.
"Yes."
"No!"
Their simultaneous cries clashed against each other. "Danyl, this is crazy. He holds nothing over you. Nothing. Why would he make threats against us now?"
"It's not a chance I'm willing to take." His silver eyes softened, his shoulders slumping in resignation. "This is a precious gift and I thank you, goddess. Please … take care of our child."
From where he sat, Ancelin studied them with an amused expression on his face.
"Kneel before me."
Bile burned her throat as she watched her love walk toward his father and drop onto one knee and then the other. His head hung low, but he kept it angled so that he could keep an eye on her. Ancelin stood and towered over him. A curved blade materialized into his hand. Immediately, the hair on the back of her neck stood.
Danyl's surrender made absolutely no sense, but the expression on his face said he was determined. Then again, so was she.
Di rushed forward and grabbed the chair still behind Ancelin. Swinging with all her might, she aimed it for the broad portion of Ancelin's back. He anticipated the move and brought his forearm up, twisting his body to deflect her. The chair bounced off of him harmlessly, and threw her off balance. Her foot slid on the marbled tile as she scrambled backwards and she came crashing down, bringing the chair on top of her.
"Aphrodite!"
Ancelin rounded on his son and pointed at Danyl. "Move and she dies!"
*
He slammed his fists against the ground in frustration and watched his father stalk his fallen mate. "To me Father!" he cried. He elevated himself on his knees, and threw his head back, baring the unobstructed flesh of his neck. "See? Here I am. Come for me!"
If Ancelin heard, or if he cared, he couldn't tell. But then his father turned his dark gaze on Danyl. Pure evil stared back at him. "I'm coming for you soon enough," he retorted as he grabbed Di by her hair, "as soon as I cut that thing from her womb. You, boy, get to watch."
Searing pain branded itself on Danyl's bicep at the same moment he vaulted to his feet. He ignored it, and sprang toward Ancelin and Di. For the first time, he felt as if his legs would no longer support his weight. They were as flimsy as sea kelp as he tried to reach her before his father harmed even a single hair on her head.
Di's green eyes were wide with fright. She kicked out with her feet, trying to get away from Ancelin, but his fingers curled into her hair tighter. He yanked hard, and she yelped. She kicked out again, but he brought his foot down on an ankle in response. She screamed, the sound tearing a hole in Danyl as his legs refused to obey his commands.
Gods, please. Whatever it takes, please don't let him hurt her.