“If you want to believe I’m in love with the two of them because of some magic spell, you do that,” Leon said irritably. “It doesn’t change anything.”
“No, I mean, you need magic. That’s why you took the necklace and were looking for the pendant.”
“Yeah. So?”
“Felicia knows about magic in ancient Egypt. She specialized in it.”
“I know. She told us. What about it?”
Before Leon could answer, Demitri opened the door. He was fully dressed, his suit coat and tie immaculate, his hair pulled neatly into its ponytail. He might have been returning from a business meeting rather than having just been caught with his male lover.
“We need to go,” he said with his usual calm command.
“Felicia’s waiting in the car,” Remy said without looking at Demitri. “You can talk to her about it as we go.”
22
VAL dressed in the clothes Lilianne Dupree gave her, a soft sweatshirt and blue jeans that cupped her bottom. Despite the warm air in the house, Val’s fingers were cold, and her heart felt like there was a hole in it.
When she’d become Aphrodite’s servant all those years ago, Valenarian had become an empty, numb shell. Now she hurt again, bad, the pain only mitigated by the fact that her actions would save Leon’s and Demitri’s lives.
She emerged into the kitchen, a big room with a large table, a huge refrigerator, and counters loaded with containers for bread, cookies, flour, spices. This was the heart of Leon’s home, and Lilianne was its heartbeat.
“I just talked to Leon,” Lilianne announced as Val emerged. “He’s coming.”
Val stopped. “You told him I was here?”
“Of course I did. He’d want to know.”
Val bit her lip. She didn’t want to see Leon again, didn’t want to have to say good-bye to him. Better to make a clean break, a quick one.
She let out her breath. “It doesn’t matter. The way humans travel, it will take him many hours to reach here.”
“What do you mean, the way humans travel?”
“Leon is human—almost.”
Lilianne looked at her sharply. “He told you?”
“That he’s a shifter?” Val nodded. “He showed me.”
Lilianne’s brows drew together. “And that’s all right with you?”
Val smiled. “I assure you, I am far stranger than he will ever be.” She looked around. “I like it here, in his home.”
“He doesn’t live here anymore. He has a houseboat about a mile from here, when he isn’t out roaming the world.”
“But this is where he grew up, the house that made him the man he is.” Val took the cup of coffee Lilianne handed her and cradled it wistfully. “Leon is a fine man.”
Lilianne waved for Val to sit down, and the two women faced each other across the kitchen table. “Now, he wouldn’t tell me, and I didn’t press him,” Lilianne said. “But did he get you in trouble, honey?”
“I am in the gravest trouble of my life, I’m afraid. But I’m trying to keep him out of it.”
“No, I mean, did he knock you up?” When Val looked at her blankly, she tried again. “Get you pregnant? Are you having his baby?”
Val’s eyes filled. “No. I can’t have children.”
Lilianne reached across the table and gripped Val’s hand. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. Then what is it?”
Val wiped a tear from her cheek. “Nothing anyone can help. But I can take a few minutes to talk. Will you tell me about Leon? Please?”
NOT even Demitri’s magic could change weather, airport waits, and flight delays. Leon was numb with exhaustion by the time they navigated through Frankfurt, JFK, DFW, and New Orleans. Leon drove out of New Orleans in a rented car, heading south for Fontaine and home. He wasn’t sure what day it was anymore, though the clock in the car said it was eight in the evening.
He headed first for his mother’s house. So much had happened to him since he’d left the little red house a wide-eyed eighteen-year-old, so sure he could go out and conquer the world. He’d experienced war and death, fear and fatigue, boredom and celebration, and returned burned out and restless.
After a few months of feeling ineffectual, he’d left to help Remy. He figured he’d kick around Egypt seeing the sights while he got his head out of his ass and figured out what he wanted to do with his life.
Then he’d met Val and Demitri, and here he was, as confused as ever. Leon knew what would make him happy, and he couldn’t have it. Even if Val and Demitri were normal human beings, Re-my’s reaction was just a touch of what he’d have to face if he chose that path. Val and Demitri could be unconcerned because they were supernatural beings—demigods followed different rules, they said. Leon was mortal and had to live in the mortal world.
The house seemed small and strange to his eyes now. Leon led Demitri to the back door, following the glare of the porch light. The front door was still broken, he knew, despite the Dupree brothers’ efforts to repair it. The damn thing would work for a while, then stick tight again, like it was trying to encourage visitors to go around back to the more welcoming kitchen door.
Lilianne opened the door before Leon could knock, and flung her arms around him. She held him in a tight hug and planted a kiss on his cheek.
“Where’s Val?” Leon asked.
Lilianne glanced at Demitri beyond him. “She went to your houseboat. She said she wanted to see it.” She hugged Leon up again. “Poor baby. She told me everything.”
Leon hesitated. “Everything, everything?”
“Some of it was pretty hard to believe. But she told me about the three of you. Leon,” she finished in an admonishing tone.
“Call Remy and commiserate. We have to find her.”
Demitri bowed to Lilianne with his habitual elegance. “Mrs. Dupree. I look forward to seeing you again.”
Leon’s mother softened, but Leon turned to leave, in a hurry to find Val. “Come on,” he called irritably behind him, then strode back out into the night.
Leon’s younger brother Jean Marc had been taking care of the houseboat in Leon’s absence, but he wasn’t there when Demitri and Leon pulled up to it. Leon led the way across the small gang-plank to the boat, where they found lights on inside and the door unlocked.
Val turned from the middle of the bright kitchen, where she was making sandwiches. She looked at them with tired eyes, her dark hair mussed.
“I hoped it would be all over before you got here,” she said.
Demitri took the bread knife from her hand and set it on Leon’s counter. “You hoped all what would be over?”
Val sighed. She put the last piece of bread over the cheese and tuna sandwiches and wiped her hands. “Apollo promised he’d spare you if I came to him voluntarily. Which I will do.”
“No,” Demitri growled, and Leon echoed him.
“Don’t argue with me. It’s done. The idea that I could ever be anything but Valenarian was foolish. You tried, and I love you both for trying. But I refuse to let you die because of me.”
“We didn’t try everything.” Leon upended his backpack on the couch and extracted the pouch. He poured the beads and pendant pieces onto the counter and started threading them on the gold chain.
Val stared at it. “You found the other piece of the pendant.”
“It was in Remy’s tomb. That little god—what’s his name? Bes—showed me where it was.”
Val raised her dark brows skeptically. “So you put the necklace on me and I’ll be better?”
“Not quite.” Demitri slid off his coat and slung it over the back of a chair, then loosened his tie.
Leon continued stringing the necklace. “Felicia finally found the spell people used this kind of necklace for. Like Demitri said, it can either be a curse to break someone, or a spell of wholeness if you reverse it.” He put the last bead in place and lifted the necklace. “It requires an incantation, the will to make it work, and a joining.”
Val smiled through the sadness in her
eyes. “Joining. Do you mean sex?”
Demitri leaned his ass on the back of the couch. “Semen is used in many rituals, the stuff of life. The vagina is powerful, too. The cradle of life.”
“Very philosophical.” Val’s lips curved.
“I’m not letting you go until we try,” Leon said, and Demitri nodded in agreement.
She laughed, sounding more like Valenarian again. “Oh, all right. You never had to persuade me very hard to couple with you, you know. What do we have to do, my lovers?”
THE ritual was simple and beautiful. Val recognized the ancient Egyptian words for wellness and healing, for joining soul and body.
Demitri and Leon undressed her in the moonlit bedroom, then slicked her body with fragrant oils Demitri had brought. Leon placed the necklace with the broken pendant around her neck, and Demitri fastened it in place.
The two men touched her all over, smoothing her skin, kneading her shoulders, relaxing her. Leon’s bedroom was small, at the end of the boat, and the dank smell of the river came through the window. But Val loved the dampness and even the slight hardness of the bed, because Leon’s aura permeated it. This was his home, and she’d fallen instantly in love with it.
Leon took off his clothes and let Val and Demitri oil him next. They were going to be three slippery people, Val thought with inward amusement. Last, they rubbed the oil on Demitri, Val loving the feel of his slick erection beneath her palms.
The two men stood side by side, muscular, shining with oil, rampant and ready. Val licked her lips. “A girl couldn’t ask for a better send-off.”
“Stop talking about leaving us,” Demitri said sternly. “We’re starting.”
Step one was for Leon to lie faceup on the bed. His cock stood stiffly upward, held in place with his thumb while he laced his other hand behind his head. Val had at first thought the ritual would be double penetration, which made her pulse race, but Demitri told her it wouldn’t be that straightforward.
“Even vanilla sex is fine with me,” she said. She lifted her breasts in her hands, liking how both men’s gazes were drawn to her as she flicked her fingers across her nipples. “You know I don’t mind.”
“That’s one thing I love about you, Val,” Leon said, smiling.
“Can we get on with this?” Demitri growled.
“Fuck you,” Leon said softly.
“That was the idea.”
Val lay down next to Leon and watched Demitri climb onto him, his cock hanging hard between his legs. Leon slid his hand over Demitri’s balls to his ass, showing Val that he’d learned how to ready Demitri to receive him.
Demitri unbound his hair, shaking it out over his shoulders. The dark-eyed man looked disheveled and wild, like he had when Val first met him. She’d gotten wet just looking at him, and when he’d first pressed his big body over hers, she’d thought she’d die of happiness.
Demitri lowered himself onto Leon’s slick and waiting cock, his own in hard erection. Leon’s face changed as Demitri slid onto him. His hands went to Demitri’s thighs, fingertips indenting oiled skin.
“Fuck, he’s tight,” Leon moaned. “Oh, damn it, Demitri. I love you.”
Demitri flushed, his eyes flicking coffee brown to tiger yellow. “You’re not so bad yourself, my Leon.”
Val leaned to Leon and kissed him. He snaked his hand through her hair, kissing her with the passion Demitri was making him feel.
“Mmm, lover, I could come just watching you.”
“Not yet, baby,” Demitri whispered. “Not just yet.”
Val’s body crawled with heat. “Better hurry then. My pussy is dripping wet.”
Leon groaned and thrust up into Demitri, who let out a noise of pleasure. Demitri started suggesting dirty things he wanted to do to Leon, and then Val, and then Leon again. Demitri had learned to be sophisticated and sleek around his hotelier friends, but he was just as raw and untamed as he ever was. He’d always been a god at sex.
“I’m going to come,” Leon moaned. “Too soon. Oh, God.”
Demitri chanted words in ancient Egyptian, and Val felt the necklace warm around her throat. The broken piece of pendant lay on the table next to the bed, waiting.
Leon shouted as he came, thrusting his hips high. Demitri grunted with it, eyes closed, losing the thread of the incantation.
Demitri fell forward on his hands and knees, sliding off Leon, then he grabbed the oil and started rubbing it on Leon’s cock again, bringing him once more full and ready.
Demitri slammed the oil back onto the table and flipped Val to her hands and knees. She didn’t protest as Demitri slid himself inside her quim, his cock fully extended. Leon watched with half-closed eyes, stroking his own staff, as Demitri fucked Val hard.
Val screamed and scrabbled on the bed. Demitri was so erect, fucking her so fast, and the feeling was too joyous to handle. Demitri panted behind her, sweat dripping to her bare back. “You ready?” Demitri said breathlessly to Leon.
Leon nodded. He rose up as Demitri slid out of Val, making her cry out in disappointment. But almost instantly she was filled with Leon, his wide cock opening her, his hips pumping himself into her.
It was glorious. Leon rode her for a minute, then Demitri took over, then Leon, then Demitri. Val climaxed, screaming, begging for them to stop—begging for them to never stop. She whimpered as she wound down, but they kept on, one after the other, until she rose to climax again and again.
A human woman couldn’t have taken it. Not with Demitri, not with Leon, not for as long as they shared her. Valenarian loved it, coming over and over again, shoving herself back them, begging them to hurry when they slowed to switch places.
Leon came first. He cried out as his semen scalded Val inside, his voice ringing in the little room. He fell onto the bed beside her, breathing hard, watching while Demitri rose over Val again.
Demitri shoved himself into Val, pumping a little longer before Val felt his seed shoot far inside her. She climaxed once again, and they collapsed together, sweating and laughing.
What happened after that, Val wasn’t sure. She slid into profound sleep, and when she woke, Demitri and Leon lay tangled with her, the two men protectively on either side of her. The clock on the nightstand told her it was two in the morning, and the moon had vanished.
She sighed. If only she could have this forever. Val’s joy subsided, her sadness returning. They were sweet to try to save her, and she wouldn’t forget it, but she knew it was futile. The will of the gods couldn’t be thwarted, and she could only save them if she gave them up.
Val lay tiredly, amazed at how much of her energy they’d taken. Demitri had sometimes ridden Val all night and all the next day without either of them tiring, but this ritual seemed to zap their strength.
The necklace was warm, uncomfortably so, but Val didn’t dare take it off. If it burned her, so be it. To move it might void the ritual, and Demitri said it couldn’t be done a second time.
Demitri opened his eyes. They were sin-dark, warm, tender, and he smiled at her like he had long ago. Her heart ached.
“I love you, Demitri,” she whispered. “I always have.”
“I love you too, baby.” Demitri kissed her lips, then he reached over her and shook Leon. “Wake up. We’re not finished, yet.”
Leon rubbed his eyes and yawned. “You two have stamina.”
“That’s why you love us,” Val said softly, running her hands through his short hair.
“You bet it is.” Leon kissed her then rose on his elbow and looked at Demitri. “I’m ready anytime you are.”
“Good,” Demitri said, his eyes burning. Then he reached for the bottle of oil.
23
Now I’m going where I’ve never gone before, Leon thought as he turned facedown and let Demitri slide oiled fingers between his buttocks. Val lay beside Leon, watching with her midnight blue eyes, her breasts firm and dark-tipped.
Demitri’s touch felt weird, the fingers playing with him wide and a man’s, not s
lender and female. Leon had played with wands with women before, but never had he experienced a man tucking one slick finger inside him. He moved, clamping down.
“Relax,” Demitri murmured. “Feel it. Enjoy it.”
Val touching his hair helped. Leon wriggled his hips once, then forced himself to open.
“There you go.” Demitri slid a second finger inside. He didn’t move them, simply rested them there until Leon became used to it.
Leon relaxed a little, then hissed in a breath as Demitri added a third finger.
“Quietly,” Demitri said, his voice soothing. “You’re opening for me.”
Val bit the knuckle of her thumb, her nipples hard little points. She took Leon’s hand and slid it between her legs, showing him how excited she was.
Leon’s body warmed as he played his thumb across Val’s clit, as he opened to Demitri’s touch. As Leon smiled at Val, Demitri slid his fourth finger inside.
“Shit,” Leon gasped. “Oh, man, that’s good. I never knew . . .”
Val licked her red lips. “You never had Demitri. He’s wonderful, isn’t he, lover?”
“Damn straight.”
Demitri leaned down, covering Leon with his warm body. “Are you ready for me?”
Something dark twisted in Leon’s belly. “I am.” He reached up and touched Demitri’s long hair. “Lover.”
Demitri chuckled. He eased his fingers out of Leon, then pulled Leon’s hips back to meet the blunt end of his cock.
Leon tensed, but Demitri’s warm hand smoothed his back. “Look at Val,” Demitri said. “Focus on her, not me.”
Leon couldn’t help one glance at Demitri behind him, cock huge and ready, before he closed his eyes. He opened them and focused his gaze on Val’s beautiful face as instructed, and Demitri slid rapidly inside.
Leon thought he was coming apart. He cried out, his jaw clenching, but Val was there, kissing him. She moved so she sat at the head of the bed, her thighs spread while Demitri started to fuck him.
“I’m doing this for you, you know, chere,” Leon said, touching the moist curls at her pussy.
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