Unable and unwilling to remain in their Halls of Night alone, he ventured to the upper realms. The night sky spread above him. The stars gave the only light, restless in their orbital patterns. He stared unseeing at the distant planets and suns. Only then did he remember.
When they’d first met and loved, she’d leave messages in the constellations. Little notes of love and reminders of their passion, it became a game between them to see who could leave the most poetic, the most moving love letter.
He lifted his head, almost afraid to look. If she hadn’t left a message there, he was lost.
Then he saw the twinkling star, her signal to him which marked the beginning of her note.
Dearest Darkness,
My love, I need time away. If you find this, you will be welcome to join me in the sphere where the shadows live, where light never shines, where you and I can revisit our past and plan for our future. Come to me, if you are willing.
Always yours in the stars,
Nyx
What in Hades did she mean? His heart ached. Despair darker than the heavens consumed him.
Chapter Three
Nyx waited. Another earth week passed after her sneak peek at him, and still nothing from Kiernan. Nocterra had captured her in a way she didn’t expect. So much here reminded her of him, almost like the planet held her in its thrall, just as he had for so long. The only trouble was the lack of vibrant life. Without light and heat it was desolate, and yet even that fact didn’t leave her hopeless.
If she could find a way to get light to this place, certainly it left room for the god of darkness to find his way back to her and their love.
She, the goddess of night, had no way to bring the light except as a reflection of other bodies or the distant winking of stars and planets. The puzzle filled her mind as nothing else did and afforded her a welcome distraction from thoughts of her husband. If ever he found his way to her, she’d be ready for him.
Certainly he’d be able to figure out the answer. More and more, she found herself thinking when he arrived rather than if. Surely he would find the message and figure out her little riddle. The last time they visited Nocterra had been on their wedding trip, a little time off from their duties back in the mists of time before the humans arrived, before any sentient beings lived on the planet so a few days without darkness didn’t create a stir. Even when the mortals arrived, there were times they took little vacations, leaving others to cover the world in darkness and bring on the night. If the darkness wasn’t quite as black, or the night stars in their exact places, the humans blamed the idiosyncrasies of the gods.
In the modern age with technological advances, getting away together was a little more difficult but not impossible. As conscientious as he was, she hoped he would put their relationship above duty. He used to, but for the last years not so much.
She set up her triangulation marks for the nearest star, Kappa. How could she get enough light on Nocterra to create the life she wished to see here?
So intent on her project, she hardly noticed the slight wind behind her. Then she caught the scent of darkness, her Darkness. The special crisp aroma that accompanied him, that held the promise of secrets veiled and unveiled. Her heart thudded, maybe she’d imagined it, with him so much on her mind.
She turned.
His black eyes held a brightness behind the inscrutable shadows. His long dark hair flowed out behind him, a curtain she loved to rake her fingers through.
“You came.” While she wished to throw her arms around him, she held back and kept her voice quiet.
“I would have been here a month ago if I hadn’t been so—”
She tilted her head. What stopped him? The anger she sensed sparked around him, and yet he controlled his words. A glimmer of optimism sizzled through her. Perhaps there was a chance for them.
“At least you found me. You remembered.” Her preference had always been the time before the dawn, not the darkest hour of midnight but that time when you couldn’t see the light, but you knew it would be there soon, in the next hour or minute. The same anticipation held her in its grip. Light was around the corner.
Laughter bubbled inside her and escaped. Not a little giggle but a loud, raucous sound that sailed over the rocks. She held her stomach, unable to catch her breath.
Only his glum expression caused her to pause. He looked miserable and confused, and when his brows drew together, she realized from long experience, rage would soon follow unless she could prevent it.
She touched him then, grazed his chest with her fingertips. “I had the craziest thought. It occurred to me that my favorite time of night is just before the day breaks. Don’t you think that’s odd, considering?”
“Considering what? That you’re the goddess of the night and you’re married to the god of darkness? I’d definitely say that’s more than a little strange.” His forehead relaxed, but his eyes narrowed. Whether in confusion or in preparation to wave her idea away, she wasn’t sure.
“Wait. Don’t dismiss it so fast. Aren’t you even a small bit curious to find out why?” Rarely had she challenged him to take notice of her. Instead, she normally settled into his intensity and wisdom. Only her recent separation from that power gave her the strength of will to insist he listen.
His hesitation gave her what she needed, the space to be true and open, but she waited for him to respond, unwilling to force the issue. She had learned serenity too, during their time apart.
“So, tell me. Why is your favorite part of the night before the light comes? I always thought you liked the darkness.” His eyes closed a moment and his face tightened as if something pained him.
“I love the darkness.” Her voice came out a whisper, but from the depths of her soul she gathered her will and pressed on, her voice stronger. “But the mortals say that the darkest hour is that one just before the dawn. Maybe that’s why I like it too, but the real reason is because that’s when hope is present. I can have faith that soon, the light will appear and provide the necessary ingredient to sustain life.”
“Light and dark are both needed for the cycles of life.” He shrugged, obviously not understanding the impact of her revelation. Of course, he probably already knew it. But instead of dismissing her, he had listened, something he wouldn’t have done a month ago.
“Exactly. That’s what I mean.” Almost of their own accord, her hands stroked his skin. Such a long time had passed since she’d taken the time to do that and enjoy the reactions. Gooseflesh pebbled his skin and his nipples hardened. She needed more. Drawing closer, she followed her hands with kisses.
His growl brought her head up. “Goddess, you’re playing with fire.”
“I think we could both use some heat.” She smiled up at him.
His head descended and he filled her vision, the black curtain of his hair brushing her cheeks and enclosing her in a cocoon. She had missed him. When he kissed her, the flames flared at her core. No matter how many millennia they spent together, she never got enough of him.
He devoured her lips and she absorbed it, his hunger creating a ravenous yearning inside. When he lifted his head, he arched his eyebrows in an unspoken question.
“What? What’s wrong?” She wove her fingers deep into his hair to draw him back to her.
“Wrong? It’s almost like you never left. Why in Hades did you leave, why did you stay away if you greet me like this?” The fiery anger banked in his eyes earlier returned, and he growled at her.
“Just because I left doesn’t mean I don’t love you. It doesn’t mean I don’t burn for you.” Even now with his heat so near, her strength almost vanished, overshadowed by his commanding presence. “You’ve always had that power over me. Don’t you know that? One kiss, one touch and I’m lost. Sometimes it overwhelms me. The need, the focus, everything is about you, pleasing you.” She fumbled for the words to make him understand. “It’s not that I don’t want to please you, or that pleasing you doesn’t make me happy. It thrills me. But I need
more than that.”
“More? What do you mean? I’ve given you everything.” He stroked her cheek. “We’re happy, aren’t we? I’ve never even looked at another, mortal or immortal, since we’ve been together. There’s only you.” His eyes narrowed. “You’ve found someone else? Is that it?”
The accusation stung her. “No.” She stumbled back. How could he think that of her? Maybe he didn’t know her as well as she thought.
“Then why did you leave me? When you weren’t there, when you didn’t come back—” He clenched his fists. “Damn it, the darkness without you is impenetrable, don’t you understand? It’s always been that way for me.”
“But it’s you. All the darkness is part of you. I love that about you.” She stared up at the stars. “When I left, it wasn’t because of your darkness, but because I lost part of myself in the black. I’m not sure I can explain it, but I needed to reconnect with me again. Nyx.”
“You make the darkness bearable.” The vulnerability in his face drew her like a planet orbiting a star.
She stepped into his arms. “I missed you. More than I thought you’d ever miss me. You are always sure of yourself, in control. I guess that’s why I thought you didn’t need me as much, and then when you didn’t come find me—” A shrug finished her sentence.
“It’s been a long time since you wrote me a message in the stars. Besides, I was pretty busy doing both our jobs.”
In the past, she would have taken his comment as an accusation, feeling guilty at her actions. Rather than lashing out, she took time to gather her thoughts. Since being on Nocterra, she’d learned patience and self-awareness. Not everything was about her just as not everything was about Kiernan.
All that went through her mind before she let her head drop against his chest. “Thank you for looking.”
“For damn sure if you ever leave again, I’ll be searching for that message a lot sooner. But—” His chin dropped to her head, a welcome weight. “I hope you won’t.”
“No promises. From either one of us. Not now.” She leaned back in his arms. “Kiss me?”
The hesitation lasted no more than a fraction of a second before he captured her lips in a tender caress. Unsatisfied with the gentleness, she thrust her tongue into his mouth. The invitation was accepted immediately, and their tongues twisted and writhed.
When he broke away, they were both breathing heavily. “Do you have a bed on this forsaken planet?”
“The cave I use is just over that rise.” She pointed in the distance.
Almost before she’d finished her sentence, he swept her into his arms and transported them. Inside the cave, he released her slowly. She slid down his body, taking time to glide her hands over his shoulders and chest. Her explorations brought a hiss from him.
“I’m not sure I can be slow this first time.”
“You don’t need to be.” She tossed her head and gave him a smile while she did a slow striptease. The dark robes puddled on the floor and she stepped out of them.
Next came her corset, but as she reached for the ties, he stopped her. “Let me.” His large fingers attended to the smallest detail and the corset released her breasts to his gaze.
He grinned. “I never get tired of that view.”
Her nipples peaked as if they spoke a language all their own, begging for attention. She cupped her breasts in her hands. “They are yours for the taking.”
The boldness did the trick, spurred him forward. He kissed her again, moving over her lips, which tingled under his special treatment. From there, he made his way down her neck, flicking his tongue adeptly over her skin. The blazing fire of need sparked within her. Her moans bounced off the walls.
She tangled her fingers in his silky hair. He licked his way down her chest, then hovered, blowing gently on each nipple. Her breath caught at the subtle breeze which both cooled her skin and heated her desire.
Unable to wait, she clutched at his clothes, the familiar fur and the leather covering his loins, finally tearing them away so he too stood naked.
He backed her against the bed she’d conjured. One of the perks of being the goddess of night was creating the ideal sleeping quarters. No longer able to stand, she fell into the mattress, the perfect firm yet giving surface accepted her weight before he pressed forward.
His mouth returned to her breasts, taking time to savor each one, teasing the peaks to a tightness bordering on pain. Unable to hold her head up any longer, it fell against the pillows. She closed her eyes, reveling in each sensation. Only he knew how to send her body into convulsions of cravings until her moans turned into pleadings. She curled her fingers into the bedding, arching her back.
“Now, please.” Her voice quivered.
Contrary to his earlier claim to not rush, he took his time. He kissed his way down her stomach until he reached the bud, exactly where she wanted him. His lips asserted his demands without words, suckling before brushing his tongue over her in a quick rhythm.
When he inserted a finger into her core, she fragmented into a million pieces. She screamed.
Before her trembles subsided, he covered her and drove into her, each lunge gaining momentum. She lifted her hips in invitation. Her body wet with need, stretched and the fullness she needed sent her over the edge again.
“I’m coming.” Her announcement came in gasps.
“Yes.” He grunted and then convulsed on her. The force of his culmination propelled her to the stars once more. Distant stars tumbled from the heavens when her climax broke.
His groans echoed in the thunder of his heartbeat.
“I love you.” She cupped his cheeks and brought him down to kiss him. “Always will.”
“You know, you’re nothing without me.” His grin softened the familiar words, but not the impact on her soul.
Just like that, claustrophobia closed in on her. With effort, she pushed it away. She knew he teased her. It had been his private joke for so long that she doubted he even processed it any longer. While she couldn’t deny she needed him, wanted him, loved him, she needed something more. The answers eluded her, but she wouldn’t give up trying to find them.
Chapter Four
Reve stood outside the cave entrance, his ears throbbing from the sounds of the two gods making love. Nyx’s whimpers and shouts of pleasure assaulted him, but no less so than Kieran’s sexy grunts. His ears weren’t the only things throbbing. He touched his growing bulge beneath his tunic. Though tempted to join them, he withdrew a short distance away.
No sense barging in when he didn’t know whether they would welcome the intrusion, not yet. If they invited him to their bed, he didn’t want to be on the edge of his own climax before they had a chance to get to enjoy one another first.
The god of dreams sat on a rock and recalled all the sexy, alluring sounds that aroused him to a fever pitch. With a wish that one or both of the two gods was with him, he stroked his erection. Already hard, he pulled on it in a rhythm that matched the gasps he’d heard. Gods, he was so hot. He slipped his tunic up. It took only a few moments before he shuddered with his climax. The release did little to relieve the heat rolling over his loins. Though it had been a long while since he had laid eyes on Nyx and Kiernan, he’d wanted them both from the time he’d helped mortals draw their dreams on cave walls.
One dusk long ago, he’d come upon them as they set out to pull darkness over the land and Nyx flew beside Kiernan, with expressions of such devotion on their faces. Their arms wrapped around each other and they danced among the stars, dipping and spinning as they blanketed the night sky. Immediately, he’d wondered how it would be to have someone look at him that way. No other gods were so open with their affection. Was it that night he’d fallen for them?
The following day, in the Halls of Night, he ran into them again.
“Greetings,” he’d approached them and smiled, “I saw you last night and you two looked so happy.”
They exchanged glances and laughed.
“I can’t deny
it,” Nyx said.
“Nor I.” Kiernan’s eyes sparkled and he took her hand and kissed the palm. “Who can complain when the gorgeous goddess of night is my wife?”
Nyx giggled and playfully pushed her husband away. “Stop, you’ll embarrass the poor guy. So you’re Morpheus, right? The bringer of dreams?”
“Yes. I probably spend as much time in the dark hours as the two of you. Guess that means we have a lot in common.” He was babbling, but couldn’t help it, he wanted to spend more time with them, get to know them and have them know him.
“Do you ever get tired of the night, the dark?” Kiernan’s eyes narrowed.
“Just the loneliness. At times I wish--” He stopped. Why had he let that slip?
Nyx held out her hand. “I’m sure you’ll find someone. Have you petitioned Zeus for a wife?”
“Not yet.” Since seeing the two of them he’d settle for nothing less than what they had, a loving family.
When he slept that afternoon, he’d had his first dream of them. They held their arms out to him and he stepped into their embrace. Warm and unbelievably arousing, he’d awoken in a state of bliss. Subsequently, he’d lost count of how many times over the ages he’d had that same dream, until finally he decided that he must have them to relieve the incessant ache in his loins. He shook off his reverie.
When Zeus asked for a volunteer to leave earth to check up on the couple, he’d jumped on it faster than Hermes could wing his way to Mt. Olympus. Just one chance to fulfill his dream of taking Nyx and Kiernan into his bed, of showing them a night of awesome lovemaking and his cravings for them would be satisfied, and he could move on to other dreams yet untold. The unexpected opportunity would not be wasted.
By the time he returned to the cave entrance, the sounds of lovemaking had quieted and the two gods spoke in low, intense voices.
“I need you to let me breathe occasionally.” Nyx’s voice rose slightly.
Three Times Lucky: Five Sizzling Tales of Three-Way Love Page 7