by I. T. Lucas
She heard him hauling the mattress outside and then beating the hell out of it with what sounded like a bat. Wincing, she imagined the clouds of dust that were billowing out of the old, dirty thing. Then came the sound of the noisy, cheap vacuum going on and on as Dalhu battled the dust on the rest of the stuff.
Soaking in the bathtub that she had to clean with her own two hands—Amanda had to admit Dalhu had been right to call her a spoiled, pampered brat. This was the first time she had done anything even remotely domestic. Ever. Unfortunately, there had been no way around it if she wanted to use the deep, but dirty claw-foot tub.
Now, as the water was cooling, she also realized she'd forgotten to bring in the toiletries and a towel. At her home, Onidu was the one who made sure they were on hand for her. She never had to bother with something so trivial herself.
She was stuck.
Okay… her options were to either run out naked and dripping or call Dalhu for help. Both sucked.
She was about to make a run for it, when the vacuum's incessant drone stopped, replaced by the sound of Dalhu's heavy footfalls going up the cracking wooden steps.
Forcing the door open, he walked right in. “Hello, princess.” He grinned like the cat who was about to swallow Tweety bird.
When she didn't gasp or try to cover herself as most women would, the surprised look on his face was priceless. But why would she? She was nothing like what he was used to.
Not even close.
Amanda was the daughter of a goddess, for fate's sake.
Her naked body, boldly displayed in the bath's clear water, rendered Dalhu speechless and drooling. He wasn't the only one affected, though. As he devoured her with his hungry eyes, her body responded, her small nipples growing taut under his hooded gaze.
Wiping the drool off his mouth with the back of his dirty hand, Dalhu ogled her, looking just as awestruck as one of her students. But that was where the resemblance ended.
Dalhu was a magnificent specimen of manhood, and in comparison, all her prior partners were mere boys. Shirtless and sweaty, he looked just as amazing as she had imagined he would.
He was big, not even Yamanu was that tall, and Dalhu was more powerfully built. Nevertheless, his well-defined muscles were perfectly proportioned for his size with no excess bulk; he looked strong, but not pumped like someone who spent endless hours lifting weights at a gym.
Following the light smattering of dark hair trailing down the center of his chest to where it disappeared below the belt line of his jeans, she wasn't surprised to find that he was well proportioned everywhere. And as he kept staring at her, mesmerized, his jeans growing too tight to contain him, she held her breath in anticipation of her first glimpse of that magnificent shaft poking above his belt.
Oh, boy, am I in a shitload of trouble.
There was just no way she could resist all that yummy maleness. Amanda knew she was going to succumb to temptation.
She always had.
Except, this time, she would be stooping lower than ever. Because she could think of nothing that would scream slut louder than her going willingly into the arms of her clan's mortal enemy…
CHAPTER 41: KIAN
Annani arrived.
The large helicopter landing on the stronghold's rooftop carried in addition to the goddess, her two servants Oridu and Ogidu, and the two Guardians Kian had dispatched to pick her up from the clan's private airstrip.
Kri exited first, bending her head under the chopper's rotating blades, and offered her hand to help the small, black-robed figure down and away from harm’s way.
Kian rushed forward to embrace his mother's slight form, shielding her with his large body from the whirlwind created by the helicopter's slowing blades.
The great, formidable Annani was so tiny and light, he'd been afraid she might get blown away.
Once inside the rooftop vestibule, he let go of her and went down to one knee, kneeling so he wouldn't tower over her.
Annani pulled back her hood, the mass of her red, wavy hair spilling forward and cutting some of the lambent light cast by her luminescent, pale face.
Looking at Kian with eyes full of mother's love, she clasped his scruffy cheeks in her warm palms and bent slightly to kiss his forehead. “I have not seen you in such a long time, I forgot how handsome you are, my beautiful boy.”
Ignoring her shameless effort to lay a guilt trip on him, Kian sighed with relief; her tender touch and the sound of her soothing, melodic voice were a salve on the growing fissures of his psyche. “I missed you too, Mother. I should have visited more often. I allowed myself to get distracted by all things mundane, forgetting what's really important in this miserable life. Forgive me.” He hung his head, the truth of his words adding to his despondent mood.
His whole life was work. He neglected his relationships with his sisters and mother, got angry when other family members dared to disturb him, and for what? So he could spend more endless hours bent over reports and contracts? It all felt so meaningless now as his world was falling apart.
“Get up, Kian, and stop that self-flagellation you have got going on. I raised you to be a strong and capable leader. You cannot allow yourself to wallow in self-pity when fate challenges you. Let us go and help your girl pull through.” Annani patted his cheek and waited for him to rise.
As he got to his feet and looked down at his tiny but formidable mother, Kian had to smile. She was the strongest, most willful person he knew. Letting nothing bring her down, she relentlessly pushed forward when others would have given up.
Later, in Syssi's room at the clinic, Annani removed her heavy robe and handed it to Kian, then sat on the hospital bed next to Syssi.
Her long, sleeveless, black silk dress was plain, but it clung to her body in a way that made the lack of a bra quite conspicuous. She never wore one. And though his sisters had tried to convince her it was unseemly, she had retorted that as gravity had no effect on her never-aging body, she saw no reason to bother with something so uncomfortable in deference to the transient sensibilities of others. Why should she? After all, she was the goddess, and it was everyone else's duty to show deference to her. Not the other way around.
And who could argue with that?
“She is so lovely,” Annani said quietly, running her fingers through Syssi's thick, multicolored hair.
“On the inside as well.” Standing next to his mother, Kian was tormented by gut-wrenching worry.
Taking Syssi's hand and holding it between both of hers, his mother asked, “Does she feel as strongly for you as you feel for her?”
“She does.”
“And if she pulls through the change, do you plan to mate her for life?”
“Yes, I've never felt like this about anyone. I thought I loved Lavena, but I'm not sure anymore. I know it seems improbable and maybe even foolish for me to feel this way about a woman I've known for such a short time. But I've known Syssi was the one from the first moment I laid eyes on her. Since then, all I've done is prove to myself that my initial gut response was right. I'm yet to find even one thing that I don't like about her. I love everything. Even the little snoring sounds she makes when she sleeps—they soothe me.” He chuckled, but then his smile wilted, and he rubbed the place over his heart.
“I get crazy jealous and possessive over Syssi, I never did with Lavena. I don't know why… she never does anything to encourage these feelings. It's just me, acting like a caveman who's guarding his turf, all primal instinct and no brains.” Glancing at his mother's satisfied smirk, Kian raked his fingers through his hair.
“You react this way because your immortal body and your soul recognize the one woman who completes you, and you would do just about anything to guard her and keep her safely to yourself. It is as it should be for a male of our kind. I am so happy that against all odds, fate—with a little help from Amanda—has granted you this rare fortune of a true love-match… But are you sure Syssi feels the same way about you?”
“Yes, wh
y do you keep asking? Do you have a reason to doubt it?” It was disconcerting the way his mother double-checked. Did she think he was not lovable? Or worse, that Syssi was some kind of opportunist? Seeking to gain something other than his love and devotion?
“Close the door, Kian.” Annani gestured toward the open door, where the Guardians keeping vigil in the corridor outside were listening in on their conversation.
He had completely forgotten that they were not alone. Now everyone would know how out of control he was.
Whatever… let them.
As he felt a soundproofing shield snap into place, Kian figured his mother wished to guard their conversation. Couldn't she have done it before asking him all those personal questions? Annani was the only one whose power was strong enough to block other immortals, affecting them as easily as they affected humans.
“I kept asking to make sure I am not bringing you in on my most guarded secret without a very good cause.” She sighed, gesturing for him to take a seat on the chair beside the bed.
“What I am going to reveal, I shared out of necessity only with Alena. And now I am sharing it with you… The way we turn our girls is not the way we led everyone to believe we do. They cannot turn just by being exposed to my magnificent self.” She smiled sheepishly as she paused for effect. “I give them a small infusion of my blood to facilitate the change.”
Kian was speechless for a moment. “No wonder you kept it secret. I assume only your blood works? Obviously, if anybody else's had, it wouldn't have been such a big deal.”
“Now you understand why I cannot risk it leaking out. I will become even more of a target than I already am. This information must not fall into the wrong hands by someone blurting it accidentally, or it being tortured out of them.”
“Yes, you were right to keep it a secret. So how does it work? Was it always done like that with the girls?”
“No, it was not needed when there were enough boys from different matrilineal descent to facilitate the change. The girls were turned at around the same age as the boys, at puberty. It was such a lovely ceremony, similar to an engagement party but not as binding. The girl's family would choose an older transitioned boy, or her future intended if there was one, and throw a big party with lots of food and entertainment. Scantily-clothed dancers would put on a show to arouse their audience with their erotic and enticing moves. And at the end of it, the young couple would be escorted to a secluded room for the girl's first kiss and her first bite. Nothing more was allowed, and knowing the consequences, no boy ever crossed the line. A paid substitute was provided for him if later his need became too pressing. And it wasn't because premarital sex was allowed for the boys and not for the girls or any such nonsense; it was just discouraged for those not yet seventeen. In most cases, one bite was enough, but occasionally the boy was called for a repeat performance.” With a wistful smile on her lovely face, Annani gazed blankly at the wall.
“So how did you come up with the idea of giving them your blood? Was it ever done before?”
“No. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and I was desperate. We could not use our boys to turn the girls; it would have been considered incest, and as far as we knew, it would carry disastrous consequences. I remembered my uncle mentioning that even a small amount of a god's blood could bring miraculous healing to a mortal, and I figured it was worth a try. The first Dormant girl child was born, of course, to Alena, so obviously I had to ask her permission before trying something potentially dangerous on her daughter. She agreed that we had to try; otherwise, we would've been doomed to extinction and her female children to mortality. Luckily, by the time her first son was born, you were old enough to be his initiator. And the rest is history. We decided to keep it to ourselves, and concocted the story of my amazing ability to bring about the change by my godly presence alone. Truthfully, I did not think anyone would buy it, but they did.” Annani shrugged her bare shoulders.
“That's the real reason you came.” Kian stated the obvious.
“I would have come regardless, but yes. Your girl should have been fine with your venom alone, but she is not. I figured I could increase her chances of survival by giving her a boost with a tiny infusion of my blood. If she makes it… when she makes it… Syssi could become the mother of a new line, and her descendants could mate with mine. There will be no more need for my blood. She is the key to our future, Kian. I am happy you love her and she loves you back, but I think I would have done it even if that was not the case. She is just too important.”
Kian nodded. “Do you know what to do? I'm not good with needles.”
“Do not worry about it, by now I am an expert, and I have everything I need with me. Hand me my robe and go stand guard outside. I do not want Bridget catching us in the act. I will knock on the door when I am done.”
Kian handed Annani her robe and leaned over Syssi, kissing her lightly on her parched lips. “I love you,” he whispered before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.
Out in the hallway, Kian was greeted by eight worried, questioning faces. All of the guardians and Michael were still there. The trays of half-eaten food and the blankets strewn out on the floor were a testament to their resolve to stay.
“There's still no change,” Kian told them as he leaned his back against the closed door and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting until a discreet knock from inside the room signaled it was okay for him to come back.
“It is done. Syssi should start getting better now. Take a seat, Kian. It might take a while.”
As he plopped tiredly onto the chair and stretched his long legs in front of him, Kian wanted to feel elated at Syssi's increased prospects of making it through the transition, but thoughts of Amanda were keeping him grim.
“I know you are worried about your sister, but I have reason to believe she is not in danger,” Annani said softly as she brushed her knuckles over Syssi's flushed cheek.
“What makes you say that?” Kian straightened in his chair.
“I dozed off on the plane and dreamt of her. Amanda was lying in an old-fashioned bathtub and smiling. She did not look worried or afraid.” Annani turned back to Syssi and placed her palm over Syssi's forehead. “I think she is cooling down.”
“How can you be certain of this? It was only a dream.”
“I know the difference between a regular dream and a remote viewing, Kian. You should know better than to doubt me.”
“I'm sorry, you're right. I shouldn't. You've certainly proven some of your dreams are more than just dreams. It's just hard for me to rely on visions… But even if Amanda is fine at the moment, and I'm tremendously relieved that she is, there is no guarantee she will remain this way. We still need to find her as soon as we can.”
“We will.”
CHAPTER 42: MICHAEL
“Kri.” Michael kissed the sleeping girl's warm cheek.
“Yeah? I'll get right on it…” she mumbled with her eyes still closed.
“Wake up, sweetheart, you're dreaming.”
She lifted an eyelid. “What?”
“I just wanted to tell you I'm going to look for some Motrin. I'll be right back. I didn't want you to wake up and wonder where I am.”
“Why, what's wrong?” She sat up.
“I've got a headache, and my gums are bothering me.” He had been trying to brave it out for the last couple of hours, but the pain was becoming unbearable.
“Ask Bridget, she might have some… and if not, the guys in the lobby will surely have it…” Kri waved him off and plopped back down onto the blanket, letting her eyelids slide shut.
Bridget had her hands full with Syssi, and the last thing Michael wanted was to bother her with his inconsequential toothache.
Taking the elevator up to the lobby, he stood in front of the mirrored wall and tried to see what was going on in his mouth. Stretching his jaw as far as he could, he checked his teeth. But he saw nothing besides some swelling that he wasn't even sure was actually there
.
I need a dentist.
But as far as he knew, other than Bridget, there were no other doctors at the keep. And he was pretty sure that leaving to see a human dentist was out of the question.
Shit, I hope they have Motrin.
The guy at the front desk gave him a pitying look and pulled out a packet of pills from his drawer. “Here you go.” He handed Michael the square plastic packet, then added a bottle of water. “Hope it helps, kid.”
“Thanks, man. Appreciated.”
On his way back down, Michael emptied the whole packet of Motrin into his mouth and washed it down with the bottle of water.
When he got to the clinic's level, he didn't go back to sit next to Kri. Instead, he paced the winding corridor, waiting for the pills to kick in.
CHAPTER 43: KIAN
When Kian shifted once again in an effort to find a more comfortable position on the rigid chair, Annani frowned. “You should ask someone to roll a gurney in here and catch a few hours of sleep. I will wake you if there is any change.”
“It’ll be of no use. I'm too worried to fall asleep, but there is no reason for you to suffer as well. I'm sure you'd appreciate a comfortable bed after your long plane ride. Though, don't take it the wrong way; I'm not kicking you out. You're welcome to stay.”
“I will stay and keep you company for a little longer. I am not tired at all. The nap I took on the plane was very restful. Did you know it was my first time using the new jet? And I must say, it is a wonderful little thing. The two main seats recline and turn into beds. Can you imagine that on such a small airplane? It even has a shower in addition to the standard facilities. Now that I know I can fly in such comfort, I might visit Sari, Amanda and you more often.” Annani glanced at him, checking to see if he liked the idea.
Funny, how she'd done it in a roundabout way, as if not sure of her welcome.
“I wondered when you’d begin to venture away from your sanctuary and travel a little farther than the nearest populated town. I, for one, am always happy to see you, as are the rest of our people. You literally brighten our world…”