by Lexi Ander
"He was building a new base of followers," I finished for her. Marduk couldn't have known about the three of us, about what Tiamat had planned... "So why would he be garnering more power?"
"We suspect he's preparing for war," came a new voice from behind me.
We all turned to regard Tristan, who entered the garden with a slow, hot as fuck bow-legged stroll. I might not like some—most—of the western fashion Ushna and Tristan had fallen into, but I could appreciate the merits of tight Wranglers and the oversized belt buckle that nicely framed his groin. I frowned, seeing the eyepatch firmly back in place and the leather glove covering his two dragon fingers.
"Your Highness!" Several said at once, quickly rising to their feet to give him a deep bow.
Color rushed to Tristan's cheeks and he waved off the hunters, silently bidding them to return to their seats while he took a place next to me. "Please, don't. Just sit with me."
A couple of them still managed a quick bow before doing what he asked. The hunters hadn't been exactly relaxed around me, but they weren't as tense as they were now, as if they expected Tristan to bark demands they'd jump to follow. The hunters might have been in awe of Tristan, but their body language also proclaimed they were wary. Tristan wasn't the only one who was reluctant to trust others.
Tristan squirmed under their regard. I resisted the urge to lean over to kiss him, breaking the uncomfortable atmosphere. But my open affection would probably embarrass Tristan, so I remained where I was. Instead, I asked, "Why do you believe he's preparing for war? He can't know of us yet."
Tristan threaded his fingers through mine. The gentle action made my belly flip. I worried he'd reject my touch, and he proved me wrong by reaching out instead.
"Ah, I believe I have an answer to the question," said Tristan, perking up. "Mithra discovered that Inanna was secretly soliciting allies, splitting the assembly's allegiance to their king Enlil. Before he could warn their king, she imprisoned Mithra to keep him from revealing her duplicity." I'd forgotten Tristan was the one to find Mithra. I bit back a growl, thinking back to how Tristan's rescue had come close to permanently tearing him and the children away from Ushna and me.
Leora leaned forward, her eyes bright with curiosity. "Over the years, I too came to believe she plotted treasonous mischief. Inanna often visits Marduk. Their trysts can sometimes be very public. All of us demons remember how incensed Marduk became after defeating Kingu and Tiamat. He gave the Tablets of Destiny to Enlil as tribute. At the time, he thought of them as only armor, a trophy and nothing else. When Enlil donned the breastplate, he was granted the right to rule the Gods."
The manuscripts in the King's Library gathered by human collectors were conflicting, especially after Marduk became the patron God of Babylon. When Marduk's temple scribes copied the creation tablets from the Sumerian cylinders, they claimed Marduk, instead of Enlil, was the King of the Gods. Everyone knew the one who held the Tablets of Destiny had the right to rule. Why Enlil allowed the blasphemy, no one seemed to know. My personal belief was that Enlil feared Marduk.
"So Marduk is Inanna's ally, then?" I asked, even though I suspected the answer. From what I'd read, Marduk was spoiled and envious. He desired Enlil's crown, claiming to have Enki's creation abilities and reveling in the worship of sycophants. We could only guess why Enlil seemed to be wary of putting Marduk in his place, but his reticence had made our problem with Marduk worse.
Tristan chewed on his lower lip. "Very likely. With the coronation in the next month, Inanna will need to make her move. According to pieces of the prophecy we've gleaned from the captured assassins, she can't allow the Lycans to crown me. If they do, then all believe it will lead to her downfall."
Enlil's hesitancy to defend his throne allowed both Marduk and Inanna to believe their king wasn't strong enough to sit at the head of their pantheon. With Marduk's power reduced over the centuries, he hadn't had the backing he needed to make his desires a reality. It wasn't too much of a stretch to believe Inanna wooed Marduk with pretty promises. She had been planning Enlil's downfall for a while now, and quite frankly, if we hadn't been tasked with freeing Tiamat's children, I would've done my level best to convince Tristan and Ushna to turn our backs and walk away. Men had no business in the battles between Gods. But we weren't mere men, and we had given our vow to free a people. To those who were truly our enemy, I'd show no mercy. Until we had proof Marduk wasn't Inanna's ally, I'd give him no deference and do my damnedest to bring him down.
"Your Highness, we demons have been overlooked by the Gods and Goddesses of the Pantheon. We can make a list of those who have recently visited with Marduk," Leora offered. "Considering the arguments I have overheard, there are some who aren't his allies."
Tristan scowled fiercely, and Leora leaned back as if she expected him to strike her.
"You are not demons! You're the beloved children of Tiamat." Tristan attempted to smile through his anger, probably realizing too late that his snapped statement could be discerned as a reprimand.
The hunters bowed low, their foreheads almost touching the ground from where they were seated on the grass. Many of their expressions reflected relief and hope. "By your decree," they murmured in unison.
Now I frowned as hard as Tristan. What was that supposed to mean? But I didn't get a chance to ask. The ground shook and a loud rumble filled the air. Something pulled at my gut, and I was drawn toward the center of Sanctuary. As one, Tristan and I moved. He snagged my hand, his eyes reflecting worry and trepidation.
"The Heart of Sanctuary comes," Leora intoned with hushed reverence.
"That was quick." Concern laced Tristan's voice.
My stomach flipped. A sense of foreboding hung in the air. Tristan and I ran through the deserted walkways. It didn't escape my notice the hunters headed toward higher ground. The warriors who crossed our path, Tristan commanded they find shelter. Did he feel the same sharp sense of danger I did? Neither Tristan nor Ushna mentioned earthquakes at mine or Tristan's rebirth. I didn't think they would forget an important detail like that. The chatter of the dragonets ceased, as did the call of birds from the surrounding forest.
Tristan skidded to a halt at the overlook. "Holy shit!"
Precious seconds passed before I understood. The interior of the third circle wasn't filling with rising soil as had been described to me. The ground undulated right before rippling waves of water shot into the air, and the dirt was forced to the foot of the stone columns. In no time, a clear pool lay in the center, leaving the edges muddy inclines.
When I thought the spectacle over, a white dragon's head pierced the surface and roared. Trepidation ran like sludge through my veins. What did it mean that Ushna was reborn awake and in dragon form? Why wasn't he dormant and human?
White iridescent scales glistened, and I catalogued the differences between Tristan's dragon and this one. Ushna slithered through the water, his body long but not quite slender. And he didn't have wings. When he reached the muddy shore, he shook his head, sending water flying in all directions, and what appeared to be something like a lion's mane puffed out, catching the light like shards of glass. As Ushna climbed up the embankment, I counted six legs, followed by a long, flat spiked tail.
Again, Ushna raised his snout and gave a piercing cry. Unbidden, I imagined this was what the ancient Vikings whispered of when they told tales of fearsome wyrms, though some aspects of his appearance were reminiscent of Chinese dragons. Enthralled with his new form, I was startled by the streak of red-gold in the sky. Theodore circled overhead in his firebird form, answering Ushna's call with a thready cry of his own. Ushna pushed himself up on four of his feet as Theodore swooped in close. His huge head swiveled on his neck, keeping the bird in sight. The roar Ushna loosed next sounded like a challenge. Theodore disappeared behind a pergola. Suddenly Ushna gave chase, his long sinuous body weaving between the columns with a swiftness belying his size. Both Tristan and I cussed at the same time, running after them. Something was terribly
wrong.
Chapter Eight
Ushna Ahura-Yazda
The scent of fresh air filled our nostrils when we surfaced. Confusion swirled around us, our memory fuzzy as we glanced around the green landscape. The view was similar to our home, but instinctively we knew we were far, far away. We thought perhaps we'd been in the water's depths for quite some time, but… that couldn't be correct. We had memories of walking the surface on two legs, of toiling in the black soil, traversing the high cool mountains, and of making love to our consort.
The cool mud felt heavenly under our feet, the sun beating down upon the scales of our back. With a good shake, we sloughed off the lingering water. The power of the old city called to us, like recognizing like. The scent of scales and salt water tickled our nose. Overlaying it was the smell of wolf, scorpion, and lion.
And consorts.
We growled low, for we wanted to rut under the sun again. Searching for more of those two delectable aromas, pheromones, we lifted our snout to the sky. A small part of us whispered, "Mates. Bashert." Bah! Those were Lycan terms. We were not Lycan, but a mighty dragon of the waters, a God over lesser gods. We had always been dragon, Lord of the Deep, siring others like us with our consort, whose scent always hung heavy with the buoyant waters of the sea.
No… Wait… We shook our head, confusion nagging at us like a harpy on high. We had one consort, with hair the color of a crimson sunset and scales the hues of the clear ocean. No, we had two Basherts who could float upon the wind with dragon-wings outstretched. The piercing cry overhead drew our eyes, our heart speeding in the hopes of seeing our mates soaring in the skies.
A bird of fire circled, swooping past, the trail it left behind bearing the scent of a betrayer, the one who carried a part of our Bashert's soul. The bird's screech mocked us, challenged us. We roared in response and gave chase. He would be held accountable for harming our Bashert. Again, the small voice admonished us: the debt had been paid. But we'd heard the screams of our consort as a piece of his essence was shaved off. We had witnessed his pain, caught his tears upon our hands.
We snaked through the quiet city as we pursued the bird of fire, the need for retribution burning through us even as a part of us argued for leniency. The betrayer flew through a window into a dwelling. The call of familiar voices almost pulled us away from the hunt. Then a tall male form appeared in the doorway, a cloth wrapped around his waist. Scars marred his torso, arms, and face. He did not appear as the beautiful man our memories said he was.
"See, he has paid the dues for his folly. Come away, our consorts call us."
We shook our head again, confused, our thoughts fractured. Suddenly unsure of who we were. The many lives we lived recalled how we'd once run through the forest and across tall grasses with two legs, and then with fur and paw. Or were we the ruler of the fresh waters, the one who called the ungrateful lesser gods children? Lycan or Dragon? One fiery consort or two males who were our equals, our balance?
"Ushna." The male ran a trembling hand through his sun kissed hair, his scent filled with worry and no small amount of fear—but not of us. "Allow me to help you."
We snarled. Why would he want to help us?
He turned both hands up for us to—what? To sniff as if we were wolf, or to bite off as a dragon could?
"Please, Ushna, all I need to do is touch you." He shuffled forward a couple of steps.
"He cannot hurt us."
After a moment's hesitation, we lowered our head, but our gaze never left him. Through our lashes we carefully watched him, taking in every shuddering breath, witnessing every twitch of his muscles. The warmth of his hands seeped into us. His fingers slid over the scales of our snout to our mane. Heat soaked into us slowly, wrapping around us—then separating us. We panicked and roared, attempting to pull away, but his fingers were entangled, holding us firmly in place with surprising force. Our strength was stolen, and our form shrunk as we fell in upon ourselves.
I roared again, the cry turning high and agonized as I fell to my knees in the soft soil. Theo held my head trapped between his palms as he healed the rift that had torn me in two, mending the bond between me and my beast.
My beast—not the God Abzu's.
I held Theo's blue gaze, struggling to speak, to express how grateful I was for his healing touch. Before I could utter a word, flames licked over his skin. Theo threw back his head, mouth open wide as he screamed while he was consumed by a fire from within. In the blink of an eye, nothing remained but a pile of ash. I echoed his cry, but whereas his had been one of pain, mine was filled with horror.
Crawling closer, I reached my white-scaled hands out to lightly touch the gray ash with fingernails tipped with dark claws. Why did flames consume Theo after he healed me? A soft wind rifled through the ashes and I moved closer, futilely trying to catch them. Some swirled away, revealing a bit of red and orange shell. With shaking hands, I sifted through and unburied a large egg the size of my cupped palms. The surface of the shell was almost too hot to touch. What was I supposed to do? I was terrified I'd break the egg if I picked it up.
"Ushna?"
I bit back the instinctive snarl at being startled. As I whirled to face the intruders, the dual pheromones of Tristan and Brian assaulted my senses. I gave a low rumble at their combined scent. Need immediately curled in my belly. Cautiously, they approached. Goddess, they smelled so good, my body was rocked by arousal so strong that if I hadn't already been on my hands and knees, I would have staggered. Saliva pooled in my mouth at the mere thought of tasting them.
Ashes swirled again, bringing me back from the haze of lust—if only somewhat.
"Theo…" My voice was guttural with a hint of sandpaper.
"We know. We saw. He'll be fine." Tristan moved closer, his scent wrapping around me.
I rose to a crouch, stepping closer to the egg sitting in the doorway of the dwelling. "He turned into this?"
Tristan followed, his soft footfalls. Brian lurked behind Tristan, his gaze on Tristan and me, but also glancing to the hills, as if keeping watch. Staring at my clawed fingers, I worried I'd harm the egg if I picked it up. I decided to leave it and woo my mates into the building.
"Yes, he's reborn from the ashes after he conducts a major healing. He'll be fine in a day or so, I think. How are you? How do you feel?" Tristan edged a few steps closer
I smiled wide, predatory, as I rose to my feet. My body might've been humanoid, but I was still covered in dragon scales. "Your scent makes me need." I retreated further into the dwelling, willing them to follow.
Tristan's and Brian's irises expanded, their own dragons flickering below the surface of their human guise. Almost in unison they inhaled, taking in the heady perfume of my lust. Tristan stepped through the entryway and I stood to my full height. He didn't stop until he pressed flush against me. He slid his warm hands over my bare hips, around to the base of my tail, where his fingers circled and squeezed. A ripple of pleasure moved up my spine. My cock grew thick and heavy between my legs.
"I think I've found a new toy." Tristan's unique eye held mine. I carefully removed the patch hiding his left eye.
Growling with pleasure, I covered Tristan's mouth with mine, careful of my teeth even as I crushed him to me. I slipped my hands under his ass, using my superior strength to pick him up. Tristan didn't hesitate to wrap his legs around my waist. His hands explored, nails raking over my scales. Gods, how I wanted to be buried deep inside of him. Tristan broke away, attacking my neck and worrying at it with his teeth. Over his shoulder I stared at Brian, hanging off to the side. The need to claim my reticent mate pulsed through my veins like a drug, stirring my blood with frantic need.
Chapter Nine
Brian Minoa
The sense of foreboding dissipated—mostly—when Ushna transformed into humanoid form. Tristan didn't seem concerned as he stalked Ushna into the dwelling. If the pheromones Ushna leaked did to Tristan what they were doing to me, I understood why. Ushna's scent practically scream
ed 'fuck me now' and his sexy rumble was the best 'come hither' call, next to the sex-laden scent permeating the area.
Deftly scooping up the large hot egg, I carried it inside. After drawing the billowing curtains—none of these buildings had actual shutters or doors—I set the egg in the seat of a plush chair. When I turned back to Ushna and Tristan, they were entwined, eating at each other's mouths as if they'd been apart for weeks instead of less than a day.
Ushna cupped both of Tristan's ass cheeks and lifted, and Tristan wrapped his legs around Ushna. Only then did I notice how much larger Ushna was. Tristan appeared almost small pressed against Ushna's chest. When their kiss broke, Tristan licked over the scales down Ushna's neck. Ushna's gaze swept the room until his eyes fell on me. The heat there caused a ripple of desire to tear through my body and settle in my groin.
Was it strange I found his half form exotic and more than slightly intoxicating? My beast wanted me to rub up against him, lave our tongue all over his body, dig our fingers through the wild silvery mane to see if the strands were as thick as they appeared. I wanted to take his cock in my mouth and swallow it down until he gave a crackly dragon growl that made my balls heavy and toes curl. But I stayed where I was, watching the beauty of Ushna and Tristan together. An ache grew in my chest, the need to touch them nearly overwhelming, and yet I couldn't make my feet move.
Ushna crossed to a table, swiping an arm over the top, knocking everything to the floor before setting Tristan down. Tristan's cowboy boots locked together behind Ushna's thighs, trapping Ushna in front of him. Ushna's tail thrashed back and forth, the spiked end still very much a dangerous weapon. For a brief moment, I considered all the possible havoc the appendage could wreak. Inevitably, my thoughts turned more carnal in nature.