by LJ Vickery
“Hanging out? As in being with him after everybody else had gone to bed?” He raised his eyebrows in disbelief. Tess sighed. It was pretty telling that being alone with a male was tougher for her brother to believe than Marduk having a bad case of crimson.
Tess studied the tips of her boots. “You might say that.” Did she catch a small upward twitch of her brother’s lip?
Their conversation was cut short by the staccato of raised voices at the other end of the room. Turmoil reigned within the group. Tess was just able to catch words here and there like “safe” and “find” and of course a whole boatload of “fuck’s”. Before long, however, the mood seemed to change. Suddenly, there was some back-slapping, with Marduk on the receiving end, some jeers, catcalls, and suggestive nudges, while cautious glances were sent in her direction. What the hell was that all about?
“I think last night’s cherry shine might have had something to do with you.” Huxley didn’t sound displeased.
“I was afraid of that,” sighed Tess. “Things just keep getting weirder and weirder, and you…” She punched her brother in the arm, causing him to wince. She’d obviously hit a bruise. “You seem to be taking it all in stride like this kind of shit happens every day.”
A grin lit up Huxley’s face. “Are you kidding?” He did some glowing of his own. “I’ve been waiting for this, like, my whole life!”
“Asshole,” Tess grumbled good naturedly, aware that her little brother deserved some happiness. But enough of this! The day was getting away from them. She approached the two material immortals. “Time to get moving,” she barked authoritatively, intending to take no crap. “We still need to make a trip to Bangor, or had you forgotten?” She intensely disliked the new way all her gods were studying her, much like a bug under a microscope.
“And you guys can stuff it!” She stalked her way through the misty group, not feeling magnanimous. “If I could touch you…” A collective groan kept her from continuing immediately. She closed her eyes, tapped her foot and started again. “If I could touch you, I’d enjoy kicking your half-naked mugs all over this gym.” She went low before any of them had a chance to think, swiped one booted foot behind Marduk’s knees, and caused him to drop like a rock. It was her turn to look smug.
“I’ll meet you outside.” Tess turned and sauntered away, but not before a burst of male laughter ricocheted around the group. She couldn’t help but sneak a look back. All the gods were convulsing hysterically.
But the one most amused was Marduk, still flat on his back, sporting an enormous shit-eating grin and laughing until she thought he’d split a gut. So he liked her cheeky side, did he? Well, buckle up, baby. For being so secretive, Marduk was in for some torment today.
Anshar decided to tag along, and was a little more receptive to her mood and intentions than the other two. His exact words as they rode the bikes into the city were, Marduk, you are so going down. Harder than you did in the gym…and I don’t mean that in the good way. Tess’s flush, hidden by her helmet, went unnoticed.
First stop, cell phone store, where the twenty-something clerk hit Enlil and Marduk with the full sales pitch complete with terms like 4G, android, and dual core processor. By the time they had new phones in hand, Tess was pretty sure they couldn’t tell their ass from megabytes, megahertz, or megapixels.
She knew they’d catch on fast, but it was glorious fun seeing these two all-powerfuls baffled by their new little gadgets. Anshar spent the whole time trying to take pictures of himself with the display models, garnering predictable results.
Next, she squeezed the three of them into a tiny booth at the smallest restaurant she could find. Marduk’s claustrophobia was something Enlil shared, and they were soon turning green, making her feel a little mean. Naturally, Anshar was rooting for projectile entertainment, which earned him dagger-like stares and more of that bizarre thunder that had been prevalent lately.
“What’s with the thunder, anyway?” She decided to make a deal. “Tell me about it, and we can eat somewhere else.” When Enlil and Marduk attempted to look innocent, they succeeded only in pitiful. “I know there’s something strange about it, and I’m betting it has something to do with god-behavior. Am I right?” Tess sipped her water.
“I’ve told you Enlil and I are both storm gods. Well, I’m a thunder god, and he’s more like the wind that whips up to help.” Marduk cleared his throat, getting a fuck you from Enlil. “It seems that since becoming physical again, my control over the elements has been linked to my emotions. If I’m agitated, you get thunder.” He shrugged it off and looked longingly at the door.
“That’s so cool!” Tess remembered a few times when there’d been thunder in the past few days and found herself liking that she could “agitate” Marduk.
“We need to get out of here.” Enlil had obviously reached the end of his tolerance. Marduk again threw a fifty on the table, and Tess gave him an incredulous look.
“What?” He questioned her stare. “We took up a table and disappointed the nice young waitress. Now she won’t have to be upset.” He hustled out the door right behind Enlil. Tess stood for a moment. That was another question. Where did they get their money, and why did it seem like there was no shortage of it?
Once outside, the gods procured pretzels and foaming mugs of root beer from a street vendor who hadn’t minded braving the late spring cold. Tess, busy with a hot dog, at one point during their feast, reached over to swipe a spot of mustard off Marduk’s lip and, without thinking, slipped the digit into her mouth, sucking it clean.
Stop! Stop! Stop! Anshar was all over the small action and held his head as if in pain. No mouth touching, okay? It’s bad enough you guys get to eat, without swapping spit when I can see.
Marduk caught Tess’s eye. Swap spit later? An instant message board suddenly lit up in her brain. Tess shivered and graphically pictured one of Marduk’s bone-deep kisses wrapping itself around those words. Her vision caused Marduk to grunt and thrust his hands deep into his pockets. Hmph, gloated Tess. Two could play at that game. She waited. Rats! No thunder.
Tess proceeded to run the group ragged with visits to a transportation museum, a history museum (not so historic to them), and a stop by the statue of Paul Bunyan that had them perplexed. He didn’t look like a god, they puzzled as Tess explained, he just looked like a regular guy who was very tall.
Tess didn’t want to burst their bubbles, but they didn’t look particularly god-like either. Just buff and gorgeous. As a matter of fact, she’d seen the interest the pair had garnered from the female population and was ready to vomit. Enlil, in particular, seemed to derive great pleasure from “accidentally” bumping into every female he could, with Anshar egging him on.
“Excuse me, miss,” he’d say, just as happily jostling the fifty-somethings and the extra plumps. He certainly didn’t discriminate. And wouldn’t you know it? Not one of them seemed to mind his hand momentarily coming to rest on their extra shapely posteriors, eliciting near swoons and… What was this? Was that blonde bimbo actually slipping him her phone number? Tess was ready to call it a day.
“Time to hit the road, Lothario.” She smirked. Anshar acquired the number from Enlil before the wind god could stuff it in his pocket. What the inviso-boy would do with it was a good question. The blonde flounced away happy, assuming she had a new conquest.
Marduk had also watched Enlil’s latest exchange with interest. Maybe a little too much interest. Mine! Tess as good as proclaimed out loud as she linked her arm with Marduk’s, and could instantly see how much he enjoyed her response.
“I shall have to ogle the female population more often.” He stroked her fingers where they had attached to his arm. She tried to snatch them back, but he held on firmly. He lowered his head to her ear.
“Incidentally, you have nothing to worry about.” His warm breath tickled her sensitive flesh, and her nipples hardened in response.
“Not worried,” she grumped. “Let’s get out of here.”
Later that evening, after a lively supper with her dad—she hadn’t known he was such a fan of the ancient classics—Tess wasn’t ready to settle in for the night and decided to attend her home chapter’s alcoholic’s meeting. She brought it up to Marduk as they stood outside on the porch and watched the sunset.
“I’m going in to town,” she said firmly, knowing she was going to get a fight.
“I think it’s best you stay here.” Marduk didn’t sound in the least disturbed, as if his wishes would override hers without question.
“Well, I’m going anyway.” She decided to give him the explanation he hadn’t sought. “You know I was headed to a meeting in Quincy when you, uh, rescued me.” Tess tumbled ahead. “I rarely miss one when I’m at home.”
“And you need to go to these meetings because…” He paused to let her answer his question in her own way.
“Because I’m an alcoholic.” There. She’d said it and wondered if he would exhibit disgust.
“Show me.” That’s all he said, staring off into the twilight.
Tess knew what he was asking and slowly worked up her courage, projecting a series of pictures into his head starting with her and Holly up the hill behind the barn sharing a bottle of cheap wine and ending, many drunken encounters later, with her falling off a stool and being carried from the bar in the arms of a rough-looking individual.
“Is that the guy that…” He looked down, his glance burning against her breast.
“Yes,” she admitted, “that’s Gage.” She even hated saying his name. Marduk seemed to take a good long time to analyze the image that she’d put on “pause.” What was he seeing? A tough guy, cocky in an annoying way with arms covered in tats; the creep eyed Tess lasciviously even as she was on the edge of passing out.
Tess felt Marduk’s strong emotions. She knew he itched to have his hands around the guy’s neck. Tess shivered. Marduk was carefully studying Gage’s face. She knew instinctively, if their paths ever crossed, and Marduk got his hands on him, no one would ever recognize the bastard again.
“You can go to your meeting.” Tess was taken aback with his fast capitulation. “But Enlil and I will go with you.”
Fair enough, she thought. “I’m going inside to get ready. I’ll meet you back here in ten minutes.” She paused just inside the screen door and looked back at him. God, he was so attractive. She pondered what she was going to do about her growing fixation.
Run now, screamed her brain. Out of your league! There were so many reasons to let it go. First, there was the obstacle of god to human. How realistic could that be for a relationship? Then what about that oh-so-special can of worms—sex-god to sex-damaged. That was another dilemma that couldn’t be beat.
Who was she trying to kid? If she did let Marduk go all the way, and that was an utterly terrifying thought, he would find himself thoroughly disappointed. If there was one thing Gage had taught her, it was that she was unskilled, unappealing, and unable to keep a man satisfied.
He’d shown that any sex partner of hers would need to revert to even baser and more horrifying acts to eventually achieve release. Tess shuddered. There. End of internal debate. For that reason, and that reason alone, she could never let Marduk get any closer.
Chapter Twenty
Coffee! Marduk inhaled deeply. If Marduk had known that these meetings offered free coffee, he would have insisted on Tess attending the previous night. Well, maybe not. The interlude in the hot tub had spiked him like no caffeine he’d ever ingested. Tess took her seat while Marduk and Enlil doctored their beverages.
The room was half filled with a couple dozen people, most of whom came over to smile and talk to Tess, letting her know how much they’d missed her. It seemed, from what he could overhear, that Tess had been highly involved if not responsible for establishing this local chapter. It was something she had not shared with him, but it obviously made her quite popular with the locals. His little mouse continued to be a surprise.
Tonight was slated as a speaker meeting, which apparently lasted longer than a discussion only meeting. So they settled into their uncomfortable metal chairs, knowing they’d be there for a couple of hours.
Marduk and Enlil seemed absorbed in the topic of the evening, when half way through, the thunder god noticed Tess squirming. It wasn’t long before she communicated her need to him, via head-link, and pointed to the hallway door that led to the bathroom. Marduk nodded. His eyes followed her progress until she reached the door. Satisfied, he turned back to the speaker.
Tess finished up, washed her hands, and caught the beautiful green eyes of a woman reapplying scarlet lipstick in the mirror next to her. Funny. She was a stranger. Tess hadn’t noticed her attending any meetings before.
“Hi,” said the woman, putting her lipstick away and fiddling with her earrings.
“Hello,” said Tess politely, waiting for the water to get warm. “Old building,” she said, conversationally. “Takes a long time for the hot water to come up from the boiler. Are you new in town?” Tess was curious. It was too late for ski tourists and too early for campers.
“Just passing through.” The woman was about to say something else, but dropped her earring. “Oops!” It landed at Tess’s feet.
“I’ll get it.” Tess bent to retrieve the small stone and instantly felt a sharp jab in the back of her neck.
“Oh, come on! Not again!” She rose to confront the small woman, but the room was already swaying and Tess went down without another sound.
****
“Where did Tess go?” Enlil asked Marduk in a whisper.
“Ladies’ room,” Marduk replied, then tapped his new cell phone awake to look at the time. “But she’s been gone a little longer than I expected. I’m going to go check on her.”
“Good luck with that.” Enlil unbent enough to snicker. “Nothing a woman likes better than being rushed in the powder room.”
“She’ll just have to deal with it.” Marduk pushed himself up from the folding chair. Enlil rose as well, obviously intent on watching the fun.
They approached the ladies room and listened at the door. No sound of water running, no flushing. Marduk pondered. Should he give her some privacy? He turned to confer with Enlil, but then thought better of it. It was his call.
“Tess?” He tapped his knuckles on the door. “Hey, Tess. Sorry to bother you, but we just wondered if you were all right.” No answer.
“Tess?” Marduk called a little more forcefully. When there was still no sound from within, he reached for the knob…and his hand turned to mist. “Shit!” he cried, wafting through the door. An invisible Enlil echoed the sentiment.
The bathroom was empty, but a window had been thrown open. Marduk sprinted to the portal and looked out. There was no one in sight. They couldn’t have gotten far. Frantically, he called for Tess with his mind and received no answer.
He looked back at Enlil. Clutched in the deities hand was a god-damned syringe. The same kind the PP had used on Tess before, but this time she hadn’t been so lucky. He and Enlil misted into the street, moving quickly up and down the sidewalks, peering into alleys. She was nowhere to be found. Thunder roared throughout the sky and wind tore past storefronts, ripping branches from trees. The anger of both gods was being unleashed.
Marduk screamed in his head, Brothers! And within minutes, the ten gathered to hear his anguished cries. Hux, who was now tuned into the god’s network, had bolted for his car and was also on his way.
“She is taken! Search the town and leave no stone unturned. I want her found!” If Dagon so much as hurt a hair on her head, there would be death…so much death. His brain was about to explode and his body crackled, growing larger and larger with his fury. He could tell that Anshar, who had never seen him brought to this state, was worried that his friend was morphing into an “all-powerful” and very dangerous person
a.
“Control yourself,” Anshar implored. “Remember last time.” Anshar hadn’t witnessed the cataclysmic incident that had tumbled Marduk from favor with the head-gods and plummeted him to the underworld, but Marduk had told him small pieces of it. Anshar had every right to be worried. It sure as hell felt like the thunder god was heading into the same uncontrollable rage tonight.
“Marduk!” He sensed Anshar trying to pull him back from the brink.
The thunder god’s eyes blazed with bursts of lightning, and he could feel his comprehension dwindling fast. Thank the gods Anshar didn’t panic. Calling on his whole sky power, his friend caused bright light to break through a small hole in the fast growing storm clouds, sending its strength around Marduk to warm him.
“Listen to me.” He heard his friend say as if from far away. “This is not the way to help her. You need to control yourself. She is not dead.” Marduk felt himself being shaken, and the brilliance began penetrating his ire, bringing the worst of his rage under control. “Do you hear me? She is not dead!”
Marduk let the harsher elements go, and dropped to his knees, now fully aware of all the immortals surrounding him. The strange light disappeared and the weather lessened, but the rain still beat on their backs and dripped down his face like tears.
His brothers couldn’t know what he was feeling. Couldn’t fathom the depths of his despair. Tess was his Chosen! The woman with whom he was destined to spend eternity. If something happened to her, he would never survive…would not want to survive. And the worst part—it was all his fault. He had let her be taken! He had promised his protection, vowed she would be safe, and he had failed. He looked grimly around the circle.
“We will find her.” His voice sounded like scraped gravel. “And when we do, you will leave her abductors to me. I will give them exquisite pain for the small amount of time left in their pitiful lives.”
None of his brothers doubted him for a second, and they all made their promises. The enemy would be his. But first, to find Tess. Hux drove up to the devastated group and added his determined strength to the group when he got the full and disturbing story.