Paldimori Gods Rising Box Set

by T. L. Callahan

  The smell of burning coals and the sound of a heavy hammer hitting metal greeted us as we entered Mark’s shop. The guides fanned out around the room as Bennett and I walked to the open doorway behind the counter and into a room that looked like an old blacksmith’s forge. Weapons in different stages of completion hung from the ceiling off to the left. A low stone bed attached to a hearth took up most of the right side of the room. Mark paused with his massive hammer mid-swing when he noticed us at the door. The glowing hot piece of metal that he had been about to strike on the anvil lifted into the air and drove itself into the bed of coals at the hearth. His tools rearranged themselves into their respective places hanging on the wall or in barrels sitting around the floor. Mark took off his heavy gloves and apron, and they too flew through the air to find their home.

  The big man pulled a rag from his pocket to wipe his hands and sweat-covered face. “My lord. My lady,” he greeted us in his raspy voice and bowed deeply.

  “How many times do I have to tell you not to bow to me?” Bennett admonished.

  “Maybe when you’re no longer Kyrion, I’ll listen.” Mark flashed his crooked smile. “When will you learn to respect your elders?”

  “You may be older but that does not mean wiser,” Bennett countered with a chuckle. “You still let Devon talk you into playing cards with him even though you know he cheats.”

  It was hard to image Devon—the gruff and always serious leader of the guides—cheating at anything. What little I had gotten to know about him during the first competition said he was all about rules and keeping people in line. He wasn’t a big fan of mine and had even told me once that I talked too much. I could have told him that after years of isolating myself and locking everything away under the thick pavement of my lonely highway that I was making up for lost time, but for some reason I liked nettling the man.

  “Little brother hasn’t gotten a trick past me since he snuck off with one of Daddy’s cigars when he was eleven and tried to blame me. Besides, I appreciate the free beer,” Mark chuckled hoarsely. “But you didn’t come here to talk about my brother’s poor poker face.” He walked to the back of the room and pulled something wrapped in cloth from the shelf. Then handed the object to Bennett. “I have finished what you asked for.”

  Mark turned to me and pulled a necklace from his pants pocket. Under the lights of the room the black chain shimmered with various colors similar to the ring on my finger. “And for you, my lady.”

  “Thank you, Mark, but you didn’t have to do this. You already gave us gifts.”

  “This is no ordinary necklace,” Mark informed me. “May I, my lady?”

  I turned to allow him to place the chain around my neck. The cool touch of the metal quickly turned to a comforting warmth as it settled into place. “It will react to your will and form a tunic of armor. Think of a shield wrapping around you and push that thought into the necklace.”

  I did as he instructed. A silky blanket of warmth climbed up my neck, and I watched in amazement as black liquid poured down my arms, and finally down my chest all the way to my hips. The liquid hardened into interlocking swirls of flames, like fancy chainmail but lightweight and very flexible. My unique symbol with all its various colors sat like the crowning jewel between my breasts. “Mark, you’re a genius!”

  Mark walked me through releasing the armor and told me the more I practiced the quicker the transition would become. Bennett nodded approvingly. Then glanced at the cloth-covered package in his hands and back to me. I got the impression he was weighing whether or not he should share this with me. After damaging his mother’s painting this morning, I doubted he wanted to share anything with me right now. “Please, Bennett, let me explain.”

  “I know that you were hurt that I had not told you about your grandfather or the negotiations that had taken place. I am sorry for that and the pain you must be feeling after all we saw last night.” Bennett clutched the cloth-wrapped package with white knuckles. “Were those sins so great that you would strike back at me by trying to destroy my mother’s painting?”

  “No! I would never do something so cruel.” I struggled to find the words to explain. Would he believe me if I told him about his mother’s ghost? Would I want to know my parents were still lingering but had never reached out to me in all these years? “Your mother was a good woman who loved you very much. I-I was wild with grief over my parents’ murders and let my own insecurities drive me to lash out. I’m so sorry, Bennett.”

  Bennett bowed his head for a moment and when he looked up, I breathed a sigh of relief. He gave me a tentative smile and said, “I know how grief can drive a person to do things that they regret.”

  A dark shadow of self-loathing seemed to flicker across his face. It was gone so quickly I wondered if it hadn’t been a trick of the lighting. A grim disquiet gnawed at me. Was there still more that he was hiding?

  “My mother is not a yardstick that you must measure yourself against,” Bennett said carefully. “I realize now that it is my own fault that you may have gotten that impression. I pushed Selene upon you and let her take full control of your introduction to becoming a Kyrion. Yes, there is much for you to learn, but I never wanted you to be anyone except yourself.”

  I almost sank to the floor under the release of pressure. “Thank you, Bennett.” I placed my hand over his where it rested on top of the cloth package. “It seems we need to work on being more open and communicating with each other, husband.”

  “Indeed, wife,” Bennett turned his hand over to squeeze mine and raised it to his lips. “I look forward to practicing all manner of husbandly duties with you.”

  Heat filled my cheeks as I glanced at Mark who gave me a warm smile, and I hurriedly excused myself so the men could talk business. Grayson pushed away from the wall and followed me. I crossed to the right side of the room and stepped into the first alcove I came to. As if he sensed my need for privacy, Grayson stationed himself at the opening with his back toward me, blocking me from view. A collection of spears lined the walls in various shapes, sizes, and colors. I pressed the heels of my hands hard against my eyes. This day had already been an emotional rollercoaster and the sun was barely up.

  A low thrumming caught my attention. There was that pull again, like I had experienced at the hot springs, as if I were being drawn toward something. I began to walk, allowing the thrumming rhythm to lead me. Grayson took up position in the center of the shop so that he could watch me no matter where I went. The thrumming increased in tempo as I passed the alcove of swords. I backtracked and tried walking past again. Whatever was calling to me was definitely in this area. I stepped into the alcove, scanning the sword-covered walls from floor to ceiling. Every type of blade imaginable—and maybe a few never seen outside of this city—were displayed. They ranged from swords as tall as me to tiny knives no bigger than my thumb. A medium-sized sword with a black blade caught my eye. My fingers traced over the smooth surface, and it felt as if the metal heated beneath my touch. The thrumming noise hit a crescendo, then fell silent.

  “Are you going to kill our Kyrion?” a small voice asked, making me jump and cut my finger on the sword.

  I sucked in a sharp breath at the pain, and a trickle of blood slid across the black sword. It absorbed into the metal, and faint blue swirls lit up the blade. A vision filled my mind of Titan wielding the weapon as he battled against several other male and female figures. The sword glowed a bright blue as the god hacked through a red ball of power, making it disappear. I blinked, wondering if I had really seen any of that. Lack of sleep must have been catching up with me.

  I shook my head, dismissing the images, and searched the space for my unexpected visitor. “Who’s there?”

  “The people in town say you’re going to kill Kyrion Bennett, and then the bad people will come.” A young girl around nine or ten with light brown skin and pigtails, peeked her head over the ledge above the alcove doorway. “You don’t look evil. Not like Mrs. Lasterman. She has weird eyes and
lipstick on her teeth. She gave us homework on the first day of school.”

  “Uh, I don’t think I’m evil. Why would people say I’m going to kill the Kyrion?” Good to know I didn’t look like an evil teacher, but why the hell would people think I was going to kill my husband? “Ben—uh, Kyrion Bennett is very important to me. I would never hurt him.”

  “You might be soul bonded.” Her dark eyes assessed me curiously. “Then the Kyrion can die. I don’t ever want to have a bond-mate. Daddy could have died when Mommy did if they had completed the bond. I wouldn’t have a mommy or a daddy now. Are you going to have babies?”

  What the ever-loving hell? Our bonding meant that Bennett would die? My father’s voice from the memories I had seen in Sicily filled my head: “How could your father give our people this gift only to make it a curse that everyone who finds their true bond-mate will die?” I had been so distraught at seeing my parents die again and learning that they had been murdered that I had forgotten that part of the memories.

  No, no, no! I can’t be responsible for someone else giving up their life for me.

  “What does it—” I started to ask the girl questions, but Mark, Bennett, and Grayson joined us before I got the chance.

  “Kayla Ann, come down here and stop harassing our future Kyrion.” Mark’s exasperated voice cut me off. The girl jumped from the ledge, turning a somersault in the air, and landed on her feet. My mouth dropped open in astonishment at her skill. She gave me a wide grin and then sprinted out the door.

  “I’m sorry, my lady,” Mark said sheepishly. It was disconcerting to see a man twice my size wringing his hands nervously. “My daughter has run a bit wild since my wife died last year.”

  “Mark, it’s ok.” I forced another smile. At this point I would have my sociable smile down pat for future Kyrion duties. “And I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “Thank you, my lady,” he replied. My brain was turning over what the girl had said and making connections that had me fighting my need to grab Bennett and stake him out in the desert until he spilled every thought in his head. Mark gestured toward my hand. “My daughter found this sword near the hot springs. It seems the landslide uncovered it. I finished cleaning it just this morning. Did you want to try the sword, my lady?”

  The sword with the black blade was still in my hand, posed for a strike, as if I knew what I was doing. I hadn’t even realized that I’d picked it up. Calidora had called me a warrior-queen, maybe this was part of what she meant. It fit my hand well enough, but somehow, I got the impression that it was destined for someone else. “I’ll take the sword,” I declared as my grip tightened around the hilt.

  Click wiggled from the holster on my leg, circling around the sword and making clicking noises as if he approved. Mark went to find whatever accessories I would need for my new weapon. There must have been some sign of the desperate denial mounting inside me over what Kayla Ann had said because Bennett reached for our connection. His voice buzzed in the background of my mind asking what was wrong but there was too much to say.

  My gaze met Bennett’s. “We need to talk.”

  22

  We teleported back to the foyer of Bennett’s house. The guides dispersed, and Grayson went off to harass Selene. Bennett and I were left alone. We stared at each other, neither of us willing to be the first to speak. Then Bennett motioned for me to walk with him. He led me to the conference room where the monitors showed each of the six guard towers surrounding the base of the mountain. I noticed that there were a lot of Talosi gathered at each tower before Bennett turned off the screens.

  I laid my new sword in its leather scabbard on the table and walked over to the fireplace. Concentrating on the logs, I coaxed my powers to flow out through my fingertips. The logs caught fire but, for once, it was a controlled flame, and nothing blew up. Finally, I was starting to get the hang of this.

  “Well done, asteràki,” Bennett said from close behind me. “You are learning quickly now that you have accepted that your powers and your emotions are a part of you.”

  I didn’t respond. My mind was swirling with the realization that Bennett would die because of me. The deaths already on my hands flashed through my mind: the man from the streets, James, Grace, and my parents. The last unbroken section of pavement on my lonely highway rumbled, threatening to crack wide open and release my darkest nightmares.

  Bennett’s fingers brushed along my back, but I refused to turn around, needing a moment to compose myself.

  The whispers I had overheard at the Bonding Ceremony about losing him and the look on Guide Athan’s face made sense now. Everyone but me had known that bonding was a death sentence. I was surprised that they hadn’t burned me at the stake to prevent us from claiming each other. I understood the vows now—mind, body, and soul. Bennett and I were irrevocably joined in life, as we would be in death.

  “Don’t,” I said as Bennett’s hands ran over my back in soothing strokes. I shrugged him off and turned around.

  “Lia, what is it?” Bennett’s brows knit in worry as he stepped closer.

  “I want the truth. Not telepathically or rooting through your emotional bank vault to find out for myself. I want an honest conversation like we’re a normal couple,” I demanded with a hard edge to my voice that halted him in his tracks. “Got it?”

  Bennett’s eyes narrowed clearly hating my ordering him around, but he nodded in agreement.

  “The day of our Bonding Ceremony, there were murmurs in the crowd about losing you.” Bennett held completely still watching me behind the mask of the Kyrion. “Under the memory serum last night, my parents talked about a bond curse. And just now Mark’s daughter told me that you could die because we would become bond-mates. Is that true? Will you die if I do?”

  “Yes,” he stated gruffly.

  “For god’s sake, Bennett,” I choked out. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because you did not need to know.”

  “You don’t get to decide that!” I shouted, anger and hurt boiled up inside of me looking for an outlet. “Fucking hell, Bennett, I thought we were past this. Didn’t we just talk about being open and communicating with each other. Lies and omissions are what ripped us apart before. Yet, you still didn’t say a word about our bond stripping away your immortality.”

  “I am not immortal. Only the gods and the first couple of children born to them were immortal,” he said. An exasperated “Arrr” left me at Mr. Know-it-all correcting me even during an argument. Bennett gripped my hand in his and formed twin flames on my palm. “The Kyrion are the closest thing our people know to immortals because the strength of our power sustains our lives. The stronger the powers, the longer we live, and the harder we are to kill.” The two flames joined as one and shrank in size. “When two people who are blessed by the gods to find their other half go through the bond-mate vows, it creates a soul deep connection; it combines our powers to form one source to sustain two lives. This is why finding a bond-mate is both a blessing and a curse. The length of our lives is shortened, and if one dies so does the other. Most of our people only go through the ceremony and never complete the vows to form the Desmòs. They are never willing to risk either shortening their lives or finding out their chosen bond-mate is not who the gods intended for them.”

  I watched the flame flicker and die out. “How can that be? I died when I got shot by that arrow, but you were fine.”

  “Your healing powers were working to keep you alive and tied to this world.” Bennett crowded into me, pushing my chin up to force me to meet his gaze. “We are one, Lia, in every possible way. Our lives are intertwined now, and I would change nothing. There is no world where I would choose to live if you died, and now that is impossible.”

  I jerked out of his grasp. “Why couldn’t you have told me all of that before? You promised me that we were in this together, but you’re still the one calling all the shots. We’re either partners or we’re nothing.” Bennett flinched as I let my disappointment and heartb
reak crash through the door to our connection before slamming it closed once more. “How can I trust you when you keep everything from me?”

  “Trust?” Bennett scoffed, gripping my arms tightly. His eyes blazed with anger, and the fireplace behind me flared in reaction. “You have never fully trusted me. Yes, I made many mistakes when we first met. I have apologized and tried to be the ‘boyfriend’ you wanted.” His sneer said more than words ever could how much he had hated that title. “You are the one who keeps me at arm’s length, rarely opening your end of our connection. I have given you my love. Shared my life force with you. You will soon be co-ruler of my House. I have left my side of our connection open and invited you in to see all of me. Is that not enough?”

  “I don’t want to have to use our connection to search out the truths you bury!” I cried, shoving at his chest and not moving him an inch. “I don’t want to learn who you are by digging through your memories and emotions. All I’ve ever wanted was honesty, and for you to show me who you are through actions and words.” I teleported out of his hold and wrapped my arms around my body. I felt as if every word he said was a sharp claw digging into me, ripping and shredding. He didn’t understand that he had the power to shatter me. That he could bury me back under the lonely highway that I had only just resurrected myself from. I feared if I ever went back to that, I might never surface again. “You’re right,” I said, “I haven’t opened myself fully to you. You hurt me once, and I’ve kept a distance between us to lessen the blow when you hurt me again. Looks like I was right to protect myself.”