by Renee Travis
“Ereshkigal, what is wrong, why are you here? Where is your entourage?” His questions were fired off.
“Namtar has been poisoned.” I could barely say the words again, I was suddenly so tired, I sagged in his arms, he quickly picked me up and cuddled me to his chest. He sat down, holding me to him.
He felt so good, warm and solid; it was nice to be off my feet for a few minutes to feel like someone else could take the weight, if only for the moment.
“Can you help?” I asked, arms going around his waist, I glanced up at his handsome face. He looked so serious.
“Yes, best beloved one. What kind of poison?” But he wasn’t looking at me as he answered but at Ekur. Ekur looked a little nervous and I could not figure out why, it was MY best friend dying not theirs.
“Knife Shrub.” These words seemed to be something offensive to Nergal because when Ekur said it I almost got dropped as he stood. I think he realized he was still holding me only a few seconds before because he easily slid me to the left so I was sitting on the crushed velvet cushion, instead of the cold floor.
“Knife Shrub?” Nergal rubbed his forehead, “did she really think….” He looked up, eyes furious. “Ekur, fetch Lilu.”
“Who is Lilu?” I was so confused; Ekur had left the room in a hurry, “Nergal what is going on?”
“I had wondered,” he sat down next to me, holding my hands, eyes staring into mine, “that is, I think I know who was giving you such problems on your journey here and I am sorry.” He kissed my hand and then leaned in to kiss my brow. He smelled just like I remembered.
“This is not how I imagined I would see you next,” he smiled.
“Not how I thought it would be either. Nergal what’s going on?” I didn’t like that I was asking this question, again.
“You will be answered, but please just sit and be quiet until everything is over.” He got up and faced the door, his hearing better than mine, several seconds later Ekur walked through with an Alu female.
I had a moment to look at her before all hell broke loose. She was smaller than Nergal but still taller than me, her skin was pale blue, her hair long and stick thin, hanging down her back. She had blue flame eyes and was quite beautiful, well she would have been if she didn’t look crazy and pissed off.
When she saw me it was like someone stuck her with a knife; her mouth fell open, then she screeched and launched herself at me. Nergal caught her; she didn’t even manage to take two steps. He passed Lilu to Ekur who held her in place as she struggled to get to me. Standing, I just stared at her, what was her problem? I didn’t even know this Alu.
Her black wings were tight against her body, in comfort I guess, and she was in a skin tight black dress that hugged her form perfectly.
“Lilu, behave yourself,” Nergal’s voice was quiet and sounded a little sad.
“What is she doing here?” She hissed the question, her eyes never leaving me.
“She has come to request aid. It seems her best friend has a bad bout of Knife Shrub poisoning.” Nergal definitely seemed to know something I didn’t.
She seemed to smirk and calm down, but continued to glare at me.
“How I wonder did Knife Shrubs show on her grounds? I know for a fact the Groundskeeper delivered here two days ago the only three found there to begin with.”
At his statement what was going on set in, hardcore. This Alu bitch was responsible for Nam being so sick?
“It was you? You planted those horrible things at my home?” I advanced towards her, my magic drawing around me. I really looked at her then, using my magic and that confirmed it. She had what looked like giant chunks bitten out of her skin. These were bites that only I would be able to see since it was my magic that had caused them, my magic that had attacked her earlier when she sucked me into the Dream World. I could only imagine the constant pain she was in, sure I could pull my magic back and they would heal, but at this point why would I? Instead I prepared to attack her again.
Nergal turned to me, a pleading look in his eyes. “I cannot allow you to harm Lilu. Ereshkigal, I’m sorry, you must let me handle this.”
I stopped, shocked and a little hurt, “she is killing Nam, how can you protect her?”
“She is my sister,” He looked even sadder now.
“Half sister,” Ekur mumbled, giving me a conspiratory look.
“When you mentioned Knife Shrubs, I knew Lilu had to have had something to do with it, and if with that then with everything else. She has a Knife Shrub garden, a sanctuary if you will, in the back. She has been fascinated with them since she was little,” Nergal explained.
“How would you know that? I am fifty years older than you!” Lilu shrieked.
“Silence!” Nergal yelled at her and she stilled. I had never seen Nergal angry, it was frightening and somehow arousing.
“Why would you do something like this? I don’t even know you,” shaking my head I just stood there, appalled.
“I should be queen.” Her statement was simple and the first thing out of her mouth that didn’t sound like Ms. Nut Job Bitch.
“Lilu, I have put up with a lot from you out of respect for our mother, but no more,” Nergal seemed so depressed. I wanted to go to his side, but knew this was Alu business and I needed to wait.
“What do you mean Nergal? What are you going to do?” Her voice was pitchy and getting higher with every word.
“Ekur, take her to the dungeon and lock her up.”
She began to thrash against her captor and I could feel pressure in the atmosphere, boiling, and an almost burnt smell filled my nostrils.
Alarmed, I warned them, “She’s going to use magic.”
“No she won’t.” Nergal, his eyes sad, focused on his sister and it was like all the pressure left the room and for a second I could not breathe. I watched Lilu’s face as the color drained from it, her hands reached for her throat, grasping at something invisible.
I could breathe again, my heart was thumping in my chest, furiously, but Lilu still looked like she could not, her eyes bulging, I tasted her panic on the back of my tongue.
“If you use magic I will bind you, do you understand?” Nergal asked. She nodded her head and then took a deep breath, arms relaxing at her sides.
“Nergal, baby brother, you would not really bind me?” She sounded weak, but the look in her eyes was conniving.
“Lilu, just stop.” Ekur was frustrated I could tell and began to haul her away, she started to kick and scream.
“I will not bow to some Kassaptu whore! I should be Queen, I am the eldest!!! If I cannot have you Nergal, she will not, I swear this!”
I could hear her shrieks for what seemed like minutes after she was gone, I felt sorry for Ekur. Nergal faced me and shame filled his features. He came to me and took my hands in his.
“I am so sorry my best beloved one. I did not think her anger had grown so fierce that she would try to harm you.”
“Explain; who is she? You said she’s your sister….” I hated feeling confused.
“It is through my father’s line that the ruling is passed down; I am his first born son,” he began, “and the most powerful Alu in Bet Pagri. But in Lilu’s reality she is older so she should rule.”
“Ekur mentioned she is your half sister.”
“Yes, our mother was mated before she met my father; she had Lilu and then was widowed. My father took Lilu as his own and then they had me shortly after they were wed,” he finished.
“Has she always been like this?” And did it run in his family?
“No. She was the best big sister when I was small. But our mother died 15 years ago and after that Lilu changed. She became power hungry and crazed with keeping Alus pure, reverting to the old ways. When my father remarried two years ago it was… difficult. I have been straining myself to keep her in check.” He rubbed a hand over his eyes, tired.
“But I thought you said your mother and father were looking forward to meeting me?”
“I ca
ll father’s new wife mother because I have known her most of my life and out of respect for her position as our Queen.” Nergal brushed his hand up and down my arm, this guy had been through a lot in his life.
As my mind raced to keep up with the information I was being given I had a sudden thought, “How old are you?”
“Thirty-eight, I am considered to just be ending Alu adolescence.” He smiled; glancing down at me, there was a question in his eyes.
“Our looks are so deceiving,” I laughed. Nergal looked my age, 18, maybe 20 but he was really old enough to be my father.
“Is this a problem? Alus do not care about age since our bodies never match the number.” He seemed a bit concerned.
“No, I was just curious.” I couldn’t help the laughter; it was as if all the stress I was feeling suddenly burst forth in a really inappropriate way. He stared at me for a second and then, chuckling, gathered me in his arms and just rocked with me as the sardonic humor faded.
“Wait, what did she mean by if I can’t have you no one will….” My hands gripped his arms, I felt like he was grounding me, calming me and I liked the sensation of knowing if I tripped he’d catch me, if I failed he was there to help, even if I didn’t need it.
Rolling his eyes he grimaced, “hundreds of years ago, and I mean hundreds, Alus were in the practice of mating only with other Alus to keep the lines pure. But, as you can imagine, it does cause some problems when family begins to mate. We stopped this years ago when we realized that a full blood Alu is born no matter what or who we mate with,” Nergal explained. So Lilu wanted on her brother? This totally grossed me out.
“I thought you said that most Kassaptu that touch you go crazy?” I rubbed my temples.
“Yes, but Nymphs, Mormos and other Demons do not,” He pulled my hand away from my head and softly kissed the skin I had been rubbing.
“Lilu just wants to go back to the perverted way things were,” another voice joined the conversation. Ekur walked towards us, his arms were covered with tiny scratches and he looked worn out.
“I have told you for years she needs help or to be constantly supervised.” His eyes looked tight and angry.
“You mean locked up.” Nergal did not sound happy.
“Yes, if necessary! She is dangerous and the people are afraid of her. If it was me, she’d be dead.”
I agreed with Ekur’s words. Adura was not the place to live if you wanted mercy. Lilu was treacherous and unstable; things would be better if she went away and did not come back.
“I cannot kill my own sister,” and there was the rub, Nergal loved his sister; Ekur and I did not, however. Meeting Ekur’s gray eyes I knew that given the chance he would kill her and I knew I wouldn’t hesitate either, especially after Nam.
“I need to get back to Nam. Can you help me or not? I have wasted too much time here already,” Pulling away from Nergal I wrapped my arms around myself.
“Yes, we have the antidote, do not worry.” Nergal made a couple of very high pitch noises and within moments another Alu appeared holding a small purple vial. He gave it to Nergal and then was gone, it all happened so fast I barely had time to look at the Alu who came in. It must be nice to be a Prince that people adored and followed.
“We will come with you, of course.” Ekur told me, “We, too, can pass through the shadows.”
We went back the way Ekur had brought me and soon were outside the gates. I watched with fascination as Ekur opened a passageway to the Shadow Lands. I’d only ever seen Nam do it before and Kassaptu do it differently. Ekur needed to say a few words and shed blood to open the “door.”
“Why hasn’t your father taken care of Lilu?” I asked as we started through the darkness, nothing bothered us, we must have seemed menacing without the need for added threats.
“He has….other things to worry about right now. I have kept her problems from him and my stepmother. I love the Queen, but she is a true Alu female,” he answered.
“What he means is she would not put up with Lilu’s crap, Princess. She would see it as weakness and prey on it, which is natural. But my King, he would be saddened by the loss of Lilu or the Queen,” Ekur explained.
“Who do you think would win in a fight between the two of them?” I inquired.
“Lilu,” both my male companions said. This caused a tiny river of fear down my spine. So Lilu was powerful, more powerful than me? I didn’t want to think so because whether Nergal liked it or not, she would pay for hurting Nam.
We came out of the shadows right where I’d left, in front of my new house. I’d been gone only a few hours but it seemed longer. I ran inside, aware of Nergal and Ekur following me.
It was very quiet inside, and only the evening lamps were lit, everyone had finally retired to bed. I made a mental note to do something nice for the staff; they were working extra hard to get this place up and running.
Bounding up the stairs, I was desperate to get to Nam and give him the antidote; I barged into his room, happy to see Lahar, Puabi and Sarlu were right by his side. Nam was lying on a large sleigh bed with bedding a rich deep green.
“How is he?”
“There has been no change,” Sarlu stood, patted my shoulder and left the room, eager, I think, to get onto the many things that needed to be done still, or perhaps to sleep.
I am still watching him Eshie! He’s here, but you better hurry, I think he’s fading! Puabi’s voice was very tense.
Lahar trotted over and licked my hand, and for once it didn’t bother me, even though I hate dog slobber.
“Thank you both for helping keep an eye on him. Nergal, help me?” I knelt by Nam, gathering his lithe form to me, he felt much cooler than he should have.
“Don’t worry Nam, I won’t let death take you. I’ll bring you back if you stray too far,” I whispered.
Nergal aided me into getting him upright. I tilted back his head and Ekur poured the purple liquid down his throat. I held his nose closed, forcing him to swallow.
We laid him back and I was hoping for something to happen right away, but he was still, no movement, nothing happened.
“What’s wrong, why didn’t it work?” I was so fearful we hadn’t made it in time.
“It takes a bit, calm.” Nergal smiled at me, tense, but it was there.
I watched as slowly the green poison lines faded from Nam’s skin. I gripped his hand and almost cried when his fingers tightened around my own. It was as if I were watching life flow back into him. His breathing became visible and color returned to his cheeks. Then his eyes opened and he turned his head, eyes meeting mine.
“Nam!” I exclaimed and threw myself on him, hugging him, his arms came around me and he patted my back, awkwardly.
“It’s ok Eshie, I’m ok,” his voice sounded a little hoarse, but he was alive! I was so happy, I hadn’t known what I would have done if the medicine hadn’t worked.
Realizing I was in the presence of others I scrambled off him and sat like a lady, “how do you feel?”
“Strangely tired and a bit sore.” He struggled into a sitting position, grimacing with every move.
“Namtar, I am glad you are awake and that the Knife Shrub did no permanent damage. You should be back to normal within an hour,” Nergal said. For the first time I think Nam realized we were not alone.
“When did you guys get here? How long was I out of it? I don’t remember much.” Nam frowned.
“Hours Nam, I had to Shadow Walk to Bet Pagri,” I proceeded to fill him in on the drama with Lilu.
Silence filled his room when I was done. I was now near Nergal, an arm wrapped around his waist, craving the contact with his skin. So much was in upheaval, I just wanted to feel comfort. My feelings for Nergal were still new, shiny and something I wasn’t used to, but I liked it.
“Well shit Eshie. Look at everything I’ve missed,” Nam chortled. Seeing him awake and alive, the lethargy I had been pushing back finally reared its ugly head and I yawned, twice.
“You need
rest.” Nergal announced. Thank you, Captain Obvious.
“Yeah, I guess I do. You do too Nam,” I mother henned him.
“Yes ma’am, but only if you agree to follow suit,” he teased me.
“Butthead,” I winked and let Nergal and Ekur escort me from the room. Ekur went downstairs leaving Nergal and I alone in the hallway.
“I want to talk to you, I want to know all about you, but so much is going on we do not have the time.” Nergal grabbed me and kissed me. It was hot and hard, his body against mine. I felt the wall at my back, his hands at my waist.
I opened my mouth to his heat, letting the smell and taste of him fill me up. The stress I had been under seemed to leak out of me with his nearness. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pressing myself against him, wantonly. I arched under his hands, needing more, reeling in sensations I had never had before.
Gasping he broke off the kiss, keeping us both upright, one hand braced on the wall behind me, his chest heaving.
“We have to stop before I take you here in the hallway.” His lips were near my ear and those words, whispered, made me almost tell him: Who cares?
He set me on my feet and brushed my skirt back down into place, “I love you.” The words were quiet and sincere.
“How can you love me? You barely know me!” It was a serious question. I didn’t love him, not yet, but the emotions I felt were strong.
“Alu just work that way. We mate, it is more like an animal than a Kassaptu, but I would not change it. I will wait for you to love me.” He shrugged, “go to sleep, when you wake we will all go back to Bet Pagri.”
“You really do need my help don’t you?” I asked.
“Yes.”
I took a deep breath and went to my room, I was worn out and I had a feeling that whatever was wrong at Bet Pagri would not be simple.
Chapter 13
I woke with a heavy weight on my chest, “uh, Lahar get off” I pushed him away, and stretching, rolled out of bed.
I tried to tell him you wouldn’t like that, he wouldn’t listen.