Queen's Ransom: The Golden Bulls of Minos

by Isabel Wroth

  Impatient for this to be over, eager to have Jalia with him, Dhega thumped his hand on the rail and turned around in time to see a small cloaked form slip silently through his door.

  He opened his mouth to command whoever it was to leave him be, but before he could even draw the breath, Jalia was pushing back her hood and tugging the fake pair of horns from her hair.

  For a few moments neither of them spoke, she stared back at him with eyes as green as the pastures of Islingrane, and he stared back.

  "Why are you here?" he asked gently, his hands clenching to keep from grabbing at her. He watched her, rooted to the spot as she closed the distance between them.

  Her fingers touched his belly first, her gaze searching, questioning. "All I thought about when I walked into the maze, was how I wished I'd known what it felt like to kiss you."

  Dhega bent to brush his lips across hers immediately, again when she made a sweet, soft murmur and rolled up on her toes for more.

  Their kisses were tentative at first, each one growing hotter, deeper, harder. He wrestled with the consequences and his own desires, wanting nothing more than to roll her down to the fur covered floor in front of the hearth.

  "Jalia, this is dangerous—"

  "I don't care. No one saw me leave. Tom made sure the coast was clear, and you're up here in a tower away from all the others." She reached up to slip the buttons of her plain gray cloak free, stepping out of the thick folds wearing only a pair of soft-soled slippers.

  Despite the roaring fire he'd lit in the hearth, it was cool in the room. Cold enough that he could see Jalia's moonlit skin pebble, the pale brown tips of her nipples taut and quivering with her unsteady breaths.

  "I lied. I definitely want more than a kiss." She stared up at him with uncertainty and desire flushing her cheeks a beautiful pink,

  "Please, I need this. I need you."

  Her hoarse plea was like a knife to the threadbare web keeping his restraint in check. Dhega gripped her soft thighs and pulled her up, urging her to wrap her legs around his waist, groaning to feel every soft swell of her body fit the hard hollows of his own.

  Jalia clung to him, meeting him for kiss after desperate kiss, her body vibrating like a string wound too tightly.

  He tore at the waist of his trousers, the cold air hit his engorged flesh, but it did nothing to diminish the raging hunger. He could feel the wet glide of her sex on his belly, her intoxicating scent pushing him closer and closer to a total lack of control.

  He knelt on the furs, intending to lay her back, to toss her over onto her knees to mount her, but she tore her mouth from his, panting softly, the intensity of her gaze causing him to halt mid-motion.

  He stared into her eyes from a breath away, watching them slowly bleed from brightest green to softest blue. The seductive wealth of red curls cascading around her shoulders fell flat, turning a glossy black, her skin shimmered from deeply tanned to a luminescent cream, a smattering of freckles appeared over the bridge of her nose.

  There was a hesitance in her expression that made him realize he was seeing her true face, her true colors, and she worried he wouldn't like it.

  In truth, he was captivated no matter how she changed her appearance to suit her moods, but he saw the determination in her gaze. A conscious choice made, and her words floated back to him.

  The day I become your queen, I'll show you.

  The urgency to take her, to claim her, possess her, now, began to ebb, a deeper desire he had no name for welling up instead. He needed in a way he had never needed before, and it seemed the only way to soothe the ragged ache suddenly twisting through him was to keep her this close. To look into her eyes.

  Dhega turned, sitting back on his ass with Jalia in his lap, still wrapped around him, their eyes locked together, neither one of them willing to blink and break the rising intimacy.

  He drug his hands down her back, pressing his fingers into the taut muscles, following the familiar curve of her waist until he was able to fill his palms with the lusciousness of her backside, watching her as he lifted her high enough to let the head of his shaft kiss the slick flesh of her entrance.

  Dhega held her there until he felt her thighs tense to grip him tighter, until he felt the press of her nails against his shoulders, silently demanding more. He let her down slowly, the feel of her tender opening giving way, the sensation of his cock being swallowed in a molten hot fist...he wasn't sure which brought him more pleasure. Forging his way inside her or watching her face twist in erotic agony and hearing the ragged little wail that left her kiss stung lips.

  He felt her tense when the thickest part of him began to breach her, a look of near panic on her features.

  He froze, transfixed by that expression, by how her teeth sank into the succulent swell of her lower lip as she struggled to take him, her lashes fluttering as she gave a low, throaty moan.

  Dhega's eyes nearly rolled back at the ripple of her clenched muscles around his cock, the massaging grip that flexed and released, flowering open to take more, allowing her to sink those last few inches.

  He'd had so many visions of a violent, urgent claiming when they finally did come together, yet somehow this intimate embrace put all those fantasies to shame.

  *****

  Jalia had snuck up here wanting that kiss she'd told herself she had to survive to get. Tom had gone out to clear the way and looking at her reflection in the tiny bathroom mirror, Jalia had made another decision. She stripped off her clothes and wrapped herself in a drab gray cloak Tom had borrowed for her.

  Some strange compulsion had come over her to be with Dhega. Really be with him. Not as a technicolor impostor, but as Jalia: disowned daughter, un-reformed socialite, gambler.

  One last test to show him her real face, and he hadn't disappointed. Understanding dawned immediately, and she watched the frenzied lust bleed from his expression into something so much more.

  Never in her life had she been so thoroughly twined around another being, staring into his eyes from a breath away, feeling him in every cell of her body.

  She rocked in the cradle of his lap, both of them wrapped around one another, their lips brushing with each thrust of her hips, neither of them blinking as the pleasure built like a star about to explode.

  Jalia felt like she was staring into his soul, penetrated in ways that had nothing to do with the unbelievable feeling of being impaled on his cock.

  He must have felt it too, the soul-deep connection because he held her tighter. The hands he supported her with shifted, changed the angle of her hips and suddenly the twisting grind became a little bounce.

  The glowing star between them turned supernova, and out of nowhere, she was there, soaring even as her body spasmed almost violently.

  Every muscle contracting, her vision wavered enough that she lost sight of him, drowning in wave after incredible wave of ecstasy, and she didn't care who heard her scream out his name.

  *****

  Three hours before dawn, Tom came to collect her, announcing himself with a quick set of soft knocks. She sighed with satisfaction, exhausted, and her body's physical protesting aside, Jalia didn't want to leave the perfect spot she'd found tucked half under Dhega.

  His grunt of protest and evil glare for the closed door melted away to a smug, satisfied smirk when he looked down at her, his palm settling between her breasts, spread wide over her heart.

  "Soon, we will be in my bed at Letau, and not even your Phantom will disturb us."

  Jalia didn't feel the cold at all thanks to his kisses, lying back with a ridiculous smile on her face that very quickly turned to one of absolute awe when Dhega rose up in all his nude glory to collect her discarded shoes and cloak, seemingly oblivious to her hungry scrutiny.

  The terror of Minos pulled the covers away from her feet and helped her put her shoes on. He peeled the blankets back inch by inch to spare her from the chill of the room, kissing his way up her body, leaving her breathless and tingling by the time he pulled
her up and swirled her borrowed cloak around her shoulders, slipping the buttons into place one by one.

  "Where did you get these?" he asked as he settled her horned headband in her hair, coiling the length of her braid around his fist.

  "Tom."

  Dhega's response was to grunt again, using the hold he had on her hair to pull her up on her toes, leaving her little choice other than to grab hold of his biceps to keep her balance. His eyes were narrow with suspicion, jealousy flavoring his tone.

  "He does much for you."

  "He's my attendant.

  "Were you lovers?"

  Jalia did nothing to hide her reaction or her laughter. "Never. I met a mercenary named Bloody Boudreaux not long after I broke out of the reform school, and I beat him at a tough game of cards.

  “He accused me of cheating, so I told him I'd give all his money back if he could beat me at the next hand.

  “He didn't, and for a while I ran with his crew, winning money under their flag until I had enough credits to buy passage to Sasilli Theta.

  “We kept in touch, and when I needed an entourage to come here, I called Boudreaux. He's in prison with a huge bail number, so he loaned me Tom, and Croft if I paid it."

  "Mercenaries."

  "Mm-hm. Told you, I'm kind of a degenerate."

  Tom quietly rapped on the door again, causing Dhega to reach around her and slam his fist against the panel in answer.

  His expression gentled when he looked at her, his brow puckered in frustration, his gaze searching her face, silently pleading with her to understand.

  "You are not. We will discuss this later. You know nothing outside the privacy of this room can change between us?"

  Jalia went up on her toes to brush a kiss to his hard jaw, rubbing it in with her thumb. "I do know. It'll be fine."

  "Be careful," Dhega admonished seriously.

  "I will." Their lips met again and again in small, lingering pecks that bled into an all-out sensual assault of lips, tongue, and teeth because neither of them could bear to stop.

  Tom's urgent knock made them draw apart for the last time, and with one last smile Jalia slipped out the door and rolled her eyes at the impatient look Tom gave her.

  She followed the assassin's lead, the two of them slipping silently into her room not long later. Croft looked out from a round hole in the bundle of blankets he'd wrapped himself in, huddled in front of the dying fire with a sullen glare,

  "I hope you had fun. I'm only lying here in complete misery with half my ass missing."

  Jalia climbed into the narrow bed and pulled the cold blankets up around her with a secretive smile. She was sore, her body humming with remembered pleasure, her lips chapped from so many kisses.

  Fun?

  It had been perfect.

  *****

  Washed and dressed, Jalia made her way downstairs for the morning meal, eager as everyone else to leave the frigid beauty of Myonaea behind, but one foot into the dining hall and Jalia could practically feel the charge of tension sparking against her skin.

  Dhega sat at the head of the table, scowling so darkly at Jansus the prince was mopping at his sweaty brow. Not sure what could have gone wrong so early in the morning, Jalia got in line to collect her warm bowl of porridge, finding Antehe herself was dishing out the portions.

  "Thank you, your highness for your hospitality thus far, I apologize again for the trouble my attendant caused and am grateful for your leniency towards him."

  Jalia was sincerely thankful, but Antehe gave her a hard, penetrating look. "Do you truly understand what it means to be a queen of Minos?"

  "I beg your pardon?"

  Antehe speared her with a hard, relentless stare, as though she was trying to read the words imprinted on Jalia's soul. "I see you look at him with softness in your eyes and I have to wonder whether or not you know the beast he truly is."

  Jalia wanted to say something, but honestly, she didn't know how to respond.

  "I've been where you are. I ran the Nine to claim my king, and for many years we ruled together in peace until Dhega came to challenge Persis for his throne.

  “Only Dhega wasn't content to run the labyrinth. He made a point of following my Persis, and I watched from his throne as Dhega caught him by the horns to push him purposefully into the path of an oncoming blade.

  “He carried Persis' head through the maze with him like a trophy and when he emerged, he was totally unscathed. Not one mark on him.

  "His first order as king was to send me home to my herd, but he kept my sons. Turned them against me as though I was the monster, and not him.

  “My herd refused to let me return, afraid my presence would cause the new king to turn an unfavorable eye on them. With nowhere to go, I came here.

  "The prince of Myonaea was old, tired of the ice and snow, he stepped aside and gave me his place because, in truth, no other wanted to take responsibility for the palace.

  “I opened it to any other female who had been abandoned or abused, and hundreds have flocked to my doors in shame and fear."

  Jalia was more than a little shocked by Antehe's sudden hostility, speechless, not sure what to say.

  "Dhega is not immortal. There will be another someday who will challenge him and take his throne.

  “Perhaps the new king will be merciful, but if he is not, who do you have to turn to? Where will you go?"

  It went without saying, Antehe was not offering Jalia a place at Myonaea should Dhega someday die and insinuating no one on Minos would offer her sanctuary either.

  "Lucky for me, there's a whole wide universe out there to explore. It's been my home for a long time."

  She felt Antehe's glare drilling into her back as she made her way to the table. She sat and dipped her spoon into her now cold breakfast, listening with half an ear as Jansus tried to explain to Dhega how he was going to solve the issue of getting them out of Myonaea as fast as possible despite the storm approaching.

  Unfortunately, they had to stay another very uncomfortable day to wait it out.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  They had arrived in the dead of night at Dymigona palace and having woken up this morning to find herself staring at the blinding ocean of glittering sand surrounding the palace, Jalia understood why.

  The young male piloting the shuttle wouldn't have been able to see where he was going.

  Jalia had seen a few deserts in her life. Telantes, the largest casinos, and gaming industry conventions all seemed to prefer the desert planets for some reason, but she hadn't ever seen sand that shone so brightly she had to squint against the powerful glare.

  This desert wasn't made up of sand or dirt like most others. The entire sea of it was crushed gems, minerals, and rocks all with powerfully reflective surfaces.

  Idly Jalia wondered how much a pouch of this 'sand' would sell for out in the world. What properties it might have aside from its shine.

  Croft must have read her mind, because this morning before the beginning of the next challenge, he'd come back with a pouch full and smiled as he tucked it away in her things to be analyzed by the LUX later.

  She was currently following Dhega and the prince of Dymigona, Simo, through the palace. Entayta walked beside her, the rest of the princes trailing behind them as they made their way down from the palace proper to the temple.

  To the Maze of Two Souls.

  As they passed from inside the thick walls of the palace out into the insane heat of the twin suns, sweat instantly broke out on her skin.

  The temple that loomed looked like more of a shrine, a pyramid of steps, crowned by a large four-legged creature lying on its belly, staring down at them with a blank expression like it was bored, or maybe tired of carrying the round disk set between its regal horns.

  They passed into its shadow and through the open doors of the temple, to a room made entirely of gold. From the floor to the arched ceiling, everything glittered gold.

  It looked like the temple had been hollowed out from wh
at had once been a solid, gargantuan piece of gold encased in stone. Four golden pillars held up the craggy roof, framing the oval pool directly ahead. It felt strange in here, like a gentle current was humming through the air, buzzing ever so gently against her skin.

  "Ladies," Prince Simo's deep, melodic voice echoed like a song within the temple, his hands lifting to encompass the entire room. "Welcome to the Maze of Two Souls."

  Jalia shared a confused look with Entayta, both sharing the same thought, wondering where the entrance was.

  "There is no path to walk, no twists or turns to lose your way. The Maze of Two Souls is held here," Simo reached up to touch his fingertips to his forehead, and Jalia continued to frown in confusion.

  "No two people experience the labyrinth the same. You will kneel at the edge of the pool, lean over the water, and look into the eyes of your reflection.

  "Some have said they see nothing at all but hear thousands of voices speaking to them all at once.

  “Others feel a sensation of falling forward and open their eyes to find themselves floating on a river of light.

  “Others claim to see a replay of their entire lives. Within the maze of your own mind, you will face your greatest fears."

  Jalia looked down at the seemingly innocuous pool of water, able to see the shallow bottom very clearly, overcome by a wave of anxiety unlike any she'd felt thus far when walking into a challenge.

  Since coming to Minos, more than a few fears had been added to the list of things that scared the shit out of her—drowning having been too recently added—and as she thought of all the things that had truly frightened her over her lifetime, Jalia wasn't eager to begin this challenge.

  Her nightmares of drowning had just started to fade, replaced with Axtasusa's expression just before she'd fallen beneath the ice. Jalia didn't know if she could handle much more terror and maintain her sanity.

  "How long will it take?" Entayta asked pragmatically, so blankly, Jalia wondered if there was anything that frightened the Nirian.

  "As long as it takes," Simo answered, motioning them to the pair of cushions placed at the lip of the pool.