by Sadie Jacks
She tipped her head to the side, her eyes locked on mine. “Huh. I seem to miss the good stuff after I have sex.”
“Maybe you should stop having sex?” I suggested.
Saint and Ransom snarled like they were trying to outdo my inner bear. Their bodies puffed up like they were about to beat the shit out of me.
Kiema laughed again. “I think that was the worst suggestion you’ve ever made, Asher.”
“Fucking right it was,” Ransom said.
“I’ll make sure to suggest it to your mate, Ash,” Saint said.
I laughed. Shrugged my shoulders. My mate wouldn’t be able to resist the sheer sexiness of me. No matter what Saint said to her.
“So, who’s going to give me the rundown on the laundry list of things I missed?” Kiema asked as she got down on her knees and sprayed the small puddle of blood and other bodily fluids.
Saint jumped in with said laundry list. He’s always so eager to share facts.
She listened, hummed, nodded,and asked some questions. All while cleaning up the floor.
Damn my stupid inability to feel lust for this woman.
“So, since I ascended, I shouldn’t have to worry about touching other people?” she asked.
“No, Mate. You still do. Only those attached to your rune are safe. Additionally, you have only reached your first ascension. Depending on your power, you could have up to two more,” Ten/Saint said.
Apparently, the fucker came out to chat with her, but hid in times of danger. Fan-fucking-tastic.
“Will I get to meet Anda?” Kiema swiped up the last trace of blood with the last couple paper towels Taryk handed her.
“I know not, Mate.”
She nodded. “What about the guys?”
“What about us, sweets?”
“Well, Ransom had to shift within forty-eight hours to keep his animal form. What about the rest of you?”
The fuck? I could lose my bear? No one fucking said anything about losing my bear.
“With your first ascension, that should be taken care of,” Ten/Saint said.
“You’re positive?” I asked. I was ready to get buck naked and furry to keep my animal.
“No. But her magic should have boosted all of ours. We should wait to see if it holds true. But if what I see in Saint’s memories is true, then you, Asher, are in the clear. You have shifted twice since gaining the ability.”
My heart settled. Fuck yes, my bear was safe.
“Is there anything that could go wrong if her ascension doesn’t boost our powers?” Taryk asked. His fists were clenched by his sides.
Oh, shit. T and Atlas still needed to shift. I tried to gauge the time in my head. They were running up pretty close to the forty-eight hours. I’d fucking shift, no matter what Ten said.
“I’ve not yet had a moment to read this ancient manuscript—”
Taryk shifted before Ten/Saint could finish his sentence.
“At least this time you didn’t land sprawled out on your ass,” I said to Panther Man over the implant.
He gave me a soft snarl, snapped his jaws at me.
“Easy, bro. Easy,” I said with a half chuckle. Those teeth of his looked fucking sharp.
“Atlas, if you don’t change, you could lose the ability to shift,” Taryk said once he was firm on his furry feet.
“Shit. I’m almost done with Aeron. How much time do I have?”
“It could be a non-starter,” Saint/Ten said.
“Ten, you’re not invited on this communication channel. You got something to say, give it to Saint,” Ransom said.
A bead of silence, both physical and mental.
“Atlas, Ten thinks you should wait. If Kiema’s power ascension was complete, you might not need to,” Saint said.
“What is his evidence?”
“He says he doesn’t have concrete proof. This is merely his supposition.”
“Let me sew Aeron up and then I’ll be over. Lukas is coming with me. I’ve put Aeron under heavy sedation with supervision, so he doesn’t need Lukas to babysit him all day and night.”
“Copy that,” Taryk said. He gave a distinctly feline stretch of his overly sized cat body. A snarly growl came from his mouth.
Kiema came over, ran her fingers through his fur. He purred as his eyes fell closed.
Ransom huffed and set his hip against the back of the couch.
Saint laughed and took one of Xander’s dining chairs.
“So, I have a goddess inside me,” Kiema said. “That’s weirdly cool.”
“I want to see this rune you’re supposed to have on your abdomen,” Saint said.
“It should become visible to her lifelines after her power has settled,” Ten said.
“Why can’t you tell us all of this at one time? Why so fucking cryptic?” Ransom said, arms crossed over his chest.
“I second that statement. I dislike not having all of the information at hand. Especially if it concerns Kiema and our abilities to keep her safe,” Saint said.
Dude was actually talking to himself. Or would that be with himself?
“He lives in your brain. Can’t you get what we need without him getting in the way?” Xander asked.
“No. We share a form, not a consciousness,” Saint said.
His eyes shifted. Ten was back in control. “Indeed. I do not share information more readily simply because I do not know what is required of me. I present it when it becomes relevant.”
“Okay, give us the rundown on Anda. You said you weren’t sure it was going to be her or her sister who arrived in Kiema. Explain. In as great detail as possible,” Ransom said.
“Before you do that, let me set up a recording device. That way we can reference the material later if need be.” My baby brother was turning into a miniature Atlas.
Ten/Saint nodded their head.
“You’re a go,” Xander said.
“Anda, and her sister, Asta, are goddesses from Earth before I was born. Anda, as you know, is the Goddess of Spirit. Asta is the Goddess of Love. One of Asta’s minor powers is fertility. When the Earth was young, it was not greatly populated. She bestowed powerful children on her followers. These children grew into Magicks of many disciplines. The magic system on Earth was very complex, but mostly intertwined as they all began with Asta’s children.”
“In contrast, Anda did not have many children. She was content with the few she had. Had more joy and life and love in her than Asta could understand. But she did love the children she did have more than anything else in the universe. Anda was beloved, worshipped, and deified by her followers. It was said she frequently walked among the humans interacting, sharing their lives.”
“Asta was feared as a goddess. She was vengeful in her fertility gifts. Never once walked among the humans. In a fit of rage, Asta killed Anda’s first baby. Asta was jealous of her sister’s followers and abilities. Angry and envious of the awe and gratitude the humans showered on Anda.”
“The Goddess of Love is killing people out of jealousy?” I asked, one eyebrow quirked.
“What is worse than a goddess of love who loves only herself?” Ten/Saint asked.
“Damn.” I sat back. Bitches be crazy.
“Exactly. Anda had to give of herself in order to create children. She did so on only three occasions that I know of.” Ten/Saint looked pointedly at Kiema. “Perhaps, now four.”
“What happened to Anda when she had babies?” Kiema asked. She’d curled up on the floor and used Taryk as a back rest.
“She had only girl children. They were pure goddesses in their own right. Because of Anda’s abilities, she needed no other to help her girls spring into life. But for each child she created, she faded for centuries. Almost unable to survive, she would go into her rest state.” Ten/Saint tilted their head to the side. “Think of it like hibernation.”
“A century for each baby girl?” Ransom asked, his surprise clear on his face.
Ten/Saint nodded. “Yes. For the girl was an exten
sion of her mother, was she not? No father or other entity helped create these perfect beings.”
“What happened to her?” Kiema asked. She was holding Taryk’s tail, swishing it back and forth in her hands. The panther’s eyes were closed, but his ears were cocked forward.
“Anda knew each time Asta killed one of her girls. She felt it. After Asta killed Anda’s first child, Anda made sure to hide her babies with the humans. She wrapped herself in humanity and lived with her second daughter for seven centuries. Her second daughter was killed by one of Asta’s Dark Mages. She had gifted him an extra portion of magic when she felt Anda’s second daughter’s magic in the world.”
“After Asta killed Anda’s second daughter, Anda waited almost a millennium to give birth to another child. By this time, Earth was teeming with people. Magical signatures were abundant and scattered. Anda, in the hopes of camouflaging her daughter, merged her Spirit with that of a human male. This would be the first daughter who would be fully goddess with human genetics.”
“So she was part human?” Atlas asked.
“Yes and no. On the outside, she is pure human. By no trait or marker does she appear as a goddess. But she will outlive all humans of her time. She has abilities unlike anyone else on Earth, except for her mother, Anda.”
“Is she still alive?” I asked. Chick had to be ancient by now. But Anda was still kicking it like she was late twenties. Maybe her daughter was still hot?
“Last I knew, she was on Earth. But that was a very, very long time ago. I had only heard rumors that a goddess’ child could still exist. I was never able to prove her existence. Anda, while I think of her as a friend, did not consider me her confidante. She never shared the fact that she had daughters with me. I pieced together the stories well into my fours. Not to mention this was on a different world.”
“Your fours?” Xander asked.
Ten/Saint smiled. “My four thousands. Much like your twenties or thirties.”
I whistled again. “Damn, Ten.”
“Indeed,” he chuckled.
“She must be so lonely,” Kiema said. “Both of them. A mother unable to see or interact with her child because of the danger of her sister. The daughter left alone by a mother who only wants to love her.”
Ten/Saint bowed their head. “Yes. Both mother and daughter are lonely. Even goddesses need to belong. To be loved. To be cherished.”
Kiema wiped at a tear on her cheek. “I know what that feels like.”
Chapter 30 – Kiema
An odd glow began in my chest, almost as if someone had hugged my heart. I shifted against Taryk’s cat. He huffed at me as if I’d irritated him. I rubbed a hand down his tail again.
“Will I get to meet Anda?” I asked Tenny/Saint.
“I do not see why not. But that would be a question for the goddess you host. You should be able to talk to her.”
“I saw her in our spirit plane, honey,” Saint said as their eyes changed to show who was speaking. “I think she is the form you take when in the spirit world. She’s also probably the one who’s been helping you with healing and magic.”
I nodded. “That makes sense. It makes more sense than me having all this magic for no apparent reason.”
“Do not belittle your own massive gifts, Mate. To house one such as Anda, your natural born magic must have been quite high. She could not share space with a weak host. Her magic would have destroyed your body if you were unable to shelter her,” Tenny/Saint said.
“You’re the only one who has been inside my own spirit landscape, Saint. What did it look like in there to you?” I asked.
Their eyes shifted from the green gold of Tenny’s to the beautiful dark brown of Saint’s once again. “It was green. Like I told you.”
I chuckle lightly. “The green was your landscape, Saint. When you touched me and followed my spirit line to the dome, I think you called it? What color, shapes, objects did you see in the dome? Other than the glass.”
He looked around the room, considered the other men. “You really want to know with everyone finding out at the same time?”
I nodded, settled back farther into Taryk’s heat. His eyes were open, his ears pricked forward.
“The dome was silver. At each intersection of structure was a different colored piece of glass. I don’t think I even have names for some of them. I could see my reflection, but had the thought if I just looked a little harder, another image would have come from the glass. Like a mirror or a screen of some kind?” He shrugged.
I nodded at him, listening.
“The black line that you see in us, you have one.”
“But mine is either fiery or encased in fire,” I said, interrupting him.
This time, he nodded at me. His eyes shifted quickly.
“Excuse me for interrupting, but what I saw in our shared mind, I believe I have answers for. Do you want these theories or do you want to wait for Anda to reappear?”
I looked at the other guys. They looked back at me, faces blank.
“A lot of help, guys. Thanks. Hit me with it, Tenny.”
He looked scandalized before his eyes went a little unfocused. “Yes. Although I will not hit you. Saint says this is a familiar idiom.” He shook his head.
“Before I begin a lengthy discussion on spirit characteristics and anatomy, do you have the ancient manuscript? If it is as Atlas has described, it could contain images to help make the learning easier.”
“I brought it with me,” Atlas said as he stepped into Xander’s space. “I didn’t want to miss anything important. Glad I came when I did. First question, do I still have time to shift if necessary?”
“Yes, but time is close to running out,” Asher said. “Pick your poison, man.”
Atlas handed the book to Tenny/Saint. Within the next heartbeat, he was shaking out his fur coat. He came over and sat by me and Taryk.
Tenny/Saint looked a little irritated.
“They really like their animals, Tenny. They don’t mean any disrespect.”
He nodded, but I don’t know if he believed me or not. Moving to the kitchen island, he waved all of us over. “While not quite the book I was expecting, this one should do well enough as evidence.” Taryk rose to his feet, lifting me to mine in the process. He walked with me and Atlas over to the large countertop in the kitchen area.
Tenny flipped open the first page before I got to look at the binding very closely. A hint of age, old leather, and magic lifted into the air as he flipped through the pages. At a couple of points, he stopped, ran his hand down the words from right to left, chuckles floating from his mouth. “Those Egyptians.” Or “Those silly Scandies. What rascals.”
I looked at Ransom, he shrugged. He pulled me in front of his body, wrapping me in his arms from behind. Resting his head on the top of my own, we waited until Tenny seemed to find what he was looking for.
“Ah, yes.” He pointed to a page that was decorated in gold and silver—actual flakes of the elements if I wasn’t mistaken. “This figure is the Prime.” The figure was neither male or female by external markers. Haloed in colors from concentric circles of palest to darkest, the Prime stood on what looked to be a bed of snakes. Each snake was eating the tail of the snake closest to it. Each snake was a slightly different color as well. Dozens of lines ran from Prime to the snakes. From Prime’s hands, body, face, feet. Everywhere. Prime looked vaguely like a voodoo doll.
At the far side of the picture was a black gate. The lines were heavy and thick, bringing to mind jail cell bars. The top of each vertical bar was set with an arrow. Wide at the base, it winnowed up to a point that looked sharp enough to draw blood.
“Prime is the Creator being. Exact or precise stories of its origin have been lost over the eons. Anda and Asta, along with their other siblings, are direct descendants of the Prime. Each was given an aspect or virtue of Prime. They were to gift it to their children, so on and so forth. Everyone with me?” He looked up, catching every one of our gazes.
&nb
sp; He nodded. “Good.” He pushed the book towards me. “Do you see this line? The one that is a little less steady than those around it?”
I leaned forward; Ransom tucked up against me. His cock was hard against my lower back. I had to push the lust to the side so I could focus. “Yes.” I stood back up. I might or might not have pushed my ass out against the man behind me. I felt his chest rumble more than I heard the groan that filtered between his lips.
Tenny/Saint narrowed their eyes at us.
I felt heat ride my cheeks. “Sorry. It’s his fault.” I rubbed Ransom’s arm.
Tenny/Saint looked up to him behind me.
“What? I’m not apologizing for being hard. She just pushed her ass into me. What am I supposed to do?”
“Later, bro. We’re trying to learn things,” Xander said, rolling his eyes.
Tenny/Saint nodded. “Exactly.” He shook his head. “Now, this line, while appearing more delicate than those running to Prime’s other children, this one runs from Prime’s breastbone to this snake.” He tapped another section of the page.
The snake was the palest blue with darker markings on its body. The snake right beside that one, looked like it was trying to intercept the line. The second snake was a dark indigo, almost black. Faint silver etchings covered its body.
“Okay,” I said. “What does that signify?”
“When looked at with more than human eyes, you will notice that the line is not actually unsteady. But rather, a weaving of reds, oranges, yellows, and the thinnest black line. The line has been braided.”
The back of my head buzzed.
“Both Taryk and Atlas can see the differentiations in color, they say,” Ransom said.
I patted both their animal heads. The fur on both, while soft, was very different in texture. I let my fingers play in their coats while I sorted my thoughts.
“Do you think I’m one of these snakes?” I asked.
Tenny chuckled. “Maybe not directly, but I would assume you are a descendant of this particular snake’s line.”