Carnal Rites

by Ines Johnson

  "When I placed my daughter on the Sisterhood Council, I had hoped that her opinions, the opinions I raised her with, would be made policy," Lady Anglya said.

  Merlyn slunk into an empty seat at the far side of the table. The admonishment in her Mother's words would have cowed her. Alyss sat up straight as she placed berry jam on her toast. One delicate shoulder raised in neither apology nor acquiescence.

  "Mother, you know the Sisterhood works for the betterment of all humankind. And my role with the Chamber of Health is to—"

  "Is to ensure the advancement of your family's interests."

  Everyone's eyes whipped to Lady Regyn. Grand Mother rarely raised her voice unless she was agitated.

  "This is my life's work, girl," Regyn narrowed her eyes at Alyss. "I plan to see my theories proven." Regyn turned to glare at Merlyn, who ducked her head under the glare. "And implemented." Regyn's glare went back to Alyss.

  Alyss pursed her lips. She opened them, and then hesitated. Finally, she opened them again. "There are some in the Chamber who think this research is blasphemous to the Goddess. It is the Goddess, and not women, who determine the gender of children."

  "This family has made many advances for this society," said Regyn. "My own Mother developed the device to test for a fetus' gender after the first week of gestation. My sister found a cure for influenza. It is the Goddess who smiled on us with the brains to understand her ways."

  "I understand that, Grand Mother," Alyss conceded. "But others don't."

  "That is why we had you placed in the Chamber. You have a tolerance for the company of others. Use your social talents to advance your family. Otherwise, you can come home and breed us more girls."

  Alyss held her Grand Mother's glare for a fraction of a second before bowing her head. "Yes, Grand Mother. I'll head off to work then." She pushed away from the table and headed out of the room in a flurry of orange and blues.

  "You were too liberal with that child, Angyla. Perhaps we should have had her breed. If she had girls of her own she would understand the need to leave behind a legacy."

  "Speaking of breeding," said Angyla. "Merlyn we have finally found a successful candidate for your second bondmate."

  Merlyn's spoon halted in the act of shoveling oats into her mouth. Her voice, when she spoke, shook. "You have?"

  Her Mother tapped a handheld and then handed the device to Merlyn. Merlyn took the device and was confronted with... a child.

  "He'll have his eighteenth birth day next month."

  The male in the picture looked nowhere near seventeen years. Merlyn doubted he'd make it the few weeks to his eighteenth by the looks of him. His skin was sallow. His eyes looked exhausted, his frame thin. "He doesn't look altogether well."

  "He's been afflicted with a non-hereditary disease since childhood. I've done his genealogical chart. His family has bred six girls in the last generation. Twice as many as your first bondmate. He will arrive the day after his eighteenth and the bonding ceremony will take place the following day. His life expectancy isn't long, so you'll need to begin conception activities quickly. But most importantly we'll need to gather specimens and cultures from him immediately."

  Married? So soon? But—

  "What about my work?"

  "You can continue to work during the day," her Mother assured her. "Mating need only take a short bit of time after last meal. I would recommend two hours after so as not to upset the digestion. It'll be the shortest part of your day, and then you can wash and go to sleep."

  "If you work faster with your experiments," said Regyn, "then the second conception can be done without the nasty business of bed sport."

  Her Grand Mother's words hit home. Merlyn had been working on her experiments of gender selection for years now, with no breakthrough. Shame hung her head. Her stomach coiled in knots, no longer hungry.

  "May I be excused? I'd like to get to the lab."

  Both her Mother and Grand Mother nodded in approval.

  Merlyn trudged to her labs. When she got to her door, she walked straight over to her station and pulled up her notes. Facts, theories, and procedures swirled around in her head. She reached to grasp onto one, to anything.

  She'd spent nearly every day of her life in this room and she'd loved every minute of it. She loved being presented with a problem and having to investigate it from all sides; looking at facts, testing hypotheses, repeating procedures until she could arrive at a conclusive solution or explanation.

  Science was her calling. The Goddess had seen fit to make facts and data unravel easily for Merlyn. Except there were some secrets that the Goddess wanted to keep for herself. Mainly, how She determined which fetuses would be female and which would be male. Merlyn had made great strides in identifying the differences in the individual male sperm of rodents. She just couldn't figure out how to tell which sperm would produce which sex. But she was certain the answers lay in the sperm.

  "My lady?"

  Merlyn nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned to the solemn face of Liam.

  "Liam. I didn't hear you come in."

  "I've been here the whole time, my lady," Liam said. "Since you walked in the door."

  "Oh?" Merlyn looked at the door and back and Liam. How had she not noticed him in the room with her?

  "I was hoping to tell you about what I found, but... Is something the matter, my lady?"

  Merlyn looked into Liam's familiar face. "We are going to be bonded."

  She could be mistaken, but she thought she caught a flare in his green eyes. A flare much like when Jaspir had leaned in to kiss her.

  "Yes, my lady," Liam said, a wistful note in his voice. "Someday."

  "The date has been set."

  "It has?" Liam's brows rose, then drooped. "Does that mean..."

  "Yes, they've found a second bondmate." Merlyn handed him the handheld device she still clutched in her hand.

  Liam looked at the screen. Merlyn could see him schooling his features. "Do you find him attractive?" Liam didn't meet her eyes when he spoke.

  "What does that matter?" Merlyn rarely gave mind to anyone's features. Though, she had found Jaspir pleasing to the eye. "His genes are what matters."

  And then she frowned. She had never considered Liam's feelings on the matter of a bondmate. He was always in the labs, running her data. He had no friends that she knew of, but then, neither did she. She knew men were more interested in sexual intercourse than women were. The activity of her male mice told her as much.

  "Do you find him attractive?" she asked.

  Liam's eyes shot to hers, wide. "No."

  "Would you prefer you were attracted to him?

  Liam paused, and then, "No."

  Merlyn often had trouble correctly identifying the subtleties of facial expressions. She knew that with Liam she could ask and he would tell her directly.

  "Have I offended you, Liam?"

  He closed his mouth and sighed through his nose. "No, my lady. I just..."

  He paused, looking into her eyes. Merlyn couldn't quite read the expression in them. She was about to ask for clarification when he began to raise his arm. His hand was before her face, his fingers stretching out. Merlyn watched them, transfixed. Before they could make contact, she jerked back. Her sudden movement bumped the table and a loud crash sounded behind her.

  It was her plant. The one Jaspir bred for her. It lay in shambles on the ground, pot shattered, and dirt spilling out like black blood.

  "Oh, no." She sank to her knees, trying to shove the dirt back around the exposed roots.

  "I'm sorry," Liam said behind her. "I didn't mean to..."

  But his words faded behind her as she gathered the plant to herself. The plant had already been fading. There was no way it could survive such an impact. She had to do something to save it.

  5

  Jaspir awoke with a start. His sheets were a damp tangle, his dick an unbendable rod. He'd dreamed of her again.

  It was kind of sick, having wet dreams a
bout kissing a twelve-year-old girl. But it was the only image he had of her. It had been nearly a decade since last he'd seen her. He'd been secluded in the Temple of the Pleasure Hounds for five years of training. After refusing to take his vows, he'd ended up in Stallions, where he'd spent the last five years of his life. The bordello was far on the other side of town where he was unlikely to run into any young lady, much less one of her stature in society.

  Jaspir got out of bed and went to the washroom. He splashed water on his face, but when he closed his eyes, all he saw was her face. The cold water that hit his lips seemed to sizzle from the heat of his memories of that one single kiss. His fingers twitched at the memory of touching her slender shoulder. She'd stiffened on impact, and then relaxed into his hold. He remembered the small moan that escaped her mouth as he pulled her closer and met her lips.

  He could have been imprisoned if he'd been caught taking liberties with her. At the time, his young mind rationalized that the reward was worth the risk. It hadn't occurred to him that she might not wish for his advances. If she had screamed, or run for an adult, his life would've been over. But she hadn't shoved him away, she'd sunk into his embrace. She hadn't run off and told an adult. They'd been caught by another child.

  Jaspir shook off the memory of the scrawny red-haired boy who was likely kissing her at this very moment. The boy had been dressed in fine linen while Jaspir had on itchy wool, caked with dirt, and spotted with holes. The memory of the little lord looking down at Jaspir in disgust and contempt deflated his morning erection.

  Jaspir went to his closet. These days all of his clothing was fine. Fitted silk of bright colors that were pleasing to women. Soft linen that caressed his skin. There were only day clothes. He always slept naked, an occupational habit. He dug past the silks and reached for cotton trousers and a linen shirt, dressing for out of doors. It was his day off and he needed to get some fresh air. In addition, he needed to trade his newest gifts for cash and add that to his stash of money for his land. In less than a year, Jaspir would be free of anyone's desires but his own. He'd have something that belonged to him that no one could take away from him, or take him away from.

  Dressed, he headed out of his room and down the hall. The sounds of passion rose from behind a few doors. He caught the looks of a few male customers as he entered the commons, a waiting area where potential clients mingled with the available steeds. Stallions wasn't only an establishment for women, but for well-to-do males as well. On any other day, Jaspir would set his gaze to smolder and single out the man with the newest money. Wealthy men were fickle, with short attention spans. But the one's who'd scraped together their pennies to make it past the Concierge, those would scrape and save again; be utterly devoted to their private stallion. Coming back to ride him as often as they could afford.

  Jaspir averted his eyes and headed past the common room for the exit beyond the Concierge's desk. He saw Garren, leaned back in his chair mimicking a position of power. Garren had grown up on the streets and turned tricks for any john with a piece of copper. He'd been popular for a short time at Stallions for his boyish good looks, but those looks had faded. Jaspir spied a few grey roots visible at the base of Garren's platinum dyed hair.

  "I'm sorry, my lady, but it’s his day off."

  "I only need five minutes of his time."

  Jaspir froze. He knew that voice. He dashed around the corner. Standing there, dressed in a gray sheath that hid her all-grown-up curves, was the object of his dreams.

  "You can make an appointment for tomorrow, my lady. Or you can book one of our other stallions. I have some time in about ten minutes if you'll only wait—"

  "You misunderstand me, sir. I'm not here for... carnal activities. I simply need him to look at my plant."

  Jaspir eyed the object in her hands. It was the plant from her family's gardens, the one he'd kept vigil over the last winter he was there so that he could approach her in the spring. She had it wrapped in cloth. The green petals were not looking well at all. The starburst at the center was a pale pink instead of a vibrant red.

  "Another of our stallions would be happy to look at your plant if—"

  "I'll take a look."

  Merlyn's eyes whipped to him. "Jaspir?" she whispered. Her eyes looked him up and down.

  Jaspir felt the heat linger at each place her golden-brown eyes touched his body.

  "My lady," he bowed his head.

  Merlyn stared at him a moment longer. The silence getting uncomfortable as they regarded each other. A crowd gathering.

  Finally, she held the plant out to him. "It's fading and I don't know how to save it."

  Jaspir walked over to her, slowly. Each step felt like a tendril wrapping around his heart. He held his hand out for the plant. She gave it to him. Her index finger touched his wrist. He clenched his teeth to hold in a groan at the flash of heat that swept through his body.

  "Come with me," he said.

  "Wait," shouted Garren. "She hasn't paid."

  "She's not a customer," Jaspir snapped.

  "She is if she goes down that hall."

  Jaspir looked around the common room. No way did he want to bring Merlyn under the curious eyes of the males in there.

  "Its fine," she said opening her purse.

  Jaspir's jaw ticked, but he said nothing. She paid Garren and pocketed the receipt. When she rejoined Jaspir, he led her to his room in silence.

  Walking down the hall, Jaspir found himself hyper-aware of her. He heard the bristles in the carpeting adjust to her every step. He heard the soft inhales as she breathed. He smelled the chemicals he knew she'd been working with in her lab.

  He shut his eyes to reality, but she was here. In the flesh. He'd dreamed of this moment throughout the years. Merlyn sneaking out into the gardens at night where they'd lay under the stars and kiss until dawn. Merlyn arriving at the temple, telling him she loved him back, and wanted to runaway together. Merlyn showing up at his rented rooms at Stallions where he would take her body in ways her red-haired mate didn't know were possible.

  Jaspir opened his eyes. With shaky hands, he unlocked his door. Once inside he set the plant on a table and pulled out a chair for her. When she was seated, he sat down at the table and began to work. He worked silently, eyes focused on the plant.

  "My Grand Mother had the garden mowed down three years ago," Merlyn said after many moments of silence. "This was all I could save."

  "You've kept it all this time?"

  "Yes, in my lab. I've watered it daily, put it in prime sunlight. I mix the fertilizer for it myself. It survived the past two winters. But it’s been failing this year."

  "It’s because its roots need to be in the ground, settled into a permanent home."

  "Oh," she frowned. She reached out a finger and ran it gently down one of the petals. "I don't trust that my Grand Mother will leave it be if I try to replant it on our land."

  Jaspir chanced a glance up at her. The frown lines on her face were full of concern as she regarded the ailing plant. He noticed that her face had filled out. It was no longer angular like when she was a child. Now it was more heart-shaped. Her eyes were the same golden-brown that had captivated him. Only now, there were dark bags under them. His fingers itched to smooth the indentations.

  "What are you really doing here, my lady?"

  "I..." she began and then stopped.

  One thing Jaspir had always liked about Merlyn was that she didn't lie. She seemed incapable of stating something that was not a fact.

  "I'm going to be bonded soon. In a month."

  "You have not bonded yet? Not in all these years?"

  "No. Mother and Grand Mother have only just now found a second mate."

  "So you and the red head have never..."

  "Never what?"

  Jaspir almost grinned. She was still untouched. But he had to get hold of himself. It was rare that young females entered this establishment, but it did happen. Merlyn was clearly of age. Otherwise, they would have barr
ed the doors to her. Only Pleasure Hounds were allowed to deflower virgins and keep their lives.

  "You're right," she said. "The plant isn't the only reason I've come." She took a deep breath. "This may sound shocking, but..."

  Jaspir waited with bated breath. His mind raced through the possibilities.

  "I'd like for you to kiss me again."

  Jaspir nearly choked. "I beg your pardon?" He couldn't have heard her correctly.

  "It may sound silly to you, after all of this time. But I still dream of it. The time you kissed me years ago. I dream of it nearly every night."

  Jaspir heard his heart pounding in his ears.

  "I have an eidetic memory. I can remember all the visual details, the sounds, in great detail. But I can't remember the sensory ones. I thought perhaps this time, if I'm prepared, if I pay better attention, then I could remember it precisely. Remember it always."

  Merlyn looked at Jaspir expectantly. Jaspir struggled to keep his gaze off her lips. He felt himself leaning in.

  He turned away from her. "Why wouldn't you do this with your bondmate?"

  "You mean Liam?"

  Jaspir didn't have to look at her to know she cocked her head like a bird while she thought through his question from all angles. She'd never thought of kissing the red haired boy. She never had kissed the red haired boy. Jaspir wanted to stop her from thinking of it now.

  "I've never thought of it," she confirmed.

  And now Jaspir wanted to kick himself for putting the idea into her head.

  "I've never thought of Liam that way. I suppose I should since we will be mated soon. But mated pairs don't kiss. That's something lovers do, correct?"

  Merlyn leaned into Jaspir's eye line, looking for confirmation. Most bonded pairs mated purely for procreation, seeking no joy from the coupling. Kissing had no basis in fertilization.

  "You're the only lover I've ever had," she continued. "I don't wish to have another. And I intend to remain true to my bond, once it’s official. I get to keep my thoughts, my memories, to myself. My memory of that moment is faulty. If it’s not too much trouble, I'd like to do it again. With you. I'll try harder to remember well this time, and then I won't bother you again, I promise."