Blazing Earth (13 page)

As Thea watched, the older ones spoke words she could not understand and then laid their hands on the couple. Although shocked, she could not turn her gaze away when the woman was stripped of her garments and led outside to the loud cheers of those watching along the path. As soon as she took her first steps on the path, or was pushed along by the ones behind her, the crowd pressed in closer.

The woman did not seem fearful or embarrassed as those around her began to fondle and stroke and kiss her. To Thea's shock, men rutted with her, releasing their seed within her and passing her to the next one waiting. Thea wanted to stop this, but the woman accepted each man along the path as though she expected such a thing. How many times, how many men's seed she carried in her and on her, Thea lost count.

Drums beat to some enticing rhythm as the woman made her way to the circle. Thea could feel the sound of them in her own blood and she wanted to touch the woman, too. The crowd surged then, rushing forward and bringing the woman into the circle. Stumbling forward, she ran into the center and stood, her arms raised in the air, as she waited . . . for something. The crowd gathered around the outside of the stones, swaying and stomping their feet to the mad sounds of the drums.

As the drums beat faster and faster, Thea's breathing became shallow and quick and she realized that she was aroused. The place between her legs grew
wet and her breasts tightened, the nipples becoming taut beneath her own gown. As she watched, for she could not look away, two women and two men joined the woman in the center, stroking and kissing her until she fell to the ground, writhing in pleasure. From the way they moved, their intention was to prepare her but not allow her release.

Thea could feel each touch, each caress, each stroke of their hands and tongues on her own skin, almost as though Tolan was with her, rousing her to her peak. She ached for relief and, within herself, she could feel how close they kept the woman while not letting her body find release . . . yet.

The crowd cried out once more and Thea, now standing within the circle, turned to see the young man being led naked along the same path. Followed by four of the people from within the building who carried bowls, he walked up the path now. He was touched as the woman had been, stroked until his manhood stood ready, but never joined with any of the women who pleasured him. Caressed and suckled, he reached the circle and entered, holding his flesh in his hand and calling out to the woman there. With the help of the four attending her, she gained her feet and waited for him.

Those with the bowls poured out the contents on the two as they stood together. Fragrant oils were spread over their skin and then they fell to the ground, copulating before all. Thea could hear the moans of the couple, of those watching, of those tending to them and she thought she heard herself join in with them.
As they reached that moment, when their releases were nearly upon them, the four others grasped the couple and moved them so that the woman rode the flesh of the man.

As she arched and began to scream out her release, one of the others, one who wore robes of honor, stepped behind the woman, took hold of her by the hair, and sliced her throat open. Thea began screaming then, as the woman's blood poured forth over the man who spilled his seed within her. The woman watched as her life's blood covered the man and the ground around him and then slumped over, silent now in death.

Thea fell to her own knees then and wanted to vomit at such a sight as this. They had killed her. There before the crowds, the woman had been . . .

“Sanctified, by the seed of many and the holy oil,” an older man said from next to Thea, helping her to stand. “Her body will now become part of the earth, taking her gift of life and fertility within it to make it new.”

Thea turned to look at the man and found it difficult to see him. A bright light shone around him as he spoke.

“He killed her,” she argued.

“She gave her life freely, for she believed it was an honor to be offered to her gods in this way.” The man's voice was familiar, but she did not recognize it. “Look now.” Thea turned her attention back to the center of the circle.

The others had lifted the woman from the man and carried her body to the center and placed it on a stone
Thea had not seen before. The man, covered in her blood, stood near her head, mumbling some words, a prayer, she thought, as the ground began to shake. The soil shifted around the woman's body and then it flowed over her like a wave, covering her completely, swirling away as a wave of water would, until every trace of the woman was gone. The crowd cheered wildly then.

“I do not understand,” Thea whispered.

“Cernunnos, the god of the earth and all things that grow within it, was pleased with her sacrifice and has taken her to him,” the man explained quietly.

“And him?” she asked, nodding at the young man standing naked and covered in blood.

“He is blessed by the gods now, Elethea. His seed will be spread among those women who seek a child and they will produce many offspring who will serve their gods.”

The young man was led away, back down the path to the building and taken inside. Women began forming a line outside, and as she watched, the first one was called and ran inside.

Spread among many? These women would couple with this man and bear his children. She turned back to the man beside her to ask another question and saw that he was walking toward one of the tall stones. Once he reached it, he turned and smiled at her.

He was outlined in brightness, like the sun. As she looked at each of the other stones, she noticed richly dressed men and women before seven of them and the man in the robes before the eighth. Each of the seven
glowed as a different color surrounded their bodies—yellow like the sun, green as the plants, orange like the molten metal, silver, turquoise, red, and blue. They changed then, growing to the size of the stones before melting into them. Only the man, the priest, remained there, staring at her.

Then, in the next moment, all of it was gone. Thea stood holding the small stone in her hand, alone on the empty field where nothing stood now. But now she stood in the spot that had been the center of the smaller stone circles. She tossed the stone there to remember the place. Wandering across the area, she found no other trace of what she'd seen built there.

How long had she been caught up in this . . . vision? Surely, it had been that, a glimpse back into the past of this place and into the practices the people had followed to keep their gods satisfied. And if it was that, then those seven men and women must have been the . . .

“Old Ones,” she whispered. The ones Corann and his people served.

She needed to tell Tolan what she'd seen here. She ran to the place where she'd entered, but the trees had closed it to her. Each time she tried to walk into them, they grew closer and more tightly together. It did not seem to matter to them that she needed to leave. They were going to keep her within until Tolan returned to her.

Shaking now, she sat on the ground, tucking her legs under her to wait. Some time passed before she felt the tremors below her. Tolan was here, in the earth,
moving toward the place where the circle had been. She could feel him there, searching for something deep within the earth.

As she watched, he rose from under the ground, a being of soil and plants molded into the shape of a man, with glowing green eyes that watched her. He took the first step toward her as a creature of clay and dirt and she fought the urge to run.

This was Tolan. She knew it. She felt it, recognizing him in her own marrow and bones. With each step closer to her, he changed more and more and by the time he stood before her, he was a man once again.

A man who looked at her through the glowing green eyes of a god named Cernunnos.

Hugh could feel it miles away.

Just as he had felt the presence of the earthblood in the field as he rode into Amesbury.

For a few moments during their ride here, he had also been aware of the second one—the sunblood—before losing both of them to the greater force. The circle was there. He laughed aloud then as he kicked his horse's sides to spur him on faster. The others, including Geoffrey, followed along in silence.

How had Geoffrey not recognized the two of them? This Tolan's abilities with the land should have been so obvious. And the woman, Elethea, and her skills with healing. Both so plainly in sight and plainly carrying the powers of the Old Ones. But the bloodlines of all the followers had weakened so much that even the faithful could not tell when they were in the presence of power.

His father had warned him relentlessly about these
weaknesses that would challenge him in this quest. It had all come down to this time and this generation being the last one strong enough to break open the barrier holding Chaela in her prison. After this, there was no guarantee that there would be enough purebloods born and capable of opening the gateways.

“How much farther?” Eudes asked as he rode at Hugh's side.

“Several miles,” Geoffrey answered.

Hugh did not need to know the distance; he felt it there, the waves of power getting stronger with every league covered.

“Should we stop—” Eudes began, but Hugh cut off his words with a glance. His commander and half brother dropped back, understanding there would be no more delays. They passed a man riding toward Amesbury, but Hugh dismissed him without interest, feeling nothing from him as they passed.

The tension within those following him grew and Hugh could feel it. Some had traveled with him from the beginning, but others were new to his service, having joined him back in Brittany. They had no idea of what was to come, and the anticipation of finding the circle made his own blood race with excitement.

Finally, there ahead of them and visible, he saw the huge, dark, thick forest of trees over a low hill. A small cottage sat just off the road there, in the middle of some of the most fertile land in England, just as Geoffrey had told him it would be. It was his home, the house built by and lived in by generations of his family before him—Tolan the earthblood.

Now he kicked the horse, anxious to get closer and to find the circle. The animal had a mind of its own and slowed and bucked as they approached the embankment that encircled the woods. Finally, he stopped fighting it and dismounted, tossing the reins to another to see to.

He gave no orders, Hugh simply walked up the hill and knew that the small troop of men would follow him—Eudes would make certain of it. He nearly lost his footing as he reached the crest of it and peered over at the huge expanse of land within it.

Hugh smiled and laughed again. He had not stumbled; the ground under him had shifted, trying to throw him down. The earthblood was at work here . . . now. Geoffrey had revealed Tolan's family history of holding this prosperous land for generations, going back almost a thousand years that they knew. Small-minded men like his cousin could not comprehend the true length of time that Tolan's ancestors had lived here, taking care of these lands and protecting this circle and its secrets.

Well, the time was here for Tolan to be part of the bigger mission and to be part of the future of the goddess and her followers. Coming this close to the trees, Hugh knew he would never penetrate this barrier with the earthblood's help.

He threw some fire at the trees. They wiggled and snarled like living things before drawing closer to each other and tighter, preventing anyone or even his flames from getting inside.

“Bring an ax. Bring all of them, Eudes,” he said as
he walked down the hill to the living barrier. Each of the ten men there took their axes and followed him down the hill to the edge of the trees.

There was no sign of damage from his fire. That was not good. They should be singed or burnt, but no, no changes. Cernunnos was a powerful god, one of the most powerful, and clearly this descendant and his work had the blessing of the god. And eons of attention to make the spells and protections strong.

“There,” Hugh said, pointing to what looked to be the likely place to create a gap. “Cut them down.”

The men were some of his strongest warriors, though all were human, and Hugh could tell within minutes that this would not work. He walked along the perimeter of it, toward the river, and saw no breaks in it. If anything, it grew tighter with each pace he took in its direction. The grunts of those trying to cut a path in went on and on and Hugh allowed some time to pass before giving up.

“Cease!” he called out. With a wave of his hand, he sent them back to their horses to wait for him. Only Eudes remained, ever watchful. Hugh crossed his arms over his chest and studied the place.

“A sacrifice, my lord,” he offered.

“Nay. Not now.”

These lands were protected against just that. This earthblood was exceedingly strong and had been using his powers for some time. This was the first time Hugh had encountered a bloodline that had kept the faith as his own had and prepared for this time. The Norse priest, old Einar, had tried and failed, but
this one . . . was very strong. He might not know the extent of his powers or have been using all that he could, but he was more experienced than any of the others had been.

A worthy opponent in this challenge. When Hugh forced his cooperation to open the gate, it would be even more satisfying.

If they were unable to hack or burn their way in, the only other choice was to use the earthblood to open a path. And for that, Hugh must give the man a good reason.

Hugh crouched down and touched the soil at his feet. Aye, there was power here. Living here and flowing. And it came from not one or two sources, but three. The circle was the strongest pull he could feel there. The earthblood was the second.

And the sunblood was the third.

He laughed then. The two had already made a connection—that was why their powers had grown lately. Not only the pull of the goddess and the circle beneath this ground.

Standing, Hugh brushed the soil off his hands and smiled.

He'd underestimated the ability of that kind of connection between the stormblood and his mate, the waterblood. He'd been faced with the same kind of choice when the product of his love for the only woman in his life who had mattered stood before him. But his life had been guided in this task of freeing and serving Chaela for so long that, to him, there had been no choice.

Oh, he had given himself a moment or two of reflection and remembrance, but no real choosing had occurred.

The rewards she promised were unfathomable. His future would see him as her human consort and the father of a new generation that would bring about the chaos and destruction Chaela had sworn against humanity. Even now he shivered at the very thought of what it meant.

Nay, no need to make a choice. He would force this earthblood to choose, though. Hugh strode back toward the rise of earth and faced the entire wooded area.

“I know you watch and can hear me, Tolan Earthblood,” he began. “I wish to speak to you directly. In your human form. I will be at Geoffrey's keep, waiting for you. Come to me so we can parley as equals. We both have much to gain as friends or to lose if we become enemies.”

The only reply he received was that of a slight swirling in the ground around him. Hugh smiled. The earthblood heard him.

Hugh walked up the embankment and down to where his men and his cousin waited. Mounting his horse, he nodded at Eudes, who led them back toward Amesbury. Then Hugh rode to his cousin's side.

“Tell me more of Tolan and his lands.”

*   *   *

Tolan remained part of the earth until they left the area. They rode past his house without pausing and did not stop along the way back to Amesbury. Wanting to ensure Thea's safety, he took no chances. Once
he felt them arrive at the keep, he moved through the ground, almost as he moved when swimming in the river or a lake.

Under the ring of trees that seemed to ease as he passed them. He could feel Thea in the middle of it and went toward her, until that voice spoke to him once again.

I wait for you, Earthblood. Come to me now.

It was difficult to resist the draw of her, so he let himself follow along, deeper and deeper and farther into the center of the circle. Until he reached that black place and could go no farther.

Find a way to release me. The sunblood will help. Ask my faithful. You must free me from this prison.

Tolan stopped, listening and trying to locate the one speaking. They were behind this barrier, and as he spread out through the ground, he could not find a breach in it. Then he felt Thea's distress and went to her immediately.

He rose from the soil, and her face lost all its color. As he moved forward, he realized that he yet remained part of the earth. With each step, he pulled his human body back into form and finally stood before her a man. Now, though, his vision was tinged green around the edges of it.

“You resemble him,” she said, her voice trembling. “But I know it's you, Tolan.”

“Whom do I look like?” he asked, holding out his hand to her. He could feel her trying to control her fear. “What happened to you?”

“I . . . saw . . .”

He caught her just before she crumpled, lifting her in his arms and carrying her out through the trees until they reached beyond the embankment. He knelt and placed her on the ground and sat with her head on his lap. Touching her cheek, he found it cold and clammy now.

“Thea,” he said softly while stroking her cheek. Her eyes fluttered while closed and then she opened them, staring in confusion at him.

She reached up and touched his cheek, stroking it as he had hers. “You . . . changed.”

“Aye. And you fainted. Inside the trees.”

When Thea shifted to sit up, he placed his hand across her to keep her there. She might be awake, but her color was pale.

“Just tell me what happened,” he said. She relented and lay back against him. Holding her felt right. Protecting her did as well.

“The trees led me inside, to the clearing,” she began. “I do not understand how it is so huge there and yet none of it can be seen from out here.”

“Nor I,” he agreed. He took her hand and entwined their fingers. “And then?”

“I walked around it, looking for anything, a sign of something. And I found a stone, about the size of my hand, and picked it up.” She took in and let out a deep breath. “Then I was someplace else.”

“You left the clearing?” he asked. He could move through the ground, but she could not. Or could she, moving as the sunlight did?

“I did not move and yet everything was different.
One moment I was in the clearing and the next I was . . .” She pushed herself up to sit and turned to face him. “I was seeing the circles as they were long ago, Tolan!” Now her face flushed with excitement. “It was a vision or dream, I know not which.”

“What did it look like?” He had his suspicions, having traveled underneath the area and having seen the buried stones around the whole of it.

“There was another embankment,” she began, pointing in the distance. “And stones, stones not taller than me, stood all around it.” She stood now and he did, too. “Two smaller circles of taller stones stood within the larger one. And there was a building.” Now her cheeks turned red, like a rosy blush.

“Can you show me?” he asked. She glanced around and he knew she was looking for the others. “They are gone. We are alone.” He held out his hand and in a short time they were standing in the clearing once more. She led him across it to a place nearer the river's side.

“The river came up higher,” she said. Boats were moored just over that rise.” She walked a few paces and pointed again. “The building sat there. A wooden structure, laying half-buried at the end of the path.” He followed the movements of her hand as she explained the way things had looked to her.

“There were two circles built here, Tolan.”

“Two? Where?” he asked, watching as she peered across the clearing as though seeing them now.

“One to the north and one to the south. The northern one was smaller, having eight tall stones, while the other had twenty. They walked along a path here,
to reach the smaller circle.” She grew quiet then and the blush was deeper. What had she seen?

“Who walked here, Thea?”

The words poured out from her in a rush, the story so detailed he had to believe her. A ritual of fertility and sacrifice to the Old Ones. He'd heard stories of such from long-ago times but had never had the explicit details that she described. The part he'd not heard before was about the seven beings who became the stones at the end of it all. Four men and three women. Surrounded by colors like the ones they could see around each other.

“Who do I resemble, Thea? You said it before you fainted.”

“Cernunnos. The one who was pleased with the sacrifice and took the woman's body into the earth.” She stared once more at his eyes and he knew they remained green even now.

“My ancestor,” he said. The name had been whispered for generations.

“It is so difficult for me to take it all in,” she said at the end of it all. “At least you have known about this.”

“Not all of it. Much has been lost in the mists of time. My father told me he thought this began thousands of years ago.” He pulled her closer and put his arm around her shoulder. “We should go.”

“What do we do now, Tolan? This, all this, and the knowledge we have is for some purpose.”

As he looked in the distance, it began as a whisper. At first, only he noticed it. A few moments later, Thea turned to the place where she'd said the smaller circle
lay. Then the sound became a voice. The same one who'd spoken to him several times now.