Blessed (36 page)

“I'll take care of it,” Jack said quietly. “Is the place that he held you down this dirt road?”

She nodded, the lump in her throat keeping her from speaking. Aiden gathered her into his arms and held her as she began to shake violently. Her body was filled with fire, but it was a cold burn. Burying her face into his chest, she took a deep breath of his unique scent, and a whimper crept out of her throat. For a while there, she’d thought she would never see him again, and that thought had made her heart ache.

“She's going into shock. Let's get her into the truck while Jack does his work.”

Aiden picked her up and placed her in the middle of the backseat. He and Devon got on either side of her, and Aiden moved her onto his lap with her feet on Devon's thighs.

“I've got it,” Aiden growled at Devon as he placed a jacket over her legs.

“Mentu ordered me to take care of her too, Aiden. So back the fuck off and focus on her right now. We can fight about it later.” She ignored them as she reached up to feel the ends of her hair. It came to her shoulders now in uneven layers.

Crying even harder, she shut her eyes. “Please, let me smell you.”

Both men dropped their shields and let their energy flow around her like a blanket. Dark spices and sandalwood blended with amber and cedar, creating a unique scent that held her close. Resting her face on Aiden's chest, she relaxed into the sensation of his hands gently rubbing up and down her arms. His love for her wrapped around her like the best blanket in the world and she slowly relaxed against him, trusting him completely to keep her safe.

Slowly, her eyes closed, and she gave in to the tug at her soul. She began to spiral downward into her spiritual center, drawn by a golden light. As she was drifting, she heard Aiden say, “Did you feel that?”

“Yeah,” Devon replied in a low rumble as his hand traced the delicate bones of her ankle. “Her time of Choice is at hand.”

Opening her eyes, she found herself looking around an unfamiliar room. She was on an unusual style of bed with long, flowing cream curtains hanging from hooks placed in the sandstone blocks of the ceiling. Sitting up, she lifted the curtains with her arm and stepped off the bed and onto a cool marble floor. The air was warm, with a touch of humidity that made her aware of every breath she took.

Her face no longer hurt from the beating Kyle had given her and she felt calm…peaceful even. Soft clouds of incense rose from a punched brass globe next to the bed, scenting the air with a luscious spice. Somewhere in the distance came the tinkling of bells in a barely heard melody.

The floor was cool beneath her bare feet and she took a hesitant step forward, then glanced down to see what she was wearing. To her surprise it was the same black outfit she’d had on when she met Mentu, except, instead of a skirt, she wore diaphanous black pants. A long, curved dagger hung from her hip in an elaborate tooled-leather sheath. Her outfit more than anything else confirmed that she was indeed in the Spirit Realm again, but in a more decadent location than the harsh beauty of Mentu’s temple. The perfume of some kind of exotic flower filled the air and she smiled, stretching out her arms and enjoy how plain good she felt.

The sound of exotic music drew her to the balcony, and she parted the flowing curtains to step outside.

Far off in the distance the sun set on the horizon, and the balcony looked out over a lush green valley below the sandstone and marble building that she currently found herself in. Beyond the valley, large sandstone cliffs rose into the sky, parting in the middle where a river ran between them. The glittering water reflected the burning colors of the sunset that painted the sky in a fantastical display of reds, yellows, and burning pinks. She’d never seen anything so beautiful and tears came to her eyes as she tried to take it all in at once.

A strong male voice said, “Lovely, isn't it?”

She whirled around and drew the dagger from her side then held it in a crouched fighting position that was unfamiliar to her brain but her body seemed to instinctively know. As if that wasn’t shocking enough, when she saw who had spoken to her she blinked hard then slowly stood, almost dropping her dagger on her foot as she tried to make sense of the…man?...standing before her.

He was short, coming only to her shoulder, and broad. Wearing a pleated white skirt and sandals, he leaned against the balcony railing as he studied her. Across his shoulders and back, he wore what appeared to be a lion's skin. His beard was long and full, carefully beaded at the ends with gold, turquoise, and lapis lazuli. With a wide nose and thick lips, he didn’t look like anyone she’d ever seen. 

Finally, her gaze reached his eyes, and when they did her world seemed to implode on itself as she stared into eternity. His gaze was filled with stars, with whirling constellations and planets, with life. She dropped to her knees before him, ashamed to have dared to draw a weapon on him. His dark eyes were ancient, compassionate, and terrifying. Looking into them, she felt as though he saw into every part of her mind and soul.

“I often come here when I need to think,” he said, turning back to look out over the valley. Once she was free of his gaze she found she could breathe again and she took in a gasping air of breath, which he seemed to ignore. “Once this was a real place in your world, but time moved on, and the earth changed. Such is the way of things, but I like to remember how the world of men looked when it was young.”

She stayed kneeling at his feet and pressed the knife to the ground. She now realized how lucky she had been when Devon had made her keep her eyes cast down when Mentu had called her. If looking into Mentu’s eyes was anything like looking into this god’s eyes her mind would have been flash fried. The wind blew a soft breeze over her skin, bringing the scent of flowers and the river as unfamiliar insects buzzed and sang. Slowly her heart stopped racing and she relaxed enough to kneel at his feet.

Licking her lips, she hesitantly asked, “Who are you?”

“My name is Bes. I am a war god, but I'm also a patron of music, dancing, humor, and sexuality. Beyond that, I'm a protector of homes, in particular of the women and children within. Even now, people have my statues in a place of honor to protect them from evil and keep away demons and guard women during childbirth. Once my powers were limited to Egypt, but now my influence has been carried to ever corner of the globe by my people.”

A soft breeze blew against her back and across her neck. Reaching up, she felt a momentary stab of disappointment as she felt her now-short hair. Even in the Spirit World, Kyle’s cruelty marked her. At the memory of Kyle and what she’d just been through she pressed a hand against her stomach and took a deep breath, trying to let go of her past and focus on the present.

“May I ask why you brought me here?”

“I need a strong hand in your part of the world—someone to be my instrument of protection and healing. To spread the joys of life and to shield those who cannot protect themselves. The Agents of Destruction, and the evil that permeates the minds of humans these days, have run rampant.”

Thunder began to rumble over the valley at his words, but the world stayed on the eternal edge of sunset.

With the sound of regret in his voice, he continued, “I'm sorry your trial was so hard on you. I needed to know if you were strong enough to be able to overcome your enemies, smart enough to think around your panic and find a way to change the situation to your favor. I needed to know if you had the internal strength to end the life of one who needed to be put down like a rabid dog. While I encourage compassion, I also expect my Chosen to not shy away from ending the lives of those who are our enemy. I would have helped your men reach you in time if you failed, but then I would have released you to the mortal world. You would have been Rejected by me.”

She felt anger tighten her body and even though she knew yelling at a god was suicidal, she couldn’t help the anger in her voice as she whispered, “You
let
me be kidnapped and almost raped?”

“I may be a god, but I'm not the Creator. I cannot stop some things from happening in the mortal world, especially if they are happening because of free will. Kyle, of his own free will, committed terrible crimes on the behalf of Eris. I wish I could have stopped him, but even the gods have rules that they must abide by. The best I can do is use the tools available to me to help stop atrocious things from occurring. To right wrongs before they take place and to bring peace and joy back into the lives of the abused innocents. You were not alone in that room, Eliana. A great many gods and goddesses were there with you. Just because you could not see them does not mean it's not true.”

They were silent as she thought through what Bes had said. “Did you send me there to kill Kyle?”

“Yes.” Bes said simply. “I used you as my tool to end his life. His actions could not continue, and with the protection of Eris, he would have spread blood and destruction everywhere he went. If you're to be my Chosen, you must understand what you will be going up against, and you must understand what it feels like to be a victim of that horror. Compassion and empathy are the things that make us strong, that separates us from the agents of Destruction, but it is the ability to fight, to conquer, to kill, yet still love that makes you my Chosen. Even after all that you had been through, you still love Aiden with an open and pure heart.”

Pondering this, she found her anger slowly slipping away. If she knew someone like Kyle was loose in the world and that she had the ability to stop him, she would take action at any cost. Her shoulders relaxed. “Forgive me. I understand why it had to happen.”

A warm wind blew across the balcony, making the curtains billow out of the arches. It was a fresh gust of air filled with the smell of rain even though there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Eliana felt it wash through her and soothe her soul. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, the lingering guilt haunting her over taking Kyle’s life leaving her. The air filling her lungs smelled better than anything she had ever known and she took another greedy breath.

“Eliana Marie Shay, do you wish to enter my service as my Chosen?”

With her eyes closed, she thought about what he was asking. It would mean pain, heartache, and terror. It would also mean a chance to protect the innocent, avenge the fallen, and be part of something wonderful. And it would mean she’d have more years with Aiden than she would as a mortal, years that she would spend loving him with all of her heart.

“Yes,” she said, her voice shaking with emotion.

“Welcome home, my Daughter,” Bes said, joy radiating in his voice
.
“I'm most blessed to have you as my Chosen.”

He laid a small, but broad, hand on her head and gently stroked her hair. The touch of her god felt wonderful, glorious, filling her with pride and joy. She stood and darted a glance at him. While his face was broad and ugly, and could probably be fierce if he were angry, right now it was filled with humor and love. She could not help, but smile at him as her soul sang with joy.

She turned and stood near Bes on the railing, looking out over the valley. It was hard to do more than glance at him. Her brain seemed to overload with thoughts and sensations even now as she just stoke peeks of his profile. A flock of white birds took flight and skimmed over the water of the river as the sky slowly shifted colors while the sun continued to set but never fell below the horizon between the cliffs.

Bes sighed softly. “Time moves faster here. Even I cannot stop it. Your mortal body is being watched over by Isis's Chosen, Nuri, as well as by your men. I will help you to return to it slowly, giving you time to absorb my gifts.”

He placed his smaller, yet immensely stronger, hand over hers. “Accept the comfort Nuri has to offer and remember you're mine. You're special to me and to all the people who you will help protect in the future. Do not let anyone take away that self-confidence from you.”

Confused, she nodded and placed her hand over his. “I'll try to remember that, my Lord Bes. Thank you for taking so much time to explain things to me. I'm pretty sure Ggods lead busy lives.”

Bes chuckled and gently removed his hand. “I am a little busy trying to save the known Universe from being wiped out by the Destructor. Lift your pants, child, and expose your thigh to me. I need to give you my mark, showing that you are my Chosen.”

Taking a deep breath, she moved the loose fabric, exposing her upper thigh.

“Close your eyes,” Bes said as he brought his hands together.

Even behind her eyelids, the glow seemed blinding bright, like looking into the sun at noon in the desert. His hands came down her upper thigh, right below the ridge of her hipbone. At first, it felt like a pleasant and gentle pressure, and then it grew hot. She fought the urge to pull away. Images were spilling through her mind in a blur, places and people speeding by so fast she had no chance of recognizing or remembering any of it. She tried not to gag as the smell of burning skin reached her nose and tears flowed down her face from behind her closed lids.

Then the light was gone, and she floated in blessedly cool and empty darkness. “Remember, you are mine, Eliana, and I'm blessed to have you.” Bes said as she drifted in the dark, content to float ever so slowly upward in its gentle embrace.

Aiden was waiting for her, and she could not wait to share her joy with him.

David paced back and forth across the floor of his living room, his fear now turning into terror. It had been six hours since he’d left Kyle, and there was no word from him yet. David had tried calling his cell phone, but he kept getting Kyle's voicemail. His stomach clenched into a sour knot as he wrung his hands together. He knew that he shouldn't have left Kyle there alone with Eliana, even as drugged as she was. But the thought of having to be there when Kyle raped her made David want to throw up.

Eris's son, Rape, had kept David for what seemed like an eternity and tortured him until his mind broke. Once he was finally allowed to leave, David had hid within his home for three days, refusing to leave his room. His physical body was unharmed, but his spirit was scarred from the ordeal. David still had terrible nightmares about the never-ending pounding and tearing.