Gift of the Goddess (40 page)

The Mother smiled again. Who’d have thought a divinity would be so blithe? “
I like your nerve, child. You please Me
.”

“Don’t see why,” she said stubbornly. “We didn’t offer. And after all that, too!”

Another deep chuckle. “
You’re a delight, Anje. Know that I enjoy your courage and your love as much as your offerings. You shine.
”

Offerings. Anje rubbed her eyes and levered herself upright, clinging to one enormous finger. “Holy Mother, you’re Lufra!” she exclaimed.

This time, the Mother laughed outright, from the belly like a man. They both rocked with it. “
Took you long enough
!” She said.

All amusement left Her voice. “
I am all that is Woman. The sweet, the fierce, the weak, the clever. All.
” Her features flickered, changing as though molded by a master potter. Maiden, Mother, Crone and Harlot. Anje squeezed her eyes shut, confused and awed.

Surely, this was a dream? It felt very strange. “I won’t live without them,” she said.

“
Indeed?”
The tone was chilly.
“You presume, child.
”

Paralyzing dread swept over her, froze her wits. She ducked her head and made herself as small as she could, trembling.

208 Gift of the Goddess

“
They have played their part.
” The goddess cupped the back of Anje’s skull in Her palm, implacably gentle. “
You, little one, will do as I require. You will do it bravely and with all the love in your heart.
”

“Yes, but…” Anje wet her lips. “Please. It’s Brin and Trey I love.” She dared to glance up at that inhumanly beautiful face. “And Brin’s been true to You all his life.”

Lufra’s voice rolled like thunder. “
Do you dare to bargain with Me?
”

Anje winced. Her mouth was too dry to speak, but her entire being resounded with pleading.
I beg You, Holy Mother. Please.

“
Know that my plans are subtle, centuries in the making. Beyond your ken. Still…
” An eternity of sheer terror later, the goddess chose to be amused. “
You don’t like Me much, do you, child
?” Anje ducked her head, her heart pounding. The goddess gave her a tiny shake and her teeth rattled. “
I know what you called Me.
”

She smiled and the curve of Her lips made Anje’s head swim. “
You’re a lovely morsel, child. So bold. It would serve you right if I kept you. Come here.
” Her long fingers met around Anje’s waist as She lifted her up.

Falling into the star fire of the divinity’s eyes, Anje shuddered, tremors racking her body. She raised a hand to shield herself from the infinite, fire-filled depths. “
Offer for Me, darling
,” murmured the goddess. Her perfectly sculpted lips descended to press over Anje’s and breathe sweet gusts into her mouth.

Anje’s soul convulsed with ecstasy. Over and over, in a culmination of every moment of true love and desire she’d ever felt. Her body was part of it, but only a part. Piercing tenderness gripped her, a love so all-encompassing, so powerful, she knew the light would illuminate her soul for as long as it existed. She’d been given a gift beyond price.

The gift of life.

Tears streamed down her face and dripped off her chin, pooling in the pit of Brin’s throat. She had both arms and legs wrapped around his huge body, and she was crushed so close that the only way to get closer would be to crawl inside his skin. As he was inside hers.

His massive cock was rammed as high into the soft folds of her body as it would go and it was rippling with climax, the contractions so violent his entire body jerked with the rhythm. Tortured groans shuddered from his chest.

Panting, she raised her head. Her throat was scraped so raw she could barely speak. “Brin?” she husked and on the words, a powerful aftershock leaped from her pelvis and ran up her spine to flood her heart with warmth. Quivering, she burrowed closer.

His breath stirred her hair as he stilled. “Here.” His trembling hands framed her cheeks. “Oh, love.”

As they clung together, the light strengthened and the Shadow released its grip on the Sun.

209 Denise Rossetti

It was a tiny sound, no more than the shadow of a moan, but Anje glanced down. The sight forced a shriek out of her. “
Trey!
” She untangled herself and sprang from Brin’s arms. “Gods, no!”

He lay with one hand clasping Brin’s calf. The other arm, the one he’d draped over her knee, was a ruin, a mass of blisters and burned flesh. His face was turned to one side, chalk-white, ribbons of blood trickling from his nose and ears in a hideously cheerful contrast. A black bruise decorated one side of his jaw. Only his chest moved, the breath rattling in his throat.

All else was utter silence. There was no one to be seen, just a long avenue of scorched earth the length of the temple, as if a fireball had rolled down the nave, engulfing all in its path.

Brin moved so fast, he’d cradled the other man against his chest before Anje could open her mouth. “
Chel
!” he bellowed, heading into the forest at a rapid jog trot. “
Chel! Where the bloody hell are you
?” Ignoring the flash burn across his ribs, he turned to Anje, his breath coming hard and fast. “Run ahead. Warn them.”

Anje swerved around him and fled toward the building in the clearing as though fellwolves were on her heels. His shout followed her. “And run a cold bath!”

210 Gift of the Goddess

Chapter Thirty

Sun is set, Shadow too.

Sleep, sweet babe, the dark night through,

In Lufra’s arms and mine,

In Lufra’s arms and mine.

Feolin lullaby (trad.)

Anje drifted out of sleep, a smile on her lips. Her nose was mashed up against the warm, hard curve of Brin’s biceps and Trey had thrown a heavy leg over hers. She could barely move, though her bladder nagged her to get up. Ignoring the urge, she lay for a moment, luxuriating.

Foolish tears swam in her eyes. Her heart warmed as though cupped in vast, loving hands.
Divine Mother, Holy Lufra, thank You, thank You. I will thank You all the days of my life.
The prayer stuttered to a halt. What more could she possibly say? For such love, such an abundance of riches, there were no words big enough to express her gratitude.

She scrubbed the tears away and eeled out from between her lovers, heading for the mundane necessities of the ablutions chamber.

By the time she returned, Trey had rolled into Brin’s side. He was half awake, under the sheet he had one hand on his own fine morning erection, the other on Brin’s. As always, her heart turned over at the sight of his arm and shoulder. Sasreela had done her best and her best was very good indeed, but Anje suspected Trey’s courage and cocky charm had endeared him to the Goddess more than he knew.

She still didn’t understand how they hadn’t lost him. But every day, she got down on her knees and thanked Lufra. He’d been a terrible patient, but after a month of cursing and complaining, the blisters healed and the ugly scabs disappeared. Underneath was not scar tissue, but smooth, creamy flesh without blemish. Not even a freckle. Brin called it the gift of the Goddess. Anje called it a miracle.

He still favored that side. She suspected he always would.

Smiling, Anje put a finger to her lips. “Don’t,” she whispered. “Let him sleep.”

Brin had come to bed in the wee small hours, after delivering Twink’s latest offspring. He lay stretched across the mattress like a fallen giant, taking more than his fair share of room. When Anje lifted the sheet to admire, the dragon tattooed on his loins smirked a toothy welcome. She sighed and licked her lips.

Trey slid out from under the covering and tucked the edges carefully around the slumbering shaman. He lay back and held out his good arm. “Come here, then.”

211 Denise Rossetti

Anje swooped happily on his delectable cock, swallowing half of him in a single gulp. Trey arched his back and groaned softly. His fingers tangled in her hair. “Fancy a quickie, sweetheart?”

“Mmm.” Anje released him with a last lingering lick and cocked a brow. “You want to risk it? You know how he hates missing out. He’ll be royally pissed.”

“Too bad.” Trey rolled her over and drifted a hand between her legs. Obligingly, she opened, enjoying his clever fingers, but he stopped. “You do it this time,” he said. “I like to watch.” He shifted until he could pillow his head on her thigh, inches from her busy fingers.

Ruthlessly, Anje pleasured herself to a small, sweet climax. Breathing as hard as she, Trey sighed. “Darling, you are truly perfect.” Taking her hand, he sucked the juices from her fingers with relish, then slid into her body, smooth as oiled silk. “With any luck, he’ll be mad enough to punish us.”

Trey stroked in a leisurely fashion and she shivered with delight. “Punish you, you mean. Gods, you’re completely depraved.” Her eyelids drooped, thinking of that firm, fair ass reddening slowly under the stinging weight of Brin’s heavy palm while she tortured Trey’s cock with her mouth. She tried not to smile. “I’ll help.”

Trey hardened inside her. “Promise?” His beautiful hazel eyes shone with love and lust, and deep in each pupil, a tiny green flame danced and spun.

Tears prickled behind her eyes. She drew his head down and kissed him as sweetly as she knew how. “Holy Mother, how I love you.”

Trey rested one elbow on the pillow and cradled her face between his palms. Anje wrapped her legs around his waist and he murmured with pleasure. “No more than I love you, dragon lady.” He shot a look at Brin, still fathoms deep, his massive chest rising and falling in a regular rhythm. “Him too, even though he’s a controlling idiot.”

Anje giggled. “You weren’t complaining yesterday.”

“Give me credit.” Trey swiveled his hips. His cocky grin flashed when she gasped and bit her lip, glancing at Brin. “I’m not that stupid, love. Not when I’m getting it both ways.”

Abruptly, his expression grew intent and he began working her with long, gliding thrusts. Anje relaxed, enjoying his skill, loving the ride for its own sake. She wasn’t anywhere close, but it didn’t matter.

A bead of sweat ran down the side of his strong, young neck, trickling under his torque. Reaching up, she licked it off, nuzzling the firm flesh. The locks braided in the circlet, black and red-gold, shone in the morning light filtering in through the blinds of woven rasa grass. Set in its clasp, Brin’s gift of a fire opal gleamed like goddess fire as Trey moved, the muscles bunching in his shoulders.

He sucked in a breath and reared up deep inside her, coming without fuss. To her surprise, his orgasm triggered hers, infinitely sweet and slow.

She smiled up dreamily and pressed a kiss to his good shoulder. “That was lovely.”

212 Gift of the Goddess

“Gods, yes.” He gathered her into his body and snuggled her head into the curve of his neck. After a few minutes of contented silence, he said, “I’m visiting Chel today. Come with me? She likes you.”

“I like her too. She’d make a fine Matriarch, the Lady Chelisand.” Trey’s caressing hand drifted across the underside of one breast, wandered to her nipple. Anje yelped.

He froze. “Did we hurt you last night?”

“No, no. I’m just sensitive. Don’t stop.

Trey cupped her breast, weighing and assessing. Anje purred and arched.

The silence stretched. Brin mumbled in his sleep. Trey’s fingers slowed and came to a standstill.

“Trey?” He was far away, his gold-green eyes curiously blank. With that pouty underlip caught in his teeth, he had the look of a man doing calculations in his head.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing.” He gave her an absent smile and a glance that raked her body up and down.

He’d gone so pale, each freckle dusted across his cheekbones stood out separately. “Are you all right?” she asked, concerned.

“Sure.” He grinned and pecked her cheek. “Back in a minute.” Grabbing Brin’s sarong, he knotted it hastily around his hips. A second later, he’d darted out the door. His voice floated back to her, asking for Sasreela.

Puzzled, Anje sank back and yawned. Mother, she was tired! Her bones felt like wax. She curled into the expanse of Brin’s warm back and dozed off.

Some time later, she became aware of a weight depressing the mattress and a different voice, a woman’s. “Lady Anje, may I speak with you?”

“Wake up, sweetheart.” Trey sat at her hip, smoothing the hair out of her eyes. “Sasreela’s here to see you.”

Anje opened her eyes in time to see him lean over and pinch Brin’s nostrils shut with his fingers. “Get up, you big lug. This is important.”