Pleasure's Offering (23 page)

“Will you serve?” Solus said.

“I will serve you and yours, now and always,” Izar said. “My life for your righteous rule.”

The god’s face broke into an enormous grin and he clapped Izar on the shoulder, drawing him back to his feet. “Welcome to my service, Horace Izar, Chosen of the Sun. Now,” the god’s smile fell as he turned from his Chosen to the man who was still lying on the steps, “on to unfinished business.”

To his credit, Toric did not cower as the golden god marched across the floor to stand before him. He just lay there, his face calm and defiant, staring up at Solus as haughtily he would anyone else. “Finish it, then,” he said, his voice tired and sullen. “Better to die here than live with defeat.”

“There, at least, we are in agreement,” the god said. “Toric Vallus, dark moon Chosen of Dezira, for your crimes against my Empire, I take it upon myself to end your life and send you to Orin’s river, never to emerge again.”

Toric sighed and dropped his head, baring his neck as Solus raised his great sword. But as the god readied the stroke, Zoa caught her breath. A second later, Jeric felt it too, and then the sunlight dimmed as Toric vanished, only to reappear a second later in the arms of a tall, beautiful woman.

Even under Solus’ light, Dezira’s body was half in shadow, and it was that half she turned toward her brother, her crimson eye narrowed. “He is mine, Solus,” she hissed. “You have no right to take him.”

The air blistered as the sun god’s anger filled the room. “It was he who had no right!” Solus roared. “He entrapped my Chosen and endangered my Empire! He must die for his crimes!”

“Your Chosen were proud and your Empire corrupt,” Dezira snapped, clutching Toric to her body. “If your Empire could not withstand the desire of one of my Chosen, perhaps it deserved to be endangered.”

“Do not start, Dezira,” Solus warned. “Even you know Toric has gone too far this time. Look what he did to your other Chosen.”

“And for that he will be punished indeed,” Dezira said, her voice so cold and terribly cruel it made Jeric tremble in fear. “But that is my place, Solus, not yours. You shall not kill what is mine.”

“Very well,” Solus said, slamming his sword down in front of him. “But if you claim his life, then I must claim a separate punishment instead. Crimes must be punished, that is my law.”

“Speak it, then,” Dezira said.

Solus shifted his gaze to Toric. “Son of Vallus, my own noble house, I hereby cast you out of my light. You are banished from my Empire and all civilized lands who obey my law. Your goddess claims your life, but from this moment forward, you shall live it in exile from all my gifts, both those of civilization and those of my sun. Never more in light to walk, a dark moon in fact and name. This is my punishment.”

Toric gave a soft cry then, a gasping sob of loss. Above him, Dezira nodded. “A fair punishment, my brother,” she said. “And one I swear shall be met in kind when it comes time for Toric to answer for his crimes against my Chosen.” As she spoke this last sentence, Dezira’s eyes, both the red glimmer in shadow and the white sliver gaze, fixed on Zoa and Jeric, and Jeric nearly stumbled as the force of the goddess’s love and sorrow hit him.

“A just punishment,” Solus rumbled. “It is accepted.”

Dezira nodded to her brother and then god and goddess vanished, taking their light, and Toric, with them.

The whole room rocked at their absence and then the mortals began to look around. Some of them tried to cover their nakedness, gazing about as though they were waking from a dream. Even the guards looked stunned, looking about for their master who was no longer there. The only people in the room who didn’t look lost at all were the four Chosen at its center.

Jeric ran forward, grabbing Zoa and Izar and pulling them to him. It was harder than he’d thought, for Izar was heavier than he had been and stronger on his feet. Even so, it only lasted a second before Izar was hugging them back so hard Jeric thought his own ribs were going to break.

“Oh gods,” Izar said, kissing them both all over. “I thought I’d lost you both, lost everything.”

“We all did,” Zoa said. She was sobbing, pressed against both men like she couldn’t get close enough. “It’s a miracle.”

“You’re the miracle,” Izar said. “Both of you. You brought me back. Solus only caught me because Orin knew of us.” And then, against all odds, Izar blushed. “Apparently our bond is quite interesting to the other gods.”

Jeric blinked, wondering what sort of figure Orin Who Watches must be to make Izar blush. “Let them be interested,” he said at last, holding his lovers close. “All that matters is we’re all alive and together.”

“Together for sure.” Izar grinned. “The bond’s still there, stronger than ever, and now I have the power to make sure you two never get into trouble without me again.”

“That’s not all you have the power for, Chosen.”

It was Marcus who spoke, and the three of them looked up to see the Sun’s Chosen standing back, watching them with a look that was half shocked, half smug. “You are a Chosen of Solus now, a member of our Order and touched by the Sun himself. You will report to the General tomorrow for your ceremonies.”

Izar nodded, and then looked back at his lovers. “We should go check on the emperor. No one but us, my men and the Legion General know he’s back. It will take a day at least to get the word out that Vallus is back on the throne working for the people.”

Jeric shook his head. “Even that may not be enough. Toric’s magic is dissipated, but this city was a kettle of rage under high pressure even before he started fanning the desire to rebel. Even if the people hear Vallus has returned and reformed his ways, it might be too late to prevent an uprising.”

Zoa bit her lip. “If only there were some way to dispel what he’s built up in them, to let off some of that pressure without violence, we could buy time for the emperor to show he’s making things right.”

Jeric was about to ask what that could be when an idea hit him so hard he nearly stumbled. Zoa did stumble, and Izar caught her with a lightning-fast move, steadying her. “What?” he asked, looking back and forth between the Moon’s Chosen. “I just felt something from both of you.”

Zoa caught Jeric’s eyes and their faces burst into twin grins.

“I think it was divine inspiration,” Jeric said at last, grabbing Izar and Zoa’s hands. “Come on, we need to get back to the temple.”

“The sun temple?” Marcus said behind them.

“No,” Zoa laughed. “Dezira’s, and you can’t come. Or,” she amended at his insulted look. “You can come all you like, just not with us.” Her smile grew wicked. “Dezira’s acolytes are always happy to entertain one of the Sun’s Chosen.”

Marcus looked mortified and Jeric laughed out loud. Suddenly, Silas’ complaints about the Sun’s Chosen made a little more sense. Then Zoa’s fingers brushed over his and he forgot all about Marcus and everything that wasn’t related to Zoa, Izar and the task at hand.

No one tried to stop them as they ran through Toric’s palace. The whole house was in chaos as the mortals who’d been locked in the orgy fled, several of them grabbing whatever of value they could get their hands on in the process. Outside, palanquins had gathered hoping to make a sale off the chaos. Zoa, Izar and Jeric commissioned the largest of them and told the men to hurry to the temple. The moment the curtains were closed, Jeric and Zoa both fell on Izar, removing his new golden armor with reckless abandon.

“Not that I mind,” Izar said between long kisses. “But would either of you care to explain what this is about?”

“Our duty to our goddess,” Zoa said, bending down to unhook the plate that shielded his hips. “And your duty to Solus.”

“Dezira was very clear,” Jeric said, catching Izar’s eye as he began to pull Zoa’s breasts from her white robe. “The Empire is sacred to her brother and Toric’s actions reflect badly on her. She wants us ease the city’s anger. Relax the tension, so to speak.”

“Oh,” Izar breathed as Zoa leaned down to scrape her teeth over his erection, which was straining against his new leather pants. “Can we do something like that?”

“We can now,” Zoa said, looking up at him with shining love. “When we follow our desires, we do Dezira’s work in the world. Our desires brought and tied the three of us together in a bond more powerful than any seen in many generations. But that was before, when we were only two Chosen. Now we are three, and bonds between the Chosen are always stronger than bonds between mortals.”

“The impression I got from the vision was that the magic we can generate together now is unparalleled,” Jeric said. “And Dezira wishes the first act of that magic to be a balm on the city. A sort of peace offering to her brother.”

Zoa nodded, her grin growing wicked. “And I’m to play the city.”

“Oh, I see,” Izar said, dragging his hand over down her back. “And our job is to make Madame City here forget everything except pleasure? Sun and moon coming together to quench the anger and bring things back to a calmer, happier place from which order can be restored?”

“Exactly,” Zoa said. “See, you’re getting the hang of this Chosen thing very quickly.”

“I had good teachers,” Izar whispered, leaning in to nibble her ear.

* * * * *

Zoa was half out her mind by the time they reached the temple. She’d had to remind both Jeric and Izar several times that they had to get everything properly in place before they could actually start. Neither man paid much attention. When the palanquin rocked to a stop, she had to actually pry Jeric’s hands off her in order to get her dress in some semblance of order.

She hadn’t even gotten the straps up before Izar grabbed her and jumped down to the street. He’d lost most of his golden armor by this point, and Jeric was actively working on the straps that held the rest as Izar ran them up the stairs, but the acolytes were pouring out of the temple now, and a few words from the Chosen were all they needed to send them scuttling down to take care of the driver and gather the armor and other clothing that had been left as a casualty to lust.

Silas was waiting for them at the top of the steps. That was almost enough to shock Zoa out of her lust-filled haze. Silas never left the temple unless he had to, but the dark moon was smiling wickedly as Jeric carried her past. “I got the message as well,” he said, falling into step beside Izar. “Everything’s all set up.”

Not a one of them had the breath to thank him, so he just rolled his eyes and let them into the temple proper, shooing the acolytes ahead of him.

Zoa hadn’t actually understood what Silas had meant by “set up” until she saw it. The procession led out into the garden to the sacred apple tree. But unlike this afternoon’s simple white pad and incense burners, an entire tent was now set up.

It was square silk structure, like Izar’s captain’s tent, but thin enough to see through and painted inside and out with Dezira’s symbols. Overhead, white paper lamps burned in the apple tree’s bare branches, their light falling soft as water over the enormous cushioned pallet that had been set up on the white moon’s sacred altar. Silas stopped at the tent’s entrance and the acolytes held the flaps aside, their heads bowed.

Zoa barely had time to thank the temple head and the acolytes for their marvelous work before Izar and Jeric landed her on the enormous cushioned pallet and the world melted away. All at once, nothing existed but Jeric’s mouth on her breasts, Izar’s hands on her thighs. Lust was thrumming through her so hard she was shaking. It was all Zoa could do to wiggle out of her robe as Jeric stripped his own clothes away, and then the two of them turned to help Izar with the last of his armor.

“Gods,” the captain breathed, his hands trembling as he fumbled with the buckle. “I’m all thumbs. I’ve never—” The words broke off in a gasp as Zoa’s breasts brushed his bare chest when she reached up to undo his shoulder guards. “I’ve never been this hard in my bloody life.”

“Not even that first morning?” Jeric said, darting down to lick Izar’s nipple.

“Not even then,” Izar breathed. “Yet another benefit of being Chosen?”

“Maybe,” Zoa said, shoving the last of his armor off with shaking impatience. “Or maybe it’s because the best lust, the deepest longing, comes from finally getting to hold those you love without hesitation.”

“Well, that must be it,” Izar said as he rose to his knees. “Because I’ve never loved anyone like I love the two of you and I’ve never wanted anything more in my life than what I’m about to do.”

“And what is that?” Jeric said, grinning wickedly.

Izar looked at Zoa with a predatory grin. “This.”

He leaped forward, taking her down on the bed like a lion. Zoa shrieked in delighted surprise, and then her shriek turned into a deep moan of pleasure as Izar’s mouth found her clit while his fingers dipped into her already dripping entrance.

“Jeric,” he said, the words vibrating delightfully against her.

“Already ahead of you,” Jeric said, moving up to kiss Zoa deeply, his hands moving down to grasp her breasts.

The moment he touched her, a shock of lust like nothing Zoa had ever felt seared through her. Her hands clenched instinctively on Jeric’s shoulders, locking them together as his tongue invaded her mouth while Izar’s tongue and fingers invaded her slit. Tangled like they were, Zoa could feel both men in her mind, one shining and golden, the other bright and clear as summer moonlight.