Goddess Rising

by Alisha Ashton

  Gods, I missed her, he thought to himself. It felt as if she had been gone forever. His brows drew together as he realized… he was recalling longing for her far beyond their recent separation. With his previously inaccessible memories gradually unlocking (as a result of receiving a fresh dose of her light), things were continuing to fit together in his mind.

  “I always felt tha ya were gone, ya know,” he declared softly.

  Skye looked at him curiously, so he elaborated.

  “When ya left back then. I had your light inside me, helpin’ me to feel alive and happy, but I just…” His fingers flexed recalling the sensation of loss. “I knew there was something missing. Something crucial. I dreamt of ya more times than I can count.” He closed his eyes as he recalled the seemingly random dreams that had visited him from time to time. “They were soooo vivid, yet so… ephemeral. Abstract. I could never see your face. It was like lookin’ at ya through a fog.” He opened his dazzling eyes and studied her with renewed appreciation, grateful for the ability to simply look upon her. “I walked through life with this hunger in me. Just all the time. Nonstop.” His brows drew together as he considered it. “It was nah dark. Nah like it had been before ya ever came, but I was longin’ for touch. Your touch. For your physical presence.” He chuckled and scratched the back of his neck, wincing in feigned guilt as he said, “I s’pose tha’s what I was chasin’ after all along. Tryin’ to find someone to lay with tha could fill the void.”

  Skye smiled at him adoringly before teasing, “You mean while you filled their voids?”

  Ciaran snickered and pointed at her appreciatively for the joke.

  Taran suppressed a smile as he rolled his eyes and shook his head at the pair of them. “Well, it explains why ya stopped the constant search for lovers when Skye released her power the first time.”

  Ciaran thought back to that night, to the way he had felt the hunger for physical touch silence. He recalled feeling a specific longing that he could not understand – it had been for her and her alone, even from the other side of the world. “Exactly. No need to be settlin’ for stand-ins when the real thing was finally out there again.” He frowned thoughtfully. “Hey… d’ya suppose the mystery woman I heard whisperin’ just before we met was actually you?”

  Skye tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, ya said ya heard Sorcha calling to ya after ya were bitten, telling ya to Return to Her and such. And the whispers of fate were guiding ya to where ya needed to go. But the only time I ever heard anything was when I came close to ya for the first time. A woman was whispering in me brain tellin’ me to go to ya, to join with my Trinity. D’ya think maybe – because I was carryin’ your power inside me – I was hearin’ the Goddess in ya?”

  “Weren’t the whispers ya heard in Gaelic?” Taran asked.

  Skye’s eyes widened as she considered it. “Ciaran is correct. It could have been me,” she whispered in flawless Gaelic.

  Taran looked over at her in surprise.

  Ciaran gave an impressed whistle and laughed. “Yeah, that sounds pretty damned familiar.”

  In response to Taran’s stunned expression, Skye shrugged. “Surprise! I finally figured out that closed captioning spell. Means you’ll have to watch your language if you want to keep up your ‘no swearing’ stance.”

  Taran gave a playful scowl before scooping her up into his arms. “Hmm… perhaps ya can switch off tha new ability when we’re in bed together, wee one. I can nah be expected to watch my mouth whilst at the mercy of yours.”

  Skye laughed as he carried her into the bathroom.

  43: Giving

  Taran took his time washing her hair and scrubbing every inch of her body, then drew a second bath to make sure all of the paint was thoroughly rinsed away. The aging pipes in the castle groaned reluctantly and took quite a while to heat up as usual (hence Christie’s decision to get the first bath ready in advance.) Taran apologized for the wait, realizing that, compared to the modern plumbing of her city, this must seem a terrible inconvenience.

  Skye – clean and seated comfortably, all snuggled up in a fluffy, warm towel – quirked a brow at the idea of her current situation being anything remotely resembling ‘inconvenient’. She reminded him that digging a hole in the ground and heating vats of sea water on the fire took a hell of a lot longer.

  He laughed at that, still amazed that she had been with him so long ago. That she had seen and lived life in that era with him made his heart swell. Having shared history was something he never would have thought possible.

  When the bath was ready, they took the opportunity to become reacquainted in the hot, clean water. After a well-deserved round of blissful-reunion lovemaking, they relaxed together and enjoyed the steam and peace. He smiled that she had left her torque on the entire time. When he traced his fingers across it, appreciating all that it represented, she smiled back at him over her shoulder and shared her memory of the moment he had placed it around her neck. He kissed her deeply, thankful for every glimpse she shared of their time together.

  “I love it,” she declared when their lips parted. She looked over at the mirror beside the tub and inspected the torque for herself. “It’s way better than any ring we could have bought, that’s for sure. Drostan really outdid himself. I’ll have to ask him to make a matching one for you now. He made this as a wedding gift for us.” She grinned in realization before turning back to Taran. She climbed up into his lap, straddling him and draping her arms around his neck. “But you know what? My gift for you is even better.”

  “Really now?” Taran asked, thoroughly intrigued. “What could possibly be better than having ya here, safe and naked in my arms, wearing my marks with such pride?”

  Skye bit her lip. “Close your eyes…” she instructed.

  He gave her a mock suspicious frown before doing as she asked.

  She exhaled and smiled. She could hardly wait to see his reaction. “Okay… I will give you the quick version for now, and the full-length version later on.”

  She brought her hands up to his temples and closed her own eyes. She wanted to ensure that he would be completely immersed in what she was going to show him.

  He gasped as her memories began filling his mind.

  She was walking the old paths alone.

  The scene was achingly familiar to him.

  He could see the cliffs off in the distance.

  Smell the sea on the breeze.

  She was in the land of his mortal tribe.

  She paused at the towering stone

  altar to the Great Mother.

  She traced her fingers over

  Drostan’s carving of the moon.

  Faoil were patrolling the area.

  The men approached her warily.

  Skye would later use her power to

  make them forget her presence.

  He could hear her speaking to them.

  They knelt before her.

  She was asking them questions.

  He could see his mortal home.

  A woman stood in the doorway.

  Oh, spirits. It was his mother.

  Smiling. Welcoming.

  Alive and older than he ever got to see her.

  His father’s burial mound.

  Skye laid flowers upon it and paid respects.

  She laid a sword, a bow, and arrows –

  offerings given on Taran’s behalf.

  His mother smiled in approval.

  “He lived a good life,” she assured.

  Skye was sitting within his family’s home.

  He could smell all the familiar aromas.

  She was running her fingers across a

  carving he made in the table as a boy.

  He could feel the wood as if it were

  beneath his own fingertips.

  She was talking to more of his

  family members as they arrived.

  He recognized a few of his brothers.

  Older, heavier, balder, graye
r.

  Happier.

  New faces. Women – his brothers’ wives.

  They were all waiting for something…

  Taran drew a tremulous breath, knowing what was coming and unable to believe it. But then… there they were.

  Mayra and Bridi.

  His beloved wee sisters.

  Grown to fine, strong women.

  Oh, and their families.

  They had married well.

  He could see his nieces and nephews.

  So many of them!

  Running, playing, laughing.

  Bridi was heavy with yet another child.

  A broad-shouldered, handsome

  lad was seated beside Skye.

  The boy grinned up at her proudly

  as she informed him of how very

  much he looked like Taran.

  “I named him for his Uncle,” Mayra said.

  “Just as bullheaded and brave

  as his namesake!” Bridi declared.

  The sisters laughed.

  The twins and his mother met Skye’s eyes and spoke directly to Taran. She must have told them she would share this memory with him later.

  “We have never forgotten you.”

  “We have happy, wonderful lives.”

  “We have been safe, brother.”

  “Thanks to you.”

  “No trouble has come to our lands.”

  “Your wife is positively beautiful!”

  “A Goddess Queen, no less!”

  “How in the world did you trick such a

  wondrous woman into marrying you?”

  The sisters giggled.

  “And you’re King!”

  “She showed us your naming before the Clan.”

  “We are all so very proud.”

  “You were destined for greatness, son.”

  “We wish you joy and love.”

  “Thank you for everything you did for us.”

  “We were so lucky to have you.”

  “WE LOVE YOU!!!”

  Taran was overwhelmed with emotion when Skye pulled her hands away. He hugged her to his chest and wept tears of joy, gratitude, and relief for several moments.

  Once he could finally speak, he whispered gratefully against the side of her neck, “Thank you, my love. Thank you. Thank you.”

  “So… better than a torque?” she asked with a grin.

  Taran chuckled and nodded. “Aye. So much better,” he swore as he pulled away and wiped his face. He eyed her in open wonder. “Ya have given me my family back.” Tears filled his eyes anew. He pressed his hand to his chest and shook his head as he managed in a strained voice, “There just are nah words.”

  The pair made their way out into the bedroom and crawled into bed with a freshly washed Ciaran. Evidently, he had gone and cleaned up in one of the other bathrooms in order to grant them some privacy. Skye smiled adoringly at that and pounced on him. Ciaran chuckled and, within moments, their playfulness melted away into passion.

  Skye groaned at the welcomed return of having both of her men kissing and touching her body, being pressed between them and their sole focus. She gasped in relief at the deeply missed sensation of both of them moving inside of her, filling her up. When all three of them were nearly finished, she brought her mouth to Ciaran’s, exhaling a tendril of her magic for him. She and Taran watched as he eagerly breathed it in. Ciaran cried out shamelessly in ecstasy as her light intensified his release far beyond usual. Sobbing mindlessly in pleasure, he kissed and clung to her body. His body quaked uncontrollably as it pushed him further and further over the edge. She and Taran followed quickly behind.

  When they were done, and their holds on one another were relaxing as they settled into the afterglow, Ciaran gazed into her eyes hungrily.

  “Ooh, I’ve missed tha,” he panted. His heavy-lidded eyes rolled closed and he bit his lip, shuddering as lingering waves of pleasure rolled through his body. “It’s what I’ve been missin’ all these years. Gives me, by far, the best orgasms of my very long, very orgasm-filled life,” he declared with a grin. After a moment, his eyes opened and went to Taran. His brows drew together as he asked Skye curiously, “Have ya tried it on him yet?”

  Caught off guard by the question, she arched a brow and glanced over her shoulder at her King. “No… I hadn’t considered it,” she answered as Taran held her gaze.

  That was a flat out lie. She definitely had considered it. A lot, in fact. Especially since Brandubh pointed out Taran’s highly-suspect saturation with Sorcha’s power. And since she found out – thanks to Ruarachan – that she could use her own light to claim her men, effectively purging them of Sorcha’s possible influence.

  So many unspoken things were going on in that instant.

  Taran was tensed up, unsure of how to react or what to say. He was worried that he might unintentionally clue Ciaran in on his true identity.

  Ciaran (oblivious to the actual reasons why he was uniquely suited for absorbing Skye’s power) simply worried that Taran was missing out on a new, mind-blowing form of pleasure. He figured taking in her power was part of the Trinity package, and that she had not done it with Taran in the past due to his stint of epic douchebaggery. While Taran was blissfully unaware of that grievous misstep, and Ciaran could not mention it, things were different now. He wanted to be sure Taran got his equal share of the fun.

  Skye paused, unsure of what to say at first. She had been worried about how to bring up using her power on Taran. If she told him that her intention was to flush Sorcha out, she risked alerting the Moon Goddess of two things: 1.) That she knew Sorcha’s ‘gifted’ power to Taran actually made it possible for Her to see through his eyes and essentially spy on Skye and 2.) that she distrusted Sorcha enough to want that link severed immediately.

  And yet, none of those worries mattered anymore…

  She grinned at the utterly glorious segue her dark one had just inadvertently provided with his innocent, insatiable sexual curiosity. This was simply a new game for the three of them to play in bed. Harmless experimentation. No explanation needed.

  “But now that you mention it…” she purred.

  Rolling over, she urged her King onto his back so that she could straddle him. Taran sucked in a sharp breath and grabbed her hips as she slid over him. He licked his lips and gave her an intrigued, yet anxious look, unsure of what to expect.

  “Don’t worry, babe. I’ll be gentle,” she teased with a wink before bringing her mouth to his. She needed to go slowly to ensure she would not hurt him. He was not built for this like Ciaran. Still, she wanted to do this right now, all the way. She wanted Sorcha’s hooks out of him. She wanted him to belong to her completely.

  Taran groaned at the intense sensation of her light filling him. He managed to breathe it in, but it was… strange. Unnerving. Unexpectedly alarming. It sent a jolt of cold fear through him, as if he was instinctively frightened by it for some reason. It was not as pleasurable for him as he imagined it must be for Ciaran, but it was not entirely unpleasant, either… He stuck with it, waiting for his fear to gradually recede. He was thankful for that decision, because it turned out to be far better than he anticipated.

  What ended up making the experience enticing for him was not the power he was receiving – it was the effect the act clearly had on Skye. Her entire body was trembling. Her breathing was ragged. The idea of using her power on him – essentially dominating him – aroused her endlessly. Her excitement, in turn, thrilled him.

  Beside them, Ciaran watched eagerly, impossibly turned on by what he was witnessing. “Tha’s it. Take him, mo bhan-dia,” he whispered. He grinned at the way her heart raced in response.

  Taran moaned into her mouth encouragingly, kissing her deeply and seeking out more of her light. Gripping her hips, he lifted her just enough to slide inside of her again. Skye whimpered appreciatively. She slid her arms beneath Taran’s shoulders and held him tight. Leaning back, she urged him to follow her, mouths still joined, until he was si
tting up in bed with her riding him slowly.

  She dragged it out for nearly an hour, letting her power saturate and claim every last bit of him. When it was done, they both collapsed to the bed, sated and bound to one another even more thoroughly than ever before.

  Ciaran (having gotten off several times watching the couple’s spectacle) was seated beside the bed, smoking a cigarette, and looking positively wrecked. With his hair sticking up wildly and a dazed look in his eyes, he exhaled a lungful of smoke and declared with a grin, “Tha may well have my best suggestion to date!”

  Skye and Taran laughed, muttering their drowsy agreement.

  “Mind your mouth and your manners, lad,” Taran reminded as they all waited to be received later that evening.

  “I will,” Miko assured.

  “Stand up straight,” Skye urged.

  “I am!” Miko insisted indignantly.

  “And please, don’t give him any reasons to eat ya,” Ciaran added in dramatically feigned concern for his safety.

  “Och, aye,” Ruarachan sighed heavily behind them and assured, “I can nah stomach seein’ tha again.”

  Ailean and Drostan muttered their agreement.

  Miko’s eyes widened as he looked around at their severe expressions. After a second, he forced a laugh that was supposed to sound dismissive but sounded more nervous than anything.

  “Pfft. Wolves… don’t… eat… their young,” Miko insisted with an anxious smile as he shook his head.

  Ciaran, Ruarachan, Drostan, and Ailean exchanged grimaces.

  Miko’s face fell as he asked, “Right?” He looked to Skye, then to Taran, leaning closer to them as he pressed, “RIGHT?”

  “Aw, but he ain’t a wolf anymore, is he, blank-slate boy?” Ciaran teased with an ill-behaved grin.

  Skye clicked her tongue in disapproval and rolled her eyes. “He won’t eat you,” she assured her pup. After thinking about it, she added reluctantly, “He would probably bite you, though, if you got out of line.”

  Miko whimpered.

  Skye looked to Aiyana and took a steadying breath. “Remember, don’t ask questions.”