Queen of the Gryphons: Ishtar's Legacy: Books 1 & 2

by Lisa Blackwood

  Enkara shifted in his arms and he sensed she wanted to speak but held back. Likely wise since the goddess wasn’t yet done her tale.

  “But one of the Anunnaki, the oldest of the seven judges, did find Nergal’s soul and while the guardian couldn’t hold my sister’s husband in the underworld, he was able to direct where Nergal was reborn.” The goddess paused in her tale and looked directly at Kuwari. “Nergal lives within you.”

  Kuwari rocked back hearing the truth spelled out clearly. Even though he’d been piecing it together on his own, the news still came as a shock. The god of war, plague, and death lived within him.

  Enkara straightened and faced down the goddess. “Now Ereshkigal wishes to reclaim her husband by having us perform some strange form of Sacred Marriage?”

  “Yes. But Ereshkigal doesn’t plan for it to be one day out of the year. She wants to bring you both there and use an Anunnaki’s power to tie you to the Kur, so she and her husband can use you and Kuwari as often as they wish.”

  “She wants us to be slaves,” Enkara whispered to herself in thought. “But slaves can rebel and fight for their freedom.”

  Ishtar barked out a harsh laugh. “Yes. But my sister knows this as well. That’s why I think she’s planning to endow you and Kuwari with a large portion of her power. Once she does, you will be unable to return to the world of the living, and Nergal will grow stronger with each feeding until he wakes and takes over Kuwari’s body.”

  Enkara made an angry sound of denial. “But surely there is something we can do to rid Kuwari of Nergal’s presence.”

  The goddess gave her a sad look. “Not even I can remove Nergal without killing Kuwari. Nergal is where he wants to be, and he will remain with Kuwari until death, but that doesn’t mean you must be his slave. If Ereshkigal can’t reach him, he will never grow in power and take control of Kuwari. Guard against that if you love your prince at all.”

  “I shall protect him with my life.”

  “Do that. For I can’t venture back to my sister’s domain to rescue you should you become prisoners there. Life and death exist in a balance but the two cannot inhabit the same place at the same time, or all creation begins to fray, as we found out when I was trapped in my sister’s domain. That’s the only reason Tammuz was able to negotiate for my release.”

  “A bitter way to learn that lesson,” Kuwari said softly.

  The goddess looked at him, pain visible in her eyes. “Indeed, it is, young one. I hope you must never endure such bitterness.”

  “Armed with your warning and your grace, we will seek to remain clear of your sister’s clutches.”

  “See that you do, for all our sakes,” Ishtar agreed. “But that doesn’t mean you or I are helpless against my sister’s plans. Remember, you are my gryphon and his fierce Blade. If the worst comes to pass and one of you finds yourself in Ereshkigal’s domain, the other must make swift to their side. And remember my sister cannot tolerate my power in her realm.” A mysterious little smile crossed the goddess’ lips. “The act of creation is painful for her. And the Sacred Marriage is nothing if not an act of creation, making fertile all the surrounding land and everyone in it.”

  Kuwari bowed his head in understanding. “As my goddess commands. I will heed your wise words and call for my beloved should I ever find myself in the underworld before my proper time.”

  “Do that, young one, but always be on guard for dangers here as well. Enkara, you must master the new gifts I’ve bestowed upon you as my Avenging Blade, else Ereshkigal will attempt to make you hers. Iltani will be able to guide you; though, only you can conquer the wild power and harness it to your will. But this,” she paused and spread her hands wide as a bright light flashed into being and transformed into the length of a long, crystalline sword, “should help you focus your power.”

  Enkara reverently picked up the weapon. “I shall not disappoint you!”

  Ishtar smiled at Enkara’s fervor. “And both of you beware, for my sister’s hatred runs deep. If she can’t find a way to seduce you into her arms, she will do it by other, less wholesome, means: dark deeds that even I at my worst would not use.”

  “I will do all in my power to keep Kuwari safe.” Enkara’s words were full of determination, but he tasted the fear in her thoughts.

  At last, the power flowing off the goddess slowed and finally stopped. Her appearance faded, growing blurry and then two heartbeats later, she vanished from his sight.

  Ishtar might be gone, but her words of warning still rang in his ears. He would heed them.

  Enkara shifted, turning to look over her shoulder at him. “I will not let Ereshkigal have you. My word of honor.”

  Kuwari bowed his head and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “And I will not let her have you either.”

  All around them the priests and priestesses continued to chant, never knowing that their goddess had been standing in their midst and divulged such disturbing tidings to their Crown Prince.

  Chapter 38

  A few days passed and Enkara saw no evidence that Ereshkigal was ready to implement her plan. She didn’t doubt Ishtar’s warning, but perchance they’d be lucky and given a few moons grace. Time enough to master her new powers.

  Not that that was likely to happen, but Enkara could wish.

  Kuwari shared with his parents some of Ishtar’s warning. Though he downplayed the bit about how Ereshkigal might attempt to claim Enkara as her Blade and how he was host to a god. Both situations were unchangeable and would needlessly worry his parents.

  Even without the worst bits, his parents were still duly concerned and doubled the guard on them both. Queen Iltani set aside her other duties to join Burrukan during Enkara’s daily training lesson.

  Today she was once again in the outdoor practice ring, its sands warm under her feet. She used the soothing, ever-present power thrumming in the ground beneath her feet to help balance the wild within herself. The crystalline sword helped her channel some of the new power, but it was still unwieldy.

  All heat and fire and distraction, just waiting for her to shape it into some purpose or let it slip her control. Since the time of her childhood, she’d thought of Ishtar as a goddess of fertility and life, not a deity of vengeance and destruction.

  But the power in the sword firmly reminded Enkara that the creator of the gryphons was a multi-faceted goddess. Though Ereshkigal, Queen of the Underworld, always seemed so much more frightening and deadly, her sister was equal or perhaps greater in power.

  And Enkara couldn’t forget for one minute that she and Kuwari were currently at the heart of the contention between these two powerful deities. She pushed that thought away for later and faced Iltani across the sand.

  “Ah, good,” Iltani said as she glanced over Enkara’s shoulder. “Here comes Kuwari.”

  Burrukan had suggested Kuwari take part in Enkara’s training session to ‘make it real’ and he’d agreed. Enkara felt a smile tugging at her lips and she turned toward Kuwari. Earlier they’d walked to the practice grounds together, but he’d said he wanted to grab something to help with her training.

  Curious, she’d only nodded and watched him hurry away. Now he returned, and Enkara’s earlier confidence deflated when she saw what he carried awkwardly in his arms.

  It was an archery target, which wasn’t so strange. But Kuwari had had entirely too much fun dressing up the wooden target until it was vaguely man-shaped. He’d clothed it in one of his old outfits and then stuffed it with straw. He’d even gone so far as to place a braided wig upon the wooden stump that doubled as the target’s head.

  Kuwari didn’t trust her. It showed wisdom but hurt at the same time.

  After jamming it firmly into the sand, he turned and walked over to her. Her expression must have given something away for he stopped before her and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

  “I love you and trust you with my life, but your powers are new and much greater than even you or Iltani realize.”

  Enkara nodded,
feeling embarrassed that Kuwari could read her so well.

  “I will form a defensive shield around ‘the prince’ and you will try to breach it without harming your beloved.” Iltani’s instructions were delivered with a straight face.

  Enkara snorted and looked at ‘the prince’ with a raised eyebrow. “As you wish.”

  Kuwari patted her on the back and then moved off to stand and watch from the sidelines.

  “I’ll begin slowly so you can feel and see what I do,” Iltani said. “Once you’ve mastered the power, you’ll be able to summon a shield into place fast as a thought.”

  The crystalline sword in Enkara’s hands throbbed in response to Iltani’s rising power. A glow illuminated the Queen’s skin, then a moment later, golden light, like tiny licks of flame shimmered across her body.

  She shaped the power, ordering it to heel, and soon the magic was leaping out from her body to dance and flare brightly like flames in a breeze. Iltani gestured with her hands, fingers making small swirling motions.

  In answer, the power grew brighter and flowed outward and surrounded the archery target.

  “There. Now the trick for you will be to attempt to study my work, looking for weaknesses.”

  Enkara drew in a deep breath and summoned the power simmering in her blood. It leaped to her call, flowing out along her skin, and soon it danced in the air like tiny flames. Not for the first time, Enkara was relieved to see her power looking the same as Iltani’s. She’d always half expected something about the color or texture to betray her dual nature to others.

  At least, for now, Ereshkigal’s power remained dormant.

  The power shifted and twisted back upon itself, coiling and quivering in the air. She imposed her will upon it, and the magic calmed by small degrees, but stray tendrils broke away from the mass, fighting to be free of her will.

  She let none of it escape. Once she had the fiery ball under control, she consciously directed it toward the archery target. The power streaked through the air, and Enkara shaped it with her mind until it expanded as it flew before colliding with Iltani’s sphere of power.

  And absolutely nothing happened.

  Kuwari cleared his throat. “I believe you actually have to direct it to do something.”

  “Thanks.” She sent a dark glower in his direction. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

  Queen Iltani coughed into her hand and then walked over to Enkara. “Truthfully, you already have more control of the power than I did after twice as many Blooding Ceremonies. In the beginning, I was all instinct and emotion and only managed to vanquish our enemies because of Ishtar’s control and guidance.”

  Enkara gave her a doubtful look.

  “I’m not lying. You’d sense it if I was.”

  While the Queen’s words were obviously true, they still didn’t help Enkara much. She needed to master these powers before a goddess took the choice from her. She feared it would be Ereshkigal who would be doing the taking, especially now that she knew what the Queen of the Underworld truly sought.

  Iltani stood at Enkara’s shoulder and gestured for her to copy her moves. When the Queen held out her arm, Enkara did the same. “Strong emotion is good for calling the power and weaponizing it, but a clear, calm mind is best for more intricate spell work. Brute force only gets you so far.”

  To demonstrate, Iltani waved her fingers, and a small webbing of magic appeared between them. With a flick of her wrist, it spun out longer, weaving itself into a length of shimmering rope. Then she snapped her fingers closed, and the rope and glowing power vanished.

  “The destructive side of the power always came easier for me. It likely will for you as well, but in some instances, like if someone is holding your beloved prisoner, brute force might kill him instead of freeing him.”

  Which, again, didn’t help Enkara understand how to control her magic, but she tried.

  Closing her eyes, she channeled the magic through her crystalline sword. The power came swiftly to her call, but it wasn’t interested in performing delicate spell work. Predictably, it tried to slip her control.

  Curse it! You will obey me!

  She mentally hauled back on the obnoxiously willful power and then flung it at the archery target protected by Queen Iltani’s spell.

  The second spell flew as true as the first had, slamming into the glowing sphere, but this time her magic sunk below the surface of the protective sphere, flowing through a hundred thousand unseen tiny pores in the smooth surface.

  Excitement fluttered in Enkara’s stomach. Perhaps this wouldn’t be as difficult as she’d thought.

  Then the protective sphere cracked, loosing a sound like a scream. Enkara jerked in surprise, and even Iltani flinched at the sudden noise. The sphere shattered, sending hundreds of small shards streaking in all directions. Including into the straw man.

  Only Iltani’s hastily raised shield protected them from the bright little pulses of light and fiery magic. The straw prince didn’t fare so well. Hungry shards of power bit into the straw and cloth, savaging it and destroying all it touched. Burning bits of straw and splinters of wood flew in all directions. Moments later only a smoldering pit remained.

  “Goddess,” Iltani said a little breathlessly.

  Kuwari sauntered over to the smoking ruin and gave it a once-over. “Ah. I think you might have used a touch too much power.”

  The corner of his lip quirked up, but otherwise, he kept a straight face.

  Right around then Enkara wanted the ground to swallow her. But something else became obvious. Giving Kuwari an accusing glare, she said. “You saw this. You knew it was going to happen. Why didn’t you say something?”

  “And miss all the fun? Never.” But Kuwari walked over to her and wrapped her in a strong embrace. The urge to strangle him subsided.

  “You still could have told me.”

  “Yes. But what would you have learned? This fearsome power is something you will need to master on your own through trial and error.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

  “Fine. I forgive you. And I don’t blame you for keeping well back.”

  “Do you know what else my visions show me?”

  “Do I want to know?” Though she did. She always wanted to know what his visions showed him since they often hinted at unseen dangers to come.

  “I see you mastering this power to become one of the most powerful Blades ever born.” Kuwari placed a finger to her lips. “But don’t tell my parents. My father would be swift to defend Iltani’s title as greatest Blade ever.”

  “I’m more than happy to let her keep the title.” And that was true. The strength of her power scared Enkara.

  Iltani had recovered from her initial surprise and now was approaching them again.

  “While that was impressive in a brutal sort of way, let’s see if you can breach a second sphere without obliterating everything inside.”

  Kuwari laughed. “Don’t look at me. I’m not volunteering to play ‘helpless victim’ for several days yet.”

  Enkara groaned and somehow knew her mate was going to be telling this tale around the high table later tonight at dinner.

  Great Ishtar grant her patience.

  Chapter 39

  Time continued its steady march and as Kuwari had promised, Enkara gained greater mastery of her new power. She was just starting to allow herself to believe all would be well when the first deaths were reported.

  She and Kuwari were just returning to the palace from the outdoor training field when a Shadow rushed up to them.

  “Crown Prince Kuwari, Blade Enkara, the King requires you to attend to him at once in the council chambers.” The Shadow, a short woman by the name of Amata, didn’t tell them what was going on. It wasn’t until they reached King Ditanu and High Priestess Kammani in the great hall that they learned the dire news. The first to have taken sick just after the Spring Rites had since died mysteriously.

  “Didn’t the healers say they thought it only a minor illness, just
one they hadn’t seen before? I thought the first to show signs of sickness were already better?” Kuwari directed his questions at his father.

  Ditanu looked up from a report he held in one hand. “That is what I thought as well.”

  Kuwari leaned over his father’s shoulder to read the missive for himself. Enkara hung back and waited for either king, prince, or priestess to fill in the details.

  Finally, King Ditanu spoke. “The early symptoms are just that. Premature and not indicative of the full illness. After the first wave of chills and headache, the disease goes into a quiescent stage where it silently grows within the host body. Once the illness has a strong enough foothold, it reappears with a new set of symptoms. A high fever with uncontrolled sweating, followed by violent shaking and difficulty breathing. Later the sweating turns to bleeding from the pores of the skin and then from the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. The only mercy is that the victim loses consciousness long before they drown in their own blood.”

  “The news grows worse,” High Priestess Kammani said softly.

  “None who came down with the illness have survived its final phase.” Ditanu crumpled up the report. “Princess Arwia and Prince Erra both came down with a fever today.”

  “Goddess,” Enkara whispered, horrified.

  “A Goddess indeed,” Ditanu said darkly. “I fear this must be a plague sent by Ereshkigal.”

  High Priestess Kammani nodded as she came to stand next to the king. “We will discover how this is spreading to stop others from falling ill. We will find a cure. We must. We can’t allow Ereshkigal to take souls before their time.”

  “We will fight this,” King Ditanu agreed. “Summon Iltani and the Regents, the rest of the council, too. I want the most senior healers brought in as well. I don’t care where they are or what they’re doing, gather them all.”