by Amy Sumida
Viper lifted his head to declare, “I love you, Vervain,” then he lowered himself between my thighs and started lavishing all of that love on me.
Fists gripping the sheets, hips rocking up into Viper's kiss, and lips parted on cries of rapture, I let myself fall into the well I'd been hovering over for so long. I forgot about the men who had betrayed me, and the husband who still waited for me in Faerie. I forgot about conquering the world. I forgot about the war with the Gods and that with the humans. All I could hold in my mind was the man I held in my arms. Sin black hair, poison green eyes, and a tongue that was proving his name wasn't just about his magic. I clutched my new lover to me as I cried out that name, telling him over and over that I loved him at last. That this was real. Our love was real. And I was going to hold onto him with every piece of magic in my soul. I would never let this man go.
My viper. My vicious lover. My star god pulled from the Void, come to me through magic and will and liberation. Our love would outlast the stars that were his namesake. It would outlast war and hatred and betrayal. When everything was gone, there would still be this steadfast emotion between us.
“Viper,” I whispered, “it's time.”
My reborn lover surged up and into me at my urging, his shaft parting my sex to merge us in the most primal way. The way of creation. The way of Gods. The way of lovers. We cried out together through the bliss of that sacred union. Then Viper started to move inside me; sleek as a snake and deep as a sword. I impaled myself on his body; took him into me and accepted our love at last. And it was beautiful. Opening my heart to Viper freed me in so many ways.
I clawed him closer, my breaths coming more and more rapidly, and then rolled him onto his back and rode him hard. Passion had me in its grip, and I wouldn't deny it this time. I was grabbing onto it with both hands and daring it to buck me off. Viper held my hips and watched me, eyes glowing with magic and love. I ground my sex against him as I leaned my head back luxuriously, my hair pooling over his thighs. Ecstasy spread beneath my skin, setting me to trembling. So near. Just a little further. A little deeper.
“Vervain, I'm close,” Viper panted.
I sped up even more, our flesh slapping together, and when our climax took us at last, I struck instead of him. Teeth lengthened into fangs, I took my lover's throat in my jaws and bled him. His essence poured into me; blood in my mouth as he came in my sex. Life. Full of life; full of Viper. His blood opened his mind to me, revealing his recent memories and emotions. I saw myself through Viper's eyes; lying beside Trevor. I felt Viper's aching sorrow; the agony of watching me with men I had loved. The fear and panic of facing men who I'd chosen long before I had called his soul to me. And I got glimpses of that soul in the memories that rose inside him while he had watched me. Viper wandering the Void, restless despite the peace of that realm. Anxious to be reborn but certain that he couldn't leave until she came. Until he heard her call. Then he felt me there; the touch of my magic on him. The touch of my soul on his. And he had known that she had finally found him. His soul's beloved had come.
The truth rocketed through me. I had done to Viper what Azrael had once done to me. I had touched his soul. Except, I hadn't touched Viper's soul with my hands, I'd touched it with my soul. We had connected more deeply than anyone before us. I knew him; the real him. Not the truths or lies or traits that we think make people who they are. Not the stories we'd shared. I knew the man beneath all of that. The enduring splendor of Viper's soul. I had seen him from the start. I had loved him from the moment his magnificent soul settled within the embrace of mine. I hadn't been barricading my heart from him; I'd been blocking off my mind. I had pushed away the memory of that first glorious touch so I could come to terms with losing all of the love I'd known before him. I needed to let go of the old before I could give myself to the new.
I licked Viper's neck gently and watched as his wound closed. He was still inside me, softened but there. Mine. I squeezed myself around him, and he groaned. Hardened. Lengthened. I smiled against his throat then leaned up on my elbows to kiss him tenderly. To kiss him as he'd been kissing me.
“I remember now,” I whispered. “I remember holding your soul in mine. You and the others.”
Viper's eyes, glowing with happiness, started to blink and dim when I mentioned the other star gods.
I smiled and nipped his nose. “I touched their souls too, but yours was the only one I fell in love with. I respect them, and I love them as brothers, but I don't feel for them what I do for you. You were right; they were meant to lead my armies but you were meant to love me.”
Viper smiled and swiftly pulled me down into a savage kiss. He rolled us so that he was above me again but instead of starting the savage, triumphant thrusting I'd been expecting, he began a gentle, deep, rocking. A sweet slide that connected more than our bodies. Viper's hands bracketed my face as he slowly kissed my temple, my cheek, my jaw, and then my lips.
“I have been waiting for you to say that from the moment you first stood before me,” Viper whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “Waiting and hoping that you would remember me.”
“I'm sorry that I left you alone in our love for so long.”
“That doesn't matter. I would have waited years for you. Centuries, if that's what it took.”
I went silent. His vow was too similar to what Odin had done; waited centuries for me to return to him... only to betray me in the end.
“I have a confession to make,” Viper went on as if he hadn't noticed how his words had affected me. “I've only had one life before this one. I let you believe that there have been others but there hasn't. I never left the Void; I never became a god. You gave me divinity, Vervain. You made me great.”
“No, I didn't.” I stroked my thumb over his lips. “You have always been great. I just recognized it and gave you a bit of magic.”
“You did far more than that.” He regained his rhythm, slowly bringing our passion back to boiling. “But I don't want to argue about godhood right now. Let's focus on us instead.”
“And love,” I added.
“And love,” Viper agreed and drove himself deeper.
Chapter Thirty-One
“Brother, wake our goddess. She has a visitor,” Snake's voice eased me from my slumber.
“Snake?” I blinked awake and sat up, out of Viper's arms.
“Who is her visitor?” Viper asked as he climbed out of bed and fetched me a robe.
“He says that he's not exactly a friend but that he saved her life once.” Snake scowled in a baffled way. “He's a very strange man with the look of the desert to him.”
“What do his eyes look like?” I asked with the beginnings of a smile.
“His eyes are the oddest thing about him,” Snake said. “They sparkle with several colors like a—”
“Rainbow,” I cut him off. “Bring him to my dining room and please tell the servants to bring breakfast for us.”
“Right away.” Snake bowed his head respectfully and left.
“Who is this rainbow-eyed god?” Viper held the robe out for me.
I climbed out of bed and slipped into it then headed to the elevator; my dressing room was on the floor below. “His name is Qaus. He once freed me from an enchanted mirror and the god who ruled it. But he was partially responsible for putting me in there so we called it even.”
“An enchanted mirror?” Viper lifted a brow as we got on the elevator together.
“It's a long story.” I trailed a hand down his washboard abs appreciatively; he hadn't bothered with a robe.
As soon as I touched him, Viper made a rumbling sound of arousal and pinned me against the wall. “Tell me you love me again.” He lifted my legs around his waist and speared himself into me.
I moaned and started to say the words but the elevator door was already opening. Viper made a frustrated snarl, gathered me against his chest, and carried me out of the elevator. He took me into my dressing room and kicked the door shut behind us. Viper had sta
rted keeping his clothes in my dressing room; he had never slept in the suite I'd made for him on the 15th floor. But neither of us were concerned with clothes when he laid me down on the large, round, tufted ottoman in the center of the room.
“Tell me,” Viper demanded again as he started pumping into me steadily.
“I love you,” I gave him what he wanted, and he returned the favor.
“I love you too,” he whispered in bliss as he slid even deeper.
Then Viper began to shine.
Just a soft glow at first, his body slowly paled and brightened until he shone with sparkling light. Light that matched the stripe of hair at my temple. Starlight. With a gasp, I realized that I was glowing as well. I had done so before during sex, but this wasn't my moonlight or the crimson glow of my lust magic. No; my body shone with starlight as Viper's did, though my light was dark; a deep, sparkling purple. A breath away from black.
“My dark star,” Viper whispered as he looked down at me. “What's happening to us?”
“You are more than fangs and poison, sweetheart.” I kissed him gently. “You are a star god and your light is seeking mine. Our stars are talking to each other.”
“Talking?” He grinned as he sped up his pace. “I think they're doing more than that.”
I lifted my legs and wrapped them around his waist, drawing him down to me until our light and our bodies blended into one. We writhed in pleasure and starlight, sweat glistening on our glowing flesh, lips parted on panting cries, and hearts beating in perfect harmony.
“I feel your magic,” Viper moaned as his hips pounded against mine. “I feel... Vervain!”
Viper started to thrash and flail, tumbling off me to the floor.
“Viper?” I went down on my knees beside him. “Viper!”
Viper clutched at my hand as his light started to darken; the pure white turning lavender and then amethyst. I gasped and drew his head onto my lap.
“No, please no. Star, help me!”
Star appeared beside us looking calm, pleased even. “What's wrong?”
“What's wrong? I've infected him! Take it back, remove... the...” I trailed off.
“The taint? Is that what you were going to say?” Star asked snidely. “This isn't a poison, Vervain; it's freedom. You shared that with him. Your magic joined with his and now, Viper will be strong like you. Free from destiny.”
Viper suddenly shivered into a sigh and went still. His light, now as dark as mine, sank back into his skin as he closed his eyes. He slid his arms around my waist as he nestled closer against my belly, and I stroked his silky hair back from his beautiful face.
“Will he still love me?” I whispered.
“Do you love him?” She countered.
“Yes.” I looked up at her.
“Power won't change his heart, Vervain. Viper loves you; nothing can touch that. Don't you want him to be strong and free from Fate?”
“Of course. It's just... I don't know.”
“You still haven't accepted all I've given you,” Star chided me. “The Star Gods were born to join with you. Their light strengthens yours. You should take them all as your lovers now that you know you won't be returning to your husbands.”
“I won't be returning to them?” I felt suddenly cold. Adrift.
“What's wrong with you?” Star stamped her foot. “They tried to enchant you, remember? You sent them away and told them to never return. We're done with them. Stop playing the fool for those men and take the men you should have. The Dark Star and her Star Gods; you are the Nine Points of the Star.”
“What?” I gaped at her.
“Did you think it was a coincidence that we made eight of them?”
“I... I didn't think about the number at all.”
“I am the Nine-Pointed Star, and you are my avatar; the prime spoke of the star. They will complete you, Vervain. They will complete us. You must take them as your lovers. Bind us together with love and light. Make us whole.”
“You told me that I didn't have to do that,” I growled. “You said that you understood how hard it is to have multiple lovers.”
“I said what you needed to hear at the moment,” she huffed. “The moment has changed. Be the Trinity Star. Take them all; they're yours.”
“Vervain?” Viper opened his eyes and looked up at me. His hand reached up to play with my lock of starlight hair. “I feel different.”
“Are you all right?” I stroked his sharp jawline.
He seemed to take stock of himself and then smiled; a wicked smile. “Yes. Better than that even.”
Viper surged up and pulled me with him.
“Viper!”
With a slick move, he turned me around and bent me over the ottoman then tore my robe away.
“What are you—” I gasped as he spread my legs and drove into me.
Viper's hands went to my hips at first but then one snaked into my hair. With a brutal shove of his cock, he pulled my head back and made a hissing sound of pleasure. Faster and faster he fucked me, skin slapping skin until rapture rose and with it came that starlight again. This time, both of us shone darkly and it was harder to tell when our light merged. I watched him over my shoulder; head thrown back, the muscles of his chest tightening, body rocking, and teeth bared.
Viper roared as he came, fangs extended and dripping poison.
I swiveled my head forward and saw Star watching us. She smiled just as wickedly as Viper had.
“Now, the Queen has her king,” she whispered and vanished.
Chapter Thirty-Two
“Are you sure you're all right?” I asked Viper as we headed down a floor in the elevator to my private dining room, next door to the war room.
“I feel amazing.” Viper grinned at me and pulled me against his chest. “Ready to conquer the world for you.”
“Okay,” I murmured as I stroked the slick cotton of his shirt.
I'd made an array of clothing for Viper to choose from. He usually wore something casual; jeans with a button-down shirt rolled up at the sleeves and a pair of boots. He'd worn his usual shirt but today he'd paired it with tailored pants, polished wingtips, and a sophisticated jacket. He looked like another man entirely.
The elevator dinged and the doors opened. We stepped out, but instead of going into the dining room, Viper pulled me to the side.
“Are you okay?” He went serious. “I was too rough with you, wasn't I? I don't know what came over me, I just needed to... I felt this urge to possess you. To claim a piece of you that would always be mine.”
“You weren't too rough.” I drew his face down for a kiss. “I like some savagery every now and then. I just wasn't sure it was you.”
“I am whoever you want me to be,” Viper dropped his voice to a dangerous tone. “Whatever my star commands. Isn't that right?”
“Don't do that,” I chided. “I don't want to command you.”
“No?” He lifted a dark brow and grinned at me. “Then we're equals? Lovers?”
“Are you asking if you're my consort now?” I countered, something rising inside me in a glittering wave; a feeling of... possession.
Wasn't that what Viper had just said he needed? The thought flit away, replaced by cool determination and fiery lust. This man was mine; mine alone. Yes, he would make a good king, but I had no intention of sharing my crown with him. The Star Gods may have been made to complete me, but I was the top point; the Dark Star. I would rule.
“Consort?” Viper frowned. “Not equals. You do want to command me.”
“Viper,” I purred as I stroked his jaw, “you're my lover and maybe, someday, I'll even marry you. I won't command you in the bedroom, I won't force you to love me, but out here, I will rule. I won't give my power away to a man, not ever again.”
Viper's eyes went soft as he bent his head to touch his forehead to mine. “I understand, Dark Star. I will lead your forces for you and stand by your side if that's what you need. But I need you to be my star when we're alone.”
>
“I'm your star whether we're alone or not,” I whispered then kissed him; deeply, tenderly, and then roughly.
I grabbed a fistful of his hair and used it to drag him away from my lips. I turned us so I could push him back against the wall with my body. Viper's eyes filled with lust, his lips parting on a pant. I gave his hair another pull just for good measure.
