*****
The warm water had soothed and settled Iltani’s earlier turmoil far better than the wine had. Or maybe simply being away from Ditanu for a while allowed her to calm her chaotic thoughts. Whatever the case, as she exited the tub and wrapped a towel around her body and another around her hair, she felt in control again.
That was a first since she’d woken up this morning.
A slight noise, the brush of a sandal against the polished stone floor, had Iltani turning to the sound in time to see two young servant girls entering the room. Seeing her, one came over carrying a pile of clothing and the other went to the pool.
The one by the pool turned a lever and the bath began to empty into a drain. Iltani knew the water wouldn’t be wasted, and was even now making its way through a purification system where it would eventually find its way into the irrigation lines for the farmers to use.
The girl with the clothes approached Iltani and bowed.
“I am not of noble blood,” Iltani told her. “The bow is not necessary. In fact, I’d prefer if you treat me like any of the other servants. I am a Shadow.”
The girl smiled. “I know who you are. You are our king’s childhood friend and Shadow Burrukan’s heir.” The girl’s smile grew into a grin. “Consort Ahassunu sent me and said to treat you as I would her.”
Well, even though that was a touch unsettling, it made sense. Ahassunu was one of the few who knew that Iltani was Ishtar’s Blade. That elevated Iltani’s status enough to warrant the occasional bow. She supposed she might as well get used to it as come tomorrow night everyone within the ten city-states would know as well.
“I will do your hair for you and then we’ll help you dress for bed.”
Iltani was going to say she could dress and do her own hair, but she was tired, and she hated working the tiny little braids back in. She’d been going to wait until morning, but it was better if they were put in while her hair was still wet. If someone else wanted to do it for her? All the better.
The girl picked up another basket and skirted the bench Iltani sat on. The basket contained combs, pins, an assortment of gold beads, and several delicate ribbons to weave in her hair. Iltani pulled another towel up around her shoulders for warmth and just sat, allowing her mind to wander as the girl worked on her hair.
Iltani was half asleep by the time the servant had finished.
“You have beautiful hair,” the servant said. “I love the color. It reminds me of the royal cubs.”
Fighting back a laugh, Iltani only nodded. Her hair did have something in common with the cubs. They both had thick brown pelts that bordered on wild and wiry. She allowed the girl to take the damp towels and then dress her in a long sleeping gown. Ribbons tied at the shoulders held it on and intricate needlework along the bodice and waist provided the only touch of modesty as the fabric was so soft and sheer that it hid almost nothing. A matching robe of the same material was laid out on the bench beside her. Iltani supposed the two layers together would almost provide enough fabric for warmth and modesty.
A slight sound of surprise escaped the girl. Iltani glanced over her shoulder and saw the girl’s gaze was riveted on her back.
Ah. Ishtar’s mark. The sheer robe probably allowed the mark to show through.
Iltani normally bathed by herself so no one had the opportunity to lay eyes on it.
The girl dropped into a deep bow. This, of course, alerted the other servant that something was amiss and she too approached with caution. Iltani knew the exact moment the second girl spotted the mark and registered what it was. She dropped to her knees and bowed her head to the floor.
When it became apparent neither one planned to get back up, Iltani cleared her throat. “Get up, please. This isn’t necessary. I am a servant as much as you.” Which was true. For as Ishtar’s Blade, she was a servant to both a goddess and a king.
Still the servant girls didn’t move.
Iltani was still coaxing the servants to stand when Ditanu brushed aside the veils and entered the bathing chamber. He took one look at Iltani’s expression and laughed.
“Off with you,” he ordered the servants. “Ahassunu will will need your help getting the cubs to bed.”
As if his words had broken invisible chains securing them to the floor, both girls rose, bowed to their king, and hurried from the room.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for them to see Ishtar’s mark, but they spotted it through the nightdress.” Iltani glanced down at her bare feet. “Close to twenty-one years I’ve managed to keep it hidden. One day back and now the servants know.”
Ditanu brushed aside her words. “They were handpicked by Ahassunu because she knows their families and knows they will be discrete. You have nothing to fear. Besides, in less than a day the blooding ceremony will have unlocked the first tier of Ishtar’s power. Your enemies will find you a fierce opponent.”
His hand landed on her bare shoulder and at his insistent tug, she turned. Neither of them said anything as he traced the mark through the fabric of her nightdress and robe. He grunted something and pushed her toward the bench.
Ditanu strolled from the room. He wasn’t gone long. When he returned he held a large dagger, its blade bare. If it were anyone else, the sight would have had her snatching the nearest item to use as a weapon. But this was Ditanu. She trusted him with her life, so she just sat and watched him as he came.
He halted and frowned down at her. “This may be a bit premature and likely to anger my aunt. But I don’t care. We’re going to perform the first of the blooding ceremonies tonight. Ishtar has sent me her nightmares and awakened your magic this day for a reason.”
She understood his reasoning and the fear which prodded him into action. “Aren’t there rituals and prayers and blessings and a whole assortment of priestly things that go along with it all?”
“Those are trappings only. Three things are all that’s required. Ishtar’s blessing, her Blade and her gryphon monarch. We already have her blessing.” He then gestured first to himself and then at her. “What more do you think we need?”
Iltani admitted he had a point. “Then we just need…”
“For me to shed blood for Ishtar, yes.”
She saw no reason to postpone the first ritual, certainly not if it would allow Ditanu to sleep peacefully this night.
She shrugged off the robe and then reached for the ribbon ties at her shoulders. She tugged them loose. The delicate material fluttered down to pool at the flare of her hips. While she was debating if she should shed it completely to save it getting ruined, Ditanu took the decision from her and straddled the bench next to her. Mimicking him, she swung her leg over the seat and faced away from him, exposing her back and the mark that ran along her spine from the base of her neck all the way down to her tail bone.
Turning her upper body slightly, she watched him over her shoulder. He was already bare-chested and dragged the tip of the dagger across his right pectoral as she watched. A slight grunt at the first cut was all the sound he made.
Afterward, he made a second, matching cut on the opposite side. The cuts sloped down at a slight angle, funneling most of the blood toward the center of his chest. He reached around her to place the dagger on the bench in front of them. Iltani braced her hands against the stone just behind where the dagger lay. Tension made all her muscles ridged, but commanding herself to relax simply didn’t work.
Overly aware, she tracked his every move. At last, he shifted closer and pulled her against him until his bleeding chest was pressed against her back. “Ishtar, this night we come together to renew the pact between the gryphon kings and you, oh great Queen of the Night. Your Blade has been anointed with king’s blood as the ancient rites demand, bless her now with your power so that we may serve you to our fullest potential and never fail you.”
Even before he’d finished his plead to the goddess, Iltani felt her magic stir awake with greater strength. Ditanu’s blood trickled down her spine and Ishtar’s mark flare
d to life, absorbing it.
An unfathomable sensation spread outward from her spine as her body and Ishtar’s power reacted to the blood of a gryphon king. It began as numbness, slowly changing to a tingle and then morphing into a burning sensation. Before she could tense farther, the burning receded, replaced by a pleasant warmth that left her body feeling heavy.
He spread his hand flat against her stomach and shifted closer to better hold her in place. “I’m sorry. I know this part must make you feel vulnerable.”
Iltani twisted just enough to look back at him and grinned. “I have been away too long if you think you can make me feel vulnerable.”
An answering smile crossed his lips, breaking what could have become a very awkward moment. “Yes, there’s no denying you’ve been away too long.”
Her muscles all threatened to turn to putty and Iltani had to lock her elbows to keep upright as more of Ishtar’s power raced across her senses. When she, at last, allowed her eyes to drift closed, she sensed another presence. It probably should have come as a shock realizing Ishtar was manifesting in the room with them, seemed actually to be caressing them with her power, but Iltani was too far gone to worry.
Ditanu’s fingers kneaded her skin where they rested against her belly. The power rising in her blood made her aware how it felt with him blanketing her. Her breath came faster and magic danced along her skin. A wave built, rising within her, answering a goddess’s call and resonating with something of equal potency sleeping in Ditanu’s blood.
Needing to touch something, to hold on in some way, she wrapped one hand around his left forearm. At her touch, the muscles flexed under her fingers, but he made no other protest, so she changed her grip, sliding her fingers down his wrist and then covering his hand.
The wave of power that had been threatening, rose up, and then came crashing down upon her, their magic a bright swirl of color to her vision, engulfing their bodies and the room.
Ditanu sat back on his haunches, dragging Iltani with him, never breaking the contact between them. Behind her, a shiver wracked his body and both arms wrapped around her middle almost convulsively. He uttered words too slurred and guttural to understand.
“Ditanu?” The power slowly began to ebb, receding back to where it had come from.
“I’m sorry. Just give me a moment.” His head dropped to rest on her shoulder as he fought to catch his breath. “Our goddess has a wicked sense of humor.”
Thinking was hard with him still pressed close, his warmth sinking into her bones. “You felt her, too. I didn’t imagine it?”
“You most certainly didn’t. Although, you can stress the ‘felt’ part.” His voice still held a hoarse edge and mild disgruntlement. After another long moment, he pushed away from her and sat heavily on the bench behind. “This isn’t quite how I imagined this moment. It’s far rawer than I expected.”
Already missing his heat and warm sandalwood scent, Iltani sat up and flexed her stiff joints. Several more times, she and Ditanu would have to do this over the next six moon cycles.
Great Ishtar, Iltani questioned, is it wrong to look forward to the next ceremonies simply because it forces Ditanu and I closer together? Reaching around behind her, she touched her mark but felt no blood.
“It’s gone without a drop to show I ever spilled blood.” The fingers of Ditanu’s right hand brushed down her spine, a slow caress that measured every little bump along her spine and made her breath hitch. “Though it glows, and I can feel the power within you nearly twice as strong as it was before.”
She tugged up her robe and Ditanu helped her tie the ribbons.
“My king, are you truly all right? At the end, it seemed…painful for you.”
Pausing in his task, the ribbon spilling from his fingers, he glanced into her eyes. “You’re still within my chambers. It’s Ditanu, here. And no, that wasn’t it.”
Iltani tilted her head in question and wouldn’t be dissuaded from her hunt. “What did you mean?”
“Some of the ancient texts you studied must have eluded to Ishtar’s…appetites.”
Iltani’s eyebrows shot up nearly into her hairline. “Ishtar showed you her favor?”
So that’s what had him so disconcerted. Ditanu must feel he’d somehow been unfaithful to his mate. Iltani rolled her eyes at the ceiling. She should tell him something to soothe his worries.
“You in no way dishonored your mate by catching a goddess’s interest.” Iltani laughed at his expression. “She could have demanded far more than a stolen caress.”
A slight red hue shaded Ditanu’s cheeks.
“Hmmm, it was just a caress, wasn’t it?” Iltani might have been jealous of her goddess, but she wasn’t. In a tiny wicked part of her mind, it felt more like she and Ishtar were working together to seduce their king.
“Ha! There’s the Iltani I’ve always known.” He grinned back at her and then pushed off the bench and started toward the steaming pool. “I might tell you about it one day.”
For the first time all evening, Iltani allowed her eyes to devour Ditanu’s form. With his back to her and his attention on the pool, she deemed it safe enough.
Ishtar wasn’t the only female whose interest he’d managed to snare whether he wanted to or not. When he halted at the pool’s edge and began working loose his belt, Iltani decided it was better not to torture herself. She looked away. Her eyes landed on her own sword and harness. She retrieved them and belted the harness on simply to give her fingers something to do.
“You said you needed to speak with Burrukan and Ahassunu?”
“Yes,” he sighed. “With my earlier announcement about my cubs’ regent, there is sure to be an overabundance of hurt feelings and new ambition among the nobles. Don’t be surprised if they approach you wanting to forge alliances and discuss mutual benefits and the usual politics. The rumor that you are Burrukan’s chosen heir is sure to have already spread far. They know Burrukan has my ear, and you have his. Once they figure out you have unhindered access to me, they’ll grant you no peace either.” Ditanu paused, and while she couldn’t see his grin, the tone was there in his voice. “You’ll be wishing for your quiet life of training back on New Assur within a quarter moon cycle. If they become too persistent, just do as Burrukan does and find some stairs to stretch your legs on. He says the soft nobles soon leave him alone.”
Iltani found herself nodding at his words even though she wasn’t facing him and didn’t know if he was even looking in her direction. The soft rustle of clothing sliding to the floor told her he was still undressing. “I’ll follow Burrukan’s wise council.”
“Good.” There was a small splashing sound as he stepped down into the pool. “And, Iltani?”
“Yes, my king?” Her gaze instinctively slid back toward him.
He was half in the pool, the steaming water lapping at his hips. Continuing down the last two steps, he reached the bottom and waded over to the side of the pool where soap and cloths were laid out for him.
But the image of him half in the pool would likely return later to haunt her dreams.
“Watch yourself.” At his words, her eyes jerked from where his strong hands were working soap into a cloth to guiltily meet his gaze. She was sure her own face must be revealing her embarrassment again, but his expression was serious, a king’s blank mask. “Report anything you see that disturbs your peace, anything at all. Our enemies are still out there, and if unable to strike at me directly, they will gladly harm my loved ones.”
“Yes, my king.”
“You will be a target as much as any other member of my family.”
Her stomach did its silly little flip. He’d just called her one of his loved ones in a roundabout way. “I don’t see why they’d…”
He cut her off. “Just listen to your king for once.”
“Yes, my king.”
“Be safe, my Little Shadow.”
Dismissed, Iltani bowed to him and then turned and left the room all without letting her gaze fall u
pon him again.
He’d lumped her in with his family. Her foolish heart had thrilled at his words, but her mind knew they could never be lovers. Even if he’d wanted too—and she might be misreading the situation—he couldn’t. After the first mating, a male gryphon only grew aroused at the scent of his mate.
Once outside the bathing chamber, she drew a relieved breath and continued through the suite heading for the main hall. She wasn’t running away, she told herself, she was doing her king’s bidding.
It wasn’t cowardice at all.
Nope.
But his bewildering words caused such a chaotic mess of her emotions, she exited the king’s suite and turned down the hall heading in the wrong direction. Burrukan, Ahassunu, and the cubs were all in the opposite direction.
Curse it.
Worse, the guards in the hall all watched her as she passed. She probably did look an entertaining sight with her sword and harness strapped over her delicate nightdress and robe. She didn’t care if her garb gave them something to chuckle over later, she wasn’t going unarmed. Ever. She kept to her brisk walk and didn’t slow until she reached a set of large double doors which marked the southern entrance to the royal wing. There were guards spaced every twenty paces along the hall, and a half dozen stationed at each doorway. Out of the entire number, she counted only ten in their gryphon forms. And none at all among those other guards walking patrols along the intersecting corridors where visiting nobles were housed.
There were a suspicious number of nobles and servants still ‘going about their business’ this late at night. Iltani’s eyes narrowed.
“Report,” she barked out the order and was pleased to see the guards snap to attention.
A bulky Shadow bristling with weapons brought his fist to his heart in a show of respect before he stepped away from the alcove he’d been standing sentry within.
Ishtar's Blade Page 6
