Going Deep

by L. J. Vickery

  “Erra is accused of treachery against my realm and these Blue Hills inhabitants. I am about to invoke the death sentence upon him.”

  Ishtar’s violet gaze held Nergal’s. “Let him down slowly.” Sparks flew from her fingertips. Marduk wondered what a battle between the two would look like, but Nergal clearly had the good sense to realize that he shouldn’t fight with his wife’s sister. He looked totally pissed, but did as he was told.

  “You shouldn’t interfere.” he snapped.

  “You didn’t think to ask me to look for the truth?” Ishtar too was angry. But for Erra’s sake―or maybe Ereshkigal’s―she did a good job holding her ire. Marduk figured she wouldn’t fight with her brother-in-law, but that wouldn’t stop her from verbally sparring. “Your suppositions are preposterous.”

  Nergal answered through clenched teeth. “They are not. He is working for someone trying to procure our precious Underworld ore, and,” the king looked like he was ready to explode, “he tried to kill my guests in Hell.”

  “Erra.” Ishtar confronted the red-faced god, who had to be mortified to be caught in such a position by the woman he esteemed above all others. “Will you let me into your mind?”

  Erra covered his embarrassment with bravado. He smiled, with a feral kind of snarl, and spread his arms out to either side. “Ishtar knows best,” he acquiesced.

  Just as the day before, the sun took on a new brilliance, streaming in the windows. Ishtar’s violet gaze dazzled, and this time a link must have been established between the goddess of the dawn and Erra, because Marduk saw threads of gold light being drawn from his immobile head into hers.

  “Show off,” muttered Ereshkigal.

  Marduk and Enlil had witnessed Ishtar’s powers before, but it always made for a spectacular display.

  “Make sure you get it all.” Nergal, clearly unimpressed because―Marduk knew―he’d seen his sister-in-law in action before too, was taking no chances. One way or another Nergal would find out what was going on in his domain.

  The connection finally broke and the sky darkened. Ishtar took a moment to gather herself. “Well, Nergal, he isn’t lying. Erra heard your voice.” The goddess imparted the bewildering news to the Underworld king, while Marduk became alarmed.

  As the king began to splutter, she held up her hand. “But,” she would brook no interruption, “it was not you.”

  Now everyone looked stunned.

  “The voice giving orders had all of your tonal qualities, but the cadence and delivery was wrong. Someone has been mimicking you and giving orders to those around you, Erra included.”

  The war god looked devastated. “Should I have known…”

  Ishtar looked at Erra. “You had been put in charge of many different tasks. When orders came through, it was not your job, nor your forte to look for slight differences in the voice that gave you commands. I, on the other hand, pulled just the modulations from you, analyzed them against Nergal’s voice, and am certain of the anomalies.” She turned violet eyes to Nergal. “It looks like you owe Erra an apology.”

  Ereshkigal gasped. Marduk cringed. No one asked that of the king.

  Nergal cursed, then paced, spouting his thoughts aloud. “If I hadn’t been so preoccupied with the things…the conniving women in my Underworld, I never would have left Erra to his own devices.” He stopped his motion and turned to Ishtar. “I will proffer my remorse if you allow me one boon.”

  There was a collective sigh from the group.

  “Anything…sire.” Was Ishtar’s voice just a little sarcastic?

  “At your leisure, and after the festivities here are complete, I would have you visit Eresh and me in the Underworld and try matching that cadence you speak of to a face. I have called an emergency gathering of all the ruling Underworld gods next month, and I will reward you well if you can pinpoint the traitor.”

  “No reward necessary,” Ishtar inclined her head. “Except perhaps permission for your wife to visit me in the Overworld.”

  Nergal had never let his queen go heavenward. During their long estrangement, he’d often snarled that if Eresh went, she might get it in her head never to return.

  The king gazed at his wife for a long moment and then turned back to Ish-Din. “To begin with, you have my sincerest apologies for any wrongful acts I have wrought.” He then turned to Erra. “My loyal war god, I am profoundly sorry that I doubted you for a moment. I hope that you, too, will forgive me. As for my wife.” His eyes visibly softened as he looked at her then picked up her hand to stroke the back of her knuckles. “She may visit whenever she pleases.”

  Ereskigal held back, but Marduk could tell she wanted nothing more than to throw herself into Nergal’s arms.

  Instead of grabbing his wife, the king dropped her hand and gripped the war god’s forearm in a clasp of solidarity. “Go quickly and retrieve your ceremonial garb. You must dress for Dagon’s ceremony.”

  Erra bowed as deeply as possible, still managing to send an eye toward Ishtar that, interestingly enough, warned she hadn’t even begun to hear the last from him. Marduk laughed, and Erra disappeared.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Absu slipped through the door, the last to show for Dagon’s ceremony. He fell into step behind his brethren, bringing up the rear of the procession. All the gods looked resplendent in their gold armbands and torques, their jeweled loincloths and hennaed chests. Nergal had no need of the dyed embellishment. His chest was covered with an impressive and permanent display of ancient cryptic symbols.

  Dagon stood in their midst, the only god unadorned, wearing a wrap around his hips of plain white linen and walking barefoot toward the stone slab, which was only now being raised into place. He briefly let his eyes seek out the still form of Holly, who lay sedated on a table in the room, awaiting implantation of her half of his amulet, which was about to be excised from his body.

  Nervousness gripped him. Not for himself, but for Holly. What if something went wrong? What if her body rejected his essence? He sought the face of Doctor Dani-Lee, and seeing her assured countenance, a wave of relief swept through him. The doctor wouldn’t let anything happen to the woman he loved.

  Marduk nodded silently at Dagon, and the ocean god placed his back to the now upright slab, grabbing hold of the iron spikes on either side of his head. He found his voice before the chanting started.

  “It is my humblest wish that my cousin, Anshar, who I love like a brother, would act as my best man.” That meant that Anshar would wield the osmium knife that would open his shoulder and split his amulet—his life essence—in two. Marduk held the blade out to the blond god, who inclined his head in agreement.

  Anshar moved forward. Chanting rose and filled the room.

  Dagon watched the women carefully. It helped keep his mind off the life-altering event that was to come. Dani had seen the ceremony once before, but Tess and Lenore were new to it, as were Ereshkigal and Ishtar. The women looked on, fascinated as Enlil came forward and placed a large twist of leather between Dagon’s teeth.

  Anshar lowered the knife and etched a large H-shaped cut in Dagon’s skin―and he stopped being aware of his audience. Blood beaded up on his shoulder and an unseen god wiped it away with soft cotton as Anshar peeled back the top layer and cut through the muscle beneath. Dagon’s face betrayed nothing, but sweat covered his face in a fine sheen, giving testament to the pain that burned into him like fire. His serpent faded in and out across his visage.

  The women had been told earlier that Dagon would have no anesthesia because the amount needed to dull his pain would be absorbed into the amulet and become dangerous for Holly once put into her body. There was no way he would risk that.

  Dagon bit hard into the leather and turned his head to see his pulsating red amulet when it was finally revealed. He trembled, clenching from the pain. This time as the knife probed and forcefully sliced into the talisman he couldn’t help but emit a groan of pain around the fangs that popped into his mouth and extended over the bit.
His knuckles bleached white where they gripped the pegs, and it seemed like forever before Anshar had half the amulet in his hand.

  Dani hurried forward, already wearing neoprene gloves, and reverently took the now quiet item from Anshar, hurrying toward Holly. The stone holding Dagon was lowered so that he lay, waiting for a ghost half to replace what had just been taken, but his eyes remained glued to his mate.

  He would know within seconds if her body accepted or rejected his offering. If the amulet lit and filled with life-giving red blood, Dagon’s shoulder would generate a phantom half before closing up. If the amulet failed to respond, Dagon would be dead within minutes. He’d been told by Marduk not to let this fact out to any of the women. None of them knew—except Dani—what the gods risked, and the doctor had also been sworn to secrecy.

  With their hearts so newly in love, no future goddess would ever risk their man dying for them. But with the sure positive sign of an amulet lighting up for a Chosen, the only mistakes ever made came from sheer arrogance, so the chances were slim. Yet the gods still protected their women from the knowledge.

  Dagon was calm, certain that this transplant would be successful, and he was correct. The almost instant glow from Holly’s shoulder was unmistakable, and a cheer rose from the throats of those gathered. Dagon smiled through the pain. Holly’s presence filled him after millennium of being alone. It was an unfamiliar warmth and it flooded him with a joy so great, it brought the tears to his eyes he had refused to shed for pain.

  His wound closed up, and healed on its own within minutes. Dagon staggered to his feet and many hands helped him to the only place he wanted to be—next to Holly as she awoke.

  Her beautiful ice-blue eyes opened as he hovered above her. Dagon attempted to shove back the other gods crowding around. He didn’t want her to freak, getting a load of the invisibles for the first time.

  Holly sat up…too quickly as far as he was concerned.

  “Whoa! Easy.” Dagon encircled her waist and placed one hand on her tousled curls. “You’ll only be dizzy for a moment.”

  “How did you know I was dizzy?” Holly asked, probably thinking she hadn’t done an adequate job hiding the fact.

  Dagon’s mouth quirked up. “I neglected to tell you that what you feel, I now feel, and visa-versa, at least until after a breaking in period where we learn to control it.”

  Holly put both hands up on Dagon’s solid chest, and his torso and hers engulfed in shared warmth as they both glowed.

  “You did forget to mention that.” She ran her hands lightly across his pecs toward his lit amulet and then back across his nipples. She got a surprised look on her face.

  Dagon laughed out loud. The movement had tormented her own tender buds. “Twice the fun.” He nuzzled the top of her head as she smothered her own laugh.

  “Enough of that touchy-feely stuff,” Emesh pouted. Dagon knew that the homosexual god was petulantly aware that he would―most likely―never feel such a connection.

  Dagon moved Holly’s hands away, and lightened things up for the summer god. “Fine then. Let’s all feast and be merry.”

  Dagon had other plans…sexual plans…but no one needed to know that.

  The laughter and camaraderie made its way up the stairs at which point Dagon made a valiant attempt to spirit Holly away by taking an alternate turn. Nergal noticed.

  “Dagon!”

  Dammit. Dagon gave a frustrated look to his new bride. “Caught,” he whispered before turning to the king. “Yes, my lord?”

  The king wore his fiercest look. “Haven’t you forgotten something?”

  Dagon racked his brain, wondering what he’d done to wrong Nergal this time, but came up blank. “I don’t think so,” he sputtered.

  Nergal’s smile was slow to uncurl, as was the hand coming from his pocket. When Dagon saw the small flash of gold that dangled from his king’s fingers, understanding dawned.

  “My wedding gift to you.” Nergal tossed the item over to Dagon. “Without it, there could be no honeymoon.”

  Dagon laughed. “My thanks, your highness.” He closed his fingers around the small gold key, and turned heated eyes to Holly. Neither one of them could wait for this particular lock to be undone.

  “Are you sure you’re not hungry?” Dagon led Holly farther from the food and festivities unfolding on the outside terrace, until they entered the bedroom Tess had supplied for them. He was a little concerned that his Chosen might want food.

  “What do you think?” she said, saucily, looking into his eyes.

  He growled, and felt the shivers that ran up her whole body. “I sense a different kind of hunger.” He moved toward her, slowly walking her backward until the backs of her legs hit the bed and she collapsed.

  Holly laughed up at him. “What’s this? A bed? The serpent I love only does it on rocks and in lagoons.” She moved to encircle his hips with her feet, but brushed over his bulge in the loincloth that wrapped him before completing her maneuver. She cheekily reeled him in. “I’m told that my newfound goddess strength will protect me from such a horrible beast.” Her eyes smoldered. She employed some of that strength to pull him down. He would have landed on top of her, but at the last minute, he caught himself, bringing his hands to either side of her head.

  “Now why would you want to protect yourself,” he snarled, and revealed his elongating fangs. In one quick ripping motion, he tore the white ceremonial robe from the top half of her body. “Ah. Nothing underneath.” Her brown nipples poked up at him, begging for attention. Dagon grazed a sharpened fang over one swelling nub. She moaned audibly and lifted a shoulder so the other would get equal attention.

  “Brazzzen,” he hissed. Bringing his forked tongue down, he squeezed the sensitive tip between the halves. His claws, in the meantime, had extended, and not wanting to leave her other breast out, he teased her nipple with rough, yet playful nails.

  “Do you know how good that feels?” Holly moaned.

  “Yesss,” Dagon agreed, feeling his own nipples harden. “Yesss, I do.”

  “I remember something Lenore said about Anshar,” Holly teased.

  His serpent nose wrinkled up, but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t want anyone in the bedroom—even mentally—except him and his bride. While he was busy snarling, Holly reached around him. Her hands glided over his now-prominent dorsal fins, caressing in a way that mimicked a double hand job…and holy shit!

  Dagon moaned, crazed out of his mind. He roared and, without thinking, reached up and tore one of her hands away from his back. He thrust it into the waistband of his linen wrap. “Touch bothhh,” he pleaded, and she readily complied, stroking his fins and his cock in unison. Fucking hell. How long could he last like this?

  He pulled back, breathing hard and tugging off his loincloth, taking in Holly’s smug look. “Oh.” He hissed, “You like the idea of making me crazzzy. But I might come too sssoon.” Dagon moved up to his knees, straddling her body. “Need to be inssside you.”

  He impatiently shredded the rest of her robe, marveling at her nakedness, and drew one insistent claw down between her breasts, past her belly, into her trimmed pubic patch to land inside the little gold ring. Ah good. It was her turn to hiss.

  “Let’sss take care of thisss, ssshall we?” He had held onto the key after Nergal had given it to him, but now his large, serpent-like hands couldn’t wield it. His claws, so good at some things, were useless with the small key.

  Holly must have felt his frustration. “Here, let me try.” She took it from him, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t see what she was doing. “What the hell?”

  He could feel her impatience, and his grew, exponentially.

  “Do we have to call someone in to undo the lock?” She whimpered.

  Dagon hissed at the thought. They were both naked, and he wanted no one to witness either him or Holly in their aroused states. He had an idea, and strode to the bathroom.

  Holly lay on her back, waiting. What could Dagon, in serpe
nt form, possibly be doing in the restroom?

  “Yessss!” she heard him exclaim. He came back with a small shaving mirror with a built in stand. He scooted Holly farther back on the bed and gently spread her legs. Once the mirror’s support had been pulled out and propped at the right angle for Holly’s viewing pleasure, he plumped a pillow under her head.

  “Oh, magnifying.” she marveled.

  Everything about her cunt was front and center. With Dagon off to her side, she had a clear view, and watched, mesmerized, as his sharp claw stroked her wet pussy.

  “Remove thisss ring.” He tugged and she saw her flesh move. The tug gave rise to another gush of heat and moisture. Could she combust? This was unbelievably hot.

  After several tries, Holly finally managed to fit the key into the little heart-shaped lock, springing the two halves of the circlet apart. With great care, Dagon worked the ends out of her flesh. Her pussy lips parted when free of the restraint. Game on!

  Dagon must have thought so too, and never impeding her view in the mirror, he stroked her outer folds. Damn him, he was taking great care not to get his claw involved. Every pass had him flicking her clitoris, and she waited for his fingers to fill her channel. She watched as he got near, trembled with anticipation, and then groaned as he pulled back at the last minute.

  “I’m going to emasculate you, if you keep that up,” she warned. Couldn’t he tell how desperate she was for not just his fingers, but for his glorious, ridged cock?

  “Believe me,” he rasped. “I want nothing more than to sssee your faccce as I put my fingersss up inssside you. I want to plunge into your wetnesss, but it hasss to wait for another time.”

  Holly looked up to see him holding his hand in front of her face. Oh. She got it. He was too much serpent, and his claws, although good to tantalize, might also cause pain. But there was something else he could use, and she was so wet and ready. Apparently Dagon and his cock were on the same page.

  Her god raised up again and let her get a good look at his hardened, ridged penis. “If you want to ssstop, you’d better sssay ssso now. Becaussse once I’m at your hot entranccce, nothing short of two orgasssms will make me withdraw.”