Fallen Gods: Lotus Blooming

by Lorie O'Clare

  Her mother’s emotions grew stronger inside of her. She could smell the sweet smell that was unique to her mom, a mixture of soap and hair grease, along with a faint dab of perfume. It was as if she stood next to her mom, even though they weren’t together. Worry and fear clamored around her mom. Whatever her mother was doing, she wasn’t sure about it. There was hesitation too. A strong urgency rushed through her that her mother really needed help.

  Others stood around her mother. Thena sensed she was no longer driving, but at her destination. Images fogged in her mind, a room, someone’s home maybe.

  Opening her eyes, she stared at the candle, which had notably burnt to the left, the wax dripping down that side of the candle. To her left was the west. Her mother was on the west side of town.

  Thena smiled. “Thank you, compass candle, for showing me the way.”

  She blew out the candle, and focused on her next challenge.

  The only transportation she had was her feet. Well, it wouldn’t be the first time she’d walked from home into town. But as a child she’d viewed it as an adventure, always being able to take her mother’s “charged with fresh magic” walking stick. Now it simply sounded like an incredibly slow means to get somewhere.

  “What if I could just will myself to Mom?” she speculated, remembering how she’d come home from being in the field with Priapus.

  But had she really done that on her own? It made more sense to think Priapus had sent her home, allowing her to believe she was more magical than she actually was. Although why he would do that she had no clue.

  Well, if she was going anywhere, she needed to get ready to go. After a quick trip to the bathroom, smoothing down her hair with her scented hair grease, and dabbing just a bit of makeup on, she returned to the living room.

  She would have to walk, she just knew it, and then more than likely ask around once she got into town, but there was no harm in trying to will herself to her mother.

  “I want to go to my Mom,” she said with her eyes closed. And she wasn’t a bit surprised when she opened them and found herself standing in her living room still. “I knew it wouldn’t work.”

  “And that’s why it didn’t,” Priapus said from behind her, scaring the crap out of her.

  “Holy shit!” She turned around quickly, grabbing her heart.

  Priapus smiled at her, moving in and pulling her into his arms. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  More than likely he found it more than humorous. She looked up into those pale green eyes, dying to ask where he’d been. But she couldn’t take time for that conversation. Right now she had other things to focus her attention on.

  “Where are you going?” He ran his hands down her arm.

  Her nipples hardened against her shirt while he watched, and he ran his hands over them, the hard nubs puckering further to greet his touch.

  Thena sucked in a breath. Her breasts swelled, anxious for more attention, to be fondled and kissed. Damn it. She wanted him all over again and there wasn’t time for this.

  “I was headed out to join Mom.” She made light of it, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing she might need his help in finding her.

  Priapus looked over her head, staring in the direction of the town while doing a quick search of the people who were there.

  “She’s over at Maxine Poller’s house.” He frowned, immediately sensing the increase in the demon’s hostility.

  He’d gone to seek out Triton, learn more of the details about the man’s sudden appearance. The two of them hadn’t had much to say to each other, and he hadn’t been gone too long. But in the short absence, the demons had been sent into an uproar.

  “What have you been doing while I was gone?” He returned his attention to her, immediately captivated by her soft brown eyes.

  He ran his hands down her front, gripping her narrow waist. She’d been up to something and didn’t want to talk to him about it. He frowned, trying harder to read her thoughts but too distracted by how pretty she looked.

  She’d applied a bit of makeup, bringing out the soft curve of her cheekbones. Her full lips were moist and pursed like she would kiss him. Her long lashes fluttered over her eyes and she opened her mouth to answer him but then didn’t say anything. For a moment she just stared at him, looking more beautiful than she had in his mind’s image that he’d dwelt on ever since leaving her. He credited that to the glow of damn good sex.

  He couldn’t wait to fuck her again.

  “I told you. I’m getting ready to leave.” She pushed away from him, too quickly getting lost in her own desires the longer he held her pressed up against that virile body.

  If she didn’t get out of there soon, all of that hard muscle, the way he looked at her with his carnal gaze, would have her going limp in his arms, begging him to kiss her, to touch her the way he had earlier that day. And she wasn’t sure her body could endure another round with him just yet. She still tingled all over from their lovemaking. And standing so close to him simply reminded her how much she’d enjoyed it.

  “As you wish.” Priapus backed away, a bemused expression on his face. “Don’t let me stop you.”

  She stared at him oddly. After a second, she turned toward the door. At least now she knew where on the west side of Barren her mom was.

  She looked over her shoulder, and then glared at him when he hadn’t moved. “You can’t stay here alone in my mother’s house.”

  Now he was amused. He could enter and leave this home at will. “And my dear, where would you have me go?”

  He moved toward her, looking down with his brooding gaze on fire. Domination and an unsettling edge of lust made his face hard. She swallowed with some effort. No way would she back down to him, or give in to such ridiculous questions.

  “Don’t mock me,” she told him, opening the front door and then stepping to the side so that he could leave first. “You and I both know you’ll go wherever you damn well please.”

  “How true.” He pulled her into his arms, ignoring her gasping surprise, and kissed her protests away.

  Lifting them, he willed the door to shut behind him as he moved them through space toward town.

  Whether she realized at that moment what they were doing or not, she relaxed into him, deepening their kiss. Their tongues danced with enthusiasm, promising more passion and intense lovemaking. His groin hardened while he ran his hands down her back, cupping her rear end.

  Thena’s world spun around her. Priapus’ hands were all over her, caressing, stroking her into a heated frenzy. She was spinning, like everything was moving too fast and at the same time standing still. Rock-hard muscles pressed against her everywhere.

  For a moment she was sure her feet left the ground. But then she felt the hard surface underneath her again. If she began to float, holding on to Priapus must have kept her grounded.

  She broke off the kiss, needing air. She was getting so lightheaded she would pass out if she didn’t breathe soon. Never had she been kissed like that before. Her eyes fluttered open, her vision blurred for a moment.

  He looked down at her, his green eyes a deep passionate shade. But then she blinked, her senses slowly coming to her.

  “What the hell?” She looked around, and then backed away from Priapus quickly. “Where am I?”

  The first thing she noticed was her mother’s car. Looking around quickly, it took a minute before she recognized Maxine Poller’s home. She hadn’t been here in years.

  “I thought this is where you wanted to be.” Priapus crossed his arms over his chest, his roped muscles moving distractingly in his arms.

  Thena shook her head, amazed at his abilities and wanting to question him as to how the hell he managed it.

  “Yes. And thank you.” She turned toward the house, pausing when she realized there were several other cars parked in the driveway too.

  If she only knew what was going on inside, what she was walking into. She’d been so anxious
to get to her mother it hadn’t crossed her mind that she might be an unwanted visitor.

  Priapus came up behind her, gripping her shoulders with strong fingers. “Go on inside. Have faith in what you can do, and don’t let anyone intimidate you. I’ll be close by if you need me.”

  She looked up at him, surprised by his last comment. His face was so close, his expression serious yet relaxed. He knew what was going on in there, yet wasn’t enlightening her. And as much as she wanted to ask questions, she simply nodded once, and headed toward the house.

  Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the front door.

  She didn’t knock hard, just a tap with her knuckles. There was a large group inside, and they were busy doing something. She could sense it. Priapus’ strength wrapped around her, yet when she glanced over her shoulder, he was gone.

  The door opened and she turned her attention to Maxine, whose expression was a wave of excitement.

  “Why Thena! How wonderful that you are here.” The older woman’s grin broadened, and she opened the door further, gesturing for her to enter. “Your powers will make this work for sure,” she added under her breath.

  Thena didn’t question her but entered quietly, taking in the atmosphere in the room.

  Almost a dozen women stood in a circle, turning to acknowledge her. She quickly noticed her mother among them. In the middle of the circle, bound to a chair and gagged, a man sat, glaring at her.

  Chapter Twelve

  “What’s going on here?” Thena asked, taking in the familiar faces of women from town.

  Brooms lay at each woman’s feet, which formed a circle around the man tied to the chair. The women looked excited, anxious, determination etched on their faces.

  Their energy filled the living room area. Furniture had been pushed back, out of the way, chairs stacked on the couch, and curtains drawn making the room dim. An overhead light beamed down on them, and numerous candles were lit, scattered from the tops of shelves to end tables, and placed haphazardly on the dining room table. They were candles of all shapes and sizes and a variety of colors and scents, as if quantity mattered more than quality in drawing in the desired effect.

  “I knew you would come.” Maxine clapped her hands together and then pressed them to her bosom. She broke out of the circle, grinning broadly. “I just knew you would know to be here.”

  Thena blinked, unsure what to say, and gave her mother a side look. Margaret also seemed relieved to see her daughter. There was hesitation in her mother’s soft brown eyes though. The way the wrinkles increased around her mother’s mouth when Thena stepped into the room was enough indication that she was worried. Whether it was about Thena, or what was going on in the room, Thena couldn’t be sure.

  “My son.” Maxine grabbed Thena’s arm, dragging her forward into the midst of anxiety that the women had spawned. “He’s got the devil in him. And I know you can cure him. We all know what you did for little Nate.”

  Thena licked her lips while trepidation seeped through her, making her skin damp with sweat. The room wasn’t warm. In fact the simple living area almost seemed chilly, and Thena suddenly ached for fresh air.

  The women shifted, turning their attention to her. So many eyes needling through her with emotions plummeting out of each of them that it was like they attacked her even though they didn’t move. They were pinned to the spot where they stood, forming their circle, creating a force with bodies that kept the negative energy contained. Belief in the ritual had given them strength.

  Her mother had instilled that in them. Something she’d never accomplished back home in Kansas City. Or maybe she’d simply given up on the fight. But her mother had the respect of each woman in this room. She glanced again at Margaret, at her mom, at the woman who’d kept her father from her all these years. Whatever her reasons, she had to admit, her mother was a strong woman, a woman this community loved.

  Taking in a deep breath, she attempted a smile at Maxine. “All I can do is try. I can’t make you any promises.”

  She watched the man in the middle of the circle, his black eyes burning with fury and outrage. He struggled with his bonds, his long lanky body pulling against the chair, making it jump around the living room floor. Some of the women looked at him nervously, and then turned their attention back to her. Their expressions pleaded with her. It was obvious every one of them seemed to think that she could accomplish what they were trying to do. Just the sighs of relief, their bodies relaxing some as they looked her way.

  Margaret raised her hands, speaking quietly to the group. “We have to maintain the circle, ladies. His evil can’t leave what we’ve created. Believe, and we’ll be able to help him.”

  “I heard what you did for Audry Simpson’s boy.” One of the women in the circle spoke up.

  Several others muttered that they’d heard as well. The Barren grapevine hadn’t diminished in strength over the years.

  “Margaret, you let your daughter heal Randy. His own mother believes she can do it.” Another one of the women spoke up.

  Thena couldn’t remember everyone’s names but she recognized faces. The entire community of gossiping know-it-alls had shown up for this makeshift coven.

  “Why do you have him tied up?” Thena asked, taking a step toward the women, but looking past them at Randy who looked angrier than a mad dog.

  Her heart raced in her chest, her palms so damp that she rubbed them against her jeans while she fought to keep her nerves at bay. There was very little magic, other than their belief in her mother, and in her. The evil coming from the man bound in the chair all but consumed that faith. She sensed something similar to what she’d seen in Nate and Tommy Joe. She swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat. She didn’t fear evil, but she damn sure wished she understood it.

  “He was destroying my house, Thena. And that’s not my Randy. He’s a good boy, hardworking. Something bad is in him and you can get it out. Please take it out of my boy.” Maxine’s pleading tugged at Thena’s heart.

  She looked at the older woman, knowing Maxine believed she had some gift—a gift that Thena barely understood, and hadn’t noticed until earlier today. She wasn’t at all sure she could calm the evil inside Randy.

  Have faith in what you can do. Priapus’ words rang through her mind.

  The other women in the room murmured their consolations to Maxine, and at the same time encouraged Thena to step forward.

  “Show us your power,” several of them said. “Show us how you can destroy the devil.”

  Thena glanced over at her mother, who watched her intently. She’d walked out on her mother earlier today, but at the moment, she saw no hostility in her mother’s gaze. Her expression was full of concern. Thena was being put on the spot, powers she wasn’t sure about herself being demanded from her. Yet her mother had told her just several hours ago that she was the daughter of a god. And she knew what Priapus was capable of. If she had just half his powers, surely she could make the demon leave this man.

  “Randy? Do you want that evil pulled out of you?” she asked, moving between two of the women.

  The handle of one of the brooms brushed up against her foot. A wall of evil was confined behind those broomsticks. It was like a balloon of thick humidity, nasty and foul-smelling, that surrounded the man in the chair.

  Randy jerked against his ties, howling something incoherent, muffled by the bandana that was tied around his face, covering his mouth. She wondered how these women had managed to tie him down with the aggression he displayed at the moment.

  His arms and legs were bound to the chair with clothesline. The women shifted uneasily around the edge of their circle, watching her and Randy. She sensed their excitement, their fear, and their trust. Every one of them believed she could cure Randy of whatever afflicted him.

  No pressure there. Shit.

  More than anything she wanted her herbs, her spell book. She wanted to be able to analyze the situation, figure out the best approach in confronting evil. She wanted
to meditate, take the matter slowly, and study different spells until she was comfortable with the right one for this setting. But she hadn’t been given that opportunity with little Nate. Then she’d just reacted, without any premeditation.

  Thena took a step into the circle. The sensation to hold her breath, while pushing into the denseness of the evil overwhelmed her.

  “Don’t enter the circle, Thena,” her mother warned. “His evil is very strong and we’ve confined it within the magic of the circle.”

  “The demon can’t touch me, Mom. He isn’t strong enough.” Her words had Randy fighting furiously with the clothesline that held him to his chair.

  She wasn’t at all sure that was the case. But the calmness of her tone seemed to relax the energy in the women around her, making them stronger. Building their confidence in her enabled them to build a stronger wall against the evil. They didn’t realize it, well, maybe her mother did, but they would aid her in fighting this monster that lurked inside Randy.

  The women around her murmured under their breath, voicing their belief that she would be able to destroy the demon. They knew what she had done with little Nate.

  She sucked in a breath, needing their strength to build her own. This had worked once before, and all she could do was pray it would work again.

  Priapus had told her he would be there if she needed him. More than belief that she could wipe out this demon, she believed in Priapus.

  “You aren’t that strong, are you?” She stared deep into Randy’s black eyes. His face contorted while he chewed at the cloth stuffed in his mouth.

  She noticed blood mix with sweat where the clothesline rubbed against his wrists. There wasn’t much time. The creature inside Randy would hurt him before she could save him if she weren’t careful.

  “In fact, you can’t overtake a bunch of old women.” Her words had Randy jumping off the ground, pulling the chair off of its legs until it toppled, with man still bound to it, onto its side on the floor. “Randy is sick of you being inside him,” she continued, ignoring the cries of the women around her.