Didn’t she?
He raised one eyebrow, and just as she thought he meant to rebuff her he began to laugh, and she couldn’t help but smile in response to the genuine warmth that lit up his face. She stared at him, marveling at the way his eyes seemed to flash from the deepest crimson to a dazzling shade of blue.
“Fair enough,” he said standing, and her breath caught at the magnificence of him as he rose to his full height. She could not deny that he was thrilling to look at, the energy of his presence so strong and powerful that everything else around him seemed to pale in color to the brilliance of his being.
“It was Vivienne, the keeper of my private temple, who put you to bed. She is quite old and, I must say, a bit forgetful at times, but she is my Mother’s sister and a faithful soul who has stood by my side since I was a child. There was no danger to your honor, I assure you, though you might expect a hearty lecture on the dangers of consuming wine when you’ve been warned.” He frowned slightly and she nodded in acceptance of his disapproval. It was true – Vardra and Dominic had both tried to warn her, but she had ignored them both.
“I cannot thank you enough for you hospitality, My Lord,” she said bowing her head.
“Thais, look at me.” She raised her eyes to meet his. “Make no mistake about it. It is my every intention to court you, to pursue you, and to claim you for my wife.” She opened her mouth to protest, but he stopped her with a look. “I know the customs of your people – your people themselves are known to me, even if I myself am not known to them. I know that if I ask it of you, then you must give me two weeks of your service. I know that if – at the end of those two weeks - you wish to leave, then I am honor bound to let you go.”
He came to sit beside her on the bed, and her entire body responded to the nearness of him in a way that was frightening and exhilarating. He reached up to push a lock if hair gently back away from her eyes, then ran his thumb slowly along the softness of her bottom lip. She was stunned by the heat of his touch and swallowed hard, feeling an uncommon fire begin to burn within the pit of her stomach.
“But should you choose to stay, then you should know that I will settle for no less than all of you.” He bent forward and slid his lips slowly along hers, an innocent kiss that did not invade or demand, but rather introduced her to the taste of seduction. She was a woman child in so many ways, and he knew full well that she had never been kissed hard and long. He had no wish to scare her, but he did want to give her something to think about.
“So, Thais Mousa, I come to you now and request your services as a muse for the span of two weeks.” She shivered and felt the refreshing chill of destiny tickle along her skin.
“I accept, your Lord,” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. There was a sudden loud rumble within the clouds outside, followed quickly by a brilliant flash of light, and then all was quiet once more. He held her eyes for what seemed an eternity without speaking, then slowly pulled away and stood to look down at her once more. Gone for a moment was the carefree expression he’d had moments earlier, replaced by the hungered look of a predator, and she shivered again.
“Vivienne will be around shortly with fresh clothes. When you’ve changed, I’ll be out on the portico, as will breakfast.” He started to leave then turned back to smile at her, and she felt a disconcerting mixture of both relief and disappointment when she saw that the hungry expression was now gone, replaced once more by the congenial host, though his eyes danced with mischief. “Don’t be long – we’ve a busy day ahead of us. My people are most anxious to meet the woman who threw up her dinner all over their Lord last night.”
“I did no such thing!” she retorted. “I, I – ohhh – you know! I at least showed the good grace to duck over a log and into the bushes.”
“Yes, that I do remember,” he said smiling, “a most interesting show.” He remembered how the curve of her bottom had bobbed and weaved before him and Dominic in a way that would had left him hungry, no matter what her current state had been. “Of course, you know that, and I know that, but them?” He shrugged, letting his unspoken words say it all.
Before she could respond he was gone and she grabbed one of the overstuffed pillows from the bed to hurl at the spot where he had stood, scowling in frustration. Great – what a brilliant way to start her service. By throwing up on a God.
And apparently it was the main topic along the island gossip trail.
Still scowling, she sank back into the bed and pulled the sheet over her head. For just a moment she hoped that she would wake up from this bizarre dream she had stumbled into, but then the soft hum of a woman’s voice began to carry down along the hallway on the other side of a large oak door, and she knew in an instant that it was Vivienne. With a sigh she sat back up and waited.
Two weeks, she thought as she chewed nervously at her bottom lip. The taste of him still lingered and she ran her fingers lightly along where he had kissed her. She could feel the tug of him at her soul and she responded with a tug of her own in an effort to push him away, irritated and irrational all in the same breath. Her brother had warned her of those Gods who sought only to rob a muse of her virtue and little more, but she did not think this was Aramis’ intent. No, she fully believed he meant to do just as he had said, and make her his wife.
But what if she refused? What if, at the end of two weeks, she wanted to go home? Would he really let her go?
Or worse, what if she found she never wanted to leave him again. Was she truly prepared to spend an eternity tied to him?
There was a knock at the door and her thoughts were disrupted as the elderly woman swept into the room, all swirling skirts of colorful silks and smelling like lilac in early spring.
“You must be Vivienne,” Thais said as the woman came around to help her out of bed. Oddly enough Thais felt no shame in her nudity, something which both stunned and empowered her. “That I am,” she said with a nod and a smile as she slipped a long silk robe over Thais’ shoulders. She was graceful and regal, with soft wisps of silver hair that she kept held away from her face with a simple gold band. “Now, come along, a hot bath has been drawn for you and breakfast will soon be ready. Aramis is most anxious to show you the beauty of his island, and of his people.” She wound her arm through Thais in a comforting sign of affection and Thais smiled as she began to walk with her towards the massive bathing chamber just off the master suite.
“Do you think they will like me?”
Vivienne stopped and turned to look at her, eyes as brilliantly blue as Aramis’, and Thais felt her probe sharp and intrusive as she suddenly seemed to peel away at all that Thais was, layer by maddening layer. Thais stood still and waited, unafraid of her scrutiny, but feeling the searing heat of her assessment all the same.
And then Vivienne smiled, and Thais found she could breathe again as the older woman bent to place a warm kiss upon her brow.
“It is as it should be, Thais Mousa. I’ve no doubt they will love you as they love their Lord. Now come, let’s not keep Aramis waiting. He can be quite impatient at times. I do hope marrying will settle that annoying twitch of his.”
Thais didn’t say a word. She was far from certain she’d be staying, after all.
At least, that’s what she was telling herself.
For now.
~ IV ~ Thais sat quietly beside Aramis where he was sprawled casually on a thick blanket in the sand, feeling his pain and inspiring his hope. In the distance, the evening skies filled with thick, billowing thunderheads, their underbellies swollen and bruise black as they moved slowly inland from sea. Ahead of the storm waves had begun to build and crest, collapsing in on themselves as they were forced into the tiny lagoon, and the sight and smell of it all soothed her soul. It was beyond beautiful here, a tropical paradise of temperate climate and beautiful spirit.
It had been a wondrous two weeks of laughter and tears that she had spent with him and his people, and the memories she now carried made her feel complete. She had seen preci
ous souls given a second chance at life, and had seen aged souls go eagerly towards the light that they might at last know the Creator’s final secrets. The Wheel of Time itself was in constant motion and evidence here, and life flowed and swelled all around with confidence and strength. The balance therein was peaceful, welcoming and, as she was finally able to admit to herself – home.
Home, she thought again, with a small tug at her heart.
She felt him stir beside her, keenly attuned to her every emotion. That would take some getting used to. But it would be a wonderful task to learn, and she knew in that moment that she wanted nothing more to stay by his side. She had known from the beginning that their destinies were so intricately woven together that she really wasn’t free to make any choice at all.
She turned her attention back to the setting sun, listening as the waves pressed along one another to lap at the beach. It wasn’t long before she heard them – a familial pod of whales that had surfaced to sing their songs. It was a haunting melody, moving and surreal, and the purity of it swelled within her. She stood quietly and made her way towards the water’s edge, her bare feet leaving tiny indentations in the sand to mark her path. Her hips swayed as she walked, and she was aware of the tightness in her chest and a growing heat in the pit of her stomach as the salty sea air kissed along her skin.
Feeling his eyes upon her, she closed her own eyes and lifted delicate arms over her head before raising her voice in song. The night around responded, growing hushed and quiet as the world held its breath before the whales joined in. Her voice called to them and to the very heart of creation, a smooth blending of sound that caressed around the soul to lend strength and the promise of redemption.
From where he remained seated on their blanket in the sand, Aramis watched her intently as he listened to her song, her voice rich with warmth and healing. She had become life, love and hope to him, all bundled together in a smallish package of womanhood that sang to his very being. He felt his mind grow easy and relaxed, and as he laid back, his eyes lazy and slanted, his body hummed with contentment.
She was so much more than a simple muse, he thought as he watched her connecting with his world. She was the light of creation embodied within the soul of a woman; a woman whose self seemed another half of his own, and he felt the familiar throb of need, wanting nothing more than to get tangled up inside of her. In the two weeks they had spent together, he had come to make her thoughts his own and his hers, so that they had become intimately connected. It had been as natural as breathing to them both, and the need to keep her close had been so demanding that he had not even allowed her to sleep away from him, insisting instead that she sleep in his bed while he spent those hours on the portico at a safe distance, simply enjoying the sound of her breathing.
He sighed and his mind reached out to brush against hers, needing to feel her, knowing that there would never again be light in a world without her in it.
In the distance thunder began to rumble, and the first droplets of rain began to fall from the sky fat and wet as they melted into the sand. She turned back to smile at him over her shoulder, and he felt his body tighten in response.
“A storm approaches,” she said quietly, her eyes locked with his.
“It does,” he answered thickly.
“I’m frightened,” she whispered, and he stood and went to her, wrapping her within his arms as he bent to place soft, soothing kisses against her brow.
“As am I,” he answered truthfully, pulling back slightly to look into her eyes. “I’ve never felt these things before that I feel with and for you,” he admitted, and his eyes began to dance along the inviting curve of her lips. “I know only that you are meant to complete me, and that without you, I will be lost to myself forever.”
“Nothing would make me happier than to stay here with you as your wife. I accept Aramis, if you’ll still have me,” she said softly as she smiled up at him. “I could as easily stop breathing as live without you.”
He smiled and then his lips found hers, sliding against them in a delicious caress that left her shaking and breathless as he pulled away.
“Then let us not waste time,” he said with a throaty growl as he pressed against her for the first time without restraint, and she sighed in anticipation of what lay ahead. “I will have Dominic make the arrangements, and we will have the bonding ceremony in 2 days time.” His hand slid possessively along the curve of her back and she shivered at the familiarity of it, only a little shocked to find she was as eager as he to feel the heat of their skin pressed close together.
“As you wish,” she said with a smile, and he threw back his head to laugh, a sound she was fast growing to love.
“Something tells me I’ll not be hearing that very often. Certainly you have more than proven you have a definite stubborn streak in you.”
Her lips curved into a coy smile, and he felt his shaft twitch in response, her simple act a hundred times more sensual because she had no idea the effect she had on him.
“If I were any less a challenge, you would grow bored with me and throw me back to the sea.”
His arms tightened around her.
“Make no mistake about it, Thais,” he said as he bent to nuzzle the curve of her neck. “I will never throw you back.”
The rain began to fall from the sky in merciless streams of water and they both began to laugh. The skies churned and the thunder rolled, but it was comforting and alive, and she slid her arms up around his neck as he pulled her back against him. Just one more kiss, she told herself, and then she would find Vardra.
Because if she stayed here any longer, she knew she would not go to her wedding bed with the innocence of her youth.
~ V ~
Elvanya wrapped the blanket tighter about her shoulders and eased deeper into the cushion of the large couch, watching from the comfort of her covered balcony as rain fell soft and quiet on her gardens. Thunder echoed low and smooth in the distance, and she closed her eyes as a cool breeze teased at her hair. She loved mornings most, those gray-dawn hours when her flowers began to open up to the caress of beginning. There was something oddly sensual in the way their velvet-soft petals stretched and reached for warmth and moisture, and as her happiness flourished so, too, did the rolling landscape of colorful blooms and lush green foliage that surrounded her home.
A young woman stirred at her knee and Elvanya patted her head affectionately until she relaxed, smiling as she pressed a kiss against the smoothness of Elvanya’s leg before going back to humming softly once more for her mistress.
“It is a beautiful morning Penelope,” Elvayna said gently.
“Mm, that it is,” Penelope purred in response. Her hand caressed the firm muscle that rippled beneath the softness of Elvanya’s skin, smooth fingers teasing up along her calf, and Elvanya smiled at the memory of their night together.
While no man was ever allowed here in the paradise He had created for her, she was allowed all the female companionship she desired. And Elvanya was happy and content with this. No mortal or even male God could ever compare to Him as a lover, and when not possessed by the fevered desire to submit to His needs that consumed her at His touch, she enjoyed being in a more dominant role. All who served here seemed happy as well, pleased in where the Creator had sent them in their life beyond life, with only occasional squabbles over whose turn it was to serve privately at Elvanya’s side for a time.
She moved to lightly caress the back of Penelope’s neck. For now, young Penelope was her favored consort, having come at a young age after dying in her birthing bed. Her soul had been broken and confused, and Elvanya had taken to her immediately. They began a journey of trust and friendship, and Elvanya had delighted in the after-life healing of the young woman’s heart. It wasn’t until much later that Elvanya had taken Penelope as a lover, and for some time now the two had been utterly inseparable outside of those times when the Creator called Elvanya to his arms.
“He has left you with life,” Penelope s
aid quietly. In the gardens, voices began to come together in song as they always did at sun’s first light.
“Yes,” Elvanya answered. She had felt the familiar flutter within her womb as well, and wondered if it would be flesh or world that would be born of their most recent coupling. She placed her hand instinctively over her stomach.
“You are frightened,” Penelope said, turning to look up with concern.
“Yes.”
This time Elvanya’s voice was little more than a whisper. A memory there, dark and painful, and she probed at it as one might a sore tooth, finding the discomfort of it still too difficult to tolerate and quickly retreating.
“I am little more than a vessel that brings about the truth of His visions. I never know if I will give birth to a new world or a new son. And like all mothers, I never know who will live and who will die.” Her vision turned inward for a moment, the perfection of her beauty glossed over by the shadow of a bitter frown.
“I never know who will love, or who will hate.” Her finger danced along the curve of Penelope’s ear absently as she spoke and the young consort purred again, soothed by Elvanya’s touch.
“You’ve taught me so much about love. How to both give and receive love. How to find peace both inside myself and the world around me. How could any child of yours not nourish the same, for you are the very definition of love?” Penelope smiled as she spoke, a look so completely simple and innocent in its devotion, and Elvanya’s heart swelled at the love she saw there.
“You were so haunted when you came to me,” she whispered, and she gently cupped Penelope’s face. “So misused by the world. And look at you now.” Her hand trailed low to caress the smoothness of her bare shoulder. “So beautiful, so strong. You’re soul is destined to be re-born, Penelope. I’ve no doubt the Creator has some great purpose yet for you.”
The Awakening Page 3
