by Unknown
“Don't say that,” Re's hand covered mine on the stone railing. “Life is always a blessing, even if we're not allowed to be a part of it. You loved him and you brought him back. That's miraculous, Vervain. Don't belittle it with bitterness. Give him this life fully, to make of it whatever he will. That's true love, isn't it? Limitless and without conditions.”
“And it's easier said than done,” I smiled through the heartache his words brought back.
He was right. Odin's soul was his own, his life was his own. I shouldn't lament him living it just because he'd chosen to do so with someone else. How bitchy was that?
“It's devastating to lose a spouse,” Re nodded. “Whether it's to death or desire. I didn't think I could go on either when my wife died but I had to, for our children. Lusaset gave her life to save our daughters during the fall of Atlantis. I could hardly dishonor her sacrifice by giving up. I had to take care of them, see them safe.”
“You really do understand,” I whispered.
Re had gone through something very similar to what I had. His wife gave her life for their children and Odin had given his life for me. Then both Re and I had to push past our grief to take care of the other people we loved.
“I do,” he swallowed hard and looked out, across the wind-bowed stalks of grass. “I built this place for them and for Lusaset's memory. Then I became the kind of man women want but never love. I think I did that for her as well, kept my heart separate from my body.”
“That can't be true,” I denied. “Yes, you're amazingly beautiful but that should only encourage women to love you.”
“Women don't love men as beautiful as me,” he shrugged. “I'm the kind of man you fantasize about and perhaps have an affair with, but I'm not the man you want to father your children or share your life with.”
“I guess it might be too much for some women,” I mused. “When your lover is so much more attractive than you are, you begin to worry that they'll look elsewhere.”
“Precisely,” he nodded. “No one can live under that kind of stress. It turns rational women into paranoid stalkers and love into bitterness.”
“But that's something I had to deal with early on,” I shrugged. “A human among gods; I never could come close to matching their beauty. Even after I got Aphrodite's magic and got a little help in the looks department. I had to accept that what I had inside me was more important to them. That this face didn't matter so much as my magic and my heart.”
“You shouldn't discount your physical appeal so easily,” he gave me a sexy grin. “There are different types of beauty and different types of people to appreciate them. I appreciate yours very much.”
“Thank you,” my cheeks warmed as I looked away self-consciously.
“Are you blushing?” Re leaned his face into my view. “Did I make the Godhunter blush?”
“You know you did,” I nudged him away with my shoulder. “And it's not exactly a huge surprise.”
“All a part of my persona,” he waved a hand over himself and then sobered, looking back to me. “Which you saw right through.”
“Anyone could if they'd only look a little deeper,” I said as I did just that. “You have little lines of blue in your eyes,” I breathed out the words.
“Blue which no one sees,” he blinked slowly. “Because no one has looked at me like you do.”
“Surely your wife did,” I swallowed hard and tried to look away but I couldn't. The gold of his eyes was like the shine off a hypnotist's watch.
“Yes but I didn't look like this then,” he glanced down, breaking the spell.
“Oh wait... so you're an original,” I whispered. “Right, you said Lusaset died during the fall of Atlantis.”
“Yes, of course,” he looked back at me immediately. “You do know that I founded this pantheon, don't you?”
“No,” I blinked in surprise. “I thought perhaps Isis and Osiris did. I know they fled Atlantis with Odin and Thor.”
“Isis and Osiris?” He laughed. “Vervain, Isis is my Great Granddaughter.”
“What?!” I felt my eyes go round. “No way.”
“Yes,” he laughed at me. “She's a twin too, sister to Nephthys.”
“She's Nephthys' sister?” I pulled back in dawning horror. “But that would mean that both Horus and Anubis are your...”
“Great Great Grandsons,” he nodded. “I was lucky enough to have quite a lot of my family survive Atlantis.”
“God damned long lived gods!” I snarled. “You do know that I've been with Anubis, right?”
“You do recall how we met, right?” He countered and gave me an exasperated look.
“I've slept with your great great grandson!” I whimpered. “That's gross. I'm already guilty of sleeping with a father and his son, I don't know if I want to do great great grandpa and grandson. Oh gods, I think I feel a little sick.”
“Two greats in there, Vervain,” Re shook his head. “That's a bit far down the family tree.”
“But still!” I accused. “It's the same tree.”
“Yes,” he laughed. “Is that going to be a problem?”
“No,” I calmed down. “I guess not. It's not like I was even with Anubis by choice. You just surprised me.”
“Is it Anubis?” He asked shrewdly. “Do you have feelings for him?”
“No, it's not that,” I ran a hand through my hair nervously. “A relationship between me and Anubis would be impossible, even if he hadn't just got married. My husbands would never accept him because of what he did and I just don't love him like that. I care about him as a friend but not as a lover. Honestly, it's hard to love someone who once raped you, no matter how much he now regrets it.”
“I understand,” Re said gently. “So it really is just the lineage that upsets you,” he thought it over. “Most of your men are quite a bit older than you, aren't they? I'd think you'd be used to this sort of thing by now.”
“This sort of thing?” I gaped at him. “Age is not an excuse for a lack of morality.”
“It's not immoral and you know it,” he chided. “Actually, the Egyptians used to marry their siblings.”
“Ugh, they're worse than the British Monarchy,” I made a disgusted face.
“Well, in their defense, they thought they were imitating their gods,” Re shrugged. “They believe that Isis and Osiris were twins; lovers in the womb.”
“That's really disturbing,” I muttered. “As a mother, the idea of my twin babies having sex inside me is enough to send me screaming into a padded room.”
“Well, it's impossible of course,” Re shrugged. “Nature does have reasons for everything she does, and there's no reason to give a fetus a sex drive. Besides the fact that sexual organs wouldn't be developed enough to function within the womb.”
“Okay, let's stop talking about this please,” I swallowed back the bile rising in my throat. “Impossible or not, the thought is disgusting.”
“Sexuality is ever altering among mortals,” he went on smoothly. “It was only with the birth of science and its genetic proof that siblings should not procreate that such things fell out of practice.”
“Oh great,” I rolled my eyes. “We're still on incest.”
“I'm not talking about fetal sex anymore,” he smirked.
“Okay, please just stop,” I held up a hand. “I get it; you're older and wiser and more philosophical than I am. Kudos, bravo, accolades, and all of that. Just stop.”
“Yes, I'm quite a bit older than you,” he chuckled. “And now you know how long it's been since I've loved a woman.”
“That's why I saw the loneliness,” I suddenly sobered.
“I'm surrounded by love,” he sighed. “I have a huge family who supports me, followers who worship me everyday, and women who quite literally fall at my feet.”
“You could have left that last part out,” I grumbled.
“But I don't have the love I truly desire,” he went on, sliding his hand over my cheek. “And for the first time since
Lusaset died, I have hope that I may have found it.”
“Well you sure don't hold back, do you?” I leaned into him, surrendering to the need to kiss him, and his warmth slid around me, making me forget just how ancient this god was. And who he was related to.
“Will you meet my daughters?” He asked after we slowly leaned away from each other.
“Of course,” I said immediately.
“I believe you've met them before... and the rest of my family,” Re grimaced. “But it was at the Ball Anubis held when you were his prisoner.”
“So I probably don't remember them,” I nodded. “Let's just never speak of what happened between me and Anubis. Like never ever again.”
“Agreed,” Re nodded as he led me back into the palace.
We went down to the first floor and into a dining room that was almost as large as the dining hall of Pride Palace. It was bright and airy, with tall windows open to let in a cool breeze. Gauzy curtains flowed in that breeze, basking in the scent of lotus, jasmine, and rose, like a woman in her bath. There was a wood table running down the length of the room, its numerous legs carved with ram heads and gilded gold. The chairs around the table were wide and throne-like, with low backs topped by gold lotuses on each end. There were two women already seated in a couple of those chairs, down at the far end of the room. A host of servants stood near them, waiting with pitchers of wine and serving utensils. A few of them came forward when they saw us and removed golden domes from the platters of food on the table.
“Here are my lovely girls,” Re smiled wide and held out his arms.
The women got up and rushed forward to hug him, one to either side. They stared at me over his shoulders. The one on the left was a golden goddess, similar in coloring to her father, except her hair was golden blonde and her skin wasn't pale because of a gold shimmer over it, it simply was that color. Her eyes were rich brown and full of fierce scrutiny. On Re's other side was her sister, who didn't look like her twin at all. This one had ebony hair and skin as tan as Re's was beneath his shine of gold. She had his gold eyes but they boasted slit pupils, like a cat's, and they were regarding me with innocent interest.
Re pulled out of their hug and turned to me. “This is Sekhmet,” he introduced the golden one. “And this is Bastet,” his hand waved at the dark one. “Girls, this is Vervain. I know you've met her before but you'll have to forgive her for not remembering.”
“It was a horrible moment for you,” Bastet said gently and came forward to shake my hand. Her hand was tipped with claws and I saw the point of fangs behind her lips as she spoke. “I wish I could have done something to help you.”
“But you handled it well,” Sekhmet nodded approvingly as she came forward to shake my hand too. She shared her sister's traits of claws and fangs. “I was impressed with your grace under such circumstances... and you handled Anubis like a pro. Well done.”
“Thank you,” I nodded back, not sure if that whole pro thing was really a compliment. “It's nice to meet the both of you.”
“We're delighted that Father has finally shown an interest in someone for more than just a dalliance,” Bastet said plainly.
“But perhaps not so delighted about your situation,” Sekhmet added. “Jealous maybe,” she smiled wickedly, “but not delighted for my father. I think he deserves his own woman.”
“Understandable,” I chuckled. “And nothing is set as yet. This is just about us getting better acquainted.”
“As acquainted as you got with Anubis?” Sekhmet lifted a brow.
“Sekh!” Re snapped.
“Oh come on, Dad,” she rolled her eyes. “We all know she didn't want to sleep with Anubis. I was only teasing. You told me yourself that she used his attraction against him.”
“Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to tease a woman about being raped,” Bastet said chidingly to her sister. “Or to blab about what Father told us in confidence.”
“Perhaps not,” Sekhmet sighed. “I'm sorry, Vervain. Sorry, Dad.”
“It's alright,” I said. “Just please don't bring that up again.”
“Never again,” Re added with a wink at me.
“I promise,” Sekhmet drew an X across her chest with one, long, crimson painted talon.
“Thank you,” Re sighed and gestured to the table. “Shall we eat before Sekhmet says something else insulting to the Godhunter?”
“Definitely!” Sekhmet laughed and plopped into a chair.
Chapter Fifteen
“Well that was a grueling first date,” I glanced at Re as he escorted me upstairs, away from the dining hall and his interrogating daughters.
“That was just dinner,” he laughed and pulled me in tighter to his side. “You wanted me to be aware of what I was getting into and I wanted to give you the same courtesy. Most of my family doesn't have the time to visit with me but my girls come by often. If you become a part of my life, you'll be a part of theirs as well.”
“I get it,” I nodded. “I just wasn't prepared for a family dinner so soon.”
“I know this is fast but you don't have the time for me to get to know you slowly,” he opened a tall door and led me into an spacious bedroom. “We need to figure out if we are compatible as soon as possible.”
I stopped short in the doorway and stared. Compatible. Right. So this was what he meant by that whole private things comment.
The first thing that caught my eye was the round bed which dominated the far end of the room. Beneath it was a gold sun embedded into the white stone floor, with spokes radiating out from it sharply in all directions. Around it, silk curtains draped down in luxuriant swaths from gold hooks in the ceiling. And covering it were snowy silk sheets, a gold velvet comforter, and enough pillows to stock a harem. The mattress itself looked big enough to sleep eight and was set far enough away from the wall to make determining head from foot nearly impossible. I was used to big beds but this was ridiculous for just one man. Unless he was used to entertaining multiple lovers.
I swallowed hard, my pulse starting to race. You'd think I'd be okay with the idea of sex with multiple partners but I rarely slept with more than two of my husbands at a time. There were exceptions to that but they were saved for special occasions, like Valentine's Day, when no one wanted to be left out. At heart, I was an old fashioned girl, believing that sex should be between two people who loved each other. I didn't want to think about Re romping around in his round bed with a bunch of wild women. It made me nervous.
But not as much as the rest of the room.
To the left of the bed was a slightly raised, semi-circular area filled with... well, I'm not sure what to call it all. In the very center there was what appeared to be a gold throne. If it had been anywhere else in the palace, I might have disregarded the throne but the bedroom seemed an odd place to hold court and Re wasn't exactly a king. He did have a narcissist vibe going though, so I wouldn't be too surprised if he were into being worshiped in the bedroom as well as in the rest of his territory.
But the throne wasn't the strangest piece of furniture. Off to the right, a gold swing hung from chains set into the ceiling. It was strangely shaped; circles of gold holding a curving seat between them. The seat was scooped forward, with a low back and ledges set against the sides; too low to be armrests and too high to be footrests. I wandered over to it and touched the cool metal, giving it a little push. An image of how I'd be positioned if I sat into, came into my head, making me blush and turn away.
I headed behind the throne and over to the other end of the terrace, where gold ribbons hung from loops in the ceiling. They fluttered in the light breeze drifting in through an archway on my right, which opened onto the balcony. I brushed my hand through the wide lengths of swirling, wondering what they were used for. At least they had subtlety on their side. The rest of the items on display were much more obvious. Like the gold stripper pole set in an open area behind the throne.
I gave the pole only a cursory glance, although its purpose was obvious, it
wasn't as shocking as the items before me. A golden oak wall unit had shelves on top and drawers beneath, with a wide ledge dividing the two. There were some books on the shelves, most of the titles including the word sex, but mainly, there were items on display. Beautiful cut-glass bottles made their multicolored liquid contents seem exotic. They seemed safe enough but set right before them was a gold tray holding an assortment of objects, most of them phallic. I know you're thinking; that I should just call a spade a spade, or in this case; a dildo a dildo, but I don't think that's what all of them were. There were quite a few whose shape had me confused.
Another shelf had a display of vibrators, some with their own stands, like they were pieces of art. In fact, each shelf had its own little light to illuminate the objects. Jewels glittered in that light, set into little gold clamps that were held together with a thin chain. Next to those were gold mannequin heads wearing masks of silk and leather. They stared at me with their shiny eyes.
I felt Re come up behind me as I pulled a drawer open. Inside was an assortment of clothing that didn't look appropriate to wear in public. Most of them were missing a crotch. I cleared my throat as I picked up a piece of fur and discovered that it was a glove. What would you... oh, right, not everyone had shifter lovers available to them. Yeah, I could understand the fur thing.
Then I opened another drawer and found a collection of instruments and gadgets that had my eyes widening. I picked up a stainless steel contraption and frowned over the leather straps connecting it. It looked like some sort of brace, with silicone coating two sides.
“It's uh,” Re smiled nervously. “That helps with fellatio.”
“It does?” I turned it around in my hands, still not able to figure it out.
“You put it over your head,” Re gestured to the leather straps, “and the steel bars hold your mouth open. The silicone guards the teeth so your partner can be more, um... aggressive with you.”
“Ah,” I laid it back in its place, shutting the drawer and then leaning against it.
