by Unknown
“Okay, okay,” she held up her hands. “In your own time. But I still would like to know where you buy your cosmetics.”
“It is not cosmetics!” He exclaimed. “This is my skin!”
“I'm so sorry. He's had a rough day,” I grabbed Re and our cart and pushed them both away as the poor woman stared after us in confusion. “What's wrong with you?” I hissed at him. “You can't tell a human that your skin is naturally dusted with gold. They'll either think you're joking or that you're insane.”
“Normally, they just think I'm beautiful,” he mumbled.
“Oh, she thought you were pretty alright,” I chuckled.
“Can we never speak of this again?” He sighed.
“Oh, no, we're speaking of this,” I shook my head. “Every time you start getting all I am the Sun God, Re, I'm gonna be like; remember that time when the lesbian asked where you buy your cosmetics?”
“Lala, please,” he beseeched me. “Have some mercy.”
“Nope,” I grinned smugly. “Just call me Lala the Merciless from now on.”
“Oh, why do I love you?” He rolled his eyes.
“Because I am Lala the Merciless!” I declared dramatically.
“Truer words have never been spoken,” he muttered.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“This is quite lovely,” Re said as he explored my house. “Small but lovely.”
“Well, we can't all start out with palaces,” I rolled my eyes.
“Of course not,” he said magnanimously and I rolled my eyes again.
“The bed has definite possibilities,” he slid a hand over the carved walls of my Chinese wedding bed.
“You have no idea,” I smiled, thinking of all the good times I'd had in it with my husbands. Then I looked up and saw his face. I lost the smile immediately, “Sorry.”
“It's alright,” he sighed and moved away from the bed.
“No, I really am,” I went over and took his hand to lead him out of the bedroom. “You've been trying hard to make this work and I need to at least be considerate of your feelings.”
“That would be nice,” he agreed.
“Come on, I'll show you my art room,” I took him into the room I used as my art studio.
It had been awhile since I'd had a chance to paint and there was a fine layer of dust on some of my supplies. I looked over the canvases leaning in groups against the walls and the careless spread of paint tubes over my work table, and sighed. I picked up a brush and stroked the bristles lovingly. I used to treasure my paintbrushes more than my jewelry. But that was before gods started giving me gifts.
“You miss it,” he made it a statement.
“Yeah, I don't have a lot of free time to paint anymore,” I sighed. “My art dealer calls every once in awhile, checking if by some miracle I have a new piece of art to sell,” I shook my head. “But I never do.”
“The curse of multiple lovers,” Re observed.
“The curse of being the Godhunter,” I corrected. “Even without my husbands, my time would be taken up with god hunting. I used to try and make an effort to paint but now that I don't need the money, it's been pushed to the side as an extravagance. I hardly even get to see my human friends anymore.”
“Life is about extravagance,” he slid his hands around my waist. “Without it, living becomes mediocre, too bland to even swallow. You must fill as many moments as you can with flavor so that the spice holds you over till your next bite.”
“You're making me hungry,” I teased.
“I'm serious, Lala,” he chided.
“I have a lot of extravagance in my life,” I assured him. “More than any woman has a right to. Don't worry about me getting bored or not being able to swallow,” I gave him a naughty look and he chuckled.
“Well, let's see how much more you can take.” He went over to the CD player on the dresser near the door and pushed play. Banks started singing about love being a waiting game and Re started to undress.
“What are you doing?” I blinked at him.
“I'm getting naked,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Okay,” I went with it. “Should I get naked too?”
“If that's how you like to paint,” he smiled lasciviously.
“You want me to paint you?” I gaped at him.
“You don't want to paint me?” He lifted a brow.
“Oh sure, let's feed your ego some more,” I huffed.
“My ego is rather hungry right now,” he teased. “But I actually thought it might be a little sexy, having you paint me nude. I've never posed naked before.”
“Never?” I lifted a brow.
“Why do you sound so surprised?”
“Really?” I gave him a bland look. “You're asking why?”
“I've had offers of course,” he shrugged as he slipped out of his pants and I pushed down the lusty tingles that started filling my limbs.
“Of course,” I looked away and cleared my throat.
When I looked back, he was stretched out on the single bed Kirill used to sleep on. It made me frown a little and recall a flash of Kirill in a similar pose, his black hair surrounding him like a blanket. I swallowed hard and pushed the thought away. It wasn't fair to Re to be thinking about Kirill when I was with him. But I wasn't sure if it was fair to Kirill to have Re posing on his bed either. The thing was; Re looked really good there.
He was on his side, casually leaning on one arm with his legs angled artistically but not in any way concealing anything. It was all on full display; the glorious skin which turned his hairless chest into a golden sculpture, the elegant hands clenched in the sheets as if in passion, the curve of thick biceps, the sprinkling of blonde hair on his forearms, the thick muscles in his thighs framing... well, I think that's enough to give you an idea of what I was dealing with.
I felt a shiver course over my skin as I picked up a canvas and set it on my easel. Re smiled sensuously as I chose a palette of cream, gold, and espresso, spiced with deep crimson and tempered with lavender. I laid brush to paint and was suddenly lost to my art. Re became a chorus of lines and curves, of tones and hues. Music filled my head as a dormant part of me took over my hands and captured Re on my canvas.
I worked like a demon and hours later, I finally set my brush down and sighed. Re, who had been remarkably patient the entire time, stretched and got up. He strode over to me with a slick smile and reached out a hand to wipe my cheek. His hand came away streaked with burnt umber.
“You have never been more beautiful,” he whispered as he touched my hair and perused my paint-streaked dress.
I self-consciously touched the knot I'd made my long hair into. I always pulled my hair back when I painted. Strands were coming loose and I must have looked horribly messy, something I would never have thought Re could find appealing. But he obviously did, his reaction was right there for me to see.
Then his hands were at the hem of my dress and his mouth was pressed to mine as he lifted my dress up. He pulled away briefly to yank it over my head and then returned to kissing me; wild and messy kissing, with teeth and grasping fingers. My underwear was gone in seconds and then we were on the floor, writhing in our discarded clothing as his unfinished but beautiful portrait watched us with a knowing grin.
Chapter Thirty
Hours later, we finally left the art room so I could cook us dinner. We ate in our underwear, laughing like teenagers as we devoured the food and chugged down two bottles of wine. We didn't even bother with the dining table but instead sprawled out on the floor and ate at the low Moroccan table in my living room. It was hedonistic and so very wonderful but before we made it to dessert, a shock wave hit the house, rattling the plate glass window in my living room.
“What in the world?” I stood up and started to head to the front door but Re rushed in front of me and held his hand out as he stared towards the direction the boom had come from.
“Get dressed, Lala,” he said reasonably as he padded toward the door in just his box
ers.
I ran to the art room and yanked on my dress, then snatched up his pants and brought them out to him. He was at the window, pulling the black-out curtains aside to peer into the yard.
“Here,” I handed him his pants. “What is it?”
“A woman,” he said as he slid the pants on. “She's just standing there, staring at the house expectantly.”
“Then I guess we should go and see what she wants,” I huffed.
“Let me go first,” he said gently.
“I can take care of myself,” I said just as gently. “You must know that by now.”
“It's not about the can,” he kissed my cheek, opened the front door, and stepped outside to face the unknown threat first.
“It's not about the can,” I mimicked but inside my chest there was a little flutter of happiness. All of my men were protective but Re had made it into a romantic gesture. I followed him out with a little secret smile.
“Godhunter?” The woman was tall, with long black hair trailing in a straight but thick line to her waist. Her eyes were bright green, vivid against her dark skin. She was muscular and confident in her stance, dressed casually in jeans and a blue tank top.
“And you are?” I stepped up beside Re.
“I am the Death Goddess, Disani,” she declared.
“You see?” I turned to Re. “Doesn't that sound annoying?”
“Yes, I understand now,” Re grimaced. “Do I really sound that pompous?”
“Oh yes,” I assured him and he grimaced deeper.
“I am here to finish our fight, Godhunter,” Disani went on.
“Will the fight have natural fruit flavors infused in it?” I asked her, barely restraining my giggle.
“I... what?” She frowned.
“I assume you have some kind of water power with a name like that,” I explained. “Are you sparkling or flat?”
“Is she insane?” Disani looked to Re.
“She is making light of your name,” Re clarified. “It sounds like a manufacturer of bottled water; Dasani.”
“That's...” she blinked. “What is wrong with you?”
“Definitely flat,” I said to Re with distaste.
“I am hardly flat,” she waved her hands violently at her muscular body.
“Where are your gays?” I went on relentlessly.
“What are you talking about now?” She huffed.
“Your rainbow sidekicks,” I smiled big. “Gish and Qaus; your gays.”
“Gays?” She gaped at me. “Neither of them are gay.”
“Then what's with the sash?” I waved my hand across my chest to mimic Gish's sling.
“Are you referring to the Rainbow Sling of Gish?” She asked disdainfully. “It's not a sash, it's an energy source.”
“Oh really?” I lifted my brows. “Thanks for the tip.”
“You mongrel slu-”
“What about Qaus? He's the God of Rainbows. I mean, how obvious can you get? He's got to be gay.” I cut her off. That slut insult was old and boring. I wish my enemies would come up with new material.
“What do rainbows have to do with sexual orientation?” She fumed, on the verge of losing her damn mind.
I have that affect on people. It's part of my charm.
“The rainbow is a symbol of gay pride,” Re explained calmly, though his lips were twitching. It was kinda nice not to have to explain my own jokes.
“You two are out of your minds,” she huffed. “Killing you will be a mercy.”
“Yeah, about that,” I looked around my neighborhood. The rumble had drawn people to their windows and now we had several witnesses. “We can't fight here,” I waved toward the watching eyes. “If you don't mind, let's take this into the backyard.”
“Sure,” she huffed in exasperation. “Why would I mind? It doesn't matter to me where you I kill you.”
So the Death Goddess, Disani, the Sun God, Re, and I walked single file through my narrow side yard into the enclosed backyard to battle to the death.
“Stay away from the koi pond,” I warned her with a firm finger pointed in her direction.
“Stay away from... oh, enough of this,” she held her hands out and they began to fill with a dark mist.
“Hmmm,” I pondered her. “Death, huh? I probably don't want to get hit with that.”
“Don't worry, the first strike will render you unconscious. Your death will be painless and quiet” she smirked and lifted her hands. “Utterly unremarkable, just as you deserve.”
“Yours will not be,” Re growled as he stepped before me. “You will die writhing in anguish and screaming for mercy. No one threatens those I love.”
His face was set in harsh lines, his shoulders contracted into a menacing mass, and his palms were filling with enough light to illuminate the entire yard. I'd never seen him so furious, sparks were actually exploding off his bare chest like solar flares as he bared his teeth at Disani in primal wrath. It was damn sexy and I would have appreciated it more if he hadn't been in my way.
Before either I or Disani could do anything, a burst of searing light shot out from Re's hand and knocked Disani on her ass. I gaped at her burning chest as she rolled around in an effort to put out the fire. Well, damn, maybe I should sit this one out and just grab some marshmallows.
Then Disani flung her hand out towards Re and he flew backwards. Tendrils of fog gathered around his arms and tightened like boa constrictors. Wherever they settled, Re began to bleed. I shouted his name and started to pull on my nine-pointed star. I didn't have time to be picky, any magic or combination thereof that my star wanted to use was fine with me. As I started forward, I saw Re flick his arms out wide and the dark snakes burst into flames. They blackened in seconds and burst apart. A shower of ash floated to the ground. Then he began to glow, brighter and brighter, until I had to shield my eyes.
Just as I was about to chance a peek, I felt a prick in my arm and a sleepy lethargy crept over me. “Not again,” I whined as the god drug Net shot through my veins and froze my magic. My star faded and sunk back into my chest, submerging too deep for me to reach. I fell to my knees and dug my fingers into the soft grass, smiling at the sweet scent. There was shouting around me suddenly and a very bright light but then it all went utterly dark.
Chapter Thirty-One
I blinked awake and sighed deep. I felt wonderful, without a care in the world, but somewhere deep within me I knew that I should care. It was just too difficult to hold onto the feeling. So I let it go and gave into the relaxation. No magic meant no worries. I smiled blissfully and looked around me with casual curiosity.
I was in a luxurious room. Or maybe it was a tent. There was fabric everywhere; streaming over my head and draping down the walls. Then I caught the gleam of cream colored marble just past the draperies. So; not a tent, just a draped room, kinda like my living room in Hawaii. There were even colorful lanterns hanging from the ceiling and lush carpets laid haphazardly across the floor. Potted palms were set against the walls and a few low, brass, Moroccan tables were set out, just like the one I'd had dinner on with Re.
Re. Oh, something had happened with Re. What was it? There was a woman and then fire. Or was it sunshine? It was too hard to focus. Every time I did, an uncomfortable feeling tried to rise inside me but then it was immediately doused in a fog of confusion which then turned into bliss. Maybe it would be better to let the past go and concentrate on the present. I took another look around.
I was lying on a huge pillow, possibly a mattress on the floor which was covered in pillows. Whatever, it didn't matter, it was really soft. Two men stood beside my low bed, looking down on me with stern expressions. The one on the right had deeply tanned skin which showed off his sparkling, multicolored eyes. The one on the left had even darker skin and more muscles than his friend; an obvious warrior. He was bare chested, wearing only a pair of loose white pants. He also looked familiar. His angry face flashed in my mind, momentarily jolting me out of my languor. Then another wave of l
ethargy rose up and I eased back into it.
“I know you,” I pointed to the bigger man. “So I think I know who you are too,” I giggled and pointed to the other one. “It's Rainbow Brite and Rainbow Briter! Thank goodness I can finally use my jokes,” I sighed in relief. “I'd hate for them to go to waste.”
“Is this the affects of the drug?” The familiar guy asked the other. Gish. That was the name of the guy I knew. So this other guy must be...
“Qwas,” I slurred. “No, that's not right. Cows. Cow-ass... no, that can't be it. Kass. Kiss-ass. Kiss-my-ass. Kissy-face. Wait...” I scrunched up my face in thought. Oh but thinking; it was so hard to do.
“My name is Qaus,” the man growled.
“Oh, like house with a K,” I nodded sagely. “Just like he's Dish with a G. And you put dishes in houses, so Gish must be a top. Not a top like a toy but like in a gay couple, he's the one who goes on top. Cause he goes into the house with a K, get it?”
“Are you sure this is the Godhunter?” House-with-a-K asked Dish-with-a-G. She's supposed to be some kind of seductress but this woman-”
“I know, I know. I ain't nuthin' special,” I cut him off. “And no, it's not lined in gold.”
“What is she rambling about?” Qaus gaped at me.
“Wait, I think that was a double negative,” I frowned and tried it again. “I'm not nothing special... no, that's still not right. I'm nothing special. Oh there,” I sighed. “I knew my words wouldn't fail me in the end.”
“Who cares?” Gish was staring hard at me.
“I don't,” I sang, “I feel too good to care. Carefree, that's me.”
“How much did you give her?” Qaus asked Gish.
“Twice the usual dose,” Gish shrugged. “She's a dragon. I wanted to be sure it worked.”
“You fool!” Qaus snarled. “Now we'll have to wait hours for her to regain her senses.”
“So what?” Gish crossed his arms. “I got time.”
“I didn't want to wait that long,” Qaus muttered. “I guess I can start on her bonds. With her being a dragon, they'll have to be worked more subtly and much stronger than usual.”
