Allister, J. Rose - Immortal Menage [Immortal Paradise 4] (Siren Publishing PolyAmour)
Page 19
“Now?” Grayel sounded beyond stunned.
“What better time? The people are rejoicing, and they laud your powers and your bride.”
“My lords and ladies, gods and goddesses,” said a voice behind them.
Lexanna saw another youth with a tumble of brown curls standing just inside the balcony in a bowed posture.
“We’re going to need a revolving door at this rate,” she heard Lust whisper from behind her. She fired a grin back over her shoulder and saw the two demigods standing together, watching with obvious interest.
“Yes, yes,” Tolel said, hands on hips. “What is it?”
“My lord,” the youth said. “All are hailing the goddess Lexanna and her prince, the holy Grayel. There is dancing in the streets, and a festival has been planned in their honor on the morrow.”
“Excellent!” Tolel turned to the new bride and groom. “See? Your bride’s name is being shouted in the streets, along with your own.” He stepped forward, taking a hold of his son’s hand. “A father could not be more proud, son. Go, give our people reason to celebrate. Show them their new goddess, and rule our kingdom well.”
Tears spilled onto Lexanna’s cheeks at the emotion in her husband’s eyes. She saw him swallow hard, then pull Tolel into an embrace. “I will, Father.”
Grayel turned to her, and she smiled. “I guess this means I should hurry and pack.”
“Pack?” Tolel boomed with laughter. “Such humility. She’ll be good for you.”
Grayel gave her a sensual grin and leaned down to her ear. “You don’t need to pack. Your things will be brought over to our new home.”
Their new home. She could barely keep her heart from bursting open.
“Then there are just two things I need to do.” She turned to Love and Lust. “Can I use your phone?”
Love waved a hand toward it graciously. “Of course, my lady.”
She threw them a guilty look. “It’s long distance.”
Lust snorted. “We’ll bill you.”
She crossed the room and picked up the receiver, amazed her hand wasn’t shaking as she dialed out for an overseas call. When the answering machine picked up, she swallowed.
“This is Lexie Porter,” she said. “I’m sorry I didn’t give two weeks’ notice, but I’m quitting my employment. A wonderful opportunity has come up for me in the Bahamas, and I’m relocating immediately to take advantage of it.” She threw a mischievous look at Grayel, who was watching in amusement. “Thank you for everything.” She paused, a thought occurring to her. “May your business prosper greatly, and may my replacement arrive soon after you get this message. Goodbye.”
“It was kind of you to grant goddess favors to your former employer,” Grayel said. “Especially as unhappy as you seemed working there.”
She shrugged. “Maybe the next salesgirl will be as lucky as I am.”
After a quick repeat with her landlord, she turned and walked toward the demigods standing behind her mate. She stopped short when she saw them flinch and turn their heads away. She looked at Grayel. “How do I, uh, dial myself down?”
“That takes time and control to master,” he said, “especially for one with your radiance.”
“Just tell me how.”
“Pull in,” he said. “It’s like inhaling through your pores to draw the excess energy back inside you.”
She closed her eyes and pictured herself drawing the glow through her skin. When her body felt warm and tingly and she heard Asantra gasp, she opened her eyes.
“By the gods,” she heard Tolel say.
Love and Lust were both staring at her. Love’s smile was wide.
“Better?” she asked.
“Much, my lady,” Love said, nodding in a bow. “Thank you.”
She imitated Tolel’s voice. “No need to be so formal. We’ve all been friends.” She dropped to a low whisper and looked at them from under her lashes. “And more.”
“You’re a goddess now,” Lust said. “There are protocols to observe.”
“Then observe this.”
She went to him and wrapped him in a gentle embrace. She felt him begin to tremble all over, and his always-present erection pulsed against her. She drew back with a smile. “Thank you seems inadequate for what you’ve done, Lust. I can’t repay you for it. And as I told you before, I don’t regret that it was you. Nor will I forget.”
His eyes lit with a new flame, but he merely nodded. She moved over to stand before Love. His eyes were a bright aquamarine, glassed over with suspicious moisture.
A lump formed in her throat. “I still want to see that private library,” she said.
The glassy shine glowed brighter. “Any time you wish, my lady.”
She put her arms around him, leaning her head on his shoulder to inhale his vanilla-warm scent. Then she pulled back and kissed his silken smooth cheek. “I’ll always be grateful that you showed me the path to Love,” she whispered. She drew away and smiled. “When I least expected to succeed.”
His voice quivered with the slight betrayal of emotion. “Every happiness to you.” He shot a look over her shoulder. “Both of you.”
“May love and prosperity find you as well,” Grayel said. “Both of you.”
He came up beside her, gripping each man’s hands in turn. “You have done a great service for us, as well as to our realm. It shall not be forgotten.”
Her heart beat at a dizzying pace when at last he faced her, taking her chin in his hand. “Are you ready for forever?”
“Definitely.” She laughed.
He arched a brow. “What’s funny?”
She looked around the suite. “People pay thousands of dollars—tens of thousands—to honeymoon here on this island. Yet I am leaving it in order to begin ours.”
“Oh, don’t you worry, love.” His voice was possessive, throaty. “I have something special in mind. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.”
She could barely find her own voice. “Something traditional?”
His smile shot heat through her. “Not in the slightest.”
He took her hand and walked her to the veranda. His mother and father fell into step behind, and Love and Lust followed. As they reached the opening between columns, her step faltered and she tightened her grip on his hand. He paused, but pulled his hand away gently.
“We have to cross individually,” he said. “But I’ll be there waiting the moment you step through.”
She eyed the beach warily. “What’s it like? Crossing through the portal, I mean.”
“The first couple of times feel a bit strange,” he said. “But you’ll be fine. Just focus on joining me and let the veil pull you forward.”
Something about that image reminded her of the night of her swim, when she’d let the swell of ocean waves draw her toward the beach.
He stroked her cheek with his hand, and she relaxed into his warmth. “Don’t be afraid,” he breathed, planting a kiss on her forehead. “Come, let me show off my goddess wife to our people.”
He walked onto the balcony where a bright light shone on the shore. She watched him push a section of the railing, which swung out like a gate. He stepped out onto the glittering sand without a backward glance. Three steps toward the ocean, he faded into the light and disappeared.
“It’ll be easier if you let your power flow,” Asantra said. “Close your eyes and push it back outward.”
Lexanna complied, and when she reopened her eyes, she could see herself glowing brighter. She looked down and fussed with her gown. “Do I look okay?”
“Okay?” Tolel appeared outraged. “No daughter of mine will ever look okay. You look radiant, my dear. Supernaturally dazzling.”
She smiled. With a deep breath, she stepped out onto the bright veranda. Nothing happened, and she felt the same. A breeze lifted her hair while she moved to the rail and pushed the gate open. The sea shimmered like diamonds, beckoning. She took one step, then two, feeling her bare feet sink into warm, velvet sand. She t
urned back to see Tolel and Asantra waiting on the veranda, and Love and Lust leaning on the columns just beyond. She waved to them and moved forward, stepping into a cool, thick mist that swallowed her like fog. Though the sensation felt cloying and made it a bit difficult to breathe, she relaxed and let the momentum of the swirling veil carry her into a new life.
She could already hear cheers and shouts of, “Blessed be Lexanna and her holy Grayel!” even before a familiar, warm hand reached into the mystical veil between realms, pulling her toward a dream that would last forever.
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
When she’s not dreaming up tales of faraway realms and impossibly erotic gods, J. Rose Allister can be found hanging out with her family at their home halfway between Los Angeles and Palm Springs. With any luck, she’ll find a deal on eBay for a clone of herself, so she’ll have more time for writing and her other enjoyments: movies, reading, gardening, and cooking.
Also by J. Rose Allister
PolyAmour: Kata Sutra
Siren Classic: Bewitching Love
Siren Allure: Sinful Ella and the Wolf
Siren Classic: Holidays Bite
Siren Allure: Immortal Paradise 1: Suite Seduction
Siren Classic: Immortal Paradise 2: Tropical Heat
Siren Classic: Immortal Paradise 3: Seduced by an Angel
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Siren Publishing, Inc.
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