Genesis (soul savers )

by Kristie Cook

  “You indebted yourself and ran away?” the man demanded. “You ought to be stoned.”

  “Yes,” someone called from the crowd that had begun to gather. “You shame your family and your town!”

  The corners of Jordan’s lips turned up. Maybe it will work out after all. Perhaps even better than planned. But Cassandra surprised him.

  “No,” she said, her voice loud and firm. She’d recovered from being dragged, now standing with her back straight and putting on the façade of someone in a higher class than she was. “He is my slave. I will take care of the punishment.”

  Protests came from the crowd, but they were quickly quieted. To Jordan’s dismay, both Cassandra and Niko were allowed to leave … as long as Niko left with her. He watched as Cassandra grabbed the goat and Niko’s arm, and pushed her way through the crowd and out of town. Then he followed.

  He momentarily wished Eris were there to cloak him. Inga could cloak herself—make herself invisible—but her magick lacked the strength to hide others. Eris had no idea he was here, though, and wouldn’t be pleased about it. In fact, she would be beyond angry, especially in her current condition.

  So he followed at a distance, keeping to the shadows as the sun fell in the late afternoon sky. Neither Cassandra nor Niko said a word until they crested the same hill where Jordan had found her and were halfway down the other side. Then Cassandra suddenly stopped and turned on Niko.

  “How could you do that?” she demanded, her eyes flashing with anger. Jordan watched with anticipation, hoping his sister would do the right thing and rid herself of this useless man.

  Niko appeared unfazed. “You saved my life. I just saved yours. Well, at least, I saved you from a life of enslavement.”

  “You lied to them!”

  “I didn’t exactly lie. I am indebted to you.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the soldier. “Well, your debt is paid. You can go.”

  “No. I can’t.”

  “Yes, you can. Go.” She flipped her hands at him in dismissal. “Go back to your life. To your wife and children.”

  “I can’t go—” Niko stopped. His brows pushed together. “What do you mean, my wife and children?”

  Cassandra lifted an eyebrow. “Your son?”

  “I have no—you mean that boy? He’s my nephew.”

  Jordan’s eyes narrowed as he saw relief overcome his sister’s face, exposing her true feelings for Niko. Now he understood why she’d been so eager to avoid the man.

  Cassandra quickly recovered. Her face went stony again. “It doesn’t matter. You have a mother to take care of. Sisters. Other family. Go back to them, Niko. Go back where you belong.”

  “Don’t you see that I can’t?”

  “Of course you can. You’re not really my slave.”

  Niko shook his head. “You don’t understand. That’s not how it’s done here. My own neighbors will stone me, possibly to death, if I don’t meet my obligations. You are my obligation now. I just made it public. I must go with you.”

  Cassandra heaved a breath of frustration. Her eyes flashed again, exciting Jordan with their anger. He hoped she would punch the man, just as she’d hit him.

  But her head dropped and her next words came out softly.

  “How can you even want to be with me? Didn’t you see what happened in there?”

  Yes! Jordan fought the urge to whoop aloud. His attention had been consumed with the slavery part of his plan, and how wrong it had gone. He had nearly forgotten about the other part—expose his sister as the demon she really was.

  Niko chuckled. “Quite impressive. You took down a grown man.”

  Cassandra’s head jerked up. Her eyes hardened. “And caught a falling stone that he said took three men to carry.”

  “And protected my nephew. Saved his life. I owe you for that now, too.”

  Cassandra’s eyes widened briefly and then narrowed. “And you don’t have a problem with that? You don’t think I’m … I’m a … ”

  “A what?”

  She ducked her head. Her voice softened again, to nearly a whisper. “A demon?”

  To Jordan’s surprise, Niko laughed out loud. “A demon? As in a spirit? You look quite real and human to me.”

  Jordan cocked his head. How had he not thought of this before? He’d been around the worshippers of the gods and goddesses enough to know their beliefs. To know that demon, to them, only meant spirit, neither good nor evil. Why hadn’t he realized this before? Then the answer hit him. Another lie of Father’s he’d fallen for. People wouldn’t think them demons if they saw his family’s unusual abilities, not in the land where they lived. Farther east, where the Jews lived, perhaps, but not here. These people didn’t even have a word for what Jordan now knew as the real demons.

  Disgusted with himself for his mistake—he needed a better argument to win over his sister—with Cassandra for her stupidity and with the man who had ruined everything, Jordan flashed away, grateful the Ancients had given him the magick to do so.

  “Well?” Inga asked when he appeared at the creek where she waited.

  The young witch was already in her preferred state of undress, her light hair falling over her shoulders and brushing the tips of her small, pink nipples. She sauntered up to him and stroked her finger across his downturned mouth.

  “Didn’t go as planned?” she asked.

  “Not exactly. I—”

  Inga let him say no more. She grabbed the back of his head, pushed herself against him and crushed her mouth to his. He let her kiss away his anger. He needed this, the distraction she offered. His hands slid along the soft contours of her body and down to her thighs. He lifted her up and she pulled his chiton out of the way as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He lost himself inside her, enjoying her succulent body, feeling no guilt.

  He and Eris had brought Inga into their home for both of their pleasures. Eris didn’t mind his being with Inga as long as she participated, as well. The larger Eris’s belly swelled with baby, though, the less Jordan wanted anything to do with her. Sometimes she would watch Jordan and Inga together. Other times she would fly into a jealous rage. He stayed with Eris, though, and not just because of the baby, but because her magick was unusually powerful and he needed her. And he knew she stayed with him for nearly the same reason—because of his own potential for power.

  “I need to get back to Eris,” Jordan said later as they rinsed off in the stream. “She’ll be giving birth any time now.”

  Inga trailed a finger over his broad chest. “Are you actually worried about her?”

  Jordan chuckled. “You know me better than that. And you know her better than that. She can handle childbirth. I just don’t want to deal with the wrath of Eris because I wasn’t there.”

  “I guess I can’t blame you,” Inga said with a reluctant sigh. Then she gave him an understanding smile. “I’ll see you soon.”

  She disappeared with a faint popping sound. Jordan waded out of the water, let himself dry before dressing, then he flashed home.

  “You smell like Inga,” Eris said as soon as he entered the small home she had brought him to the night they met. She sat on one of the oversized pillows, her disgusting belly resting between her open legs. Her nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed. “And someone else. Another woman. Who have you been with, Jordan?”

  He didn’t know how to answer her, because he didn’t know if she’d be glad that he hadn’t actually been with another woman or angry that he’d found his sister. The closer she came to giving birth, the harder and faster her moods swung. He braced himself and told her the truth.

  “Cassandra?” she spewed, as if the name tasted as bad as her brews. “Why, Jordan? Why would you risk that?”

  He stood there, silently growing angry himself. Why should he have to explain himself to her?

  “You know the Ancients want nothing to do with her,” Eris said, struggling to push herself to her feet. “She’s useless to us. You risk e
verything by exposing yourself to her. And who else did you risk? Inga?”

  “Like you care about Inga,” Jordan snapped.

  “You’ll ruin us,” she yelled. “We have so much to gain if you just do what the Ancients want. We can have everything. But you’ll ruin it all because of your asinine sister!”

  Jordan’s fist balled at his side and he raised it into the air. Eris’s eyes hardened, as if daring him. He wanted to hit her to shut her up because he knew she was right. He had risked everything. And only because of his inexplicable need to prove himself right to Cassandra. To prove to her that she’s not all good and great and angelic.

  Eris stared at his fist, but before either of them moved, liquid splashed at her feet, surprising them both. More trailed down her leg and he twisted his lip in a disgusted smirk as his fist fell to his side.

  “Never thought I’d see the powerful Eris be so overcome by fear,” he said and he turned for the door. “Clean yourself up, woman. I’ll be back … later.”

  “Jordan,” she gasped.

  Something in her voice felt wrong. It wasn’t fear. Nor a plea to stay. It was … different. He turned back to her and her eyes were wide, her hands at her enlarged belly. She gasped again and doubled-over. Strong, icy Eris was in pain. They both forgot their anger as Jordan helped her lay down and then flashed to retrieve Inga, who’d promised to help bring his child into the world.

  Chapter 9

  “You don’t believe in demons?” Cassandra asked with disbelief … and a little hope. She hadn’t expected this, although it occurred to her now if Niko didn’t believe in angels, he wouldn’t believe in their opposites either. His lack of belief would give her time to convince him she wasn’t evil, a chance she never thought she’d have once he knew she wasn’t who he thought she was. “How do you explain what I did then?”

  Niko shrugged. His eyes were alight, never moving away from her, as if he couldn’t get enough of the sight of her.

  “I’d say you’re a descendant of the gods. It’s the only way to explain it.” He stepped closer to her, right in front of her, sending her heart into a gallop. His voice came out low, silky. “You are beautiful enough to be.”

  She looked into his eyes and all those feelings she’d been suppressing rushed to the surface. She wanted nothing more than to be in his arms. And he accepted her! Didn’t believe her to be a demon! She couldn’t have hoped for this. But …

  She swallowed. “Niko, you need to go home. You have a life here.”

  “I told you. I don’t. My life is with you now. This is what I want. What I’ve wanted since the day I left you.” He reached out with his hand, cupped it to the side of her face, making her skin tingle.

  She laughed nervously. “To be my slave?”

  He smiled. “If that’s what it takes. I haven’t stopped thinking about you, Cassandra. Ever since I returned, they’ve been harassing me to choose a wife. Fathers have their daughters ready and they’ll deliver. Young girls, thirteen, fourteen, hardly any older than my nieces. The thought disgusts me. But I never really had a choice. Not since I met you.”

  “I can’t live like your women do. Jordan told me how you hide them. They can’t leave their homes or even go outside. You know I can’t do that.”

  “I do know. You’re free and strong and … just different from any woman I know. And that’s what I love about you.”

  Cassandra blinked.

  “Yes. I love you. I want to be in your life, whatever, however it is. I will follow you wherever you go. I will stay with you as long as you will have me. Just, please, don’t say no again. Don’t tell me you can’t. I understand you are different, very different. But you don’t need to hide. Not from me.”

  His eyes were pools of warm water, the color of the sea, and she felt herself falling into them. Falling into him. When he leaned over, she didn’t back away. When his lips brushed hers, she didn’t push him off. When they pressed harder, she kissed him back. She pushed her hands through his dark hair to the back of his neck and pulled herself against him. His strong arms wound around her, holding her tightly, the feeling she’d been yearning for all winter long. Her lips parted, letting him in. She tasted the sweetness of grapes on his tongue and wanted more. More of him. More of his touch. Warmth spread throughout her body and her lower belly tightened. Her thighs trembled.

  She reluctantly pulled away and just stared at his face, the face she loved, until she recovered and could speak again.

  “It’s getting dark. We should find a place for camp, don’t you think?”

  His mouth pulled into a wide grin and his eyes glinted. He understood.

  With little light left to find anything better, Cassandra led Niko back to the cave she had slept in last night. He collected firewood along the way and built them a fire while she tied Fig to a tree just outside. She didn’t get new linen for a peplos or new sandals, but she did get grain and olive oil so she was able to make the bread she’d been craving so much. It was all they had to eat, but she had what she wanted—her body had bread and her soul had Niko.

  They lay down on the single fur pelt she had, pressing together so they could both fit, and she realized her body really wanted Niko, too. Her heart pounded against her chest and against his, too, as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. The passion rose just as quickly as before, perhaps because it had never entirely left. She kissed him back with a fervor she didn’t know she had, tasting his lips, his tongue, his skin as their mouths moved over each other’s faces.

  Her hands slid through his hair as his moved over her back, down her side, along her thigh. He kissed her jaw line, her throat, her collarbone. She gasped as he moved to her breast, kissing her hardened nipple through the peplos. Her body felt hot and shaky. Her breasts felt tight and ached for another touch. As if knowing what she wanted, his hand gently squeezed the fullness, his thumb ran over the nub and then he pinched it, making her moan. In one swift movement, he had her belt undone and her peplos over her head. She quaked as his appreciative gaze slid over her naked body.

  His fingers brushed between her breasts, made circles around her belly, making it quiver. They came back up and cupped her breast as his mouth lowered to it. His tongue flicked her nipple, rolled it around and then his mouth clamped down and it felt as though he sucked a line that came straight from her groin. Another moan escaped her lips.

  He moved his mouth to her other breast as his hand glided along her body, stroking heat that spread along her skin. He slid his hand under her, along her backside and thigh, down to her calf. He hitched her leg over his hip and she felt him hard and hot against her. He moaned at the touch. And in another swift motion, his chiton was off and Cassandra drank in the sight of his bare body.

  Their mouths moved together, against each other, kissing, licking, sucking. Their hands explored each other’s bodies, learning the dips and rises and curves, their breathing becoming ragged. After a moment’s hesitation, she took him in her hand and found him rock hard. He throbbed against her as she stroked and Niko moaned.

  They played with each other, teasing, testing their boundaries. Cassandra knew nothing about this intimate activity, but she knew he belonged inside her. And she couldn’t stop thinking about it. His fingers weren’t enough. She wanted him. She cried out for him, begged him. She expected it to hurt—he was so big and she was so tiny—and it did. But only for a few moments. Then the promise of what was to come, what he had already brought her to with just his hand and mouth, eliminated the pain.

  She rose against him. He shoved farther inside her. He pulled out slightly and pushed in again, even deeper. She fell into the rhythm with him, pushing and pulling, rocking her hips, squeezing around him. He groaned. She moaned. They moved faster and harder. He thrust deep inside her and she begged him to do it again. And he did. Again and again. Her whole body wracked with pleasure. The next time he did it, it knocked the breath out of her. She soared into another place, a place of thorough bliss. Her back arched off the g
round. Her toes curled. She screamed. She tightened against him. He made several quick, short thrusts and convulsed inside her with a long groan.

  They fell back, panting, their arms wrapped tightly around each other. She shuddered several times and so did he. As soon as he rolled off her, she missed him. She wanted to be pressed against him again. She wanted him to be inside her again. And soon enough, he was.

  * * *

  As she and Niko began their life together, Cassandra had to adjust to having a man with her again, as well as adjust to the fact that he wasn’t her father or brother but her lover. He took care of more than her basic needs for survival and companionship. They lived as husband and wife, moving around as she always had, and she imagined this was what it was like for Mother and Father before she and Jordan were born. She better understood now why they looked at each other as they did, why Father had changed when Mother died. She didn’t even want to think about when that time would come for her, which would be inevitable—she would outlive Niko. She focused instead on the present, on the love she thought she would never be able to have.

  Niko still had days of fatigue, remnants of the wolf attack, though not as often as before. The army had dismissed him, though, not needing a weak soldier. He’d told her how difficult it had been to accept at the time. At least, until she returned to his life and filled the void.

  Their hardest struggle at first, however, came with the summer heat. Cassandra had never felt so miserable, didn’t remember it bothering her so much. She felt sick and unable to eat much of the time. She’d taught Niko about edible plants and fruits and always double-checked his gatherings, just to be safe. Thinking the animals in that part of the land were contaminated, they moved on. With the end of summer, however, the sickness had passed and they understood. Her belly swelled with baby. Six months later, she gave birth in a cave by the sea.

  “You are so pretty, Andronika, just as beautiful as your mother,” Niko cooed at the baby, sliding his finger over her cheek. He looked up at Cassandra. “In my old life, they often left baby girls at the doors of rich men to be raised as slaves.”