Ren! he called inside his mind. A tsunami’s headed this way!
When he looked at the beach he saw that she was already there, a lone figure too far out for him to reach on foot.
My brother, Oceania, Renaei explained tersely. He knows some of his people were swayed by my speech. Now he’s going to kill us all.
With effort, Lorne turned towards the villagers gathering nearby. He kept his voice firm. ‘Your goddess has gone to fight Oceania while we protect you in her stead. She extends this protection to those who do not worship her as well. Listen!’ he added before they could waste any of his time with indignant questions. ‘You will accept the so-called Driftwood or you can find someone else to save you. Got it?’
They scuttled away from him, not wholly convinced but not prepared to argue either.
Lorne watched his guards erect a bowl-shaped barrier around the village, knowing it was pointless. Their powers were sourced from Renaei — if she died, they’d have nothing and Blashi would be wiped from the planet’s surface. Renaei might be able to hold her own against Oceania with her telekinesis, since apparently his ability was no greater than hers, but water was his domain. It could crush her.
Lorne closed his eyes. Ren. I need to be at your side.
A short laugh bounced back at him. Is that a statement or an order?
Both, he answered and a vortex instantly swirled up around him, dropping him a mere pace from the goddess who needed him so much.
Lorne drew in line with Renaei and fixed his gaze on the tsunami. The immense wave was now so close he could hear it, a roar that sent terror pooling into his stomach where he hoped he could contain it. Filling his lungs with air, Lorne plunged inside himself and tore out every skerrick of power he could find, then lashed it to the shield Renaei had already erected. Their minds merged together until Lorne wasn’t sure where his thoughts ended and hers began.
The wave soared up into the sky and crested there almost lazily, as though taunting them.
I’m here/I’m here, Renaei and Lorne assured each other.
And then it hit, slamming into their shield and howling angrily when they failed to fall to its might. The tsunami went against its nature and hurled itself at them again and again, driven by the hand of a malevolent god.
‘Stark!’ Lorne cried, skidding back a pace. ‘Ren, we can’t hold this!’
‘Suggestions?’ she gasped.
‘We need to let it come — slowly! Release a little bit at a time!’
She didn’t answer but he felt her agreement. Within moments the sand beneath their feet became sludge as the sea dribbled back to claim its territory. The pressure continued to mount and leaks sprang in their shield, causing more and more fingers of salty liquid to crawl past them. Lorne glanced down when he felt his feet lose their purchase on the sand and saw that Renaei was using her powers to lift them above the rising waters.
Give in, cajoled a voice dripping with muck. It’s pointless to resist.
‘Leave him be, Fayay!’ Renaei shouted.
Give in, insisted the voice.
Through the wall of water assaulting them, Lorne saw the slim silhouette of a man steadily approaching. Oceania did not need to show his human form to control the wave. But he wanted them to see him, to know that their death was imminent.
‘Where’s your backup, Fayay?’ Lorne taunted. He had used his mind-reading abilities to confirm that Fayay was indeed the god’s true name and mused that it wasn’t particularly fearsome. ‘Are you all by yourself?’
Fayay snarled. Jets of water, solid enough to shatter glass, savagely smacked the shield instead of Lorne’s face. The telekinetic defences held — but they would probably only last another handful of minutes judging by the strain Lorne felt, an echo of what was causing Renaei’s face to turn white.
Lorne forced himself laugh at Oceania’s failure.
As he’d predicted, the water god threw more fury behind the tsunami, but not more power. In fact, this attack was unaimed and much less effective.
Ha, Lorne thought. His anger is his weakness.
‘Lorne, I can’t…I can’t keep doing this,’ Renaei pleaded, her voice fading in and out. ‘The shield will fail and he’ll kill me.’
Lorne grunted. ‘Not if I stop him.’
‘You think you can defeat me, mortal?’ Fayay hissed, now close enough for Lorne to see the spite in his pale blue eyes.
‘I think your name is stupid and it suits you, Fayay,’ Lorne hurled back. He dropped one hand to his belt and grabbed his lasgun, using it to fire a bolt right past Fayay’s ear. A warning shot, nothing more. Lorne knew how Renaei felt about taking someone’s life…even if that life belonged to her murderous brother.
Startled, Fayay fell to his knees. The pressure behind the tsunami eased just slightly and Lorne dared to hope. But then Oceania sprang back onto his feet, his expression eerily calm instead of furious. ‘I would have spared you, mortal. Now you will have to die.’
The god’s human form abruptly misted into thin air.
‘Shit,’ Lorne said. He’d overestimated the effect Fayay’s anger had on his focus.
Something very large and invisible struck the shield. It came back around for another pass — and this time it had friends. The sea vessels that had been grounded on the shore were now being tossed towards Lorne and Renaei like toys in the hands of a petulant child.
Slam. Slam. Slam. Slam.
Lorne staggered sideways into Renaei, nearly toppling her, and his eyes flew up to the large circular hill his guards had erected around Blashi. He didn’t know if it would be enough to save the village. But his and Renaei’s shield was going to shatter if they didn’t shrink it soon.
We will keep the mortals safe from harm, an unfamiliar voice spoke up. It was cool, measured and carried with it a patience born of countless aeons.
What — Lorne began, confused.
We are the grass, the creeping moss, the rocks and dirt that lie beneath your feet, the voice told him. It sounded as though every facet of the nearby tundra biome was speaking as one entity. Trust us. And trust the abilities of those you have trained.
‘Ren, your — your domain is talking to me,’ Lorne gasped.
His goddess didn’t answer. She was consumed with keeping them alive.
Their shield jolted again and a spike of agony lanced down Lorne’s spine. He screamed until his throat became raw. Ren! Drop the shield to cover just us! Trust me!
As though waiting for this exact moment, the tsunami plunged down one last time, hard and determined. With it came the might of the water god, a double punch that almost crushed them. Renaei fell into Lorne’s arms, limp and unmoving. He shouted at her, begged and cursed her, then felt her feebly reach for her powers.
Together they shored up a shield that didn’t have the strength or size to save Blashi — but it didn’t need to. The village was safe.
Fayay kept circling, jabbing at their defences without retaking human form.
‘Coward!’ Lorne snarled. ‘Fight me like a mortal, if you’re brave enough!’
Is it cowardice, Fayay mused, or do I merely have more important business elsewhere?
Then he was gone, his presence lingering like an oily film left on glass. Lorne chanced a look around — and saw only water. He couldn’t sense Fayay anymore either. He and Renaei were alone once more, still protected by their tiny shield. Seaweed floated aimlessly by, ripped free from its home and heading towards the shore where it would wash up and rot.
They are alive, all of them, the moss growing in Blashi informed Lorne.
‘No offence, but I’d rather see that for myself,’ he said. ‘Ren, can you take us there?’
‘Lorne, I can’t…’ Renaei’s skin was pale and her eyes were deep and hollow. ‘I can’t let them see me like this.’
Lorne cupped her chin in his hand. ‘You need to teleport us away before our shield gives out completely. Can you do that? We don’t need to appear near anyone.’
‘I�
��can’t…’
He pressed a chaste kiss against her shivering mouth. ‘Yes, you can. Because we mortals? We don’t fucking quit. If it gets hard, we just keep going. And if you want me to respect you the way I respect the men and women under my command, you’ll fight to the end, because that’s we do.’
Renaei closed her eyes, grimacing in pain —
— and then he was holding her on that rocky outcropping above the village, the ship standing over them. Lorne eased them both to the ground, keeping her close to his chest even as colour returned to her cheeks.
‘I need to go reassure the others,’ Lorne murmured, pausing to kiss her again. ‘Don’t come back until you look invincible.’ This time he gave her a firm squeeze, just to make sure she was there. ‘You were amazing, Ren. I’d be happy to have you in my Guards of the Goddess, if that wasn’t so redundant.’
‘Go, Lorne,’ she whispered.
He hesitated.
‘Go,’ Renaei repeated, a weak smile creeping along her lips. ‘Unless you want to kiss me some more. I wouldn’t stop you.’
Lorne gazed down at her for several agonising moments, torn, then swiftly stood and walked back to Blashi, his body trembling with exertion — and unfulfilled need.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Renaei watched the Blashians and her brother’s people dance together around the bonfire. They were celebrating her victory over the tsunami and their agreement to sit down and discuss future relations in the morning. Most of the Driftwood had chosen to stay here, inside the village, instead of returning to the shore and the god that had tried to kill them. Some had pledged themselves to Renaei already. She wasn’t sure what the rest of them would do; an inherited way of life wasn’t easy to shed after one day.
The two parties at this bonfire may have worshipped different deities, but they could still laugh and dance and even love. Renaei was well aware of new or temporary couples sneaking away from the festivities, some of her guards among them.
Her chest ached. Lorne might eventually agree to share her bed, the way he shared his mind with her. Any more than that, however…she could not ask for it.
Renaei turned and walked into the deep night. But she wasn’t alone. Lorne was following several paces behind her. He didn’t mention what was on both their minds: the kisses he had never meant to give her, the kisses he would only give her when he wasn’t thinking or preoccupied with what she was.
She dropped into a cross-legged position on the grass and smiled when he sat beside her, close enough that she could feel the warmth of him. It reminded her of those nights when Isabis, her sister, had been in his place, silently waiting for Renaei to speak.
But that was centuries ago. Before Isabis had decided to kill her.
‘Do you want to talk about it?’ Lorne asked.
The wind tugged at his coat, revealing the dress shirt he’d worn underneath it. Renaei’s eyes traced the V-shape of exposed skin that dove to the first button. Lorne followed her gaze down with his own, then glanced back at her. Renaei wet her lips.
‘Stop trying to distract me, Ren,’ he said. His words were soft but his thoughts were firm. He wasn’t going to let her retreat or hide. She needed to discuss this. And he was willing to listen.
Renaei drew a breath, then another. ‘I…I have never spoken about what happened with Isabis. Most of my siblings can read my thoughts and they already know how I feel, so why should they bother asking if I’m alright?’
‘It could be that your brothers and sisters are too busy dealing with their own messes,’ Lorne suggested. ‘And if they all have terrible names like Fayay, I’d say that’s only the start of their problems.’
Renaei laughed, but her amusement was short-lived. ‘The desert god’s name is Sandsa, so perhaps you have a point. Get comfortable, Lorne. This is quite a tale.’
He lay back against a moss-covered boulder and linked his arms beneath his head. A grin flitted along his lips. ‘I’m as comfortable as I can be out here.’
Pressing herself flush against his side, Renaei reached over and stroked both of his temples with her thumb and smallest finger. Her heart soared when he didn’t move away.
‘This is how my mother helped me to sleep, when I was young and had no duties or mortals to worry about,’ she murmured. ‘I loved her so much. I’m not saying my father was terrible to me, but…well. He’s the Creator God. How do you compete for attention when you have more than fifty siblings and your father has billions of mortal children?’
‘Can’t say I’ve ever felt that attention,’ Lorne said. Sensing her thoughts, he answered, ‘No. I don’t mind. You’re the one I really care about. I’ve seen you with my own eyes, so I don’t need to see or feel your father.’
Renaei leaned her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes as she drifted into her memories. ‘I stopped caring about my father’s absence after Isabis was born. She smiled so much when she was younger. I enjoyed her presence then; she was always full of light. But she has such a terrible gift — her ability to read minds is so strong it causes her physical pain. She was too afraid to use it. She even stopped smiling.’
A gentle breeze nestled into her hair, a soothing gesture from her domain. Renaei paused and drew strength from it before continuing. ‘I wanted to show Isabis all the good she could do with her powers. So I took her with me when I tended to my duties. I told her how I constantly listen to mortals in case they need me. And I told her to do the same. I thought it would help. I thought that if she was exposed to their minds more often, it would become easier for her.’
‘It didn’t get easier,’ Lorne surmised.
‘No. It didn’t.’ Renaei’s voice fractured and faded. She swallowed. ‘I didn’t understand her. I just assumed I knew best, because I’m older than her. I promised my mother I would look after Isabis. I failed. Maybe I do deserve to die at my sister’s hand.’
‘It’s not your fault, Ren. You’re her sister, not her mother. Or her father. Your parents should have helped her. It shouldn’t have fallen to you alone.’
Renaei trembled, wishing she could believe Lorne’s words. She wasn’t sure she could. ‘My mother might have been able to help, but she was only immortal as long as she was married to my father. She left him. When I went looking for her, after Isabis threatened me…she was gone.’
‘Gone, as in…’ He didn’t finish the sentence.
‘She was my heart,’ Renaei said softly. ‘My mother told me not to be afraid to care for you mortals, that you need comfort and support when your own strength fails.’
Lorne turned to the side, his hazel eyes caressing her. ‘You didn’t realise how much you needed that comfort and support for yourself until your mother died.’
‘Yes — it makes sense. I’m half mortal.’ Renaei tasted the bitterness on her tongue before it infected her words. ‘Isabis often said that I’m too mortal, that I care too much. But I can’t stop caring. And I don’t want to. My people will always need me.’
‘It’s not a weakness to care, to be mortal,’ Lorne said. His hand sought hers; their fingers entwined.
Renaei smiled up at the stars that would never burn as bright as the soul lying beside her. ‘I know this because you’ve shown me that strength can come from despair. Your ability to overcome loss, to conquer the worst odds, to succeed even without help — it’s inspiring. You can stand alone if you need to.’
‘But stark it’s nice to have someone with you anyway,’ Lorne murmured.
Renaei agreed with him mentally, a pulse of thought, not even a word. She was too afraid to ask for it, but he sensed her need and engulfed her in his embrace, offering her a solid rock that she could cling to as she began to cry against his shoulder. Each tear that dampened the shirt beneath his coat represented a year of despair, a year of loneliness and a year of yearning. His arms kept her intact, kept her from breaking apart as she released it all.
Renaei allowed herself to feel the loss of her mother and the loss of her sister’s love. And then sh
e allowed herself to focus instead on the man who had finally freed her. He gave her a firm squeeze and vowed, I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again. You’re safe with me.
Very subtly, something between them shifted. She wondered if he felt it.
Lorne made a soft sound in his throat, the only warning she had before he swiftly moved her under him. His lips were cold at first, but they soon grew as hot as the kisses he unleashed on her. Renaei stole breaths when she could and then completely forgot to keep doing this when he pressed his desire against her. The grass quivered beneath them, urging them on. But its enthusiasm was too vocal and within seconds Lorne had pulled away, his eyes wide and his expression aghast.
‘I — my goddess, I’m sorry,’ he gasped, rolling off her. ‘I…I won’t let this happen again.’
Renaei ground a palm into her cheek, smearing the tears that had escaped her eyes. ‘You can’t keep doing this to me, Lorne. It isn’t fair.’
‘Renaei…’ The whisper was so quiet it was barely there. ‘I want to give you everything I have to give, but you’re…’
‘I’m not just a goddess, Lorne!’ she cried. ‘I’m a woman too. My heart can beat and break, just as yours does. It hurts when you get my hopes up only to turn away from me. Your promise to keep people from hurting me is an empty one. Because you’re the one who does it the most.’
He stared at her, his mouth hanging open. But no denial escaped him.
Renaei drew a breath and stood, her eyes fixed on the invisible horizon. ‘There’s a hovel a little ways from here. The Blashians made it for me years ago, as a tribute to their goddess. Even though I’ve never used it, they’ve always kept a fire burning in the hearth — it’s warm, isolated and perfect for our needs. That’s where I’ll be tonight. But don’t follow me unless you intend to spend the night with me.’
She turned on her heel and walked away without waiting for his response. Lorne remained immobile on the ground behind her, mentally pleading her to take back her words. She refused.
The Galactic Pantheon Novellas Page 23
