by Mara Lee
“So … let’s knock.” Joseph asked with a crooked smile on his face.
Ditheous shot his Second a reproachful look and suddenly stiffened. “Andre, Joseph…”
Andre nodded. “I smell it too.”
“Smell what?” Joseph asked, bewildered.
Ditheous ignored him. “It’s faint, but it’s here.” He stepped off of the porch and strode briskly to the side of the house until he found the doors to what appeared to be a root cellar. “New dead … the recently turned have been here.”
Ditheous placed his hands on the door handles and with a quick tug, pulled the doors completely off their hinges.
He jumped down into the pitch black cellar and motioned for Joseph and Andre to follow him. The cellar was dark as midnight but his eyes could see as if it were day.
“Shit, it stinks in here.” Joseph frowned and wrinkled his nose.
Andre sniffed. “Loopine, the scent of Loopine mixed with…”
“New dead,” Ditheous said curtly. He picked up a dagger from what appeared to be an altar and seethed. “Someone has been creating new dead.”
Joseph’s eyes widened. “Is that even possible? I mean … isn’t it like … really complicated to create … uh … to create … one of us?”
Ditheous nodded. “Yes. Few can manage a conversion.”
Andre prowled restlessly around the room. “Who … who would do such a thing? Who has the power, the knowledge?”
Ditheous scowled. “No one, to my knowledge, save…”
“You.” Joseph finished.
Ditheous snorted indelicately. “Yes, save myself. I know of no other power in the area that is strong enough to convert humans … it is very complicated.”
“So…” Joseph sighed, “there is rogue Loopine pack out on the loose, and a Vampyre Pack Master who is creating little minions for himself. And…” he laughed shortly, “we can’t forget that they somehow converged here … together … for whatever twisted reason.”
Ditheous and Andre shared similar dry looks.
“Yes … that seems the most logical answer,” Ditheous said.
“Nothing about this shit is logical,” Joseph shot back. “So, where the hell is Rochelle?”
“Ah, but that would be the question of the day, wouldn’t it? Where is your pretty little Lieutenant?” The voice came from the deepest part of the shadows, and was filled with underlying menace.
Ditheous frowned. He recognized that voice. “I see you’ve come back to play some more.”
The demon stepped out from the shadows. His wings stretched wide and four similar winged creatures flanked him on either side.
The demon laughed. “I so did enjoy our play, Vampyre. I thought we’d have another round.” The demon turned his avid gaze to Andre. “And you, wolf, so glad you could join us.”
Andre growled.
The demon laughed harder. “You are all so predictable, so easily manipulated. Did you truly think to find your friend here?”
Ditheous said nothing, but watched as the demons began to spread out.
The lead demon grinned, revealing wickedly sharp teeth. He looked at his companions, smiled, and shouted, “NOW!”
The demons attacked.
*
Aega, although impressed by Ditheous’ obvious ability to defend himself, did not like what she was seeing.
The demons were strong, and they had a definite advantage … an advantage they shouldn’t have.
She materialized at Ditheous’ back, stance ready.
Ditheous whipped his clawed hand out toward one of the demons and shouted. “You!”
Aega ducked a blow thrown by a demon in her direction. “Yes. Me.”
Andre grunted as he was tossed against a wall. “You two know one another,” he ground out.
“Somewhat,” Ditheous said, flipping over the top of the demon attacking him.
Aega snarled when she saw the lead demon watching the play from the far corner, smiling.
It was him. The creature who had marked her.
She whipped the dagger out from her belt and advanced. She left Ditheous, Joseph and the wolf leader to their own defenses … they could take care of themselves. She had a memento to return.
“You just couldn’t leave well enough alone, could you?” The demon hissed, when it saw Aega approaching.
“You have no business here,” Aega growled. She drew a line in the air and watched as the air around the demon sizzled red. “And you’ve been gifted with kali tihi. You should not have this. How did you get it? Who gave it to you?”
The demon smiled. “Ahhhhh … but that would be tattling, wouldn’t it?” The demon lengthened its claws and revealed its fangs. “And we can’t have that, now can we?”
“We can’t have demons entering this plane to kill blood relatives of the Gods either, can we?” Aega flipped the dagger in her hands.
The demon narrowed its black eyes. “You cannot destroy me, little girl.”
“Can’t I?” Aega lunged and caught the demon by surprise on its shoulder. She grinned widely. “From me, to you … I owed you.”
The demon snarled, looked down at its sizzling, burning shoulder, and launched itself at Aega.
*
From the corner of his eye, Ditheous could see his fair-haired angel battling the leader of the demons.
Battling the demon remarkably well—and in a skin tight bodysuit to boot. Who was she?
At that moment, the demon attacking him whipped out its wings and caught him dead center. Ditheous flew back and fell into Joseph.
Ditheous recovered, jumped back to his feet and flew at the demon. “Would you die already?!” Ditheous shouted as he dug his claws into the demon’s chest.
The demon hissed and struggled against the giant claw eating its way into his flesh, but otherwise remained remarkably … fit.
“These things are starting to fucking bother me,” Joseph cried out, landing a roundhouse kick to the demon closest to him.
“Yes, I must agree with your Second,” Andre said, as he, too, defended himself against an attacking demon. “They are amazingly resilient, aren’t they?”
“Razuth, Pestil, Agon, Blethyn, be gone!” Aega shouted, ignoring the lead demon’s cry of rage. “Crawl back into that hole you came from. I revoke your entrance.”
One by one the snarling, spitting, attacking demons, vanished in a puff of thick smoke, until only the single demon remained, eyeing Aega with untold hatred. “You do not have my name to revoke my entrance, little girl,” it taunted.
Aega sighed. “I do not need your name, demon. I have no intention of revoking your entrance. I still need satisfaction.”
The demon stared at her quizzically a moment before Aega thrust her dagger into its chest.
The demon’s mouth opened in shock as its chest began to smoke and sizzle. It began to shake and scream as it was consumed by flames. Within seconds all that was left was a pile of gray ash.
“Now that, that was satisfying.” Aega picked up her dagger, wiped it on her pant leg and sheathed it back at her waist.
“Introductions. Introductions are in order, now,” Andre said excitedly, as he shifted back into human form. He shook out his black hair and let it settle over his shoulders like a blanket of midnight. He smiled at Aega, his eyes sparkling like stars.
Aega let her eyes wander over Andre’s naked form and smiled. He was beautiful; hard, muscled, gorgeously proportioned, and yet he did not stir her blood the way Ditheous, in his blond glory, did.
“What are you doing here?” Ditheous demanded, suddenly at her side.
She shrugged. “I thought you may need some help” Her eyes swept the room. “Obviously I thought right.”
“That was a neat trick,” Joseph said, sidling up to Aega.
She narrowed her eyes and took a step away from Joseph, much to his, Andre and Ditheous’ amusement.
“You revoked the demons,” Ditheous observed coolly.
“Yes, I believe I did.�
�� Aega kept her gaze level with Ditheous. She did not so much as flinch from his cold stare.
“You knew their names from the beginning?” Ditheous asked.
Aega inclined her head.
“And you just let them attack us,” Ditheous finished dryly.
Her mouth curved up in a smile. “Oh, aren’t we picky? Were you not the one who told me once that you did not need saving?” She laughed at Ditheous’ outraged expression. “I revoked them the moment I realized that they were not playing fair.”
“What do you mean?” Andre asked.
Aega sighed. This was not the place to get into this conversation. “Could we retire to someplace more … comfortable?”
Ditheous and Andre’s brows rose.
“Your place or mine?” Andre asked with a small smile.
* * * *
Aega smoothed a hand down her hair and smiled tightly at the two men who eyed her so warily.
The moment Ditheous, Andre, Joseph and Aega had made it back to Ditheous’ lair, Joseph had been excused.
“The reason those demons were so … difficult … so very resilient was because they had kali tihi,” Aega began.
Andre frowned. “Kali Tihi?”
“Good luck,” Ditheous murmured.
Aega’s eyes widened in surprise, although why she was surprised, she didn’t quite know. He was Persephone’s blood kin.
“That is correct. Somehow, they were blessed. They were given kali tihi. A gift such as that is precious. A blessing bestowed makes the wearer of that blessing nearly indestructible.”
“How did they get the blessing?” Andre asked. “And for that matter, why would anyone bless a demon?”
Aega stiffened. “That is the question, isn’t it?”
“But you killed one of them,” Ditheous said, folding his arms across his chest.
Aega fingered the blade at her waist. “With a blade forged by Hephaestus himself. A blessed blade, it will negate even the strongest of luck,” Aega finished with a small smile.
Andre whistled. He leaned toward her. “Who … what … the hell are you?” He sniffed. “You’re not dead, you’re not one of mine … what are you?”
“I believe Ditheous asked that of me, once.” Aega murmured.
“And I believe you skirted the answer even then.”
Aega looked between Ditheous and Andre and came to a decision. It was time. They would have to know, Ditheous especially. Goddess knew how Persephone would react when she found out about Aega’s decision. But at this moment, Aega didn’t particularly care what the Queen of the Underworld thought. She was only doing her blood kin a disservice by keeping him so in the dark about his own fate.
He had a right to know.
“I am Aega, daughter of Helios, daughter of Gaea,” she said simply.
Andre’s brow wrinkled.
Ditheous merely stared.
She frowned. Had they not heard her? What was with their expressions?
*
Ditheous tilted his head to one side and blinked, once, twice. If she had revealed that she was the second coming of Christ, he couldn’t have been more surprised.
Oh, he had known she was unique … even otherworldly. Her visage alone was testimony to that fact. But this … this was too incredible to fathom.
A Goddess … a Goddess on earth. What in the seven circles of hell was she doing here?
He shot a look over at Andre, who still wore an expression of bewilderment on his face. Poor Andre. He was Kitar of his clan and yet had no knowledge of the world above. How could he? He was a creature of the earth.
Indeed, Ditheous would be just as in the dark as Andre was if not for his bizarre and rather dysfunctional lineage.
Few knew of Ditheous’ private burden; to be the direct spawn of the curse that started the torment known as vampirism. To claim blood with the Gods … it never turned out well.
He should have known. He should have known that, even in his death, his world would only become more complicated … harder still to have a semblance of life. “I believe, Andre, that you should go,” Ditheous murmured.
Andre sputtered indignantly.
Ditheous sighed. “It is for the best. I promise that I shall reveal it all to you, later. But first, Aega and I have a lot to discuss.”
Andre looked between Ditheous and Aega and what he saw pass between them gave him pause.
He nodded curtly. “Fine, but I will expect you, and the explanation, soon.”
Ditheous nodded. “You will get it. We have yet to locate Rochelle.”
Andre made his way to the door. He cast one more wary look in Ditheous and Aega’s direction, before shutting the door firmly behind him.
Ditheous turned to Aega then. “So, what does a Goddess want of me?”
Chapter Six
Aega smiled beatifically. She could no longer resist. She moved to sit beside Ditheous’ tense body. One slender hand reached out to caress his cold, hard, cheek.
Ditheous stiffened. But his head moved into her caress.
“Ditheous, pack master of Triex, how you must tempt the Gods with such a face.” Aega traced her fingers across his full lips.
He was so beautiful.
Ditheous sighed. Her touch was feather light, and yet he could feel the caress throughout his rapidly heating body.
“What business have you with me, Goddess?”
Aega’s smile broadened. She dipped her head into the crook of his neck and lightly licked the pulse that beat slowly there.
Ditheous jumped and clenched his teeth.
Aega sighed. He was a temptation, a temptation that she no longer wished to resist. Why could she not but have a little taste? It had been so long, so long since she had felt this way toward anyone.
Watching him, fighting by his side, had stoked a fire that had lain dormant for so long within her.
She wanted him.
“I am not to be trifled with, little Goddess. Do not play with me,” Ditheous murmured. His breath caught as Aega sucked his earlobe into her warm, wet, mouth.
“What makes you think I’m playing with you?”
Ditheous growled. “When the Gods and Goddesses deign attention to the affairs of earth, it is naught but play.
“Ah, but it is different with me, Ditheous.” Aega quickly straddled his lap. She shook out her hair. It fell like a heavy blanket of snow around her.
Ditheous narrowed his eyes. He clenched his hands into tight fists beside him. He longed to touch her, to make sure she was real, and not just some incredible fantasy. “It is never different. It never shall be different, little Goddess. There is a chasm as vast as eternity between the heaven and earth, and you and I…”
“You and I, what?” Aega speared her hands into his thick wheat hair and breathed the scent of him in. “What…? Tell me, Ditheous.”
“You are a Goddess…”
“Yes.” Aega ran her hands down his chest and slowly began to unbutton his shirt.
Ditheous sighed. “And I am a Vampyre. I am cursed. Cursed, and it is not likely to be forgotten by those above.”
“I do not ask the ones above for permission, Ditheous.” Aega pulled off his shirt and gloried in the hard, smooth, texture of his naked chest. “I do not need their permission to feel as I do.”
Ditheous could no longer hold himself back. He settled his hands on Aega’s hips and secured her more firmly against his body.
“And how do you feel?” he asked. He stared deeply into her turbulent, amber eyes.
“I feel lust, Ditheous. And it is something I thought to never feel again.” Shedrew her mouth down to his and breathed softly against his lips. “I fear watching you has made me … lust again.”
Ditheous smiled a true smile. “I think you must have some nymph in you.”
Aega smiled seductively. She sinuously rose from his lap. With nimble fingers she pulled down the zipper to her bodysuit, peeling the two sides of fabric away from her body.
Smooth, unblemished, pale
flesh was revealed.
“Oh God,” Ditheous breathed out reverently.
Aega shook her head. “Goddess … Ditheous, oh Goddess.”
Ditheous’ eyes twinkled. He reached for her.
She stepped out of her bodysuit and into the circle of his arms. Her head fell back and she moaned at the first feather-light touch of his hands upon her skin.
He smoothed his hands down Aega’s sides. He learned the supple planes of her, and felt the mounting heat within his body.
Even his cold body could be stoked to burn. Ah, but Goddess, it had been a long time since he had felt such warmth run through his cold veins. Blessed be the Goddess that had returned his flame.
Ditheous ran his fingers between her legs and tickled the sparse, pale, hair that covered her delectable pussy.
She was so damned beautiful.
“Ditheous…” Aega moaned, wriggling suggestively against his teasing hand.
He smiled and scooted to the edge of the couch. He used his long index finger to trace the length of her slit. Droplets of dewy moisture coated his finger.
“You are wet for me already,” Ditheous murmured, entranced by the sight of her.
“I…” she swallowed, “I told you … I lust.”
Ditheous slowly, ever so slowly, began to insert one finger into her waiting pussy. “Yes, you did say that…”
Aega gasped and immediately her inner muscles clenched his fingers, silently begging for more.
“It can be a great thing, lust.” Ditheous swirled his finger around her depths. Feeling the soft folds of her gripping his finger was making the blood rise in his body. The need for satisfaction, complete satisfaction, was very nearly overwhelming.
“Oh … oh…” Aega gasped.
“Is that all you can manage, little Goddess? You were much more vocal earlier this eve.”
She thrust her hips against his hand. “More. I want more. Now.” Her voice was commanding.
Ditheous chuckled as he thrust two more fingers into her dripping flesh.
Aega’s legs buckled.
Ditheous caught her easily, and brought her down to the ground. He spread her legs wide, and stared. His eyes devoured every contour, every plane … every sparkling surface of her.
With her eyes upon him, he stripped. Under her hot gaze he grew harder still.
