by Amy Sumida
My husbands shuffled uneasily as my words broke through their possessiveness.
“I love you guys, but I have no intention of ever loving you guys,” Azrael said.
“Agreed,” Trevor growled and reluctantly handed me over to Re. “You bring her back to Pride Palace as soon as the Lust is sated.”
“Don't worry, Wolf Prince,” I could hear the smirk in Re's voice, “she's in good hands.”
And then we were riding the Aether to Aaru; specifically, Re's Egyptian palace. As soon as we reformed inside his living room, Re set me in a stiff-backed chair with wings for armrests and ran from the palace. I blinked in surprise until I realized that he'd gone to warn the Spirits of the Corn; the three sister goddesses who lived nearby. I got to my feet and stumbled up the stairs, but I couldn't make it. I crumpled as I reached the top landing, lying across the cool marble steps like a broken doll.
“Vervain!” Re raced up behind me and helped me to my feet. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to get to the golden Room of Requirement, the suite of pleasurable pursuits and perversions that you call a bedroom,” I teased him, but my smile was strained.
“Oh, La-la,” Re sighed as he carried me into his enormous bedroom.
A round bed dominated the center of the room, placed perfectly over a gold sun inlay on the floor, and surrounded by a veil of sheer, white curtains. There was a dais to the left of the bed, full of sexual paraphernalia; everything from phalluses to freaky furniture. To the right of the bed, there was a sitting area that looked a little out of place simply for its mundanity. The tower room was encircled by a balcony and arches in the walls opened to it, letting in a gentle breeze that did nothing to cool my raging heat. Thankfully, Re took me straight to the bed.
He laid me down on the silk sheets and quickly undressed me. Even the feel of the silk on my skin was torture. Lust had filled my body completely, and I was a second away from bursting with the magic. I moaned, trying to lay very still. I was afraid that any motion would trigger the release.
“It's okay, La-la,” Re whispered as he laid his naked body over mine. “The sisters have left the territory, and there's no one around for you to hurt. Let it go, my love.”
With a moan of relief, I did. I released my hold on the lust magic, and it burst out of me in an orgasmic wave that sent me straight into an epileptic fit of pleasure. Re jerked forward as the magic hit, sliding inside me to the hilt with one thrust, and we came together with a shivering earthquake of sensation. We gasped through it, but it didn't stop there. As soon as Re had emptied himself, he instantly hardened again and started pounding into me wildly. I grabbed his shoulders, wrapped my legs around his waist, and urged him deeper.
Lust pulsed from me in a red haze, overpowering the glow that was rising from the joining of our other magics; Re's Sun and my Moon. It all became one blinding glare that forced our eyes shut and our bodies into mindless motion. The pleasure was beyond comprehension, but it drove us with cruel tenacity. We rolled; taking turns at taking pleasure while we filled our hands and mouths with each other, moaning around twining tongues and salty skin.
Even after the first wave was satisfied, we couldn't stop. It merely lessened in intensity, giving us enough sense to draw out the pleasure. Re used every trick in his extensive repertoire with precision and delight. He wrapped me in the silk curtains, lifting my body over the bed to make love to me mid-air. He bent me over his golden throne, and teased me with locks of my own hair. He even strapped a vibrator to me and dangled me upside-down in a swing, while he laid beneath me. That one had me a bit confused until Re eased my mouth over his erection and set me to slowly spinning. I was still coming when he finally carried me back to the bed and hit the lever that lifted the platform up to the roof of his palace.
As day began to climb over the horizon, Re made love to me tenderly, taking his time to bring back my Moon's glow. The Sun beneath his skin was stronger than the sunrise, and it blended with the silver shine of my magic. The red haze of Lust had finally abated, and we were able to look upon the glory of our blended light as we brought forth the heavens inside us.
“I love you, La-la,” Re whispered into my ear.
And heaven burned even brighter.
Chapter Five
My husbands had apprised Kirill of the events on Olympus, and where I'd had to go because of them. But they had waited for Re and me to return before they began discussing what to do about Eros. We gathered around the new, enlarged dining table I'd made with transmutation magic recently. Our four-seater set had grown impractical for us, and there was plenty of space in front of the kitchenette for a larger piece. This one sat eight and had enough surface area to hold a Thanksgiving feast. Currently, all it had on it were our mugs of coffee.
“Nyet,” Kirill said.
“That's it; nyet?” Trevor asked.
“Zat's all zat needs be said.”
“Fair enough.” Trevor chuckled.
“This is not something you can simply say no to.” Re rolled his eyes at them. “We all love Vervain; I understand that, but this is her magic; an integral part of her.”
“The rest of her magic is sustaining the Love,” Trevor said. “She'll be fine.”
“So, you're willing to let an innocent man die because you don't want our wife kissing him?” Azrael snapped.
The outburst surprised us all. Az had been quiet through most of the proceedings on Olympus, but now he was voicing his feelings ferociously. It didn't surprise me that he was taking the kinder pat, only that he was doing so with such force. Few people realized this, but the Angel of Death was also the Angel of Compassion. Out of all of my men; Azrael was the most kind-hearted. Lately, however, he'd been acting a little strangely; more pensive than usual and sometimes aggressive.
“It matters not,” Odin said. “Vervain's other magics may be sustaining Love for now, but what do you think will happen once its counterpart dies? Look at the effect it had on her with that single kiss. This is not something we can ignore.”
They all went quiet.
Lesya, who Kirill had put down on a blanket to play with her toys, began to cry. I went over and picked her up, bouncing her back to calm as I cooed to her. But inside, I was in a panic. I didn't know if I could kiss Eros again without taking things further... much further. I had barely made it to Aaru. But I didn't want to tell that to my men. Because no matter what they said, I knew I would return to Eros. Azrael was right; I couldn't let an innocent man die, not if I had it within my power to save him.
“How does zis happen to you?” Kirill huffed. “First Trevor, and now Eros.”
“Hey, you Intare would go nutso without her,” Trevor huffed. “I think you should count the lions into that equation.”
“This is not a running tally,” Odin snapped. “This is the life we share with our wife.”
“And call me foolish, but I don't want to share it with yet another man,” Trevor snapped back.
I eased back with Lesya and then headed for the stairs on the right side of the room. They went up to Azrael's and Odin's bedrooms, but before they made it to those two levels, they mad a pit-stop at Lesya's room. That's where I took my daughter. Her bedroom was a rectangular space set above the balcony. It had a narrow window that overlooked my bedroom and a much larger one that showcased a view of Pride territory. One glance through the inner window showed me that the men had yet to realize that I had left. I huffed some hair out of my face and took Lesya to her play area, where a rocking-dragon (think rocking-horse, except with a dragon) waited to give her a ride. I put her in the dragon's saddle, and Lesya giggled as she wriggled her little body in excitement.
“You're a lucky girl,” I told her as I moved the rocking-dragon on its curved base. “You have so many people who love you. This dragon came from your Uncle Arach. You don't get to see him a lot, but he loves you too.” I kissed her cheek. “That's what's important, baby; the love. Remember that when you get older. Love above all else; sometimes ev
en loyalty. Because when you have love, no matter what happens in your life, you'll be able to endure it. It's a powerful magic, even when it isn't magical.”
“Listen to your mother,” Trevor said as he came into the room with the other men, “she's a smart woman.” Trevor kissed my cheek and then Lesya's. “We're sorry, Minn Elska.”
“It's okay,” I said it to all of them. “I don't want this either. But hopefully, it will be a minor inconvenience that will have major benefits... and not just for Eros. I feel stronger. I think that the connection helped me too.”
“Of course, it did,” Odin agreed. “And you need to keep the connection going. You have my support, Vervain.”
“Thank you, Odin,” I smiled softly at him.
“He's lasted for years without her,” Odin said to the others. “This won't be like it is with Trevor; a monthly thing. That one moment will probably sustain Eros for a decade.”
The men processed this with widening eyes and hopeful looks at each other.
“Well, that changes things, doesn't it?” Azrael asked them. “It makes it a bit easier to endure.”
“Okay, you can kiss silly Greek god,” Kirill huffed.
Lesya giggled and held her arms out to her father. Kirill broke under her cuteness and lifted Lesya from the dragon's back. He carried our daughter around the room, swinging her like she was flying. Lesya's giggling increased, making the other men smile.
“We'll take it as we do everything else,” Trevor said, “as it comes.”
“As long as Eros doesn't come inside Vervain,” Re muttered under his breath.
We all looked at him in shock.
“Oh please,” Re huffed. “You were all thinking it.”
Chapter Six
“Is it safe to come in?” Morpheus called through the shut bedroom door.
We were back at the kitchen table, actually eating this time. Kirill looked at the platter of fried chicken and bowl of biscuits and then rolled his eyes.
“It's like he has food sensor,” Kirill said. “It goes off vhen someone he knows cooks.”
“I heard that!” Morpheus opened the door. His eyes went straight to the chicken, and he started to smile. “I happen to have impeccable timing.”
Morph strode over to the table and snatched up a drumstick. We stared at him, waiting for him to finish his bite so he could tell us why he was there. It was Lesya who finally got him to speak. She must have sensed our irritation, and it compelled her to toss a chicken bone at Morpheus. It hit him smack dab in the center of his chest.
“Hey!” Morpheus grimaced at Lesya as she giggled.
“Lesya, don't throw things,” I chided her gently. “But also; that was a good shot, baby.”
She gave a little huff and started eating again.
“Well?” Trevor asked Morpheus. “What happened after we left?”
“What?” Morpheus asked, and then his expression cleared. “Oh! Right. Well, Eros grabbed a few of Apollo's muses and ran out of the temple. Apollo was not happy, but no one wanted Eros releasing his magic in the middle of Olympus, so he got away with it.”
“So, it's a coordinating effect,” I noted.
“You had to go...” Morph cleared his throat. “Uh; release the magic too?”
“Oh yes,” Re purred with lazy satisfaction. “We released it all night.”
“If you shove that in our face again, Sunny-Boy, I'm gonna shove my fist into your face,” Trevor growled.
“Whoa,” Morpheus murmured. “You satisfied Lust with just the two of you? That's impressive.”
“I've been told that before,” Re said smugly. “It's a colossal understatement, of course.”
Trevor punched Re in the face.
“What the hell?” Re snarled as he held a golden hand to his injured cheek.
Re's face was still intact, so Trevor hadn't really been trying to hurt him. Still, it had been startling. Lesya let out a shocked yip and then began to cry. I picked her up, bouncing her as fried chicken bits fell from her wailing face, and glared at Trevor.
“What? I warned him,” Trevor huffed. “I don't make empty threats; you know that.”
“I wasn't referencing last night”—Re's hand began to glow as he focused on Trevor—“just my extraordinary sexual prowess in general. But if you think that just because I'm an exceptional lover, it means that I'm not a skilled fighter, you are sorely mistaken. In fact, you will be very sore, very soon.”
“Hey!” I shouted, and Lesya started full-on screaming. “Do you see this?” I waved to Lesya, and then cooed at her. “Easy, honey; it's okay. Your uncles are just being idiots. Look; everybody's okay.”
I turned Lesya to face the table, and everyone gave her strained smiles. She hiccuped and sniffed, then laid her head on my chest and watched everyone warily. I rocked her and sent another glare at the men.
“If anyone ever gets violent around Lesya again,” I said in a sweet tone, “I will go medieval on them; as in chastity belt. Do you all understand me?”
A muttered chorus of assent was my answer.
“Good,” I said as I resumed my seat. Lesya was falling asleep after her outburst, so I lowered my voice. “Now, Morpheus, was there anything else that we should know about?”
“Yeah, um. Do you think I could get a drink? My throat's a little dry.”
“The fridge is exactly where it's always been,” Trevor growled.
“Thanks.” Morpheus hurried over to the fridge and got himself a soda. He took a few gulps before he started speaking again. “So, I waited for Eros to return. I figured I'd better speak to him in private, and get the low-down for you.”
“Thank you, Morph. I appreciate that,” I said gently.
“Sure thing, V.” Morpheus' smile returned in full force. “Anyway, I caught Eros on his way home this morning. He said; now that your magic has bonded, it will need to feed regularly. Aphrodite had a standing date with him on New Year's Eve, but he's willing to work with your schedule.”
“Once a year,” I said to my men. “It's not once a decade, but it's not so bad.”
“Yeah, uh,” Morpheus interrupted. “Eros said that the yearly thing will work just fine once the magic calms down.”
“Calms down?” Trevor asked. His eyes were starting to glow.
“Because they've been separated so long, the magics are now in a state of extreme stimulus.” Morpheus looked uncomfortable. “You may experience sudden surges of Love or Lust at any given moment.”
“Are you saying that I could randomly cause an orgy?” I held my hand over Lesya's exposed ear as I asked. Not like she could hear us (she was passed out now) or understand us if she did, but still.
“You might.” Morpheus grimaced.
“Chyort voz'mi,” Kirill cursed.
“It's okay to curse in other languages?” Trevor asked hopefully. “Cause I have a few good Norse sayings that would come in handy in times like this.”
“No; it's not.” I gave Kirill a look.
“She sleeps.” Kirill waved a hand toward Lesya.
“I know, but I wanted to clarify that it's not okay when she's awake,” I said.
“Da; I know,” Kirill huffed. “I am her father, Vervain. I can decide vhat's best for our child too.”
“Then do that, especially when you're about to speak,” I shot back.
“Oh snaps.” Morpheus whistled.
Kirill glowered at me.
“You're both parents; woohoo, we get it. Newsflash, people, any healthy couple can do it, and making a baby doesn't suddenly make you an expert on children,” Odin growled. “We are all trying to do right by Lesya, and the process will involve failures—lots of failures. So, ease up on each other.”
Kirill and I nodded a little grudgingly. Babies are like religion; everyone has their own beliefs on how they should be dealt with, and things get heated when those beliefs don't line up with someone else's.
“Good.” Odin nodded. “Now, can we get back to the bit about the possible orgies?�
�
“You're finally seeing things my way, Allfather.” Re slapped Odin on the shoulder, and Odin glared at Re. “Oh, come on. I'm joking. We'll be fine, everyone. We got through that mating heat.”
“How long will this instability last?” Azrael asked Morpheus.
“Eros isn't sure,” Morph said. “But he did say that if you'd just let things take their course with him, the magic would be satisfied for the rest of the year.”
“Nyet,” Kirill said again.
“That's not an option,” I translated.
“Eros thought you might feel that way.” Morpheus chuckled. “He asked me to tell you that he's thought of another way for the magic to find satisfaction.”
“Nyet!” Kirill slashed his hand down for good measure.
Lesya stirred, and I glared at her father. He looked chastised but still angry.
“What way?” I asked Morpheus.
“This is going to sound really bad, but hear me out before you start shouting.” Morpheus stared at the men until they nodded. “Eros says that he practices Tantric sex.” Morph held up a hand when the men started to mumble. “He says there are steps toward sex that aren't sexual; you just sit and breathe with each other, and then embrace. He thinks it may serve as a deep enough connection to satisfy your magics.”
“Oh.” I blinked and then looked at my men. “What do you guys think?”
“I think it's a good theory,” Odin said. “I've researched the art before, and I believe Eros may be onto something. There is a bond that's established between partners before the act of sex takes place. It's a communion between souls; an even deeper connection than the physical.”
“I don't know if I like that either,” Trevor noted.
“It wouldn't be their souls bonding in this instance,” Odin explained. “It would be their magics. I think it's the best solution for dealing with this without sex being involved.”
“Okay,” Trevor gave in. “If you think this could work, Odin, I trust you.”
