by Jean Murray
He thought his insides were twisted? Hers were on fire. It had been over a week since she drank his blood, and she could still feel the power coursing through her veins. Similar to the first time, it was dark and electrifying. Her senses were heightened in both taste and smell, but her ability to sense gods close by had expanded exponentially. She knew he was approaching their room even before he opened the door. Even before he touched her, her body responded to him, ached for his touch. She sensed his thoughts. His taste was still the most delicious thing she had ever experienced.
“You’re breaking your rules, my love.” She pulled her arms out from under his body to run her hands through his soft black waves.
“It is worth it,” he said with a genuine smile. Although he was exhausted, Lilly could see the happiness in his eyes. She also knew what he was trying to convey to her without saying it directly, but she wanted to hear it from his lips. She wanted to hear that she affected him as much as he did her. Although her life had been considerably shorter than his, she too, had searched for the euphoria love could give.
She’d been drawn to him instantly, her destiny written. It didn’t matter that she was made for him by the Mother Goddess. She didn’t regret not having control over her life. The reward she received, the man she was made for, was everything she had ever wanted and more. She couldn’t imagine living life without him.
Asar shifted his weight off to the side, leaving Lilly breathless and wanting. “We do need our rest.”
She grunted. He never put his love into words. The very thing she desired to hear. She shook off her displeasure. “Then you best put us to rest, or I will have my way with you.”
He wrapped his large arms around her and pulled her in tight to his chest. “Sweet dreams.”
Held tightly in his arms she felt the heavy wave of sleepiness wrap around her. Drifting off into her dreamscape, she heard his faint whisper. “You are my soul, my world, fair Lilly. Tonight, we will be…”
CHAPTER forty-nine
Lilly shook off sleep like a heavy hangover. The room was dimly lit by the torches gracing the walls. So it was night. Her hand immediately went to her side to find the Egyptian, silk sheets empty.
God, she wasn’t dreaming was she? She was in the paradise isle of the afterlife and deeply in love with the God of the Underworld. She and her sisters were the very contradiction to those who lived in this plane. They were the only living, breathing humans and demi-gods. Despite her sense of honor to be here, she still expected to wake up with her mate at her side. Celebration or not, she had not seen him in over a week.
The servants immediately rushed to her side. “Madame, did you have a restful sleep?”
She rubbed her eyes. She was surprisingly refreshed, which was unusual. “Yes, thank you.” She tried to feel Asar with her senses, but his familiar energy was not in close proximity. “Did Asar leave long ago?”
“No, Madame. The Lord woke only an hour ago and asked that you not be disturbed.” The servant paused waiting for her to respond. Lilly nodded.
“We must get you ready for the celebration. If you would, please step this way, Madame.” The servant gestured to the private bath. The scent of lavender floated into the room, easing some of her irritation. “Tonight’s preparation will take a little longer than normal occasions require.”
She felt less than enthusiastic about the whole ordeal, but after the battle and a week of hardly any sleep, it felt good to be pampered for once. A full body grooming of hair, nail, wax, and pedicure awaited. She felt a hundred times better when they were finished. Her skin and hair glowed. Looking in the mirror, she chuckled. “Remind me to thank my mate. This was at his request, wasn’t it?”
The lead servant grinned before she answered. “Oh, yes, Madame.”
Lilly thought she caught a hint of something in the young woman’s eyes, but the servant scurried off before she could read her. It must be all the excitement about the celebration. She accepted the robe handed to her and preceded back into the bed chamber.
“Oh, my god.” The servant stood in front of her with the most ornate gown, made of the finest white silk she had ever seen. Intricate embroidery and small groupings of gold beads trimmed the length of the dress. The material wrapped around the front of her chest and crossed over in the back down around her hips. The coverage on her torso was minimal, leaving all but her breasts exposed. “What am I? The goddess of the Cinderella ball?”
Not one zipper or closure existed on the dress. It literally wrapped around her body in a single piece from top to bottom. The skirt of the dress fell in panels around her legs, which fanned out when she turned, revealing her long legs. Similar to the top, it barely covered her privates.
“Are there panties to go with this?” She got her answer when the servants broke out in a chorus of giggles. “Geez! Au natural, it is then.”
Her gown was finished off with her pectoral necklace, thick gold bands on her upper arms, and similarly beaded, white silk sandals.
“My luck, I’ll sneeze myself right out of this dress,” she commented more to herself than the servants doting around her. One of the servants turned her to the mirror. Lilly gasped. She placed her hands on her abdomen and then her hips. Her blonde hair had been pulled up off her shoulders, wrapped intricately around her head, and weaved through a gold tiara. Her eyes were heavily outlined in black smoky eyeliner and mascara that made her green irises glow.
If there was ever a time she felt special, it was this moment. Looking at herself in the mirror reminded her of the time she first saw her mother. The Mother Goddess’ beauty had been exquisitely wrapped in an aura that cascaded around her like a halo. But, it wasn’t her mother she was staring at, it was her own reflection. She looked like a goddess. Felt like one.
She choked on the tears that threatened to destroy all the work they had done. She fanned her face with her hands. Turning away from the mirror, she placed her hand on her pounding heart. She took a deep breath and chastised herself for getting so emotional. “Get a grip.”
The servants bowed and scurried out of the room, leaving her to deal with her own little melodrama. She jumped when there was a heavy knock at the door.
“Hey, get the lead out of your ass!” Kit yelled from the other side.
Yanking open the door, she found Kit and Kendra decked out with similar dresses. Not quite as extravagant as hers, but beautifully elegant. Lilly sighed with some relief.
“Thank god I’m not the only one dressed up like this.” She appraised Kendra, whose usually unkempt and crazy hair had been smoothed straight, giving her auburn hair a natural gloss. “Kendra, you look great! Kit, beautiful.”
“A huge step from leather dominatrix wear,” Kit said.
Kendra face reddened. “Dang if I don’t have a stitch of undergarments on underneath, though. Some god’s idea of easy access?”
Lilly laughed at her younger sister’s offhanded comment. “Not to worry, Kendra. We’re all in the same boat.”
Kit shrugged. “I hardly ever wear underwear anyway. Seems natural to me. Maybe Kendra will get laid tonight? Hell, maybe I’ll get laid.”
Lilly shook her head. Some things never change. She knew her middle sister was less than receptive to having her powers released. Although known for her promiscuity, Kit would avoid sex with a god to evade her destiny. Her virgin sister, Kendra, had a higher probability of undergoing the change with Kit following third, kicking and screaming.
She remembered her mother’s words. The war would not end until their powers were released and Bakari was awoken. Lilly would give Kit time to adjust to her destiny, but there would be a limit. Her sister couldn’t avoid her role in this war forever or it would cost them all.
Lilly pushed the negative thought out of her head. Tonight was a celebration of victory and the last thing she wanted to do was dwell on the war. “Have either of you seen Asar? He left several hours ago, and I haven’t heard or sensed him.”
Her sisters laced their a
rms with hers. “Come’on. The party is getting started. We’ll meet him at the palace entrance next to the gardens,” Kit said.
The sisters walked as a threesome through the stone palace.
“This is going to be so much fun. No one would believe us if we told them we partied with the Gods of the Underworld,” Kendra squealed.
Lilly snorted. “I can hardly believe it myself some times. I’m still waiting to wake up from my dream.” Kit frowned, but she managed to correct it in time. Her sisters let go of her arms in a well-choreographed handoff, but Asar was nowhere to be found. Kit and Kendra jetted out the door without her.
Irritated that her sisters had ditched her, Lilly walked down the steps. The ebb of power from several thousand gods emanated over the garden’s green wall. Her heart hammered in her chest. She didn’t want to face all of those gods without Asar by her side. His dark essence floated nearby in the night air, but she still couldn’t see him. Making it to the center of the garden, she turned in slow circles searching the shadowy vegetation.
“Asar?”
“Lilly.”
His voice fell over her like a smooth spell. She turned to follow the voice and vibration of dark energy. Heat rippled through her body at the sight of him. Molten energy flashed around her and lit up the garden path. He was the most gorgeous thing she had ever seen.
Dressed in his finest uniform made of dark navy material with gold ribbon trim, Asar looked like the all-powerful god he was. Thick gold bands wrapped around his bulging biceps, and a large gold belt cinched his waist. The elegant cloth draped his chest and fell in panels down to his knees. His feet were clad with leather sandals. To finish the effect, a band of gold encircled the crown of his head.
He strode forward. She could barely blink, let alone move her feet. His body came to rest just inches from hers. He traced the line of her jaw with his fingertips.
“You are beautiful.” He voice felt smooth and seductive. She shuddered a breath. Tears burned the backs of her eyes. “You are so handsome. I…” His fingers went to her mouth, but soon replaced them with his soft lips. She closed her eyes and savored the moment of their touch. It left her breathless, just as his first kiss did. Eyes closed, she whispered, “Am I dreaming?”
“Open your eyes. You will see that you are not dreaming, I promise you.”
She focused once again on her beautiful mate. Truly a god in every sense, it infused every aspect of his being. “I am so lucky to have you,” she sighed. His eyes glistened in response to her statement. A mix of satisfaction, and… No, it couldn’t be, she thought. Nervousness. She had never known him to be anxious about anything. Tense and angry, yes, but nervous? Never. And, then her answer came.
“You could not be more wrong. It is I who am blessed to have you in my life.” The eyes that looked at her were dark and complex, shifting to various colors and shades of black. “You are my life,” Asar said in an unnaturally deeper voice.
He rested his hand over his heart. The very heart she grew with the energy of her love for him. His other hand cupped her chin. “I want to live an eternity with you. I want to have children with you, raise a family of our own, together. I want to declare in front of the world of gods that you are the love of my life.”
She stopped breathing. The words she had longed to hear fell from his lips like magic. She was held frozen in that moment of time, just for a few seconds, but it was incredible. She loved this man, this god, so deeply. He spoke of her own dreams to be with him. “I am yours,” she whispered.
He kissed her. Before pulling away, he let out a hot breath. “Marry me for eternity.”
She frowned. “I thought we were married?” She touched his mark on her chest and then hers on his chest.
Asar smiled and laughed nervously. “We are bonded with our souls as mates. I’m talking marriage, priest, declaration of vows, gods to bear witness. Bind us for eternity.”
She gasped and covered her mouth. He just proposed. But, wait. Did he say eternity? She hadn’t had time to consider the impact of her demi-god status would have on her life span. “Can I even live for an eternity?”
His face fell blank for a second. He touched her cheek. “Yes, if we are bound by the priest’s blessing. We can live with each other forever. Or,” he said cautiously, “if that is too much to ask, we can maintain our current bond.”
Her heart sang in her chest. There would be nothing she would love more than to be with the man she loved— forever. She liked the sound of that.
Asar cleared his throat and shifted nervously on his feet. He seemed to be tormented by her silence. She launched into his arms and laughed with the joy in her heart. “Forever!”
He sighed heavily and pulled her in tighter to his chest. “Gods, do not torture me like that. I would have had to explain to our guests that the wedding was cancelled.”
“Guests?” she gasped. She realized how dense she was this entire evening. No wonder he was acting so funny and had left her in bed alone. He must have wagered that her answer would be yes. Her body started to tremble. Her eyes went immediately to the green hedge, the only thing standing between her and all the gods whose energy poured over her. “Oh. My. God.”
“Gods, actually. Several thousand.”
Nervous meeting one god, let alone several thousand, she clasped on to the large gold bands encircling his muscular arms. “Tell me you love me. Now.”
He grasped her shoulders and pulled her into his chest. He rubbed down the center of the snake that curved gracefully down her back. “I love you, Lilly. You are going to be okay. We do this together. That is how it is supposed to be.”
“Good, you can carry me when I faint.” She giggled, slowly relaxing under his touch. She took a deep breath and exhaled. “I love you.”
The tight lines on his face faded, rid of all the tension from the night. He stepped back and kissed the top of her hand. “Shall we?”
Lilly nodded and wrenched her grip on his hand. She took several more deep breaths to calm her nerves, but the best relief of all was her connection with Asar. He absorbed her excess energy.
They were perfectly made for each other.
* * *
Asar walked forward proudly, his back straight and head held high in the air. He could not be happier than this moment. He had been searching a long time only to find disappointment, pain, and worst of all, betrayal. He had filled his chest with hate and vengeful things. Lilly changed all that. She was the cure for his pain and his darkness, and his key to happiness.
This beautiful woman could not be more different from him. She held the power over his life and asked for nothing, other than his love and respect. She saved his life several times, challenged him on issues, and forced him to think differently about the world. Ideals he had believed in long ago, but lost over the centuries from apathy, returned to the forefront. He had something to love and protect. A sense of worth and dignity.
He looked down at the exquisite goddess that would become his eternal wife and was struck by her beauty. His mind flooded with memories of when he had first looked upon her at the beach. Her golden hair glistened under the moonlight, and her green eyes sparkled with energy. Her smile broadened as she looked at him.
That smile is for me.
He slowed his pace at the entrance to the larger garden. On the other side waited the priest and ceremonial party.
Lilly furrowed her brow. Her gaze darted from him to the entrance and back again.
“Just follow my lead, keep looking at me.” He waved his hand and the small curtain separating them from the ceremony parted. Horns trumpeted. Her hand clamped down harder on his, but otherwise she was steady as a rock.
He walked hand in hand with his mate through the archway of swords, held by the dark warriors and Nehebkau huntresses. His heart filled with warmth when awe flickered through her eyes, and the smile grew brilliant on her face.
“I feel like a queen.”
He looked down at her with all seriousness. �
��After tonight, you will be.”
She stiffened, but pressed forward. She would have more surprises before the night was through. He would ensure she had a lifetime of them.
“Anything else I should know before I say, I do?”
“My sweet, Lilly. You are in for the ride of your eternal life.”
Her emerald eyes sparkled with mischief. “Ride, huh? What did you have in mind?”
The flush of heat washed through her hand into his body, and his groin filled with blood. Thankfully, it stopped short of a full erection. He did not think he could keep a straight face with his penis standing at attention in front of everyone. “Keep those thoughts to a minimum until the ceremony is over. I do not want to embarrass myself.”
She glanced down. “Whoops. It would certainly make things interesting.”
He snorted, but tightened his expression as he approached the steps. Inpu waited at the top dressed in a black ceremonial robe. Lilly loosened her grip and turned to hug her sisters, and Nebt. Her eyes naturally gravitated back to him, and never left through the entire ceremony when Inpu blessed the union between them. Asar could hear the flutter of her heart and his as they were bound for eternity. With her pale hand in his, Asar turned to the crowd below and raised their joined hands in the air.
The crowd of gods erupted into cheers that echoed across paradise. Her gleaming green eyes looked up at him with elation. “You do realize we, Carrigan sisters, are nothing but trouble?”
Asar glanced down at her gorgeous face and took her into his arms. “That is what I am counting on.”
He sealed their vows with the kiss of time without an end.
Please turn the page for an exciting sneak peek
of the next novel in
Jean Murray’s
Key to the Cursed Series
SOUL AWAKENED
Spring 2015
SOUL AWAKENED
KEY TO THE CURSED
BOOK 2
