by Xenia Melzer
“Then we’d better get it over with. Casto, can you pour us some wine?”
Casto bowed his head slightly to show his consent.
The demigods relaxed on two opposite lounges while Casto offered them the wine cups with his usual grace.
When he was done, Renaldo thanked him with a nod and sent him on his way. “You can leave now, Casto. Take a bath. That should soothe your mind.”
One of Casto’s brows went up. “I thank you, Barbarian. Lord Canubis.” His voice was full of sarcasm, but he bowed to the Wolf of War, who nodded at him kindly.
“I’ll see you later, Casto.”
When Casto had vanished into the adjacent room, Canubis chided his brother. “What exactly was that all about? Not that I didn’t get some fun out of this, but you really had me worried for a moment.”
Renaldo’s gaze was dark. “It was merely another exciting day with Casto. You just had the bad luck to get in between. But now I’m really glad I didn’t punish him as I’d planned. He would have never forgiven me. Damn, this is all so messed up. Treating you like he did should get him a serious spanking, especially when I think about how much we’ve been slacking off on discipline recently. But I couldn’t do it. I was literally unable to harm him.”
Canubis patted his little brother’s hand. “I agree with you. And I understand better than you might think. I couldn’t hurt Noemi either. I had to wait for her for too long.”
Renaldo nodded. “Same for me, and I’ve literally just gotten my heart. But it’s so difficult to find the right balance. There’s no way in the world I would want Casto to become a frightened yes-man. But he has to learn to voice his will in a politer way.”
“Surely not an easy task given his short temper. I’m still fascinated about how fast he can work himself into a frenzy.”
Renaldo took a deep sip from his cup. “Not any faster than I do. The only problem is I often have no clue what he’s getting angry about. He’s unpredictable.”
“I hate to tell you this, dear brother, but your heart isn’t easy to read at all. I’ve always thought I was a good judge of character, but Casto shows me my limits. The only thing I’m definitely sure about is that he loves you. Everything else is guesswork. He’s a very mysterious man.”
“He is indeed hard to understand. Sometimes I don’t know why he’s doing things the way he does, and to be frank, I’m glad he’s one of us. He’s dangerous.”
Amber eyes lit up menacingly for a moment. Canubis always knew when his brother was serious, and right at that moment, the Angel of Death was deeply worried. “What do you mean?”
Renaldo returned his brother’s gaze with the masklike expression he always wore when he didn’t want his feelings to show. “He’s a prince who has grown up under horrible circumstances in a city synonymous with power and schemes. He survived because he was stronger than his opponents at a time when he was nothing more than a child. What will become of him when he reaches a position that grants him real power?”
“You mean a position like being the heart of a god?”
“Yes. He already managed to convince Noran to take in Sic again. What will he be capable of once he realizes how much power he commands as soon as he’s validated?”
Canubis put down his wineglass with a click. That was indeed a problem. “Is this the reason why you wanted to punish him? Because you think he could develop in an unwanted manner? Except for his short temper, Casto has a good character. He’s a man of honor. And don’t forget, you’re his master and god. In the end, it’s your will alone that counts.”
Tiredly, Renaldo buried his face in his hands. The past days had been exhausting and he was no longer able to suppress his fears. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that, brother. During the past five years, I’ve broken so many of my own rules where Casto was concerned that I sometimes forget who the master in our relationship is. I’m afraid I’m no longer who I have to be to win this war.”
Never before had Canubis seen his brother so vulnerable, so disheartened. Renaldo was voicing the exact same fears Canubis had harbored ever since he met Noemi. Were they about to lose the severity they needed to defeat the Good Mother? The events of the past days seemed to confirm that.
He placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I know exactly what you’re talking about, Renaldo. I, too, am more lenient toward Noemi than I should be as a God of War. And I’m asking myself, just as you do, whether this is a good thing. But when you listen deep inside you, what does your heart tell you?”
His little brother looked at him with clouded eyes. “It’s been some time since I last listened to myself.”
“Then let’s do it together and find out whether we’ve strayed from our path.”
They joined hands, amber predator eyes lost themselves in the gray depths of Renaldo’s gaze, and together they plunged into the stream of memories, so old and deep, its roots were already forgotten in the land of legends.
Their birth and youth in the Green Lands, their coming of age, the loss of their hearts when Ana-Isara had burned in anger about the inhabitants of Ana-Darasa, the feeling of emptiness that followed and overcoming the problems they had adjusting to it, their first tries as leaders of an army, their victories and defeats, their relocation to the Valley, and the long, lonely years as absolute rulers, feared gods.
Then, some eight hundred years ago: Kalad and Aegid, the first Emeris and brothers like they were; the first reluctant softening of the rules that had been set in stone; and the insight that loyalty could also mean resistance.
Some fifty years later came Hulda, Mother Superior of the Sisters of the Night, a powerful Emeris, a strong female who taught them the true meaning of family. Then over the course of the centuries, Bantu and Cornelia, who brought order and consistency; Wolfstan, who changed their attitude toward the mercenaries; and finally Noran, whose acute sense of aesthetics helped them to understand the beauty of the world.
About a hundred years ago, Noemi Amerasu, the snake witch, appeared. Canubis’s heart and a personality as unrelenting as Hulda, she showed the brothers the value of life.
Every Emeris had taught the warlords something, made them a little more human, taken a small part of their divinity and replaced it with understanding. The demigods had gotten softer over the centuries, more lenient because they no longer viewed the creatures who were born to do their bidding as faceless slaves. But their fight against the Good Mother was a fight about dominance over Ana-Darasa, and everything the Emeris had given them could be swept away as soon as they regained their true powers.
Because that was what this world deserved, according to the will of the Mothers: two absolute rulers, unrelenting gods of war whose merest whim would change the fate of nations. They realized it was immaterial whether they showed mercy or not. In the end, all of them—hearts, Emeris, and humans too—would bow to the will of their gods.
Renaldo spoke first. “Do you think things would have been different if Mother hadn’t taken our hearts?”
Canubis shrugged. He’d pondered that question many times before and come to the conclusion that it didn’t make a difference. Losing their hearts hadn’t changed their nature, only enhanced it. The lenience they showed toward Noemi and Casto was nothing but an expression of their soft side that was nevertheless still ruled by their true nature.
“I don’t think so, brother. But to be honest, I’m glad she did, because otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten to know love so intensely and deeply. The feeling of happiness when Noemi smiles at me compensates for every sacrifice we had to make during the centuries. Perhaps we would have never learned to love if Mother hadn’t done it. Knowing her, it could have been part of her plan.
“You know as well as I do that we aren’t like Ana-Isara and Ana-Aruna at all. Those two are creators, while we bring death and destruction.”
Renaldo sighed. Of course he knew. The Holy Mothers had created themselves, while he and his brother carried the essence of Ana-Darasa inside them and were als
o defined by it. “You’re right. We’re different. And I love Casto so much, it’s driving me crazy. Knowing he’s mine alone is more than I can describe with mere words.”
Smiling, Canubis placed a hand on Renaldo’s shoulder. Seeing his brother so happy almost made him forget the gloomy reason for their discussion.
But only almost.
“So we’re in agreement. We’ve become softer but haven’t lost our bite. Tomorrow at the execution, everybody will see that.”
So saying, Canubis, the Wolf of War, got up and turned to leave. “You’d better take care of your heart. Casto gave the impression he needs some love.” Canubis’s eyes lit up in plain hunger. “I’m going to get my wife.”
Renaldo laughed and turned toward the bath. He, too, needed some loving attention from his mate.
Casto was in the water. He had made himself comfortable on one of the stone lounges. His eyes were closed, and his hair swam like a carpet of exotic seaweed around his head, moving slightly in the swell caused by his breathing.
“May I accompany you?”
The young man opened his eyes lazily, the blue so clear it almost hurt. A challenging smile darted over his lips. “But of course, Barbarian.”
“For someone who so narrowly escaped serious punishment, you’re remarkably saucy.”
The smile deepened on the full, sensuous lips. Casto was definitely on his way back to his old self. “Your advice concerning the bath was very helpful. I’m already feeling a lot better.”
“Obviously well enough to be sarcastic.”
“I’m always like this. I thought you knew that by now.” Casto’s voice was dreamy. “It’s like a reflex. I’m not really accountable for it.”
“Then you should learn to control your reflexes. Among other things, my brother and I have discussed the fact that we’re too lenient toward our underlings.”
Casto got up abruptly. “I wouldn’t care to label what happened yesterday as lenient.”
Now it was Renaldo who flashed a challenging smile. “To tell you the truth, it was bordering on merciful. I can recall times when we left slaves to the wolves with their bellies slit open for far less.”
“Are you threatening me, Barbarian?”
Now Casto stood. The water cascading down his naked body seemed to caress him, something Renaldo was planning to do himself. He smiled disarmingly. Casto’s change of tone hadn’t escaped him. “No, my fierce one, I don’t threaten you, since I already know how futile that is. But in the not too distant future, we’re going to have a discussion about appropriate behavior, you and me.”
Suspicion filled the blue gaze. “Why not now?”
Renaldo darted his tongue hungrily across his lips. “Because right now I have different plans.”
The impact of those words on Casto was overwhelming. A soft red tinged his cheeks, his breath sped up, and his eyes turned cloudy—something that told Renaldo better than words about the state his capricious heart was in, and his cock came alive under Casto’s burning gaze.
Renaldo quickly got rid of his clothes, his own hunger on the verge of animalistic. He looked at Casto. He could count on one hand the few occasions in which they’d had gentle, loving sex. Being with Casto always woke the beast in him, something that didn’t seem to faze the stubborn youth at all, but today Renaldo was feeling merciful and willing to give his lover a choice. “I’d love to take you hard and brutal. But considering all the things that have happened recently, I’m willing to spare you.”
Casto laughed mockingly. “And why would you do that? It’s not as if you’re able to restrain yourself. But if you need a reason, I can give you one.”
Renaldo’s eyes narrowed. “What was that?”
“You understood me well, Barbarian. I was bold and irreverent.”
With a growl, Renaldo seized his lover and pulled him close. “I thought as much. But I’ll give you the chance to make up for it. Submit, and I’ll show you mercy.”
“I should submit to you? Why on Ana-Darasa would I do such a thing?”
Renaldo leaned forward and kissed Casto, invading the young man’s mouth brutally, claiming him completely.
Groaning, Casto snuggled up to him and glided his hands up and down Renaldo’s back, while his nails left burning traces on the skin. Renaldo shoved him against the edge of the pool, wove his right hand into Casto’s wet hair and then bent his head backward to expose Casto’s throat. With his other hand he stroked Casto’s cock and then started to pump while his lips and teeth were busy at Casto’s neck.
A whimper escaped from Casto’s throat, and he bucked his hips into his lover’s hand while Renaldo calmly led him to orgasm. Casto came with a shudder, but Renaldo did not stop stimulating him, knowing full well where Casto’s weak points were. Renaldo grazed Casto’s artery, and in response Casto started to shiver.
Soon, Casto started to plead. “Please, Master, I’m begging you. Take me. I can’t endure this pain any longer.”
Renaldo smiled contently at his lover’s neck. As soon as Casto stooped to calling him master, he had won.
“Are you going to submit to me?”
“Yes. Everything, I’ll do everything you ask. What do you want me to do?”
Renaldo let go of him. He suddenly felt the inclination to draw out the sweet agony. “Get out of the water.” Shivering, Casto obeyed. Renaldo followed him. “Take the oil and apply it. Everywhere.”
Trembling, Casto did as instructed. The oil glistened between his fingers, was warmed by his body heat, and left a silken layer on his skin that felt like a lover’s caress. His master watched every move with the attention of a cat that had discovered a mouse. The hunger in Renaldo’s gaze, the knowledge that he was stoking this hunger with his every movement, forced Casto to the edge of sanity. The familiar lust never grew boring; it inflamed them deeper the more they gave in to it. Now, too, Casto couldn’t wait to submit to the urge. But before he could start begging once again, his master gave him new orders as if he knew exactly how Casto was feeling.
“Now kneel in front of me. Open your mouth.”
When Casto’s soft lips closed around his cock, Renaldo had to gather all his self-restraint not to release immediately. Groaning, he threw his head back. “That’s a good boy. Serve me.”
Those words, which only half a year ago would have caused Casto to use his teeth instead of his lips, now only heightened his lust. Casto glided his tongue hungrily over Renaldo’s shaft; he sucked at the tip and tried to take in as much as possible. Briefly, he remembered the times when he had thought it beyond his dignity to service Renaldo in such a manner. That was a thousand years ago. Now he simply enjoyed the knowledge of how much power his lips and tongue wielded over the Angel of Death, how much lust he was able to give. Lust his lover paid back a hundredfold.
With a guttural sound that expressed regret, Renaldo withdrew from his mouth.
“Good. You can stop. Get up, we’re going to the bedroom.”
With his knees trembling in anticipation, Casto walked in front of his oh so skilled lover to their bed. He could feel Renaldo’s presence and his muscles tensed in happy excitement.
“Kneel down again, with your upper body on the bed, facedown.”
Purring contentedly, Renaldo watched Casto obey once again. Seeing him so obedient, so compliant, woke feelings inside him that were so animalistic they almost terrified him. Renaldo had never felt like this before, hadn’t even believed an emotion could be so intense that he thought it would burst him from within. He stepped behind fate’s perfect gift, caressed the exposed buttocks gently, and decided to take a risk. He slapped Casto. It was only a light touch, barely hard enough to bring some color to the skin. It was his way of asking for permission to go further. All Casto had to do was tell him to stop and he would revert to other means of bringing them both pleasure, but deep in his heart, this was what he really wanted. When Casto neither stiffened nor invited him to go on, he slapped him again, this time a bit harder. A choked whimper was
his reward. Casto was obviously willing to give this aspect of their sex life a second try. Renaldo would do everything to make the experience perfect for his lover, because that was the best part, when they spiced up their lust with some pain and aroused each other even more. He was careful, though, not to be too brutal. He didn’t want to scare Casto away. “What does it feel like, slave? Does it hurt?”
“Yes, Master.”
“What, yes?”
“Yes, it hurts. You have a heavy hand.”
“Do you deserve it?”
One more blow before Casto answered. “Yes, Master. I deserve it.”
“Why would that be?”
“Because it’s your will.”
That surprisingly obsequious answer drove Renaldo past the limits of his patience. Three blows, quicker and harder than the ones before, one short break in which he playfully bit his prey’s nape, and then four more blows.
Casto whimpered. “Please, Master, I’m begging you. Take me. Please!”
Abruptly, Renaldo entered Casto’s ass with his fingers; Casto was still slick from the oil he had applied earlier. “Is it this you want?”
“Yes, oh, yes. Please, don’t stop.”
“Who do you belong to?”
Casto groaned in protest. His master’s fingers moved relentlessly inside him and broke any resistance he might still have felt. Defeated by the skillful ministrations, he gave in. “I belong to you, Master. I’m yours alone.”
Renaldo felt shivers of righteous ownership racing along his spine. That was how things were meant to be. “That’s right. You’re mine—mine and nobody else’s. Never forget that, slave. Do you understand?”
A helpless sob was the answer. Casto was so caught up in their game, so consumed by passion, that he didn’t register the severity of what Renaldo had just said. All he could do was gasp his consent. “Yes, Master. Never. Please, release me.”
With a growl, Renaldo grabbed Casto’s hips and entered him fast and deep. From Casto’s lips flowed a stream of approval, his back muscles tensed. Renaldo lost himself completely in the rush of owning his lover. He took him hard and long until Casto collapsed from exhaustion beneath him.
