Stigmata

by L M Adams

  A cold shudder runs through me. Lucien gives me a lesson on the insects of the Sahara. It seems nothing goes to waste in this place. The creepy crawlies underfoot will decimate anything they come in contact with… even if it’s still alive… technically.

  Still, that is not what worries him.

  “Stay away from the water, Jaevia, I mean it. I will bring water to both of you. The water is filled with crocodiles.”

  I raise an eyebrow, but still remain concentrated on my work of weaving more of the thick palm leaves together. “I can kill just as well as you, Lucien. You said not to be afraid.”

  “Aye, Wench, aye you can, and you shouldn’t be. But let’s not anger any more gods right now.”

  I finally look at him, I’m sure in shock. “By killing crocodiles?”

  He nods, “The god Sobek would not appreciate us killing his children.”

  I glance at the pool of water again. “I thought you were hoping to find crocs to kill.”

  “Aye, a crocodile, one, we will need the meat and a skin to carry water with us. But I will take from the lands with proper reverence… you my love, are an outsider. You do not know our ways.”

  I sigh again.

  “I mean it, Wench, now is not the time to anger the great Sobek.”

  “All right, Luey.” I say a tad more irritated than I should be. Perhaps the heat is just making me irritable. Perhaps I’m tired of being afraid of gods.

  He grunts with his approval and focuses on his work, signaling that I should do the same.

  I’m amazed at his efficiency and skill. He constructs a shelter using just his bare hands and his sword… and right in the nick of time.

  The sun hits the beginning of its apex as soon as he gets Jack laid out inside.

  Lucien has done a marvelous job, making us a domed shaped enclosure – a green living igloo. The palm tree branch shelter is not large enough to stand up in, but it’s enough to fit the three of us inside laying down or sitting up, comfortably.

  “Now I will go and get water.”

  I nod and turn my attention to Jack. “He’s getting us water now.”

  Jack doesn’t respond. I take his pulse. His heart is beating slower than usual… and usual is already pretty fucking slow.

  Lucien doesn’t take long, returning with a bowl of water and a bowl of dates. He actually wove bowls out of the palm leaves. The weaving is tight enough to hold the water inside.

  He hands me the large bowls as he climbs into the enclosure to sit on the other side of Jack.

  I hand him back the bowl of dates and drink a large amount of water, hardly breathing between the gulps. Finally I have to let my lungs breathe and lower the bowl.

  Lucien laughs and takes the water.

  “Slow down, Wench, there is plenty of water, you don’t want to make yourself throw up.”

  He hands me the bowl of dates, “Eat.”

  I select one of the green dates, it’s not ripe by a long shot, but I’m not about to complain about anything. Lucien has taken us from nothing to everything with just his knowhow. All the jewels in the world wouldn’t count for squat right now.

  “We cannot let him just drink, it will shock his system and make him worse. I will give him a bit of blood first.”

  Lucien holds out a hand, “If you would, Wench.”

  I shake my head and snap down my fangs. I puncture his finger quickly and watch in amazement as he lets Jack suck on it like a hungry baby.

  After a bit Lucien takes his finger away and scoops a bit of water out of the bowl. I watch with love as he lets the water drip softly on Jack’s lips.

  Jack starts awake, lifting himself up to search for more water… or blood – can’t really tell with a vampire. Either way, it’s probably more of a natural instinct than something he thought about.

  “Calm… calm,” Lucien whispers gently and urges Jack to lay back down.

  “Then it’s not a horrid dream?” Jack sounds so pitiful.

  “No, Bloodsucker.” Lucien takes the bowl and helps Jack sit up a bit.

  “Only a little, hmm? Only a little.” He lets Jack take all of two sips before taking the water away.

  “Everything hurts,” Jack groans and lays back down. He holds up his arms, seeing the condition of his skin he frowns. “Sunburn doesn’t even cover it.”

  I don’t bother to mention that he looks a hell of a lot better than he did just a few moments ago. Lucien’s blood does wonders.

  Lucien sets down the water and grabs a date. “We’ll get you fixed up and back to your pretty self in no time.” He shoves the date at Jack. “Bite and suck on the juices … you’re good at that.” He grins with devilment.

  Jack musters up enough energy to roll his eyes, “See the next time I suck on anything of yours.”

  “Aye, Bloodsucker, you may be angry with me for the remainder of the day, this predicament is my fault. But I expect your forgiveness by midnight.”

  Lucien turns away, ready to leave the enclosure.

  “That is not how relationships work!” Jack snaps.

  Lucien actually pauses to look over his shoulder. “We are not in a relationship… we are married.”

  With his lopsided logic hanging in the air he leaves the enclosure to go off and do goddess knows what.

  Jack looks at me frowning. “You could take my side some of the times, Jaevia.”

  I huff, “I’m not wasting my breath on trying to explain relationships to Lucien. If you want to take up the cause, good luck.”

  Twenty years of Lucien has taught me one thing, he’s downright single-minded when it comes to love and there is absolutely nothing you can say to him to change his views on a thing. If he grows or changes, it is because of actions and experiences. Right now every action and experience he’s had about love tells him being stubborn as fuck until the object of his desire gives in… works. I doubt he’s going to change; the man can just outlast every objection with the steadfastness of a mule.

  I busy myself getting my shoes off, they’re filled with sand. I do the same for Jack.

  “How is he?” Jack asks in a whisper.

  I nod, “Okay… strong.”

  “The curse?”

  I sigh, “You noticed his back?”

  Jack nods, “The lion, it’s all red.”

  All red means the curse is at the surface, it means he’s having a hard time controlling the raging emotions inside of him. “But he doesn’t seem unhinged. He even used his wings.”

  “He’s hiding how bad it is, Jaevia.”

  “I don’t feel it like you do. You can help him with it, I can’t do much.”

  “There’s not much I can do either … not here… I don’t feel Neoma, and Vayrá, it is… odd.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “With this kind of damage to my body; my inner psyche should have taken over and tapped the conduit, feeding me strength.”

  “Can you feel the conduit?”

  He nods, “Like nothing before, it is the strongest I have ever known it to be without your aid. The commune is pure even, but there is little power there, little of anything other than meaning and intent.”

  I sigh, “And Neoma?”

  He shakes his head no.

  “We’re out of our time, Jack. If I had to guess… we’re in Lucien’s time now. Before the second great war. Perhaps the vampires were different then. Even the Kindred was in its infancy a few millennia ago.”

  He sighs, “I was afraid you’d say that. If that is true, we are before the time of the vampire, before the rise of Shezmu.”

  “The first Blood Lord?” I ask in a whisper.

  He nods, “Which means… I am not the Blood Lord, Jaevia… I’m nothing of any worth.”

  65

  Jaevia

  I want to argue with Jack, try to remind him of all the things he is outside of being a Blood Lord. But right now isn’t the time, he’s weak and I don’t want to make things worse by arguing.

  Jack never wanted to
be a Blood Lord, he’s tried to run away from his destiny again and again. But the world… we… I, kept stuffing it down his throat. Has he started to equate his self-worth with his powers?

  To say I haven’t noticed this shift in Jack would be a lie. Perhaps I just hoped it was a phase, something he’d work through. Ever since Lucien received the Seal of Time, ever since Azazael defeated us… he has been preoccupied with gaining power. Going even so far as inviting vampires he hates to our wedding, all in an effort to build his own clutch… all to gain power.

  Now everything he’d begun to amass has been ripped away from him in a strange world and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.

  He’s really and truly dependent on Lucien, even more so than me. And although that shouldn’t matter, and I know for a fact Lucien doesn’t care or see Jack as less than… it is something that will chafe at my prideful Capaneus and much like his namesake he will rage at the gods with arrogance.

  Lucien takes a long time to return. When he does… something is off. He feeds Jack a bit of blood and allows him to drink more water. But Lucien’s movements are off, something is off, he seems more on edge.

  “What are you doing out there?” I ask as he lays down beside Jack, seeming not exhausted… but excited, cagey, like he’s forcing himself to be still.

  “I went to find salt and try to scout. We will only have one chance to make it from the desert. There is no other place like this between here and where life returns.” His voice is deeper than it should be, more primal.

  Jack frowns, “You used your wings.”

  “Aye Bloodsucker, I used my power!”

  “In the midday sun, Luey?” I ask in disbelief.

  “No need to start up as well, Wench, one meddlesome mate is enough.”

  Jack sits up with a groan. “I do not have Neoma to help you, Lucien. You have to maintain control on your own.”

  “Control, everything is about control. Feel but do not feel too much, love but do not love too much, need but do not need too much. Shackles around my heart when all I wish is to be free.” He rolls over to his side away from us, seeming to dismiss our very existence.

  The mosaic lion on his back, burns with white hot fury. I’ve never seen it that hot. He may not want us to meddle, but somewhere inside of Lucien he knew he was at his limits of control and he came back to us for help. He came back to the ones he needed.

  Jack looks up at me, worry filling his eyes, “You have to,” he whispers.

  My heart pounds in my chest. Jack is always the one that helps Luey with this. Jack knows how to calm him, ease the ache, he knows how to handle this!

  What am I supposed to do?!

  Make him horny?

  The curse reacts to my power, that much I know. I’m not afraid to admit that I am afraid. I know Luey would never hurt me; but the curse… the curse wants to see the entire world burn and I don’t think I’m necessarily exempt.

  Jack nods at me, encouraging me again and I take a deep breath. I am his wife, Lucien’s wife, blessed by Ra, Neoma, and Gaia, and he was mine long before that curse tried to claim him.

  He has been mine forever. Perhaps it is time I remind him… and that curse, of the fact.

  I get undressed quickly, being careful to not make sudden movements. Lucien may have his back turned to us, but he is very aware of us. Jack slides over as I climb over him to get closer to Lucien.

  The heat pouring off of him is almost blinding.

  “Lucien,” I whisper and touch his shoulder gently.

  I’m straddling his waist with his hand wrapped around my pretty little throat before I can blink.

  I didn’t see him move; I didn’t feel my own body move… I don’t even remember spreading my thighs.

  Fuck.

  His eyes glow red swimming in gold.

  “Do you come to me as wife or whore,” he growls low, the rumbling in his chest enough to vibrate my own flesh.

  A wife, a wife he would be careful with, gentle with, protect and revere, a wife sits on a pedestal pretty and pristine – but sometimes… sometimes you have to be a whore for your man.

  Lucien needs to feed the curse and the curse isn’t interested pretty, pristine or pure.

  I lick my lips; his hand tightens around my throat. “I’ve always been your whore first.”

  He opens his mouth, closing his eyes in rapture, his teeth seem pointier, larger – something made for the consumption of raw flesh.

  “Capaneus!” He screams, “Help,” he adds in a low rumbling whisper with so much heartache tears gather in my eyes.

  He’s trying to fight back, he’s trying to remember that he loves us, he’s trying to keep the madness of the curse from claiming him.

  I close my eyes, afraid to look, afraid to watch him turn into a monster.

  “Hold Lucien!”

  Jack springs into action, rushing to get undressed as well. He moves to straddle Lucien behind me. “If there was a time for baby girl, it is now, Jaevia.” He takes his belt from the loops in his pants and lashes my wrists behind my back.

  “I have to hurt you to keep him from hurting you worse, do you understand this?” Jack says urgently.

  “Yes,” I whimper, and Lucien squeezes my throat tighter, I can barely breathe.

  I feel Jack’s hand between my thighs, “You need to get wetter baby. Relax hmm? It won’t be so bad, you’ll like it if you accept it… don’t fight your nature Jae – we need it, we need you to be who you are.”

  He kisses my shoulder and begins pinching my nipple gently while fingering my clit, teasing it gently with only his fingertip, “Be a good whore for us, serve us.”

  Letting go has always been hard for me… for my succubus… but baby girl, she lives for this kind of love. In my heart I know that I am her and she is me and if I can just manage to let go, to stop needing to always be in control… to give.

  My body shudders as my power… her power blooms.

  “Good girl, good girl.”

  I feel Jack’s hand undoing Lucien’s pants.

  “Calm, Lucien, and you get pussy,” Jack says sternly.

  Lucien’s other hand comes up to grip my thigh, digging his fingers into my flesh, but he also loosens his hold on my throat.

  Jack positions Lucien at my opening and Lucien pushes down on my thigh, forcing himself in my tightness… my body stretches open slowly, accepting him.

  “Hurt her,” he begs Jack, “make her scream!” He demands. “Make her scream for me!”

  Lucien needs me to hurt, but he can’t trust himself to not take it too far. He needs the world to burn, but he can’t be sure he could keep me from catching fire.

  His control is at its end.

  He presses me down until I’m filled with him, pressing against my womb, so much cock… so much fucking cock I become delirious with pleasure.

  “Down, down… hold her Lucien, hold her down.” Jack presses me forward to lay on Lucien’s chest.

  Lucien lets go of my throat to wrap me in his arms tightly. One hand behind my head, pressing my face to his chest to breathe in the smell of him. The arm other holding my body to him tightly.

  I feel Jack’s hands spreading my ass. “You will not receive lubrication.”

  “Please don’t! No!”

  Lucien shudders with pleasure.

  I try to push back, but I don’t have a chance. Lucien’s breathing becomes deeper, yet faster.

  Jack is going to rape me as I lay on top of Lucien and Lucien is going to enjoy it.

  Jack’s cock may be smaller than Lucien’s, but it is not small by any other comparison. My body trembles with fear as he presses into my opening, splitting me.

  Every prayer I know, I pray. But it does no good as he drives forward and into me. I scream with my pain… with my shame and I feel Lucien come deeply inside of me – he’s always liked seeing me play the dutiful whore.

  Jack grips my hips tightly and holds me down as he wrecks me. Oh yes, he makes me scream for Lucien, he make
s me scream until my throat is raw and I sound like a wounded animal instead of their wife.

  “Please… please…” I can hardly fill my lungs with air.

  Jack slows down his thrusts moaning, “Please what?” His voice is deep and filled with evil. Vayrá or no Vayrá – Jack is still a King of the Blood.

  “Please stop,” I beg, crying into Lucien’s chest, eyes closed tightly, the pain of them tearing me apart filling my heart, mind and body.

  “No.”

  He adjusts his grip and begins pounding into my destroyed ass again.

  “Make your Daddy happy, whore!” He slaps my ass and I scream for them; I scream for Lucien.

  He purrs, his chest rumbling with pleasure. “I want her to come! Make her come, make her tell the truth! Make her say she likes it!”

  Jack leans over me, pressing his back into my body, filling my ass with his cock to the hilt. I can feel their cocks rubbing against one another, only a thin bit of flesh… of me, separating them.

  “You heard him, whore.”

  “I can’t,” I tremble with my fear.

  “You’d better, or I will join him in your pussy.”

  I feel Lucien come again inside of me at the thought of tearing me in two. I wouldn’t be able to survive that… I just wouldn’t.

  “You’ve enjoyed this kind of sex with others, we all know you have, we’ve both seen the memories of you taking men five at a time, coming all the while.”

  He withdraws and pounds back into my ass again. I try to inhale against the pain.

  “Are we not good enough for you?! Do you still believe you have control here?!”

  His anger is only fear and need… I know that. Jack needs me to take control! Lucien needs me to take control! I thought being submissive would help them, I thought they wished the Baby Girl and that the Baby Girl wanted them in return. But I am still thinking of things as a woman with a split personality instead of a goddess with multiple facets. I do not have to choose one. I do not have to sacrifice my control to give.

  Let go… let go Jaevia.

  I scream as I reach for my power, the power of creation – of life and death. I reach for my goddess and in this land, in this time and space – she is known as…