Songs of the Earth (3 page)

"Halt!" she commanded, circling around me. "You are injured. There is blood on your shirt. Remove it and let me see."
I carefully lifted the shirt over my head and stood stiffly for her inspection.
"What have you done, Tristan?"
I twisted, trying to see what she was looking at. "This happened when each warrior gave me their oath. What is it?"
This morning my home and territory had been invaded by the Magi Caspian MacCuill. He had tried to blackmail my friend, Gregori Borchetta, by kidnapping Ushna. He had brought twenty warriors with him to accomplish this, but instead MacCuill was dead because he'd tried to kill me.
I had revealed to the warriors with MacCuill the double helix of iridescent snakes on my chest as proof I was of royal blood. Since I wasn't willing to trust warriors who blindly followed orders from the Magi, the warriors had sworn the Blood Oath of Ishara. They now bore my mark on their palm, and I was endowed with the image of their soul on my back. If one of them were to betray me, I would know when and who. Since then, my back had felt like an open wound. Even with Gregori’s healing, it remained. The healing Gregori had given me this morning hadn't worked on my back.
"It's beautiful, my Prince," one of the warriors said with wonder in his voice. "There are flames around an Emblem of Enki, like the one you have on your chest, except for the snakes in the center, one of which is white and the other black. Each flame bears the name of the warrior who gave you their oath. The color is amazing."
I felt fingers feather over the scar on my shoulder where the claiming bite had once been. "Bond Poisoning," I volunteered without thinking.
Ki walked around to face me and I was startled to see her crying silent tears. I had no clue what to say or do. I had zero experience with crying females. Well, there was Neesie but she doesn't count because she's a little girl. Bumped knees and bullies are easy.
"I am sorry this has happened to you, Tristan," she said.
"I'm not."
She searched my eyes, looking for truth, I think. Lycans didn't give up their Twin Flames. I had, and it made me an anomaly.
Ki kissed my forehead and dried her tears. I removed my boots and socks. Once I was barefoot, I moved over to the shore and followed her instructions on how to bury my toes in the sand. This reminded me of the childhood exercises with my father when he taught me how to talk to the Earth.
"Soft soil is better than hard ground. The communication is better if there is dirt covering your feet. Imagine you are planted and your toes are the roots.
"Close your eyes, open yourself to the Earth and listen for her voice. Wait for her to sing to you before you respond. Listen to what I say and memorize the words. I will teach you the chant of regeneration and then the chant of healing. You will hear the difference between the two. We ask for the healing of your back. The wound was made by magic, so magic cannot heal the injury. It will have to heal naturally or be healed by the Earth.
"Allow yourself to be receptive to the Earth and listen for her voice."
I opened and felt the energy below me, somehow made stronger by the nearby water. This was different than what I'd done at the house earlier when I was trying to call the bullet from Ushna's body. The Earth's voice was closer, louder to my mind's ears. The Goddess had said loose soil was best, but I remembered I'd still been able to hear the voice of the song without being grounded at the house.
I felt the energy move closer to me. It had a warm welcoming voice and I smiled in response. The sensation moved up my legs, dancing around me. Not waiting for Ki, I responded to the welcome, my spirit sinking downward into the ground. I listened as she told me her secrets about the territory and the inhabitants that surrounded us. She rejoiced at the appearance of the Shirdal. She had missed the majestic beast. I was a little shocked to find out the lion-eagles sang to and greeted the Earth as well.
I opened my eyes and found myself looking into the eyes of one of the Shirdal. I'd been unaware it had moved close enough for me to touch. It, he, watched me with curiosity. He reached for me through the Earth. His song was gruff and wild, and he introduced himself as Corleone. Making a sound I took as laughter, he recalled stalking me from the sky and how he'd tagged me before we made the tree line. He admired my horse in such a way that I felt like a father protecting his daughter's virtue. I kindly but firmly told him the horse was mine, and mine alone, though I was sure she would… enjoy the compliments.
Fingers brushed my arm, interrupting my conversation with the Shirdal, drawing my attention to the Goddess and the lesson I'd forgotten. I closed my eyes again and waited for Ki to start the song of regeneration. I repeated the chant and the Earth responded with concern. It was as if she was a mother and I was her injured child. Her song wrapped around me and soothed me as her energy began to fill me up. The persistent lethargy and sore muscles were eased. My mind became refreshed and sharp. The second song of healing was more complex. I repeated the chant after Ki and was relieved as the burning eased gradually, until finally it disappeared.
My senses roamed as I was healed and I could feel the warriors behind me. The more dominant aspects of my predator had been bound by the spell and ever since Seattle, had become more active, stronger than he was before. It was through my beast I had detected other warriors. Their Lupe forms had called to us and together we had anchored them, allowing the warriors to control the creature of the third form. Looking at the men through the Earth was like flipping to the other side of a coin. I could see and feel their Flame. It was an energy, unique and complex. Their emotions and surface thoughts were unknowingly bared to me to read. I was startled to feel their respect and trust, their dedication to their oath and to me. I felt their desire to make me proud of them. They were men of good character, and they all carried a private shame over their participation with the Magi. They were concerned they had unknowingly caused harm to others by following Magi requests. Some had families they worried about. One had suffered such disappointment in the past, he'd given up all hope of finding someone worthy to follow. He thought I was that person. I vowed, with the Earth as my witness, I'd do my best by these men, and be someone deserving of their trust and loyalty.
I sang a small song to the Earth, asking for energy and healing for my men. She and I sang together as she eased their aches and soothed their thoughts, letting my affection and gratitude brush against them.
I was singing the song of thanksgiving when I felt a mass of energies racing toward us at a high rate of speed. I didn't feel any animosity in the energies. All I could catch was frantic worry. I opened my eyes as I finished the song.
The Shirdal stepped close and pushed my hand with its beak, asking for attention. Hesitantly, I scratched the soft feathers between its odd, horse-like ears. A thunder of hooves announced the arrival of horsemen on the opposite bank. I scanned the area looking for the other Shirdal but it was gone. A dozen riders broke through the trees on the other side of the stream, Ushna in the lead with a determined look, so fierce and warlike, so fucking hot that if we hadn't had an audience we would've spent the afternoon making love under the trees. Behind him were Gregori, Corey, Randy and the rest of the warriors.
Ki watched the riders carefully ford the stream. "This is your royal consort?"
My smile was unrestrained. "Yes, he's mine."
Ushna swung his leg over and slid off Blue Bells before she stopped and was striding toward me, tall and sleek, his blue-black hair wild, bi-colored eyes snapping. I shivered and not because I was cold. His eyes searched me for injury and I'm sure I made a picture standing with my bare feet buried in the sand, chest naked to the air.
Ushna ignored the Shirdal, the Goddess standing next to me, and the warriors at my back, drew me roughly into his arms, and kissed me. Oh fucking hell, this man could kiss. He didn't have to ask for entrance by licking my lips because I met him open-mouthed, our tongues clashing. The feel of him, the taste of him, caused a slow burn to start within me. My arms slid around him, pulling him closer so I could feel all of him flush against me.
Ushna was the one to pull away, causing me to scowl at him. I wasn't finished.
"You," he said, pausing as if gathering himself, "You're to never leave the house by yourself again."
"I wasn't alone." I made a vague motion to the warriors behind me.
"Not again without me, Tristan. You're not to leave again without me. How can I protect you if I'm not with you?"
I opened my mouth to reply, which would've gotten me into an argument with Ushna, when the Shirdal bumped my hand with its head. Ushna looked down at the lioneagle at my feet. Even lying down, the creature's size was impressive, its head coming up to my chest.
"A gryphon?" Ushna asked in wonder.
"That is one name for him," Ki replied. "He was first called a Shirdal by our people hundreds of years before the Greeks encountered them and chose a name of their own liking."
Ushna took a long look at Ki, recognizing her as a Goddess, as I had earlier. He casually moved so he was between her and me without blocking my view of her.
I'd noticed her watching Ushna and now she was looking at him with that roving eye she'd given me earlier. I suspected she was looking at Ushna's spirit or aura, reading Ushna as she'd studied me. I didn't know what she was looking for but the longer she looked at him, the more nervous I became.
Ki finally finished her assessment and looked at me with misty eyes. "I approve," she said.
All the tension went out of me. I hadn't realized until that moment how much I desired her approval. Not that I'd consider giving up Ushna if she'd expressed displeasure. It would've disappointed me, but that would be all. I wanted her approval, but it wasn't required.
Ki turned back to Ushna and smiled at him softly. "You may call me, Ann, Ushna Ahura-Yazda al Mehrdad, and Royal Consort to Xenres Tristan Javed Ksathra Janick. I am the tutelary to the royal line of Enkidu."
After such a formal greeting, Ushna would have to reply just as formally. He reluctantly released me and turned to face Ki, taking both of her cocoa hands in his large calloused ones, kissing the knuckles of each hand before formally intoning. "Ninti, Lady Life, we're honored by your presence. You're welcome in our home as an honored guest, Goddess of Earth and mother of all living things."
"Please call me Ann, Ushna. I am pleased to meet you. I look forward to getting to know the man who has captured Tristan's heart."
Ushna flushed with the Goddess's praise and acceptance. He began to draw his hands from hers when her eyes flickered at sight of the lead ring on his left hand.
"Where did you get this?" Ki's head was lowered over his hand, sniffing at the ring much the same as she had at the magic string she'd pulled off me. Her tongue flicked out, tasting it.
"Goddess, I made it from the bullet I pulled out of Ushna this morning," I offered.
I didn't know what to make of her actions but I didn't have time to wonder. In a movement too quick for me to follow, she reached up and tore Ushna's shirt from top to bottom, exposing his Caucasus of albino snakes. As I reached to pull Ushna away from her, she moved in a blur, appearing behind me.
She clamped my head between her supernaturally strong hands. Her power, the power of a true Goddess, ripped through me, shredding all the barriers I threw up to protect myself from her onslaught. It felt as if my skin was being shaved off. My muscles convulsed as I began to burn from the inside out. I had two thoughts before the pain became all encompassing: I hoped Ushna was running far away from the wrath the Goddess had unleashed, and I was glad I had loved Ushna before I died.
I screamed.
Long and loud. The pain was unbearable and I bellowed in agony, but darkness didn't take me. I wasn't to be granted the gift of unconsciousness. My mind was being stripped of sanity. Piece by piece, my identity was peeled from me, wrested from me, and all I could do was howl.
I was surrounded by agony, caressed, and seduced. I was born of suffering, angry colors of red, orange, and black pushing at me on all sides. I opened my mouth and swallowed them. I lived an eternity in this torment and despaired over spending another eternity enduring more agony, more torture. I had no body or being. I just was. I was caught in a cycle I couldn't break. I wanted blessed relief. I wished for death, I wanted death.
I saw the colors before I felt them. Hues in shades of blue and green pushed at the edge of the red, black, and orange that imprisoned me. The cooler colors flooded over the angry tones, slowly thrusting them away as they made their way to me, slowly surrounding me with their cool comfort, soothing me, easing me down until I felt something gritty and hard beneath my back, but under it there was a song being sung to me as I was enveloped in tranquility. It stroked me, loved me as it called me back to myself.
Sand.
I was lying on sand, and I could feel the heat of the sun warming me. Caressed and adored by the Earth beneath me, my hearing slowly returned. I heard sounds of conflict. I couldn't remember where I was or how I'd gotten there. I tried to open my eyes, but they were crusted shut. My arm was unbelievably heavy and it took a couple of tries to lift it to wipe at my eyes, pulling the coating away so I could open them. The light was blinding, piercing my skull but the pain was irrelevant. I was immune to its kiss.
I looked at the wild creatures around me. Furcovered manlike creatures stood around me, ready to defend and attack, claws extended, teeth bared in feral fury. Two huge raptor-like animals were circling in the sky overhead, above the tree tops.
Scuffling brought my attention to a man-creature and an ebony-skinned woman circling each other. The dark beauty wielded a huge cudgel that should've been too heavy for her small, delicate hands. The man-creature wielded a wickedly curved blade that he used to strike at the woman. Her mace deflected the blow with ease, but she didn't counter strike.
"I did not mean to hurt him," the woman said calmly to the creature. In response, the man-creature roared in her face and executed several aggressive moves, each expertly blocked by the woman.
"Ushna, you need to calm down and listen to me. He was warded against me. When I touched him with my power, it set off a spell that was meant to destroy him." Two more blocks, "I have to help him or he's going to die. The longer you fight me, the closer he comes to death."