Songs of the Earth (4 page)

I groaned as I tried to roll to my side. Her eyes flicked down to me and the man-creature used that moment to press his attack, but she was too fast, moving to put me between him and her. In doing so, she made him look at me with his ruby red eyes of rage. He halted when he noticed me. He seemed familiar to me, and I tried to remember who he was, but it caused the pain in my head to flare up.
"Look, Ushna, he's awake. He needs you to tend to him." Her voice was soft and coaxing. The man-creature roared again at the woman before deftly sheathing his sword as he came to kneel by me.
I watched as the hair on his body receded, his thick black claws retracted, his nose reformed to human shape and his jagged teeth withdrew. In the wake of the transformation there remained a ruggedly handsome man. His blue-black hair was wild, his brown and green eyes filled with worry and concern.
He was bare-chested, and I stared at the man's abs and at a familiar double helix of iridescent albino snakes. I'd seen it before. I lifted a heavy hand and rubbed my own chest, feeling scales beneath my touch. The similarity eased something within me.
"I'm tired," I croaked as I closed my eyes, letting darkness envelop me in nothingness.

I woke in a bed. The scents of the sheets were familiar. I was surrounded by warmth and it felt really, really good. I felt abraded and raw, chilled to the bone. The heat radiating from the bodies surrounding me was like a blazing fire.

I tried to remember why there would be more than one person in bed with me and nothing came to mind. I couldn't remember why I felt so bad.

I slowly opened my eyes and it took me a moment to recognize my bedroom. There were symbols decorating the walls and ceiling. Some of them were so old, their meaning had been long lost and forgotten. Each character was about the size of my hand and painted in blue . I tried reading what I could see, but because I could only make out every other word I could only surmise it was a healing incantation.

The body on my right moved, the breathing becoming deeper. I turned my throbbing head and looked at Gregori's sleeping form. His loose red hair fell in long waves across his chest. Dark blue circled his resting eyes, sharply contrasting with his alabaster skin. Ushna was on my left, breathing softly into my hair.

What had happened? I tried to think and my head throbbed with pain. I remembered Ushna had been shot. I remembered my rage and apprehension as I sang to the bullet in his chest. Someone had come to kidnap him… the Magi… I killed the Magi who… no, wait there'd been a snake. I had the Emblem of Enki on my chest. Ushna, he had one too. The snakes had come alive because I'd felt threatened when the warriors invaded my home.

I was a prince.
I smelled the burning incense coming from the altar under the eastern window of my room. Its smoky sage smell was familiar and comforting.
"He has been vigilant," said a soft, hushed voice.
I opened my eyes again and looked to the corner. A woman sat there with a loom in front of her, her hand deftly continuing to weave as she looked at me over its wooden edge. She was sort of plain and unassuming, with almondcolored skin. She had a large nose that was a little too flat, lips a little too plump, eyes a little too large and far apart. Her shining black hair was plaited in braids that were wrapped around her head in a crown. But when she smiled, she went from plain to striking.
"He wouldn't let anyone touch or move you. He stayed and held you until this one," she indicated Gregori, "convinced him to eat and rest. He has not left this room. He will make you a good consort."
I wanted to ask how long I'd been asleep, but my mouth and throat were so parched nothing came out. She seemed to know what I wanted, though.
"Four days. You've been asleep four days. Any longer and they would've had to call a doctor. It is not healthy to go so long without sustenance, even for a Lycan such as yourself."
I tried again to remember what had happened , but the pain from the effort was excruciating, as if my mind had been burned from the inside out. My body was heavy and not responding to my desire to sit up. I must have made some small noise because Ushna was immediately awake and hovering over me, concerned but happy eyes looking into mine.
"Hey there. Nice of you to finally join us." His voice was cracked and hoarse. I noticed the red rim to his eyes and tried to touch his face, but only made it half of the way before the weight of it exhausted me too much. Ushna caught my hand with his and brought it the rest of the way, cupping my hand to his face.
I licked my dry lips, trying to moisten my mouth so I could talk to him, but the action did nothing. Gregori sat up and ran a soothing hand over my hair.
"Here," said the soft, accented voice. The woman handed Gregori a large coffee cup. "As many of these as he can stand to drink. It will help to replace his essential fluids and his physical energy."
Carefully, Gregori and Ushna maneuvered me into a sitting position between Ushna's legs, my back on his chest. Gregori knelt at our side and helped me drink the hot liquid from the cup. It was an interesting mix of herbs that tasted like citrus and honey. After my first swallow, I greedily gulped the rest of it. Gregori refilled the cup four more times before my thirst was sated. Both he and Ushna thanked the woman, calling her Uttu. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it.
I cleared my froggy throat a couple of times before I could ask what had happened. Gregori got a grim look and Ushna's arms tightened around me nearly to the point of pain, but I didn't protest.
Opposite us, Gregori leaned against a footpost. His red hair hung free and loose, framing his long face. "Do you remember being at the stream with the Shirdal?"
I thought for a moment and nodded. The memory was vague but there.
"Do you remember Ushna, me, and the others who came to the stream for you?"
I blinked a couple of times, but the blistered portion of my brain was in the way so I shook my head no.
Gregori looked at Ushna and then back to me. "Socks, your horse, came back to the ranch without saddle or rider. Ushna had been pacing the walls since he woke. He was angry because we let you go out riding by yourself. When I told him warriors were with you, he still wouldn't calm down. When your horse came back without you, he started issuing orders and we all geared up as if we were going into battle." Gregori stopped for a moment, remembering something that made him smile a little. "I don't know who was more frantic, Corey or Ushna, or who was carrying more weapons."
Ushna grunted under me, running his hands up and down my arms. I suspected he did it to soothe me as much as to soothe himself.
"We followed your tracks. It was Corey who spotted the gryphon flying overhead and all it did was make Ushna and Corey more reckless as they galloped into the trees. In any other situation, their lack of caution could've gotten us all killed."
Gregori sent a small glare to Ushna, who ignored him. "You and six warriors were with the Goddess." I gave an involuntary shudder. "Everything was fine. She greeted Ushna and then noticed his ring, the one you made that morning.
"She flipped out. The irises of her eyes expanded and swallowed the white of her eyes and she grabbed you around the crown of your head. You immediately started howling in pain. The Shirdal standing next to you screeched and launched itself into the air. All the warriors instantly went Lupe. You were screaming and screaming, which made the warriors go insane, swinging at things in the air I couldn't see. Those who had weapons drew their blades and brandished them at the empty air. The Goddess released you and you continued to wail. Ushna went crazy and attacked the Goddess. We all believed she meant to kill you. Your skin turned red and blistered as you convulsed and fell to the ground. I thought you'd left us when you stopped moving and crying out. I tried to heal you, but something was blocking me and there was nothing I could do to help."
Gregori held out his hands and looked down at them. "All this power, and I couldn't ease your suffering. What good is magic if I can't use it to do something positive with it?" Gregori's voice held so much selfloathing, I reached out to him.
Gregori looked at my hand. His breathing was ragged as silent tears ran unchecked down his cheeks. With a quiet sob, he grabbed my hand in a bruising grip, as if it were a life line and he was drowning. With what little strength I had, I pulled him toward me, but it really didn't take much. Gregori came to me easily, needing the comfort I offered. He buried his head in my stomach and cried. Huge wracking sobs moved his whole body underneath my caresses. Ushna and I enveloped him. I murmured to him that all was okay. I hadn't died. I remembered something as I comforted my friend, a song to the Earth. I couldn't quite recall where I learned it, but only that I had used it to heal myself once.
"Magically created wounds cannot be healed with magic, but there is an Earth song I can teach you to use when I'm better." It hurt to see Gregori look at me with such hope so I went ahead and taught him the words.
We lay there for a little while, Gregori's tears drying on my stomach as he pulled himself together and told me the rest of what happened.
"When you fell to the ground, the warriors quit fighting the air. As you lay there, the blisters started to heal. Ki was trying to convince Ushna she hadn't done anything to you, though we all saw to the contrary. Ushna really did try to kill her. She said you had a spell, a ward, on you that was triggered like a booby trap when she tried to see how powerful you are. Something to do with an ancient writing about the ring Ushna wears. Anyway, she claimed the only one who could create a spell she couldn't see was another God. You woke up after the blisters healed and we brought you back to the house. Uttu was waiting for us when we got here. She was already painting the walls with the symbols for this healing spell."
I was exhausted. Ushna and Gregori helped me to the bathroom, which would've been embarrassing if I'd felt better. Ushna stripped me and we took a quick shower. He had to hold me the whole time because I couldn't stand long on my own. Gregori was waiting with towels, drying me off before they helped me back to bed. I felt them crawl in bed with me as I let myself fall into sleep.

I dozed off and on for twenty-four hours. I convinced Ushna to take care of our business, practically kicking him out of the room. I promised I wouldn't leave the bed. It was an easy promise to keep, because I was still exhausted and had no energy.

Uttu continued her vigil as she wove on her loom in the corner. No one explained to me who she was or what she was doing here. I wondered if it was some kind of spell that caused people to accept her presence. I felt power in her but it was subtle, controlled. If she'd meant us harm, she'd had ample opportunity to hurt us in the last few days. I harnessed my patience and waited for her to reveal her purpose.

In no way was I bored, because Uttu told me stories. We talked about Gods and humanity but most particularly how Gods lost track of time. I wanted to know how it was possible for the Goddess Ki, who was supposed to be the tutelary for my family, to lose track of us. Uttu avoided my direct questions and instead started telling me a different story. I had a feeling each story she told me held some important message and so I paid attention and remembered them.

"The Gods have been here since the beginning of time. They explore and mingle with humanity, time meaning nothing to them. They do not set up households or form family units like humans, but they do value and love their children and siblings. They love and conspire and make war like any other race, but the time scale is infinitely longer for immortals. Grudges are held longer.

"The first father, Adzu, was going to destroy the universe and all his offspring but his grandson, Enki, put him into a deep sleep in the waters of Kur. Dragon Queen of Chaos, Tiamat, was angered at the imprisonment of her husband and vowed to take back creation. All the Gods and Goddesses' called out to Enki for help, but Enki was in a deep sleep and he didn't hear the cries of the other Gods. His brother Enlil drew to him an army and captured Tiamat and severed her corporal form. Her dragon's tail became the stars of the Milky Way and her body formed the Earth around the waters of Kur.

"The God Enki, in Sumerian times, was called Lord of the Earth. He is a deity of water, intelligence, and creation. His image is a double helix of snakes entwined around a rod called a Caduceus." Uttu looked down at the double helix of snakes on my exposed chest. The snakes had been solid black, but now they were alternately striped black, blue, and green.

"He wears the Horned Crown of Divinity and dresses in a cape made from the scales of fish. Enki is always honorable. He is not a trickster. He doesn't cheat, and although he has been fooled, it doesn't make him a fool. He is a creator, the master shaper of the world with fertilizing powers as the Lord of the Waters and Lord of Semen."

I gave a hoot of laughter because I didn't think I'd ever heard of a God of Semen.
Uttu was suppressing a smile as she lectured me. "Enki is a God of Earth, a God of Creation. Is not the production of semen also an act of creation?"
I could only snort in response.
"Enki resided with his consort, Ki, in the paradise, Dilmun. There she gave birth to his daughter, Ninsar, before leaving for the world of man. Enki, not knowing Ninsar was his daughter, came upon her in Dilmun. She reminded him of his absent consort and he seduced her."
I coughed. "His own daughter?"
Uttu looked at me seriously. "They are Gods, Tristan, not humans. It is looked down upon by humans because they have problems with genetics. The Gods are not human, but the embodiment of nature and the world around you. Let me finish my story. Enki did this three times and then I was born."
I hadn't seen that one coming. I was interested in the story before but now I was silently urging her to go on.
"I was seduced by Enki. Whereas my mother or grandmothers didn't mind, I was upset when I found out he had a consort and I sought out Ki. She took his seed from me and planted it in the Earth. Eight types of plants grew, bore fruit, and spread from the waters where Enki resides. Enki, upon finding this new fruit, ate each one,
impregnating himself with his own seed."
I was watching her with saucer eyes. Holy shit!
"As a male, he lacked a womb so he became swollen, not only his stomach, but everywhere: arms, legs, face, chest. Enki's brother, Enlil, persuaded Ki to help Enki. She took the offspring into herself and gave birth to eight children."
This story hadn't gone the way I'd thought it would. I had so many questions. Uttu was still weaving at her loom, which made me wonder something.
"What is your title. What are you the embodiment of?"
"I am called the Weaver of the Web of Life. Some call me the Spider."
"I thought you were a healer," I said as I looked at the blue symbols on the wall. "I don't understand why you're here."
Uttu stopped weaving and looked at me. "When I was very young and learning the weave of the Web of Life, I saw into the future and I confided in someone. I shouldn't have said anything, but I was distressed and I trusted this friend. At first it was fine, but after some time had passed, the repercussions of my disclosure became evident. My action and decision had affected what was to come. The one with whom I had placed my trust was working to change the future I had seen. The deeds of my friend shifted the weave and I realized the results would be catastrophic. The design of the future was a possibility, an outcome that could be changed with each choice made. So I gave the prophecy about the line of kings to the Lycans to correct my mistake and balance that knowledge.
"My friend came to me and asked me about the prophecy again. I refused the request, knowing my friend would try to kill me. I think now you understand that immortals can also die. But I did not because Enki found and healed me. I left the land of the Gods and have lived with the humans ever since. I know my friend has tried to find me." She tapped her loom. "But I have seen it. It is not my time yet and I have been able to escape."
"I don't get it, why are you here then?" I asked
"It was your fate I told my friend."
Alarmed, I asked, "What did you tell your friend?"
"That, I will not tell you. Fate is not meant to be known. People make decisions based on what they need or want in the now. If you knew your fate and didn't like it, would you try to change it? If you had known before you were claimed by Alpha Sullivan that he'd do what he did, would you have still allowed him to keep you secret? Would you have tried to keep him from doing what he did? Would you have tried to change the fundamentals of who you are in order to keep him? Would any of those paths have taken you to Ushna and his love?"
She was right. Regardless of everything that had happened in my life, I was where I wanted to be. Knowing what I did, I knew I'd still have endured it because it brought me to Ushna's arms.
"So then, why are you here?" I asked.
"I am here to tell you the stories of the Gods," Uttu replied as she continued to work her loom.
"Isn't that, like, cheating?"
Uttu giggled. "No, Tristan, it is not ‘like cheating'. What you do with the stories, what knowledge you choose to take from them, is up to you. Besides, you would've already had this information if you had been brought up as a prince of the royal Enkidu line should have been. All royals are proficient in the stories of the Gods. Your education is seriously lacking, and though it isn't payment enough for my indiscretion, it is what I can do without tampering with fate."
"Things have to change around here fast if I'm going to protect my tribe. I know I'm out of my depth and I need help. Would you consider becoming an advisor to me?"
Uttu smiled sadly at me. "I cannot do that, Tristan. I would be too tempted to use my loom for you."
"Would you be able to become a mentor, an instructor of the old stories to my people? Like you said, we're the ones that choose how to use the information."
Uttu gave me a tiny, pleased smile. "Very true. I accept the position as mentor, Xenres Tristan." Uttu paused and seemed to consider what she was going to say next. "Tristan, you realize Ki would have never hurt you. Never in the history of the kings has she caused harm to any of her charges."
I couldn't help but flinch at the Goddess's name. As my mind healed I remembered more of what had happened at the stream. She hadn't asked, she'd grabbed, she'd taken, and the pain of her unwanted invasion was still raw. It was hard not to think she hadn't harmed me. A ward I hadn't known I carried had attacked me when she tried to probe my abilities. A ward the Goddess hadn't detected before she triggered it. A ward she'd carelessly set off, which could've killed me.
I hadn't felt the same since. Uttu had explained the new colors on my snakes; the green and blue were from the Earth's healing. That was the obvious change. But something within me had altered, and though Uttu couldn't see anything she'd consider out of place, she hadn't known me prior to the incident by the stream.
"For her not to see or feel the spell when she touched you makes her believe it was either placed on you or created by a God. A powerful Magi could've done it with a guiding hand from any of the Gods. It is very important you learn from her. She needs to teach you the Earth songs, among other things. She needs your trust."
"She broke what small trust I had in her. I'm not sure what Ushna will do if she comes back. I understand she has things to teach me and I'll do my best to learn from her, but I can't allow her to take liberties with me. You may think it's unfair of me, but I believe the incident with the ward could've been avoided if she'd acted with caution. Just because she's immortal doesn't mean I am. I may not survive her carelessness again."
I was relieved to feel Ushna coming. I didn't want to talk any more about Kiplease call me Annand her need for my trust so she could tutor me in the ways of my ancestors.
Ushna walked in and shut the door quietly behind him. I loved that he was letting his hair grow out so I could run my fingers through it. He was covered in dust and sweat, as if he'd been working outside, and I decided it was a good look on him. I barely registered the fact Uttu had picked up her loom and left the room as Ushna did that fantastic cowboy stroll to the bed. He leaned down and gently brushed his lips against mine. I drew in a breath. Would he always smell this good to me? Would I always lose my breath when he looked at me with heat in his eyes? Would I always want to devour him when we were in the same room?
"Be back in a second," he mumbled against my cheek as he took in my scent, too. "Need to wash off this dirt."
I watched him walk to the bathroom and listened as he turned on the water. Looking down at the tent I'd made in the sheets, I wondered why the hell I was still sitting there. I flipped off the cover and followed my lover.
What an arousing sight. Through the glass shower door I saw Ushna's perfect body. He stood under the spray with his head bowed so the water flowed down his hair, making a glistening curtain that hid his face. I felt like a jerk. I hadn't asked how he was handling everything from the last few days. We'd led a life of solitude for so long, the sudden changes of the last few weeks would rattle anybody. I didn't think he'd back out of our relationship because of the pressure, but I didn't want him to regret being my partner either.
I opened the door and stepped in. Ushna looked at me though his blue-black hair with his new brown-rimmed eyes. Part of me wanted to rush to him, clutch him to me, and make love to him right here, right now, but I found myself a little less confident than I'd care to admit. I wanted him to crave me just as much as I ached him. I could withstand anything, adapt to any change if he was standing next to me. I wished to promise him so much, but I knew better than to make promises I wasn't sure I could keep. I desired to assure him the worst was over, but I didn't believe that.
Instead I let him see everything I felt for him. "I love you," was all I said.
Ushna grasped the back of my neck and pulled me in for a thorough kiss that had me leaning into him and breathing hard when he finished. "I've loved you for such a long time. It's so incredible that I get to tell you," he said. He moved the hair back from my face. "I get to touch you. I get to make love to you."
"You don't regret any of this?" I inched closer to his heat.
Ushna kissed my forehead, my eyes, my cheeks, the corner of my mouth, my chin. "I'd do it all again, Tristan. I'd die for you."
I frowned at Ushna. "That's a stupid thing to say." My heart galloped in my chest. "You fool," I admonished, "How many times do I have to tell you I'm nothing without you?" I touched my lips to his. He moaned into the kiss, making my heart speed up.
That touch turned into fire and passion. He tried to swallow me, sucking on my lips, on my tongue. I was intoxicated by his taste, by his kiss, and I blindly followed him out of the shower, wet and dripping and not giving a damn as we fell into bed. His weight on me felt so good. I spread my legs for him, pushing them against his so I could feel his hairs scraping against mine. He drew my earlobe into his hot mouth, pulling off with a small pop before kissing a line down my neck.
Ushna hovered at the juncture of my neck and shoulder, scraping his teeth there, causing me to shudder.
"Yes, yes, yes. Do it, do it!" I moaned for him.
Ushna’s mouth latched on to my skin and gave a deep pulling caress. The pleasure-pain felt so good. I rubbed my long, hard shaft against his belly. The head of his cock, slick with pre-cum, slid along my perineum to the base of my tender ball sac. The suction at my neck, the friction of his belly, and pressure on my balls made me groan and move against him.
With tenderness, Ushna kissed and licked my bond scar, and then he pulled up marks on the edge of the scar, saying my name before he made each mark, making a claim on me in his own way.
"Make love to me, please, make love to me, Ushna," I whispered in his ear as I wrapped my fingers around him, giving him a firm stroke and relishing the moan he made.
I smiled when he reached under his pillow and pulled out the lube. Had he slept on it all this time, hopeful? Thoughts of the hidden lube left me stuttering as he started stroking me behind the taint with a slick finger, moving along the cleft until he reached the place where he'd breach me. Around and round, spreading the lube, asking silently if he could come in. Gods, it was driving me crazy and I moved.
"Touch me," I begged.
His voice was low and husky. "I
am
touching you."
"Please, Ushna, please." I needed him, wanted him beyond words, and he was driving me insane with his feather light caress.
"Is this what you want?" Ushna growled softly in my ear as he pressed a finger against my opening.
"Oh, Goddess yes. More, Ushna, give me more." But he didn't. Instead, he twisted the tip of his finger and I thought I was going out of my mind. "More, more, more, Ushna." Blood pounded in my ears and raced through my veins. My body vibrated as Ushna expertly strummed my desire.
"Do you know how long I've fantasized, waited, hoped, I'd be able to one day touch you like this? How I longed for your touch in return?" He pressed past the tight ring, going all the way in, and I groaned. "Watching you follow someone else around, knowing you were being fucked by him, someone who would never really look at you." He started withdrawing and I struggled to keep him in. He inserted two fingers. "Look at me, Tristan." I gazed into his heated eyes. "I see you. I've always seen you."
Three fingers were inside me now, and I couldn't hold back the strangled noise of pleasure.
"You'll never have to worry about me, Tristan. I'll always be true."
I cried out when he pulled his hand away. Before I could grasp at him in desperation, he shoved his cock into me with one hard, fast stroke. The breath left my body, my back bowed, and I clutched at him, taking all of him.
Ushna stilled, letting me get accustomed to him. His voice was rough, guttural. "You'll never have to worry about me because I'll always love you. You'll always come first with me. I'll never leave you."
Slowly he withdrew, and I felt the length of him drag through me, almost leaving before coming forcefully back in. "Yes," I hissed in his ear.
"Yes, what?" There was a distinct growl to his voice now, like he was barely holding back, as if he was walking on the edge.
I lifted my legs and wrapped them around his hips, nipped his earlobe. "Yes, you're mine," I growled back. "Yes, I love hearing you say you love me." I groaned as he hit that one spot just right. "Everything that I am is yours, oh Goddess, only yours!"
Something indefinable loosed in Ushna and he gave me everything. His passion consumed me and I gave myself up to it, reveling in it. The pleasure of feeling him inside me, his hips rotating, his hands caressing me, caused sounds to come out of my mouth I'd never uttered before. I felt my magic stir in me, under my skin, reaching for Ushna as I moved with him. Hands fisting in his hair, I brought him down in a fierce kiss, sharing my power with him as the magic rolled from my tongue to his, filling him up. We were tied together, he and I. His breath was my breath, his heart my heart, his blood my blood.
Ushna fisted my shaft, sending me screaming over the edge. He shouted my name as he came. I could feel his warmth and the magic release into me. The sensation caused me to come again, moaning and filling Ushna's hand a second time as my vision went white.