Chapter 30

I was standing on top of an enormous Aztec pyramid. It must have been twenty stories high and its base was massive. A wide row of steps cut through the tiers like an arrow shooting straight for me. Looking down that long stairway left me feeling a little dizzy. As if one wrong step would leave me tumbling forever. I blinked and the feeling was gone.
The doorway of a dark temple arched above me while the temple itself stretched out behind me to cover the pyramid's tip. From my vantage point, I could see a broad avenue at the foot of the monument; it spanned to the right and led to a smaller pyramid. To the left, the street reached out to an enclosure with yet another little pyramid; guarded by a circle of buildings. In the flickering light of torches, bright colors were revealed; painted over the stones and statues. Angular designs seemed to pulse and carved faces shift in the dancing glow; making me feel as if I were in the center of a crowd even though I was utterly alone. The rich smell of fecund marshes was sweetened by the perfume of night-blooming flowers. The scent was so thick that it felt as if I could run my fingers through it.
More pyramids gathered in a courtyard around the main three like anxious children, reined in by a massive wall crowned with snake heads. The snakes stared viciously out at the city beyond; sending a silent yet effective warning to all who would approach. I knew suddenly that I stood on sacred ground and it was guarded by more than stone serpents. A shiver skated over my spine.
Just out of reach of the staring snakes were palaces; massive buildings with sparkling courtyards. Beyond those were smaller homes, all circling the pyramids in great, vibrant wheels. The buildings glowed white in the moonlight and there were flowers everywhere; in the courtyards of the palaces, in the gardens of the smaller homes, and in every nook and cranny they could cram into. Cutting through the whole city were waterways, crisscrossed by bridges, which led to an outer ring of floating gardens; patches of cropland surrounded by canals. The canals, in turn, led out to a huge lake which surrounded everything.
I was standing in the exact center of an ancient, island city.
"Welcome to Teotihuacán, Place of the Gods,"Blue's velvet voice draped over me from behind. "We stand at the center of Tenochtitlán, the home I led my people to, the city near the cactus."
His hands slid over my shoulders; the skin-to-skin contact startling me. I looked down and saw that my body was wrapped with gauzy white material; held in place by a thick, gold belt. I closed my eyes and tried to remember who I was. I didn't want to be here with this man—this god—but I couldn't remember why.
"You're mine,"he whispered against my bare shoulder before he kissed my chilled skin.
His sensual lips promised warmth, and I turned to him; welcoming his heat. Lean arms closed around me and a heavy veil of hair slid down to enclose us as he bent to kiss me. When his lips touched mine, he was all I wanted; nothing else mattered. I forgot about the incredible city, the chill in the air, and, most importantly, I forgot to remember who I was.
I felt him lift and carry me further into the temple. He laid me down carefully, and I felt smooth stone at my back. The rock beneath me was warm; pulsing with energy and excitement. Around us, the walls were covered with paintings of priests, gods, and animals in bright colors. The paintings were violently beautiful; war and sacrifice featuring predominantly. A quick flash of terror spilled through me as I spotted a picture of blood and altars, but the emotion was quickly replaced by the feel of his hands.
He undid my belt and then untied the cloth around me slowly, carefully, before laying it all at his feet. A breeze brushed against my naked skin, and I reached for him; wanting desperately to be covered by his warmth. He laughed softly, and I heard victory in it; victory and something deeper, something darker. I frowned, vaguely disturbed by that laugh, but then he undid his own belt and let the cloth at his waist fall with it.
Standing naked before me, he truly looked like a god, and I couldn't help but worship him with my eyes. I drank in his magnificent form; the sleek expanse of chest, his curving biceps, the flat plane of his stomach, the thickness of his thighs, and all that lay between them. His eyes glowed red, but I wasn't afraid, I was anxious. It felt right and wondrous to be with him, and I wanted it so badly that I heard myself whimper. A part of me cringed at the submissive sound, but I couldn't focus on my little misgivings, couldn't grasp them; they slid away like silk pulled through a grasping hand.
"No, my sweet darkness."He took my hand and kissed the tips of my fingers. "Don't worry; no one will take this moment away from us. I shouldn't have allowed you to run from me. I should have claimed you at the start."
Tears rolled down my face, but I didn't know why. Something was wrong, what was it? He began to lick my palm and then kiss his way up my arm, and I lost the feeling of unease. His teeth scraped along my collarbone—sharper than I'd expected—and I gasped. Then his hands flowed over my body like molten rock; liquid hot, but with the promise of something solid to come. They rubbed away my tension; relaxing and exciting at the same time.
I felt his lips close wet and hot over the crest of my breast just as his fingers went lower to call forth my own liquid heat. I moaned and pulled his head closer; raking my fingers through the heavy silk of his hair. The flick of his tongue drove me over the edge. I was already reeling when his mouth sent me plummeting faster into ecstasy, his hands working their magic in tandem with his lips.
Warm flesh slid over me and then down my body. My legs fell apart to accept him, and all I could think about was the feeling of his skin on mine, the strength of his muscles flexing beneath it, and the scent of him—like spicy chocolate—teasing me. I lifted my head a little to gaze down at him poised between my thighs; his eyes glowing ferociously at me.
"Tell me you're mine and let me claim you."He drew his tongue up the middle of me slowly, and I writhed. "Tell me."He covered me with his mouth; licking and then plunging his tongue deeply.
My throat went dry, and I shook my head. Why did I deny him? He was my god, my lover, and I did belong to him, but some part of me screamed, No! The paintings around me seemed to come to life; the people shouting out a warning. My heart sped up; my breath coming in short gasps as I tried to pull away from him.
He looked up at me sharply; his arms holding me still. Suddenly, all I could see were his eyes; burning into my soul, filling my world with churning crimson as he continued to lap at me. He wrapped his arms around my thighs and pulled me tighter, closer.
"Tell me you belong to me,"he growled, "tell me now!"His voice cracked through my mind like a whip, and I broke beneath the sharp spikes.
"Yes!"I fell back, finally free of his gaze. "Yours."
His eyes widened, and his breath puffed hot against me; sending quivers of pleasure through my body. I thought he'd get up and slide into me then, but he didn't. He growled low in his throat and rubbed his face against me; savoring his triumph.
"So much magic,"he whispered and licked me again, "mine."
He looked up at me and lowered his head as his lips pulled back to reveal sharp fangs. I screamed as he sank those teeth into me; all the while continuing to flick his tongue, taking blood as he gave pleasure. My orgasm rushed out of me as my blood rushed into him; washing away my terror. The sound of him drinking, sucking at me, should have repulsed me. Instead, it excited me further, as if it were a normal expression of desire; something to be expected and cherished.
I lay convulsing with aftershocks as he licked my wounds carefully. Warmth spread as he blew a healing fire over me. I felt the cuts close quickly; my skin itching for a moment as they healed. One last lick, and he raised himself above me; coming up my body to kiss me again. I tasted my blood on his tongue before he pulled back and looked at me with eyes gone tender despite their savage color. He stroked my face, the pads of his fingertips barely touching me, and then covered my face with soft kisses.
"Sweet Sacrifice,"his voice whispered through me, "I will treasure your gift. You'll see that I can love you as no mortal man can—with the strength of centuries—and I will never give you up. Together, we will bring them to their knees."
He slid inside me then and the feel of it was so perfect that we both cried out; our voices mingling along with our bodies. When he started to move, I thought I'd shatter from the pleasure. My body was so full of sensation already; I couldn't possibly hold more. The slide of his hot flesh branded me and made me feel complete while the stone beneath me seemed to push me up; offering me to him.
"I will come for you, my Queen,"he gasped. "Drop your shields, and I will come for you."
"I don't understand."I wrapped my legs around him and clawed his back, pulling him deeper. I didn't want to talk. I just wanted more of him; more and more. "I don't have any shields, just come."
"You will understand."He kissed my neck gently; the warm wetness of his tongue briefly flicking out before his fangs pierced me lightly. The pleasure crested with his bite and we came together. He poured into me as I poured into him; a complete circle, a divine sacrament. "Now you're mine, Vervain!"
My name on his lips sent me shooting out of the dream, and I bolted upright; shaking in terror. Nick was crouching in the corner against the carved walls of my Chinese wedding bed. He was hissing at me—something he'd never done before—and I began to cry. He stopped abruptly and crept closer as if to see if it was really me.
"I'm sorry, baby."I stroked his fur, and he snuggled back against me, purring. "I wasn't myself for awhile there."
I let the smells and sounds of home ease into me and relax some of the tension in my muscles. I was home; it was just a dream. There, the whir of the a/c. There, the spice of the sandalwood oil I used to polish the bed. There, the heartbeat of the animal in my lap. Then the sound that should have been frightening but only comforted me more; the soft shuffling of a man asleep in the next room.
My heartbeat calmed completely when I remembered that Thor had spent the night. He didn't want to leave me alone, even after he was satisfied with my ability to shield. I'd thought it was a ploy to get me into bed, but he'd gallantly offered to sleep on the sofa. I pulled out a futon instead and fixed it up for him in my art studio. My third bedroom was used exclusively for magic so it wasn't an acceptable guest room. He had insisted that he'd enjoy sleeping surrounded by my paintings if he couldn't sleep beside me. I'd laughed and thought he was excessively paranoid to insist on staying. Now, I was glad he had.
Part of me wanted to creep into the other room and crawl into bed with him. But instead, I'd satisfy myself with the knowledge that Thor was nearby and take the comfort of my cat beside me. I laid back down and focused on adding more power to my shields. I didn't think Blue would be able to sneak into my dreams with all the shielding I'd put up, but, evidently, my mind slipped a bit when I slept. I probably should have woken Thor, but I didn't want to go running to him like a child afraid of the dark. I could talk to him about it in the morning. Hell, maybe it had just been a bad dream. Maybe Huitzilopochtli hadn't made it past my shielding at all.
I smiled as the thought comforted me and then turned my head into the softness of my pillow. A sharp twinge went through my neck, and I sucked in my breath as my hand flew to the spot. My finger came away with a drop of blood, and I jumped up, displacing Nick, who yowled at me as I scrambled out of the opening at the foot of the bed. I ran to the bathroom, flicked on the light, and stared aghast at my reflection in the mirror.
There was Blue's bite; gleaming like twin jewels against my throat.
"Thor!"