Leaning down, she gently nuzzled his shaft, pulling his scent deep into her lungs, letting her soul absorb it, until it would always be a part of her. Only then did she continue up his body, worshipping his body until she was eye to eye with him.
“But do you want to know what I think the most beautiful part of you is?” She asked, gazing deep into his eyes.
“I do.” Ynyr whispered desperate to hear her words, but just as desperate for her kiss.
“It’s what you have in here,” she gently touched his temple, “and what you have in here.” She put a hand over his heart. “That is the most beautiful to me. You are such a fit, strong and worthy male Ynyr. It is there for all to see. But it is what they can’t see… what you’ve revealed only to me that I think is the most beautiful. You have the most beautiful thoughts Ynyr… about your universe… your people… your brothers… you care so much that you would even risk yourself even for a female you did not know, one who sat crying on the other side of a hedge… that you would allow me to become your female… it humbles me.”
“Goddess Abby.” Ynyr pulled her head down to his for a searing kiss. “Don’t you know that it is you that humbles me?” He kissed her again, this time with less force but no less emotion. When his lips slowly stopped moving Abby lifted her head and found he had fallen into an exhausted sleep.
“Stubborn male.” She muttered, but there was no heat in her words just concern. “What does he think he is? A God?” Moving carefully, she reached for the blanket, then after covering them both, she settled into her male’s arms and went to sleep.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
“You don’t look anything like me.” The strange male voice had Ynyr jackknifing to his feet, his hand reaching for his sword ready to protect his Abby only all his hand found was bare hip. Stunned, he looked down and found that he was naked and his Abby was nowhere to be seen.
“Where is she?” Ynyr growled at the male standing before him wearing nothing but a short piece of material that covered him from waist to mid-thigh and a sword strapped to his side. Ynyr had never seen a male like him before, his skin… it changed colors as he moved, like a chameleon. He was large, larger than any male Ynyr had ever seen in both height and width and while he had the dark hair of a Tornian, his eyes glowed like a Kaliszian. Ynyr didn’t care who the male was or that he didn’t have a sword, Ynyr would make the male tell him where his Abby was… for his life was meaningless and empty without her.
“That is true.” The male said, his voice deep and seemed to echo through the universe.
“What is?” Ynyr demanded widening his stance so he would be better able to attack.
“That your life would be empty and meaningless without your female.”
“My Lady!” Ynyr instinctively corrected, his head jerking back as he suddenly realized that whoever this strange male was, he could read his thoughts. “Where is she?!!” He demanded. “What have you done to her?!!”
“I have done nothing with her.” The male said with an insulted look on his face. “Look.” He ordered.
Ynyr tensed as the male’s hand swept wide over the floor between them opening to revealing his Abby who lay sleeping peacefully a great distance below them, safe in his arms… in his arms??? Ynyr stumbled and would have fallen through the floor had a strong hand not gripped his shoulder.
The floor closed, separating him from Abby.
“No!” Ynyr struggled uselessly against the grip. “I won’t be separated from her.”
“You won’t be! Of all the irrational…”
“What did you expect Raiden?” A beautiful voice asked. “When you pulled him from his Lady’s arms while he slept? What did you do when it happened to you?”
“I tore apart the universe looking for you.” The male growled, looking over his shoulder at the voice.
Suddenly Ynyr felt something around his waist and looking down found he now had material covering him from waist to knee. What was it?
“It is called a kril and my Goddess has no desire to view any other male but me.” Releasing Ynyr’s shoulder the male named Raiden moved towards the female, blocking Ynyr’s view of her as he gave her a gentle kiss.
“You just couldn’t resist could you.” Ynyr heard her tease lightly.
“She said only you could have created something that magnificent and wondered who your inspiration was… it made me… curious.”
“The original is always the best my love…” she laughed, running a hand over his chest before stepping around him.
When Ynyr finally saw the female he immediately dropped to his knees and bowed his head. “Goddess,” he whispered reverently.
“Rise Lord Ynyr. Your Abby is correct, that kneeling and bowing thing is irritating.” She waited until he had done as she commanded before she continued. “I see you have met my mate Raiden Nacy the Great, Emperor of all the Known Universes, the Bringer of Peace… and God.”
Ynyr watched as the male behind the Goddess smiled at her indulgently as she introduced him until she got to the ‘God’ part, then he rumbled unhappily.
“My Raiden…” the Goddess turned to look at him playfully, “does not like to be called a God.”
“It is an unearned title,” he grumbled.
“But it is what you are.” The Goddess shot back and Ynyr could tell this was an old argument.
“Emperor?” He asked carefully not sure how the two would react to his interruption.
“Yes!” The Goddess spun around smiling at him and the stars instantly brightened, but as her smile faded, they returned to their normal glow. “You have no knowledge of him, do you…”
“I… no Goddess I have never heard the name.” Ynyr admitted.
“Curses on Daco! He has totally erased you!” She turned to Raiden and the room began to tremble.
“It is alright, my love. Calm.” Reaching Raiden cupped her cheek. “It matters not whether I am remembered by others. You remember.”
“It does matter! It was written! It should have been passed down! Especially when one of your own…” The Goddess trailed off, her eyes returning to Ynyr. “I do remember, don’t I and since he is here… Sit!” The Goddess ordered and a chair suddenly appeared beneath Ynyr knocking him off his feet. He quickly grabbed at his kril that had flown up with the sudden movement, making sure he remained covered.
Raiden growled while the Goddess just laughed. Two chairs appeared for them and they sat much more gracefully than Ynyr had. “I already told you I know I have the best my love. I have no need to look elsewhere.”
“Still…” Raiden continued to glare angrily at Ynyr.
“I am going to tell you about your past Lord Ynyr.” The Goddess’ gaze returned to him. “It is something that never should have been forgotten.” Sitting back in her chair the Goddess began.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
“Many… many… many millennia ago the universes were very different. There was basically one race… the race had no name because it didn’t need one, they were one and the greatest Emperor that ever ruled them was Raiden Nacy, the male that sits at my side.” The Goddess reached over to place her hand on his. Raiden immediately turned his over, gently holding hers.
“Emperor Raiden brought peace to all the known worlds.” She saw the question in Ynyr’s mind. “Yes Ynyr there were wars between the planets for while they were one race they didn’t always agree on how things should be done, many died over petty things.” Her eyes filled with pride as she looked to her mate. “Raiden changed that when he became Emperor, his feats of bravery and acts of kindness were whispered among the stars… as were the beauty of his looks…” The Goddess chuckled and Ynyr watched in amazement as all of Raiden’s colors appeared at once and darkened. He had blushed.
“He did.” The Goddess said, her eyes returning to Ynyr. “He does not consider himself as beautiful, he just is and it seems to be something else the two of you have in common.”
“Yes.” Ynyr agreed.
“So what
was a young Goddess to do when the stars continued to whisper about him?” Her eyes filled with mischief. “I went to see for myself.”
“And fell into my arms.” Raiden said smugly.
“I tripped! On a rock!” She fired back.
“And fell into my arms,” Raiden repeated, “and you have been there ever since.”
“I have.” The Goddess looked back to Ynyr. “But the time came when I was to leave, for you see Ynyr, while there was only one race within the universes, they were mortal and the Gods and Goddesses are immortal. And while it is considered acceptable for us to Join with a mortal it is not acceptable to take one as a mate… but I was young and impetuous…” The Goddess smile suddenly grew radiant. “Thank you Ynyr I haven’t had a compliment like that in many a millennia.”
Ynyr stared for a moment, then realized she had caught his thought of how she barely looked older than his Abby. Raiden glared at him angrily before turning to the Goddess.
“I compliment you all the time!” He declared angrily.
“Yes, you do, but occasionally a female likes to hear it from another.” Leaning over she patted the muscle that was bulging on his arm. “You know you are the only male I want.” With a grunt Raiden relaxed.
“Now where was I?” She asked.
“Leaving.” Both males said at once and it was the Goddess who tensed.
“Yes. I had received word that I must return. I refused to go, not without Raiden. It caused a bit of a stir in the heavens since there are very few unmated Goddesses remaining and the Gods weren’t going to lose one, not to a mortal.”
“Yet here he is.” Ynyr couldn’t help but say.
“Yes, because I made him a God.”
“What?” Ynyr couldn’t hide his shock.
“It is something that can be done, but the others rarely find the mortal fit and worthy,” The Goddess looked at Ynyr, “every mortal presented has died before they ever reached a decision, intentionally I believe for your life spans are so short… I was not going to allow that to happen… not unless it was what Raiden wished for. In the end the decision was his and his alone. He was the one that would have to leave his people, would have to leave the empire he had spent his life creating. He would be the one that would sacrifice, not me.”
“There was no sacrifice my love. To rule an empire until the day I died or to live forever at your side. The decision was simple.”
“But you have been forgotten… no one even remembers your name…”
“Because I am not a God.” Raiden put a gentle finger over her lips. “But I am the mate of the most beautiful Goddess ever created and the envy of every male, mortal or God. A more than fair exchange I think.”
“You should be remembered for more than that Raiden and if not for Daco you would be.”
Ynyr watched Raiden surge out of his chair. “Don’t mention that fracken God’s name in my presence!” He roared and the room trembled with his rage.
“Raiden…” she rose and moved towards him.
“He took you from me Goddess. HE. TOOK. YOU.”
“Through treachery and trickery.” She moved in front of him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “It was not your fault my love. He struck when he knew you were engaged in another challenge. It went against all the laws and he was punished for it.”
“Not enough! He lives!” And while Raiden’s rage still rolled off him the arms he wrapped around her were gentle.
“Only in the dark,” she reminded him, “he will never get close to me again.”
“Yet he can still harm you as he did with Lucan.”
“What?” Ynyr could not stop the question and realized he had been forgotten when they looked at him in shock.
“Since Daco can no longer touch my Goddess directly, he attacks her through family.”
“I don’t understand?” Ynyr frowned at him.
“Come,” the Goddess stepped out of Raiden’s arms leading him back to their seats, “there is much more to this story.” Once they were all settled again, she continued.
“Raiden’s presence in the heavens was not well received by the other Gods.” Raiden’s snort told Ynyr that was an understatement. “There were challenges for his right to be here… many challenges… which he always won.” The Goddess’ eyes glowed with pride as she looked at her mate. “The most vocal, although he never challenged Raiden directly, came from Daco who was insulted that I had chosen a mortal over him. Because Daco was a coward, he attacked what Raiden had to leave behind, his people and the empire he had built. His goal was to wipe Raiden from his people’s memory, and it seems he has succeeded.” Her eyes darkened with sadness. “You have no concept of how much Daco has destroyed Ynyr. Raiden’s empire was more than twice the size of the Tornian and Kaliszian combined. It even included what you have only recently discovered… Earth and at its center was the planet Kaltor, the ruling planet and home of the Emperor. People traveled easily between the planets, there was only one language, only one set of laws.”
“Where is this Kaltor now?” Ynyr asked.
Both looked at him in surprise. “You call it Tornian.”
“It was once your world?” Ynyr looked at him in shock.
“Yes, but Daco leveled all that I built there and on every other planet. My people became unable to travel between the planets. They could no longer communicate. They changed and began to develop differently.”
Ynyr’s eyes traveled over Raiden with new eyes, realizing that he had seen every Tornian color in Raiden’s skin. “That is why we were able to have offspring together. Why you resemble both Tornians and a Kaliszians.”
“Yes, there was a time when you were one.”
“It’s also why when Daco took me, he took me back to Kaltor. Where it all began.”
“And why King Varick was the first to respond.” Ynyr finished for her.
“Yes. Daco thought he had wiped Raiden’s people out on Kaltor and that by bringing me there it would destroy Raiden. He did not realize how resilient Raiden’s people could be. While they had suffered greatly they had still rebuilt. King Varick had nearly single handedly changed the face of his world. He had united the people and it was a time of great prosperity. He risked all that by coming to my aid.”
“To do anything else would have been unworthy of him.” Ynyr told her.
“Perhaps…” the Goddess said.
“And you rewarded him greatly.” Ynyr continued.
“I did?” The Goddess gave him a questioning look. “Is that what you have been led to believe? That what the Tornians have been able to achieve is because of me?”
“I… well, yes… It is because he saved you from being abused that you blessed House Bertos and because of that we are now able to travel to the stars.”
“There are so many things wrong with what you have just said that I do not know where to start.” The Goddess looked to her mate helplessly.
“Start with Rawnie.” Raiden told her, gently cupping her cheek and Ynyr saw a great sadness in his eyes.
“Yes… she deserves that.”
“She does,” Raiden agreed, “and more.”
The Goddess’ eyes turned sharply to Ynyr hearing his unspoken question. “You do not know who Rawnie is?!!” While the Goddess remained sitting the room began to shake with her anger. “What she gave up for you?!!”
“I said nothing.” Ynyr denied.
“You thought it.”
“My thoughts should be my own… Goddess.” Ynyr wondered if he had gone too far, as the room began to tilt… until Raiden started to chuckle.
“He has a point my love and enough Rawnie in him to tell you so.”
The room immediately stilled “He does doesn’t he.”
“Yes.” Raiden sat back in his chair and waited for her to continue.
“You know that King Varick had a Queen do you not?”
“Of course he did.” Ynyr frown as he spoke. “He had to or he would not have been unable to have offspring, but…” The
Goddess watched and listened as he searched all his memory and found no glimmer of her name and that saddened her. “I have never heard her name.”
“I see. Well her name, at least her mortal name, was Rawnie Jacoby. She was King Varick’s Queen and she was my sister.”
“What?” Ynyr’s eyes flew from Raiden to the Goddess. “How is that possible?”
“Because it is.” She simply said. “When I was…” her eye flew to Raiden, “taken, Raiden immediately gave pursuit. My sister followed concerned for my well-being. She had always been like that, concerned and caring for the welfare of others. When she arrived…”
“She fell into King Varick’s arms.” Raiden injected trying to get his Goddess to smile.
“She tripped!” But the tension was broken and the Goddess gave Raiden a grateful smile. “It matters not, she was in his arms and she refused to leave.”
“As you refused.” Ynyr said understandingly.
“Yes, but that is where the similarities end. I never once considered doing what my sister did, it never even crossed my mind… if it had the universes would be a very different place.”
“Not even you can go back and change the past my love. It is what it is. We have to go forward and fix what we can.” Raiden told her gently.
“Yes… you are right.” Her eyes returned to Ynyr. “So my sister found her life mate in a mortal and instead of being forced to leave him she chose to Join her life force with his. In doing so, she became more than a mortal, but less than a Goddess.”
“What do you mean?” Ynyr frowned at her.
“Her life was now tied to his. If he died. She died. Yet while she lived she was able to help him. To help his people. She is the reason you reached the stars. The stones you hold so important… the reason they are this way is because of her. When she became mortal the energy that made her immortal had to go somewhere and she directed it into the stones, a gift for the future. She knew that her new people would be able to use them. They glowed with her energy and with the love and caring she had for her male. In return King Varick changed the name of his House from Berto to Jacoby an outward statement that the House was forever changed… into something better.”