Chapter 19

Helios

Ilooked at the fierce little Mageia in the bed next to me and grinned wolfishly. My legs were still shaking in the aftershocks of my orgasm. Time to give as good as I got.

"I think I'm in trouble," he whispered, grinning at me, his fingers tangling in my hair.

"Yep. Maybe I need to spank you," I said.

He froze for a moment, and I stopped, realizing what I said.

"Shit, Kat, I'm sor-" I began, but he stopped my apology with a bone melting kiss.

We didn't speak for a long while as I began kissing my way down his body. He was so compact. His muscles were all sharply defined, not an ounce of spare fat on him anywhere. When he stretched his arms overhead, I could count every rib. I licked each defined line of him, my fingers tracing over the various scars I found on his skin.

Like me, life had not left him unmarked. If anything, his scars far outweighed my own.

"Someday, I want to know the story behind each one of these," I said, his eyes darkening as I paused above his groin. "But not tonight."

"Shit!" he cried as I took him in my mouth, hollowing out my cheeks to suck him as I moved up and down his cock.

His hands swung out, fingers grasping until they caught the edge of the bed. His lithe body arched up to meet my mouth. His muscles strained as I worked him with my lips and tongue. He groaned and panted above me, a stream of filthy swear words coming from his beautiful mouth.

He was coming close to his climax when I paused, looking up at him. I knew it had to be a sight: me, flushed and sweaty, lips shiny with spit and precum, my fingers wrapping around his cock that bobbed between us.

I sucked him in and nosed against his groin. He was mostly hairless, which surprised me. I loved the warm, musky scent of his skin. I wasn't going to complain, though as I licked and stroked his cock with my tongue.

"Goddess!" He yelled as I increased the pressure. "I didn't- that's not- Gods!" He groaned and shuddered above me. I cautiously slid lower, licking at his balls, slowly rolling one then the other around with my tongue. I moved past the loose skin and lower, but he caught my hair, forcing my head up.

"I—I—" I could see the confusion and fear in his face, and I knew suddenly he wasn't ready for going that far. If he never was, I was fine with it. This was more than I'd ever thought I'd have with someone.

"S'okay, kitty cat," I whispered as I smiled up at him. "We never have to do anything you aren't ready for."

He closed his eyes in relief and I returned my attentions to his cock. Soon he lost all coherence, his words devolving to a series of groans, moans and pants, interspersed with swear words, some of which I didn't even know the meaning of.

He tensed after a few moments and with no warning he erupted. Long, thick streams of seed painting us both as I popped off him.

When he was reduced to nothing more than a quivering mess, I began kissing my way back up his chest, pausing to clean each muscle with my tongue as I traveled before sharing a long, lingering kiss with him.

Finally we lay next to each other, exchanging gentle kisses as we explored each other's bodies.

"That—" I paused, trying to find a way to describe what had just happened between us.

"—was incredible," he finished for me, his head dropping back on the pillow, his dark hair fanning out around him, the line of white like a lightning bolt.

"Hel, I don't know—" he began.

"Know what?" I asked, leaning on one elbow and looking down at him.

"That felt amazing, and I do trust you, but after everything, I don't know if I'll ever be comfortable— receiving— like that…" he said, squirming.

I laid a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Then we don't. I'm completely comfortable either way," I said. For a moment I let the heat of my desire show in my eyes and was reward with the sound of his breathing speeding up. "And frankly, the thought of you entering me…"

I shuddered and guided his hand down to my cock, where he could feel just how much I liked the idea. His eyes went wide in surprise before a pleased smile flitted across his face.

"Stay with me?" he asked, his blue eyes searching my own, the vulnerability in them heartbreaking.

I pulled a blanket up over us.

"Of course. As long as you want me, Kat," I said.

His breathing evened out, and I thought he might have fallen asleep, until I heard him whisper something even my Soma hearing had a hard time catching.

"What?" I asked, wrapping my arms around him.

"Elex." He said quietly. "My name is Elex."

I smiled. That explained Luke calling him his hero.

"Truth," I whispered as he fell asleep.

◆◆◆

In the darkness I stood next to Kat. No, Elex, I thought. His real name was Elex.

I had wondered what his real name was, of course, but I had figured he would tell me in his own time. Which he had.

I looked down to see our hands entwined. Scarlet and gold ribbons wrapped our wrists and held them together.

Voices rose in the darkness, repeating the chant.

Hecate

Goddess of the Moon

Goddess of Justice

Maiden, Mother, and Crone

Queen of Shadows

Hear our prayer.

Grant us your blessing

Goddess of that which is,

Which was,

And is yet to come.

Goddess of the night

Goddess of power

Goddess of spirit

Bind our souls together.

Let us be a light in the darkness.

Let us be your hand of justice.

Let us be comfort to all.

Help us guide the lost.

Help us punish the wicked.

Help us mend the broken.

As we unite to fulfill your wishes

As Sons of Hecate

I found myself repeating the words, only to look at Kat's face and realizing he was repeating the words, too. When we paused for the second repetition he looked at me in confusion.

"How do I know this?" he whispered. I shrugged.

"It's a dream. Who can explain what you know in dreams?" I said.

He grinned and the second repetition began. I felt his power twining around me like the cat I had named him. It was warm and alive, filling me with his golden light. I felt a warmth filling my chest, and I felt him there, his soul, twining with my own. Just as Ri had been.

Thoughts of my friend sobered me, and remembered pain filled my heart. What if Elex was upset about me remembering him? What if he felt it was too much? I had too many ghosts.

Elex reached out with his unbound hand, gently cupping my cheek.

"It's okay," he said. "He's a part of you. I get that. I don't want you to forget him. He's…He's family."

I nodded and we completed the second repetition.

I felt my teeth lengthening, my body flowing like water. I knew I could take almost any shape I chose now, but I kept my hand clasped in Elex's. I only wanted to be his.

His power now dazzled around us like fireworks. His dark hair blew around his face in the wind, his blue eyes glowing like sapphires.

We began the final repetition of the ritual. Suddenly the voices of three women joined us. The three women I now remembered from the last time I was in this darkness walked forward, each carrying a torch. Their voices joined our own.

Help us guide the lost.

Help us punish the wicked.

Help us mend the broken.

As we unite to fulfill your wishes

As Sons of Hecate

"So let it be," They said, Their voices echoing in the darkness as we ended.

I turned and looked at Elex. In this place, his face seemed younger, somehow. Not as careworn. Not as hard.

"So let it be," we whispered together.