Aphrodite's Touch, page 20
"Didn't it occur to you that maybe I didn't want to die that way?" she asked tightly. "What right did you have to make a decision like that? I'm an adult. I'm capable of determining my own fate. I thought we'd already covered this…"
"I was trying to save you pain," he said finally, rubbing his chin where she'd punched him.
"Sabiniano, look at me," she said quietly, her face serious. "And listen to what I have to say. Have you ever died? I didn't think so. I have. I know what I'm getting into. I should have been the one to make the decision. Did you even think, for one minute, that it might make far more sense to let Dionysus kill me? Being torn apart by Maenads is a horrible death, but it is relatively quick.
"Besides that," she added. "Once I'm gone, you'll be safe. A few minutes of pain for your safety is worth it to me. I love you, and I have the right to protect you."
"Then I have the right to protect you," he said. "And that's what I was trying to do."
She fell silent, thinking over what he said. A startled look came across her face, and she raised her hand to her neck.
"Where's the collar?" she asked. "You took it off, didn't you?"
He nodded.
"Then what happened?" she continued. "How is it that I'm still alive? Was Dionysus lying about the collar all along? Why would he do something like that?"
"No, he wasn't lying," Sabiniano said, sighing heavily. "You aren't the first mortal to be brought back from the dead like this. It's unusual, but it happens. And there's always a collar involved. I have no idea why you're still alive—or why Dionysus hasn't come for us, for that matter."
"It's almost morning," she said, looking to the eastern sky. He followed her gaze. The sun was still below the horizon, but a light glow touched the sky. The clouds were slowly turning a light peach color and in the distance, birds were starting to sing. She was right. Another day was beginning.
"So what now?" she asked. "I didn't die. Dionysus didn't come. What do we do now, just go back to the temple and wait for him?"
"No," Sabiniano said suddenly. He gazed into her face intently, a smile stealing across his face. "No, we don't go back. I don't know why things have happened this way, but we've been given a little more time. Let's see what we can do with it."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Dionysus has spared us," Sabiniano said. "I've never known that to happen; he isn't a merciful creature. There's no place on earth he can't follow us if he chooses, but maybe he won't if he doesn't have to look at us. I think we should leave the island."
"I've never been off Naxos," she said, her voice suddenly growing faint.
He burst out laughing. "You've been to the underworld," he replied lightly. "I can't imagine that doesn't count as 'off Naxos'."
She gave him a dirty look, then started giggling.
"You're right," she said. "We don't have anything to lose. Of course, he might still get us…"
Sabiniano let himself fall back into the grass, folding his hands behind his head.
"Maybe he won't," he said after a long pause. "If we really wanted us, why didn't he take us last night? You're right; he might still hunt us down. But maybe he's decided to let us go for some reason. If so, we should get off the island before he gets angry again. He's not known for being constant in his emotions…"
"All right," she said suddenly. "We'll do it, we'll try to escape. But you have to promise me something. If he comes after us, you'll give me to him. And you'll ask him to forgive you. I won't allow you to sacrifice yourself for me."
"No," he said. "I won't do that."
"Then I'll just go up to the temple and wait for him," she replied lightly. "I'll be damned if I'll let you do this to yourself."
He ignored her, and she fell silent. The sun had risen high enough that a dim glow had come over the meadow. There was a rustling noise, and a deer bounded across the grass.
Finally, she spoke.
"I'm going to the temple now," she said. She stood, then suddenly shouted out to the sky. "Did you hear me, you nasty stupid god? Come and get me! I've had enough of your shit for both lifetimes! Come down here—"
Sabiniano abruptly leapt to his feet, tackling her and rolling her beneath him. One hand covered her mouth; he could feel cold sweat on the back of his neck.
"Are you insane?" he hissed. "What the hell are you doing? Don't you realize how foolish it is to challenge a god? Especially Dionysus?"
She bit his fingers, and he jerked them away from her mouth.
"Of course I know how foolish it is," she replied tightly. "It's almost as foolish as sacrificing yourself for a lost cause. Promise me you'll let me go if he comes after us."
He stayed silent, and she drew in a deep breath, then shouted, "Di—"
He cut her off, then closed his eyes, defeated.
"I promise," he said, lifting his hand from her mouth for the second time. "If he comes after us, I won't stand against him."
"You'll hand me over, and then you'll tell him you're sorry," she said firmly. "If things go wrong, I want to know you are aren't suffering. I won't be, you know. I'll be with my family."
"Yes, I will."
"Then let's see if we can leave," she said quietly. "I don't think there are any ships in the village large enough to take us to another island, though," she added. "Can we just fly, or something? How do you go up to Olympus? Can we go like that?"
A harsh bark of laugher escaped him.
"Not likely," he said. "When I go to Olympus, I call down my father's chariot to take me. Something tells me that isn't a very good idea right now."
She giggled.
"I suppose not. So what now? The village?"
"I guess so," he said. They stood slowly, and she turned away from him, stretching like a cat. The absurdity of their situation struck him. For the first time in his centuries of life, he had no idea what he was going to do with himself. From birth, he had been fated to serve his father. Suddenly that fate had changed, and it was all due to her, his little human…
He pulled her into his arms, kissing her deeply on the mouth. She gave a startled gasp, then wrapped both arms tightly around his neck. Their bodies twisted against each other, and he felt the familiar fire of arousal in his loins.
She pulled her mouth away from his, then whispered, "I realize we should probably get going, but do you think it would really hurt anything if we took a little time for ourselves? I love you so much, and I want to be close to you…"
"I don't think it would hurt anything at all," he replied softly. He slid his hands down her body, cupping her butt lightly. She shivered, then jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. He cradled her, pulling her tightly against his pelvis. Already he was growing hard, and as foolish as it seemed to stay in the meadow, he couldn't have let her go if he wanted.
Instead, they kissed each other more deeply, and he slowly lowered them to the ground. Then he was sitting on his knees and she was straddling him. The sensation was almost too much to bear.
"How was I lucky enough to find you?" he asked softly.
She smiled, and replied, "I don't know. It's amazing that we could live so close to each other for so many years, and never meet. If it hadn't been for a chance remark overheard by a nymph, we never would have. I find that unbearably sad, in a way."
She pressed her lips against his again, cutting off any response he might have made. After a few moments of intense kissing, she pulled away, and raised herself up.
With his help, she pulled up her gown, and he pulled up his long tunic. Then she was sinking down on his erection, taking his hard cock into her a body with an ease that amazed him. Where once she had been so tight, it was now as if she shaped herself to his size exactly. He thrust up at her, but she placed a finger against his mouth, as if telling him to slow down…
"We do this so fast, usually," she said. "It's always so urgent, as if we've known somewhere in our hearts that our time together would be short. I don't want to live like that any more. Maybe our time will be short, but that doesn't mean we have to rush through every moment. Let's just savor what we have right now…"
So they sat there, connected in the most intimate way possible, simply holding each other. Eventually, she shifted, and started squeezing him with her internal muscles. It was a slow, steady massage, and he let himself simply enjoy the arousal building in his body. Eventually, what had started as a comforting massage became an agonizing torture. The urge to throw her down, to thrust into her and take her, was strong.
His desire to savor the moment was stronger, however. Finally, he spoke.
"Every day from now on is a gift, something I never thought we'd have."
"Yes," she replied, stilling. She rested her head against his chest, and he felt a trickle of moisture. She was crying.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I'm just thinking about how happy I am."
Why does being happy make you cry?" he asked, confused. She laughed, and reached up to cradle his face in her hands.
"I doubt you'll ever understand," she said. "Just believe me, I'm happy."
She kissed him again, squeezing his cock within her body, making him shiver.
"I don't think I can keep this up to much longer," he said. "I want to take you now."
She nodded, kissing him again. "I think I'd like that. It can be our way of saying goodbye to the island."
Leaning forward, he pressed her down into the grass, and starting moving in and out of her with strong, smooth strokes. She was hot and slippery beneath him, and every time she engulfed his hard length it felt like coming home. Nothing could be more right than this moment.
Eventually, their movements grew more frantic, and she whimpered against his shoulder. He increased his pace. She was close, and if he worked her just the right way she would come right before he did. Her body would clench and massage his, kneading him until he exploded with his own pleasure.
Almost there. Again and again he plunged into her. She whimpered each time, and clutched his shoulders tightly, digging nail marks into his back. The light pain was good; it helped him keep focused on his task. He wanted it to be perfect for her, as perfect as she'd always been for him.
Finally, just as he was starting to wonder if he'd be able to hold out, she came. It started with a moan, then shivers and chills wracked her entire body. Her legs clutched his waist like a vise even as she squeezed him powerfully inside.
It was enough to send him over the edge.
Moaning, he shot his seed into her body. Every muscle, every nerve ending, every bit of his being tightened.
"I love you," he whispered as he slowly collapsed, barely able to brace himself and keep from crushing her. She nodded her head in response, too weak to speak.
It had definitely been worth it, he thought. Leaving his home, risking Dionysus' wrath. Perhaps even an eternity of torture.
Kalliara was worth it all.
* * * * *
It was another hour before they reached the village, arriving just as a ship came into the harbor. It was large and sturdy, and its Cretan captain was more than happy to take them on as passengers.
He wouldn't accept payment, although Sabiniano tried to give him some gold coins in exchange for their passage. Instead, the man simply smiled and said he was doing a favor for an old friend.
Within an hour, the ship left Naxos. The first few days Kalliara kept expecting Dionysus to hunt them down. But in the end she was able to relax, and accept the fact that somehow, despite all odds, they were free.
They never saw Dionysus again.
Epilogue
Dionysus watched from a balcony in his son's temple as the ship's mast disappeared over the horizon. They were gone. It was time to get his spider back from the bitch who had taken her.
He never paused to think why he wanted the spider so badly. He just did. There was something so terrifying, so horrible, about the thought of her delicate little frame being at someone else's mercy. Turning away from the balcony, he strode through the temple to his waiting chariot, ignoring the frightened nymphs and satyrs. With some distaste, he realized he would have to find a new ruler for Naxos.
Perhaps he should come down and rule here himself, he thought darkly. If he couldn't trust his own son with the job, who could he trust?
Only himself.
And the spider. The little creature had been his constant companion for decades. Even as he fucked and sucked and drank his way through life, she watched and spun her webs above him. He had studied her work countless nights, and the beauty of her creations never ceased to amaze him. She should have died long ago, but he fed her ambrosia—diluted, of course—and it sustained her. The very thought of losing her was too much to bear. He shook his head, forcing the thought away.
His chariot waited outside the temple. Sabiniano was gone; there was no point in thinking about him any further.
It was time to go and get his spider back.
Also at Ellora's Cave
The Price of Pleasure Things That Go Bump
In The Night II
Ellora’s Cave
www.ellorascave.com
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[MT1]I know you are thinking? I know you to have been thinking? The guy is Greek, not Irish.
[MT2]Must have been a word here that was deleted? She squirmed, something and sensation winding through her.
Joanna Wylde, Aphrodite's Touch
