Erecting Barriers Page 4

  Obedience turned her full attention to Addie-May. She could just picture her oh-so-serious and devastatingly handsome cousin having his senses assaulted by this fledgling semi-witch.

  “To make a long story short, when the class returned to campus and broke up, I found, as I attempted to leave, that my feet were affixed to the floor of the lecture hall. Unable to move an inch, I knew I’d been caught, and wondered what my punishment would be.” Addie-May’s eyes took on a dreamy cast. “I had no idea it would involve his glorious lips and his equally skilled hands.” She shook off the romantic memories. “I fell so deeply, so fast.”

  Obedience sat patiently. It seemed to take Addie a long time to come to the point of her story. “I fell in love, no doubt about it. And being young and foolish, I thought we had a future. We got married, set up house, worked hard, made love, and eventually produced our daughter. All happiness and laughter you know, until I uncovered one problem. Being partially human, my aging process started to catch up with me. Dorian continued on, young and handsome, while I looked older. Not much, but enough to make me worried. I knew only a short time remained until I moved past him, if never chronologically, then certainly biologically. I couldn’t face it.” Addie’s shoulders slumped and the lines in her face deepened.

  “When Angie turned eight years old, I gave up. I told a huge lie which I thought for the best…for everyone. I told him that I didn’t love him anymore. I’d seen the way women looked at Dorian and I was convinced he looked back at them more and more as I lost my youthful appeal. It didn’t take much to build a case within my head that I should leave him.” Addie reached out a hand and placed it over the ones clasped in Obedience’s lap.

  “I made the biggest mistake of my life. We divorced. I don’t know what he told the witch council, or what concessions he had to make to obtain the decree, but Dorian took me at my word that I didn’t love him anymore, and managed to get our union dissolved; something that the governing board had hardly ever allowed before.

  “I should have talked to Dorian about my fears and insecurities. I should have seen if a solution could have been found. By telling him I didn’t love him, I drove him away, when I could have had so many good years with him…even if I did continue aging. I see it now because in retrospect, even at fifty, I still felt young and vibrant.” Addie May sighed. “I lost so much. So many potential memories.”

  Tears stood in the older woman’s eyes as she continued. “The truth is,”―the younger witch could tell it took a lot for Addie May to make the next admission―”I never stopped loving him. I love him still, and only my foolishness and pride drove him away.” She swept a hand across Bee-Dee’s smooth cheek. “Don’t let time get away from you. Go to Kulla and let him explain. I promise that you won’t regret it…as I always have.”

  “I should have known.” A hard voice from the doorway startled the women with its icy coldness. Frigid sparks shot frantically from around the form of Dorian, silhouetted in the darkened hall. “You foolish woman.” He railed at Addie May.

  She trembled while Bee-Dee watched Dorian shake his head.

  “You drove me away from our life and our daughter to give me what you thought I wanted, and sent my life into a tailspin. Years of anguish, for what? Your vanity?” Light flashed and his nostrils flared. He drew up to an impossible height, raining years of censure upon her. He barked a bitter laugh.

  “You love me still?” His voice spun through the air like dark silk. “Then you are a fool, and I am worse. Waylon was right,” he said, cryptically. At the mention of the witch’s father, Obedience felt Addie shiver beside her. Dorian, unrelenting, continued his tirade.

  “Now, my dear little mate, without any understanding, you have―with your words―opened a world of hurt for both of us. You would do well to take the advice you have so cunningly given, and drop your foolishness and pride. When things come to a head, your pride will no longer be an issue.” Dorian disappeared into nothingness with a turn of his chin.

  Obedience looked at Addie-May, who sat wide-eyed and clearly shaken. She put an arm around the older woman’s shoulders and whispered. “Oh gods. It looks like we’re both screwed.”

  Chapter Four

  A few more nights of stone cutting and Kulla would have enough to finish the ziggurat. Jake acquired a last block for transport. As dawn neared, Kulla noticed their bodyguard, Scobalt raise his head up into the air as if to sniff.

  “What is it?” Jake noticed the gesture too. He’d worked with a group of DEA agents for a good many years, and always remained in tune with a team.

  “I’m picking up a small quantity of the ore which your enemy wears to cloak herself.” His gaze scanned the dark horizon as he opened up his senses to the night. “The disturbance, one figure, is to the east and hovering approximately one hundred and fifty feet away.”

  “Are there any demons accompanying the individual?” Kulla asked, returning to his task, determined not to show his awareness of anything amiss. Jake did the same.

  “I detect no demon activity in the immediate vicinity.” Scobalt remained relaxed in posture, but Kulla knew he could turn lethal in a second. The god continued to score granite from the cliff wall where they worked, and spoke aloud, sharing his thoughts with his two companions while he toiled with a special blade.

  “If it’s Beletseri, we can’t let the goddess follow us back to the compound. I’m invisible now, but once I’m within a hundred yards of Obedience I will regain my body, and Bel will glean that I am near my Chosen. Knowing her, the evil one will then do everything in her power to pinpoint and capture Obedience as her next attempt to foil our matings.”

  Jake interrupted. “Scobalt, show me where the energy emanates from, and I’ll be happy to use my new god-skills to take the threat down.” Jake looked decidedly pumped at the idea he’d get to test out his fledgling powers on an immortal enemy. Kulla thought it a bad idea. Bel had honed her skills over many centuries, and Jake, although well trained as a human, still felt his way around his powers. That fact aside, the agent was not part of the original agreement that kept the rogue goddess from killing them. Jake would be fair game for decimation.

  “Let me take care of this, Jake,” Kulla reasoned. He’d long wanted a shot at Beletseri. She had been responsible for a chain of events that nearly ruined the life of his brother years ago and eventually sent Kulla to the Underworld.

  The architect turned to his blue companion. “Can you get close enough to throw a rock?” he asked. Light broke over the horizon, and would silhouette the enemy. “Hitting the intruder will momentarily disturb invisibility, and I’ll be able to move in for a tackle.” His powers heightened, preparing for battle. His godlike armor, known to his older friends, but not these two, appeared without fanfare. Jake’s mouth dropped open.

  “I know, I know,” Kulla responded in a gravelly tone. “Let’s just say the cartoon character got the idea from me.” He’d been teased unmercifully by his buddies when the movie with the four super-heroes came out. Could he help it if his body morphed to rock? He turned back to the Lauernley. “Just throw the bloody thing.”

  Scobalt bent to pick up a stone and did his best to remain nonchalant about the appearance of Kulla’s boulder-man. The blue man took aim and let the stone go. Kulla flew close behind, grabbing his granite cutting blade and launching his body into the sky while eliciting a gasp from his companions. Kulla chuckled. Flying rock…well…rocked.

  The impact of the thrown stone caused a spontaneous flash as it hit invisible flesh which momentarily turned solid. Time stood still. Kulla shook his head. The previously cloaked figure was not Beletseri.

  Kulla saw the surprise on Matthew’s face as the once human’s cloaked body became visible. The shock mirrored his own. Matthew? A god? Shit. This situation boded far worse than Kulla anticipated. Bel had turned the despicable mortal into a deity. This could be a trap. Beletseri and her demons could be lurking just over the horizon for an ambush. His thoughts were confirmed when a
yell came from Scobalt.

  “Demons moving in.”

  Change of plan. Kulla yelled in his head to Jake, who he hoped had time to relay it to Scobalt. He careened his invisible body straight for Matthew. Protect yourselves. I’m calling for back-up. He amped up his communications to reach the compound. Gods. To me at the quarries. Bel has turned her human companion immortal, and I’m about to engage. Demons on site.

  The part of him that remained aloof from the impending fight felt the scrambling back in the Blue Hills. He’d be joined by a slew of brothers in mere minutes. Hope remained he would take Matthew down before the interloper could be joined by his lethal companions.

  Matthew sneered. Being a god, he was able to see Kulla despite the rock-immortal’s invisiblity. What the hell are you supposed to be, stone cutter? The once-human held steady in his bit of air and didn’t look the least bit intimidated by the pile of rock soaring toward him.

  Your death, Kulla growled, just before impact. He barreled into Matthew, but the god strength of his new opponent knocked the knife from his hand. They both plummeted, grappling, toward Earth. Twisting midair, Kulla hit feet first. He fell backward followed by Matthew. The impact knocked the wind from the new god’s lungs in a loud whoosh, but Kulla’s problem was more severe. What the hell? He hadn’t counted on such a hard landing on solid granite legs. Rock parts of him broke off and skittered away upon connecting with the ground. Everything from the knees down suddenly went missing, and a small chunk of each elbow lay several feet across the rock table where they’d crashed. He lay as if paralyzed from the hips, down. Dammit. He hurt all over. What had happened? Why had he turned corporeal? He had all he could do to wrap his stone hands tightly around his opponent’s neck, and squeeze. He had no leverage to flip, and could feel Matthew gathering strength to break his choke-hold.

  “Kulla.” Obedience’s voice screamed his name; the last thing he expected to hear. How in the hell had she gotten here. And why? Fuck. He should have realized. That’s why he’d become visible. His Chosen made that happen. He never felt pain while in his invisible form, and he felt it now. Kulla hadn’t experienced this kind of torment in centuries. His phantom limbs throbbed with the agony of separation.

  An evil gleam came into Matthew’s eyes. The once-human brought a knee up into Kulla’s burning rock-leg-stump, nailing it dead on, then broke free. Kulla screamed in anguish and could only watch as his opponent leaped to his feet, grabbed the nearest boulder, and held it poised above his head, ready to smash it down.

  “No!” Obedience called again.

  “Your woman, eh?” Matthew sneered.

  The prone architect could only watch helplessly from the ground as the asshole tossed the huge block of granite toward his groin. Kulla caught it, barely, and by the time he’d heaved it off, his enemy flew, with purpose, toward Obedience. Matthew would kidnap her if he could. Kulla could see his friends in the distance, all engaged with various demons, and knew he would get no help from them.

  “Bee-Dee. Disappear. Go.” Kulla’s voice called out, strong and determined. He’d managed to roll to his stomach as he yelled for her to retreat. Matthew regarded Obedience with narrowed eyes.

  “I will not,” she said angrily. “This cretin has caused enough problems for you and your friends.”

  He looked back over his shoulder as she sent a blast of witch energy toward Matthew throwing him back several feet.

  “Well. What have we here?” The new god turned to Kulla for a moment and grinned, speculating. “You’ve got yourself a non-human piece of ass? How did that happen?”

  Kulla slowly grew stronger as anger superseded his disabilities.

  “She might be fun to bring home for a little ménage, since she can’t be killed being reamed by an extra hearty god-dick.” He spun back to Bee-Dee, completely ignoring what he believed to be Kulla’s incapacitated body on the ground. “Tell me, little redhead. How well do you take it up the ass?”

  Matthew inched closer while Obedience edged back, chuckling at the irate howl from Kulla who, fuming and with a sheer force of will, dragged across the rock toward the blade he’d been carrying that had fallen out of his reach. All the while he implored his mate.

  “Obedience, please take off.”

  “And leave you, broken into pieces, to defend your sorry ass? Not a chance.” Magic once again filled the air around her and swirled toward Matthew. The currents brought her adversary up into the air and held him for a few seconds before he leaped free and came back to solid ground.

  “Your powers don’t work against gods,” Kulla warned, closing in on the blade. His outstretched fingers nearly brushing it.

  Then everything happened at once. Matthew lunged for Obedience, Kulla grabbed the knife and launched it across the divide. His witch leaped to the side, conjuring a small viper, which she threw at Matthew.

  Yes! Two hits to the bad guy. A stinging bite to his forearm and a knife in his bicep, but what the hell. It didn’t stop Matthew from closing his hand around Bee-Dee’s wrist, yanking her hard.

  Not to be defeated, Obedience conjured fire under Matthew’s feet and within seconds, he let go and leaped back. He had to know reinforcements were moving close, and sensing defeat he yanked the blade out of his upper arm. With a final, scorching look back at Kulla he made one last, futile and clumsy grab at Obedience, who eluded him easily, before taking off in a flash of speed.

  Kulla collapsed on his stomach, all fight gone. Obedience rushed to his side.

  “What were you thinking?” Kulla let out a deep breath, quivering with fear that she might have been taken.

  Obedience ignored him and gathered up the bits and pieces she assumed to be parts of him. When finished, she looked at the pile on the ground in bewilderment. “What happens now?” The witch watched, helplessly as the rock-man turned back into his god body.

  “Now, I pretty much go through hell.” As stone limbs turned to flesh, and blood gushed from every cut and appendage. “Time to get me back to Doctor Dani. She’ll fix everything.” He attempted a smile, but his eyes rolled back in his head. Kulla’s grip on consciousness slipped away. And yeah. Why not? A god could only take so much.

  ****

  Hovering over Kulla’s inert form, Obedience turned her horrified face to that of the gods drifting in behind her. “Tell me he’ll be all right.” she demanded.

  “He’ll be fine…in a few weeks,” one of the deities assured her. Only partly assuaged, Bee-Dee needed more assurance than that.

  “How does he heal from this?” Her voice shook.

  “Painfully,” Marduk answered. He waggled his head. “Extremely painfully.” He looked apologetically toward her, then got down to business. “Enlil, give me a hand. Pick up the rest of his pieces and let’s get him back to the compound.”

  Obedience refused to leave Kulla’s side, a fact not lost on the immortals surrounding them. Fine. Let them think whatever they wanted. She would transport back with the group whether they liked it or not. Flying, regardless of the misconceptions humans had about witches, had never been the easiest mode of transportation for her, She would normally disappear from one spot, only to appear in another. Gods traveled fast and invisibly, but had to move laterally from point A to point B. In order for Bee-Dee to do that, she had to stay corporeal, and would be apparent to anyone looking up from below. Good thing early dawn lingered. Just to be safe, she conjured some morning mist, and hoped she’d go undetected. If not, she’d get one of the gods to scrub some minds clean later. Right now her concern focused all on Kulla.

  When she heard the call go out at the house this morning, that he’d come under attack, her only thoughts had been to get to him, be with him, and protect him. It hadn’t been in the least bit reasonable, that gut need, but suddenly she had to move. If taken by the enemy, or worse, killed, she might be left in the dark as to Kulla’s intentions for another four hundred years. Screw that. She didn’t want him disappearing before they worked everything through.

&n
bsp; Now, in lieu of his horrific injuries, all of her previous posturing seemed childish, and perhaps not so insurmountable. The goddesses had repeatedly tried to tell her that Kulla had a perfectly good reason for not coming back to her in colonial times, and foremost in her mind he should have the chance to tell his side of things…if he survived.

  She glanced worriedly at the amount of blood he’d lost, and knew, despite what his friends said, that it would be a close one. If his life-essence drained away completely, he would never come out of the deep sleep into which he’d now sunk. She silently urged the group on, thanking all the gods that Dani-Lee had been alerted, and sure enough, when they wafted through the front door of the compound, she stood ready and waiting.

  “It’s a good thing we’ve got his blood,” the doctor said once they had Kulla settled in her surgery. Obedience heard the gods did periodic updates to the blood bank they kept onsite. She’d been asked to participate in the practice. It seemed like a good safeguard, and Bee-Dee had agreed, happy now for its existence.

  Dani-Lee prepared an IV and plunged the needle into Kulla’s unresponsive arm. His injuries were horrible, but his elbows were already forming again, and the doctor packed his leg stumps in ice and some kind of substance she’d been working on to stop bleeding, understanding from the other immortals that Kulla’s limbs would regenerate only if they remained unstitched. The process would be slow and painful, but he’d live and be good as new.

  Nobody could tell Bee-Dee how long his recovery would take, but she didn’t care. She set up camp in the infirmary to keep vigil over him until he could leave his hospital bed. She’d tend him as she’d tended many an old friend in need over the years, nothing scary about a sick room.

  ****

  On day three, Obedience sat calmly at bedside and read silently from a large tome given to her by Dorian. It described their family tree, and the growing it had done since she’d dropped out of her witch life. She attempted to memorize the vast number of cousins now dotting the globe, but her gaze kept wandering back to the curly head next to her, resting silently on the pillow. Kulla had yet to wake up. A multi-day beard covered his cheeks and chin, giving him a dangerous, rough look, even in slumber.