Vassal by Sterling D'Este (reading books for 7 year olds .txt) 📗

Not for anything.

Though, if she ever saw Etienne again, she would tear him apart before dragging him back to Alphonse.

Amber eyes blinked up at Delyth, surprisingly dry. No tears. Some wounds cut so deep there was no point in crying. There was nothing behind the long-lashed gaze. Just emptiness. “He didn’t say goodbye…”

Delyth didn’t have an answer to that. She just pulled Alphonse into her arms, wings half opened as though she could fly away from this as easily as she had the battlefield.

⚄

Tristan turned away from the pathetic scene, his lip curling. He had never had the patience for the fall out after a trick had been played.

But the trick had certainly been worth it.

Nothing stood in his way any longer. The boy was gone. Delyth was a follower from one of Enyo’s temples. Alphonse seemed to have entirely given up hope.

With his back to the two women, Tristen smiled, the expression thin and wicked.

Enyo was going to be so pleased.

Chapter XXV

Sixth Moon of the Year 690: Rhosan

The goatskin drums had been pounding for two days now.  Distant and desperate thrumming, Enyo had long since drowned out their primal rhythms, accepting them as her own heartbeat. An urgent and unrelenting pulse of blood within her body. Within her mind.

Summer Solstice was always a time of celebration and sacrifices. When the drums stopped, they would select their next ‘vassal’ to sate the Gods and anoint the fields.

Until then, the humans would dance in chaotic circles around the massive bonfires, wine would flow freely, and all would gorge on the last fruits of the spring. Summer was here, and there was no place for spring gaiety.

Enyo bit into the bruised meat of a plum, relishing in the sensation of her teeth breaking through the thin membrane and into the overly sweet flesh. Juices ran down her chin and dripped onto her chest.

Satisfaction coated her tongue as she tossed the pit away from the clearing, watching the gathered Gods, humans, and other creatures milling about drunkenly. Some rutted on the outskirts of the clearing, within easy view of all. Others laughed and talked. Some wept silently and watched the flames.

Standing from her position on the pile of pelts she used as a throne of sorts, Enyo traipsed through the collection of bodies, considering each bright face turned her way.

As the Solstice gathering was on her lands, her territory, she would have the honor of selecting the sacrifice this year.  Something she looked forward to very much.

Striding past Maoz and his human lover, a beautiful creature with rippling black hair and a full womb, Enyo rolled her eyes.

Maoz had dozens of human lovers, male and female alike. Over the years, he had spawned so many half breed offspring, it was no surprise that females were now seeking him out deliberately. His children were strong, long-lived, and beautiful.

The rutting Hunter. He was effectively a stag— One whiff of a female in heat, and he was on her. Even females who had been barren before were able to conceive with him.

Enyo had tried it once, with Maoz. They had caused a raging forest fire. It had been fun, but she preferred more interesting partnerships than just fucking in the woods.

Coming to the edge of the gathering, and to the tables holding the massive kegs of wine, Enyo paused. The drums were beating faster.

The time was coming soon.

“Va'al ?” She called, not bothering to look around. He’d appear if he wished to do so. That crafty one was always lurking about, always eavesdropping.

⚀

Va'al watched the festivities from the shadows. The incessant drums had begun to grate at his nerves; the pleasures of the clearing had lost their draw. He was utterly and frustratingly bored with gaiety.

It was time for a bit of conflict.

The humans and the Gods alike were far too happy. Even the sorrow of the weepers was mixed with awe. The Hunter had his rutting. Enyo had her sacrifice. Kirit hadn’t even bothered to come, and the Cursed Realms knew Ruyaa never concerned herself with anything so earthly.

It was indeed time for a bit of something different, but that left Va'al with an entirely different conundrum.

What sort of conflict did he want tonight?

Battle was always exciting, but at the moment, it seemed as though a lover’s quarrel might be easier to manage. Even among the humans gathered in this small clearing, he could taste jealousy weaving amid thoughts of food and sex. Animals, the lot of them, but oh so entertaining.

Perhaps, with a bit of work, he could convince some lustful wife into a passion, some jealous husband into a murderous rage. There was only the task of choosing who to play with; he had just set about it when a word from Enyo interrupted his thoughts.

The Goddess of nature was always a good time, Va'al supposed. She could be absolutely feral, devoid of the niceties that plagued Esha and Iluka. He shrugged. The lovers could wait.

“Enyo,” Va'al purred as he stepped out of the shadows and took a place at her side. “Stunning as ever. What did you need your poor friend Va'al for this wild night?”

❂

Enyo looked Va'al over carefully. He was the most ‘mortal’ looking of them all, with tanned dark skin and silky black hair, chocolate brown eyes that sparkled with mischief, and a long nose with a hook on the end. Yet he was too handsome. Too delicious to be truly human. After all, looks could be deceiving.He was the closest thing to a friend for Enyo. They regularly frolicked hand in hand, creating mischief and mayhem wherever they went.

Of course, on the rare occasion—every fifty years or so—they got into a fight. Well… not many mortals had been left standing to tell tales.

“It occurred to me that this Solstice could be even wilder…” Her gaze flickered towards Maoz, his horns visible even through the crowds. Stoic and single-minded, the Hunter was difficult to annoy, to rile up.

But when he did, the entire