Warrior Blind Read online

  “With? You? Me? What are your plans for them? Or did you think that far ahead? They will be living creatures, too. Not just a means to an end. Or were you planning to father them and leave them completely to me?” She felt a twinge in her heart at the images flooding her mind. Two babes. Her babes.

  “I certainly do not intend to abandon my offspring. They will want for nothing and when the time comes, I will instruct my sons in the Druidic arts.”

  “Your sons? Have you precognition, then? It is entirely possible that the babes be female.” Nelci pushed the wistfulness aside. While the thought of babes of her own tempted her, this was not what she wanted. Not like this.

  Was it wrong to want someone to want her for herself? To not be second to Kennera? To the other goddesses?

  “True. In that case, you would have the primary raising of them, as you would be the logical choice.

  The logical choice. Not the first choice, not the best choice. Jus the most viable alternative. “I see.”

  “So when do you want to commence?”

  “I don’t. I won’t. We both know that any of the other goddesses—regardless of some sort of purity requirement—can do what you need. I suggest you ask them.”

  **

  He had not expected her refusal. Reluctance, yes, but refusal…no. “I see. So the idea of a family of your own does not appeal to you, then?”

  Or course it did. He had studied her carefully when it became clear a hundred years ago that Kennera would not be the goddess to fulfill the prophecy. He did possess precognition; it just was not a power he had shared with anyone. He had been devising his plan for that century.

  While the goddess of family and loyalty had not been his first choice, he far preferred her over the other goddesses. And she was quite lovely, with her long dark curls and amethyst eyes. Her body was perfection in itself. Bedding her would not be difficult. And if needed, repeated until the babes were assured.

  Her eyes had darkened with her longing. She, the goddess and patroness of all things family, hurt for children of her own, of relatives to claim. She had none. The goddess of family was an orphan. She and Kennera had formed a close friendship for that very reason. The two had had no one else. The other deities, including Lothonos himself, had relations in several other realms. The connections were often complex, but they did exist.

  Lothonos was cousin to two other gods—Domustri and Levorkan.

  Her aloneness had factored into his plan. Lothonos did nothing without thought and planning. Evaluation.

  She would agree, if just to get her hands on the babes. And he was fine with that. He possessed not the patience or interest for raising babes. But the younger deity did. He knew she did and for a moment he felt shame at using her desire against her.

  But this virgin goddess would make the strongest babes, the most powerful, and if the babes were to restore balance to the world, that strength and power would be required.

  Nelciana was the most enigmatic of the other deities. She showed so little of herself to anyone save for Kennera, the girl goddess. She intrigued him, and this would be a good time for him to learn of her what he wanted. Then once the deed was completed and the babes were growing within her they could return to their homes and live in peace and harmony.

  He stepped up behind her and wrapped his hands around her arms. She felt narrow, almost fragile, beneath his hands. He was not the largest of the male deities—Eiophon, Erasomophus, and Domustri were all larger. But he was still a formidable male by anyone’s standards. The goddess next to him was delicate and feminine. He had never noticed that about her; her strength overshadowed her physical attributes. He used his hold on her to turn her to face him. “Nelciana, you know it must be you. This is but a fragment of a moment in our lives. Once it is done we can go back to the lives we had before.”

  “With two big changes, Lotho. Or have you forgotten these hypothetical babes already?” Her mouth trembled and his attention focused on her lips exclusively. They were full and pink and he could not wait to taste them. So he did.

  She allowed the embrace for several moments, then pulled away. “You don’t need to pretend or to force your will upon me.”

  “That was not what I was doing. I was trying to show you that we can both enjoy each other. I know you know little of the physical arts between male and female but it is not unpleasant. I promise you will enjoy it.”

  “You sound just like your cousin.”

  He felt his brows raise. “What do you mean? Which cousin?”

  “Domustri. He believes every female, goddess or Kind, will enjoy being with him. And he thinks protests are foreplay.” She shivered and Lothonos’s suspicions grew. Real fear was suddenly clear in amethyst eyes. “And he takes no little better than you do.”

  Irrational fury began to fill him. “Has he tried…”

  “Three times in the last one hundred years. Before that he barely noticed my existence.” Nelci stepped away from him. “I need to think, Lothonos. It is a mammoth request you’ve made. Babes are not something to take lightly. At least not for me.”

  “I know.” He would think on Domustri later. His cousin was the god of three things—pain, trouble, and criminality. If he was persistent in this, there was probably a reason behind it. “But time is of the essence. We have less than two weeks…”