Surrender (4 page)

Set whirled, and his face took on eager anticipation. “Ah, the great god Jarek. How is your father?”

Jarek walked forward slowly, fury swirling low in his gut. Hate was too mild of a word for what he felt for the god facing him now. “You know of my father’s demise.”

Tapping his fingernail against his chin, Set inclined his head. “Yes, I do. Apparently immortality doesn’t always work, does it?”

“My father’s passing was of his own choosing.” Though he had no need to explain, Jarek wanted Set to know the choice his father had made. It hadn’t been an easy one, but Lamar believed in destiny, in following the dictates of his chosen path. Had Jarek had a choice, his father would still be alive.

“Ah, yes. Lamar. So noble.”

Fury hissed out from between Jarek’s clenched teeth. “You take a great risk coming to my city. Even now, the gods who protect these lands surround you.”

Kira laid her hand on her father’s arm. “Don’t threaten him, Jarek.”

He continued to walk toward them. “This is my city, Kira. Have you forgotten that I make the rules here? My word is law. Ask anyone. You don’t get to make any of the decisions.”

“Oh, really?” She thrust off the heavy cape and held out her arms. “Come and see.”

Jarek’s own cape fell to the ground, and the two gods circled one another like combatants in the ring. Sensing the approach of the other gods, he held up one hand. “Cease. I do not require your assistance.”

“You might change your mind in a few seconds,” Kira said with a smirk.

Lightning bolts from Jarek’s hands began the battle, each burst bringing another, and still another. He advanced, taking the upper hand, charging toward Kira without hesitation, without mercy. Both hands threw the bolts now, alternately, punishing her time and again. He would back her into a corner, but he wouldn’t hurt her. That was one promise he would keep.

As Kira staggered backwards, Jarek felt a cold lance of pain between his shoulder blades, and his knees buckled. His head spun before connecting with the pavement, and he succumbed to oblivion.

“Father, what have you done?” Kira knelt down next to Jarek, checking him for injuries.

Set’s breathing returned to normal. “He would have killed you.”

If it were possible, her eyes would be shooting sparks as she looked into her father’s pitiless gaze. “You struck him from behind. That is not the way you taught me.”

“I would do anything to protect you.”

Kira acknowledged the truth behind his words, but her mind was clouded with unease. The rise and fall of Jarek’s chest reassured her, though she doubted her father would appreciate her relief. “He is still alive.”

Set stepped forward and held out his fingertips. “Then move back.”

“No!” She shielded Jarek’s body with her own. “You cannot kill him like this. He must have the opportunity to defend himself. To be killed by a strike from behind is not an honorable death, Father.”

And she couldn’t let him die. Not now.

The second she acknowledged the words, shock must have shown on her face, for Set’s eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched noticeably.

“Honor is not something Jarek’s family knows anything about.”

Panic was starting to set in. She had to protect Jarek, and the thought confused her. She was prepared to protect her enemy. “That makes no difference. The honor is ours.”

“You don’t know what you’re doing, Kira. Keeping him alive is not an option.”

“We don’t even know if your powers can kill him.” At the look in her father’s eyes, she surged to her feet, attempting to pacify him. “It’s not time for him to die…not yet. There is much I need from him.”

“There is nothing you need from him.” Set practically spat out the words as if they were distasteful.

Her shoulders squared, Kira’s response came in a firm voice. “If Timara is to be mine, it is my choice who lives or dies, not yours.”

His nostrils flared, and Kira knew her challenge would not sit well with her father. He’d never taken rebellion from her, and though she’d grown up in a loving, if somewhat controlling home, she always knew when to back down. Every instinct told her to step away now, but her heart spoke louder. She couldn’t allow her father to kill Jarek while he was defenseless. Or even if he weren’t.

“We will say he died in battle,” Set responded coldly. He waved one hand in an arrogant fashion.

“It would be a lie, and besides, the other gods would know. You know they’re here.”

Set cursed. “Do you really think I care what those others gods might think? They will not oppose you once Jarek is dead.”

“You can’t be sure of that, no matter how powerful you are.”

“’Tis your human blood talking now.”

Kira recoiled as if she’d been struck. “I have scarcely one-fourth human blood in my veins. This is your daughter talking. I will make these decisions, not you. Now, back off!” She raised her voice on the final word to show her father she meant business.

Set stared at her for a long, hard moment. Then, with a flurry of his arms, he disappeared, and Kira knew he’d gone somewhere to simmer and allow his anger to recede.

“Thank the Goddess,” she whispered, kneeling beside Jarek’s fallen body once more. “Now, let’s get you home and figure out how we’re going to solve this problem.”

Timara buzzed with activity when Kira reappeared just outside the castle, holding Jarek aloft. She made it past the gates without any trouble, having mastered the spell surrounding the wrought iron on her last visit. And perhaps the god she carried in her arms enabled her to breach the barriers even more easily.

She handed Jarek’s prone body over to the guard’s outstretched hands. “Take him to his chambers, and tell Devlin I wish to see him there.” An idea was forming in her mind, and it was time to put her plan into action while Jarek was still unconscious. Were he awake, she’d have a hell of a time keeping him under control, and that was exactly where she needed him right now.

The guard stared at her, his mouth working.

Kira leaned in close. “Do not even think about questioning me. As of now, I am the ruler of Timara, and I am your queen.” Let that get things stirred up.

The man stumbled and bowed low, muttering an apology. He slung Jarek over one beefy shoulder and strode through the inner gates without looking back.

Kira walked down the vast halls, a surreal feeling encapsulating her. She’d arrived home. Timara now belonged to her…at least it would by the time she was through with Jarek.

She followed the guard to Jarek’s chambers, lest the man stray from his task. Once they reached the quarters and Jarek had been placed upon his bed, she quickly dismissed the sentry.

Sitting beside Jarek, she swallowed a lump in her throat, clenching her hand at her side to keep from stroking it down his cheek. Here he was vulnerable, and the knowledge should have made her feel powerful. Instead, she felt only coldness inside.

Why wasn’t she happy that soon she would have what she’d waited for all of her life? It was what she’d waited for…wasn’t it? Before she could mull over the question, the door to Jarek’s chamber banged against the far wall, and Devlin stormed inside, clearly distraught.

He made it to Jarek’s side in two quick strides, staring down in horror at the fallen god. “What have you done to him?”

“He is merely wounded, but he will awaken. Before he does, I expect him to be chained in the lower dungeon.” She hardened her voice, breaking away from the momentary lapse of determination. Her destiny had been sealed a long time ago. Now was not the time to question it.

The god stumbled back, one hand clasped over his heart. “I could not do such a thing. He is our ruler!”

Kira strolled toward him, her steps deliberate and predatory. “Devlin, are you aware of our differences?”

He bobbed his head quickly.

“Then you know I can kill you quite easily.”

Another head bob.

“Don’t make me do it. Chain Jarek in the dungeon and…” she flicked a finger under the little man’s chin, “…use the proper chains, please. I wouldn’t want him breaking free the second you leave him. That wouldn’t be good for any of you.”

Devlin looked down at Jarek’s body again and directed his attention back toward Kira’s face. “I will do as you say, Kira, but know I will never serve you.”

Her eyes hardened. “Then you will be the first to die, for I will require allegiance from all who enjoy the beauty of Timara.” She waved a hand toward the door. “Be gone with you.”

Jarek came awake slowly. He tried to turn, but chains encircled his wrists. His chest had been stripped bare, and he’d been left with only a pair of black leather pants and the amethyst around his neck. Damn her.

The stone door opened with a loud creak, and lights flashed in his eyes. As the lanterns along the walls lit with fire, Jarek caught a good look at his captor.

“Kira.” He said her name like an epithet. So much for the warm and fuzzy feelings he’d had toward her. This goddess had officially become a pain in his ass, and the wound inflicted by her father was now a burning reminder of the levels to which she would sink to attain her goal.

She descended the stairs with all the regal grace of a queen. “Jarek. You have no idea how I hate to see you like this.” Coming to stand in front of him, she trailed one fingernail over the width of his chest. “You’ll be happy to know the other gods have adjusted well. They know I have assumed the throne as their queen.”

Jarek’s eyes frosted. Did the woman really believe he could be so easily overtaken? Had Set’s own desperation clouded her judgment? She certainly didn’t appear to be thinking like a goddess. No matter. Perhaps it was best that her defenses were lower. “Enjoy your tenure while you can. I won’t be here long.”

Kira tsked. “You don’t seem to understand. The chains that now bind you are forged from a special kind of steel. They cannot be broken by a god’s powers. So I would suggest you adjust your tone with me. Or else I might not be very nice to you.” She stood on tiptoe and licked his chin.

“I’m only here because of your father.”
And because I allow myself to assume this position.
He kept those words to himself. Forcing Kira’s hand would be to his ultimate advantage.

“Actually,” her voice hardened, “you’re here because I saved your life. My father wanted to kill you.”

Jarek gave a bark of laughter. “Your father cannot kill me, Kira. He knows of my immortality. Why do you think I’m still alive after he sliced me through with his sword?”

She lowered her gaze to his oozing wound. “In my land, gods can die. It’s not very often I see a god survive such an injury.”

His lips curled with disdain. “You’re not in Enun anymore, princess, and furthermore, if you think these chains will hold me, then you don’t know Timaran gods very well.” Uncertainty flickered in her eyes, and Jarek pushed his point. “If you’re so sure you belong on that throne, then take my sword and run it through your heart. If you live through it, you will know you are of the Timarans.”

Kira’s hands fisted at her sides. “I have nothing to prove to you.”

“Perhaps not, but you’re certainly trying to prove something to your father. It was Set who convinced you Timara is your homeland, right?” When she didn’t speak, he continued, “And it was he who told you my father pushed him and your mother out of Timara and forced them into exile in Enun after the battle twenty years ago.”

Kira raised a hand and blue flames shot from her fingertips. “I will listen to no more of this.”

“Then you’d better leave, because I have a lot more to say, princess.”

She grasped his chin and pressed her lips to his, effectively silencing him. Her tongue licked and tortured him, scorching a path from his jawbone to his clavicle before she returned to his lips.

Her lips were pure velvet, warm and wet. Her hand curled around his neck, fingertips playing with the ends of his hair. He couldn’t move, but the tension bunched his muscles. He wanted to take hold of her, but he wouldn’t give her the pleasure. And it would definitely be pleasure.

She angled her head to the right and deepened the kiss, suckling gently on his bottom lip. He was sure his moan empowered her, and she flattened one palm against his chest, putting all of her weight into pressing against him.

It was at that moment that Jarek acknowledged his defeat. But Kira raised her head, breaking the kiss. Wearing a feline smile, she thrust her shoulders back and stepped away from him.

“I’m a queen, Jarek. Never forget that.”

Long after the door slammed shut, the fire in Jarek’s blood raged on.

Chapter Three

Set’s fury emanated from him, and under normal circumstances, Kira would be concerned. But she’d just taken over the mightiest city of the gods. She couldn’t help feeling a bit pleased with herself.

“Father, what brings you here?” she queried once the guards had allowed him entrance to the city. She met him just outside Jarek’s palace and gestured for him to follow her.

Set remained silent until the reached the hallway which afforded them a measure of privacy. Then, he turned on her. Red eyes gleaming, Set lifted one hand and waved it furiously. “Do not play games with me, Kira. It took me some time, but now I have figured out why you wanted that—that…” he pointed toward the door of the chamber, “…
god
alive.”

Her lips twitched, and she pointed toward a settee covered in the finest silk. “Jarek isn’t in his room. He’s in the dungeon.” She had to admit that Jarek had good taste, though. “Well, since you have all the answers, why don’t you share them with me?”

“I will not tolerate such open hostility from you, Kira. You may have climbed the ladder to reach your ultimate success, but you will never, ever match my abilities, is that clear?” Set shot forward to loom over her with every ounce of ire seeping from his pores.

“Kira?” Set barked out her name, practically quivering with fury.

She folded her arms and relented. “Very well, Father. My apologies. Now, what is it you think I’m going to do with Jarek?”

“You want a sex slave.”

Her blood poured sluggishly through her veins. Was she so easy to read? Not that she wanted only a sex slave. She wanted much more than that from Jarek. And still didn’t understand why. All she knew was she couldn’t see herself casting him out of the city, even if he did fight her every step of the way for the kingdom. “If you know why I want him alive so badly, why don’t you tell me why you want him dead just as much?”

Set’s eyebrows rose. “We were not discussing me. You deny my thoughts?”

She flicked her hair over her shoulders and strolled toward the floor-length curtains. “Of course not, but there’s more to it than just sex, Father. I want children. Who better to give me children than another god, especially one as powerful as Jarek? Our offspring will never be defeated, and one day, they will rule these great lands and ensure that no other god will ever overtake Timara again. I could not ask for a better god to father such children.”

“You require no children to take your place. You will soon have immortality.”

“True, but I’ve always wanted children.” She wouldn’t share with her father the desire in her heart, the crying passion to hold a child of her own in her arms. He would consider it a sign of weakness.

Set snorted his derision and began to pace the chambers. “Do you actually believe Jarek will service you?” His hand rested on the gilded frame of a portrait of Jarek’s parents.

Kira smiled and captured one end of the satin tieback in her hand. “He will have no choice.”

“You would take him against his will, then?”

The gleam in her father’s eyes disturbed her. “Stop grinning, Father. Jarek will be more than willing by the time I am finished with him.”

Giving a sigh of relief, Set dragged a hand through his mop of red hair. “I must return to Enun.”

Instant concern filled Kira. “Is it Mother?” She took a step toward him. “It’s time to bring her here.”

He walked to where she stood by the window and took her hands in his. “Not yet. You must ensure that the gods here accept your control. I will give your mother your best.” His forehead bumped hers. “She would be proud of you now, Kira.”

Her eyes filled with tears, and she wanted to question his decision or, perhaps override it. “Do not let her go, Father.”

He touched her cheek. “Sometimes, we have no choice.”

Dammit. They did have a choice, and she wouldn’t stand by and allow her mother to die because her father’s fury overrode his heart. She closed her eyes, preparing to negate his words, but in an instant, her father disappeared.

She didn’t understand Set’s objection to returning her mother to her homeland. Perhaps he believed her mother would never be comfortable here, not after the humiliation they’d endured when they’d been exiled, but that didn’t matter to her. All Kira wanted, all she needed, was her mother’s survival.

“My queen,” a small, hesitant voice called to her through the thickness of the door.

“Enter.” Kira couldn’t hide the thrill at the words.
My queen.
She’d made it. She hoped her mother really was proud of her.

A thin woman with long, brown hair and eyes like a sparrow walked into the chamber, back held erect, and her hands clasped together in front of her. She bowed low and then straightened. “My queen, if you would be so kind as to allow me to speak.”

Kira settled herself on the settee and waved a hand, at once intrigued, and confused. “By all means.”

“I come asking for permission to leave Timara.”

Kira surged to her feet, her hair whipping around her shoulders at the sudden motion. “What? Why would you want to leave Timara? Are you not a goddess?”

“Yes, I am. I am Deanna, Goddess of the Land.”

“Then answer my question. Why do you wish to leave?” The sheer audacity of the goddess astounded her.

Deanna’s head lifted, and then Kira saw what had intrigued her—a flash of defiance coupled with temper. “Because I will never serve you, Kira. One by one, the gods shall leave Timara, and you will have rule over nothing.” She squared her shoulders again. “Though our laws decree we cannot rise against our liege, we have decided we’d rather see the destruction of our home than bow down to your demands.”

Kira’s temper began to climb. The impertinent wench. “Then, one by one, I shall destroy each of you. Go. Tell this to the others. Make sure they know I will carry out my warning.”

Deanna didn’t immediately move. Instead, she held out a small piece of paper. “King Jarek requests an audience with you.”

Kira’s face cleared. “So that is what this defiance is all about. Jarek put you up to this, did he not?”

Deanna remained silent.

Kira waved a dismissing hand. “Never mind. It is of no importance.” She snatched the paper from Deanna’s hand and turned away. “Be gone with you. I have no further desire to continue this conversation.”

When the door closed behind Deanna’s departing figure, Kira’s eyes seared a hole in the wall over the massive bed. Dammit. This was all getting more and more confusing. She should be happy that she’d assumed the position her father wanted, happy that she would soon have Jarek exactly where she wanted him, and happy that Timara could possibly save her mother’s life.

Instead, she was worried. More because of her own feelings than her father’s. Whatever was happening to her wasn’t just because of Timara’s atmosphere.

And that was what scared her the most.

Devlin slipped easily into the dungeon, his bony figure disguised on a wisp of wind. He materialized in front of Jarek, his eyes filled with worry. “What has she done to you?”

Jarek smiled to ease the god’s fears. “Nothing I can’t handle. Has Deanna spoken with her then?”

Face twisting, Devlin nodded. “She is a most unpleasant one, that Kira, but yes, Deanna did speak with her. She threatened to kill every one of us who does not follow her rule…including me.”

The affront in Devlin’s voice almost made him smile, but Jarek focused his attention on the most important part of the information. Threatening to kill all the gods took balls, especially when Kira wasn’t even sure of those beneath her.

His jaw tightened. Kira had made herself at home in his chambers and on his throne, but all would be rectified soon.

“She didn’t say if she would come, Jarek,” Devlin warned.

Jarek did smile then. “She’ll come.”

“You can be sure of this?”

“The woman wants more from me than just my throne.”

Devlin’s face cleared, then blossomed beet red. “Ah. Yes. Well.” He coughed. “I’d best get back to my post. Wouldn’t want her to catch me down here.” He winked, sharing the joke with Jarek. As God of the Air, Devlin traveled where he wanted when he wanted. Even Jarek couldn’t see him at times.

As the door clicked shut, Jarek returned to his mental musings. Kira had wasted no time in upsetting the natural order of things. He cast a look toward the rectangular window on the far wall of the dungeon and allowed his father’s soothing voice to return him to a level of serenity.

“You know why she is here, son. Knowing that, you can restore things to their proper order.”

Jarek’s hands curled into fists. “I should want to destroy her.”

“No, you should not. She does not know the full story.”

“I’ve tried to give it to her. She won’t listen.”

“Then you must make her.”
Lamar’s voice still held the same level of authority as when he’d ruled over Timara.

Jarek looked away from the window. “That is not my responsibility.”

The walls of the brick prison shook, and dust and mortar drifted to the ground below Jarek’s hanging feet. Even in Halcyonnia, the peaceful land of the afterlife, his father had a wicked temper.

“Would you think about destroying an innocent god?”

Jarek’s head snapped back around. “Innocent? She has taken over Timara. She has threatened to kill my people, and I’m supposed to find her innocent?”

Lamar made a rude noise. “
Sometimes you are much too stubborn to be my son.”

Jarek gave a bark of laughter tinged with sarcasm. “No, I did not get my stubbornness from you, Father.”

“I have spoken to you of your destiny, my son.”

“Don’t give me that. Kira is not my destiny.” Even as he said the words, doubts slipped in, muddled by his own heart’s betrayal. Feeling something for the goddess who’d come to overthrow him was ludicrous.

“Your eyes betray you, my son. How can you be so sure that Kira is not your destiny when your heart tells you otherwise? And would you risk your own immortality to question what was long ago decided by your ancestors?”

Jarek knew he was fighting a losing battle. “I will not kill her.”

“Of course you won’t. She is your queen.”

“Why don’t you try telling her that?” Jarek shouted the words.

“She will know in time. Your souls will connect.”

Jarek couldn’t resist a snort. “When? And don’t tell me you mean when I fuck her.”

The wooden door at the top of the three stone steps creaked open, and Jarek’s prison fell into silence once more. He heard heels clicking and caught the scent of an intoxicating blend of jasmine and spice.

“Have you taken up talking to yourself, Jarek?” Kira cooed, gliding toward him with one arm outstretched. She’d changed into a flowing garment of deep violet, and with her silky black hair tied back from her face, she wore beauty like an ordinary person wore a cloak. She stepped into his line of vision and lifted her hand to caress his cheek. The softness of her palm enticed him.

Jarek’s eyes narrowed. “Are you trying to bewitch me?”

Kira purred low and long and brushed up against his body. His cock responded instantly with a powerful surge against his leather pants. Her hips pressed against him, and he felt every outline of her delicious curves.

“Don’t you want me, Jarek?”

“Wanting a taste of sin does not make me weak, Kira.” And he’d no doubt a taste of her would be just as sweet as it would be sinful.

Her lips ghosted over his throat and paused over his pulse point. He closed his eyes with a sigh of pure pleasure. Every nerve in his body throbbed with anticipation. The vixen could entice him, and he would allow her.

Jarek didn’t consider himself a fool. If a beautiful woman wanted the pleasures of the flesh, he would graciously accommodate her. He’d never been a fool, but it would be much more than sex. What had his father said again? Their souls would connect.

He didn’t want to believe it, but his father had never guided him wrong. But how would he ever trust this woman who enchanted him with the slightest touch of her fingers, while at the same time demanding his allegiance?

Kira’s hand trailed over his bare chest, tweaking his nipples, and then dipping lower to tantalize the bulge between his thighs. His breath caught in his throat, and she leaned in, pressing her lips against his abdomen.

“Give yourself to me,” she commanded, raising her head slightly to see his face. “As your queen, I demand your obedience.”

He raised one eyebrow. “And if I deny you?”

Her fingers tightened around his sex. “Then I shall simply have to take it.”

Their eyes met, stare for stare. Not even the sound of their breathing disrupted the silence, and Jarek lowered his head in a gesture of submission. Now would be the time to show her she’d never been in control at all. “As you wish, my queen.” Even he heard the bite in his voice.

Kira snapped her fingers, and the manacles securing his hands fell away. She started up the stairs. “And before you think about attempting to overthrow me, you should know Devlin will take your place here in the dungeon until I am finished with you. Should anything happen to me, he will be killed instantly…or, at the very least, exiled.”

Jarek’s lips twitched into a smile as he followed her up the stairs. Apparently, Queen Kira hadn’t done her homework. Pity.

Kira released the silk ribbon holding her hair back while every nerve in her body jerked with anticipation.

“Lie down.” The command came out on a husky whisper, and for a moment, she closed her eyes to regain control. Her pussy hummed, throbbing with each breath she took.

Strolling toward the window, she made sure her hips moved seductively. She wanted Jarek’s body to respond to hers, to feel the need clawing at his insides as she did. She would never admit the power he held over her, but then, maybe she didn’t need to.

After tugging the curtain over the window, she turned, not surprised to see Jarek still standing, his arms folded over his chest. “You don’t follow orders very well, do you?” The light of challenge in his eyes only served to heighten her desire.