Taken by the Blood God (Devil Springs #4)

Chapter 21

Chapter

Twenty-One

Minerva

My body was healed from my injury, but my magic was distant. Sluggish. It felt unfamiliar, as it had when I first manifested as a girl. I needed to reconnect with my magic and with the goddess.

After a quick consultation with my calendar, I realized the moon would be visible tonight. Drawing down the moon would be the perfect way to recharge and get back in touch with my power. A full moon would be best, but I wasn’t sure I could wait. I needed to rebuild my magic now. Though it was only going to be a crescent, a waxing moon encouraged growth. Of magic and self.

I waited until the last minute to tell Talant where I was going. He’d been hovering near me all day, watching me with those bronze eyes. I understood how prey felt when they realized the tiger was watching them in preparation to pounce.

I had the sense that if Talant saw even a crack in my armor, he wouldn’t hesitate to rip it apart and swallow me whole.

Moonrise was in half an hour, and it would take most of that time to walk to the clearing far enough from town that I felt safe going skyclad.

I found Talant sitting in the backyard with Davian, both sprawled in my Adirondack chairs, staring at the small fire lit in the fire pit.

Folding my hands in front of me, I paused beside Talant’s chair. “I need to draw down the moon,” I stated. My eyes flicked to Davian. “My power was drained, and I need to recharge.”

“No one is stopping you, witch,” Davian replied, gesturing to the empty backyard.

I curled my lip at him. “I prefer privacy, which is why I’m walking into the forest.” I glanced back down at Talant, whose head was tilted back so he could look up at me. “Which is why you are both staying at the house.”

Davian snorted, but I ignored him. He was still bitter that I’d managed to use a rune to trap him in Devil Springs, and we both knew it.

Talant’s eyes moved over my face before he finally nodded. Things had been tense between us since his confession in my bedroom earlier today. I wasn’t sure how to act around him or what he wanted from me. Besides the obvious.

“I’ll be back in two hours,” I continued, circling around the chairs and heading toward the trees that edged my backyard. I’d chosen this space on the outskirts of town so that I could easily walk into the woods when I needed to ground myself or to find herbs and plants for potions and tinctures.

I felt Talant’s eyes on me, and my shoulders didn’t completely relax until the sensation vanished.

As I walked to the clearing, an orb of light in the palm of my hand to light my way, I let my mind go back to what happened earlier that day and the things Talant had said to me. The vow he’d made to me.

I still didn’t understand it. Talant was a god. He understood that his vow of belonging to me meant that he would never be able to claim another. Especially since he spoke the words on the soil of Devil Springs.

Why would he do something like that? And how was I supposed to respond?

I wasn’t even sure how I felt about it. Since I’d fully accessed my Conduit powers in Davian’s stone prison something had changed between us.

It was like a shadow I could see out of the corner of my eyes or a word on the tip of my tongue that wouldn’t quite roll across it. An itch I couldn’t scratch.

The knowledge I needed was inside of me, but it was still out of my reach. The harder I tried to grasp the slivers of thoughts and memories, the slipperier they became, flying from my grasping mind faster and faster.

While a large portion of my mind only wanted to understand why Talant would promise himself to me, there was a secret part of me, small and shadowy, that reveled in the idea. It was the same part of me that found pleasure in the use of blood magic. Or in meting out justice if no one else could or would.

It was the darkness that every creature carries inside them. Witches, shifters, and others all held that potential to fall into dark magic. It was tempting and sentient, often offering us what we wanted most. I usually ignored that voice in my head because I knew what it was. But, tonight, with the moon rising in the sky, I let that voice speak to me.

The witches of my coven ignored the voice of darkness within them. And it showed in how they manifested their power. Pretending it didn’t exist didn’t stop it. Sometimes, we needed to hear the voice of darkness within us and truly listen. Because those words were often the ones we needed to hear most.

My footsteps were quiet as I slipped through the trees toward the clearing. I let the magic of the night sink into me as I listened to that shadowy voice. The deepest, most secret part of my soul wanted to take everything Talant had offered me today. It was the greedy, thoughtless part of me that was only concerned with my pleasure and most basic desires. The part of me that didn’t give one damn what the future might hold, only interested in the moment.

What I didn’t understand was why. That’s why I let myself hear those forbidden thoughts. Not just hear them, but truly consider them. Why did I want Talant to belong to me? The whispers rushed through my mind as I mulled over the question.

He’s beautiful and powerful. He can give us everything we ever wanted.

The real part of me didn’t give a damn about any of that. What else?

No one else has ever looked at me the way he does. Like he needs me to survive. Like nothing could sustain him unless he had me.

There it was. The real answer.

Strip away his looks and his magic, down to the bare core of him, and Talant was offering me something I’d never had before. He looked at me like I mattered more than anything else. It had been far too long since a man had looked at me like that. In a way that made my skin tingle and my blood heat.

When I reached the clearing, I was no closer to a decision about Talant, but I did have a better understanding of why I was tempted by his vow.

As usual, the space was empty. None of the witches of my coven would come out here with me. Especially if the moon wasn’t full. Honestly, I preferred it that way.

I tugged my dress over my head and draped it over a low branch to my right. I wore nothing beneath it. There was no need since it was only to cover me as I walked from my house to this meadow. I toed off my sandals and stepped onto the thick carpet of grass that stretched between the trees in nearly a perfect circle. When I found this place after my first manifestation of power, it felt…right. I belonged here, and so did my magic.

That sense of rightness was even more intense now that my Conduit magic hummed freely within my veins. I had no other words to describe the feeling. It was as if this place was specifically made for me.

I walked out of the tree line and into the center of the meadow spread before me. As soon as the moon washed over my skin, my magic vibrated, rising to the surface as though eager to receive the blessing of the goddess.

Stopping, I tilted my head back and inhaled deeply, lifting my arms above my head. My fingers spread apart, and I opened my arms wider, allowing the light of the moon to kiss my skin. Icy blue light pulsed around my fingertips before spiraling over the back of my hands and down my arms like vines. My pale skin glowed with echoes of that same light, swirling and glittering like the top of freshly fallen snow.

Joy rushed through me. This was incredible. Beautiful.

I felt everything, experienced it all. The breeze that whispered through the trees, the sound of the night creatures as they moved through the forest, and the scent of earth and blooming things.

But it wasn’t overwhelming. It was awe-inspiring.

I lowered my hands, looking at my spread fingers before turning them over to see my palms. In the center of each of my palms was a starburst of blue magic, imbedded in my skin. But it didn’t hurt.

As I studied the light, there was a shift in the darkness. A hush fell over the forest, as though the night held its breath. There was something out there—watching.

I felt him before I saw him, and I should have known that he would come. His magic called to me, intensified by the power of the waxing moon. I lifted my head, and our eyes met across the field. The magic I carried, both dark and light, sang in harmony as I looked at him. That sense of rightness spread and grew until I was so full I felt as if I could burst.

His eyes glittered bronze and crimson in the shadows of the trees, and he remained perfectly still. He belonged to me, this arrogant creature, this broken god. He would give me everything I needed and wanted if I let him. I could see it in the way he watched me, motionless but poised for the slightest sign that I welcomed him.

His stare was unblinking as I lifted my right hand, palm up, holding it out toward him, my fingers curled and relaxed.

“Are you sure, little witch?”

The question was nothing more than a whisper and breath, but I heard it all the same.

“Come to me,” I commanded.

For a moment, he didn’t move, and I thought he would deny me, but he took the first step. Then, another. Slowly, he walked through the clearing toward me, our gazes locked on each other.

When he was close enough, I said, “Take my hand.”

Again, he hesitated. “My little witch, if I touch you, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop.”

A smile curved my lips. “Then, don’t stop.”

I wasn’t thinking, only feeling what my magic and my soul wanted. And both parts of me wanted him.

I didn’t see him as a god tonight. Only a man who wanted me. A man I wanted in return.

Talant lifted his hand, moving deliberately and giving me time to change my mind. I remained still, not taking my eyes from his.

When his fingertips slid over mine and down until our palms were press together, my magic sparked, sending a thrill through my entire body. I shivered and inhaled quietly as a chill brought goosebumps out on my arms and pebbled my nipples. The shaft of power shot straight to the core of me, my abdomen first and then zipping down between my thighs.

His hand was firm as it closed around mine. Fire lit his irises, turning them into liquid bronze streaked with crimson. I didn’t move, didn’t pull away, as those scorching eyes drifted from my face down my throat to my naked body. His gaze burned like a physical touch, bringing heat to my skin as he stared at my breasts and then the rest of me.

The tension mounted between us, magic and sex winding tighter and tighter with each silent moment we regarded each other. His free hand brushed over the waist of his pants, and they vanished in a puff of ash and smoke, leaving him as bare as I was. Any doubts I had or worries that this was a mistake vanished at the sight of his nude body.

Though his eyes scorched me, his hand was gentle on mine as he tugged me closer. I didn’t resist and my upper body swayed forward. Every motion was deliberate, as though he wanted to give me the chance to change my mind. I closed the final gap between us, my breasts pressing against his naked torso. The thick length of his cock trapped between us.

Talant lifted his free hand, tangling his fingers in my hair and cupping the base of my skull. I couldn’t hold back the gasp that escaped me when he fisted his hand, taking a firm hold of the strands. It was a sharp sensation but not quite enough to hurt.

My heart rate picked up as he stared down at me, our faces only a few inches apart.

“What is it?” I asked when he remained perfectly still, his eyes roving over my face.

He leaned forward, his lips trailing over my jawline to the spot just below my ear. The simple touch made me shiver. I wasn’t cold, but his lips were burning hot in comparison to the temperature of my skin. His magic sparked along the edge of his mouth, shooting from the spot he kissed straight to my clit. I gasped again, twitching in his grasp. Not to get away, but to get closer.

“I’m trying to decide,” he finally answered.

“Decide what?”

I’d already forgotten what I asked him. My entire being was focused on his lips. And the tip of his tongue as he traced a path down the side of my throat to the base of my neck.

Another shiver wracked me, stronger this time, and I tugged my hand from his so I could hold on to his hips. Every lick of his tongue made my legs weaker and weaker.

When he answered me this time, I could feel his mouth move against my skin.

“What I want to do to you first.”

I leaned forward until my face brushed his chest. When I licked my dry lips, the tip of my tongue touched his flesh. The hand in my hair tightened, and his other palm skimmed down my side to my hip, curving down and around until he was cupping my ass.

“Do I get a say in your decision?” I asked.

He hummed, the low noise vibrating in his chest and out of his mouth, as though he was seriously considering my question. “Not this time,” he answered.

Talant released my hair and ran his hand down my spine, straight to my other ass cheek. He yanked me off my feet, lifting me until our faces were level.

“Wrap your legs around me.”

His demand was deep and raspy. Goosebumps spread over my skin as I followed his instruction.

I couldn’t hold back my yelp when he dropped to his knees in the middle of the clearing, the sudden motion startling me. My arms wrapped around his neck, holding tightly as he lowered me down on the soft, cool grass.

His eyes sparked as he smirked down at me. “You think I would drop you?”

“Maybe,” I answered.

He chuckled but didn’t reply. His mouth moved back to my neck, hot lips latching onto my skin, followed by the light scrape of fangs. I squeezed his waist with my legs and my fingers curled into his shoulders.

His hands cupped my ass, positioning me where he wanted me beneath him. As his mouth moved down my neck to my chest, my breath caught in my lungs. Lips closed over my nipple, so hot that it nearly hurt, and I cried out. His tongue flicked the hard tip of my breast as the heat of his mouth grew. It wasn’t quite painful, but the sensation was so intense that I wasn’t sure I could bear it.

My back arched, and my fingers fisted in his hair, but he refused to let me pull him away. I tugged the strands harder when he released one breast and moved to the other.

“Tal,” I gasped, my body moving on its own accord.

His hands clamped onto my waist, holding me still as his mouth continued to devour my breast. The tip of his fang ran over my nipple, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I tried to push him off me, a whimper escaping from my lips.

Talant allowed me to create space between us, but only so he could work his way down my body, using lips, tongue, and fangs to make me jerk and shudder beneath him. His hands trailed down my hips to my inner thighs, shoving them wider until my legs were no longer wrapped around his body.

He pushed my knees up and out, opening me wide to make room for his shoulders between my thighs.

“Tal, I?—”

Then, I was past the ability to speak when his molten mouth closed over my clit. The noise that tore from my throat could have woken the dead. My fingers curled into the grass beneath me, my nails scratching the dirt, as I squirmed at the feeling.

Unbelievably, his lips grew hotter and hotter, as though he held a flame of magic in his mouth. With every flick of his tongue, the muscles of my core tightened, and I couldn’t hold back the sounds that poured from me.

Firm hands pinned my hips to the ground, holding me still, as he continued to assault my clit.

“Tal, I’m going to c—” The sentence ended with a loud cry as the orgasm crashed through me.

His thumb replaced his lips on my clit, rolling it with just the right amount of pressure as he lowered his mouth and pushed his tongue inside of me. I thrashed on the ground, unable to escape the intense spasms of my body as he used his hands and mouth to draw out my climax until I thought it would never end.

Finally, the pleasure receded, and I flopped back onto the grass, my chest heaving as I panted. Beads of sweat gathered on my chest, my skin flushed and hot from both his mouth and the intensity of the orgasm.

Talant rose up over me, running his hand across his mouth before lowering it to grasp his cock. I looked down my body to watch as he spread the wetness he gathered over the head of his dick.

I lifted my hands, my palms curving around his waist as he knelt between my legs. When he didn’t move, just stared down at me with lust and a hint of apprehension, I tugged at him, trying to pull him closer.

“Don’t stop,” I murmured.

The strange hesitancy on his face vanished as he leaned forward to brace his weight on one arm. His other hand guided his cock exactly where I needed it. I lifted my hips as the tip of his erection slipped inside me.

Talant rocked his hips, pressing in a little deeper before pulling back. I moved with him, helping him work his cock deeper into my body. I ran my hands down his sides until my fingers curled into his ass, urging him to move faster.

“I don’t want…” Talant paused as my body clenched around him. “To hurt you.”

“You’re not,” I argued. “I need more.”

“Patience,” he groaned, refusing to let me yank his hips closer.

Frustrated, I lifted my head and sank my teeth into his pectoral muscle. Talant went rigid over me for a split second before he shoved his cock completely inside me.

“Yesss,” I hissed, my head falling back.

He braced both hands on the ground just above my shoulders, his wrists brushing the sides of my neck.

“You want me to fuck you hard and deep?” he asked, his hips canting back as he withdrew from me.

“Yes!” I answered.

When he slammed into me again, my body jerked. Only his hands on the ground above my shoulders kept me from sliding across the grass from the force of his thrust. My legs vised around his hips, and my pussy clenched hard around his length.

“Don’t you dare stop,” I demanded, my nails digging into the hard muscle of his ass when he didn’t move again.

For once, he did exactly what I told him to do. Talant fucked me with hard, deep strokes that made my pussy ache in the best way. My clit throbbed each time his skin slapped against me, still sensitive from my earlier orgasm.

I looked up at him and saw that his eyes were burning from within, pure flames dancing in his irises. His jaw was clenched, his mouth tight as he hammered into me. Heat poured from his body, fire licking my skin. A tongue of the flames kissed my clit, the burn nothing but pleasure.

I shattered. My vision blurred as my head tilted back and my cry soared into the night sky. Talant lowered his body onto mine, resting his weight on his elbows and trapping my arms at my sides. His lips crashed against mine as his thrusts slowed until he drove deep inside me one last time and stilled. His body shuddered, and his groan vibrated across my tongue and down my throat as he came.

His kiss grew gentle and slow, lips tugging at mine before sweeping his tongue inside my mouth. It was the most tender kiss a man had ever given me, and there was a shiver inside me, deep within my chest. It was the same place that housed my magic. The very center of my soul. My eyes closed as that shiver washed through my body into my limbs. There was no going back from this moment. My magic, my soul, recognized him now.

And I feared what would become of me when he eventually left me behind.