City Of The Sun

Chapter 3

"It is odd having a third at our table," Jessup said, with a mouth full of food. He looked like a giant slob as the gravy ran down his triple chin.

"It has been a pleasure, Jessup. Thank you again for the assignment," Johnny replied, holding out his mug.

Jessup's blue eyes stared at her in contempt. "I have our soon to be Priestess to think about."

Gia looked down, stared at her plate as she picked at her food. "Will you be staying in tonight?" She finally gained enough courage to ask.

His cup hit the table hard as he got up and went to her. His presence was so close, yet she still did not look up. He bent over and whispered, "I will not. And never bring that up in front of company."

She looked him in the eye. "We need to do the ritual."

He grabbed and squeezed her arm. "We will when I am ready." He let go, the disgust clear on his face, and left the room.

She glanced over at Johnny. He quickly avoided her, looking down at his plate. But she did briefly glimpse his anger and watched him unclench his fork. She looked around and made a shoo motion with her hands; everyone left the dining room.

"This is normal."

"He shouldn't treat you like that." He would not look at her.

She got up and wandered to Jessup's empty seat. "I have got used to it. He is gone most of the time, so I don't have to deal with him. Would you join me for some cards in the other room?"

He gave her a small smile. "You know I have never been good at cards."

She nodded. "Indulge me, please."

He gave her a brief nod. She turned to leave the dining room, heard his chair push out on the wood floor, and noted his steps were light behind her as she entered the parlor room. She sat on the loveseat, patting the spot next to her. He sat down, face blank, without emotion. Sherri caught her eye. She motioned for her to close the door. Sherri walked out and closed the door. Gia knew she would be stationed at the door on the lookout.

She looked around at the windowless room and her small number of books that lined the walls. The décor held lots of browns and beiges. Jessup hated the place, preferred his office. That suited her. She sought privacy and solace in here, and held her trinkets thinking of times before she was married or read books of the Goddess. She wished there were more books, but they had what they had.

"You remember the code word?" she asked.

He looked at her with those dark blues. They swallowed her up, threatening to drown her, and she wanted it. "I remember every one of them." He brushed her hair from her face. "I have dreamed at night of you. I wanted to see you once more before I died. Your green eyes staring at me like now."

Her heart sped up, and her chest tightened. Johnny's hand on her cheek slowly ran down her neck. She closed her eyes, taking in his touch. "I can't," she whispered.

"You have needs," he whispered, closer.

She ached for him to kiss her, to feel his mouth on hers. She dreamed of him raining kisses down on her skin, down her body, and it made her shiver. "I can't." She shook, taking in a deep breath. "I made vows."

He got up. "He took vows too, and he is out doing as he pleases!"

Gia looked down at her locked hands in her lap. "It is not illegal to do what he does."

"It is all the same!"

She raised her head. "Do you not think I know? But there has only been one person who has ever touched me. And you ran off."

He dropped to his knees in front of her. "I left for us. I left to find something. There must be something. I didn't pray to the Goddess. I prayed to you." He lay his head on her lap. "Those cruel days and nights while I looked, and all I wanted to do was to be here. Be close to you. Knowing he touches you breaks my damn heart."

She petted his head, running her fingers through his wild, dark curls. "I know. His touches are cold, forced. But what am I to do? Tell me about the demons?"

He brought his head up to look at her. "There are so many. Billions. They burrow down in the ground during the day, and at night they hunt. There isn't much to hunt for, so they have eaten each other."

"Where do they come from?"

He shrugged, sighing. He got up and sat beside her. "I do not know. But they dislike the mountains." He took her hand in his.

"How so?"

"There is something there. A door."

"A door? To what? Why? Did you open it?"

He shuddered. "I was frightened. Whatever can scare the demons scares me, too. I watched it for a while, and nothing happened. It never opened for a month that I waited. But the demons would never venture close. It was the only time I could rest. There were also little creatures out there that I could feed on. They didn't taste well, but they kept me going."

Sadness filled her. "So, there is no human life out there?"

"None." They sat in silence for a while. "I had a dream." He rubbed his free hand over their united hand.

Her mouth fell open with shock; he had never had dreams. "And?" she asked.

"We were young, and it was night. We were running from something. Explosions shook the ground. But we were not here. It was a different city."

She thought of her dream. "I had it too."

"Then it is no dream. It has to be a memory."

"The green grass."

"The sound of running water," he whispered.

"What is happening?" she whispered.

He shook his head. "I know that we are meant to be together. But something keeps pulling us apart. And I want to fight it. f**k rules." He pushed his lips against hers roughly, grabbing her to him. A need vibrated from her and she opened to his kiss. He was going to eat her alive. And she was okay with him devouring her, as long as they could be one soul.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. How right this felt. He pushed her back against the armrest. His mouth never leaving hers. Their tongues danced, awakening feelings and needs deep inside of her. His hand slipped inside the robes, and he made a frustrated sound when he felt the barrier of her slip.

Jonny started massaging her breast through the sheer material, making her moan into his mouth. His fingers traced and flicked her hard n****e as his other hand moved up her thigh.

A knock on the door made them pull apart. Gia's lips swollen from the kiss. Her body tingled in so many ways she thought she was going to explode. Sherri came in, giving them enough time to be decent.

"Sorry to interrupt your card game. But it is getting late, and you have Blessing tomorrow."

Gia stood, almost sure that her legs wouldn't support her. "I shall see you in the morning, Johnny."

"Of course."

Sherri led her to her quarters, where a servant was finishing preparing her bath. She undressed her and helped her into the tub, and cleaned her. "He is very handsome."

Gia nodded. “He is.”

“He leaves you dewy-eyed.”

"And breathless and wanting to break vows."

"If you want to break vows, I can guarantee a safe room."

She pulled her knees to her chest. "Sherri! How dare you."

"Give it a break, Gia. I know that look. Your thoughts are not innocent. I have seen you size him up with those bright eyes of yours. I was once young, so what if you break vows? You will not be the only one, and your husband does it every night. Are you supposed to sit around and wait for the Goddess to fill your belly with child? They share the same mother; no one can think it wasn't your husbands."

"I am priestess. I am supposed to guard our sacred vows."

She leaned in. "Screw that. You are a woman first. I heard him in there, and he still loves you."

She nodded and relaxed, lying back in the water. "I love him too."

"So dish. Was he amazing?"

She smiled. "We only kissed, but when we were younger, he worshipped me like a goddess."

Sherri sighed. "That is all we can ask. My husband does his best." She massaged the soap into Gia's hair.

She finished cleaning her, Gia got out and was dried off. Sherri anointed her with the blessing oil after she braided Gia's thick hair. "I can go get him."

Gia thought it over and shook her head. "And then I will have to go through the cleansing process again."

"If you are sure, I will let you sleep now."

"I'm sure." She said, walking to her bed. She looked to the darkened window. There were no lights in the sky, just a dead blackness. Had there been once? She remembered looking up at the dark sky and seeing lots of small lights. Her mind tried quieting itself to prepare for sleep, but she kept thinking of Johnny and his lips. The alarm screamed through the house, and the red warning lights flashed, making her jump. She glanced around her dull room of creams and watched the bars fall, blocking the window.

Johnny and Sherri ran into her room before she could walk out into the hall. "What is happening?"

"There is a breach?" Sherri said, fear in her voice and clearly on her face.

"In the house?" She tried to push past to the hall.

"In the area," Johnny said. "Stay here." His large hand pushed her back gently into her room.

She pushed against him. "No. This is my household, and I am responsible for my people. Sherri, gather the staff, and make sure they are in the safe room."

Johnny grabbed her arm. "Go there as well. Sherri, take her."

She shook his hand off her. "No." She walked out of her room and hurried down the stairs. At the front door, her fingers hit the switch that brought up the security camera.

"Damn it, Gia, you are making my job harder by not listening." Johnny ran up beside her.

They both watched the screen, and her hand went to her mouth as two demons skulked to the door. They were covered in blood and other gore. She took them in and noticed they looked almost human, two legs, two arms, torso, their genitals transparent between their legs, but that is where the similarities ended. Their skin looked like the baked brown of the desert, and their eyes filled their heads like giant black orbs. They had two small gashes where their noses should be, and their mouths were long slits at the bottom of their faces.

One walked up to the door, sniffing. She heard it run its clawed hand down the door. It opened its maw, showing the camera the many sharp teeth it had. They turned to the other, and together they flung their bodies against the door. Gia stepped back. Another set of thuds. Johnny flipped the switch on the control panel, and the UV light switched on. Gia stepped back next to him as they watched the demon’s surprise on the screen. They could hear them screech as they burned. She gripped his arm, watching the monsters crumble.

"I've never seen one before," she whispered.

"How are they getting in?" he wondered out loud. "Back to bed. Make sure you have some of your servant ladies with you. I need to call this in."

She didn't move, just stared at the screen. "Who did they eat before our house?"

He grabbed her, holding her close. "Gia," he whispered, "I will protect you."

She nodded against his chest. "But who will protect the people?"

He kissed her forehead. "That is the guard's job. Now off to bed. Blessings tomorrow."