Dancing With Dionysus

Chapter Thirteen

Sabiniano kissed Kalliara lightly, then fed her another piece of sweet citrus fruit. She sighed in satisfaction, flicking her tongue out to catch the juice that rolled down her chin. His finger chased the droplet too, and she licked him. Then he touched her lip; she sucked his finger into her mouth. She was filled with languid pleasure, and for a moment she considered rolling over toward him to do more.

But they had been making love all day. She was exhausted, and she suspected he was as well. He'd been like a man possessed at first, taking her again and again. Then he began to tire. Eventually they'd wound up simply holding each other, connected through their sexes.

It was so intimate that just thinking about it made her want to cry.

Now they were lounging on low couches in a lovely dining room. Nymphs brought them light fruits and meats, as well as crusty bread and wine. Kalliara sighed. It had been such a wonderful day.

"Thank you for today," she said softly, leaning her head against Sabiniano's shoulder. "I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed this time with you. Will every day be as good as this one, do you think? If so, I might die again, only this time of happiness." She laughed a little at her joke, but Sabiniano stayed silent.

"What's wrong?" she asked, reaching up to rub his back gently. He had been quiet all evening, ever since that last time they'd made love.

"Kalliara, there's something I have to tell you," he said finally. He set down the piece of bread he'd been holding and rolled onto his side to face her.

"Dionysus has asked me to do something terrible," he said finally. "And I'm going to refuse to do it. But there are some consequences for you…"

"What?" she asked, concerned. He seemed to be having trouble meeting her gaze.

"He wants me to give you to the Maenads," he said finally. "I'm sorry, but there's no easy way to say it. He wants you dead again, and I'm supposed to do it."

"Why?" she asked, shocked. "He won, didn't he? I abandoned Athena for him!

What more does he want?"

"You didn't abandon Athena for him, you left her for Aphrodite. And Dionysus suspects that Athena was a willing conspirator. He wants to hurt her and you're his best tool for doing that right now. But I won't let him."

"What do you mean?" she asked quickly. "How do you plan to stop him? He's a god!"

"I plan to stop him by taking your life tonight," he replied, his face filled with pain. Shock hit her, and she stared at him. He spoke quickly. "It's the best way, Kalliara. We can't escape him, and if he catches you, your death will be slow and terrible. This way is better. In a few minutes you'll go to sleep, and then I'll remove the collar he used to bring you back to life. I'll take your soul to the underworld myself, and see you reunited with your family. It's the only way."

"What about you?" she asked tightly. "What happens to you when Dionysus finds out? He isn't gong to be happy."

He gazed at her, a strange expression on his face.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I don't know," he said slowly. "I guess I expected a different reaction from you. I just said I'm going to kill you. Do you understand?"

"Well, of course I understand," she said. "But I'm not particularly afraid of dying, Sabiniano. I'm sad, because I don't want to lose you, but I've known this day would come. I'm mortal; I couldn't keep you forever. I just wish I could have kept you a little longer…"

Her voice trailed off. He stayed silent, and she shivered suddenly.

"What's he going to do to you?" she asked again, her tone urgent. "He's going to be terribly angry if you kill me."

"He'll get over it," Sabiniano replied, his voice determined. "Don't worry about that. How are you feeling?"

"A little tired…" she said, swaying in her semi-prone position. She looked around, realizing objects in the room seemed to be swaying with her. The colors were strangely bright, and she laughed. Her voice seemed to be coming from far away. "Did you put something in my food?"

"Yes," he said softly. "I'm sorry, but I wanted it to be as painless as possible. It was in the wine."

"That's the second time your wine has messed me up," she said, giggling. "I don't think I should drink with you any more…"

He nodded, his face sober. He looked so silly and strange like that. And sad.

Why was he sad, she wondered? She knew she should probably know the answer.

Oh yes, he was sad because he was going to kill her.

"I won't let you do it," she said abruptly. She swung her feet off the couch and stood, pointing her finger at him threateningly. He jumped up, reaching out to steady her. It was a good thing he did, because she couldn't quite remember how to stay standing up…What had she been thinking? Oh yes…

"I won't let you do it," she said again, her words slurring. "I think you're lying to me. Dionysus is going to be really mad at you; he'll punish you. I don't want that to happen."

"Kalliara, let's not spend our last few moments together fighting," he said softly. Carefully, he lowered her back to the couch, then sat beside her, cradling her body with his protectively. "May I kiss you one more time?"

"Sure," she said. She turned suddenly; her lips bumped against his. She giggled. Then he was kissing her, exploring her mouth slowly and steadily. She let her tongue meet his, and sank into his arms.

He was wonderful, she thought. Against her will, her eyes closed. Everything was dark, but she felt safe and protected in his arms. Nothing would go wrong.

Everything would be fine. Sabiniano was taking care of her now…

Her body went limp in his arms, and a wave of sorrow washed over him.

He would never hear her speak again, never be able to kiss her. She was mortal; death was her destiny. But why did it have to happen now, right after he'd found her?

He hated Dionysus.

Even if the lies he'd told her were true, even if his god would forgive him, there was no way Sabiniano would ever serve Dionysus again. The ties between them were broken.

Lifting her small body into his arms, he walked out into the main hallway of the temple. He ignored his people's curious stares. Nothing they did mattered to him now; they belonged to Dionysus. He stepped out on to the porch where the evening air was cool and crisp. The sun was fading into shadow in the distance. It was time.

He took her back to the meadow where they'd met during the storm. Laying her gently in the grass, he knelt beside her and whispered a prayer to Athena and Aphrodite to guide her spirit.

He reached down and unclasped the golden collar around her throat. Closing his eyes, he prepared himself mentally to leave his physical body and follow her soul to the underworld. Slowly he opened the golden collar and pulled it from her neck.

Nothing happened.

He opened his eyes, confused. Her soul was still present. She was breathing lightly, and when his fingers found her neck, the pulse was strong.

What was going on here? He should have felt the soul leave her body. How was she still alive?

He stood shakily, rubbing one hand through his hair. Something had changed; this was completely beyond his experience. In the distance he could hear the Maenads baying, and panic clutched his heart. He had failed her; and now she was going to die at Dionysus' hands.

Aphrodite stood over a delicate table holding a large bowl of water. Next to it was a small glass lamp. Her priestess had removed the candle, creating a prison for Dionysus' repulsive pet spider. It had already built itself a little web inside. Now it sat watching her intently, almost as if it sensed the danger she posed.

She turned her attention back to the bowl, waving her hand over it. An image formed in the water. It was a ship, moving quickly through the water toward Naxos. She looked more closely, seeing the form of her Cretan lover.

He was looked happy, clearly thrilled to be captaining his own vessel. She smiled; it had been just one of the parting gifts she'd given him before sending him back to Earth. Now he was going to rescue Sabiniano and Kalliara from Dionysus. Even though thinking of the god was enough to turn her stomach, she couldn't help but feel satisfied.

This time he wasn't going to win.

What the hell was he going to do now?

Kalliara was most definitely alive, despite the fact that her collar was gone.

A part of his heart sang. He didn't want to lose her. Yet he knew her death at Dionysus' hands would be terrible. He could kill her another way. His hands were powerful and strong. With one quick twist, he could break her neck.

As soon as the thought entered his head he dismissed it. He couldn't kill her like that. There had to be some reason she hadn’t died when the collar was removed. If he could figure it out he might be able to figure out how to save her.

And if he couldn't figure it out, he would fight Dionysus to protect her. He would lose, of course. Their battle would unleash cataclysmic forces on the island. He spared a thought for the humans in the village and his people, the nymphs and satyrs. Could he really allow them to suffer in the resulting destruction? There was no easy answer…

Laying down beside Kalliara, he pulled her into his arms, savoring the warmth and beauty of her touch. She smelled so good. Clean and fresh. Beautiful…His lover, and he wasn't even able to protect her.

He had failed.

He closed his eyes, allowing his mind to wander…What would it have been like if they could have lived together? He would have lost her eventually. But they could have loved each other for a lifetime first. They could have had children together; long-lived half-humans blessed by the gods.

When she died of old age, he would have watched over those children, and all the generations to come. They would be loved, happy, successful. And when they died, they would join her in the underworld. He and Kalliara would always share that connection…

The night grew cooler, and the moon rose slowly over the island. He stretched out his senses, feeling for his father's presence.

Nothing.

The humans were in their homes. The nymphs and satyrs were quiet as well, despite the fact that they were in the midst of the festival. Normally the woods would be ringing with their laughter. They would be drinking, dancing, worshiping the god in a thousand small ways. Instead, they were cowering; afraid of him and what he would do next.

His entire world had turned upside down.

He opened his eyes and stared up at the stars. The sight startled him; they were so bright. The moon had set while he lay there, listening to the rhythms of the island. How much longer did he have? He had expected Dionysus at sunset. His father must be playing some new kind of twisted game with them, he thought.

The stars formed a river across the sky; how many of them were immortals like himself? He'd heard that when an immortal had so tired of life that they couldn't stand the world any longer, Zeus would occasionally set them up in the skies. He had always assumed he'd end up there, too.

Kalliara stirred next to him, mumbling in her sleep. He turned her in the crook of his arm, leaning over to kiss her. She sighed softly, then stilled.

He'd never dreamed she'd live to see the morning, and yet here she was. What would the new day hold for them?

Half an hour later she stirred again. This time her eyes opened.

"What happened?" she asked softly. "I remember falling asleep over dinner…and something else."

She seemed lost in thought for a moment, and then her face went blank.

She sat up abruptly. He sat up too.

"You bastard!"she growled, then punched him in the face. Hard.

"What was that for?"

"For drugging me," she said coldly. "And deciding to kill me without even talking to me first. Don't you think I deserved to have a say in this little drama? You've got a lot of nerve."

He burst out laughing, filled with such joy to hear her voice that his heart wanted to burst. What a gift it was to be with the one you love, even if she was angry!

"Didn't it occur to you that maybe I didn't want to die that way?" she asked tightly. "What right did you have to make a decision like that? I'm an adult.

I'm capable of determining my own fate. I thought we'd already covered this…"

"I was trying to save you pain," he said finally, rubbing his chin where she'd punched him.

"Sabiniano, look at me," she said quietly, her face serious. "And listen to what I have to say. Have you ever died? I didn't think so. I have. I know what I'm getting into. I should have been the one to make the decision. Did you even think, for one minute, that it might make far more sense to let Dionysus kill me? Being torn apart by Maenads is a horrible death, but it is relatively quick.

"Besides that," she added. "Once I'm gone, you'll be safe. A few minutes of pain for your safety is worth it to me. I love you, and I have the right to protect you."

"Then I have the right to protect you," he said. "And that's what I was trying to do."

She fell silent, thinking over what he said. A startled look came across her face, and she raised her hand to her neck.

"Where's the collar?" she asked. "You took it off, didn't you?"

He nodded.

"Then what happened?" she continued. "How is it that I'm still alive? Was Dionysus lying about the collar all along? Why would he do something like that?"

"No, he wasn't lying," Sabiniano said, sighing heavily. "You aren't the first mortal to be brought back from the dead like this. It's unusual, but it happens. And there's always a collar involved. I have no idea why you're still alive—or why Dionysus hasn't come for us, for that matter."

"It's almost morning," she said, looking to the eastern sky. He followed her gaze. The sun was still below the horizon, but a light glow touched the sky.

The clouds were slowly turning a light peach color and in the distance, birds were starting to sing. She was right. Another day was beginning.

"So what now?" she asked. "I didn't die. Dionysus didn't come. What do we do now, just go back to the temple and wait for him?"

"No," Sabiniano said suddenly. He gazed into her face intently, a smile stealing across his face. "No, we don't go back. I don't know why things have happened this way, but we've been given a little more time. Let's see what we can do with it."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Dionysus has spared us," Sabiniano said. "I've never known that to happen; he isn't a merciful creature. There's no place on earth he can't follow us if he chooses, but maybe he won't if he doesn't have to look at us.

I think we should leave the island."

"I've never been off Naxos," she said, her voice suddenly growing faint.

He burst out laughing. "You've been to the underworld," he replied lightly.

"I can't imagine that doesn't count as 'off Naxos'."

She gave him a dirty look, then started giggling.

"You're right," she said. "We don't have anything to lose. Of course, he might still get us…"

Sabiniano let himself fall back into the grass, folding his hands behind his head.

"Maybe he won't," he said after a long pause. "If we really wanted us, why didn't he take us last night? You're right; he might still hunt us down. But maybe he's decided to let us go for some reason. If so, we should get off the island before he gets angry again. He's not known for being constant in his emotions…"

"All right," she said suddenly. "We'll do it, we'll try to escape. But you have to promise me something. If he comes after us, you'll give me to him. And you'll ask him to forgive you. I won't allow you to sacrifice yourself for me."

"No," he said. "I won't do that."

"Then I'll just go up to the temple and wait for him," she replied lightly.

"I'll be damned if I'll let you do this to yourself."

He ignored her, and she fell silent. The sun had risen high enough that a dim glow had come over the meadow. There was a rustling noise, and a deer bounded across the grass.

Finally, she spoke.

"I'm going to the temple now," she said. She stood, then suddenly shouted out to the sky. "Did you hear me, you nasty stupid god? Come and get me! I've had enough of your shit for both lifetimes! Come down here—"

Sabiniano abruptly leapt to his feet, tackling her and rolling her beneath him. One hand covered her mouth; he could feel cold sweat on the back of his neck.

"Are you insane?" he hissed. "What the hell are you doing? Don't you realize how foolish it is to challenge a god? Especially Dionysus?"

She bit his fingers, and he jerked them away from her mouth.

"Of course I know how foolish it is," she replied tightly. "It's almost as foolish as sacrificing yourself for a lost cause. Promise me you'll let me go if he comes after us."

He stayed silent, and she drew in a deep breath, then shouted, "Di—"

He cut her off, then closed his eyes, defeated.

"I promise," he said, lifting his hand from her mouth for the second time.

"If he comes after us, I won't stand against him."

"You'll hand me over, and then you'll tell him you're sorry," she said firmly. "If things go wrong, I want to know you are aren't suffering. I won't be, you know. I'll be with my family."

"Yes, I will."

"Then let's see if we can leave," she said quietly. "I don't think there are any ships in the village large enough to take us to another island, though,"

she added. "Can we just fly, or something? How do you go up to Olympus? Can we go like that?"

A harsh bark of laugher escaped him.

"Not likely," he said. "When I go to Olympus, I call down my father's chariot to take me. Something tells me that isn't a very good idea right now."

She giggled.

"I suppose not. So what now? The village?"

"I guess so," he said. They stood slowly, and she turned away from him, stretching like a cat. The absurdity of their situation struck him. For the first time in his centuries of life, he had no idea what he was going to do with himself. From birth, he had been fated to serve his father. Suddenly that fate had changed, and it was all due to her, his little human…

He pulled her into his arms, kissing her deeply on the mouth. She gave a startled gasp, then wrapped both arms tightly around his neck. Their bodies twisted against each other, and he felt the familiar fire of arousal in his loins.

She pulled her mouth away from his, then whispered, "I realize we should probably get going, but do you think it would really hurt anything if we took a little time for ourselves? I love you so much, and I want to be close to you…"

"I don't think it would hurt anything at all," he replied softly. He slid his hands down her body, cupping her butt lightly. She shivered, then jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. He cradled her, pulling her tightly against his pelvis. Already he was growing hard, and as foolish as it seemed to stay in the meadow, he couldn't have let her go if he wanted.

Instead, they kissed each other more deeply, and he slowly lowered them to the ground. Then he was sitting on his knees and she was straddling him. The sensation was almost too much to bear.

"How was I lucky enough to find you?" he asked softly.

She smiled, and replied, "I don't know. It's amazing that we could live so close to each other for so many years, and never meet. If it hadn't been for a chance remark overheard by a nymph, we never would have. I find that unbearably sad, in a way."

She pressed her lips against his again, cutting off any response he might have made. After a few moments of intense kissing, she pulled away, and raised herself up.

With his help, she pulled up her gown, and he pulled up his long tunic. Then she was sinking down on his erection, taking his hard cock into her a body with an ease that amazed him. Where once she had been so tight, it was now as if she shaped herself to his size exactly. He thrust up at her, but she placed a finger against his mouth, as if telling him to slow down…

"We do this so fast, usually," she said. "It's always so urgent, as if we've known somewhere in our hearts that our time together would be short. I don't want to live like that any more. Maybe our time will be short, but that doesn't mean we have to rush through every moment. Let's just savor what we have right now…"

So they sat there, connected in the most intimate way possible, simply holding each other. Eventually, she shifted, and started squeezing him with her internal muscles. It was a slow, steady massage, and he let himself simply enjoy the arousal building in his body. Eventually, what had started as a comforting massage became an agonizing torture. The urge to throw her down, to thrust into her and take her, was strong.

His desire to savor the moment was stronger, however. Finally, he spoke.

"Every day from now on is a gift, something I never thought we'd have."

"Yes," she replied, stilling. She rested her head against his chest, and he felt a trickle of moisture. She was crying.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just thinking about how happy I am."

Why does being happy make you cry?" he asked, confused. She laughed, and reached up to cradle his face in her hands.

"I doubt you'll ever understand," she said. "Just believe me, I'm happy."

She kissed him again, squeezing his cock within her body, making him shiver.

"I don't think I can keep this up to much longer," he said. "I want to take you now."

She nodded, kissing him again. "I think I'd like that. It can be our way of saying goodbye to the island."

Leaning forward, he pressed her down into the grass, and starting moving in and out of her with strong, smooth strokes. She was hot and slippery beneath him, and every time she engulfed his hard length it felt like coming home.

Nothing could be more right than this moment.

Eventually, their movements grew more frantic, and she whimpered against his shoulder. He increased his pace. She was close, and if he worked her just the right way she would come right before he did. Her body would clench and massage his, kneading him until he exploded with his own pleasure.

Almost there. Again and again he plunged into her. She whimpered each time, and clutched his shoulders tightly, digging nail marks into his back. The light pain was good; it helped him keep focused on his task. He wanted it to be perfect for her, as perfect as she'd always been for him.

Finally, just as he was starting to wonder if he'd be able to hold out, she came. It started with a moan, then shivers and chills wracked her entire body.

Her legs clutched his waist like a vise even as she squeezed him powerfully inside.

It was enough to send him over the edge.

Moaning, he shot his seed into her body. Every muscle, every nerve ending, every bit of his being tightened.

"I love you," he whispered as he slowly collapsed, barely able to brace himself and keep from crushing her. She nodded her head in response, too weak to speak.

It had definitely been worth it, he thought. Leaving his home, risking Dionysus' wrath. Perhaps even an eternity of torture.

Kalliara was worth it all.

It was another hour before they reached the village, arriving just as a ship came into the harbor. It was large and sturdy, and its Cretan captain was more than happy to take them on as passengers.

He wouldn't accept payment, although Sabiniano tried to give him some gold coins in exchange for their passage. Instead, the man simply smiled and said he was doing a favor for an old friend.

Within an hour, the ship left Naxos. The first few days Kalliara kept expecting Dionysus to hunt them down. But in the end she was able to relax, and accept the fact that somehow, despite all odds, they were free.

They never saw Dionysus again.