Walking out into the courtyard, I could still feel Helios. He was still in the throne room. Decided, I became like a hurricane and went into the desert where Lineo's palace was. I was not surprised that all the rooms were covered with thick curtains that prevented the sunlight from invading. Since he began to take blood from the simple folk frequently, he had become sensitive to light.
I entered knowing that I was welcome there and he surrounded me with darkness, leaving me paralyzed. I was reassured, for I knew he must have been guarding against disguises that Helios could use to reach him.
"It's me, Lineo. Stop this nonsense." I had to say when I realized he was taking his time with his assessment.
He appeared and even amidst the darkness, I could see his bright red eyes stare at me inquiringly.
"You're in trouble and so am I." I went on to say as soon as he released me from the paralysis.
"I already knew there would be consequences, when I broke the rules.... What was my sentence?" He asked letting the clarity of his magic light up the place.
I had always admired his appearance, but now I stared at him with a new look, for I had made a promise to Helius and I would keep it. He had black hair and an enviable physique. Everything about him seemed more attractive to me now.
"Well... He said he would destroy you or send you to a world where you would have a family..."
"Doesn't sound like a bad punishment to me, the second option."
"It isn't. I think it would be good for you to leave for there, because your simples are running away and soon you will start invading space of another god who will not be so benevolent to your addiction.... From what I understand, in that other world they won't interfere with your addiction..."
"I will come back with you. Your advice has always been the best.... I'm going to give myself up... But, you said you are also in trouble. What's wrong?"
"You can't come back with me. Not yet." I said and right there I told him about the situation that was occurring in my palace and what I intended to do about it. I saw his gaze become surprised, amazed, and finally fearful.
He started pacing back and forth as he thought. I waited quietly. I had all the time in the world and I knew that no one would find me there. He stopped and stared at me.
"I know what you can do with them, but if they find out I don't believe your sentence will be as light as mine. You know that the greater gods take care of these simple ones and that they are sacred to them. This thing you are going to do is worse than consuming their blood.... So think it over. You can come with me to the world where I am exiled."
"Now that I have found him, I will not lose him. You know that his answering the call for this mission was an oversight by the gods who punished me. I will not stay another day away from him."
"He could be your ruin."
"And I his. Tell me where I hide them so he never lays eyes on them again."
Lineo was a little thoughtful, but he finished by saying what had gone through his mind and I thought it was genius.
"Yes. That is exactly what I will do. I must leave, and you watch for the day, which will be very soon, that I will call for you to lie with me."
"You know well that I have desired that for a long time. And I will go. Even if it means my destruction."
"Dominators cannot use personal vengeance to sentence death. He would have to call another dominator to sentence you. And no other would find reason to destroy you just because you lay with me."
"If it were me, I would break the rule for you." He said smiling and I walked over and deposited a kiss on his lips and went back to the palace the same way I left it.
I went to the dining table and there were three simple people sitting and feasting while they listened to Helios discourse on his adventures. I smiled when he looked my way and joined them. On their foreheads were numbers. He numbered them so that he knew which one he would get first. Number one was more beautiful than the other two. Nothing unusual. Only the shape of her face made her more beautiful, but like all the simple ones, she had red hair, blue eyes, and freckled skin. I couldn't imagine lying with a simpleton. They would not be able to satisfy me. And I knew that those three wouldn't be enough to satisfy Helio either.
For three months a routine was established in the palace. After the evening meal, Helio would take them to the room he had prepared for them, since they needed to sleep. I just watched, waiting for the right time to act. Lineo was already getting impatient to go to the other world and I was obliged to bewitch a few simple ones to go to his palace and serve him their blood, but I didn't allow him to take the lives of any of them. This seemed to calm him down. I sensed that Helio was becoming increasingly bored with the simples and sought out my company, where he could finally satiate the passion that was tearing him apart. He was already in love. He would come after me in moments that before he spent with his simple ones.
Things were going well until one day number two came down for her morning meal and I felt that she was no longer vibrating just for herself. She was pregnant! This I could not allow. My plan was just to disfigure each of them, as punishment, so that no one would want to touch them anymore. But now I would have to take other measures. I could not allow her to leave carrying Helios' child. Only I could give him children. I would take advantage of the fact that we were alone there.
For the first time since they arrived there, I decided to take my words to her, with a radiant smile. She was so foolish that she didn't even realize she was in danger.
"Are you pregnant?" I asked gently.
"Yes." She said surprised and even pleased that I was giving her some attention. Her hands flew to her belly.
"Are you Helios' son?"
"Yes, my goddess." She said feeling offended. "I was a virgin when he selected me to serve him..."
"And what do you intend to do now? Are you going to take the child to be raised by the priests of the gods? He is going to be part god after all."
She leaned back in her chair in an attitude I considered arrogant.
"Now things are going to change. I will no longer be your servant, but your wife. The first wife of a god. He promised me that he would let me take care of our child because it is his wish to see the child growing up close... I will be like a goddess. Untouchable." She said and stared at me defiantly.
I knew that he would really put me aside in favor of that child. If I were to let her be born. I stood up and looked at her deeply.
"Wait for me here, and I'll be right back. I just forgot to give a message to my subjects." I said and left bowing to her, which made her red, but flattered.
I went to the house on the outskirts of the palace where the strongest simple ones were, waiting for me to give them a task. They were stretched out on the floor, shirtless and chatting animatedly and distractedly. As soon as they sensed my presence they hurried to get dressed and knelt before me. I dismissed the ceremony and was quick to tell them what had to be done. They looked at me indignantly, so I was forced to bewitch them into forgetting what they were going to do once they had finished their service and left the premises. I returned as quickly as I could, to find the simple pregnant woman still unattended. And I was happy in my endeavor. She was alone at the table and tasting Helios' food, which was forbidden to the simple ones, but I didn't know if the law would apply to her now that she was expecting a god and I kept my plans intact.
As soon as she saw me, I could see the amazement in her eyes. I didn't count on being caught eating the food of the gods. She knew that the penalty was death and she began to tremble. At which I rushed over and sat down beside her.
"Don't worry. You are one of us now, remember?" I saw that her eyes were filled with relief. "From today you will also eat of our food. But there is something I need to warn you about..." I said as if in doubt whether to tell you or not.
"Tell me, please. I want to know everything related to the gods." She asked encouraging me.
"It's about this god you carry in your womb." I said sadly.
"What about my son?" She asked worriedly with her hands running to her belly.
"Your body won't be able to support it. He is a god in a simple woman's body. You will die before you can even see him coming into the world, on the day of his delivery."
She clearly became desperate and began to think. I leaned back in the chair next to her and waited. How stupid these simple-minded people were. They would believe any lie we told them. They were weak and idiotic. And I began to despise them that day.
"Is there anything you can do my goddess, so that you will stay alive? I really want to raise my son." She asked in a conspiratorial tone. She thought I was her friend and that I was saving her.
"There is yes... You would need to bathe with the waters of a god."
"Then let me do it in your water, please." She asked happy that she had thought of the obvious.
"Well... If you are really determined, I can take you to my bathing room. It is private and its waters are magical. They will grant you powers."
The simple one stood up and said with urgency in her voice.
"Then let's go! I want to be back as a goddess before Helios." I said dreamily.
It was easier than I imagined and that annoyed me. I didn't have to argue to get her to agree to come with me. I stood up and ordered her to follow me. I went to the place of the tombs. The simple men were already there to do the job. She stopped when she realized that there should not be a bath room there. There were several gold lids shaped like a god there. She seemed to understand at last what was going to happen to her.
"Are you going to put me in a tomb?" She asked, staring at me in horror.
I laughed out loud at her naiveté.
"Of course not. Tombs are made for gods who want to sleep for a few centuries, for some reason. You are nothing."
"You are a goddess. You can't do anything to hurt me. That would be breaking the rules. You have a duty to protect me." She said stubbornly still trying to convince me that that would not be good for me.
"I won't touch you." I said and pointed to my subjects behind me. "But they will." I said and stepped out of the way for them to come and get it.
"You have to protect me!"
"I think I will be negligent.... Just this once. It will be our little secret." I said and winked at her as she bawled for Helios and the subjects chained her to the bottom of the wall they dug out to wall her off. She tried to use their emotion and if I hadn't cast a spell on them, they would surely feel moved and turn on me. I watched as she cried and begged for her life.
"Helius will know and he will avenge me!" She screamed when she was already covered up to the height of her neck.
"He will never hear her. This palace is too big and no sound comes from here to where we stay..."
"When I meet with the gods, I will denounce her!"
I laughed quietly at her.
"Your worthless soul will never leave this palace. It will be stuck in that gold star-shaped pendant along with your son's right in front of your tomb. I've thought of everything."
The simple one fell silent and was just covered by the wall the subjects made, resigned. He could have given her a quicker death. I knew that there she would take a certain amount of time to die. She would feel hungry, thirsty, and short of breath. But she dared to consider herself as important as I was, because of the child she was carrying. And this irritated me. It was like an ant challenging an elephant.
I escorted the subjects out of my hidden graveyard and they immediately snapped out of their trance, wondering how they got there and what they were doing in a place where there was nothing. I hid myself from their eyes and was satisfied. They couldn't see that part of the palace. I went back to the dining table and Helio smiled when he saw me. I saw the joy shining in his eyes and as I sat down beside him, I didn't waste another thought on the girl who dared to eat the food of the gods while I enjoyed myself at the table with my beloved.
In the afternoon, he insisted on going with me to visit the fields of my subjects, to spread plenty and good harvest to all. But I could not let the simple folk see that I was not alone, for they would want to pay tribute to the other god as well, but I agreed when he promised that I would not be visible to them.
He ran the fields and liked that. This also made me happy. For if he liked the place, he would have no reason to leave. And then we would form a family. And all the goddesses that inhabited that vast world would envy me.
When we got back to the palace, we went to my bathing room and stayed there until nightfall. We went straight to the dining table and as soon as I sat down I noticed Helios still standing looking at the table, as if he missed something. The two single ones were already there, taking their places.
"Where's number one?" He asked frowning.
"My god, she hasn't shown up since early morning. When we wake up, we can't find her anymore..." One of the simple ones serving him said shyly.
I began to eat quietly, leaving aside Helio's problem. He soon sat down, but still stared at everything as if in anguish.
"You have scored over a hundred simple young men. Take another one and put it in its place." I said, when I realized he hadn't eaten anything yet.
"É... Strange that she's gone. Just her."
"Why?" I asked without wanting to know, and noticed that the other two were looking at each other as if they knew something. I feared they had heard something. These simple ones had a habit of creeping around the palace without making a sound.
"She had plans for us." Helio replied. "She's pregnant... My first child. I wonder what has happened to her?"
"Maybe she is in some palace garden with another simpleton." I said meanly and Helio stared at me a little angrily.
"I will make a son in each of them and then they can live their lives as they wish, but they won't be able to be with just anyone until the child is born."
I almost choked.
"You will make a hundred children?"
"A little more. I've marked more than a hundred simple ones, and I want to have some with you too."
I stood there staring at him. But I couldn't see his face. All I could think was that I couldn't put more than a hundred simple ones in my hidden graveyard. The walls wouldn't hold. I would have to think of another way to get rid of them....
"Don't you want to have children with me?" Helio asked gallantly.
"Of course I do. Let's populate this palace with little emerald-eyed gods."
"That's good." He said and started to eat, but soon stopped. "I can feel my son. He is distressed and is sending me a distress call.
"You must be impressed Helio." I said fearing that the baby would lead him to where he had hidden his mother so that he could save them. I never thought he would have that kind of connection with babies. Which made walling up any more simple, unthinkable. I would really have to kill them, so that the baby wouldn't send out vibes to Helio. "She must have run off with some of my subjects." I said as if it was something unimportant and was relieved when he finally shrugged and started eating, while talking about other matters.
Time passed and each time one of them became pregnant I disappeared with her. The first three met a cruel fate. One was walled up and the other two I burned alive as soon as I learned of their pregnancy. As soon as I saw the ashes of the others fly with the wind, I took their souls and hid them in amulets. He was pleased with my visit and upon hearing my dilemma, decided what would be good for both of us. He would suck the blood from each of them, and even their souls, as soon as they became pregnant. For me it was a relief to no longer have to run the risk of being caught killing them, and for Lineo, it was a guarantee that he would have nourishment until I called him so that we could lie down and he would be sent to the dream world.
And so, one by one they disappeared and left Helio dismayed, because no species had ever fled from his charms. It was always he who abandoned them. And finally, I was left to console him, since he refused to take any simpler ones, because they did not satisfy him and his only interest in them was fertility. And he began to demand children from me. I refused for a long time, but one day I felt him and knew of the connection that Helio spoke of having with his babies still in the womb, for I could hear him speaking and I already loved him. I told Helios about the pregnancy and he was so happy that he wanted to have a big party in my palace, and call all the gods to celebrate the birth of another god, which was not often. In fact, it was very rare for a goddess to carry another god in her womb. They were made by greater gods. But this one would be born from my womb.
I refused to allow the celebration to take place there, for fear that some greater god would discover the fate of Helios' first child. So it was decided that the celebration would take place three months later in Anat's territory.
One week before the day of the celebration, I was in the bathing room, talking to my baby in my womb, when Helios entered with something shiny in his hands. I couldn't see what it was, but I could almost guess what would happen next.
He approached and stood on the edge crouched beside me.
"Cybele... Today I came to tell you about my feelings..."
I lifted my head to his side so he could see that I was paying attention to his words.
"I didn't imagine that one day I would fall in love, but the greater gods already knew that one day it would happen and that it would be with someone very special. I love you, Cybele. And today I give you into your hands what was once given to me by the gods so that I could pass it on to whoever else had value to me." He said and showed me a delicate chain with the little sun-shaped rings and having as pendant a sun.
As soon as he put it around my neck, I could feel that there was power in it. The child inside me rejoiced. I was happy too, and I got out of the water and we loved each other as if there was no tomorrow. But there was. And as soon as dawn came I concentrated and invited Lineo. It was time for each of us to fulfill our destiny.
I was on my couch. I was alone when Lineo arrived and went straight to me. Without ceremony and without words he ripped off my clothes and made love to me in a wild way that enchanted me. We were still pleasuring each other when Helio entered and saw us together. As soon as our eyes met, I smiled at him, to remind him of my promise. Lineo had not yet realized that Helio was present.
Helio stepped forward and pulled Lineo off of me. And threw him against the wall, which shattered like glass. The two of them stared at each other angrily. Meanwhile, I got dressed and watched them calmly. Lineo stood up and advanced against Helio, but couldn't hit him because Helio was much more powerful even than I imagined.
"You lay with my goddess! You violated her pregnant state!" Helios said accusingly.
"Oras, I wouldn't have lain with her if she herself hadn't asked me to.... Yet it was something I had wanted for centuries. And I know she liked it and she'll never feel pleasure with you again, because she'll always remember my way of loving."
Helio looked at me quickly and then turned again to Lineo.
"I don't want her anymore. I will never lie with her again. I gave her my heart and she hurt it by using you. I don't want that kind of love. Because I know she loves me, but I dismiss it! I know someone who can bewitch me into forgetting her. As for you, I can't destroy you now that I have reason to hate you and wish you dead, but I can and I will send you to a world where you can have your family, but if before you would be hunted by the simple people of this world, now I will also send there another god who will give birth to an enemy with much more firepower and will live eternally watching your children die at their hands." Helius said and a sword bathed in fire appeared in his hand. He made a circular motion with it. Lineo was sucked into the circle without time to say anything and the circle closed and the sword disappeared as soon as Helio had carried out his sentence. I stood up and walked over to him, where I put my hands on his broad, tall shoulders. He made a motion to repel me immediately.
"Let's not touch each other anymore Cybele." He said and turned to me and I could see the tears in his eyes. They were dripping golden drops on the floor.
"Stop this nonsense. You're sounding like a simpleton. We are more than that. And besides I had promised you that this would happen the day we met, don't you remember?"
"I didn't think you would be able to..."
"You've already taken revenge on Lineo. Enough with the nonsense."
"No Cybele. It was too little. I could feel vibrations from my children coming from his scent. He sucked the souls of their mothers and consequently theirs as well. That's what saved his life. That's what made me allow him to remain immortal. Because my children live in him..." He stopped and stared at me. "You don't seem surprised... You arranged for him to take the simple ones and..." He stopped and I knew at that moment he was putting all the pieces together. When he stared at me again the hatred shone in his gaze. "If someone told me, I wouldn't believe it.... What did you do with the first three? They weren't with the dark god..."
I knew my gaze must be mirroring the fear I was feeling now. He was associating things at a very high speed. Abnormal. I feared what he might do to me if he found out what I truly did. My silence didn't seem to bother him and he withdrew like the wind. Moving quickly. In less than five minutes I was back with one of the subjects who helped me to wall up the first one and also burn the other two. I saw that all was lost. I dug my own fate.
"He was charmed into forgetting, but I went beyond that barrier and saw everything that happened. He will continue without remembering, for he is a simple just and did nothing of his own free will, and if he does remember he is capable of gouging out his own eyes.... Strange how he has so much more nobility than you. He would suffer from the deaths. But you savored them. They whet your appetite. You have soiled this world that there is no going back.
"Helio, let me explain, please!" I asked pleadingly.
"There is no explanation for what you did." He said and released the subject who walked away without understanding anything. Then he knelt down and prostrated his face on the floor. He was a bender. He was calling a greater god to judge the cause. I tried to run away, but his magic kept me there. I could not obey my own commands.
Soon a bright, blue light appeared in the room. When the being let himself be seen, I realized that he was indeed a greater god. He was glowing all the time. And he began to walk around the room. And he stopped right in front of me. His blue eyes stared at me in a way that no one had ever stared at me before. Perhaps one of the gods I had broken my heart.
"Haven't you been condemned to love no one?" He asked seriously.
"I thought that many centuries spent without love would be enough for them to forgive me..." I answered defiantly.
The god stared at me for a while longer and then turned to Helios.
"I brought you two from worlds where you were mortals, so that you would have a chance to make things right this time, and look at the mess I find..." He said and went to the balcony. "I can feel some souls asking to be set free. They are yours to set them free Helio. You will be guided by their clamor. Then return here." He said and sat down on my divan. The magic had already left me, but still I dreaded moving.
"What are you going to do with me?"
He took a deep breath and stood up approaching me again. He raised his shiny hand like his whole body and thrust it into my womb and removed my baby. However, I suffered no pain and it didn't even hurt me. I fell to my knees and cried. He would take my baby. He stared at him for a while and then made him disappear. Helio arrived at that moment.
"She will not see her son grow up. I put him in the womb of another goddess, since he is a rarity. But she will be the being that destroys Lineo's children, and yet one of them will fall in love with her.... However, you Helio will be able to watch her grow up if you want, or follow through with the sentence I'm going to enforce along with Cybele."
"I don't want anything that reminds me of her."
"I see... Then I will send you to worlds where you will be mortal again. When you can be better, I will bring you back here. But I'm afraid you will have to go through many more lifetimes to understand each other. They had a gift here and didn't know how to take advantage of it."
"Why do you judge me along with her? She is the criminal here."
"You abused your power to make over a hundred young women become pregnant and out of sheer vanity. You didn't even love them. They were not even good enough to satisfy your body. You are not innocent." He said and everything shone in a way that blinded us. When I could see again, Gabriel was staring at me, interested and curious.