She gives me a quizzical look. “It’s a smartphone. Technology, not magic. Have you been living under a rock?”
“You could say that.” I frown down at the image and point. “Did I arrive with all this void glass?”
“The obsidian? Well, no. There was a pile of it before. I used a piece to do the ritual. And smaller pieces for this.” She holds up her wrist with the bracelet, which slides down to her elbow. It’s too big for her, and not really styled for such delicate bones. “But there was a lot more of it when you showed up.”
“It isn’t obsidian, Nemea. Void glass is altogether different. It’s material from the walls of Tartarus. From the body of the god Tartarus himself. If you used a piece of it to summon me, that explains why I landed there. Powerful stuff.” It’s all making sense, but isn’t exactly comforting. “Can you show me the piece you used to summon me?”
If I can’t stand up to visit the site of my appearance, I want to at least touch the glass that brought me here.
“Um… I’d rather not.” She glances at my quilt-covered groin, then down at the bracelet, which she fingers lightly with her other hand, and won’t meet my eyes again. My taint isn’t the only thing that tingles.
“You want me to tell you who you are? I need answers too. Help me understand how I got here. Know that I’m going to be missed, and someone less forgiving is looking for me. If that much void glass is strewn along the shores of this island, it won’t be hard to find it. If it was here before I came, he’s been here before.”
“No one’s allowed here who doesn’t belong,” she says, shaking her head. “There’s a magical barrier powered by Fate magic.”
My heart beats double-time. Fate magic is thelastthing I need to get tangled up with. But if there’s Fate magic keeping out anyone who doesn’t belong, her ritual would never have worked unless I was meant to be here. Withher. It also means I’m safe, because not even Vesh can break through Fate magic. After our previous battle here, it was likely erected precisely to keep him out.
I swallow back the apprehension about what this signifies, and look at her with fresh eyes. Could this beautiful specimen of mortal femininity really be what I think she is?
It’s a challenge to summon a gentler tone when my desire for her has just gone through the roof, but I muster.
“Nemea, show me the shard of void glass and I’ll answer any question you wish. That is my solemn vow.” To emphasize my promise, I lick my index finger and trace the symbol of eternity in the center of my chest. She looks dubious, but may not realize the act binds me to my promise. I couldn’t lie to her now if I wanted to. I just hope she doesn’t ask me for answers she’d be safer not knowing.
Chapter 6
Nemea
I want this, so why do I cringe to show Pan my creation? Both of them… because the void dildo is only a prop for my assignment. I’m proud of them both. Crafting them proved I have power, and I had no problem sharing with the class. I got heaps of praise before the lights went out and we ended class early because of an electrical outage on the island.
Yesterday was a weird day, with every studio complaining about equipment failures, broken projects, and general mayhem, only half of which related to our power outage, but I was immune to any mishap because I’d achieved something amazing. My firstsuccessfulcreation.
I’d retreated to the cabin to prepare for the ritual, and now here I was… with another success and too afraid to follow through.
I force myself to suck it up. I’m never going to get answers otherwise. Reaching back to my satchel, I fish inside.
Like when I found it, the glass snaps into my hand as if magnetized, fitting neatly into my palm, though I can’t come close to wrapping my hand all the way around it. My heart pounds and my face heats when I hold it out to Pan.
His eyes widen in astonishment at first, and he opens his mouth but only grunts. After a moment of staring first at the giant dildo, then at the silver bangle around my forearm, I can practicallyhearthe pieces clicking into place.
“Nemea,” he purrs. “Sweet little Nemea. You’ve summoned me with my own penis. How in all the levels of Hades did youmakethis?”
He reaches out and reverently takes the object from my grip. It’s my turn to be astonished when he flips the covers back and reveals his half-engorged cock. I’m too fascinated by the view to turn away.
Holding the dildo in one hand, he casually strokes himself to full hardness.
I can’t breathe. His cock looks identical to my sculpture. An object I had buried deep inside me less than twelve hours ago.
When he lifts it to his nose and sniffs, my eyes widen.
“I washed it, I promise.”
“Mmm, a pity,” he says, eyes narrowing as he lowers it again. He lays it across his lap, supported easily by the real thing, and reaches out to grip my wrist. I’m too shaken from the whole scene to resist.
He gently slides the silver band off my forearm and over my wrist and hand, then holds it up.
“This is dangerous magic, you know. Using void glass for such a ritual. You might have summonedhiminstead of me. We’re two parts of a whole. Lucky for you, there’s Fate magic protecting you from him.”
“But not from you?” I ask.