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Excerpt
Immortal Ecstasy
Lanette
Curington
Chapter I
Daphnis entered the tavern where evening sunlight streamed across
the dirt-packed floor and dust motes drifted lazily in the air. She
stopped just inside and wrinkled her nose. The woody scent of
incense didn't quite mask the lingering odors of burnt food and
stale beer. Having adjusted to the dim haze of incense smoke and
inadequate lamplight, her gaze swept the small room. A handful of
customers sat at uneven, roughly built tables, and a serving maid,
carrying food and drink, bustled amongst them.
She had traveled a fair distance in search of the Tychantes, a
mercenary band named for one of their patron deities, Tyche, goddess
of luck and fortune. Information gathered along the way led her to
this tavern in the village of Peneus in Arcadia. A lone man at the
far corner table most closely matched the description of their
leader, Leucos. For some reason, she had anticipated someone older
and far less comely, so she wasn't prepared for how the sight of him
affected her. With a pang of regret that she must be disguised as a
man to accomplish her mission, she crossed the room in bold,
confident strides until she reached the table.
Deepening her voice, she asked, “Are you Leucos?”
While waiting for him to acknowledge her presence and answer her
question, she examined his face. As she looked over his strong brow
and jaw, well-defined cheek bones, and sensuous mouth, he raised
hooded eyes the color of polished oak to stare up at her.
“Who wants to know?”
His words resonated with warning, and that pleased her. The glamour
she’d cast to disguise herself as a male succeeded; he didn’t see
her as a woman to seduce and conquer. Her natural feminine state
would serve no purpose other than to cloud the issue with lustful
tension and prejudice. Fortunately, her mother had given her a name
which passed for both male and female, so she wouldn’t have to lie
about that.
“My name is Daphnis. I’m looking for Leucos because I want to join
the Tychantes.”
She expected laughter from him, but he surprised her by remaining
curiously quiet for a moment. She knew joining the Tychantes would
not be easy, but the fate of so many relied on her success. One way
or another, she could not fail.
His eyes turned cold, and his gaze raked over her. She reminded
herself again he couldn’t detect her femininity.
“Go home to your mother,” he growled, lifting his cup and draining
it of its contents.
The remark upon her youthful countenance came as no surprise, but
she had no way to remedy her appearance without using more energy on
the glamour than she could spare. “I’m older than I look. And more
experienced.”
His mouth slanted in a sneer of disbelief. “How many wars have you
fought? How much blood of those you’ve slain in battle stains your
blade?”
Having anticipated such questions as well, she replied, “None. But
I’ve trained with the best—Cheiron.”
His eyes widened. “The centaur?”
She nodded without expounding on the glory of the renowned teacher.
His reputation spoke for itself.
Then Leucos’ scornful laugh echoed throughout the room. He poured
more wine from the small amphora into his cup. “Next you’ll be
telling me you’re the son of a god.”
Studying his face and the weathered lines around his eyes crinkling
in humor, she hid her surprise. She thought because of his extensive
travels and experience he would have already met an immortal or two
along the way. Some of them enjoyed mingling with humans and
meddling in their affairs.
“Zeus is my father,” she said simply.
She hadn’t originally intended to reveal her divine birthright, but
meeting Leucos changed many aspects of her plan. When the time came
to reveal her true self—and it would happen, Daphnis had no doubt of
it—she didn’t want Leucos able to claim she’d ever spoken a
falsehood to him.
Perhaps the sincerity in her voice or maybe something he saw in her
eyes checked the laughter on his lips. Eyes narrowed, he tossed back
another long draught.
“Is this flea bothering you, Leuc?” a voice boomed near her left
ear.
Startled, she turned to find a massive chest less than a hand span
from her nose and looked up into flinty gray eyes.
Leucos released his laughter again, but Daphnis detected no derision
in the sound this time. “Polydector, our young friend here wants to
join with us.”
The gray-eyed giant glared down at her. “Is that so?”
Daphnis felt no fear or apprehension. Although her divine powers
were limited, she felt confident she could extricate herself from
any dangerous situation.
She smiled up at the big man. “Yes, it’s true.”
Polydector clapped his hand on her back with such force that her
breath briefly left her body, and she stumbled into the table. If
she were a mortal woman, the blow would have sent her to the floor
and caused bruising and maybe broken bones. Leucos caught the
falling amphora and frowned up at the giant, but she righted herself
and laughed along with Polydector. She considered it the first small
step to acceptance by the group.
When she didn’t take offense at his hearty blow, Polydector tugged
at his short dark beard and spoke to Leuc. “He looks too scrawny to
wield his sword…either one.”
Leuc’s frown turned to a grin at Polydector’s jibe as the serving
maid slid a platter piled high with roasted vegetables and fruits
and rounds of bread in the center of the long table.
The maid’s enticing smile skimmed from Leucos to Daphnis to
Polydector. “If you need anything else, let me know.”
She emphasized her provocative invitation with the sway of her hips
as she left. The men’s gazes followed the woman, and Daphnis looked
after her, too. She held no interest in watching a woman walk away,
but it seemed the thing for a man to do.
Then Leucos tore off a piece of crusty bread and looked up at
Daphnis again with eyes less cold. Perhaps the woman’s presence
stimulated him, or he might have had time to think again on Daphnis’
claim as the offspring of a god.
“If you’re hungry, you’re welcome to sit at our table.” He motioned
to a chair with his bread. “But we aren’t looking for new recruits.”
Polydector sat beside of Leuc, and Daphnis chose the seat adjacent
to him on the other side. “Thank you. It’s been a long day, and I am
hungry.”
As they ate, the rest of the Tychantes joined them, and Leucos
introduced her to each. Tall and broad, hardened from training and
battle, the men made her feel small and in need of protection even
though she was quite capable of defending herself. She regretted she
wasn’t able to change her size or shape to make her body seem taller
and larger. If she had done so and one of them touched her as
Polydector had, he could tell the difference. Although she was tall
for a woman by mortal standards, each one of the five would tower
over her if she stood next to him.
Daphnis chewed her food and scrutinized each in turn.
She started with Leuc. He had turned in his seat and stretched out
his long, leather-clad legs toward her. After crossing his ankles,
the quaking run of fringe down the outside of his boots finally
settled. Her gaze traveled up to the whip coiled neatly beside the
sheathed sword at his waist. His sun-browned arms rippled with taut
muscle and sinew each time he lifted food or cup to his lips, and
the power of her attraction for him surged through her like a
tangible force. His large hands with long, supple fingers and clean,
trimmed nails revealed more about him than anything else.
He wore more leather—a strap girting his waist, a short, open tunic,
and metal-studded protective bands at his wrists and biceps. His
thick waves of brown hair, sun-bleached to many hues from gold to
bronze, lay bound at the nape of his neck with loose strands framing
his handsome face.
Polydector, whom they called Dector, was the most talkative and
jovial. He was the largest man she’d ever seen, but there was
nothing oafish or cumbersome in his manner, each movement precise
and almost graceful. He had a kind face and friendly eyes when not
narrowed in suspicion. His long hair hung down to his shoulder
blades.
Zarex, his dark blond hair severely drawn back from his face and
cool blue eyes the color of a stark winter sky, sat at one end of
the table. He flirted shamelessly with the serving maid and laughed
a lot, but he hadn’t forgotten Daphnis’ presence nor dismissed her
as inconsequential. She caught his wary gaze upon her more than
once.
Across from her sat Machaon. Lamplight glinted red in his dark brown
hair, and his eyes were a mixture of brown and green. A wicked scar
ran from the corner of one eye to his jaw, but the mark enhanced
rather than detracted from his good looks. He talked and laughed
with the rest, but he was just as aware of her as a potential threat
as any of them.
The last one to arrive they simply called the Spartan. His brown
hair was cropped short, and his sad black eyes held the most
compassion. He didn’t talk except when spoken to. He didn’t laugh at
all, but she occasionally saw a hint of amusement in the depths of
his dark eyes.
She turned back to Leuc—the others called him Leuc so she would as
well to better fit in with them. When her gaze met his across the
table, her heart skipped a beat, and her breathing deepened. She had
never met a man, human or immortal, who made her react in such a way
with a mere glance.
Daphnis quickly looked away from him and finished the last of her
bread. A fine group of men, she decided, friends as well as
partners. That might make all the difference in the outcome. If she
could convince one, he might be able to persuade the others.
When the maid arrived with another amphora of wine and took away the
empty platter amidst flirting with them all, Daphnis felt Leuc’s
eyes settle upon her. Belly full and the maid now out of sight, the
cold glint returned to his eyes and unsettled her. Unaccustomed to a
man watching her as he would another man with caution and suspicion,
it was refreshing to see something other than lust or protectiveness
in a man’s eyes and manner.
Another thought came unbidden. Daphnis wondered what Leuc’s eyes
would look like darkened with passion and desire, his sun-browned
skin slick with sweat…oh, now was not the time. She tried to push
the thought to the farthest corner of her mind, place it in an
amphora and seal it with wax, but her attraction to Leuc was much
stronger. She stifled a sigh. Men did not make sounds of longing.
Suddenly, Leuc banged his cup on the table, silencing the
conversation. “You’ve all met Daphnis.”
She now felt all eyes upon her—gray, cool blue, green-brown, and
black—but her gaze never wavered from Leuc’s.
“Daphnis,” Leuc continued, “wants to join with us. He comes with the
highest recommendations. He says he’s been tutored by Cheiron and
claims to be a son of Zeus.”
A murmur rippled around the table then Dector laughed out loud.
“Sired by divinity and trained by legend. Your imagination exceeds
your experience, I’ll wager.”
“I told him we weren’t interested, but it’s really up to the rest of
you.” Leuc dug into a small pouch tied at his waist and brought out
two pebbles, one white and one black. “Let’s put it to a vote.”
Daphnis looked around the table, at all of the skeptical faces. At
this time, none of them would vote for her to stay. “May I speak?”
Leuc set aside his pebbles and nodded.
“I admit I have no experience in warfare, but I’ve trained with the
best, and I am not without my talents. If I can prove myself to you
right now, will you allow me to travel with you to your destination
before you put it to a vote?”
Daphnis knew they were bound for Thelxis, her village in West Locris
and a solid five days’ journey by foot and ferry. If she persuaded
them to allow her to accompany them, she could use the time to
change their minds about their task in Thelxis, and the vote on her
joining them would never have to take place. Her proposal should
prevent them from feeling pressured into making a definite decision
right then.
“Sounds fair to me.” The Spartan surprised her by speaking first,
his dark eyes almost friendly when she glanced at him.
Following the Spartan’s lead, the rest agreed if somewhat
reluctantly. Even Leuc.
“How do you plan to convince us of your talents?” Leuc’s face was a
mask of skepticism.
Daphnis smiled. “May I have your whip?”
“Mayhap the youth has more spunk than I thought,” Dector said with a
laugh.
Leuc ignored his friend’s attempt at humor, but surprise and
puzzlement crossed his face. He hesitated before unhooking the
braided leather and tossing it to her. “I never allow anyone to
touch my weapon, but since you ask so nicely…”
She made as if to examine it, but she was really concentrating,
gathering her energy. At the end of a long day, keeping up both
glamours—the one on herself and one on the whip—would tax her
strength if she weren’t careful.
“A good piece of work that should serve you many years,” she
commented when she was ready. She threw the coiled whip high into
the air.
At its highest point, the braid no longer resembled a whip. To Leuc,
the others at the table, and anyone else who might be watching, the
whip uncoiled and now appeared to be a snake with cross-striped
markings to match that of the braid. Leuc’s eyes grew wide as he
caught the snake just behind its head, but when he dropped it to the
table, it was again nothing more than a whip.
He stared at Daphnis, his pale brown eyes wide in shock, but he
spoke to his companions. “Did you see—?”
“Yea, I did.” Dector poked at the leather braid. “But I still don’t
believe it.”
“How did you do that?” Zarex asked, amazement in his voice.
“A magician never reveals his tricks,” the Spartan commented.
“Nor a sorcerer,” Machaon added.
“Neither,” Daphnis countered. “I inherited the talent from my
father.”
“Zeus.” Leuc didn’t sound quite as doubtful as before.
“I think we’re all in agreement that Daphnis can travel with us,”
the Spartan murmured as he stood.
The others rose as well, draining their cups, even though none of
them had verbally agreed. Leuc looked at her, and she knew all he
saw was an untried youth, barely more than a boy, who somehow
succeeded in joining them when he fully anticipated unanimous
rejection.
“We leave at dawn.” Leuc dropped plenty of bronze on the table to
pay for the meal then followed the others from the tavern without a
backward glance.
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