Moonlight Captivation [Moon Shadows Book 1] (13 page)

"It's been a crazy couple of days.” Nessa scooped a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. She and Darren sat in a fully modern kitchen surrounded by thick, ancient stone walls three-hundred feet below the earth's surface. Tired of wearing a bed sheet, she threatened to walk around naked in front of everyone. Neman then magically made her blue dress reappear.

"You're telling me, honey. Slazz took me to the Other or Outer Realm. It's kind of like stepping several hundred years back in time, though I didn't see much past Slazz's bedchamber.” He cracked a wicked grin. “Hmmm, does my man know how to fuck."

"Hey, we got matching hickies,” Nessa pointed out after spotting the fresh bruise on the side of Darren's neck.

They grinned at each other before bursting out laughing. It took a moment for them to calm down. Darren was looking much better after having showered and wearing a fresh set of clothes Mark lent him before showing them to the kitchen. They devoured a large plate of bread, cheese, meats and fruits before moving onto the ice cream they found in the freezer.

"You know your Slazz is technically not a man?” She pointed out.

He stared at her pointedly. “I don't care—he's all mine. Your scrummy man isn't human either. So do you love him?” Darren licked the back of his spoon.

"Well, it's complicated. We're having a baby, and well...I think I do."

"Oh, honey, you've got it bad, I can tell. Don't worry—these things have a way of working themselves out."

She snorted. “Yeah, if I don't get murdered before then."

He shook his head, dipping his spoon back into the ice cream and licking it off again. “You always did know how to get yourself into trouble."

Nessa glared resentfully at Darren. “Why does everyone keep saying I get into trouble!” She waved her spoon at him. “If I have to blame anyone, it's Larry. If that two-faced son-of-a-motherless-goat hadn't cheated on me, we'd still be living relatively ordinary lives."

A
pop
made everyone jump.

"Lord Almighty, the popping in and out these creatures do has frazzled my nerves. Don't you ever walk?” Nessa asked.

Slazzamar casually leaned on the kitchen counter right next to Darren. “It's quicker."

"Ice cream?” Darren offered his spoon to his lover, but Slazzamar just leaned forward, boldly running his tongue around Darren's lips.

"Nice,” he said in a husky tone.

Darren looked dazed and Nessa sighed. “Cute.” She smirked at them. “Get a room, will ya?” She scooped another spoonful into her mouth pleased to see her best friend so happy.

Slazzamar straightened up to look at her, and Darren wore a stupid, I'm-so-in-love grin on his face.

"Neman's gone for a while, Mark's running errands, so it's just us three for now."

"Hang about—how does Mark get in and out of this place? Can he teleport like you do?"

Slazz shook his head. “There is a dimension gate at the front of the Ziggurat. You put a key in it and it opens to different places around your Human Realm."

"Neato."

Darren and Slazz glanced at each other as if they wanted to spend some more time alone. She couldn't blame them—she felt the same way about Neman. “Now I feel like a third wheel. Anyone want to play spin the bottle?” Nessa said with a fun grin.

"Nessa!” snapped Darren.

"What's spin the bottle?” Slazz asked, cocking his head to the side and looking puzzled.

"A stupid game which always ends in disaster."

"Does not."

"Does too. Remember the last time we played it, that night out with you, Larry, me and Bob, Tracy and Doug from Accounts?"

"That wasn't a disaster—you found out Bob wasn't gay, and Tracy got a nice menage happening."

"Which left me alone."

"Well, it's better than being stuck with that two-timing weasel,” she muttered.

"You're not alone anymore,” Slazz said, looking confused by their conversation.

"Thanks, baby.” Darren kissed Slazz lovingly.

"So, where's the big guy gone? Are you really an elf, and are all elves gay? Got any magic tricks?"

Slazzamar stared in bewilderment at her rapid-fire questions.

Darren laughed. “Oh, this is going to be fun."

Neman materialized in the penthouse of the Moon Temple Casino in Las Vegas. His twin owned and operated the large casino. Some gods just can't cope without being worshipped in some way, and living in a very tall building. In this age, most of the remaining gods dwelt in temples, in the “Heavenly Realm” and mainly kept out of human affairs, but gods like his flashy brother, loved to live with the pleasures created by the descendants of those who once worshipped him.

"Well, look what a prophecy dragged in—I was wondering how long it would take you to get around to me.” Sin sat casually with his feet up on a large, shiny, black office desk. Behind him, through the large clear window, shone the glittering lights of his city, the city of Sin. Little did the humans know, but he played a major role in helping them create the city for the express purpose of his own amusement. Sin was immaculately dressed in an expensive suit, with his hair clipped short in a modern style.

"Did everyone know about this prophecy but me?"

"That's what you get for spending a few thousand years with your head stuck in the sand and your balls deep in demon blood."

"I didn't come here to reminisce with you, Sin. I want the sword and shield of Anu. I know Father gave them to you."

"A god without powers can be a bigger pain than one with. It's always give me, help me, I want.” Sin lowered his legs to the floor, pushing back his chair to rise to his full height and stare into his twin's golden eyes. “You know how the game is played, brother. I can't give you anything without getting something in return."

Neman felt the low hum of power emanating from him. He bristled, thinking about performing a worship ritual to his brother. “Name your price, Sin. I have already given you my temple and title."

"It took them eighty years to rebuild a new temple after I sank yours, and I was in it twice before the Babylonians conquered the area. No, this time I want the ritual. It's been way too long since I had a proper worshipper and never one which wasn't human."

Neman clenched his fists, fighting back his anger and pride. “Jezebel was the one who stole my powers, and I need the armor and sword to retrieve them. It's the only chance I have of protecting Vanessa."

Sin ran a hand through black hair. “That evil bitch has done more rounds than one of my roulette wheels, but if you manage to regain your powers, what will you do?"

"This is no longer our age, Sin. They don't need gods. The people do well enough with worshipping a host of self-invented gods. All I wish to do is take care of what I do have and see that my son is raised well."

Sin clicked his fingers and Vanessa's wanted poster appeared in his hand. Sin glanced over it. “I see they chose someone for her virtue rather than her beauty."

Neman's temper flared. He quickly grabbed his brother and threw him against the wall. Sin made no attempt to shove him off. “Never insult Vanessa. I may not have all my powers, but I'm still strong enough to beat your smug ass into the ground!” he growled. “She has more beauty than any of the whores you've ever had."

"Easy, brother, I meant no ill will. It looks like it's more than just an anointing which has you fired up."

Neman released him, bringing his temper under control.

Sin straightened his clothes and brushed himself down. “I'm sure she's the very picture of beauty. I'm just grateful the prophecy refers to you and not me. I'm still having too much fun to be tied down with a wife and child.” Despite his cavalier expression, there was wistfulness in Sin's tone.

Sin's words imprinted in Neman's mind. He loved Vanessa, and there was no reason not to bind her to him permanently. It would be the first thing he would do when he regained his powers, defeated the Realm rulers and stopped them from coming after Vanessa. He would take her as his new bride and make her immortal.

"The sword and shield, Sin."

"The rites, Nanna."

Neman hated when his godly title was used. Swallowing what was left of his pride, he pulled a concealed blade from behind his back.

Sin watched through narrowed eyes. “Is she worth this humiliation, Nanna?"

Neman cut his hand open, the pain barely registering, as he watched his blood flow out, dripping down between his fingers. He looked his brother straight in the eye. “Yes, she is.” He knelt before his brother and started the blood rite worship.

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They wandered around the Ziggurat for what felt like hours. The place looked as if it went on for miles with stairs in all directions, all ending back in the main courtyard.

"This place is huge,” said Nessa.

They stood outside, glancing upwards into the expanse of the underground cavern in which the Ziggurat sat.

"I believe the main living quarters are confined to the lower two levels of the temple. The main Moon temple is up there.” Slazzamar pointed to the long staircase which seemed to keep going.

"Is that where they used to worship him?” Nessa asked.

"I believe so."

"I want to see.” She started up the steps, while Slazzamar and Darren cheated by teleporting to the top.

"Sure, leave the pregnant woman to climb the steps."

Slazzamar frowned, popped in by her side and, the next moment, she was up at the top of the fifty feet of stairs. Strangely enough, she didn't get the same kind of buzz as when Slazzamar teleported her.

"What are all these pictures and symbols?"

"I don't read ancient Sumerian,” Slazzamar told Nessa.

She gazed at the temple doors. “Well, you're just full of historical information, aren't you? How old are you anyway?"

"In human terms, eight hundred and sixty."

"You don't look a day over a hundred,” Darren said with a smile. “I'm just amazed this place has survived for so long. All the modern upgrades must have cost a fortune."

"I want to know how it got so far underground,” said Nessa.

"From what I know and it isn't much, after Neman lost his powers, the earth opened up and swallowed the temple whole."

"Sounds just like an earthquake to me,” Nessa said when Slazzamar pushed open the temple doors.

"There is no power up here,” Slazzamar said, walking along the side of the wall.

Nessa couldn't see what he was doing in the dark. Then something suddenly sparked and flames shot out of a handheld torch. He moved across the hall and placed the flames into a long, narrow channel. A wall of flame and light suddenly raced along the side of the temple, lighting it up.

Nessa and Darren gasped in unison at the long narrow temple.

"Wow, they sure didn't do anything small in their day,” Darren said. To his right were hundreds of little statues of people holding out their hands, or else they had them clasped in front of them, their eyes wide open in reverence. He gingerly picked one up.

"Worshippers,” Slazzamar explained. “When they couldn't be in the temple, they left these to show their devotion."

"A clay fan club."

"This is an archeologist's wet dream,” Nessa said, gazing at all the brightly painted pictures of the moon in different stages in the sky. Below the moon were fields full of crops and animals and an image of Neman holding out his arms and blessing them. Nessa moved forward, her eyes now fixed on the massive statue of Neman at the back of the temple.

"By the look of all the dust, I don't think anyone has been up here in a while.” Darren moved about to look at different objects which lay scattered on the floor.

"Well, they got the bigness about right.” She smirked, eyeing the effigies of the phallic symbol on display.

Darren chuckled.

Nessa looked down at the dusty temple floor, remembering what Neman said about his family being slaughtered here. She didn't understand why he would choose to live under the place of such a tragedy for so long. Maybe it was the fuel to the fire driving him on, to keep him hunting and killing demons. Her heart ached for the pain and anguish he must have felt then—a whole life snatched away in an instant. She kind of knew the feeling. Her whole life had been taken away from her too. She'd been thrust into a world of strange, dangerous creatures, the pawn in some bigger game. “I've seen enough.” Nessa turned, retracing her steps out through the temple doors.

"You all right?” Darren came up beside her. “Your forehead always creases when you think too hard."

"Does not."

"Does too."

"Oh, blow it out your ass,” she huffed.

"Gladly, honey.” Darren smirked back.

Nessa smiled and started down the steep stairs, refusing Slazzamar's offer to teleport her down.

Slazzamar showed them to a large room full of computers, books, comfortable chairs, several large rugs on the stone floor and a mini-bar at one end.

Darren headed over to the bar, starting to mix a drink.

"I want one too. It's been forever since I had a drink,” said Nessa, looking hungrily at the bar.

"Honey, the last time you drank, look what happened. Anyway, it's no good for the little tike. Want a drink, Slazz?"

Nessa pouted. “Spoilsport."

"I do not drink human drinks,” Slazzamar said.

"What do you drink, then?"

"My half-demon side requires small amounts of blood on occasion."

Both Darren and Vanessa stared at him. Darren touched the bruise on his neck.

"That was for a bonding,” Slazzamar said in a low tone to Darren. “So any creature will know to whom you belong."

Darren smiled at him.

Nessa was glad Neman wasn't the only possessive being around, and Darren looked happy Slazzamar claimed him.

"Good to know."

"I'll try one. What do you like?” he asked Darren.

Nessa turned her attention to the desk and array of computers on one side of the room. She picked up a sheet of paper, curiously reading its contents.

Moon Shadow Agency
was written in bold typeface on the letterhead. It seemed to be reports on different demon activities around the globe. Her gaze scanned over a list of people, equipment, houses and places around the globe. It looked like a whole network was operating under this name.