Dancing With Dionysus

Chapter Four

Sabiniano lay back in his bed, staring at the ceiling. It was made of smooth black marble, inset with thousands of tiny diamonds representing the stars.

A blue-haired nymph lay snuggled next to him, her fingers running idly over his body. He couldn't remember her name. But he could remember the feeling of her hot flesh closing over his cock.

It had bored him.

Even now, she was trying to bring him back to life, to bring him to physical pleasure yet again; but no matter how many times his body responded, it wouldn't make a difference.

Now, his little human…

A twinge of that aching sensation coursed through him for the thousandth time. It had been a full week since the human had died, and yet he was still unable to shake this feeling of sorrow at her death. Why had he allowed her to jump? If he had only paid more attention, thought more carefully about his actions, he never would have lost her. But he'd allowed the heat of the moment, the god's madness, to overcome him.

He'd almost raped her, and for what, a moment's pleasure, surrounded by pain?

He truly was his father's son, he thought in disgust.

The nymph's fingers danced across his stomach, and against his will he could feel his muscles tightening in anticipation. He could feel her fingers running along the ridges of his stomach muscles…then they dipped lower, and she was running them toward his semi-flaccid penis. Gently, she touched it, taking it into the circle of her fingers and slowly moving them back and forth along its length. He sighed, closing his eyes. Maybe she could take away the memory, if only for a short time.

He flung one arm up and over his head, and dropped the other across his face.

She was moving lower on his body now, kissing her way down his chest. Her mouth grazed his belly, tongue darting into the small indentation in the center. What would it have felt like to have his little human touch him this way, he wondered? A twinge ran through him, and he could feel his cock hardening. The nymph kissed down further, until her lips came into contact with hard length. He groaned, twisting his hips beneath her ministrations and imagining the human touching him…

Her hot, wet tongue came out, slowly tracing the ridge that marked his cock's head. He shuddered, and her mouth opened, sucking him in steadily. Her clever fingers massaged the base, then drifted lower to cup his balls lightly. She squeezed them gently, rolling them between her fingers within their sacs of flesh. A low groan came from between his lips.

Her mouth enveloped him, pulling him down into her throat. She swallowed, and he shuddered at the feel of her flesh surrounding him. He was rock hard now.

He could feel his balls tightening in anticipation. She pulled at them again, the sensation exquisite and painful all at once.

Abruptly she was pulling away from him, her mouth sliding back up his length so slowly he thought he would scream. She pulled away from him entirely and giggled.

"You seem to have recovered your strength, my Lord," she said flirtatiously.

Instantly, Sabiniano's arousal flagged, and he sighed. He didn't want to be reminded that this was simply one more nymph…

"Don't talk," he said harshly. "I don't want to hear your voice."

"Playing games, my Lord?" she asked archly. "I like games. Who am I supposed to be?"

"Don't worry about that," he replied tightly. "Either continue or leave, but don't speak again."

She gave another laugh, and he knew his unusual request would soon be the talk of the island. They feared him, structured their lives around his wishes.

Yet anything he did was fuel for their gossip.

Her mouth closed over him once more, and he pictured the human again. As the nymph's mouth moved over his erection, her nimble fingers playing with his balls and massaging him, he tried to imagine how the human would have looked doing the same thing. For the thousandth time, he regretted not getting a better look at her. It had been dark, and the god's madness hadn't left him with much interest in getting to know the succulent morsel he'd found spying on his people.

He'd simply seen her tight, round little ass poking out from the underbrush and he'd wanted to thrust himself into her body. He had smelled her fear, and her virginity had waved before him like a red flag. He'd known she would be tight and hot around him. She would be afraid, but then the god's madness would have overtaken her as well, and they would have rolled through the brush and clawed at each other like wild animals. Every scratch, every orgasm, would send them screaming their pleasure for Dionysus' ears, and the night would have grown heavy with their power…

The nymph was moving faster and faster. Her mouth sucked Sabiniano down into a dark spiral, until he felt like screaming. What if he and his little human had done this? He could imagine her small, soft mouth. She wouldn't be as skilled as the nymph; she'd never had practice. But the god's madness would have made up for her inexperience with enthusiasm. Sabiniano would have spurted into her small body like a fountain, perhaps getting a child on her.

He imagined her belly swollen with his child, and a wave of frustrated anger rushed through him. Such children, conceived during the god's festival, were precious in Dionysus' eyes. Her death had cost Sabiniano more than pleasure, he thought savagely. In killing herself, she denied them their child.

The pressure building in his groin was growing almost unbearable. It wound tight within him, a dark mixture of anger and desire. He forced himself to lie still beneath the nymph's touch, willing himself to maintain control. He wanted to sit up, roll her beneath him and fuck her until she screamed. No. He wanted to fuck his human untilshe screamed. She was gone, and it was never going to happen.

He was getting close. He could feel his release almost upon him, and he silently willed the nymph to move faster. Her mouth and fingers were flying over him. He could feel his muscles tensing, to the point that he knew would be sore when it was over, but he didn't care. He simply clenched his fists against the bedclothes, and waited for it to wash over him.

Just as he was about to come, the traitorous nymph pulled away. Her fingers wrapped about his testicles like iron cuffs. He was left hanging, mind and body screaming for release. She laughed, and then spoke.

"I really think you should tell me what game we're playing, Lord Sabiniano,"

she said, her voice dripping with sadistic pleasure. "I don't think I should have to be doing all the work and not even know what's going on…It really isn't fair."

He roared to life, pressed beyond his endurance by her taunting. Ignoring the shaft of pain it caused him, he ripped her hands away from his body and threw her beneath him on the bed. She grunted in satisfaction, quickly wrapped her legs up around his waist and pulled him down into her body. His cock, hard as one of the stone pillars surrounding the temple, pushed into her without preparation. She was wet and slick, more than ready for his touch.

As soon as he ripped into her, she gave a howl of satisfaction and raked her fingers down his back. Around him he could feel the god's energy building, the dark passion of a deity devoted to fucking, drinking and death. He slammed into her body, reveling in her cunt's tight embrace. She screeched, then reached up and pulled his body down onto hers. He thought she meant to kiss him, and he bared his teeth in rejection. Instead, she laughed wildly, and sank her teeth into his shoulder. It was not a gentle bite, and pain whipped through his body. The twin lusts for sex and violence overwhelmed him and he lost control what little control he had left.

He pounded into her body, shaking the bed. For all he knew, he was shaking the temple. The idea of the stone pillars and walls falling down around them as they fucked made him wild with destructive joy. For that second, hewas Dionysus; destroyer, creator, god of pain and pleasure…birth and death. It was too much, and in a rush of agonizing joy he released his seed into the nymph's body, shuddering with the intensity of his release.

She screamed beneath him, and he could feel her body spasming around his as she orgasmed again and again. Hot blood gushed from the wound in his shoulder, splashing across her body as she came. He shuddered, feeling his entire body grow shaky with the aftermath of his release, and he collapsed on top of her.

They panted, exhausted.

He lay there for several minutes, hearing the rushing sound of his own blood in his ears, when a new sound intruded. A slow, steady clapping…In horror, he rolled over to see his Lord and father standing at the foot of his bed, his face filled with satisfaction and pride. The dark god wore only a light tunic, with a delicate golden chain draped across the crook of his arm.

"Sabiniano, you are truly the son of my heart as well as my body," Dionysus said, his voice dark and languid. He smiled at the nymph, who was staring in shock. In sudden realization, she scrambled off the bed and dropped to her knees before the god. Her long hair trailed across her body, mixed with spatters of Sabiniano's blood. Her eyes were glassy as she drank Dionysus'

presence with hunger and awe.

"This one looks talented," Dionysus said. "Do you mind if I borrow her for a while?"

Sabiniano shook his head, still reeling from the intensity of his experience.

The god's presence always had that impact, but he would never grow used to it.

He should have known his father was near when he lost control like that…Reality came back to him and he rolled off the bed, bowing with as much dignity as he could under the circumstances.

"All of Naxos exists to serve you, my Lord," he said, mind racing. Why was Dionysus here? He hadn't come to visit Sabiniano in more than a century, although Sabiniano regularly reported to him in his temple on Mount Olympus.

"Of course it does," Dionysus said smoothly. "And I'm glad you remember that, despite the fact that Athena chooses not to. She's angered me a great deal, you know."

Sabiniano nodded, straightening to look his father in the face. It was a liberty few were allowed. Dionysus had been calm when he'd heard of the goddess' interference, but Sabiniano knew him well enough to realize how angry he'd been beneath that façade.

"I've already discussed the matter with her," Dionysus continued. "She won't be bothering you again, my son. And I've brought you a little present, too. It should help make up for what happened…"

Sabiniano looked at him questioningly. Dionysus gave a cold smile, and tugged on the chain. Someone gave a small, whimpering sound, and then a small woman walked slowly out from behind the god. Her long, brown hair was wild and ragged. Her clothing was tattered, offering tantalizing glimpses of soft, pink flesh. She clutched her arms across her chest, shivering in fear and confusion. Sabiniano starred in puzzlement, then realization hit. It was his little human, back from the dead. Why would Dionysus have done such a thing?

Even for a god, bringing a human back from the dead cost tremendous energy and strength.

"I refuse to allow Athena to steal from me," Dionysus said, his voice emotionless. He pulled the chain again, bringing the woman closer to him. He reached out and pulled her against him. This caused her to shriek in pain and horror. The god smiled, seeming to enjoy her distress. Dionysus ran his fingers through the woman's hair lightly, and smiled as she shivered, her voice lowering to a moan.

Sabiniano felt a wave of nausea roll over him. His father had always been cruel, but this was a new low…

"She's yours," Dionysus said abruptly, tossing the chain to Sabiniano.

Automatically, he reached up to catch it. The woman's eyes met his. She was like an animal before a hunter, terrified and incapable of movement.

"How long since you brought her back from the underworld?" Sabiniano asked, wondering how much she understood of what had happened to her.

"It's been about half an hour," Dionysus replied lightly. "I had to take her from her parents, and they were very troublesome. As if ghosts can fight a god," he continued, his voice filled with amusement. "I had to dispose of them."

Sabiniano shuddered, trying not to think of what might have been done to those hapless shades.

"Well, don't fall over yourself to thank me," Dionysus said wryly, turning to walk out of the room. "It's unseemly to display too much excitement when your father gives you a present."

Sabiniano clenched his teeth, biting back the sharp response he longed to give. Dionysus laughed, and the sound echoed through the temple. He turned and spoke again.

"Have fun with her, Sabiniano," he said. "And try to convince her to switch her loyalties to me, will you? I would dearly love to see Athena's face if I could tell her that her daughter has become mine."

Sabiniano nodded, trying not to look at the human. She still stood in the center of the room, holding herself tightly. Her face was blank, and the gold collar and chain holding her prisoner made her seem even more small and fragile.

"If she won't follow me, we'll let her go back to the underworld," Dionysus continued, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "But don't let her go so easily this time. If she won't give in to you, give her to the Maenads. And don't let them eat her head. I want to give that to Athena myself. Oh, and don't take off her collar. You can remove the chain, but the collar stays. It's keeping her anchored in her body.

With that, he turned away and strode out of the temple.

Kalliara clutched herself tightly, wondering how she had gotten there. She had been so happy. Her mother and father had been overjoyed to see her. Athena herself had brought her to them. They had been safe together in the underworld; no one would ever hurt them again. The goddess had promised. It had been like a dream, each minute more peaceful than the next. She had been floating…

It had seemed like forever, or maybe only a few minutes, andhe had arrived.

Her parents had been screaming, trying to hold her to them, buthe was stronger than all of them combined. He grabbed her, snapped the golden collar around her throat, and with a rush she re-entered her corporeal body. There was incredible pain; every nerve screamed in protest as it came awake. The dark one hadn't bothered to explain himself, hadn't let her adjust. He simply threw her into his chariot, and next they were flying across the sky.

She'd screamed and screamed, and he laughed at her pain. She could feel his power, and knew deep down in her heart that it was Dionysus who had come to take her. Why, she had no idea. And now she was here, with the man who had tried to rape her in the first place. Every muscle in her body hurt, and the light was too bright for her eyes. Even worse, she had just heard the god tell his priest to feed her to the Maenads.Oh, Athena , she whispered, her heart tearing apart. Tears welled up in her eyes, spilling down across her cheeks.

Sinking slowly to her knees, she let those hot scalding tears run down her face. It was time to suffer some more, but if she was just patient he would kill her and she could go back to her parents. She moaned, rocking back and forth, wishing it would go away. But it wasn't going away. Instead, strong arms were picking her up; she was cradled in someone's arms. She clutched her eyes tightly shut, willing reality to go away.

"Shhhhhh, little one," Sabiniano said. She could feel his voice rumbling through his body. He was naked, and his skin was wet and sticky. Blood. That creature had bit him, she remembered after a second. He and the blue woman had been mating wildly, and Dionysus had forced her to watch. They had been covered in blood, and at first she thought he was killing the nymph…

"I’m not going to hurt you," he said, rubbing one hand gently over her hair.

"I'm so sorry that I hurt you before. So sorry."

She said nothing, shivering in his arms.

"I know you don't believe me, but I never meant to hurt you," he said.

"Then why did you?" she asked, remembering how to speak. The moment was unreal, and for a second she forgot to be afraid. She straightened in his arms, pushing away from him a little. He let her sit back on the bed, and looked deeply into her eyes.

"Because I am my father's son and I wanted you," he said simply. "The madness was on me. I suppose I could have fought it if I chose, but I didn't want to.

All I wanted was you on the ground underneath me."

"You're a monster," she whispered, gazing steadily into his face. His hair was rumpled, his skin covered with a sheen of sweat. Dried blood coated his chest, yet in that instant he took her breath away with his sheer physical beauty and power. She breathed in raggedly, forcing herself to see him for what he was. Immortal, son of a god and a nymph. No compassion and no humanity.

"Yes," he said simply. For a moment he seemed almost sad, but that had to be an illusion, she told herself. Silence filled the room, and they stared at each other. Finally she couldn't take it any more.

"What are you going to do with me?" she asked.

"Take you to the bathing pools," he replied simply. "We both need a bath.

I'll decide what to do after that."

He stood, and held out one hand to her. She stood shakily, ignoring his offer of help. He smiled sadly, and handed her the end of her chain. She took it without speaking.

He walked out of the room without another word, and after a moment's hesitation she followed. She didn't have anywhere else to go, she realized.

She was completely at his mercy. She might as well take a bath. That way she would at least be clean if he raped and killed her.

They walked in silence for several minutes, until he stopped and turned. She almost bumped into him, still dazed by all that had happened.

"I don't want to hurt you," he said quietly. She nodded, not really paying attention.

"No, you need to understand," he insisted, taking her shoulders gently into his hands. He leaned over, staring her directly in her eyes. "I don't want to hurt you. We'll find some way out of this. I promise."

"Your promises don't mean a lot to me," she said with quiet dignity.

"I know," he replied tightly. Then he turned and started walking again.

Unable to do anything else, she followed him again.