Joanna Wylde - Dancing With Dionysus

"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."