Chapter 7:
Just like the first time Sakura had seen it, the grounds of the swamp were covered in a thick mist that swirled around her ankles as she entered. The squish of mud between her bare toes wrinkled her nose and she clenched her fist tightly around the last seed to be planted. Her eyes darted around the gnarled, twisted trees, searching for any sight of the goddess she had encountered last time.
There was no way to know if the deity would still be here, but she had said she lived in the marsh because no one was around to bother her. Sakura hoped coming here to seek her out wasn't what the goddess considered a bother. It wasn't her intention to disturb anyone.
But she had more questions to ask the only god she had encountered that had treated her nicely. Well, that wasn't fair. The messenger had been polite enough, if not a bit perverse and strange.
To start with, Sakura was desperate to know if her attempts at planting these seeds would even be successful. After traipsing about the realm in a lopsided triangle around the palace, she hadn't seen a single shred of evidence that anything grew from the ground. The trees were old and had been dead for a long time, their trunks rotten and hollow.
Even in the marsh, there wasn't a single glimpse of green. Just the same dreary grey and brown and white of the mist settled along the muddy ground. She pressed on, heading deeper into the swamp, looking for a familiar landmark she could recall from the first time she had seen it. How long ago had that been?
A day?
It felt like a lifetime ago.
Six weeks in the underworld would be an eternity. The thought made her pause near a low-hanging branch and Sakura reached up to hook her free hand around it, taking a moment to catch her breath and shut her eyes. She squeezed them tightly and fought the whispers of defeat that echoed through her head. Just drop the seed, they told her. It's pointless. It'll never grow. Not here.
She clenched her jaw and took several deep breaths in through her nose, letting them out slowly to calm her sudden anxious pulse. Now was not the time to panic. She had time. With the help of the goddess of the swamp, there was a chance. The deity had been adorned with green, lively vines and leaves around her wrist.
She could make something grow.
A goddess could do anything and if Sakura pleaded to her, perhaps there was a secret to getting the seeds to sprout. That's all she needed anyway. A tiny sprout out of the dirt would set her free.
With one final breath that expanded her lungs and lifted her shoulders, Sakura opened her eyes and let her hand fall from the branch back to her side. She peered down at the seed sitting in the center of her palm and pursed her lips in determination, willing it to snap open and grow. The speck did nothing but lay lifeless in her palm and she let out a breath, not sure why she thought it would work.
Her powers, feeble and weak in the mortal realm, wouldn't work here. She was nothing but a mere mortal, stripped of any divine touch she may have been blessed with. It would do her no good to stand around and dwell on it. She had more important things to do.
As she stepped around a particularly jagged root of the tree, Sakura's entire foot sank into the mud up to her ankle and she grimaced. "Ugh," she groaned, gripping the tree trunk to keep her steady as she struggled to pull herself free. "I hate this cursed place!"
"It's not so bad." The soft voice startled her, coming from behind one of the trees at her right and Sakura let out a shriek of surprise. Her footing slipped in the mud and she went down on one knee, sinking into the soft muck.
The robe and chemise were ruined, covered from the hem to the knee with moisture and sludge from the swampy grounds. Defeated, Sakura sat back on her heels and peered up through a curtain of pink hair to the goddess standing a few paces away. There was a small smile on her pale face, one that she was trying to keep from stretching into a grin.
"Well," she started with a sigh, pushing herself onto her feet all the while keeping the last seed tight in the center of her fist. "Maybe not to someone who knows where to step. I, on the other hand, haven't been convinced it's not cursed."
The goddess unfolded her hands from in front of her and stepped forward, the silent steps of her feet moving through the mist toward Sakura. From here, it was easy to see the leafy ivy curling from her ankle, around her thigh and waist up to where it laid along the curve of her neck. Sakura couldn't help eyeing it as she regained her balance and straightened to her full height.
"I didn't think I'd see you back so soon. If you're looking for a way out, you'll be disappointed."
"I'm not," Sakura mumbled, shaking the hair from her eyes. "I've been...tasked with something. Something that could lead to my freedom."
At the mention of this, the goddess's thin eyebrows lifted and she folded her arms over her chest. The sleeves of her tunic hung down to her knees and from the depths of them, tiny bottles clinked from the movement. "Oh? And what would this task be?"
Heat lifted to the tops of Sakura's cheeks and she hesitantly lifted her clenched hand in front of her. For some reason, she felt foolish all of a sudden. Would the goddess laugh at her task? Tell her there was no hope?
Taking a breath to steady herself, she uncurled her fingers and revealed the tiny black seed laying in the center of her palm. She didn't look down at it and instead studied the look in the goddess's face as she stared. Slowly, her brow arched, and the look across her eyes shifted from calm to shadowed in a single second. Her gaze lifted to meet Sakura and she pursed her lips.
"You're to make it grow." It wasn't a question and Sakura didn't answer it. The goddess sighed and gave a single nod. "It won't. But that doesn't mean you can't win your freedom."
"I proposed a game with him. If I can win, he'll let me go home. It's a-a game of wits."
Again, the goddess sighed and dropped her hands to her sides, the clink of the bottles within her sleeves the only sound echoing through the silent swamp. It brought a wave of goosebumps to Sakura's arms and she wrapped them around her waist, clutching the seed once more in her fist.
"How much do you know about Hatake? Surely you learned of the gods in your village back home?"
"I-I did but not much is known of him. We were told only to respect him."
"Hmm," the goddess hummed, giving Sakura a look that made her shrink. "And look where that got you. He's...set in his ways. Terrifyingly clever, a master strategist, and above all else, his intelligence knows no bounds, but he is not without mercy."
Sakura sniffed and looked away, not sure why the goddess was telling her this. "From what I've experienced, he's nothing but a cruel, insufferable-"
"He's fair. In all things, he expects equality and fairness. You took from him and in return, he must take from you. Hatake has his reasons for everything he does and there's a reason you're here." The goddess's words weren't at all what Sakura had come to hear. She wasn't interested in the god's attributes and beliefs. After she got her freedom, she would never think of him again, no matter how handsome he was. "But you're not alone here, Sakura. I'm not the only one rooting for you."
This pulled her from the sudden sour turn of her mood and she lifted her head, searching the goddess's face for any sign that she was lying. There was nothing but soft sincerity and a bit of pity behind her gaze and Sakura pursed her lips to keep them from trembling. "I don't understand."
"There are other ways to win a game when the rules are vague."
Sakura's gaze narrowed as a frown pinched her brows. For several beats of her heart, silence stretched between them and she waited with her breath held tight. When it was clear that there would be nothing else said, she looked back down at her fist in front of her. "Will you help me make it grow?"
"I'm afraid I cannot intervene any more than I have." With a single step toward her, the goddess lifted a hand and touched her cool fingers to Sakura's cheek. A small smile curled the corner of her lips. "Plant the seed. Nurture it. When it grows, it may not be what you expect."
"I don't-" Sakura blinked, the fog lifting from the ground to envelop the goddess until there was nothing between them but mist. The soft press of the hand on her face disappeared and by the time she had sucked in a breath of air, she was alone once more in the swamp.
She had come looking for answers but had found only riddles. Defeat weighed her down, slumping her shoulders and adding to the growing problems piling up in her mind. Plant the seed. Had the goddess meant the actual seed...or something else? If it was the latter, what in the world could she have meant?
Opening her mouth, Sakura took a deep breath to shout, to call the goddess back, and demand to know more. Her voice died before it ever met her lips and she snapped her mouth shut once more with a deep sigh. What was the point? The gods came and went as they pleased, thinking they were helping her but in reality, were doing nothing but plaguing her head with more questions she'd never answer.
Why could none of them just be honest with her? Was this all a game to them?
A bitter taste rose to the back of her throat and she swallowed it down, turning to face the heart of the swamp with a frown tightening her lips. Sakura trudged through the mud, her knees trembling and clothes filthy. Mud splattered across her face twice and she had attempted to wipe it away, only smearing it down her cheek and chin.
The first dry patch of dead grass she came to, elevated from the shallow pool of stagnant water that lingered on the ground, Sakura dropped to her knees and clawed her fingers through the dirt. It was damp and easy to tear through, clumping under her nails and between her fingers, and once she had managed to make a decent hole, she dropped the seed from her palm, glad to be rid of it.
Just as she had on that knoll, and in the plains west of the palace, Sakura searched for a way to mark where she had planted her seed. She broke a few limbs from the dead tree above her and positioned them around the mound like fence posts. But how would she find her way back through the fog and labyrinth of the swamp? She would need some kind of marker to leave behind.
Glancing down at herself, she sighed and let her shoulders slump further. There was no other option. Slipping her middle finger into a hole that had been ripped in the fabric of her robe, she managed to tear a strip of it off to tie to the branch over her head.
Little by little, every few trees, she would rip strips of her robe and tie it to the branches as she made her way back out of the swamp. By the time she could see the break in the trees and the dead stalks of grass swaying ahead of her on the path, she was left only with her sleeves. The chemise she had been wearing beneath the robe was filthy and drenched from sweat and water. Whatever covering it had provided for her was long gone.
She felt as naked wearing it as she would without.
Shedding what was left of her robe, she ripped one of the sleeves away from the shredded garment and looped it around a branch, tying it tightly before using what was left to pull her hair out of her face. She tied the length of it behind her head and stepped out of the swamp, breathless, covered in dirt and grime, and desperate for a bath.
As she stepped onto the path of broken bricks cutting through the grassland, her eyes swept the area. Though a part of her wanted to hold her head high and feign confidence, knowing she was practically naked in a strange place tugged at the self-conscious fears in her mind. Frustration and exhaustion were starting to wear her thin but no matter how tired she was, Sakura wasn't sure she would ever be comfortable exposing this much of herself.
Even if no one was around, even if there were no gods traipsing about to see her, she couldn't shake the feeling of vulnerability, of being exposed. Wrapping her arms around her chest, she hurried up the long stairwell heading to the palace, counting each step as she went.
By the ninetieth step, her breathing was labored and the back of her legs and chest ached. She put her hands out to catch herself as her foot caught on the ninety-second step and winced at the pebbles digging into her dirty palms. So weak with exhaustion and hunger, her elbows trembled, legs shook, and she put her knee down on the step just to rest for a moment.
"You're late."
For the second time that day, she was startled by the sudden sound of a voice above her and she wrenched her head back to stare up the next few steps. Standing on the landing, robes as black as pitch draped over his shoulders like a burial shroud, was the god. His horns stretched up to the sky and between them, she could see the fast moving clouds over his head.
Sighing, she ducked her head back down until her chin nearly touched her chest and heaved a sigh. "How am I supposed to keep to a schedule when there is no time here? There's no day, no night." Though her muscles protested, she pushed herself off the step and stood to her full height. "Just an infuriatingly perpetual twilight."
Her words were clipped with irritation but with one look in his eyes would have shut her up had she wanted to keep going. The darkness in his gaze was hidden behind his half-lidded stare and Sakura felt frozen beneath it as he took in the sight of her body. She could feel the burn of his gaze through the filthy translucent chemise all across her body and despite the cold mud caked over her skin, heat spread through her like a fire.
If there was room on the step to retreat, she would have. Her heels were already on the edge, muscles tight with tension, body trembling with exhaustion and she had no strength left to flee. Slowly, the god took a step down and then another and another until he was directly in front of her. On even ground, he towered over her but on the step above her, she craned her neck to peer up at him.
The stretch of pale skin between the edges of his robe was right in front of her and she couldn't stop herself from letting her gaze fall to his chest. Faint scars tattooed his skin and Sakura followed one with her eyes down to where it ended at his ribs. At her sides, still tucked beneath her arms, her fingers twitched with a sudden desire to trace the faded lines and feel the sinew hidden behind his flesh.
So distracted by the sight of his body and the thoughts it elicited in her mind, Sakura hadn't noticed the god lifting a hand until he hooked his finger beneath her chin. He lifted her head and their eyes met, pulling a sudden gasp from her lips. The soft touch of his fingers brushed along the length of her jaw and her eyes fluttered in response. Despite the terror gripping her mind tightly, a strange sensation had taken over her body. The disconnect between the two was alarming but she was powerless in the battle between them.
Sakura's eyes fell shut as the god caressed the shell of her ear with his thumb, the rest of his fingers following the curve of her neck. The hair tied back behind her head slipped free of the fabric holding it and she realized moments too late that his other hand had found its way to her body.
Just the way she had wanted to trace the scars on his chest, the god seemed to have a similar desire. He let the back of his fingers follow the length of her collarbone, down the dirt-spattered stretch of her chest and over the hem of the chemise. She felt a tug at the fabric and frowned, knowing she should stop him but unable to even breathe.
And when the ghost of his touch trailed the swell of her breast, his thumb finding the taut bud of her nipple, Sakura sucked in a breath that snapped her eyes open. Her jaw fell and the hold she had around herself tightened, knocking his hand away. In a flash, he found her waist and used his grip to haul her up to the step he stood on.
Instinctively, she reached out, clutching the thick robes covering his arms as the tips of her toes barely touched the stone beneath them. The god made a sound in his throat, somewhere between a hum and a growl that ignited something strange and hot inside her. She watched as he searched her eyes, the corner of his lips lifting into a half-smile. "Tell me, little mortal," he spoke quietly but his voice echoed in her ears like thunder. "Did you plant the seeds I gave you?"
She was nodding before the question left his mouth.
"And have you thought of your riddle?"
Again, she could only nod her head, her lips parting with a deep, trembling breath as he pulled her nearer. Her body, flush against the length of his, felt somehow both heavy and as light as a feather in his grasp and she still clenched her fingers tight around his robes to keep from slipping away. The god lifted a single pale eyebrow and tilted his head to the side.
"Well? May I hear it now or shall we wait for dinner?"
"Wait," her voice came out as a whisper. "I-I need a bath and something clean to wear."
"Hmm-" there was that sound again, the one that coiled something deep and primal within her that she couldn't explain. "-very well."
The hand he had kept around her waist lifted and Sakura's eyes cut to the side in time to see him snap his fingers. In a kaleidoscope of blacks and grey, the world shifted around them, stealing her breath out of her lungs. She held onto him tighter and somehow found room enough to move closer, her chest pressing into his. That stretch of skin between his robes was warm against her bare flesh above her chemise and she quickly tilted her head back to stare up at him.
Once more, her toes brushed the dusty stone and when he released his hold on her so she could step away, the familiar room with the tub of steaming water came into view around them. Sakura stumbled out of his arms and shook the disoriented dizziness from her head, blinking in the darkness to where he stood.
In the far corner of the room, a light flickered to life and a swinging lantern appeared at her side, illuminating the marble tub behind the god. Just like last time, it was filled to the brim with warm, inviting water. Petals of flowers that certainly didn't grow in the underworld floated lazily on the surface, swirling through the sheen of oils and salts. Her body shuddered, torn between the unexplainable desire to step back into his embrace and to sink into the tub to scrub herself clean.
All she could do was lift her gaze to the god, her brows knitting together in confusion. Surely he didn't intend for her to…
His shoulders turned though his eyes remained on her, and he stepped to the side to circle her body. She felt his gaze drop from her face to her body and held her breath tight as he brought his hand to her chest. He traced the length of her collarbone from the center of her throat all the way to her shoulder, pulling a shiver across her body in his wake. His finger hooked around the thin strap of her chemise and slipped it down her arm.
"How did you manage to get so filthy, anyway?"
"I-I-" Her lips trembled to get the words out and she had to swallow the lump of terror pressing the back of her tongue. No. Terror wasn't quite the right word. That feeling of cold dread was there, of course, but it was something else stealing her ability to speak. Frowning, she ducked her head to stare down the length of her body as the god circled behind her. "I fell," she managed to whisper. "In the swamp."
"Is that so?" He sounded distracted and she understood why. On her other shoulder, he made quick work of the remaining strap of her chemise keeping it where it was. In a quiet swish of the light fabric, it fell to her feet and she blinked several times. It was the first time she had ever been nude in front of someone. "And what, pray tell, did you find there?"
Chills rolled down the length of her spine at the warmth of his breath against her ear and she slowly turned her head to the side to watch his fingers trace the length of her arm. Tendrils of heat and lightning were left behind by his touch and that nearly unbearable coil tightened in her lower belly. The god found her wrist and lifted it at her side, taking her by the hand. As he returned back to where he started in front of her, Sakura let him pull her toward the bathtub.
"I planted one of your seeds there," she said, shifting her eyes to meet his gaze, finding darkness and something else-something she felt mirrored in her own stare. "And spoke to the goddess."
He smiled, the gesture so strange on his usually stoic features that it nearly startled Sakura. She stared with wide eyes, so entranced by the sight of it she hadn't realized she was stepping into the tub until the water was up to her knees.
"I suppose Shizune had a lot to say about me."
Shizune...Sakura recalled hearing the name before as a child and narrowed her eyes as he helped guide her other leg into the water. It had been such a long time ago that she couldn't remember much about the goddess, only that she had heard of her before.
As he released his hold on her hand, the realization that she was completely naked before him, with only her knees covered by the water, hit her and she quickly dropped into the tub. The sudden plunge forced a small wave over the side of the marble and she winced at the sound of it splashing at the god's feet. He didn't move, barely reacted at all, and stared down at her with the ghost of a smile on his lips.
"She did," Sakura finally said, wanting to fill the silence with something other than tension and the drip of water. "Why are you being nice to me?"
This time, his eyes met hers and she watched them narrow into slits. Fearing that she had offended him, Sakura ducked her head and stared down at the oily surface of the water. She swallowed and pushed one of the white petals away from her.
The god shifted on his feet, turning closer to her and she saw his hand in the faint glow of the light behind her seconds before she felt the touch on her chin. He tilted her head back as he kneeled beside the tub, the fabric hanging from his sleeves dipping down into the water. She felt it brush against her hand and curled her fingers around it.
"Someone once told me that you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar. If you prefer, I could always return to my old ways."
"No." The smile curling one corner of his mouth told her that perhaps she was too quick to answer him. A flush of warmth touched her cheeks and she licked her suddenly dry lips. Slowly, steadier, she answered him properly. "No, I never said I wasn't appreciative. Just curious."
His hand fell away from her face and she let go of her hold on his sleeve as he stood to his full height, water dripping from his fingers to the floor. Sakura stared at the droplets and a fantasy flashed through her mind. She saw herself on her knees beside the god, mouth open, tongue poised and waiting to catch the water dripping from his fingertips. As quickly as it came to her, she shook it away and ducked her head to hide the bright blush on her cheeks.
Even in the dim light of the lantern, she was sure her face was glowing with heat.
"I'll be waiting to hear your riddle in the dining room," he said quietly and while she didn't want him to see the look of shame on her face from her thoughts, Sakura lifted her head to peer up at him. He took two steps back into the shadows clinging to the corner of the room and she watched until he sank into them, nearly disappearing. "Don't keep me waiting."
And with a final warning that sounded more like vinegar than honey and brought a scowl to her lips, the god disappeared from the room. After a few seconds had passed, she let out her breath and slumped against the tub at her back. She shook her head and stared at the water, trying to force her eyes to remain open while her thoughts swirled in a turmoil of questions.
What had just happened? One minute she was snapping at him on the stairs and the next, he had stripped her bare. And the strange sensations, the twist of that foreign coil of heat within her, the sudden fantasies that flashed through her head, only added more and more confusion to her head.
Lifting her head, she stared at the spot he had last stood and frowned, hugging her knees tightly to her chest. Those touches, the brush of his fingers along her breast and ear, the look in his eyes that made her tremble-what had it meant? It was such a contrast to the way he had treated her earlier in the day. Had she truly gotten to him, convinced him that honey was better than vinegar?
Or...was he playing a new game that she was unaware of?
He spoke softly, made her shiver beneath his gaze, and touched her in a way she would never forget just to chip away at her. Of course. How could she be so blinded by her curiosity and fascination with his body? It was all a ploy to crumble the wall of defense she had built around her. It was a tactic.
Besides, what had the goddess of the swamp-Shizune-said about the god of the underworld?
He's terrifyingly clever, a master strategist, and above all else, his intelligence knows no bounds…
Sakura pursed her lips and turned her gaze away from the shadows in the corner, sliding forward in the tub to give her room. She let her head fall back into the water, sinking the matted strands of hair until she could feel the water ripple over her cheeks and nose until she was submerged.
He may be clever, and he may consider himself intelligent, but he was still a god and if there was one thing Sakura had learned about the gods in the time since she had stumbled into their den was they overestimated themselves.
And the god of the underworld, master strategist or no, made the mistake of underestimating her.
Notes:
Okay so now that the pieces have been officially set up...buckle up and hold on tight. Oh, and peep the rating change ;)
Chapter 8:
The only sound in the room was the soft tap of the water dripping from the ends of her hair as she stood naked and wet beside the bench. A shiver rolled through her, sending goosebumps across her cold, damp skin, but Sakura ignored it and stared down at the folds of fabric laying across the cushion before her. Just like the last time, the clothes intended for her to wear had appeared as soon as she stepped out of the bath.
But unlike the sheer chemise and robe that had been provided for her yesterday, her new garments were quite different. Laying there in the dim light, the fabric at least had some color to it this time and as she passed her hand under a slip of it, she was pleased that it wasn't nearly sheer. Sakura lifted the bundle into her hands and frowned. Though it wasn't translucent, there wasn't much of it and this time, she had no robe to cover herself with.
Sighing, she stepped into the skirt and pushed her arms through the opening on either side, frowning down at her body. Two strips of the sage-colored material were draped down her front, barely wide enough to cover her breasts. Even adjusting it as much as she could, there was still too much of her exposed.
Then again, what did it truly matter? He had already seen her naked, had touched her breast, and stripped her filthy clothes from her body. The thought warmed her more than the bath had and Sakura flattened her palms down her front, smoothing the flowing skirt. It cascaded from just beneath her breasts to the floor, extra fabric pooling around her feet. On both sides of her hips, the skirt was slit high to her hips and she feared one mild gust of wind would be her downfall.
Again, she smoothed the material out, adjusting and shifting it this way and that until she felt comfortable enough to face him once more. She was almost certain he kept her in clothing like this to make her feel vulnerable and she did. She hated that these little things he did were getting to her.
Perhaps the gods were used to draping themselves in loose clothing that left little to a passerby's imagination, but she wasn't. Sakura frowned down at the gown and slid her fingers along the seam at her waist, moving toward the lantern hanging patiently in the center of the room. As the glow from the candles within surrounded her, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
The gown was a beautiful color, made of soft hues of green that rivaled the lush moss that lived on the rocks near the river back home. It was the color she longed to see in the underworld, the same green a sprout from a seed would be, the color he was so confident she would never replicate.
He was mocking her with it.
In a flash, Sakura stared at the empty space behind the lantern, knowing someone was there. She didn't bother combing the tangles from her dripping hair, refusing to care about her dappled pink cheeks from the flush of anger and heat. "Take me to him."
Without hesitation, the lantern swung toward the door and Sakura stormed after it. Thankfully, whatever was carrying the source of light sensed her urgency and didn't dawdle through the infinitely dark halls. Even as her heels ground the rubble to dust beneath her, she refused to flinch or wince in pain. There was only one thing on her mind and it was defeating this arrogant god in their game.
Rounding a corner to the right, Sakura recalled what the goddess had said to her earlier that day. He's fair . It was almost enough to make her laugh. Perhaps he was fair to the other gods, the beings he considered his equal, but to a mortal? No. He wasn't fair. He was ruthless and dominant and unforgiving. If he thought Sakura would succumb after just a taste of honey, he was gravely mistaken.
At the end of the hallway, an entry into the dining room was lit with candles sitting in sconces on either side of the doorway. The long table in the center of the room was filled once more with delicious smelling food that ripped through her anger. It nearly made her stumble to a halt behind the lantern and she couldn't stop herself from pressing a hand to her empty belly.
Sitting where he had the day before, the god waited patiently for her to enter the room and though she had planned to hold her chin high in defiance, her gaze instead swept to the buffet laid out. Steam curled in the air above the sterling silver pots of vegetables and perfectly seared meat, drawing her eye and ensnaring her with the promise of a meal. So focused on what to pile onto her plate, she hadn't realized she had even been moving until she lowered into the chair at the opposite end of the table.
Her hands gripped the arms of the chair, nails digging into the wood to keep her from snatching whatever she could dig her fingers into. Moisture filled her mouth and she swallowed it down, finally able to lift her gaze from the banquet to meet the god at the end of the table. The small smile, so knowing and smug, on his lips ignited that anger once more but nowhere near as potent as she needed it to be.
"Please," he said, sweeping his hand elegantly in front of him. "Help yourself."
She only had enough strength for a single second of hesitation before she reached for the dish nearest to her, finding a deliciously roasted hen. The tips of her fingers stung from the heat but she didn't care. Her hunger was nearly unbearable and the longer she waited to eat, the worse the empty ache began to gnaw.
Frantically, she tore into the meat, wincing from the burn to her tongue, and leaned over the plate as the oil dripped down her chin. She hated that it was delicious. How satisfying it would have been to curl her lip and toss it aside just to spite the god. But now that she had a taste, she couldn't stop.
The need for more was primal, animalistic and that's exactly what she felt like; an animal.
From the opposite side of the banquet, she could feel his gaze on her, hated that it left her flushed and ashamed of her hunger. Ignoring him the best she could, Sakura grabbed the bowl beside the dish she had snatched the hen from and scooped out whatever was inside. There were fresh steamed vegetables, carrots, and squash in a creamy sauce that nearly made her eyes roll back in her head as soon as it touched her tongue.
It didn't take long for her stomach to feel the traces of satisfaction. She was nowhere near finished eating, but for now, she could at least breathe between bites. Three days without a single meal had nearly been too much for her to stand and though she couldn't blame it entirely on the god at the other end of the table, she knew it was mostly due to her own stubbornness.
As the gnaw of hunger started to subside and her belly filled, she sat up straighter and wiped the back of her hand across her mouth, eyes lifting to stare at him from beneath her lashes. He sat on the chair almost sideways, relaxed against one side with his chin resting in his palm while he tapped his fingernail against the bottom of his wine glass. The tink, tink, tink , was the only sound in the room beside her chewing and Sakura swallowed the bite and stilled, folding her hands in her lap to stare at him.
There was amusement in his eyes as if the very sight of her experiencing such a mortal need for food entertained him. Knowing she probably looked every bit like a starved animal, all but licking the crumbs from the plate, sent a rush of embarrassment to her face. It ruined the rest of her appetite and she cut her gaze away from him, suddenly finding the wall to her right far more interesting.
"So," he began, his voice echoing in the cavernous room. "Are you going to enlighten me and challenge my wit with your riddle?"
Just like the color of the dress, he was mocking her with his tone and Sakura quickly turned her glare back to him. All of a sudden, the food she had eaten so quickly threatened to come back up and she squeezed her hands into fists to distract herself. She had thought of her first riddle, one she remembered being proud to stump her father with as a child. Now that it was time to say it out loud, she tried to recall if her father had actually been stumped, or if he had been playing along to humor her.
Across the table, she saw the god lift his eyebrows, impatiently waiting for her answer. She took a deep breath and nodded slowly. Though she opened her mouth, her voice was too cowardly to appear. It was a struggle just to get the words out.
"W-what has a head but no body, a tail but no legs?"
Hearing it out loud, spoken so softly she barely heard it at all, made her wince. She was angry at herself for feeling so confident while lying in bed that morning, devising ways to trick the god and thinking she was capable of it. Ugh, she had been such a fool.
"A head but no body," he repeated quietly, that humor still lingering in his tone. "And a tail but no legs."
Panic was starting to ripple like pinpricks beneath her skin and though the dining room was massive, with ceilings stretching high above her, she felt as if the walls were suddenly pressing on either side of her. She sucked in a trembling breath though it did no good to ease the tightness of her chest and she gripped the arms of the chair until her knuckles turned white.
Her eyes met his gaze and she repeated what the goddess had told her once more time. He's fair …
"I don't think our game is fair." The words rushed from her mouth before she could stop them and the silence that followed was deafening. It filled the room, shoving the pressing walls back until Sakura suddenly felt so small, she could barely see over the stacks of trays and dishes on the table. What had she been thinking?
"Oh?" The god asked, tilting his head to the side. His eyes were narrowed slightly and the light from the candles flickered across the planes of his face. "Why do you think that?"
"Because...it isn't. You gave me an impossible task, designed so that I would fail before I could even attempt it."
"This game is yours, Sakura. You made the rules and agreed to them."
"I agreed to my game. I didn't agree to whatever you're planning with those seeds. You offer no sunlight in your realm, no chance for life to grow! If I were to ask you an impossible riddle that you could not solve, would you admit defeat like you expect me to?" She stood from her chair, knocking it back with her legs, and slammed her hands down on the table. The dishes and candles closest to her trembled from the force, the flames dancing erratically. And while she knew it was best to shut her mouth before he took his wrath out on her, she couldn't stop. The fire and fury licked at her insides, fueling her anger onward. "The goddess-the one from the swamp-she said you were fair. Above all else, you were fair so why are you forcing me to play an unfair game?"
"You require the sun, is that what you're saying?" His question left her stunned and she blinked. "Would you like the moon and stars as well, Sakura?"
She clenched her jaw tightly and leaned forward, staring through the tall, black candlesticks at the god, hating the relaxed, nonchalance of his body language. "If the sun were to truly make the seeds grow, would you give it to me?"
Slowly, unfurling like a pale mist, the god set his hands down on the table and rose from the chair to his full height. His eyes stayed locked onto her own as he stepped out from behind the table. The nearer he drew to her, the harder it was to breathe and Sakura took a step back on her heels, nearly snagging the loose material of her skirt. She stumbled and clutched the dress around her thighs, shifting it so she could right herself.
"You may have your sunlight," he said quietly, his voice rumbling so deep in his chest that Sakura felt a clench of the muscles between her thighs. "But in return, you must give me something."
There was only the corner of the table separating them and Sakura forgot how to breathe the moment his gaze pierced through her. On the outside, she was frozen, and inside, a flame was pulsing and searing through her. When she found the strength to speak, it was only a whisper. "Why?"
"Because Sakura." The god ducked his head, tipping his horns forward as he searched her eyes. All traces of humor had vanished from his words, leaving only a darkness that sent shivers down her spine. Sakura could only watch as he slowly reached for her, his hand finding her waist. "Fair is fair."
The tips of his fingers pressed into the bare strip of skin on her side, slipping beneath the material of her gown. His touch was cool and yet, it ignited a fire that left her scorched and breathless. He pulled her toward him and Sakura barely felt the floor under her feet as she moved. In an instant, her hands were on his chest, her thumb brushing over the scarred flesh, stealing her breath in a gasp.
Dark eyes searched hers and she hoped he couldn't see the desire in them that she couldn't deny. It lifted through her, unfurled its way to every dark corner in her soul, and her fingers tightened around the thick fabric of his robes. It was the only thing keeping her steady aside from the hand he kept firmly in place on her waist. She blinked, her tongue darting out to wet her suddenly dry lips and she let her gaze fall from his eyes.
The curve of his lips, so pale, the corner nearly touching the scar that ran down the center of his eye, invited her in with the faint trace of a smile. She felt the butterflies return to her belly, fluttering madly against her insides, matching the race of her pulse. With his free hand, the god lifted his fingers to her face and brushed the hair away from her cheek, tucking it behind her ear. He traced the edge of her jaw with his middle finger all the way to her chin and tilted her head back.
She forgot how to breathe, forgot how to think. There was nothing but his touch and the nearness of his lips. Everything melted away at that moment and as much as she loathed this cursed deity, as much as she wanted to shove him away, slap him, scream at him, she couldn't. More than that, she didn't exactly want him to stop.
He tilted his head to the side, eyes glancing down to her lips before he pressed her even closer. Her chest was flush against him, the length of their bodies nearly merged into one. Just the faintest brush, a nudge of his bottom lip against hers, and she nearly came apart. Her eyes fluttered shut and she held her breath, pushing her tiptoes into the floor for a better taste, a proper kiss.
Her first kiss.
"Although," the soft chuckle, vibrating through the chest pressing into her, snapped her eyes open and she sucked in a breath. "Perhaps I should make you beg for it first."
No…
Sakura stared up at him, finally finding the ability to breathe, and sucked in a lungful of air that trembled as she inhaled. What a monstrous, cruel, infuriating god! He teased her and tormented her for enjoyment and had the gall to think she'd beg for his kiss? She shoved against his chest, struggling to free herself from his grasp, and with another laugh beneath his breath, he pulled her deeper into his embrace.
"You're so easy to anger," he murmured with that wicked curl at the corner of his lips. "I won't make you beg for it, little mortal. Your desperation is obvious."
With her eyes wide and hands pathetically trying to push him away to no avail, the god brought his mouth down onto hers. In an instant, her breath was stolen from her, and all rational thoughts, all warning bells, and voices of reason vanished from her head, leaving nothing else but the spark of desire that had been lingering behind.
She had never kissed anyone before, wasn't sure how to respond if the occasion arose, and now that it was the lips of a highly powerful, horrifyingly dark god that were against her own, Sakura was hopeless. Just like most choices she had in his realm, she could do nothing but give in against her will.
The flutter of her eyelids closing shifted them from a chaste, awkward kiss to something else, something deep and wild that electrified her from the inside. His lips parted and she copied his motions, letting him take control. As she stilled, no longer pushing him away, no longer fighting him at all, he was able to slip his arm around to her back. The feel of his palm between her shoulders, warm yet so foreign to her that a shiver cascaded down her spine, arched her chest into his and a quiet moan of approval rumbled from his throat.
Sakura was surprised by her reaction to the sound of it. That familiar ache, the coil of heat and need, tightened in her lower belly and pulled at the back of her navel. She pressed her thighs together, sucking in a breath at the spark of pleasure between them.
So caught in the haze clouding her mind from his kiss, she hadn't realized that the hand he had kept on her waist moved until the slip of fabric brushed across her nipple. Her breath hitched and the god took it as a sign to continue. Had it been? She couldn't tell anymore. Her body was reacting to him though she knew it was wrong, knew she'd hate herself for it later.
A shudder trembled her chest at the touch of his thumb passing over the tightened bud of her nipple and Sakura tightened her fingers around his robes. They had abandoned their attempt to push him away and were now desperate to pull him closer, desperate to drink him in. There was absinthe on his lips, opium on his tongue, and she was intoxicated the moment she tasted both.
All of the fear and anger and hate she had for him shifted into something she couldn't quite describe. It was just as fiery as her anger, just as terrifying and irrational, and for the life of her, she couldn't figure out why she wanted more of him.
His kiss was a drug and she needed more.
The warmth of his palm at her breast coiled the heat tighter and the craving for more sank into the darkest corners of her mind where the primal, animalistic instincts like hunger and thirst dwelled. She kissed him as if she were starving for it, pawing at him like she had the food in dishes, and she was thankful for every taste he gave her.
One hand let go of his robe, moving on its own before she could even decide what to do with it, slipping between their bodies. The thick material around his body at the back of her knuckles and the soft silk against her palm, such a contrast, yet so perfectly fitting. She found the slit in the skirt at her hip and brushed the tips of her fingers over her bare flesh as she pulled it open. It was an invitation, a silent plea for more and he answered by reaching between their bodies and taking her hand to stop her.
Sakura's eyes snapped open to find the god pulling away from their kiss. Just as it had been before he had ever kissed her, that damn smile, the wicked lift of one side of his lips, remained in a knowing smirk. Seeing it there, having him grip her wrist to keep the new, unwanted distance between them, was a splash of cold water on the fires that had been burning inside her. She searched his eyes, finding nothing but the unfathomable darkness he kept there, and her lips quivered.
How foolish she was...every moment in his presence only proved just how much of a fool she truly was. She hadn't begged him with words, but she had in every other way imaginable and he knew he had won this part of the game. That tight press of desire within her quickly turned into nausea and she wrenched her arm out of his grasp.
"You tricked me," she mumbled, trying to recall how it had all happened. "Y-you poisoned the food or-or-"
"Enjoy your sunlight, Sakura. Fair is fair, after all." His voice was low, sinking into her head like warm silk and she hated how it made her body react. Even after having the fire between them extinguished, there were still embers burning within her and they were clinging to any breath of life.
The god took a step back, the black horns parting the silver of his hair nearly disappearing into the shadows behind him and Sakura could only stare. Her thoughts were in a frenzy, furious at him, furious at herself for letting him do this to her. She watched him sweep his hand to the entryway, giving her permission to leave the dining room.
As if she needed it. There was nothing that could stop her from fleeing from him right then.
Tears stung her eyes and her body mourned the loss of his warmth it had already grown to crave. She swiped furiously at the droplet rolling out of the corner of her eye and just as she crossed into the dark hallway, the god spoke again.
"Oh, and Sakura?" She stopped but didn't turn around, keeping her eyes narrowed into slits. "A coin."
What has a head but no body, a tail but no legs?
A sick feeling, like she had swallowed a heavy stone, settled in her stomach and she pressed her hands to her belly. Perhaps she had been wrong before. Perhaps she was the one that underestimated the gods. It was only the first riddle, but something told her he had known the answer as soon as she asked the question.
Fighting the threat of her dinner coming back up, Sakura ignored his answer and hurried down the hall. She didn't need the lantern, didn't want to see any more of this damned palace than she had to. Would her misery ever end? Would she ever see the mortal realm, her friends and parents again? It seemed so far away, so out of reach and the tears flowed freely now. Yes, she had been wrong to underestimate the god before but she had been right about one thing.
She definitely hated herself for giving into him.
