Forbidden

Chapter Seven

The Temple Beyond was the largest structure Anna had ever seen. Its four spires rose elegantly into the clouds and the sun reflected off its walls and windows like gold and diamonds. It looked like a massive cathedral, only hundreds of times bigger and more ornate.

At the top of the steps leading to the temple doors, they were met by a thin, aging man dressed in gold from head to toe. The High Priest, she figured.

“The situation is grave, my son. Kazar will listen to no one, including myself and the king.”

Kahn’s expression was neutral, but his feelings were volatile to say the least. She was afraid he’d explode any second. She was definitely glad she was not Kazar. “And you expected anything different? If the souls do not kill him when this is over, I probably will.”

The priest gave Kahn a stern look. “You will do no violence in this temple, Kahn. Future king or not.”

Kahn growled and tugged Anna after him as he made his way through one great hall after another. Finally, he came to an intricately carved door plated in silver and surrounded by windows. Anna couldn’t see anything inside. It was either pitch black, or the windows were tinted.

“Kazar!” Kahn bellowed. “Get your sorry carcass over here and let’s be done with this.”

A man almost as tall as Kahn and even more solidly built approached them. Anna stepped behind Kahn as she saw the menacing look on the man’s face.

“Gothe’mar will never have a human, or anyone not of Gothe’maran heritage, on the throne. You lie about your claim that she is your soul’s mate.”

“You’re a fool, Kazar. If we step into that chamber, you’ll die. My link to Anna is at least as strong as Father’s was to Mother.”

“My father risked everything rather than see a human share the throne. I can do nothing less,” Kazar stated. He seemed resigned. He was obviously doing what he thought honor demanded.

“You disgrace your family and dishonor me,” Kahn growled. Anna took his arm, guiding him away from his cousin.

“Let’s just do this. If he dies, then you’ll have satisfaction without getting that priest all upset.”

Kahn turned to her. “Do you know what I meant by ‘physically joined’?”

Anna took in an exasperated breath. “So we’ll hold hands going in. Let’s just get this over with.”

“No, Anna.” He grabbed her shoulders and looked at her. “We have to have sex and this little worm will be there the whole time.”

“So,” Anna swallowed, self-consciously looking at Kazar, “if we aren’t… joined , then we age too?”

“Exactly.”

“Do we have to enter the chamber joined?” Anna was getting a bit apprehensive. No way did she want to have sex for an audience.

“No,” the priest supplied. “You will have several minutes to complete the union. You will know when the time is right to join your bodies.”

Anna looked to Kazar. “Where will he be?”

“On the far side of the chamber. But he will be able to see us the whole time.”

“What if he tries to stop us from joining? You know. Tries to take us with him?” Anna was getting really concerned.

“The souls will not let that happen, assuming you are true mates,” the priest said. “This is usually done to embarrass the couple held in question. However, if your link is as strong as Kahn has suggested, it could very easily, and most probably will, kill Kazar.”

Kahn walked to his cousin to stand toe to toe with him. “Do you understand that once you enter that chamber with us, you’re as good as dead?”

“If the souls even recognize this human. I’m betting you’re the one who will be sadly mistaken.” Kazar turned to the priest. “Open the doors.”

The priest shrugged. “So be it. Let it stand that Kazar, son of Mikkril, so challenges Kahn and Anna, son and near daughter to Kerrek, in their claim of soul’s mate. Enter the Chamber of Souls.”

Kahn tugged at his clothing angrily. Anna assumed she was to do the same and removed all but her underwear. “Can I leave this on until we get inside?” she whispered to Kahn.

“No. You must enter the chamber as you will be born again. Flesh only.”

Anna couldn’t help herself. She glanced Kazar’s way and sure enough, he was stripping as well. Well, shit .

* * *

Kahn entered first, a few steps ahead of Anna, followed several seconds later by Kazar. Once he and Anna were both inside, Kahn immediately began to feel a sharp rise in energy. Then he understood.

Kazar knew they were mates. And if he didn’t know the power drain would start immediately, he probably suspected. Looking to Kazar, the man had his eyes closed as if meditating.

“Anna! Get out of the chamber!”

She looked at him in alarm as the heavy door shut with a deafening clang before she had even a chance to obey him. “What’s happening? My skin is crawling.”

“If we don’t join immediately, we’ll be killed along with Kazar.”

“So, join with me! What’s the problem?”

The power around them glowed a brilliant amber and was growing brighter every second. Kahn could feel his life being drained. All the while Kazar never made a sound. The energy began to hum all around them, focusing on Anna and himself.

Then everything stopped.

Kazar stood frozen, his face considerably older and his hair whitening at the temples. The priest’s face was immobile at the window, his mouth open as if he were stopped in mid word.

Kahn looked at Anna and immediately went to her. She looked at him questioningly. He shrugged, not knowing what was happening as he took her in his arms.

Brother and sister. Welcome. Do you wish to join us ? The voice was neither male nor female, one voice, yet many voices.

Kahn blinked and looked at Anna. “Join you?”

In life before life .

“You mean, our souls joining you here? In this chamber?” Anna asked.

Yes. If you release your bodies, you can live here until needed .

“But,” Anna said, “we are needed. Right here. Right now. Kahn is the future king of Gothe’mar. He can’t leave now.”

Ahhh. I see. You have mated in many lives. Your essence sings to us. Join, so that we may rejoice in the union .

“You mean, right now?” Anna squeaked.

Kahn chuckled. “I think they’re giving us the opportunity to join before they use up our life force.”

“But they’re watching!”

“So is Kazar. What’s different now than when you stepped into this chamber?”

“I thought Kazar and maybe the priest would be the only ones. But now we’re being watched by God only knows how many!”

Kahn lowered his voice. He knew the effect he had on her when he talked dirty. She might think he was the only one affected by it, but he knew better. “Let them watch. I’ll fuck you senseless and every soul for a thousand generations will bear witness to your screams when you come. We’ll fuel their lusts until they assume their next life.”

Anna drew in a sharp breath. Kahn knew she would definitely give him all she had now. He’d have to make a note for future reference: Anna liked to be watched. She let her nails lightly score his rigid chest before dropping one to his rapidly hardening cock. “Hm. You know, there’s one thing I’ve wanted to do since the first time I fucked you.”

And she dropped to her knees.

Anna’s hands slid up and down the powerful columns of Kahn’s thighs. Looking up at him put her almost at eye level with his cock. As it was, his balls were right there, just begging for attention. Without touching his now very rigid shaft, she sucked one testicle into her mouth, licking it gently before repeating the motion with the other. Kahn’s groan caused a trickle of moisture to escape her cunt and a single drop fell to the tile underneath her. Continuing her erotic exploration, Anna gave his cock a wet lick from base to deep purple tip. She caught the drop of pre-come on her pass before she took half of him into her mouth.

He hit the back of her throat and she almost gagged before she could relax enough to swallow. That done, she was able to get a bit more of him into her mouth with little trouble. Kahn’s hands grasped her hair tightly as his hips gave a little thrust and he shouted out as her throat contracted around his cock head. Anna was afraid he might lose his load before he got inside her, but that was all right with her. She was enjoying this more than she ever thought possible. She could hear the moans and echoes of pleasure all around her and could have sworn she was in the middle of an orgy. But one swift glance around her showed only Kazar, still frozen. And the amber light getting brighter and brighter until it was almost crimson in its intensity.

Kahn dragged her away from him, pulling her hair hard. “On your back. Now!” he barked, but his hands shook as he followed her and attempted to guide himself within her. It took two tries before he hit what he wanted and without another wasted second, Kahn plunged into her.

The energy swirling around them built their own sexual energy to an impossible high, which, combined with their unique bond, created a maelstrom of erotic bliss unlike anything ever before experienced by either of them. Anna wasn’t aware of Kazar’s sudden and immediate decline as his life force was sucked out of him. Neither was she aware that the crimson light had now become a brilliant yellow and was rapidly increasing to a blinding white. All she was aware of was Kahn’s savagely handsome face above her, his cock inside her and the orgasm to end all orgasms approaching with brutal speed.

She wrapped her ankles around Kahn’s neck, lifting herself to meet his every thrust. He stayed on his knees, locking his hands and forearms around her thighs to give him leverage in the pounding he was giving her. Her breasts bounced violently as he slammed into her again and again, over and over. Sweat slickened both their bodies and puddled where their skin touched the tiled floor.

“Fuck me, Kahn! The energy…” Anna cried.

“Come! Now! Come, Anna!” Kahn bellowed his climax as Anna convulsed and writhed so that he was barely able to stay joined to her. They rode wave after wave of white-hot pleasure, their bodies using every last ounce of energy they had to give. As the spasms faded, so did the light, until a soft amber glow was all that remained.

Too tired to do anything but pull his spent body from Anna’s, Kahn tugged her close and gave in to the blackness.