Claimed by the Order (S-Gods, #1) (4 page)

A few moments later, the rumble of conversation ceased, and all eyes shifted to the theater entrance. The great god Seth sauntered in, scowled, and took a wide stance before the class. Even in their elevated seating, Seth appeared to tower over them. With his black leather kilt and breastplate, and golden bands encircling his biceps, Seth had the look of a fierce warrior. His black hair was tied back behind his head, and his dark, angry eyes scanned the students as if inspecting and evaluating each one of them.

“I will be your instructor for Divine Warfare,” he finally said with a sneer. “Over half of you have no business being in this class. Since the director insists on a rounded education, I’ll be forced to look at your faces each day. However, I will suffer none of you. Fuck around in my class, and I will fuck you, and I will fuck you hard!” He paused for effect, staring down each of the students. Then he turned and strode to a rack of swords on the side of the arena.

Shala leaned over Marduk, and whispered to Nanya: “They say Seth fucked his own nephew, Horus, just to assert his dominance.”

“Was there something you wanted to share with the class, goddess?” Seth’s voice boomed. He had grabbed two bronze swords from the rack and was heading back toward them.

“Oh, it’s nothing, my lord,” Shala replied, her cheeks reddening. “I was just commenting on your method of punishment.”

“Goddess, if there’s something you don’t understand about fucking, you and your pretty friend can see me after class, and I’ll be glad to demonstrate.” Seth said with a smirk.

Marduk’s gut wrenched at the comment, and he glared down at Seth.

“Stand up, Marduk, and come on down,” Seth ordered, staring right at him. Marduk’s blood began to burn as he rose and stepped down from the seating.

Seth returned his attention to the students. “In this class, you will learn about warfare. However, the most basic form of fighting is also the most crucial. Today, I will demonstrate why knowing how to fight with your own hands is so important.” Seth smacked a sword across Marduk’s chest, shoving him into the theater.

The sound of laughter reached his ears as Marduk righted his balance, grabbing the sword by its handle. Then Poseidon’s taunting came back to him. Had word of his union with Aya already reached Seth’s ears? Did Seth intend to beat him down because of it? Marduk tightened his grip on his sword, keeping his eyes on Seth as they walked to the middle of the stone theater. When they stopped, standing poised for battle, he looked up at Seth, and realized how much trouble he was in. Seth, the champion fighter of the gods, stood a head taller than him, with a weight far exceeding his own. Marduk had no chance of beating him.

Before Marduk could formulate a plan, Seth grinned and swung his sword, striking him so hard that he flew backward. Marduk hit the ground, rolled, and sprung back to his feet. Seth’s eyes grew large, and steam seemed to rise from his chest. Marduk’s stomach turned, but he forced himself to stand his ground. He had trained with the sword for years; he was not completely lost. Then Seth came at him again, striking at him in a rapid succession, backing him into the railing on the side of the theater, and pressing his sword to his chest.

“So you want to fuck my bitch?” Seth snarled.

“I didn’t know—” Marduk tried to explain, but Seth punched him in the gut and threw him to the ground. As Marduk hit the stone, pain rocketed through his head. The theater was spinning, but he fought to regain control.

When he finally gathered his senses, he grabbed his sword up from the ground and scrambled to his feet. Seth stood before him, a smug smile painted on his lips. Marduk took a step backward, his back hitting the railing, and he glanced over his shoulder, realizing the railing was all that separated him from his watching classmates. His stomach dropped. He wished he was anywhere but there. He took a deep breath, and Seth came at him again. He tried to fight, but Seth smacked his sword across Marduk’s chest, slamming him into the railing, and punched him in the face.

Pain shocked through his head. Then Seth yanked him around, slamming his stomach into the railing. Marduk gasped under the weight of Seth’s hard body. Seth grabbed his hair with one hand, forcing him to look up at his classmates, and squeezed his bare ass beneath his skirt with the other. Heat blazed into his face.

“Now I’m going to fuck you!” Seth growled in his ear. Something hard pressed between Marduk’s buttocks, and he gasped. Horror shocked through his heart as he struggled, but Seth’s strength far exceeded his own. The head of Seth’s cock bore against his hole, threatening to split him in two. Marduk’s heart surged, his mind searching frantically for escape.
This could not happen!

“You must all learn to fight with your own hands,” Seth announced to the class while Marduk struggled in his grasp, “because even with all your great powers, the enemy can still fuck you.” Then, searing pain ripped through Marduk, and a bolt of energy shot through his body. Possessed by blind fury, he wrenched free, whirled around, and punched Seth hard in the face. Seth stumbled backward, grabbing his nose, and Marduk stood frozen watching him. Fire blazed in Seth’s eyes as he looked up at Marduk. In that moment, the shock of what just happened hit him, and Marduk staggered backward, fear gripping his stomach. Realizing the danger he still faced, he took another step back, and then another, until he was outside the theater. Once out of Seth’s sight, he turned and fled.

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T
ears of frustration stung his eyes as he stormed through the gardens. He couldn’t believe what just happened. Seth was supposed to be his instructor, yet he had almost fucked him in front of the class. When he reached a safe distance, Marduk collapsed to the ground and buried his head in his arms. His chest seethed with anger, and his heart raced. Plagued by the memory of Seth’s cock forcing into him, he suddenly felt ill. He retched, his stomach revolting. Seth had not fully penetrated him, but his gut churned as if Seth had gone all the way. He wished he could strangle Seth and jab a knife in his eye. Wiping the moisture from his eyes, Marduk tried to erase the assault from his mind. He refused to accept that any of it had happened. Fearing another god was unacceptable. He refused to fear Seth, but he could never return to that class. He would not risk falling into Seth’s hands again.

Marduk finally looked up, realizing he was on the edge of the gardens near the haunted ruin; a rectangular stone structure where their next class would be held. The late afternoon sun cast shadows over the partially ruined building, making it seem dark and desolate.

After walking up to the entrance, Marduk peered in. The structure was but a skeleton made up of four stone walls, no roof, and grass growing through its rock foundation. He stepped back out, gazed upon the mountains stretching out before him, and sank back into the grass. Calm was still far off, but he had to get it together. He couldn’t let Seth get under his skin. Marduk ran his fingers into his hair, and the thought of Aya’s kiss came back to him. It was the kiss that led to his fallout with Seth, but he felt no regret that it had happened. Marduk’s only regret was that nothing could come of it.  Aya was the first god he had ever kissed, and though he wanted more, Aya was clearly off bounds. Maybe Aya’s apprehension in the pool was due to his relationship with Seth. If they were together, this would explain Aya’s reluctance to admit he was the god who had come to Marduk the night before. If Aya truly liked him, why didn’t he just break it off with Seth? Why sneak behind Seth’s back and come to Marduk anonymously? Marduk realized then that Aya probably had no intention of ever revealing his identity. His head began to hurt. The thought of Aya using him and leading him on in this manner left a bad taste in his mouth.

The sound of approaching footsteps woke him from his reverie, and Marduk looked up to behold Aya walking toward him. Aya’s dark eyes fixed on Marduk as he approached, and his black hair blew in the wind behind him. The closer he came, the tighter Marduk’s stomach twisted. Then Marduk finally had to look away. Aya’s presence affected him strongly, but Aya belonged to another. When Aya sank down in the grass beside him, Marduk shifted his weight, avoiding Aya’s gaze.

“Marduk—” Aya said in a low voice, almost a whisper. “Seth is an asshole. I’m sorry he attacked you; I know he did it because of me.”

Jaw tensing, Marduk shot him a look.

“Aya, I don’t understand why you’re even talking to me. I would have never touched you if I knew you had a lover, and I wouldn’t have even looked in your direction had I known you were with some crazy god like Seth.”

Aya lowered his eyes, rubbing his hands over his knees. “Seth isn’t my boyfriend. He just acts like he owns me. He wants me, so he tries to scare off any god who looks in my direction.”

Marduk stared at Aya, trying to process what he was saying.

“Seth is an instructor,” he said, shaking his head. “If he’s doing that to you, that’s so wrong. It’s harassment. How could Shamash condone such behavior?”

“Well, I’ve never reported him, but Shamash is the director; he knows about everything that goes on in this school. Sometimes he puts Seth in his place, but most of the time he lets him do what he wants.”

Marduk stared at Aya but made no comment. The idea of Shamash hearing what Seth did to him made his stomach turn. Running out of class after being beaten and practically fucked was not the impression he wished to make on his first day.

After a moment, Aya raised his dark eyes to meet Marduk’s and slid his hand onto Marduk’s leg. “You know, Marduk, I meant what I said last night. I really like you.”

Marduk’s breath hitched and he froze. Aya was finally admitting to being the one. Aya’s lips had really been wrapped around his cock last night. Marduk smiled, his face burning. Aya’s beauty was so tempting that he wanted nothing more than to pull him close and kiss him again. Marduk finally exhaled.

“Well, Seth hasn’t scared me off,” he replied, gazing into Aya’s eyes. He doubted his own words as he spoke them. Seth scared the crap out of him, but if Aya wasn’t taken, no amount of intimidation could keep him away.

Aya smiled shyly. “There’s going to be a party this evening in the lower hall.” He paused, still gazing into Marduk’s eyes. “I would love it if you came.”

Marduk’s smile broadened. He could still taste Aya’s lips on his. The thought of Aya’s hot body wrapping around him once more made his sex react. He desired more than anything to finish what they started.

“Okay,” Marduk breathed. “I’ll be there.”

F
or their last class, they all sat on the floor of the haunted ruin while listening to the great god Nanna-Sin speak of demons and spirits and their impact on the world of the gods. Though some of the other students gave Marduk questioning looks, he paid them no attention. Shala and Nanya clung to him as usual, but all he could think of was the party that evening. He preferred to be alone with Aya, but he would accept any opportunity to be with him.

When the class finally ended, Marduk returned to his room, washed, and changed into a black sleeveless tunic that bared his biceps. Combing through the waves of his hair, he stared at his reflection in the basin. Dark brown eyes stared back at him, and for a brief moment, doubt seeped under his skin. Was he a fool to pursue Aya with the threat of Seth’s violence hovering over him? He swiftly chased away his doubts. He was no coward and would not be intimidated by bullies.

Marduk made his way through the dark torch-lit corridors until he arrived at the lower hall. A torch was mounted beside the wooden door, but there was no mortal servant posted by the doorway. He paused before lifting the bronze handle in the middle of the door and knocking. When the door swung open, his eyes came alive with the activity around him.

The candle-lit room seemed to sparkle with bejeweled gods and goddesses, some mingling before a blazing fireplace while others lounged on two dark fur-lined sofas. The soft rumble of conversation filled his ears, and exhilaration coursed through his blood. He had stepped into a world of elite deities, who gazed at him with eyes full of wonder.

“Welcome, Marduk,” the war god Ares said, inclining his head.

Marduk nodded back with a smile. Then the beautiful goddess Isis turned toward him, fixing him with her kohl-lined eyes. Tresses of her long black hair fell loose along her sleeveless white gown, and her neck, ears, and wrists shone with delicate gold jewelry. The image of her naked in class flashed through his mind, making his face flush with color. Isis slid a hand onto his shoulder.

“You were incredible in class today,” she said in a seductive tone and winked at him.

“Uh ... thank you.” He smiled at her, trying to hide his unease, and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. He had no idea how to respond. Isis gazed at him a moment longer, smiled slyly and returned her attention to the gods in her company. Taking a deep breath and turning away, Marduk realized he was out of his element. This was a party for the most esteemed gods, and all he had going for him were his youth and looks.

Marduk continued mingling with the gods until his eyes fell on Aya, making his way through the crowd. His breath caught in his chest. Aya had walked right by without noticing him, and disappeared down a hall and into a back room. Marduk pressed through the crowd and when he made it to the hall, he approached the room with caution. Soft candle-light lit the room, and a group of gods stood mingling in the doorway. Dark maroon fabric lined the walls, a golden canopied bed lay nestled in the corner of the room, and a fire crackled in a fireplace. Around a low circular table before the fire, Marduk’s instructors were seated.

Then Marduk saw Aya and felt a jab to his stomach. He was lounging in Seth’s lap with one arm draped around his neck. Anger burned Marduk’s chest, and he instantly felt stupid for believing Aya. Why had Aya invited him to this party? Marduk turned around and made his way to the door, but before he could leave, a hand grabbed his arm. He looked up to find the great god Shamash standing over him.