Archipellus: God of Samhain (a Sons of Herne Urban Fantasy Romance)

ARCHIPELLUS: GOD OF SAMHAIN

SONS OF HERNE 8

J. ROSE ALLISTER

How can he embrace love when his very touch brings death?

Archipellus is the god of Samhain, the holiest—and most dangerous—of all the pagan sabbats. On the night of All Souls Eve, the veil between worlds stretches to its thinnest, and Archipellus must use his incubus powers to draw sexual energy and reinforce the barrier to keep the realms from chaos. The draining is perilous to humans, so the women he chooses are those who are already near death. With their consent, he will aid their journey to the underworld in a final moment of blissful release.

Considering this, he knows without a doubt that he is immune to the plan the Fates have unleashed—a love spell that has consumed each of his sabbat brothers whole.

Melissa Jacobs walks in to her terminally ill sister’s hospital room and is shocked to discover a gorgeous, yet frightening incubus preparing to drain her. She stops him and offers to take Bethany’s place, provided that Archipellus uses some of the power drained to try and heal her sister. The result is a tear in the veil, allowing a creature to kidnap Bethany and vanish into another realm.

To find Melissa’s lost sister, Archipellus must join with his half-angel brother, a warrior friend, and the fiery human lover who refuses to be left behind. The monsters they will face on their quest are not as dangerous as keeping Melissa near, for the temptation to possess her may prove too great to resist. When he gives in and drains her too far, he must save her at all costs. He will stand at the crossroads between the living and dead to confront the truth about his powers—and the price for using them.

About the Sons of Herne series:

The god Herne has appointed eight of his most virile, headstrong sons as keepers of the pagan holidays. To honor their sabbat, each must join with a mortal female in a ritual to maintain the balance between worlds.

The Fates have secretly conspired to grant the gods one thing they lack--a true union of male and female that will last well beyond the fleeting passion of a sabbat joining.

Herne’s sons will wrestle with the conflict between sacred duty and their own yearnings, a struggle that will not only challenge their beliefs, but may threaten the success of rituals that must be observed lest the realms of mortal and immortal collide in chaos.

Genre: Romance/Urban Fantasy

Length: Around 34,604 words

Copyright © 2016 by J. Rose Allister, Smashwords Edition

First Ebook Publication: October 2016

Cover design by J. Rose Allister

All cover art and logo copyright © 2016 by J. Rose Allister

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: You do not have the right to distribute or resell this book without the prior written permission of the author. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred.

Contents

List of the Pagan Sabbats

Archipellus: God of Samhain

FREE Book Offer

Acknowledgments

Other titles

About the Author

List of the Pagan Sabbats

While the rituals and situations created for this series are purely fiction, they are based on actual holidays observed by a number of pagan paths. The eight pagan sabbats take place on or between an equinox or solstice. Dates vary based on the sun and hemisphere. Some pagans consider Yule the beginning of their year, while others begin with Samhain. For the purpose of this series, I used the Northern Hemisphere and Yule as the starting point.

Yule

(Dec 20-23) Winter Solstice, longest night of the year. A celebration of the rebirth of the sun, as the days will now get longer. Yule logs, wassail, and mistletoe are traditional, as is the holly king, who some believe is part of the Santa Claus legend.

Imbolc

(Feb 1-2) Also called Candlemas or St. Brighid’s Day. A time when ewes bring forth lambs, meaning spring is coming. Sacred to the goddess Brighid. Candles, St. Brighid crosses, and priapic wands are common associations.

Ostara

(Mar 20-23) During the Spring Equinox. Sacred to Eostre, lunar goddess. Spring has arrived, and new life is celebrated. Eggs, rabbits and flowers are traditional.

Beltane

(Apr 30-May 1) A sabbat honoring fertility. Summer arrives, when the god and goddess consummate their union and conceive life. Dancing around the maypole, bonfires, handfastings, and sexual revelry are common traditions.

Litha

(Jun 20-22) Summer Solstice or Midsummer. Longest day of the year. Said to be a time of high magic, especially among fairy lore. (Remember A Midsummer Night’s Dream?) The sun is at its strongest, but will weaken as it gives way to the darker half of the year.

Lammas

(Jul 31-Aug 1) Also called Lughnasadh, after the god Lugh (pronounced: Loo). The first of three harvest sabbats, it is a time to begin reaping what has been sown. Baking bread, corn dolls, and wheat are common traditions and symbols.

Mabon

(Sep 21-23) Fall Equinox. The pagan thanksgiving and second harvest sabbat. Crops are almost fully gathered now, many of which have been stored and turned into ciders, jams, and other goods. Named for the god Mabon, known for freeing captives.

Samhain

(Oct 31) Halloween/All Hallows. Summer is gone and dark days approach. The veil between worlds is thin, meaning spirits of departed souls may cross over/communicate. Apples, black cats, Jack-o-Lanterns, and brooms are common.

ARCHIPELLUS: GOD OF SAMHAIN

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The horns called him forth, and the god of Samhain felt urgent need rising from deep in his marrow. He stood in the antechamber, focused on the statue of Apollyon to keep his eyes from closing. Drawing inward brought him too near the suffering, voices crying out for relief in an anguished chorus. With the veil thinned to dangerous proportions, the echoes of beings from many worlds mingled together, though there were few that outmatched the pain and sorrow of those on earth.

With a deep breath, holding it in his chest, Archipellus let the sound of the horns fill him. The lust he forced down all year swelled, his cock rising in a fury like a dragon’s head after a long, enforced sleep. An inhuman growl sounded deep in his throat.

Drums added to the call, a primal beat that throbbed like his aching loins. He strode forward, naked aside from the sleeveless ritual robe of black trimmed in blood red, to perform his duty. As Samhain was the highest and most sacred of the pagan sabbats, all members of the counsel were required to be present while the god of death called forth the ritual that would seal the veil.

Archipellus held a black leather mask in his hand, and with a determined grip, he raised it over his eyes. Sculpted to fit the upper half of his face, he secured it in place before striding out of the room. He entered the Samhain chamber to find the usual gathering amassed around the edges of the circular room. Unconcerned that his thick, pulsing erection jutted out in full view to lead him on toward his mission, he strutted forward.

Nude, lithe women with bodies painted in the colors of the sabbat danced around the drums, their breasts bouncing and hair flying. Two acolytes were permitted to attend the ceremony, both of whom stared at their feet with their hands clutched tightly in front of them. Eight members of the counsel stood equidistant around the room, avoiding the ley lines that crossed in the center and shot out to four sides. The hoods of their sabbat robes were raised in deference to the sabbat. Most of their eyes followed his entrance without making eye contact, fear evident in their gazes. Then there was the ninth member, his father, the great Herne, god of the hunt. Herne did not avoid the red, glowing eyes of his son. He met Archipellus’s acknowledging look without flinching. Despite his father’s unwavering stare, he saw the forest god’s Adam’s apple give a telltale bob. Only Andero, head of acolytes and friend to both himself and his brother Jorandil, gave a calm, silent nod as he entered. Then there was Veramus, the officiating counselor of Samhain, who stared back with a gleam in his eyes and a tiny smile that Archipellus knew all too well. Perhaps Veramus was not one of the incubi, as Archipellus was. But he had the same hunger in him, the need to drain others of power in order to add to his own. It made him the ideal officiate for the sabbat. But it also made him dangerous.

The god of Samhain has heeded the call, Veramus said, raising his hand to gesture at Archipellus. Let him bring forth the sabbat and use his power to seal the veil before the realms collide in chaos.

Archipellus moved to the center of the room, standing on the spot where the glowing ley lines crossed, and regarded the pedestal in front of him. On it lay the artifact that he would use to gain access to the other realm. It was the sword of Apollyon, the weapon that once belonged to the angel of death. The silvery blade, honed and faceted to perfection, gleamed in the light of the crystalline pedestal.

You stand at the crossroads, Veramus said, making a show to no doubt earn the wary respect of those around him. As if attaching himself to the god of the dark sabbat was insufficient. Find she who suffers and make your passing.

The drums fell silent, and the dancers dropped to the floor, heads touching the marble. Archipellus’s horns creaked, lengthening at the words while the aching shaft between his legs did the same. He reached out and gripped the hilt of the sword with both hands, raising it in front of him.

He lifted his head and called out the invocation. "Sha-do ram, yo shai a lara Samhain," he said, turning in a slow circle to show all around him the sacred artifact. Do yo wielde sword o Apollyon ro goya a veil mata.

As he finished his turn