Lindira

By Ann Somerville

When her lover is brutally murdered and her body violated, shapeshifter Lindira is blinded and left to drown. She welcomes the idea of death, but her stubborn rescuer, Jese, has other ideas. Jese and his god lover, Von, have been parted for decades by an evil wizard's curse which leaves them unable to make love. The curse can only be broken by a seemingly impossible task, and Lin may be the only chance they have to escape their island prison and end the wizard's reign.

It's a gay love story with het sex. Basically - it's complicated.

Contains fisting, m/f/m sex, true love, and tastefully enormous penises.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ann Somerville
• Release date: Oct 28, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465817624

Ann Somerville

Ann Somerville is white, Australian, heterosexual, cisgendered. She/her.

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Lindira

Ann Somerville

‘Lindira’ Copyright © 2005 by Ann Somerville

Cover image @ PL Nunn

All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

For more information please visit my website at http://annsomerville.net

Smashwords Edition 2, June 2015

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Published by Ann Somerville

Lindira

The men who killed Lindira’s lover, made sure she saw it happen.

Then the men who killed Lindira’s lover, made sure it was the last thing she would ever see.

As she was thrown into the sea, she had but one plea to make. Mother Tenir, grant me death.

~~~~~

For a few moments, she couldn’t remember why she couldn’t open her eyes. But then she did, so she stopped trying, and instead moved her hand to shade her sightless face from the heat pounding down on her.

You’re awake.

A deep male voice, to her left. Where am I? Her voice sounded old, dusty. Her throat wasn’t sore, as such, but she’d probably broken something with her screaming, she thought.

Safe. I’ve healed your injuries. Her hand went instinctively to her breast, but found only smooth scar tissue. I’m sorry—I can heal, but I can’t replace what’s gone. Do you want to sit up?

There was only one thing she wanted, but she allowed the man to help her up into a sitting position. Rustling sounds and a sudden relief from the heat must have meant he’d placed something to shade her. "Where am I?"

Our island. I found you on the shore...who did this to you?

She ignored the question. Who are you?

I am Jese.

‘Our’?

My...my lover is here too. Do you have a name?

Names had power to a Teniri. She gave her use-name instead. Lin.

So how are you feeling, Lin?

Do you have a knife?

She sensed his surprise at her change of subject. Yes, but why...?

Give it to me.

But you can’t see....

The knife. She was beyond caring about being rude. Beyond caring about anything at all.

She felt the wooden handle of what seemed quite a large knife placed in her left hand. She tested the blade with her thumb—sharp. Good. She raised it, then plunged it towards what was left of her heart, praying her aim was true.

Lin, no!

He was too fast, and struggle as she might against his powerful grip, she could not force the knife closer to her barren chest. She sobbed as he wrenched the blade from her hand, and heard it being thrown down some distance away. Let me go! I need to....

Kill yourself? In Molti’s name, why?

She turned her sightless eyes towards Jese’s voice. Because I’m already dead. I’m just finishing things off.

You’re not dead and I can’t let you hurt yourself. Lin, who did this to you?

She struggled to her feet—Jese didn’t help—and took a few steps. She felt light-headed, empty. Powerful healing magic had been used on her. Ironic that the stone in her heart would let that happen, when it had been the reason she had been torn apart in the first place. She was on fine sand, and if she stood still, she could hear the swoosh and hiss of small waves on the shoreline. She stumbled towards the sound of the ocean, though she couldn’t hear her sisters’ voices in the foam because of the accursed stone. She sat down in the shallow, warm water, wishing she could drown and be taken home to her mother. But Teniri could not drown. Not even blind, maimed and magicless ones, it seemed. She would have wept, except a woman with no eyes cannot weep. Instead, she could only sit in the warm, welcoming ocean, and pray for an end to her agony.

She heard the scuff of footsteps on the sand, then the ripples of the water as he sat down beside her. Please...tell me what happened. I mean you no harm, I swear.

She almost laughed—it was the fact he didn’t mean her harm that offended her. I am Teniri.

Is that why your skin’s blue?

My skin is blue because it pleased my beloved mother to make it thus. Some of us are green, others brown as dirt.

I understand. I didn’t mean to interrupt.

Then why did you, selfish man? My other form is that of a dolphin. I belong.... Her breath caught. "I belong here, she said angrily, sweeping the water away from her with her hand. But I can’t change."

She found her hand caught in another’s and realized in shock, that the arm it belonged to was covered in fur. You’re not a human either.

I am. But I am cursed. Tell me your story first, Lin.

The patient sorrow in his voice humbled her a little, and made her rein in her anger. Men came—found me with my human lover and said we were evil, damned. They cut off his genitals, then staked him out for the wolves to rend to pieces. They made me watch. She pushed her wrist into her mouth to stifle the sob.

I’m sorry, Lin. He stroked her arm. And then...?

And then they put out my eyes, cut off my breasts and threw me into the ocean to mock my mother, she said in a harsh voice. But they forgot that Teniri cannot die that way. Or perhaps they didn’t care.

And you’re still alive, he said quietly.

"But I want to be dead! I don’t want to live without Nivu, or with this stone.... Her hand went to the place over her heart—where the evil shard had pierced it. I have no magic any more," she whispered.

Gentle hands were placed on her shoulders in comfort. I don’t understand—what stone?

"The