He pulled the paper from the envelope and unfolded it. Baal came up behind him and read over his shoulder.
The demon whistled. “I never expected that.”
“Neither did I,” Seth responded. Now he understood her fear. She had no idea what was happening or if she would even survive. He knew what it was like to feel helpless when it came to your destiny. He fought with it every second of every day.
Katie planted herself back on the couch. “Do you know what she means?” She rubbed her temples. “The episodes are becoming more frequent.”
Concern ate at him. He may have decided to not mate with her, but she still belonged to him. “What happens, tell me everything.”
“Headaches, followed by intense heat. Recently I’ve started having visions of my death then I blackout shortly afterward.” Her eyes widened. “Do you know of this god? Maybe he has the answers.”
“’Fraid not, doll. That god has been dead for centuries.”
Seth nodded. “Baal’s right. The dagger went missing and when I discovered you had it, well you can imagine my surprise.” He frowned. “It ended up in the wrong hands once and killed some of our friends. It’s why we want it back.”
“I can see why you have been so adamant about it. Still, my mother wanted me to have it, I can’t just hand it over to you.” She sighed. “Is there anyone who knows something about this Phoenix god?”
Baal spoke up. “Oh sure, there are several gods who would know. Trouble is no one can summon one now that the guardians’ home is off limits. We can’t make them come to us.”
Seth jumped from his seat and began to pace. “We could try, who would be most likely to heed my call for help?”
Katie watched him walk back and forth. “How many are there?”
He didn’t miss a step. “More than you care to know. Zarek, the king, is busy torturing my leader so I dare not summon him.” He didn’t miss her cringe at the mention of torture. “His wife is most likely to ignore us as well since she despises me.”
Baal scratched his chin. “Argathos is usually pretty reasonable.”
Seth stopped. “True. It’s worth a try.” He looked over at Katie and noticed she chewed her bottom lip. The pink flesh beckoned him and he forced himself to turn away. He closed his eyes and searched for the telepathic thread. His was a bit different than the others. Being ancient gave him more of a direct line.
Argathos?
No reply.
Argathos, you are needed here. There is a situation that requires the attention of a god.
Bingo. He felt a stir in his mind.
Katie watched the two men banter back and forth, her mind in a daze. She could scarcely believe she’d actually showed them the letter. However, the last episode had scared the shit out of her and that was no easy task. Her mother’s warning also in the forefront of her mind and the fact she had a real live Kothar demon sitting in the chair across from her. There was one thing her father had taught her and that was to never be afraid of asking for help. She always believed what goes around comes around and if you did the right thing, karma would be kind to you in return. Trouble was, was she doing the right thing by trusting them? Seth had given her the chance to talk to her father before he died. Then there was this stupid attraction she had to him though she’d never admit it.
Would she give them the dagger? Not a chance in hell, but maybe they could work together. Something told her all the answers she would need were buried in the Valley of the Kings.
Dots of bright white light danced in the center of the room. Swirled into a mini tornado and reached for the ceiling. As the light dissipated, a tall man wearing jeans and a tight-fitting black tee replaced it. His chestnut hair fell to his shoulders and the darkest brown eyes she’d ever seen stared at her.
“Argathos.” The two men knelt at his feet and she wondered if she was supposed to do the same.
“Is she why you summoned me?”
He glided closer to her and she held her breath. “Umm.” She fidgeted with the fringe on a throw pillow and suddenly realized she was still only wearing her bra and jeans. Her face heated and she wanted to crawl under the couch, but his eyes never left hers. Perhaps he could teach the other one a thing about manners.
“Remarkable,” he whispered.
She swallowed. Wanted to speak, but couldn’t find her voice. Katie had no idea for sure who he was, but assumed from the conversation previously he was a god. Even if she hadn’t overheard, there was a power that emanated off him. The kind that told her he was more than anyone else in the room.
“You are the daughter of Pyros.”
Seth moved next to him. “She holds his dagger.”
The man smiled. “That is a good thing then. At least it’s in capable hands.”
Relief flooded her. Hopefully now they’d all stop trying to take it away from her. She cleared her throat. “Did you know my father?”
He nodded, his features appeared thoughtful. “I did indeed. He was a brave warrior and a good man, if not a bit stubborn.”
Baal snorted. “Well at least we know where she gets it from.”
“My lord. She appears to be going through some sort of change. Can you help her?” Seth asked.
Argathos’ stare was intent. It was as if he looked into her soul and for all she knew he did. “She must complete his quest. That is if she is worthy.”
“Quest? Do I need to go to Egypt?” Katie managed to squeak out.
He shrugged. “Yes. I’m sorry I can’t help you further. I can only tell you that your time is limited. Death will take you if you don’t hurry. Of course, death will take you if you fail as well.” He shimmered and was gone.
Katie stood, mouth agape. “Was he really a god?”
“Yep,” Baal replied.
She shoved her fists on her hips. “Well, he was no help at all.”
Baal laughed. “Welcome to the club, sweet cheeks. Welcome to the fucking club.”
A headache began behind her eyes again and she went to the desk and plopped in the chair, resting her head in her hands. “Baal. You saw my mother’s letter. She mentioned your race and said you could help me.” Bile rose, but she willed it down. “Can you help me?”
“You should be asking your mate for help, not my people.”
She looked up. “What?”
“You should learn to keep your mouth shut,” Seth spoke through a clenched jaw.
She glared at the sexy man across the room. “What the hell is he talking about?”
“Nothing. We don’t have time for this nonsense. Show us the map so we can begin this journey, and put your fucking shirt on,” Seth growled.
Seth gritted his teeth and tried to ignore the scent of strawberries that wrapped around him and tempted his resolve. Already the points of his fangs scraped against his tongue and he had to force them to retreat. Being in close proximity to Katie was Hell on earth and when he briefly entertained the thought of claiming her, the dark voice returned to taunt him.
Yes, she would look tasty chained to the bed with our bite marks covering her creamy skin. I bet she tastes better than anything you’ve ever had.
The visions slammed into him so hard he had to take a step back.
Dude, you okay? Baal had managed to find a way into his head.
It’s back, the dark voice telling me to do unspeakable things to Katie.
Damn it.
I’ll manage, just stay between her and me.
Baal scowled. Just where I want to be. Between a vampire and his mate.
Seth ignored his last comment and focused on the map Katie had spread out on the desk. She looked at him.
“I need to book my flight while you figure this out.”
“You don’t need a plane. I have a much faster way to get us there,” Seth replied as he studied the symbols. He tipped his head and turned the map around, gazing at it from all angles.
“By the way, when do you turn thirty?” he inquired.
“Next month.”
He looked up. “How long do you have exactly?” His heart began to pound.
“Three weeks.”
Baal shifted beside him. “Holy hell. Well that may explain why your symptoms have increased in frequency.”
“Now do you understand why I need your help?”
“Oh, fuck this shit. Seth, if you’re not going to tell her then I will. She deserves to know her options.”
Seth stared at the map, could feel their eyes burning a hole into him and wouldn’t be surprised to smell smoke at any second. Baal was right and maybe if he were truthful with her she would agree that he was too unstable to mate with anyway. He straightened.
“Fine. It seems lately the gods have been intervening and giving us a mate. It looks like they have declared you mine.”
At first her laughter started as a snicker then turned into a full-blown snort fest. “Well, first off how do you know this and second, what exactly is a mate? I mean I know my mother mentioned it in her letter, but it sounds so archaic.”
“I know this because I am drawn to you like a moth to a flame. The only reason we were able to find you is because I can track you. There is no place you can hide now.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “A mate is basically a wife, except we marry for eternity.”
Both brows on her delicate face shot up. “I don’t think I like the sound of any of that.” Then she wrinkled her forehead. “Why do I get the feeling you don’t want a mate?”
“Because I’m loco. You’re better off with one of Baal’s people.”
She edged her chair further away from him. “Well, thank you. Yes, I have no desire to have a crazy husband. Actually, I have no desire for any of this and I sure as hell don’t want to mate, as you call it, with someone I don’t love.” She frowned. “Do people like you love?”
Baal crossed his arms over his chest. “What he has neglected to tell you is you may be the only one who can save his life.”
In that moment he wanted to kill the demon. “I am beyond saving and yes we love. The connection between mates is deeper than anything a human will ever experience.”
“You don’t know that.” Baal turned to Katie changing the subject back to his sanity. “Marcus, who is also a guardian found his mate who happened to be a human. Her blood and their bond reversed the curse a demon put on them centuries ago. Long story short. Seth has to drink blood to keep up his power. Every time he does he shares the memories of the person he drinks from. With the curse he can’t purge them, so basically, he has thousands of people living in his head. If he doesn’t find a cure soon, he will succumb to the darkness and turn into an evil that gives even me the shivers.”
Seth rolled his eyes. “You would make such a fantastic matchmaker. Perhaps you should consider starting your own web page. Now, can we end this discussion?”
“Um, will we have any warning before you turn into Vlad the Impaler?” Katie wrung her hands. He hated seeing her so nervous because of him.
“Oh, believe me. Even Vlad will be small-time compared to a guardian gone rogue,” Seth replied. “I have power he didn’t. I can hide under the radar.” He reminded himself that scaring her was a good thing. “But yes, Baal will know when to kill me.” He hoped.
Chapter Seven
If Katie had thought her headache bad before, trying to comprehend everything that had been thrown at her in the last twenty-four hours gave her a migraine. There was simply too much information being hurled at her and she felt as if she would snap at any moment.
“I can’t deal with this mate stuff and all. Can we just concentrate on the map and form a plan?”
Seth nodded. “Finally, we agree on something.” He ran his index finger across the map. “This indicates there is a hidden tunnel in Seti’s tomb. And I’ll be damned. The Book of Mitne is said to be there.”
“What is this book? The professor said there were no books in the Valley of the Kings.”
Seth grunted. “Your human professor would have no clue on these matters. The book is the Book of Light. Mitne, is an old language humans have no idea even exists. It’s the one common language between immortals and is older than time itself.”
“Really? So, what’s it called, this language?”
“Draconic,” Baal replied not missing a beat. “It’s the language of the dragons or Draki as they are called.”
“Oh, for the love of god. Dragons? They are a myth.” Though she couldn’t help the slight chill that ran up her spine. Demons, gods, why not dragons?
Both men pinned her with narrowed eyes.
“What?”
“Well, don’t be surprised when you see a large flying lizard above our heads in the desert.” Baal looked to Seth. “We should really have another escort for this trip.”
“Yes, I agree.”
Katie dropped her lower jaw. “You two are serious?”
They ignored her.
“Who should we ask?” Seth questioned.
Baal scratched his chin. “I’ll ask Caleb who he can spare. Be right back. Oh, and behave yourself while I’m gone.” He vanished into thin air.
She shook her head. “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to all this nonsense.” The other thing that plagued her was the attraction she had toward the crazy vampire. “Remind me when this is over, should I survive, to get my head examined.”
She went to the wet bar and poured herself a whiskey. “How long will the demon be gone?”
“Why?”
She nearly jumped out of her skin. Seth had come up behind her and stood so close she could feel his hot breath on the back of her neck.
“Do you fear me, Katie? Before you answer that you should know I can smell your emotions.”
She spun to face him, ready for a standoff. “Well then, if that’s the case then you should already have your answer.”
He bared his fangs. “The demon was foolish to leave you here alone with me. You should know that the urges I have to mate with you could be both of our undoing. Take heed to keep your distance.”
She pursed her lips into a thin line. “You’re the ass that came over here and bothered me. I was simply pouring myself a drink.” She shoved past him, her patience worn thin when suddenly the room filled with light and the demon, along with another man appeared.
“That really has got to be the best way to travel.”
The stranger, with his hazel eyes and cropped brown hair smiled. “Actually, flying is far more fun.”
“Well, I don’t know about that. I’ve flown plenty and I just can’t see how it could compare to...well to the vanishing act you all seem capable of.” She took a sip of whiskey.
The handsome stranger looked from Seth to Baal. “She has no idea, huh?”
Seth folded the map and looked as if he were bored. “Katie, this is Diego. He is a dragon.”
Laughter erupted and it was so fierce she began to choke. “Really? Well, you are nothing like mythology has led us to believe. And to think, I thought dragons had wings and scales. Baal, didn’t you call them a flying lizard?”
The demon’s face paled and it was Seth’s turn to break into laughter. “I think you have finally met your match. Katie, you have a wicked tongue. I can’t say I’ve ever seen the demon turn ten shades of pale.”
The man they called Diego scowled, his gaze bore into Baal. “A lizard? I should char your ass right here. You should be thankful I love my sister in-law and know she’d never forgive me for turning you into ash.”
Baal shrugged. “It was a joke.”
“Okay, enough of this. Diego, would you be so kind as to escort Katie home?” Seth grabbed a pen and paper from her desk and began jotting a list. “Pack these things and wear comfortable clothes. Come back here when you’re done.”
She scanned the items. Backpack, jeans, boots, jacket, flashlight, the dagger. She looked up and raised a brow.
“We have no idea what we’ll encounter. I’ve seen you use the blade and you’re quite good with it.”
“I
’ll take that as a compliment. Thank you.” She set down her glass. “Let me grab my purse then we can hail a cab.”
“Uh, I think it best to travel my way,” Diego replied.
“Oh, how does this work again?”
He opened his arms. “Step closer.”
She obeyed and walked right into his open arms. The last thing she heard was an animal growling before she was sucked into a vortex.
“Fang face, get a damn grip. You know the dragon has no desire for your mate,” Baal’s voice penetrated the hundreds of others screaming at him.
Seth clenched his fists then relaxed. “I’m never going to make it through this. I need an out.” He produced his blade and sliced it across his palm. Sweet relief filled him as he watched the blood well up in his hand. He curled his fingers and headed for the bathroom, realizing he couldn’t leave any trace of himself for Katie to find. She must never discover what he had done to himself. Another reason he could never mate with her. He was beyond repair.
“Broken,” he muttered as he stuck his hand under the faucet and watched his blood mix with the water then swirl down the drain. He splashed water on his face and looked at his reflection in the mirror. Dark eyes stared back at him and he wondered who he really was. He looked the same, but he’d been empty for so long he couldn’t even remember what it was like to be whole. He knew the stain now covered over eighty-five percent of his soul. Time was running out and in the last several weeks the growth had sped up. He wasn’t even sure if he would make it out of the Valley of the Kings alive. One thing was certain, he needed to make sure Katie got mated. He may not be able to claim his mate, but he could damn sure be certain she was safe and cared for after he was dead. The need to protect her was a primal instinct and he vowed to hold on at least long enough to know that was accomplished.
He stepped from the bathroom. “They are not back yet?”
Baal faced him. “No, but it hasn’t been that long.”
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