“But that’s not all you’d learn,” Ra said quietly, to which Horus glared a nonverbal shut up.
“What else would you learn?” she asked, and then thinking more about it laughed. “Could you tell what I had for breakfast? Would I taste like blueberries?”
Horus smiled, but it was tight. “No.” He didn’t elaborate, but Seti, who now that the bridge was crossed was happy to spill his brother’s secrets for him, did.
“Horus can see memories in blood,” Seti said. “And if you were to exchange blood with him, you’d see his memories as well.”
The way he described it, Rose knew this was an uncommon ability. “You’ll see my memories.”
A look of misery passed over Horus’s face. “Yes. It is one reason why I try to go as long as possible without tasting blood.”
That sounded horrible. What if every time she ate a hamburger, she experienced the last memories of the cow? But wait. “Do you mean all my memories?”
“Mostly the ones that are at the forefront of your mind,” he said. “Memory is a tricky thing. I might learn that a certain scent is associated with someone you love. Or I might feel the confusion you had the first time your mother left you with a babysitter.”
“And wrapped up in all of that, you’d be able to tell why my blood hurt the crawler and vampire, and why it hurts me?” She went on to correct herself. “If it is my blood that causes me pain.”
“Why do you think you’ll be able to see things Hudson and Briar and Marcus couldn’t see?” Ra asked.
Horus shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s just a feeling.”
Rose went to her couch and sat, elbow propped on the side. She dropped her head to her hand. Did she go for it? Trust Horus’s feeling?
“Okay,” she said. “But how do we do this? I don’t know what my skin is like today, and you’ll break a tooth on me.” She forced a laugh.
Seti crossed his arms, more serious than she’d seen him. “Just prick her finger.”
Ra strode into the kitchen and came back with a small peeling knife, one she’d cut herself with a dozen times. “This is the sharpest one.”
She held out her hand to him. “You’ll have to move fast. Slice deep and fast, just in case I’m metal today. Then squeeze. Otherwise I’ll heal before I bleed.”
“Metal…” he whispered her word. Horus approached them, his gaze glued to the hand Rose placed in Ra’s palm.
He didn’t give her a chance to prepare, he swept the knife down across the tip of her middle finger. It slid easily through her skin. Everything she’d told him to do, he did. He squeezed fast and hard, and before she knew what was happening, Horus had pulled her finger into his mouth. Eyes on hers, he sucked. His cheeks hollowed and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.
The change that overtook him was instantaneous. His pupils blew wide open, and he staggered away from her. Hands against his chest, he stumbled. Simultaneously, ice filled her veins. Later, she wouldn’t be sure if it was fear, or something physical. Pain pressed against her skin. Not now! “Horus!” she cried.
He went to one knee and then to his hand.
Ra and Seti caught him before he face-planted. Her finger was still wet from his mouth and throbbed with her pulse, but it had healed. The rest of her, however, ached at what she’d done. She approached him cautiously, afraid for some reason that her presence would make him worse.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Horus seemed incapable of speaking. His eyes were shut tight, hands and knees drawn up to his chest.
His brothers knelt next to him, hands on his back, supporting him. They didn’t say a word but were utterly focused. What were they saying to him? What was he saying back?
Rose knelt a short distance away, staring at him, waiting for any sign of improvement. Clenching her hands into fists, she stared so hard her eyes watered.
The changes were minute. At first, it was just a breath whistling out of his nose. Then, his fists relaxed, and finally he uncurled from the fetal position. He rolled onto his back, blinking up at the ceiling.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. Her voice had left her, but he had to know she hadn’t meant to hurt him.
He groaned. “You smell better than you taste.”
“We shouldn’t have done that.” Now that he was better, she was angry they’d taken such a risk. “Anything could have happened.”
“Did I hurt you?” he asked.
Did he hurt her? “Are you serious right now?” Her face tingled and her entire body overheated. She fell to her butt and pulled her shirt away from her body, trying to give herself some air. “I’m sweating. Holy shit. I feel like I ran a race.” Truly. Sweat beaded down her temple and down her neck. Wiping her forehead with her hand, she glanced down at her palm. “Gross. Now I really smell.”
No one responded, and she peeked up at them. Each brother was watching her with a smile, like she was funny. But she wasn’t trying to be funny, and this was serious! What if he was permanently damaged? “Maybe we should call Briar,” she said. “We don’t know what my blood could have done to you.”
“It didn’t do anything except incapacitate me,” Horus replied. “I’m fine now.”
Sure enough, he did seem perfectly recovered. But seem was the operative word. “What if there are side effects?”
That wiped the smile from his face. “There are those,” he replied quietly, glancing at her and then away. “I saw your memories.”
Another wave of heat hit her, this one accompanied by anxiety and nausea. “What did you see?” Not the right question. Change the subject! “I mean, what did you learn? About my blood?”
“It’s a very powerful weapon,” he said. “Similar in many ways to the crawlers’. It will incapacitate anything that bites you.”
“You just had a drop,” she said.
“Imagine a belly full,” Seti interjected. “It would take hours for a vampire to burn it out of their system.”
“How long did it take you to get away from the vampire?” Ra asked. “We can assume that he took more than Horus.”
“You saw how fast she healed though,” Seti added. “He may have gotten a sip before it hit him.”
She waved her hand. “I’m right here,” she said. “How about you include me in the conversation?”
Seti smiled at her and some of the tension in the room evaporated. “You’re right. I apologize.”
“Forgiven.” She waved her hand as if she was a queen. “I had a few minutes after the vampire bit me before he caught up with me. As far as distance, it was at least a football field, but because of the sand piles, I’m not sure. And I don’t know how much blood he got. I’d say not much, because you’re right. I heal fast.”
“That wasn’t a metal day.” Ra had adopted her way of describing her skin.
“No,” she said. “That was the crawler’s bad luck.”
“How often does that happen?” Ra asked.
Rose wished she knew. She wished there was some sort of sign, or indication to tell her that she was bulletproof. But there wasn’t. “I feel the same every day. It isn’t until I go to Dr. Stone that I know what sort of day it will be.”
“That’s not exactly true,” Seti cut in. “You don’t know how many times you may have gotten a paper cut or rolled an ankle. Think about it. You could stub your toe and have no idea.”
Huh. She’d never thought of it that way. A thousand tiny injuries avoided. “I’ve had a couple serious injuries. Those I remember. But I haven’t been very self-aware,” she said. “In my defense, until you three came along I was in massive amounts of pain. A stubbed toe wouldn’t have registered.”
“Interesting that your body would be so quick to repair itself but also be so reactive.” Horus adjusted his position, placing his back against the couch.
Seti stood and began to unload the bags. He stacked the packages of sheets on the floor before grabbing the cereal and marching it to the kitchen. “Anyone want a bowl?” he call
ed.
Her stomach growled in response. “Boo Berry, please!” She glanced at Horus and Ra, but it was clear they’d already answered.
Just not out loud.
It was strange how she and the brothers had this connection. Something about them physically impacted her. “I wonder…” she said aloud. Seti came through the door holding two bowls of cereal, interrupting what she was going to say. He handed her the cereal.
“What do you wonder?” Horus prompted.
“I wonder if my blood reacts to yours, and that’s why I feel no pain when you’re around. Or if it’s something spiritual.” As soon as the word left her mouth, she wished she could reel it back into her mouth. Really? Spiritual? “That came out wrong.”
“I don’t think so,” Seti spoke around a mouth of Boo Berry, reminding her of the bowl in her hands and she took a quick bite. Something about seeing blue teeth and marshmallows made her comment a little less heavy than it had when it escaped her lips. “It’s a connection. Something that pulls us together. In us, it is physical as well.”
“The blood reactions…” Ra said. He sat on the couch behind Rose but leaned forward and rested his hand on her head before threading his fingers through her hair.
Closing her eyes, she let her head fall back against his thigh.
“We’ll go back to the labs and see what Hudson found. Or better yet, he can use what he has already and see what happens.” Ra snorted. “Briar’s probably already a step ahead of us. I’d bet she thought of this the moment we stepped foot on BC’s campus.”
Jealousy squeezed her heart at the obvious admiration in his tone. But what had she to feel jealous about? The brothers had expressed interest, but not Ra. Or—Ra’s interest had been a lot more tempered than Horus and Seti.
“What’s the matter?” Ra asked. “Are you in pain? Your whole body just tensed.”
“I’m fine,” she answered, but even she could tell she was lying. She took another bite of cereal so she’d have an excuse not to answer any more of their questions and then slid the cereal onto the coffee table. She wasn’t hungry anymore.
Ra sniffed. “I don’t believe you.”
33
Horus
“I think she’s jealous,” Seti said.
Through their bond, Ra startled. “Of what?”
Horus tried to hide his smile. Ra was clueless. As far back as he could remember, Ra had always been a step ahead of everyone. How strange that in this case, he was so ignorant.
From the corner of his eye, Horus caught Rose watching them. He didn’t want her to know they were talking about her behind her back. It was something they’d have to stop doing. Discussing her while she was unaware of what they were saying wasn’t fair. But right now, he was grateful for their ability.
“You praised Briar pretty highly,” Seti said. “I think that did it.”
“Really?” Ra asked.
“You could always try it again and see.” Seti’s comment was heavily laced with sarcasm. He wasn’t at all impressed with Ra’s thoughtless comment. “But you’d do better to apologize quickly.”
“I think an apology would be even more insulting,” Ra countered. “Rose isn’t in competition with Briar.”
Seti shared a memory of Rose with his brothers: “If you’re hoping to be wowed, because you’ve lived so long you’re bored, then you should just go. I’m not going to remain entertaining for long, and I’d rather not get attached.”
“See?” Horus pointed out. “Do you see where her confidence is lacking?”
“If you hadn’t become a photographer,” Ra said aloud, “you would have made an incredible doctor. You have reached conclusions and made connections we didn’t.” “It is better to tell the truth than flatter her with falsehoods.”
Point to Ra. Rose’s countenance changed; his brother was right. “I have ideas, but I can’t investigate them. I don’t know how to prove whether I’m right or wrong.”
“So?” Seti asked. “Do you think any of us know what the machines in Hudson and Briar’s lab do?”
Her gaze roamed over them and when it met his, Horus shook his head. “They could make ice cream as far as I know.”
Rose leaned back against the couch. “I need to solve my own problems.”
“Asking the right questions will lead us in the right direction,” Seti said. “And you’ve done that. Enough doubt.” He leaned over and tapped her head with his index finger. “No more of that talk, it’s not good for your brain.”
Chuckling, she smiled. “Okay.”
“Good,” Horus said. “I want to talk more about our spiritual connection.”
34
Rose
Hopefully they hadn’t heard her gulp after Horus’s statement. “It was the wrong word.”
“Why?” Horus asked. “I think it made sense. All of it. Blood recognizes blood. Spirit recognizes spirit.”
“Your hand is in my hand,” Seti said off-handedly. His face flushed and he turned to stare out the window. For a moment, it seemed he was looking back in time. He blinked, gaze clearing, and then smiled. “Do you remember that, Horus?”
His brother spoke, sounds rolling off his tongue in a way that reminded her of poetry. “Yes,” he said. “I am surprised I do.”
“What?” Rose asked. “What do you remember?”
“Horus recited a poem,” Ra replied. “One our father said to our mother. ‘Your hand is in my hand, my body trembles with joy, my heart is exalted because we walk together.’ I’m astonished you recall that. You were so young.”
“He said it very often.” Horus smiled.
“How beautiful.” She sighed. “They must have been so in love.”
“I think so.” Seti frowned. “She would say something back.” He squinted as if trying to remember. “What was it?”
This time it was Ra who answered in the same lovely, melodic language before he translated. “My hand is in his hand/I wander together with him/To every beautiful place.”
Rose clasped her hands under her chin. “Aww.” She couldn’t picture herself reciting poetry to anyone, but it was sweet. What would she say, anyway? Roses are red/violets are blue—she couldn’t even finish the rhyme with something clever. Time to change the subject. “So… we’re calling Briar. That’s the plan? What about just—I don’t know—going to talk to Dr. Stone on our own?” She wanted answers from the man about what he was doing with her blood. He’d lied to her and hidden his true purpose. “I need her blood.” Why? She wanted to know. “He probably won’t see us, but I think I should confront him.”
“He owes you answers,” Horus said. He studied her as if he could see inside her. “If he left you in pain for years… or purposefully hurt you.” He cut off. “He will answer your questions.”
“I will compel him to answer,” Ra added.
“And if he stops breathing…” Seti shrugged. “At least we’re in a hospital already.”
It said nothing good about her that the guys’ words made her so happy. Was that what she was really like now? Someone who got what they wanted no matter the price?
But what was the price? If there was one, hadn’t she already paid it? She’d spent the past decade doing an impression of a pincushion. She kept every. Single. Appointment. Dr. Stone had no better patient than her. Her entire life had revolved around his whims.
Yeah. The guy owed her some answers. And if it took some heavy-handedness, and a little bit of mind-control then so be it.
She could live with it.
That night, staring up at the dark ceiling while Ra, Seti, and Horus parked out in the kitchen, a million doubts filled her.
She’d hoped the guys would go to sleep near her the way they had last night, but Horus told her they didn’t need that much sleep. “We’d just be lying here, staring at the ceiling.”
Part of her wanted to ask, “Then why did you waste your money on sheets?” But when they made up the bed and Seti literally tucked her in, it all became clear. They’d bou
ght the stuff for her. For her comfort.
Rolling onto her side, she brought her hands under her cheek. She really liked having the guys here. Not only did they make her life physically easier, but they filled it up, chasing away the loneliness she’d become so used to.
And today…
She thought back to Horus’s kiss. It wasn’t her first kiss, but it had been the best. It had replaced the awkward memory of sloppy kisses and fumbling hands with something that was beautiful.
Perfect.
Rose sighed. While she wanted to kiss him again, maybe it wouldn’t be the smartest thing in the world to become even more attached. They wouldn’t stay around forever. What would hold them here?
Right now, there was a problem to solve—a couple of problems actually. There was this connection they had. Not a problem. She shut down that inner voice. It wasn’t a problem for her, since she felt better than she had in her entire life, but it might be for them.
She imagined their roles reversed. What if they were in constant physical pain and she walked through the door and suddenly it was gone. Wouldn’t she feel responsible?
She would.
If she was able, she’d even stick around to figure out why she was fixing them. But—that wouldn’t mean she’d stay forever. It didn’t mean she wouldn’t go once they’d solved the problem and she was off the hook.
Oh. Who the fuck was she kidding? She’d have fallen hard for them the second they opened their mouths. Well. Maybe not Ra. That would have taken a couple of days. But nevertheless, she wouldn’t have been able to walk away.
So don’t let them!
Rose wasn’t a wallflower, and she was really starting to bug herself. Seti had been right, all this negative self-talk was bad for her brain. If she wanted something, she should go for it. This wasn’t nineteen-fifty. She didn’t have to wait for guys to ask her out on a date.
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