by Lisa Kessler
Lori nodded with a shrug. “Since you’re having the ceremony on Calisto’s beach, the venue won’t be an issue, so I guess we can pull it together pretty fast. Maybe give Edie and me a day or two to get the flowers and chairs.”
Zafrina stepped closer. “They are making vows. How long can that take?”
All eyes turned toward her, but Lori’s gaze was the only one that held her attention. “That’s true. Maybe we don’t really need chairs.”
Zafrina came in and leaned on the back of the couch, looking down at Gretchen. Her face looked even paler and shadows circled her eyes. “I think Gretchen needs to rest. Can you take your meeting elsewhere?”
Kate got up. “Sure. Thanks for all your help, Gretchen.”
The others followed her out, but Lori hesitated and turned back. Do you hear me?
Zafrina lifted her gaze from her patient to Lori, her pulse kicking up a notch at the intimate connection. The timbre of Lori’s voice in her mind sounded smooth and rich, like plush velvet. Zafrina nodded. I hear you.
Is there anything I can do to help Gretchen?
Perhaps, but we can’t talk here.
Meet me down on the beach?
An unexpected smile curved Zafrina’s lips. I will.
Good. Lori nodded in answer, and something fluttered deep in Zafrina’s abdomen.
After she left the room, Zafrina came around the sofa, pulling the chair closer to Gretchen. “Tell me how you feel. Have there been more contractions?”
Gretchen glanced over to the spot where Lori had been, then back to Zafrina. “You were talking to Lori just now.”
Zafrina cleared her throat, surprised by a flush of heat warming her face. “I speak to many people without using my voice.”
Gretchen shrugged. “I didn’t know Lori had any idea you could communicate silently.”
“She is a strong woman. When I healed her wounds the other night, we talked.”
Gretchen reached out to pat her leg. “Infatuation looks good on you.”
“Infatuation? What is this?”
“Never mind.” Gretchen shook her head and sobered. “The contractions are still coming, but they haven’t been very intense, maybe every twenty-five minutes or so. They’re not getting worse, so I’m hoping that’s a good sign.”
Zafrina brought her hands to rest on Gretchen’s abdomen, reaching out to the child with healing thoughts, listening for abnormalities. The heartbeat was strong, betraying no frailty, but the lungs would be sorely underdeveloped if she could not maintain the pregnancy for a few more weeks.
Without the codex, Zafrina second-guessed every assumption. This would be much easier if she knew whether or not the child needed to draw breath in order to gain his immortality. She could deliver the child now if he was immortal from conception.
But she had no codex and no answers.
Zafrina opened her eyes and took Gretchen’s hands. “The babe is healthy, but I cannot say the same for you. If your body demands to deliver the child, we will have no choice.”
“No.” Gretchen blinked back a wave of tears. “I can hang on longer. I know I can.”
Zafrina sighed. “Your body is malnourished. You are not sleeping, and it is trying to save itself through these contractions.”
A tear spilled over her cheek. “I have to try. Help me.”
Zafrina’s chest tightened, and she bent to brush a kiss to Gretchen’s forehead. “I am doing all I can.”
She wished she could do more.
The sun beat down on Apep’s back, stoking his already fuming temper. He was in the fucking desert. Again. This was Issa’s fault. At this point, he no longer cared about the damned Mayan codex. He could go rip the fetus out of its mother’s womb right now and kill all the Night Walkers.
But where would the satisfaction be in that?
This had gotten personal. He’d been injured. Twice. Now he wanted retribution even more than world domination. And if he played his cards right, he could have both.
He followed the directions from his serpents, kicking dust from the sand as he made his way deeper into the desert. Issa probably enjoyed the inconvenience of his hideaway. Night Walkers had that irritating gift of preternatural speed, so the remoteness of his lair wouldn’t be an issue.
While Apep had many powers and strengths, speed and shape-shifting were not part of his repertoire as the Egyptian God of Chaos. He was forced to trudge through the blistering hot desert for miles on foot. A camel or a Jeep weren’t options. His serpents had heard the brushing of sand followed by the loud rumble of stone scraping against stone. It had to be a long-forgotten tomb.
And if he had any hope of finding it, he needed to be close to the ground.
His body ached, coaxing him to rest, but Apep pushed on. If he located Issa’s sanctuary before nightfall, the Night Walker wouldn’t be able to protect Muriah or himself. Apep sneered at the thought of the terror in her eyes when she realized there was no one to rescue her and no escape.
He hoped she’d beg for her life. Begging sweetened the chaos immensely.
Turning into the wind, he allowed the hot air to blow his hair out of his face while he took a swallow of water from his canteen. He screwed the cap back on and noticed a line in the sand. His tattoos slithered in answer.
Apep scrambled to the seam as if it might disappear, a mirage in the endless desert. He fell to his knees, tracing the line with his fingers. The hot sand stung his hands as he cleared it away to expose a flat rock. A doorway. Apep gripped the edges and used all of his body weight to try to lift it, but the stone didn’t budge.
“Fuck.” He took a deep breath and then tried to shove it aside. His feet kept slipping as he struggled to gain leverage. “Damn it!”
He glared at the barrier keeping him from his prey as the chaos gathered in his dark eyes. The dense molecules of rock were slow to agitate. Sweat drenched his body. He kept drawing and focusing chaos on the block, his hatred of Issa growing with each bead of perspiration that rolled down his back. Finally, he heard a crack. He fell to his knees, searching for the opening, but only a corner of the stone had cracked and chipped away.
Apep spat into the sand and glared toward the sun. “Stay up.”
He had a few hours until sunset, and he wouldn’t let up on the stone until it finally granted him passage inside. If it took until sundown, so be it.
Zafrina waited on the beach, the large moon casting her shadow on the sand. It was late afternoon in Egypt. She wouldn’t be able to reach out to Issa and let him know Gretchen’s condition. They needed that codex. Now.
“Hey there.” Zafrina looked up at the sound of Lori’s voice. “You beat me here…” Her voice trailed off as she approached. “Are you all right?”
Zafrina let out a pent-up breath and shook her head. “No.” She glanced toward the house. “Gretchen’s body is rejecting the child. I do not know how much longer we can delay the birth.”
Lori came closer, her scent teasing Zafrina’s senses. “Gretchen thinks it’s too soon.”
“It is too soon, but we cannot stop nature. I gave my word to Lukas we would not risk Gretchen’s life. I cannot use my fertility magic or potions to force her contractions to cease. Her body is trying to save itself. If I force it, she could pay the price.” She turned to face Lori. “If the time comes while the sun is up, you will need to help her deliver the infant. She cannot go to a hospital.”
“What?” Lori’s eyes widened. “Why—”
“Because the child will not be human. Mortal doctors can never know this.”
“Oh shit. I—I don’t know anything about being a midwife. I don’t even have kids of my own.” She started pacing. Her frenetic pace was almost hypnotic, calming Zafrina’s frazzled nerves. “I can watch some internet videos. Maybe Web MD. Or I can try to keep her on her back until you’re up again tomorrow night. That’s probably the best plan.”
Zafrina caught her hand as she passed by and pulled her to a stop. “You offered your help to me.
Why?”
Lori gaped for a moment and then pressed her lips together. Zafrina reached for her thoughts and found the poem repeating. She smiled. “You have learned well. The others have mentioned your mental shield.”
“They were trying to listen in?” She put a hand on her hip, a crease marring her brow.
Zafrina shrugged. “It is simply another sense to us, not like eavesdropping.”
“Well, I’m glad the shield is working.” She glanced at their joined hands, but made no move to break the contact. When her eyes lifted to Zafrina’s face, her usual confident stance seemed unsure. “I know what’s at risk with that baby. Everyone is looking to you, and you looked like you could use…a friend.”
Zafrina moved closer and tucked a stray lock of hair behind Lori’s ear. “You were right.” She searched her gaze and whispered, “Would a kiss upset you?”
“I’ve never kissed another woman.”
“That was not what I asked.”
Lori released her hand and brought her fingers up to caress Zafrina’s cool cheek. “I don’t know.”
“There is one way to find out.” Zafrina brushed her lips against Lori’s, reveling in their softness. She breathed her in as Lori responded, returning the kiss.
Lori finally retreated, her voice a breathless whisper, “Now we know.”
Zafrina stared into her eyes. “Did it upset you?”
Lori smiled, and Zafrina’s heart pounded in answer. “Not yet.”
“Good.” Zafrina pulled her into her arms.
Muriah snapped awake at the rumble of thunder. Frowning, she sat up. The crack of a lightning strike echoed through the chamber. She glanced over at Issa. He remained motionless.
She was on her own.
The noise stopped, leaving behind uneasy silence. She crept out of bed and quickly got dressed. They were in the middle of the desert. It couldn’t be a storm, could it?
Another boom made her breath catch.
She took out the phone from Agent Bale. No signal, but according to the time, she only needed to hold it together for about fifteen minutes until sunset and Issa would awaken. With the phone tucked back in her pocket, she grabbed one of her discarded shirts and wound it around her hand to protect her skin from coming in contact with the ancient dagger.
If she had another choice, she’d take it, but for now, this was the only weapon available.
Whatever was outside, it was persistent. And if it kept battering the stone, it wouldn’t be outside for long.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Lori watched the sky lighten. She should be exhausted after being awake for nearly twenty-four hours, but she was too energized and confused to even consider sleeping. Her level head had been a source of pride her whole life, but when Zafrina touched her, all logic went flying out the window. Like a boat without a rudder, she wasn’t sure how she felt or what she wanted.
She touched her own lips as if they belonged to a stranger. She’d never experienced the rush of infatuation before. She’d always blamed her rational mind for her lack of swooning, but maybe it had been more. Perhaps her heart hadn’t been rudderless at all…it’d been waiting for the right person.
Zafrina wasn’t a person. Not really.
And she didn’t care.
What was happening to her? She always cared, and required definite, logical answers.
Lori turned toward the house. Edie would be there soon. How was she going to explain that she needed to sleep, and why she never left Calisto’s place last night?
A cry cut through her jumbled thoughts. Gretchen.
Lori sprinted to the stairs, taking them two at a time. When she opened the French doors, Gretchen sobbed. “The baby’s coming.”
Muriah pressed her lips together to keep from gasping with each rumble that came through the tomb. She carefully made her way up the stairs to the stone covering the entrance and inspected the edges. Tiny beams of light came through.
Shit.
She turned to go back to the main chamber when a familiar voice reached her ears. Even muffled through the distressed stone, hearing Apep speak made her break out in goose bumps.
“I know you’re inside, Muriah. There is no other way out. This stone won’t keep you safe much longer.”
She tightened her grip on the dagger.
“Your fear makes my mouth water.” His laughter chilled her. “And I will feast on more very soon.”
Muriah hustled down the steps to the main chamber. The tablets rested on a table with the vessel to trap Apep beside them. She stared at the carvings, wishing the message might change. Why couldn’t a simple incantation alone banish him?
A life for a life.
Another loud crack made her jump. Apep would be inside soon.
And he’d use her to hurt Issa. She was the weak link, the leverage, and Apep wouldn’t hesitate to exploit it.
She was also the only “life” available to seal the bargain and trap Apep. Her pulse raced. She couldn’t be seriously contemplating dying today. No, there had to be another way.
Muriah went to the bed and sat on the edge. She studied Issa’s face, memorizing every angle as she stroked his hair back from his forehead. From the moment she’d touched the codex and seen him in her vision—the emptiness and pain reflected in his eyes—she’d been his. She’d wanted to see him smile, yearned to ease his pain, and somehow he’d eased hers, too. He’d stood by her side on this trip, allowing her to take the lead with her contacts. And although he always seemed ready to support her when she needed it, he didn’t suffocate her.
He loved her.
And for once, that word didn’t trigger her instinct to run and protect herself.
Issa pulled in a slow breath and opened his eyes, his gaze locked on hers. He started to smile when a thunderous crack broke the silence. Faster than she could see, he was out of bed, already wearing his pants and glaring up at the stone blocking the entrance.
“He found us.”
Muriah came up behind him, the dagger still clutched in her hand. “We need to perform the ritual before he gets inside.”
He turned toward her, shaking his head. “We have no sacrifice to bind him to the vase.”
“Yes, we do.” She took his hand, swallowing her emotions. Her voice squeaked. “Me.”
His eyes widened for a second before he clenched his jaw and started up the steps toward Apep. “No.”
“I don’t like it, either, but…” Muriah blinked back unwelcome tears. “Issa, there’s no other way. Once he breaks through that stone, he’ll use me and my life as a weapon.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “He’ll force you to hurt me.”
Issa was in front of her so quickly she flinched. Crimson burned deep inside his dark eyes. “I will never hurt you.”
“If you won’t, then he will. And he won’t kill you. He’ll make you watch.”
The fire in his eyes ignited, glowing pure red. “I can move faster than him. I will carry you past him.”
Her heart pounded. A way out. Another option. Maybe it would work. Where would they go? Before she could spin an escape plan, she remembered Gretchen’s baby. The key to the Night Walker race’s future. Apep could travel during the daylight. If he killed the baby, Issa would die. No question, no hope. Death. She’d lose Lukas, too. She’d lose them all.
A tear slowly rolled down her cheek. “If we don’t stop him now, you’ll never be safe. He won’t give up until he has the baby. This is our chance to end this.”
“We will find another way.” He glared up at the stone as another crash boomed through the chamber.
“Maybe there is.” She waited for him to meet her eyes. “We offer my life for his, and then you bring me back.”
Confusion lined his brow as he shook his head. “I do not have that power.”
“Yes, you do.” She searched his eyes and whispered, “You can make me a Night Walker like you.”
The second Lori heard the deadbolt turn, she yelled for Edie. Her friend rushed i
n and gasped. “Oh God, should I call 911?”
Gretchen was drenched in sweat, blood-soaked towels surrounded them on the floor. The baby’s head still hadn’t crowned. Lori had no idea if that was a good sign or not. Either way, this baby was too premature to live. Her main concern was keeping Gretchen alive.
“No. We can’t let them take her and the baby to a hospital.”
Edie knelt by Gretchen’s head, smoothing her hair back. “We don’t know how to deliver a baby.”
A humorless chuckle slipped out of Gretchen’s lips. “Apparently, my body does.” She wiped her eyes. “Maybe he’s already immortal.”
Lori caught herself praying Gretchen was right. She wasn’t ready to lose Kate and the other Night Walkers she’d come to know. A vision of Zafrina on the beach filled her head.
She wasn’t ready to lose her, either.
“I bet you’re right.” Lori looked up at Gretchen, pulling up all the moxie she could muster. “Your body already knows what to do, and this baby wouldn’t be coming into the world unless he was ready.”
Gretchen met her eyes, and Lori recognized that same determination.
Whatever happened today, they wouldn’t allow fear to be a part of it.
Issa froze, his ancient heart pounding. “I have never made another. You must die in order to live forever, but—”
“So, it’s perfect. You finish the ritual to trap him, and then bring me back.”
“No.” He shook his head. “This is far from perfect.” He embraced her, closing his eyes. He breathed her scent into his lungs, his mind scrambling to find another way out of this mess. He kissed her hair. “I will run you far from here.”
Her arms tightened around him. “We can’t keep running.”
“Do not ask this of me.” He pulled back, bringing his hand up to caress her cheek. “I love you, Muriah. I am asking, pleading. Do not put me in this position.”
