Hot air streaming from the vents turned the car into a sauna. She couldn’t find the off button for the heater so she rolled down the window and shoved up her sleeves. Bold, black Ink scrolled up, around, diagonal over her forearms. She screamed and didn’t stop until swerving cars, blaring horns, and screeching tires changed her priorities. She got the car under control, avoided killing anyone, and stopped on the shoulder.
Emeline snatched down the collar of her sweater and peered at her neck in the rearview mirror. Ink ran riot on her flesh. Parked in the emergency lane, she stripped down to her bra. Everywhere she gazed, Ink. She touched herself, expecting to feel something alien. Instead, silk slid beneath her fingertips and a vision of Avery flying flashed through her mind.
A cold wave that had nothing to do with the temperature outside settled in her chest and spread like a disease. Fury followed and the Ink on her skin swarmed, stoking her anger to new heights. Death. Everyone who hurt her, wronged her, said a harsh word from the moment of her birth to this second would die. She would hunt them down and kill in the most brutal ways.
What’s wrong with me? The swirling patterns of the Ink ceased and settled into a random blob. Her soul shivered, long, and hard, then waited. Everything stopped as if the world had paused in expectation of her next move.
Somehow, she duct taped her wits and held on to her sanity. A mental check of her faculties told her she wasn’t in pain and all of her systems seemed to be in working order, though slightly off-kilter. Once she took a few deep breaths and willed herself to stop panicking, she realized she had never felt stronger, more alert, her vision sharper, her response times shorter.
Whatever this was, whatever Avery had given her, her body liked it. But how vulnerable did that leave him?
This is what she wants from him, whispered through her brain—and he no longer had it to give to the Goddess of Chaos. “Because he’d given it to me. He saved me.” And probably doomed himself.
She had seen him when she touched her skin. The images appeared like an IMAX movie. Emeline did it again. She grabbed her arm and thought of Avery. With blinding speed, images stormed through her mind. Glimpses of Avery’s life. His rages, his battles, blood, destruction. Her stomach heaved. She removed her hand, but the images kept coming.
“Stop, please stop.” She grunted. The images slowed, reduced from Niagara Falls to a trickle, then dripped one at a time through her tattered brain until she saw him catch her after Khuket had snatched her from a tree and tossed her to him. Saw his despair at her injuries. Saw herself laying on the snow-covered ground and Avery’s tattoo bleeding from his hand onto the wounds on her abdomen. The next image was him flying again, but she didn’t pay attention to him, she studied the skyline and knew their destination. Next, she saw Ridley greet the goddess.
“Why am I not surprised?” The coldness settled in her chest again. The urge for violence sharpened her focus. She yanked on her clothing and welcomed the rage, honed it to a scalpel’s edge.
Emeline gunned the engine, made the sports car roar in sync with her emotions, and shot down the highway. Only two things mattered to her now: salvation and revenge.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
A knock on the bedroom door roused Roman from a sound sleep; the first he’d had in days. He’d read everything in Egyptian history, folklore, and mythology books in the library; still, he had no answers. As a last resort, he turned to Wikipedia and found the same regurgitated information. Frustrated, he did the one thing he thought he’d never do, prayed to a deity who claimed to be his mother.
He received no answer. Not unexpected when the last thing he said to her amounted to ‘Go fuck yourself’.
Stella mumbled sexily and snuggled closer. Her dark hair fanned out, playing peekaboo with her fair skin. That’s all it took to get him at full mast, but another knock sounded.
“This had better be good.” He snatched the covers off, shrugged on a pair of loose sweats, and open the door. Quin stood in the hallway. His face grim. Roman had one word. “Who?”
“Avery,” Quin answered.
There were certain things a person couldn’t fight. Whom you loved and how much time you had to love them. Stella topped the list followed by the men who called him brother, regardless of the doubts clouding his mind. Though Daniel had personally betrayed him through his attack on Stella, the treachery nearly destroyed them all.
Reign’s attack cut to Roman’s soul, but when fury wasn’t clouding his mind, he understood why his brother did it and he couldn’t say he wouldn’t have done the same to save Stella. His anger and suspicion at the rest of the men wasn’t valid. And they were still HIS MEN. They stood beside him through every battle and every foe. It was time he removed his head from his ass and resumed his position as leader of the family he loved.
“What’s happened?” Roman listened as Quin gave him the details. “Where’s EJ?” Usually, the two were a pair. The last time Roman saw EJ he was on his way out for a night of fun.
“Called him twice. He hasn’t answered. Though I did see him earlier.”
Probably off doing his favorite pastime. EJ knew the drill. Ignoring your cell for a piece of ass, inexcusable. The guilt of not being there for Avery when he needed him would kill him. Wouldn’t deflect the punishment Roman planned for the breach in protocol. Deal with it later. “Do we know where Avery is?”
Quin held up a tracking device.
Roman smiled. “Let’s go get our boy.”
***
Everything ached, yet Avery had the presence of mind not to move a muscle. Cold sank into him from every angle. Beneath him, a stone slab, above him, the snowy sky. But where was he? Sometime during the unorthodox flight, he passed out. Not manly. In his weakened state, he wasn’t surprised. The instant he gave his Ink to Emeline, the decline started and hadn’t stopped. Thank God he was laying down because he didn’t believe he had enough strength to stand.
He listened, his ears tuned for the slightest sounds. The rustle of clothing to his right and the swoosh of displaced air nearby equaled two people. Through narrowed eyes, he studied Khuket, who hovered, seemed to be meditating, and a woman with a shock of white hair and penchant for red leather. He wondered at her purpose for being here but didn’t linger on the passing thought.
Avery scanned his surroundings and glimpsed the lower Manhattan skyline in the background. He was on a roof. The knowledge didn’t help. For all he knew they were in New Jersey. The two stone obelisks, one a few feet away from his head, the other an equi-distance, away from his feet, bracketed him. Hieroglyphics etched their surface and an eerie glow illuminated each carving. The curve of a dull piece of metal embedded in a stone and metal fragments lay next to his side. Candelabras and loose candles framed his stone bed. No, not a bed, an altar.
Shit. Not good.
His hand brushed his pocket and traced the outline of his cell. With any luck, Quin had tracked him after getting Emeline to safety.
Emeline. Her name hurt, deep down where he never thought pain could reach. At least she was safe; he did something right.
Flames flickering in the stiff breeze beat back an encroaching darkness that had nothing to do with the night. It was fluid, lapping endlessly at the soft circle of light like an oil spill slapping a boulder. An ominous chill snaked down his spine.
A piece of that black lake broke off and slithered toward him. The movement strange, though disturbingly familiar. The altar blocked his view and he lost sight of the slice as it snaked closer, yet in his bones, he felt its approach and wasn’t surprised when it crested the edge of the altar.
The obsidian spoonful reached his leg and inched north. With every movement, it shuddered. In excitement? Fear? He had the distinct impression fear hadn’t motivated it to take a stroll up his body, but hunger. The sharp teeth in a gaping maw led to that conclusion.
“You have awakened and met my friend,” Khuket said.
Avery didn’t take his eyes off the piece of—sludge?—as it stopped
and stretched toward Khuket, who crouched next to him. The goddess extended her hand and the piece leaped into her palm.
“What is that?”
“The essence of night.”
Sounds like cheap cologne. “How long have I been out?”
“A while.”
Which told him nothing. “Why did you bring me here?”
“I brought you here to bind you to me.”
Not if he could help it. He tried to rise, but could only move his head.
“You will find happiness with our binding. Your submission will give you peace. Nothing else will be tolerated.”
A bitter chuckle grated from him. “Lust. That’s what this is about.”
“Lust? The merging of two bodies for procreation? Nothing could be more mundane. You are my nourishment. The pure chaos within your soul will sustain me for an eternity. Almost my equal, though you have never let the chaos free to transform you. ”
“Transform me into what?” Avery couldn’t stop himself from asking.
Khuket’s muddy eyes swirled hypnotically. “The elements favor you.” She shook her head. “None of that matters anymore. Now you are mine. With you by my side, I will have the Egyptians at my mercy. A trait I never acquired.” The left half of Khuket’s face did an avalanche and slid downhill.
“No.”
Her head tilted to the side, causing her loose flesh to gather in the other direction. “Why do you say no?”
“I am not yours, Khuket. Never will be.”
Her bands writhed, fury blasted from her. “You defy me?”
Yeah, anything to keep her off balance.
“Your defiance does not amuse me, and will not be tolerated.” Her nails elongated into serrated claws and pierced through his coat, shirt, and Kevlar. One jerk and the clothes ripped from his body. A single clawed finger stroked from his collarbone to circle a nipple, and headed south towards his pants. “You have lost everything, Avery Nicolis. All you have left is me.”
Denial stabbed him. The constant rage he quelled for the last fifteen years was still there, just not as biting. Only thing missing was his Ink. He would’ve never thought he’d miss the darkness like a severed limb.
Khuket dropped low over him. Her breath fanned his face, her decaying features the only thing he could see. “Bring forth the child,” she ordered.
Child? He heard footsteps thud on the stairs leading to the interior of the building. The tread disturbingly familiar.
He strained his head to the right for a glimpse. Slowly a reddish buzz cut appeared on top of a head, the same jar-shaped head he’d stared at for the last twenty-five years of his life.
No. Not fucking possible!
EJ stepped onto the roof.
Avery’s heart, already racing, tripled in speed. Then stopped when he saw the unconscious body EJ carried in his arms.
“What are you doing?” he shouted.
EJ didn’t answer. His gait somewhat stilted, his face frozen into a horrified mask, yet he kept marching forward. He stopped out of Avery’s reach and didn’t meet his brother’s gaze.
“EJ?” Avery’s voice had dropped to a frightened whisper. He yanked around, his muscles screamed at the increased tension of the invisible bonds pinning him. “What did you do to him?”
A smile flirted with Khuket’s lips. “Give me what I desire and he shall be freed.”
“And the child?”
“She dies.”
“Why!” He demanded. “Why do you need her?”
Khuket pulled a crystal Orb from the darkness surrounding her.
“What is that?” he said.
“Sijnruh. A Soul Catcher.”
Damn.
“I have always known how to find you, Avery. You and I are one and the same. Chaos, feeding chaos. With you by my side, my energy will never lag. I will have enough power to conquer the Egyptians and take my place on the throne they have stolen from me. I will rule the world they have abandoned.”
“Like hearing your own voice and repeating the same thing over and over again? You said that already. Tell me something I don’t know. Or is conquering the big bad Egyptians the only trick you have?”
“No, I have other tricks.” She smirked and sliced her hand on one of the jagged fragments laying on the altar and coated the cartouche on the Orb with her blood. “My first trick begins with killing the matriarch of their pantheon.”
Her hand extended, the Soul Catcher raised in front of her like a weapon. Chants spilled from her lips, archaic words he couldn’t associate with any language resonated. His ears popped and the sounds of the night and the cold wind ceased. The air warped with each syllable and widened in an ever-increasing circle. They radiated to the edge of the roof and backwashed like a wave against a rock wall.
Silence. Everything stilled until a childish cry destroyed the quiet.
Ember writhed in EJ’s arms. The little girl’s mouth widened in a muted scream as she rose, twisting in the air. A bright luminescent mist seeped from her small body.
“Stop! You’re hurting her!” Ember cried.
Khuket laughed. “That is my intention, child. This is just the beginning of Nu’s pain.”
A million fireflies moving in unison wouldn’t have been as beautiful as the lustrous light emerging from Ember. Sleek limbs formed and then curved hips and breasts. The light coalesced into the outline of a woman. “Welcome, Great Goddess Nu.” Khuket mocked her with a dramatic bow.
Behind the wavering form and EJ, two vortexes opened. Anticipation and dread warred in Avery’s gut as he waited to see who else would join the festivities.
A giggle raked Khuket’s throat. “Today you will watch all that you love die. Only then shall you join them in death.”
Chapter Forty
Emeline punched the security code into the keypad locking the iron gate to the house on Riverside drive, home of the Order. The display pad flashed red and nothing happened. Blind fury swept through her. Ridley couldn’t keep her out. She gripped the lock and twisted. The metal gave a satisfying crunch. She’d never been able to do that. Now, with Avery’s donated strength, what wasn’t possible?
A few steps later, she raised her foot and kicked the steel front door open. The echo reverberated in the large, open spaced foyer.
She paused in the dark interior, waiting for someone to react to her unorthodox entry. Silence. Not even a faucet dripped.
“Anybody home?” Another echo faded deep in the interior of the building. Someone was always here manning the phones and desk, cooking the meals, maintaining the facility. Where was everyone? Apprehensive, she opted for the emergency stairs with direct access to the roof instead of the elevator. If things went south, trapped in a small box didn’t seem like a winnable situation.
Well-lit gray cement stairs and cinderblock walls didn’t add much comfort, but she was out of options. Emeline jogged up the flights, her footsteps echoing in the enclosed space. Her heart pounding with worry.
Keep climbing. Avery needs you, but—
Ink scratched beneath her skin, turning her crazed. She risked a glance and there was Avery’s Ink covering each finger like a velvet glove. How did he deal with this on a daily basis? She yanked off her bulky coat and gave into the urge to claw her fingers up her arms, until the Ink scattered. Momentarily appeased and ready for war, she kept climbing.
Fourth floor, fifth floor, only one more flight, and then the roof. She rounded the corner to the fifth floor and stopped.
At the top of the staircase, on the landing between the fifth floor and the roof, were five women: Adrienne, Sarah, Michelle, Nicole, and Charity. Members of the order, their ceremonial robes covered them from neck to feet.
Panting, Emeline leaned against the railing. “Hey, guys.”
***
“That’s my car,” Quin said.
Roman, Thane, and Quin exited the Mercedes and studied the building where the red sports car was doubled parked.
“Seems like no one is home,”
Thane said of the dark apartment windows. A brisk wind kicked up stirring the increasing snowfall and causing the iron gate surrounding the building to swing open. “Maybe they left in a hurry.”
“Or everyone’s on the roof.” Roman pointed to the lights coming from above and started to cross the street—and stopped. The urge to grab his sword for battle, gripped him.
Roman scanned the area again. Abruptly, the air pressed against him, an external force he’d previously experienced. His cell phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket, saw Stella’s name, and swiped his thumb across the screen.
“Ember is missing!” she screamed before he got hello out.
“Let’s get this party started.” Thane crossed the street with Quin following.
Suddenly, Roman couldn’t move. The external force had relocated inside his body. Pressure squeezed all of his internal organs. His abdominal muscles drew taut, fighting the inexplicable tension that increased with every passing second. The phone slid from his fingers and clattered to the pavement.
“Roman?”
Thane’s voice came from a distance as if a tunnel separated them instead of a two-lane street. Agony ripped through Roman. He gritted his teeth, keeping his anguish inside while he dropped. No. Not again.
Thane and Quin rushed to him, but one touch and they were tossed away, their bodies denting the iron gates.
A vortex opened up next to him. In the blink of an eye, he was ripped apart and swallowed. In the next instant, Roman lay on the roof of the building he was about to enter. He took in Avery bare-chested and laying on an altar, the obelisks, a white-haired chick dressed in red standing off to the side, another female-type thing floating above the altar, darkness swirling around her, EJ doing an excellent impersonation of a statue—and Ember!
The child floated in mid-air, balanced between Avery and EJ. Roman rushed to her but was seized in an invisible embrace. The handle of his blade dropped into his hand from the holster in his sleeve. The blade, made of light, sprang to life ready to cleave and maim. Movement to the side of him caught his attention. A second vortex swelled and spewed forth a body. The last damn person Roman wanted to see.
Evermore (Descendants of Ra: Book 3) Page 33
