by Jean Murray
“Excuse me?” Siya’s gaze rose to stare at him from across the room. All heads turned to look at Kamen.
“Nothing.” Kamen did not want to alarm Asar in any way until he knew for certain their brother was a threat. If there was one god Kamen did not want to see again, it was Set. Kamen had been a fool to believe his twin’s lies. The very reason Kamen’s soul was not his own, but the beast’s.
“The Underworld curse will prevent us from fighting in daylight in the human realm. The Creations must know this,” Bomani stated.
“They know.” Siya touched Bomani’s arm.
“Lilly is working on the Council to abolish the ancient law,” Asar said, sitting into his chair.
“Is that safe? Theris confessed the Creation Chancellor had been compromised.” Bomani wrapped his arms around Siya’s waist. The War goddess leaned into her mate.
“Trust me, I am not happy about this, but Lilly insisted. If we change our behavior, it may raise the Chancellor’s suspicions, and right now we need to get closer to him to find out what they are up to and how many have been turned by Apep.”
“I will not put Kendra at risk.” Bakari’s silver eyes flashed bright with anger.
“She and her sisters have been at risk since the moment they were conceived. This is the Mother Goddess” plan. We cannot second guess her. The sisters are vital to the fight,” Siya interjected.
“What of Kit?” Bomani asked.
The heavy weight of Bomani’s question hung in the room. The war needed all three sisters transitioned to their demi-god form, rendering great powers to their fight. Sex with a god would release Kit’s powers as they did her sisters. The only catch, Kit refused.
“We can only hope she comes to her senses,” Asar replied, resting his stare on Kamen.
Kamen refused to acknowledge Asar’s hope. It was sorely misplaced, for he knew full well it could never happen. The beast would not permit it, and Kamen would not risk Kit’s soul on the chance they could mate. He had given up long ago.
Rolling his shoulders to relieve the growing ache in his spine, he shifted away from the group and out onto the balcony. The serpentine river snaked off into the distance to the large gold gates glinting in the sunlight.
Unease settled over his chest. Kamen may have come to Aaru as a criminal, but Asar had given him a second chance and a home. Difficult as it was, Kamen had come to appreciate his life. His family.
And if his hunch was correct, something worth killing for.
“I want a full assessment of the threat. Failure is not an option." Asar slammed his fist onto the desk. “I want updates before the sun rises in the human realm. Get to work.”
“Yes, sire.” Bakari, Siya and Bomani filed out the door.
Kamen waited, the ache in his chest had yet to lessen.
Asar closed the door and turned to Kamen. “I have never seen you this ill. Isis, you can barely stand on your feet.”
“It will pass.” Despite his reassurance to Asar, Kamen was not so certain of the fact. The weakness should have lifted by now. Even his vision had yet to clear.
“I would relieve you of this burden, if I could.”
“We both know you cannot. Nor would I ask it of you.”
“This will only get worse.” Asar squeezed Kamen’s shoulder.
Kamen nodded. He tried not to think of the suffering, only the power he would gain.
“Go rest.”
“I need to take Kit to the Nehebkau base. The weapons’ shipment is coming in today.”
“First, you are in no condition to go. Second, I spoke with Lilly this morning. She made no mention of any weapons’ shipment.”
“Kit said Lilly gave her orders to oversee the initiation and the shipment.” Kamen met Asar’s gaze.
Asar sighed. “Lilly and I spoke at length this morning before she left for the Council. She said nothing about a weapons’ shipment. Perhaps Kit heard wrong.”
Kamen’s anger threatened to erupt, knowing Kit knew damn well what she was doing. The weapons’ shipment was a down right lie.
Asar tightened his grip on Kamen’s arm. “I will talk with Lilly about Kit. I want you in your room, resting.”
“Yes, Sire.” Kamen stalked out of the office, his anger numbing the pain.
“Leave it alone, brother,” Asar called from behind.
Kamen followed the path to his room. With each step the heat of his fury burned hotter in his veins. His brother’s last words were easier said than done. Kit would have her day of reckoning. If it was one thing he despised, it was being lied to. The fact that he did not detect it, made the insult far worse. He would never let what happened with Set, happen again.
Ever.
Chapter Two
Derailed from her objective, Kit stalked down the hall to Kendra’s, and now Bakari’s room. Irritation fueled her ever growing hatred for this place. She was happier when it was just her and her sisters. Sadly, her sisters had crumbled under the Underworld charm.
Intriguing at first, Kit refused to be bowled over by this whole grand paradise and supernatural power thing. Not when it was ruining her life and worse, bringing her closer to their mother. A mother who hadn’t bothered to be part of their lives until now. The fact that the Mother Goddess was one of the most powerful gods among the Pantheons meant little to Kit.
She grumbled under her breath just thinking about how fucked up this was. Had her father listened to her, none of this would have ever happened. She rapped on the door and waited with her booted foot restlessly tapping the floor.
Where the hell was everyone?
Apparently, no one thought to let her know of the day’s events. She pivoted on her heels and headed towards the library. She paused outside the archives’ enormous gold doors, stretching floor to fifteen foot ceiling. Muffled voices sounded through the metal.
Kit yanked open the door and surveyed the room. The library tables and chairs had been shifted to the far wall. Half of the bookshelves had been emptied of their load. Some texts sat on the tables while others were being loaded into the well-muscled arms of the dark warriors. A procession of males with scarification tattoos lined the main isle to the back of the library. Each with his arms laden with books.
“Hi.” Kendra waved from across the room. Her sister’s sweet voice bounced off the black marble, carrying a new confidence. Framed by long auburn ringlets, Kendra grinned ear to ear.
Kit couldn’t help but smile back. Kendra’s cheerfulness was irresistible and could break most of Kit’s moodiness. Since her sister’s transformation to her demi-god form, Kit hardly recognized the once meek mouse. They were inseparable most of their lives—until now. Bakari filled the space Kit once occupied.
“What’s going on?” Kit asked, feeling more isolated than ever.
Kendra’s smile faded to a mere curve of her lips. “We are securing most of what we can in the vault.”
“Oh.” Kendra didn’t have to explain any further. War was on the horizon.
“Want to help?”
“Y—” The Mother Goddess floated into the room, along with her golden aura as bright as the blonde strands of her hair. Her mother’s green eyes sparkled with energy and vitality, something Kit felt devoid of most of her life. “What is she doing here?”
“She is helping me sort the most valuable texts. We can only fit so many in the vault.”
“I'll take a rain check. The weapons’ shipment is coming in today.” Kit stepped back towards the door.
Kendra grabbed Kit’s hand. “She is trying. Really trying.”
“Where was she when Dad needed her help?” Kit’s throat tightened with emotion, which only angered her more. “I’ll see you later. Have fun with the smelly old books.”
Kit shoved open the door and headed down the hall. Her walk accelerated into a run. She bypassed her room and leapt over the stone railing into the soft sand. She broke into full sprint down the beach, not letting up even as fire burned through her lungs.
Five
years of suffocating pain chased her down the beach. Rock and water blurred in her vision, yet she kept running. To where, she didn’t know or care. She just needed to get away.
In the distance, gold gates stretched from the water to the sky so far Kit couldn’t see the top. The metal barrier penetrated the rocky cliff at the water’s edge. When she couldn’t run any further, she staggered to a stop.
Dead end.
The theme of her life.
Bitterness soured her stomach. She leaned over with her hands on her knees, less to catch her breath than to lessen the pain in her chest. Frustration welled up into a scream in her throat, but no matter how much she wanted to let it loose, she held it tight in her chest. She choked on a sob instead.
Looking over her shoulder to the now distant palace, she was even more convinced she and her sisters didn’t belong there. This was the realm of the dead, not the living. But with each day that passed, Kit stepped closer and closer to it. She was losing what was left of her family, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
This war would tear them apart.
She returned her focus to the gates of the Afterlife, wanting nothing more than to rip them from their hinges. Upon closer inspection the cliff had been cut into a sheer vertical face. The hieroglyphics chiseled into the surface climbed to the summit. She traced her fingers against the markings. The symbols were vaguely familiar from her father’s lessons at one archeological dig or another.
If she had paid more attention, she would’ve known what the hell it said.
It didn’t matter in the end. Her father was dead, wrapped up like a mummy in the dungeon. For what? His soul would never make it to Aaru in time.
The black water rushed through the metal gates. The turbulent currents smoothed and stretched towards the opposing isle. Those worthy in death were granted access through the gates to live the rest of their existence in paradise. She squinted her eyes, but even with her enhanced vision, she saw no one on the island in the distance.
Paradise appeared quiet. A peace her father would never know.
She stepped into the water, just enough it washed over the tips of her boots. She leaned forward to see around the stone and past the gate into the Egyptian equivalent of purgatory and beyond that, hell. Somewhere on the other side her father’s soul languished, imprisoned in Duat.
Curiosity drove her deeper into the water. She gripped the stone, but her fingers slipped and prevented her from grabbing the scallop of the gate. The cold water rushed into her boots.
She sank in further and stretched enough to catch the curved metal. The rapids pushed at her hips. She tightened her grip and swung out to snag the gate with her other hand. The water slammed into her legs unsettling her footing. She grappled to keep her balance, but the water rushed faster around her waist. She held on long enough to look through the slits of metal. A boat floated in the distance, unmoving despite the force of water towards her. As far as she could see, the boat was empty, its master absent. Movement in the water drew her gaze beyond the boat and into the darkness.
A chilled breeze brushed her face.
Katherine, the wind hissed her birth name.
Her nerves tingled and her hair stood on end. Fear crept along her spine. She released the gate and fought the current to get to shore. The once peaceful water now churned and pulled her under. She could see a dark shape slithering through the water beyond the gates. Her heart ricocheted in her chest so fast and hard it ached. She kicked and thrust her arms to break the water’s hold.
She gulped and sputtered, finally making it to a depth she could touch the river bottom. She back peddled, unwilling to turn away from the gates for fear something would follow.
Her back slammed into an unyielding barrier.
She screamed and rolled to her feet, fear still driving her to move.
“What are you doing?” Kamen’s voice was rough and honed with suspicion.
An odd sense of relief and gratitude washed through her. She wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around him. Resisting the urge, she stared back at the gates. The water had once again smoothed into a lazy current.
His hard gaze swept over her.
She laughed, giddy and fearful all at the same time. The kind of laugh when you realize you just survived a grizzly death.
At least today was not the day. Someday, though. She would see death again real soon.
* * *
Kamen honed in on the scent saturating the air. Bitter and sour.
Fear rolled off of Kit in heavy waves. In all the time he had known her, it was the one emotion she did not have enough of in his opinion. A risk taker. She always leapt before thinking it through, which made his job of protecting her extremely challenging and made her all the more frustrating.
He was not sure if her fear was directed at him. Or, did something or someone else spook her?
“What are you doing here?” he repeated.
“I went for a walk.” Kit shook her hands and sent sand raining down on him.
He stepped closer.
She retreated. A first. Maybe she’d finally come to her senses and had an ounce of fear of him.
“A walk and a swim?” Kamen countered.
“I fell in.” Her voice quivered slightly.
He tracked the footprints in the sand towards the gates and into the water. She had bypassed the energy barrier, erected to deter anyone from approaching the gates—yet here she was. “You should not be here.”
“I can’t be here. I can’t be there. Where the hell am I supposed to be?” She growled and stormed past him.
He snagged her arm and spun her around, and she stumbled into his chest.
“What the hell?” Kit snapped, her entire body stiffening on contact.
He held her firmly but not enough to hurt her in any way. Her fury radiated heat against his exposed skin.
Warm. Soft. Perfect.
She glared up at him. “Let go of me.”
“Once you tell me the truth.”
“Damn you, let go.” She jerked back. Her attempts at breaking his hold only seated her deeper against his chest and groin.
“I do not like being lied to,” Kamen growled low.
“I didn’t lie to you.” She shoved at his chest.
He pivoted and backed her up against the rocks. “You lied to me about the shipment, and you are lying to me again. I have been very patient with you, Kitten. I have had about all I can take.” Kamen had been quiet for so long, but today was the wrong day to pick a fight with him.
Her blue eyes widened and for once her mouth was devoid of words.
He stared into her eyes. The blue was clear as flawless diamonds. His senses detected no deceit, but he knew it not to be true. His grip lightened a fraction. “Why are you down here?”
“To get away. I can’t breathe in that place.” Her gaze shifted to the palace.
Knowing the Mother Goddess was residing in the Underworld, the answer was not unexpected but did not explain why she was all wet. Or, did it. “You cannot escape through those gates.”
“Yeah, I get it. When can we leave?”
“There is no shipment coming in. What is the rush?”
Her face flushed red. “Fuck you and don’t ever call me Kitten again,” she hissed and ducked under his arm.
Kitten? Had he called her that? He snapped his head to the right and tracked the sway of her hips down the beach. Behind the curtain of hair a vestige of skin was exposed. The diamond pattern scales tracked down her back. Was it any coincidence a rattlesnake was chosen for her initiation to the Nehebkau?
Short fused. Lethal. Strike and retreat.
He should let it be, as Asar suggested, but damn if he would let her off that easy. Not today. Angered she dismissed him, he prowled up behind her. The predator inside him urged him forward, mapping her weaknesses and strengths. The assessment only highlighted the long line of her spine, slim waist and the curve of ass in wet leather. None of which helped his growing
aggression that was morphing into arousal. With each step closer to his prize, he wanted her more in a way he could never have.
Before he did something he regretted, he descended upon her and flung her over his shoulder. He dematerialized and reappeared in front of her room.
He yanked the door open and set her down inside. “Do not ever lie to me again—Kitten.”
She stood there with her fist clenched, like she was ready to punch him in the face.
“I will take you to the human realm—tomorrow!”
“Tomorrow?” she gasped.
“Until then, stay in the palace or your room if you like. The beach is off limits.” He stepped out into the hall and slammed the door. He willed himself to walk away. His hands shook violently along with his control, which was next to none at the moment.
He leaned against the door jam, praying she would lock the door.
Praying to the gods to spare her from him.
Chapter Three
Kit stood frozen, uncertain as to what just happened. She had never seen Kamen so unraveled or aggressive for that matter. Not that he didn’t have the potential to be. The male was a grenade with a bent pin. He was the epitome of a stuffy control freak but underneath stirred something quite dangerous. By the looks of it she had finally pulled the trigger.
She stepped closer to the door. His powerful essence remained planted on the other side. What would he do if she opened it? Bend her over his knee and spank her? Her internal sarcasm only placed a picture in her head that made her heart race. She traced the ornate carvings to the handle. A tickle of excitement stirred in her belly. Her nastiness finally got under his skin but had the complete opposite effect. He was not going away but remained there like a god damn cow in the road. Even now, as furious as he was with her, he stood unmoving on the other side of the door.
Did he think she would run again? Defy his orders? A part of her wanted to yank the door open and cuss him out. Who was he to boss her around?
The other part craved to grab him and kiss him. Imagine those large hands pinning her hips to the mattress. Those were the feelings she was trying to avoid but had been building over the last several months. The very reason she was acting like a royal bitch.
