by Jean Murray
Chapter Eighteen
The warriors hammered the last bracing to repair the mast. The white sail waved proudly once more above the ancient deck. Four thousand years this vessel made way. Kamen ran his hand against the smooth black wood. The timber might as well have been iron for how solid the craftsmanship. Heavy, but balanced, the bow of the vessel could cut through even the largest of waves and still stay upright.
The jingle of irons drew Kamen’s attention to the gangplank leading to the deck. Set shuffled to the first row of seats. A new iron had been welded to the deck for the very purpose of locking the chains in place. His brother was going nowhere until Kamen had Kit in his arms unharmed.
“I cannot steer from here,” Set complained.
“You will not be doing the driving.” Kamen had been a master boatman, racing Set up and down the Nile. He might be a little rusty, but he felt at home on the water.
“We are sure to perish then.” Set snorted.
“If we do not find her, I will make sure you do.” Kamen threw off the lines, making ready to get underway.
“Wait,” Asar called out and escorted Kendra in her white flowing priestess gown. Her pure aura did not miss Kamen and even Set’s appreciation.
“Gentlemen,” Kendra greeted with a bow. “A little blessing before you get underway.”
Set frowned and returned his stare to the deck.
Kamen had never found prayer all that helpful, but even he would not deny Kendra her wish. Anything that would give them an advantage would help. Kamen shoved Set to his knees and followed suit.
Kendra stretched out her hand while holding the spell book in the other. “Thou openest thy two eyes and thou dost behold among them. Remove thou storms of rain and desolation and give thou sunshine to the land of Duat with fecundity during the night-time. Exalt protection over the princes of Nut and Geb, may the gods guide them through treachery unharmed. Thy foes are destined for slaughter, since they are not steadfast at all because of thy name. Make firm thy limbs for thee, oh Un-Nofer—life, stability and health. For thy flesh causeth the heart to rest and return to us safe. May Kamen find the beauty of life in the darkness and bring our sister home.”
Kamen looked up at Kendra. It had been so long since anyone addressed him as prince, a crown long since tarnished. “I will find her.” A promise he would see through to the end.
Her smile warmed the air around them. “I know you will. Be careful.” She glanced at Set who resumed picking the dirt out of his nail in the middle of her prayer.
Kamen waited until Kendra and Asar disembarked before rising to his feet. He grabbed Set by the back of the neck, picked him up and shoved him back on the seat. “Show some gods damn respect.”
“You think that prayer is going to do anything to keep us safe, you are sorely mistaken,” Set said, shrugging off Kamen’s grasp.
Kamen nodded to Asar and threw off the last line. His family stood on the dock, even Lilly and the Mother Goddess. Apprehension and fear filtered through each of their expressions. He prayed he would see them again. Kamen pulled the oar free of its ring and pushed off the dock. He returned to the starboard side and guided the vessel away from the gates.
Kendra’s soft voice uttered words to the goddess of the winds. The sail caught the breeze and pushed the boat towards the fog.
The weight of Set’s stare made Kamen turn. “I have not forgotten.”
“For our sake and the sake of your female let us hope you haven’t.” Set’s gaze drifted upward above the mast as the fog rolled over the bow. The warmth of Aaru faded, replaced by a cold damp chill.
Kamen steered into the fog. They would be sailing blind through the boundary. His hand slipped down to his weapon. He had brought the sword upon Asar’s insistence. Perhaps a reminder to keep his focus outward and not on the beast stirring in his chest. The rocking of the boat did little to calm Kamen’s nerves. Instead nausea churned his gut. For the first time, he had something to lose. The odds were slim he would find her—he knew this but refused to accept the outcome. Failure was not an option.
The scent of rotten wood and ash choked the mist. His skin and clothes dampened with the moisture in the air. Kamen lost sight of Set with ten feet of fog between them. Only the jingle of his irons pinpointed his brother’s location.
Kamen’s skin prickled with energy the deeper they plunged into Duat. The current surged and light succumbed to darkness. The oar jerked in Kamen’s grasp, nearly breaking his hold. Another strong tug pulled the oar forward, slamming Kamen into the side of the boat.
“Pull the oar out of the water,” Set yelled.
Kamen released his weapon and grasped the oar with both hands. The waves pitched the boat, throwing Kamen into the side. He grasped the wood to prevent from falling overboard.
“Unlock me before you capsize us.”
Kamen leveraged his feet and yanked back, breaking the hold the sea had on the long staff. He stumbled back and slammed into the opposite side of the boat. The hull wood groaned and creaked with each crashing wave. Water poured over the edges and filled the deck. He trailed his hand along the railing to the aft and captured the rudder in his hands. He muscled the large handle and turned the stern into the waves.
Shadows of the benches and sides of the boat began to form around Kamen. The boat shot forward, piercing the barrier and breaching the fog layer. The ballast of the boat landed with a heavy thud and walls of water shot up on either side. Water on the deck rushed out the side port holes. The irons empty of their prisoner.
“Set!” Kamen snarled and surged to the front of the boat. A whistle eddied from behind. Set swung and cracked Kamen in the head with the oar. Stars showered in Kamen’s vision, but he lunged at his twin.
Kamen blocked several more blows before he seized Set by the throat. “Nice try.” He threw Set across the deck. Benches splintered into a multitude of pieces in his wake.
Set scrambled across the wood and grabbed Kamen’s sword.
Unfettered, Kamen stalked forward. “Do you think me so stupid not to anticipate your betrayal?”
“If you knew, why did you bring me?” Set swiped the blade.
Kamen lunged at the opening. He grasped Set’s wrist and twisted until his bones snapped. Set roared and dropped the weapon. Lifting Set up, Kamen thrust him out over the water. “Why do you think I brought you along?” Kamen sneered, wanting nothing more than to feed his twin to the water serpents.
Black tubular bodies rolled and snapped at the surface.
“No!” Set’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t.”
“You would be better in the water than onboard with me,” Kamen hissed in a low beastly voice. The beast reared up to protect him and threatened to tip Kamen’s control.
Set gripped Kamen’s forearm. “What has Asar done to you?”
“Asar has given me a second chance to make up for my mistakes. Mistakes you are going to help me correct. Refuse—and I will drop your ass into this water.”
“If I help you, what do I get out of it?”
“You get to keep your limbs attached to your body.”
Set stilled.
“I am glad we understand each other,” Kamen said and pulled Set back onto the boat.
Set shrugged out of Kamen’s grasp and pushed back his tangle of hair. “This female must be important for you to risk coming here.”
“She is none of your concern. All you need to worry about is getting me to her last location.” Kamen retrieved the oar and handed it to Set. “Deviate and you and I will finish this here and now.”
Set frowned and palmed the oar. “It is not as easy as you think. This landscape changes.”
“For your sake, I think you better get started.”
Set turned his back to Kamen and slid the oar into the ring. The boat sailed forward towards the horizon. The land in the distance was a mere speck. The journey here although short had taken too much time. Miles of water stood between Kamen and Kit. Time he feared neither of them had.
Hot
daggers of pain raced up Kamen’s spine. Sweat beaded against his already damp skin. He leaned against the rail to steady himself. The confrontation with Set threatened to usurp his control over the beast. He clamped his teeth together to prevent his jaw from elongating and dug his claws into the hard wood. He could not lose control. Not yet.
“What did Nebt offer you?” Kamen asked in attempt to distract himself from the pain inside.
Set glared over his shoulder. “An opportunity to kill you.”
“Would it bring you peace, if I was dead?” Kamen forced his legs to hold his weight and moved to the bench.
“I thought you were dead until Nebt informed me your life had been spared.”
“Your hate has not lessened, even after all these centuries.”
“You betrayed me,” Set growled.
“Betrayed you? You lied to me about Asar. Turned me against him so you could enact your revenge, and for what? Your jealousy.”
“I am the rightful heir to the throne, not him.”
“You still believe that?” Kamen shook his head in disbelief. “After all you have proven to the contrary. You assassinated our brother and used me to do it. And, you are the one feeling betrayed?”
“If you had just kept your mouth shut, neither one of us would be cursed.”
Sadly, they had been cursed long before at their birth and followed that path willingly. “You may have been able to live with your sins, but I could not.” Not after he had learned of Set’s deception. Set had accused Asar of plotting to kill their mother in an attempt to gain rulership over the lands. However, it was Set’s plan, not Asar’s. A fact Kamen did not discover until long after Asar was killed and relegated to live his days in the Underworld. He had run from the truth for many years, until the guilt drove him to surrender and confess his sins, condemning Set along with him.
Set’s treachery brought the realization that evil had found its way into the souls of the gods. To banish any future crimes, the Creators harnessed the power to absolve immortality in the form of a dagger. The Mevt daggers. Given to the one god who knew first-hand the consequences of betrayal and death. A gift passed from Asar to his own son, Bakari.
Set’s hatred had taken hold long ago and no amount of penance would change his thinking. The very reason he knew Set would not give up on his quest to see Kamen dead. But, he could not worry about that now, not with Kit’s life hanging in the balance.
“Can you not make this vessel go faster?” Kamen asked, staring at the peaks of land forming before them.
“Unlike you, brother, I avoid running head long into death.”
Chapter Nineteen
“No!” Kit backed away from her father, her heels slipping into the water.
“You need to stay out of the river, Katherine.” Her father raised his palms, cautioning her.
“Get away from me.” Kit retreated deeper into the cold water, having nowhere else to go. The bank was too high and muddy on this end to climb. The small patch upon which she stood narrowed with each step back.
“Easy.” He warily eyed the black current. “I know you are scared, but you need to come with me.”
“Go to hell.” How could she believe anything her father said? He lied to her when he was alive. Apep would know this and would use her father’s shadow to manipulate her.
“We are in hell. Duat, actually. It’s all the same, no matter what you call it.”
God, it sounded just like her father’s condescending tone. All the more reason to get away from him. She scanned the area. Apep and his demons could be anywhere, ready to pick her off. Maybe this was all a delay tactic. She grasped the exposed roots of the trees to keep her footing.
“I don’t have much time to help you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I can only block him out for so long.” He rubbed his temple. “He knows you are here.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
“It’s not your time to be here. Not yet. You need to transition.”
The mere mention of the word, transition, sent ice through Kit’s veins. Worse, he said she was destined to return to this shit hole. She belonged in Duat? “No,” she said, shaking her head, not wanting to accept her vision as Apep’s queen. She wouldn’t be like her father and accept her fate. “I won’t.”
“You have no choice,” her father said with sorrow filling his voice. His gaze strayed to the blackness along her arm. “It is the only way to save your soul.”
“No,” Kit shouted and ran knee-deep into the water. “There is always a choice.” She was in control of her life, no one else. Unlike her father, she would fight her dreams. Fight becoming what her mother wanted her to be.
“Not this time.”
As the water rushed around her waist, she shivered. “I am no one’s slave.” Ripping her from the shore, the frigid water took her breath away and settled a painful ache to her joints. The roar of the current muffled her father’s cries. She struggled to keep her head above water and fight the painful knots forming in her muscles.
A loud screech sounded above. The water sucked her under before she could locate the source. Kicking, she surfaced to inhale another breath before allowing the water to pull her back down. Shadows flickered above the fast moving current. Her lungs burned, but she held the breath, allowing the undercurrent to pull her harder and faster.
She breached the surface again and choked on the water. Struggling to keep her head up, her entire body curled in painful contractions. She was going to drown or die of hypothermia before she ever reached the gates. Kit glimpsed a flicker of white in the distance.
A boat.
God, could it be the same one she had seen on the beach? Shit, it didn’t matter. She fought the current in the direction of her only hope. The once turbulent water flattened, halting any progress she may have had towards the ship.
Behind her the water erupted in a frenzy. Large eels snaked towards her. She swam as hard as she could towards the boat, instinct and adrenalin driving her.
Jagged teeth cinched down on her leg and ripped her back. She screamed and kicked at the eel’s head. Two others descended and grabbed her other leg and dragged her beneath the water.
She kicked but couldn’t break the hold. A loud splash sounded above her head. The last of her air escaped her lungs, leaving room for the water to rush down her throat. She struggled to breathe but the water suffocated her with darkness.
* * *
Kamen sliced his claws against the serpents holding Kit. Blood flooded the water, and the two other creatures turned on their own kind long enough for Kamen to thrust them both to the surface. With one arm wrapped around her chest, Kamen side stroked back to the boat.
“Throw the line,” Kamen shouted.
Set stood on the side, holding onto the rigging. “Give her to me.”
“Fuck you.” Kamen clung to Kit. He wasn’t giving her up, not to his brother.
“By the time I loosen the knots, the serpents will be upon you.” Set reached out his hand.
Kamen reluctantly released Kit’s limp body to his brother. Set lifted her up and over the side. Not liking the fact he lost sight of her, he thrust his arms and legs and launched himself up out of the water and onto the deck.
Set hovered over Kit, staring at her with curious black eyes. “Your fair lass has drowned herself.”
Kamen shoved Set out of the way and knelt down next to Kit. “Get the blankets out of the back.” Her chest failed to rise and fall and her lips had turned blue. He sealed his mouth over her lips and exhaled a breath into her lungs. He let it escape and gave another breath. “Com’on Kitten, breathe.” Kamen shook her. He gave several more breaths and waited.
Set dropped the blankets next to Kit, and Kamen quickly covered her up then sealed his lips over hers again. Again and again he blew breath into her lungs. Realizing she may not recover, his hands began to shake. If she died in Duat, who knew what would happen to her soul. There was only one
way to bring her back. It would either revive her or finish her completely.
He cut his finger open and raised a drop of his blood.
“Do you think that wise,” Set said, sitting on the bench like some damn spectator.
One drop of crimson landed on her lips and rolled into her mouth. He did not dare give her more for fear of what the beast’s blood would do to her. He sealed his lips over hers again and blew a long hard breath.
Her back stiffened and she arched up off the deck. Water spewed out her mouth in a protracted retch, followed by a high pitched wheeze. Her eyes shot open and she clawed at his chest. His measure was only temporary, anything more would bind her to him permanently. He had only given enough to shock Kit into consciousness and get her breathing again, but he was not certain how long it would last. He needed Lilly to save her.
“Get us back to Aaru—now!” Kamen barked.
Set pushed up off the bench and sauntered to the oar. The boat shifted forward and gained speed. His brother searched the sky. “Apep is on the move.”
“Do not fail me, brother.”
Set frowned. “Whatever you say.”
Kamen scooped Kit up and walked aft of the ship to a small alcove. After stripping her out of her wet clothes, he shucked off his shirt. Pressing her cold naked body against his chest, he wrapped the rest of the blankets around her and forced his body to warm to an uncomfortable level. Her breathing was much too shallow for his liking.
Screams sounded in the distance. Based on the ache between his shoulders, the Dark Lord could not be far. Worse, he had to put his faith in his brother and hope he would do as he was told.
Despite the dire circumstances, all that mattered was the life cradled in his arms. He would not rest until she was safe. Only then would he relinquish his hold on the beast.
Chapter Twenty
The soft rocking and the smell of blood and death woke Kit from her nightmare of being drowned by monsters. Large arms held her tightly against a solid bare chest. Kamen. She had memorized every hard plane of muscle down to the scattering of fine hair over his chest and abdomen.
