Soul Unleashed (Key to the Cursed Book 4)

by Jean Murray

  “Set!” Kit jerked back several times, gaining only small ground with each attempt.

  The growls were getting closer. Releasing the handle, she pursued Set into the room. He stood staring at all the jars sitting on the shelves. These were different from the ones they had seen in the other rooms. Hieroglyphics marked each of them. Symbols, Kit realized, for the various gods. Not a speck of dust covered the ceramic canopic jars. A chair faced the rows as if someone had sat and stared at the collection for hours.

  “We need to get through that door.”

  “Not until I find it.” Set shoved the jars around.

  Kit turned in a circle. “There are thousands of them. We must leave.”

  A loud rumble followed by a quake shook the mountain. Jars toppled from the shelves and smashed onto the floor, spilling out nothing but ash. Kit toppled into the chair, barely catching her balance.

  “God, the barrier is down. We don’t have much time.” Apep had grown too strong on the misery of these cursed souls. She had to free them to drain him of his power.

  Another powerful quake shook the mountain. Kit left Set to his search. Rock rained down overhead, forcing her to take several detours. Finding another door, she leveraged her strength and pulled it open.

  Heat buffeted her face. The door opened to a bridge that crossed the center of the volcano. The lava beneath the stone arch belched and boiled fiery magma. Cells lined the black crater. Kit tracked the narrow stairs leading to the top. Stars shimmered above the shaft opening.

  “Father,” Kit cried out.

  She ran along the narrow path checking each cell. Half way up, she wondered if she had missed him. “Dad?”

  “Katherine.” Hands reached out to her through the bars.

  “Dad.” Kit recognized the thick curly brown hair. She gripped his hands.

  “Have you seen my Katherine? She ran away. I need to find her,” Jonathan Carrigan begged, terror coloring his voice.

  “I’m here. Safe.”

  “No. She is only twelve. Black hair. Blue eyes.” His wide panicked gaze stared through her.

  Realizing he was replaying a time long ago when she first told him of her dreams, her heart ached. He had refused to listen, dismissing it as just a nightmare she should ignore. With anger and hate in her heart she had run away to punish him.

  Shoving the saber into the lock she snapped it. “Come, let us find her together,” she said with guilt heavy in her chest. “There are others that can help us look for her. I think she may be down by the river. Do you remember how to get there?”

  “The master will not let us go.” Jonathan wringed his hands and stepped back into the darkness of the cell.

  Devastated to see her once proud and invincible father cower in the corner, Kit held out her hand. “Ammut has come to protect you.” Kit showed him the glyphs on her forearms and then Kamen’s mark on her chest. “She walks with us.”

  He focused on her then, his eyes clearing.

  “Mut is waiting for you in Aaru. As is Lilly and Kendra.”

  He took a hesitant step forward. “There is a boat that will take us there.”

  Tears filled Kit’s eyes and she nodded. “Yes, it is waiting for us to take you home.”

  “Is Katherine there?”

  “Her heart is. She is sorry for the pain she has caused you.”

  Jonathan grasped Kit’s hand. “She is one of a kind.”

  Knowing that all too well, Kit sighed. “Come, let us get some help.”

  He nodded and followed her. Lock after lock she freed the cursed souls. Too many to corral, they tittered on the edge of the narrow stairwell. She guided them up the mountain’s throat. Once at the top, she stared out over the land and river. From here there was a clear view of the entire realm and the barrier to Egypt. The temple of Thebes was no longer shadowed by the iridescent light. Blackness had descended to all the realms. The only light burned from the raging fires on the other side. Only a few siravants remained in Duat, circling the waters.

  Another rumble shook the mountain, along with screams below. The level of the magma surged upward. “Go. Go. Go,” Kit yelled.

  Panicked, the souls charged up the stairs, knocking each other off the ledge and into the fires below. A loud screech sounded from the sky as siravants flew straight towards them. “Down the mountain.”

  Thousands of souls spilled out over the edges and down the path. A small bridge extended over the moat. The path to the boat was not too far from their location. Kit ran to intercept the demons diving from the heavens and picking off the vulnerable and weak.

  “Take them to the boat,” she yelled to her father. “I will meet you there.”

  Sprinting off to the left, she slashed at the siravant as it tore into a shade. The saber met flesh and burst the demon into ash.

  A loud explosion shot burning ash and lava into the air. Rock and debris rained down upon her head. She shoved a few souls in the direction of the boat. They would be over capacity, but the dead were far safer outside the castle than in.

  Lava flows chased them down the hill and to the water, mowing down anyone who was not quick enough to get out of the way. Kit helped everyone onto the boat then walked back up the path looking for Set. She shoved at the hull, pushing it, but not as effectively as Set. “Set, where are you?”

  A crash of trees and footsteps sounded down the path. Set came charging out, carrying two jars in his hands. He slid them into his pockets and shouldered the vessel. Once in the water, he jumped up onto the deck.

  “Come.” He held out his hand.

  Kit stepped back on the shore. “Take them as you promised.”

  “And my freedom?”

  “The barrier will be open to the human realm for another thirty minutes. You must be through before it closes.”

  “Then our deal will be finished.” Set shoved the oar against the bank.

  “See you in five years.”

  Kit met the gaze of her father from the deck. He smiled and raised his hand. She waved back. If she succeeded, he would finally find peace.

  Steam rose from the riverbed as lava extended its reach towards the human realm. The farther the boat sailed, the slower the bright orange rock flowed. Kit ran up the embankment to watch the vessel disappear into the fog.

  She turned her gaze back to the eclipse where the larger battle raged. The Dark Lord was just on the other side. Death filled the air.

  A black figure stood in the path.

  Nebt. Kit should have expected the Underworld traitor would not be far from her master. The evil tainting the goddess’ soul called to Kit, darkening her vision. Hunger poured through her. “Are you ready?” Kit asked.

  Nebt sneered. “To rule the realms—yes.”

  “For judgment day.”

  The frown on Nebt’s face was the last of Kit’s visions before everything went black. Ammut would not be denied one final sacrifice.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  The curtain had fallen, and Duat’s demons were released upon the earth. Kamen stood in the blood soaked sand and surveyed the battle. Apep had yet to reveal himself, but that was his trick—hiding among them. Slithering in and out of the ranks. He was close, Kamen could taste it.

  The explosion of the volcano rocked the realms. Power surged up to the heavens in the form of burning rain and rock. Kamen swore he smelled roses in the current of heated air. He stared through the barrier, searching for Kit. Despite the distance, he saw a flash of white along the river. The Mesektet.

  The earth quaked beneath his feet. The pull of dark energy solidified in the open space in front of Kamen. Apep appeared with wings furled and teeth bared. The barb of his tail whipped around and struck Kamen in the chest. He flew backwards and slammed into the stone temple. Sandstone burst into fragments.

  Kamen rolled and dodged another blow. The Underworld forces that remained concentrated their attack on Apep. The dragon devoured anything standing in its path. It targeted Kamen and charged. Grabbing the two bo
ny horns at the top of its head, Kamen dug in his feet. The force slid him back against the temple wall. His shoulders cracked against the rock. With all his strength, Kamen held off the jaws from snapping him in half.

  The dragon’s scales began to shudder with smoke rolling off its back. Apep emerged in his human form, his wings shifting into a long black silk cloak.

  “Katherine,” Apep bellowed, stumbling back from Kamen. He turned his oily gaze to the barrier.

  Kamen stared through the barrier. The fiery eruption had gone dormant. Apep’s power was draining.

  Apep’s disfigured face targeted Kamen. “You will not contain me. As we speak my sickness is spreading, even among your kind. I will destroy you all. Ammut will surrender to me.”

  Rushing forward, Apep grabbed Kamen by the neck and lifted him off the ground. “Show yourself beast.”

  Despite Apep’s weakness, Kamen struggled against the Dark Lord’s hold.

  “Put him down.” Kit emerged through the veil. A path of bodies lay in her wake. Fire burned from her, behind her eyes and along her skin, like a phoenix, birthed by the volcano. Black blood covered her nails and teeth.

  Kamen stilled in Apep’s grasp. For as much as he longed to see her, it was not Kit standing before them.

  “It is me you want.” Ammut walked forward. Her orange gaze met Kamen’s. The beast inside his soul stirred, waking from a forced slumber.

  Apep discarded Kamen to the ground. “Ammut, at last we meet again.”

  Asar grabbed Kamen and dragged him away.

  Kamen knocked his brother’s hold. “I will not leave Kit.”

  “I am not suggesting you do. We need to get Apep and Ammut across the barrier before the moon shifts out of alignment. We do not have much time.”

  Kamen looked around at the forces surrounding him and his brother. His family was all that remained with only half of the Creation younglings. Thousands of bodies littered the battlefield. Siravants had begun consuming the souls of the dead. They had little reserve left in this fight.

  “We push the battle forward, Apep will have no other place to go but across.”

  “And my sister,” Lilly asked, wrapping her arm around Kendra.

  “I will go through with her,” Kamen said. His brother was right, the world was not safe with either—demon or beast. Kit could not control the power she had inside. Bloodlust would overtake her to the point she would not stop.

  Asar opened his mouth to argue but conceded. “You will not last long brother. Remember the toll from your last trip.”

  “I have not forgotten.”

  “Go with the gods.” Asar embraced him.

  “And, you brother.”

  Asar called the troops forward. The sound of their heavy footfalls announced the final wave. The sun’s aura shimmered along the borders, threatening to reveal itself. Kamen turned and ran towards the barrier, his brothers in arms not far behind.

  Engaging Apep would be pointless. The demon was solely focused on Ammut. Kamen intended on taking the one thing that would draw Apep back over. Running at full speed, he tackled Ammut. The energy reforming along the line tingled against his skin as they rolled to a stop on the other side of the barrier.

  Ammut jumped to her feet and slammed her fist into him. “My fight is not with you, Devourer.”

  “You have my wife. I will not let you destroy her in your crusade.”

  “Apep will meet his end.” Ammut stalked to the barrier.

  “Then do it here in his world.”

  Ammut’s fiery gaze met his. “You mean to trap me, like you did him. Control me, like you have for millenniums.”

  Kamen stood. “Yes.”

  Fury burned hotter in her gaze. Pain erupted in his chest as the beast connected with its other half. Pain sliced up his back and contorted his spine. He dropped to his knees and bellowed.

  “I will destroy you.” Ammut hit Kamen in the jaw and sent him flying across the now cooled stone.

  Ribs in his chest and spine cracked with the impact. She was on him, digging her claws into his chest. He yelled out as she ripped them free.

  Black mist formed and Apep appeared and smiled down at them. “Finish him.”

  “You have forgotten who the enemy is, Ammut,” Kamen said. “Who do you serve?”

  “Shut up, Devourer. I have seen what you have done. The evil you are capable of?”

  “Maybe you are right,” Kamen conceded and released her wrists. “Perhaps I have not changed since we met. My bond with Kit is nothing more than wishful thinking on my part.”

  She stood up and glared down at him. “You will die here today, Kamen. Kit has foreseen it.”

  Kamen did not need Kit to tell him his time was limited. He had seen it in her eyes, he just wanted to savor her presence as long as he could. Even with Asar’s help, he could not avoid his punishment forever. “And, so I will, as was intended in the beginning.”

  He staggered to stand, sensing the shift of energy. Water snaked its way along the now dry riverbed of bones to Aaru. The barrier began to shimmer with light. Pulling his weapon, Kamen turned to Apep. “I will not die in vain.”

  Apep followed Kamen’s gaze to the almost complete barrier. The demon let out a screech and morphed into a dragon. Kamen launched and sliced a long jagged wound in Apep’s wing. The dragon crashed into the sandbar. Undeterred, Apep slammed into the barrier but was driven back by Asar and the forces on the other side.

  Kamen pursued, slashing and pummeling the Dark Lord with what strength he had left. Apep speared Kamen in the chest and threw him across the black riverbank. Blood spilled out over the rock. Ammut stared down at him as he struggled to stand.

  “Why do you bother?”

  Kamen focused on Apep and forced his legs under him. “I do it for my family and my mate.” He spit the blood from his mouth.

  “You would die for her?” Ammut asked with surprise.

  Kamen splinted his side and glanced at Ammut. “Yes.”

  “Your twin would not do the same.”

  “I am not Set.”

  “He will have his freedom once this is all said and done. A deal made by your mate.”

  Kamen nodded, despite his surprise Kit would make such a promise, knowing how he felt about his brother. However, he could not bring forth the anger he had once felt for Set.

  “So, you do not have his ambition to gain the throne.”

  “You have been in my soul to know, I have no such aspirations.” He lifted his weapon off the ground, irritated by Ammut’s sudden interest and lack of engagement with Apep. The moon only held a tiny sliver of light. Only when it released the sun fully would the barrier be intact.

  He leapt and forced his blade into Apep’s thick hide. The Dark Lord descended upon him. The last blow left Kamen immobile and gasping for breath. The light burst bright in the sky as the energy barrier ignited and sealed the realms.

  Apep bellowed his fury and turned on Kamen. Shifting to his god form, Apep glowered down at him. “You will pay for what you have done.”

  Kamen blinked, his life source fading. “You cannot hurt me.”

  “No?” Apep sneered and raised his weapon.

  At peace with his decisions, Kamen braced himself for the final blow. As the blade swung down, black hair and fire flashed before Kamen’s eyes.

  The Dark Lord stumbled back, clutching his chest. Ash spilled between his fingertips.

  “You will be no more,” Ammut said, lowering the sacred blade.

  Apep rushed her. Spewing ash across the ground, his body crumbled with each step forward. The Dark Lord’s remains fell at the feet of Ammut.

  Kamen stared at the sky above. The dark cloud of siravants rained down from the heavens, revealing the bright blue the universe. The sound of battle beyond the barrier faded, followed by utter silence.

  Ammut stood over Kamen, her eyes ablaze with power. “You are worthy, Prince. Your penance has been paid.”

  She knelt down and kissed his lips. “Rest, fo
r this is your realm now.”

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Kit woke to soft rocking. Pushing up, she scanned the black deck of the Mesektet. Blue sky reclaimed the realm of the damned. She had no idea how she had ended up back here. The last clear memory was of Nebt.

  Staring down at her blood soaked hands, she choked a sob. Her memories were fuzzy, but one thing was certain—Kamen was dead just as she had envisioned it. Pain and agony burrowed into her soul, robbed of what it wanted most. Curling on her side, she pulled the blankets to her chest and cried until no more tears fell.

  She stared at the wood, clean of all the ash and mud. The white canopy flapped in the warm breeze. Not wanting to move or think of the world beyond, she pinched her eyes shut. It would not be the same for her without Kamen.

  Footsteps along the timber drew her eyes open. She lay there hating whoever it was. The large shape formed behind the sail.

  “You are a fool, Set for not taking what was given to you,” Kit said.

  He shifted around the benches to the back of the boat where she lay. She closed her eyes, not wanting him to see her tears, even as he stooped over her.

  A warm brush of his fingertips had her jerking out of his reach. “How dare—” Kit’s breath caught in her throat, her voice stolen from her.

  “Kitten.” Kamen’s black eyes stared back at her.

  “You’re dead,” Kit said, tears renewing in her eyes.

  “In a matter of speaking.” He reached out to her.

  She scurried back, fearful. “I don’t understand.”

  His face softened and he stretched his reach further. “Come to me.”

  Staring at his hand, she hesitated. With all her heart she wanted it to be him. Could it be some trick, perhaps Apep had not been destroyed as she believed.

  “Damn woman, you are stubborn,” he grunted. Snagging her wrist, he dragged her into his chest. With the heat of his touch burning her skin he captured her mouth in a kiss. A kiss that took her breath away. “I love you,” he rasped.

  She relaxed against his chest, drawn into the familiarity of his lips and body.