Chenery, Marisa - Turquoise Eye of Horus [Egyptian Shifters 1] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Неизвестный

  Horus quickly rolled off the bed. It didn’t take him long to don his loin cloth and kilt. He needed to return to Codie in his falcon form. If Seth did have plans for Codie, he didn’t want her to be alone. He had claimed her as his. He couldn’t allow his uncle to have her.

  Chapter 4

  Codie drank what remained of her water. It hadn’t been enough. She knew she was getting severely dehydrated. Her tongue felt thick and her lips had cracked. She could barely work up enough saliva to swallow.

  Placing the empty water bottle back in her pack, Codie went and lay down on her sleeping bag. She had given up hope of ever being found. She briefly thought of trying to find her own way out of the desert, but quickly decided against it. With no water, being out in the open would be a sure way to die. Besides that, she felt too weak to even try. The lack of water had made her lethargic.

  She scanned the skies. The falcon had been gone when she had awakened. She’d had to fight back the tears that threatened to spill over when she noticed he had left her. Crying over a bird would not do her any good. Nor would losing what moisture she had left in her body by shedding useless tears. Codie closed her eyes and held onto her pendant. She wanted to sleep, to return to her dream lover, but sleep eluded her. Instead, she whispered Horus’ name, wishing he was as real as the Horus she had made love to while asleep. If he were a real god and not part of her delusional fantasy, he certainly would have been able to get her out of the desert.

  The cry of a falcon had her quickly trying to sit up. Not wanting to get her hopes up that it would be her falcon, as she had come to think of him, Codie shaded her eyes and watched a dark spot move ever closer. Seeing that it indeed appeared to be the same falcon, and that he had brought her another fish, she squashed the tears of relief that burned behind her eyes.

  The falcon swooped in and dropped the fish so it landed on the ground next to her. He circled back and came to land close to where she sat. Codie reached out her arm and smiled as he hopped up onto it.

  With the back of her hand, she stroked the feathers on his chest. “So that’s where you have been. You went fishing for me again.” Almost as if he understood her, the falcon bobbed his head at her. Codie smiled.

  Turning to look at the large fish, she debated whether or not to relight the fire. She didn’t like to eat sushi, but with her wood supply so low, she really didn’t have much choice in the matter. She had been snapping off branches of the tree that she used for shelter. She couldn’t afford to lose its shade.

  With a gulp, Codie brought the fish closer to her. Luckily for her, the falcon had already killed it. Reaching into her pack, she pulled out the multi-tool she had brought with her. After watching a few survival type shows, and seeing how it had helped the survivors in many ways, she had gone out and picked one up. Also from watching one of those shows she had learned that eating raw fish helped replace some of the moisture in one’s body. It seemed all well and good to know that information, but actually having to eat the raw fish would be another matter entirely.

  Flipping open the knife in the multi-tool, Codie slowly cut a slit down the fish’s belly. As she worked, the falcon moved to perch on her shoulder. Trying not to gag, she pulled out the guts. She threw them away from her, to be buried in the sand as she had done with the remnants of the fish from the day before. Once she cut one side of the fish off, she cut a small section away. Before she could really think about what she would be eating, Codie popped the raw fish into her mouth and chewed as quickly as she could. It took her a couple of tries to get it all down, but at least it stayed down.

  She managed to just about finish a quarter of the fish before her stomach started to rebel. Not wanting to throw up the much needed nourishment, Codie set the fish aside. She didn’t know what to do with the rest of it. Thinking maybe the falcon would eat what remained, she cut a piece from it and offered it to the bird. Not interested in the food, he turned his head away.

  With a shrug, she said, “At least you can afford to be picky.” Codie set about clearing away the mess. Once finished, she used sand and charcoal to clean the fish from her hands. The falcon screamed, hopped off her shoulder and then suddenly took to the air. Wondering what had upset him, Codie looked in the direction the falcon had flown. In the distance, she could see what looked like a brown wave headed in her direction. It took a few minutes for her brain to process what she looked at. Another sand storm had moved in.

  The falcon dive bombed her, pushing her back toward her sleeping bag. Realizing the sleeping bag would be the only cover available to her, Codie quickly got into it and zipped it around her. Scrunching down until it covered her head, she pulled the ends in. She heard the falcon cry again seconds before the sand storm hit. Lying, listening to the wind howling around her, Codie hoped the falcon had managed to fly away in time.

  Codie lost all track of time. She had no idea how long the stand storm lasted. When the wind finally subsided and she no longer felt the sand buffeting her, she slowly pulled the sleeping bag away from her head. The sight that met her eyes made her want to cry. The sand had torn through her camp obliterating everything in its path. The tree, her only respite from the sun’s burning rays, had taken the most damage. Most of its branches had been ripped away, leaving her exposed.

  Disheartened, Codie pulled the sleeping bag back over her head. Defeated, she touched the turquoise around her neck and willed herself to sleep.

  * * * *

  Horus sensed the instant Codie fell asleep. In mid-flight, he willed himself to her. She stood in the middle of his chamber looking lost and forlorn. The sand storm had taken its toll on her. His temper flared. He fisted his hands at his sides. As soon as the storm hit, he had known it had been his uncle’s handiwork. Somehow Seth must have realized he had come to help Codie in his falcon form. Horus quickly pushed back his anger when Codie turned to face him. At the sight of a lone tear streaking down her cheek, he held open his arms to her. She quickly crossed the distance between them and threw herself at him.

  She held him tightly, almost as if she were afraid to let him go. “I can’t do this anymore, Horus. It’s too much. I don’t want to ever wake up.”

  Taking her by the arms, Horus pulled Codie away from him so he could look in her eyes. “Don’t say that. You must not give up hope. You will survive this.”

  “How can I? It’s all gone. I don’t have any more water. The sand storm took away the only shade I had. I’m going to roast out in the sun. Please. I just want to stay here with you.”

  Horus felt Codie slipping away. Not back to the mortal realm, but to the place that would only lead to her death. Knowing of one way to keep her here with him, he pulled her up against him and claimed her lips in a searing kiss. He poured all that he felt for her into it. Knowing how easily he could lose her, he knew he could never let her go. He loved her as he had never loved anything in his very long life. She made him feel things he had never felt before. She would survive this, and once she returned to safety, he’d come to her and claim her as his mate in the real world.

  He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed. Placing her on it, he followed her down so he lay half on top of her. Continuing to kiss her, he urged her lips apart needing to taste her. She moaned into his mouth, telling as nothing else would that she had completely returned to him.

  Not having the patience to do it the mortal way, Horus willed their clothes away. The feel of her naked skin pressed to him sent his senses reeling. Cupping her full breast in his hand, he left her mouth and flicked his tongue against her taut nipple. Codie moaned again as she clutched at his shoulders. He tongued her nipple again and then sucked it deep inside his mouth. Codie threaded her fingers through his hair, holding him to her as he sucked at her breast.

  Releasing her nipple, Horus dragged his tongue up her chest to her chin, nipping it with his teeth. “Touch me, Codie. I need to feel your hands on my body.”

  Codie traced a finger along his lips. “I want to touch you. Just
the thought of having you on your back, letting me have my way with you turns me on like nothing else. I didn’t get a chance the last time.”

  His cock jumped at the thought of having Codie on top of him as she ran her mouth and tongue over every inch of his body. Rolling onto his back, he pulled her so she lay sprawled atop him. “Now’s your chance to torture me with that sweet tasting mouth of yours.”

  A small smile played on Codie’s lips. “Oh, I intend to do just that.”

  Sitting up so she straddled his hips, Codie traced the muscles of his chest with heavy lidded eyes. She had thrown her long auburn hair back over her shoulders, giving him an unobstructed view of her full breasts. He circled her rose hued nipples with the tip of his finger. Codie pushed his hand away.

  “You’re not going to distract me. I haven’t even begun yet.”

  Codie leaned forward and placed small kisses across the width of his chest. When she reached his male flat nipples, she dragged the flat of her tongue across them. Then with maddening slowness, she inched lower down on his body. She pressed her lips to his skin, flicking her tongue against it. The lower she went the more his cock throbbed.

  At the first touch of her fingers on his hard cock, Horus groaned. It felt like torture. He resisted the urge to flip Codie onto her back and ram into her welcoming heat. He could tell she enjoyed what she did to him. He didn’t want to take that pleasure away from her.

  Gently she dragged her nails up his full length. At the tip, she used her finger to rub the bead of moisture she found there into his skin. She licked her lips, took a firm hold of his cock, and bent to circle the head with her tongue. Horus moaned. The feel of her mouth on him, pleasuring him, almost became too much. The feeling increased when Codie opened her mouth and took as much of his cock into her mouth as she could manage. He flexed his hips as she alternated between sucking and swirling her tongue around the head of his cock.

  Just before he reached the point of no return, Horus tugged at Codie’s arm. Knowing what he wanted, she released him and shifted so his cock nestled against her dripping pussy. She shifted again and positioned herself. When she had him where she wanted him, she slowly pushed down, impaling herself on his hard shaft.

  With her bottom lip between her teeth, Codie sat up and slowly started to ride him. Finding her pace, she arched her hips as she slid up and down his thick shaft. In this position, he was buried so deeply inside her the head of his cock hit her womb with each stroke in. Her strong inner muscles clutched around him, squeezing him. Her breasts bounced slightly as she moved on him.

  Horus felt his climax build, but he wanted Codie to come first. Placing a finger where their two bodies joined together, he rubbed her clit. Codie’s movements grew jerky. Soon a keening moan slipped past her lips as her orgasm took her over. With her body clutching at his, Horus could no longer hold back his release. With a firm hold on Codie’s hips, he held her steady as he rammed up into her. As an intense orgasm tore through him, he arched up into her, almost lifting her off the bed.

  Codie collapsed on top of him. Horus wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. Slowly their breathing returned to normal. He gently pushed her hair away from her face. Codie turned her head and placed a kiss on his chest. She propped her chin on it so she could look up at him.

  “I don’t want to go back, Horus. It feels too good to be here like this with you.”

  “I’d like nothing more than for you to stay here with me, Codie, but you must return. You are my mate. I won’t give you up without a fight. I will not allow death to take you from me.”

  “I want to be your mate. But no one has found me and my time is running out. Why haven’t they found me?”

  Before Horus could answer her, he stiffened beneath her. Something felt wrong. He sucked in a breath as an image flashed inside his head. Taking Codie’s face between both his hands, he stared into her eyes. “You have to wake up now, Codie. When you do, don’t move until I come to you. Do you understand?”

  Codie nodded her head. Hoping she would do as he had asked, Horus gave her a mental push that would send her back to her body and wakefulness.

  Chapter 5

  Suddenly awake, Codie found herself back in the stifling confines of her sleeping bag. Drenched in sweat, she felt as if she couldn’t get enough oxygen. Even though in her dream Horus had told her not to move, Codie needed air. Not really knowing why Horus would have wanted her to remain still, she slowly pushed her head out of the sleeping bag. The instant her head cleared the top of the bag, she froze.

  Not a foot away from where she lay sat a sand viper, coiled, ready to strike. Taking shallow breaths, so as not to cause the viper to strike, Codie stared at it in horror. The sand viper was one of the most poisonous snakes in Egypt. She felt pretty sure one bite from it would be enough to kill.

  The viper’s tongue flicked in and out, scenting the air. Her muscles clenched from the effort it took not to move. Her brain screamed at her to run, but she knew that would be the worst thing to do. Horus had said to wait for him to come to her before he had sent her back. Realistically, Codie didn’t think she had a chance in hell of having a real Egyptian god come to her rescue. She only hoped if she stayed still long enough the viper would lose interest in her and be on its way.

  When the viper coiled its body tighter, Codie knew her luck had run out. Just as she expected the viper to strike, her falcon swooped down and snatched it up in his sharp talons. Dropping to the sand a short distance away, he jabbed his sharp beak through the snake’s head, killing it instantly.

  Codie unzipped her sleeping bag and sat up. The falcon picked the dead snake up in its beak and threw it away. She watched it hop toward her. He had swooped out of the sky, honing directly on the snake. Codie realized this couldn’t be an ordinary falcon.

  It couldn’t be a coincidence that she wore the Eye of Horus around her neck, and that a falcon had come to her in her time of need. Nor the fact that every time she slept she had dreams of Horus, and erotic ones at that. In ancient Egyptian art Horus was represented as a falcon-headed god, or just as a falcon. Could this falcon really be the Horus?

  Codie studied the falcon as he came and hopped up onto her outstretched arm. “Horus?” she whispered. The falcon cocked his head to the side and stared back at her. Codie shook her head at her foolishness. This had to be a wild sooty falcon, one that for some reason had attached himself to her. He probably sensed she needed help. Wild dolphins had been documented helping survivors whose ships had sunk in the ocean. And reportedly, some of those dolphins even managed to drive away sharks before they could attack the people they protected. The falcon had to have done the same thing for her when he killed the sand viper.

  The day wore on. Her thirst grew more intense as the hours ticked by. Without the tree’s shade, the heat felt that much worse. Her baseball cap did little to block the sun’s rays. Codie wanted nothing more than to lie back and go to sleep, but each time she tried to do just that, the falcon would scream in warning. The first time he did it, she thought another sand viper had once again found her. She searched the camp frantically, only to realize there was nothing there. The third time she had tried to sleep, the falcon screamed the instant her head hit her sleeping bag. It dawned on Codie that he did it on purpose to keep her awake.

  By late afternoon, Codie started to feel really ill. She felt pretty sure she was near to having sun stroke, if she didn’t already have it. Even though it was extremely hot, her body was wracked with chills. She found it hard to think straight.

  The falcon had at one point moved off her arm and sat on the sleeping bag next to her. Not once had he left her side, not even when the sun burned at its hottest and he could have gone to find some respite from the heat. Unable to focus her thoughts in her muddled brain, Codie’s head bobbed as she grew more lethargic. The falcon screamed. This time when she looked over at him to tell him he annoyed her each time he did that, she surprisingly found him not looking at her but at something in the d
istance. Trying to focus her eyes, Codie searched the sand to see what had caught the falcon’s attention.

  At first she couldn’t see anything. Slowly, she focused her eyes on what looked like a small funnel of whirling sand. Shading her eyes to get an even better look, she didn’t think it could be another sand storm brewing. It seemed too small and too compact. She watched as it came ever closer. “Oh, shit.” The falcon hopped off the sleeping bag and moved until he positioned himself in front of her at her feet.

  Once the swirling funnel of sand arrived, it stopped in the middle of her camp. Unbelievably, it stayed in one spot as it hovered a few inches above the ground. The falcon spread his wings, almost as if he wanted to hold the funnel back and would not allow it to come near her. In reaction, the sand funnel started to change. It grew taller as the sand slowly dropped to the ground. Slowly, the shape of a man began to appear inside the swirling sand. Codie rubbed her eyes, thinking they had to be playing a trick on her. But the longer she looked, the more the man took shape, taking on solidity bit by bit until he stood tall and strong before her.

  Codie stared. The man looked like an ancient Egyptian, dressed in a similar fashion as Horus had been in her dreams. He wore nothing but a pristine white linen kilt. Letting her eyes travel up his body, she noted he was just as muscular as Horus. At his face the similarities ended. He would be considered good looking, but he had a cruel look about him. His dark brown eyes stared down at her. He had to be able to see how much of a dire situation she found herself in, but from the satisfied smile he wore, she could tell it thrilled him to see her in such a condition.

  She jumped as he threw back his head and laughed. He then stared down at the falcon. “Well, well, isn’t this a nice surprise. Actually it isn’t that much of a surprise. I knew when I first saw her, and saw that she wore your eye around her neck, that you wouldn’t be able to resist her. But this has worked out far better than I thought it would. How has it felt to watch the one you have sought to protect slowly waste away and not be able to do anything to save her, Horus? I know I’ve enjoyed watching your pathetic attempts to keep her alive.”