Soul Unbound (Key to the Cursed Book 3)

by Jean Murray

  Nebt retracted her hand and smiled. “Menthu has outlived his usefulness.”

  “At your doing, I am sure.”

  “At his own.”

  “Well, thank him for the imposed vacation.” Set returned to his seat and leaned back against the stern, intent on returning to sleep. No souls would be arriving tonight, nor tomorrow or the next day. “Get off my boat.”

  “Asar owns this boat, just as he owns you.” She stared at the shackle penetrating his wrist and tethering his hand to the oar.

  He refused to let his anger ignite over her insult. Apep was losing his edge if he thought offering Asar’s heart would tempt him. Set had already been there and done that. The memory of his brother’s death at his hands brought a smile to his face, so worth Set’s punishment. “Find someone else to bother.” The link in his wrist jerked with the river serpents gnashing their fangs against the oar. Restless and hungry.

  “You have grown weak, Set.”

  He chuckled. She could not be farther from the truth. Battling Apep night after night for five thousand years had made him stronger than ever. The Dark Lord was cruel and unrelenting. Set welcomed the challenge, bled for it. He cared not that he delivered righteous souls to the afterlife. He would not give Asar the satisfaction of victory even in his exile.

  “May the gods be with you, dear cousin.”

  “I am offering your freedom.” Nebt held out her hand and chanted.

  Pain screamed through Set’s arm. Red blood dripped from the link entering his skin and bones of his wrists. The droplets flowed down the wooden groves into the water. A caldron of water boiled and heaved around the oar. The handle jerked from Set’s grip and tore the linkage from his flesh. Set bellowed and lurched forward to recover the oar. He snatched the wood but was unable grip tight enough before it perished into the black depths.

  He leaned on the edge of the boat. “Why, woman, have you done this?” He covered his torn flesh with his palm. Red blood flowed between his fingers.

  “Freedom can and will be yours.” Nebt smiled.

  “Odjit.”

  “Call me what you may, I can help you regain your immortality.”

  “And Apep wants me to serve him in exchange,” Set snarled. He hated Asar, but he despised Apep with a fury that drove him night after night to fight the serpent. The Lord of Darkness had whispered dark secrets to Set before that fateful day he killed his brother. It irritated Set he had been so easily manipulated. If he had done it his way, he would be on the other side of those gates.

  “Apep does not need to know about any of this.”

  “Right.”

  “I do not answer to him.”

  “Nor did every other soul before you. And where are they now?”

  “Do you want this opportunity or not?”

  “If Apep is looking for a way out, I cannot help him.”

  “I know someone who can, although she may not know it yet. A pretty little thing, just your taste. A demi-god.”

  It sounded far too easy, even to Set’s ears. Nothing came without a cost. “What is the catch?”

  “Kamen is the female’s protector.”

  “He is dead.” The serpents of the water had devoured Kamen’s soul. Set had witnessed it with overwhelming satisfaction, especially after Kamen betrayed him.

  “You dismembered Asar, yet he still lives. What makes you think Kamen is any different? He is your twin after all.”

  “Asar is not known for his mercy. My brother included.”

  “On the contrary, Kamen is free to go where he pleases, unlike you. Even fancies the demi-god I mentioned.”

  “How do I find her?”

  “I will take care of the details, just be ready for her.”

  “What do I do with her?”

  “Make sure she does not make it to Aaru. She is to remain here in Duat.”

  Set narrowed his eyes on Nebt. The demi-god would not last a minute in here. It was the Dark Lord’s realm, only meant for the cursed souls to wander. Siravants patrolled the banks looking for any that had lost their way. Nebt wanted this female dead or perhaps alive for some nefarious purpose—either way Apep would surely capture her.

  Set would be a fool not to notice the change in the last several months. Aaru’s sky had brightened and the temperature warmed while Duat became darker and more desolate. Power resonated from the other side of those golden gates. Lighter and airier, almost Creation like. Asar always had a soft heart when it came to females.

  Nebt turned and stepped onto the empty dock. “Enjoy your respite while it lasts. Soon the gates of Duat will be open. You are either with us or against us. Decide before the eclipse. Apep will only show mercy to his followers. The rest will be destroyed.”

  Set squeezed his fist, renewing the flow of blood. Hatred welled up until his chest bubbled over with venom. “If Kamen is not dead, he will be.”

  Please turn the page for an exciting

  sneak peek

  of the next novel in

  Jean Murray’s

  Key to the Cursed Series

  Soul Unleashed

  Winter 2015

  Sneak Peek

  Soul Unleashed

  Book 4

  Two sides to every soul, one you see on the outside and the one hidden deep—kept close to the heart to protect against pain and hurt. Hidden not for his own safety, but the safety of others. If he lets it loose, pain and misery will come to those whose souls cross his path. He will consume them without a care.

  The curse of the Devourer—forever wanting something he can never have or risk destroying it.

  Forever alone.

  Chapter One

  Black blood coated Kamen’s face and chest. Dried, it tightened his skin, like a torturous vice. Shivering with the cold that had taken refuge in his tissues, he rolled onto all fours and pressed his forehead to the jagged stone.

  Uncontrollable rigors racked his body and an overwhelming nausea clenched his gut. Feeding quenched the hunger deep inside him, but the side effects left him miserable. It took his body several hours to days to process the evil he consumed. Some feedings cost him more than others.

  The more evil, the more suffering. His burden. His curse as the Devourer of souls.

  Last night’s took a punch. Theris, the god’s soul he consumed, had been touched by Apep, the Lord of Darkness himself. Evil in the most deprived sense. Fetid and rich with maleficence.

  Acid burned through Kamen’s muscles, robbing him of his strength. His legs shook with the effort to stand. Despite how weak he was hours after waking, his power would multiply and carry for several days before he was forced to return to the chamber.

  The beast inside had to be sated.

  Disoriented, Kamen staggered into the wall. Digging his fingertips into the claw marks scored into the stone, he gathered his strength. Gods, he despised this place. Despised what he had to become to pay penance for his sins. Yet, it was a just punishment for what he had done. His brother, Asar, had been far too merciful.

  Kamen tracked along the stone, blind in the darkness. He traced the hieroglyphics, leading him to the narrow hole, just wide enough to fit his hand. The locking mechanism disengaged, shifting the counterweights and rolling the large boulder.

  A chill brushed his bare skin and raised the hair on the back of his neck. He looked over his shoulder and scanned the dark chamber. Despite the emptiness, the chill stayed with him. For a moment he hesitated before releasing the leaver. Last night had been worse than he thought.

  Shaking it off he climbed the crypt’s passageway. Each step jolted the bones in his body. Warm air filtered down but failed to warm his frigid skin. The smell of fetid blood churned his stomach. Exhaling a long breath, he released some of the tension in his shoulders.

  He shifted the granite door and then pushed the slab back into place. Rubbing at his eyes, the detail of the elaborate black marble of his bathroom came into focus and then blurred again.

  Kicking on the faucet, the scald
ing water of the shower pelted his already tender skin. He stood frozen underneath the spray, willing his body to warm. Temperature, unfortunately was not the cause of his hypothermic state. Contaminated with lust, envy, greed, gluttony and wrath, all the cold and desolate emotions, left his soul absent of anything decent and warm.

  After four thousand years, he forced himself not to think about the toll on what was left of his soul. He accepted his punishment and assumed the role of the Devourer, hoping to maintain some semblance of a normal life, but that had been short lived. Unstable, especially in the beginning when his control was less than adequate, the beast would zero in on the dark thoughts of other gods. More importantly, their fear.

  Over the years he withdrew into the shadows, opting to exploit his role as Asar’s enforcer. His brother just needed to utter the word. It took Kamen awhile to realize instead of fighting his curse, he should embrace it. His acceptance of his fate made the isolation bearable.

  Loud banging distracted him from his misery. He leaned his head against the shower wall, willing the unwelcome guest away. His head throbbed with each crack on the heavy wood.

  No one dared question or cross him.

  Except—his eyes gravitated towards the door. The energy on the other side stirred another craving in his chest, one that would just have to go hungry.

  “Hey, wake up, lazy bones. I am not getting any younger out here,” Kit Carrigan yelled. “Hey!”

  Kamen grimaced as she battered the door. The female had the patience of a starved lion with a fresh kill. With no more than a towel wrapped at his waist, he stumbled to the door and yanked it open. He met the sapphire depths of Kit’s radiant gaze. Black brows arched over her brilliant blue eyes. Her gaze drifted down his wet torso to the floor. Water dripped onto the sandstone, forming small puddles at her feet.

  Her red full lips parted slightly. A warm exhaled breath tickled the skin of his bare chest. He forced himself to ignore the press of her round breasts against the small leather top and the shadow dipping low between them. Her flat abdomen taunted him from the gap of her halter to the low rise of her leather pants. Shit, he hated the fact she flaunted her flesh in front of him so freely. Worse was the fact he found it unbearable when other males took notice.

  He forced the uncomfortable need into a dark recess of his soul. Taking advantage of her distraction, he turned his back and forced his legs back to the bathroom. His craving for the woman was manifesting into something more than want. The growing ache in his groin was a stark reminder Kamen had gone on with nothing for a very, very long time. Gods help Kit if he ever set it free. Controlling the beast was all or nothing.

  “Hey, where are you going? I need to go back to the human realm to receive the weapon’s shipment,” Kit called, breaking her stunned silence.

  “It can wait.” Kamen shoved his legs into his pants. Thankfully, his arousal waned in favor of the tremors threatening to buckle his legs. The fact she could stimulate him even in his miserable state confounded him. Movement in the mirror drew his attention upward.

  She had pursued him into the bathroom. Feet spread and hands on her hips, she looked like a dam against a Tsunami.

  This Tsunami unfortunately came with teeth and claws.

  A warm breeze followed her from the hall, bringing her scent to his raw senses. He hissed out his clenched teeth, her obstinacy whittling his patience.

  “Another time, Kit,” he growled and pulled a fresh shirt over his head. The confrontation only awakened the beast further.

  Her full red lips puckered into a pout, and she cocked her head to the side. Her long black mane slid over her shoulder. He tracked the black blue river of hair clinging to her soft white skin.

  “Lilly wants me to receive the shipment and oversee the initiation. Give the new girls reassurance or some shit like that. Honest, I’d rather sleep the afternoon away, but orders are orders.” She blew out a bubble from the gum she was chewing and popped it in his face.

  “Asar has called for me. When I am done, I will take you.” The growing ache in his chest announced Asar's summons and impatience at Kamen's delayed arrival. He shifted around her, continued out the door and down the hall.

  "Do you have to do everything he says?" Kit snapped, rounding the door.

  Kamen stopped and glared at her over his shoulder. "Yes and I suggest you do the same."

  “I'm stuck here like some god’s damn prisoner,” she muttered under her breath.

  Anger rushed up his spine. Infuriated, he pivoted and in one stride loomed over her. “Asar has provided you and your sisters protection. Broken the law to do so. Your presence has put Aaru at risk, yet Asar has welcomed you as one of his own and you dare question his generosity." Unable to temper his response, his voice boomed in the space between them.

  Kit flinched, a frown creasing her lips. Being this close to her, the shadow of her eyes seemed darker than usual, the blueness dimmer. Her skin paler.

  “Fine.” She jerked back and stormed off down the hallway.

  He cursed. For the first time in centuries he lost his temper. Whether still raw from his feeding, he hated himself. Even if it was slight, it did not take much to raise the beast inside. He could not afford to lose his focus after all this time, especially on a human female who hated him.

  A wave of dizziness slammed into him. He wavered on his feet and grabbed for the veranda wall. Closing his eyes, he struggled to hold his strength. The door at the end of the hall opened and Asar stepped out. His brother’s curse carried down the stone corridor. Kamen shoved himself off the wall and walked stiff legged to the door Asar held open.

  “Sorry, brother. I would not have called you if it was not important.”

  Kamen nodded. Asar owed him no explanation but always insisted on it. Kamen slowed when an ache settled between his shoulder blades. Sensing the demon blood in the room, his blood stirred in his veins. He locked eyes with the Goddess of War, a half breed. Creation and demon, no less. Siya was a recent addition to their growing Underworld family. Not to mention, she was the same goddess who had him bound, beaten and thrown into jail for treason.

  Siya met his stare without blinking. Not many dared to look him in the eye. Despite her fortitude in meeting his gaze, she slid a protective hand across her protruding belly. Bomani, her mate, moved closer and placed his palm on the small of her back.

  Bonded males, all of them were overly protective of their females. Family or not, Kamen was a threat. Forcing his eyes away from the couple, Kamen looked down at the map at the center of Asar’s desk.

  Bomani left Siya's side and held out his hand. “Uncle.”

  Kamen grabbed Bomani’s forearm in a warrior’s handshake. His gaze gravitated to the balcony. His other nephew, Bakari, stood with arms crossed over his chest, just below the Mevt daggers sheathed in his holsters. Bakari nodded and stepped into the cavernous office.

  “Thank you all for coming,” Asar said and walked to the large gold chair behind the grand desk. “Siya has identified weaknesses in our defenses, significant enough I want them addressed now. It goes without saying, we have too much at stake.” Asar’s eyes gravitated to the growing baby in Siya’s belly. Asar’s first grandchild. The first offspring of the Underworld in over four thousand years, but his brother’s statement had far more meaning.

  The daughters of the Mother Goddess. Kit being one of the three. Lilly, the eldest, had married Asar. Kendra, the petite redhead, had conquered Bakari’s soul. A rough path for each, but better and stronger for it in the end.

  “No one has ever breached our walls,” Bakari said, drawing closer to the desk.

  “So we thought until Nebt,” Bomani countered.

  “Still, she created the breach from the inside, not out.”

  Bakari’s words sent an ache of guilt through Kamen’s chest. How could he have missed Nebt’s betrayal? Kamen’s powers were fed by evil, and yet he failed to sense it on Nebt. The Goddess of the Underworld, a cousin to both Kamen and Asar, had schemed to
overthrow Asar’s rein. Almost succeeded, if not for Kendra and Bakari. Sadly, Nebt had escaped before justice could be served. Kamen would not hesitate consuming her soul when the time came. Especially after all Nebt had done to her own family and Inpu, her husband.

  Kamen looked around the room, wondering who else was tainted by the Dark Lord. Would he sense it if they were?

  “Let Siya speak, then reserve your judgments,” Asar stated.

  Siya nodded and leaned over the map. “We all know Apep wants to breach the human realm. The Dark Lord knows the Creation Pantheon cannot win the war without the Underworld legions leading the charge. As each of you are aware, Apep has targeted the attacks on you, while leaving the Creations essentially untouched."

  "Creations think this is all some joke. They sat idle while the revens overran the human cities. Even after the siravants slaughtered the Creation Protectors, they still do not see the threat. What are they waiting for?" Bomani's warrior voice echoed in the room.

  "Apep to march across their rainbow bridge," Asar said with a shake of his head.

  “Kendra believes Apep will wait for the lunar eclipse, when the forces that separate the realms are at their weakest,” Bakari said.

  “That is only a month away, the same day the baby is due.” Siya turned to her mate.

  No one commented, but Siya’s absence from the battle would be a huge loss to their side. A force to be reckoned with, she had led the charge in the first war. A bloody battle to the end, the Underworld had lost thousands before victory was declared.

  “Unfortunately, we cannot wait on our cousins to act. We have an obligation to protect the humans at all cost." Asar sealed his statement by meeting every gaze in the room.

  "And, Aaru?" Bomani asked. "What of our home?"