Embarrassment more than shock froze Nephythys’s features into a comical mask. Her gaze darted to her husband. Nu followed and gasped. Darkness pulsed beneath his translucent skin. He knew! Dear Ra, SET knew of Nephythys’s infidelity, but worse—now the Pantheon knew.
Before Nu could move, SET exploded. Gone was the human shell, leaving a swirling dark mass hurtling toward Reign. Reign leveled his blade and braced for impact.
Nu pierced the protective circle with the staff. Denwen, Madfet, and Resheph reached her, but she flashed in front of Reign. At the last second, she formed a new circle around them. SET repelled off the shield and slammed into the opposite wall.
Gods dropped from their perched seats to the Atrium floor and surrounded them. Each gathered their vis’Ra to attack. Hathor shrieked inside her head, tearing at her control. Next to her, Reign beat against the shields.
“Release me!” Reign bellowed much too near her ear for shouting.
“Foolish child. I’m trying to save you,” Nu said.
“I want no help from your kind.” He towered over her.
My kind? “Just what do you imagine you are?”
“I am Reign, son of Helios. I am Thracian and I am here to claim what is mine.”
Hearing her lover’s name after so many years drove a knife into her heart. “I know very well who your sire is. This is not the way to claim your birthright.” Nu shook her head.
“Birthright? I seek no rights from this place,” he snarled, his eyes feral.
His anger and stubbornness smacked her, reminding her of his father, and—to her shame—herself.
“I am Nu, your—”
“I care not who you are! I am here to free Alexis, the woman I love, from Nephythys.”
“Alexis is here?” Nu stretched her weakening senses across the island. She found the girl in the lowest level of Duat and brought her to them.
The girl was alive. If you could call being nearly roasted, living. The fire pits on the lowest levels were for the worst of humanity. Souls kept at the highest level of torture forever. Her charred hair smoked. Her pale skin was orangey in places and bright red and black in others. The stench of cooked flesh had Nu covering her nose and mouth. Alexis didn’t deserve this and neither did her son. She had failed them both.
Nu looked at the horde outside her protective circle. No, not only her natural born sons. I’ve failed all my children.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Reign gathered Alexis to him. Her muscles turned rigid and she convulsed in his arms. A guttural moan tore from her throat and her eyelids fluttered. He focused and pinpointed his vis’Ra into her. His aura bathed her, soaked into her charred body, but when it faded, nothing had changed.
“Have you forgotten about the Vanquished? Only I can free you from your demons. Your life belongs to me,” Nephythys said from her seat in the gallery.
No, he hadn’t forgotten. He’d rather bed down with his demons than cozy up to Nephythys once more.
“Let me try.” Nu knelt next to him. She stretched out her hand. If he wasn’t so desperate, he would’ve slapped it away. He wanted nothing from these gods, except Alexis. For her life, he would beg.
“Heal her, please. My life for hers.”
Judging by the sympathy in Nu’s eyes and her quick nod, he almost wanted to trust her. And there was something familiar about her brown eyes and sun-kissed skin. Her familiarity teased him, pushed at the boundaries of his mind.
A memory surfaced. Reign tried to stop it, but he couldn’t halt the earthquake rumbling through his core. “I know you.”
She smiled. Tears gathered in her eyes. Her hand hovered over Alexis’s forehead and her face scrunched, concentrating. Nothing happened. Her gaze darted to his. “She’s been judged. I can’t heal her. Reign, I’m so sorry.”
The same hand that tried to heal Alexis cupped his face. Calm poured into him, but rage was all that fed him. He jerked away. Alexis convulsed in his arms again and clung to him until her shudder faded, and her hand slid limp to the marble. Fear gripped him hard and he touched a finger to the pulse under her chin. A faint thread flickered beneath her broiled skin.
“Death would be a kindness, but she won't die. She’ll live like this forever. And there’s nothing I can do.” Nu’s voice cracked.
“Reign?” Alexis murmured.
Her weak voice surprised him. “I’m here.”
Scorched eyelids peeled open and her milky gaze roamed until it landed on him. “You came. For me?”
Tears pricked his eyes. “Always.” The haze cleared, revealing the coppery gaze he loved.
A hand touched his face. Her breath came in short bursts. “I understand…now, why you tried to leave me…I didn’t want you to go. I should’ve known things aren’t…always what they seem. You thought you were right killing that quimaera while all I saw was a boy. Maybe you were…maybe I was…doesn’t matter anymore,” she whispered. “I want you to go.”
Her voice wavered, yet he heard every word. “And leave you here? I refuse to live without you. Where you go, I go.”
“I love you…want you to know…”
He wanted to say the words, yearned to shout the desires of his heart. He thought of Nephythys and swallowed the bile rising in his throat. He wouldn’t give her more ammunition against him to hurt Alexis. Gently, he pressed his cheek into her burned hand. He felt her inside him, first a tentative flutter, then a deeper sifting. No longer did he hide what was secreted in his soul. He wanted, needed her to know. Reign opened his heart and welcomed her inside.
Tears welled in her eyes. A broken smile cracked her face.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry,” he whispered. “I will not leave you here.” As he watched Alexis, pink skin replaced scorched and her melted dress peeled away from her flesh and returned to normal. “What has happened?” He looked at Nephythys.
“She’s in a healing cycle. It is a part of the judgment. Never-ending suffering for loving you. The more she loves you. The brighter the anguish. It will end when the love in your heart for her dies.”
“You cannot do this!” he choked.
“You are my slave and she has been judged.” Nephythys’s eyes sparkled. Her chest heaved.
Murmurs rumbled through the room as the gods whispered amongst themselves.
“Aten, she has judged a human, non-Egyptian, non-worshiper.” Nu glared arrogantly at Aten. “Prove you are a leader and not a wet nurse.”
Attention swung to Aten. It seemed forever before he turned and faced Nephythys. “Will you offer no defense against the accusations Nu brings forth?”
Nephythys seemed to wither under the glare of so many stares. Aten glanced at Alexis. He stepped closer to the protective barrier and scrutinized her as one would road kill. Nephythys squirmed. She shifted in her seat while her trembling hands fisted her gown.
“You interrogate the Goddess of the Dead at the behest of a criminal?” SET spoke and the power of his voice made the hairs on Reign’s arms stand at attention. Waves of darkness radiated from the deity. The Vanquished responded with a call for destruction. He wanted to release them, but not yet.
“You cannot call Nu a criminal and not label your wife the same.” A goddess spoke from her seat in the gallery. Her glare nailed Nephythys. “She will answer the question.”
Reign studied the play of emotions crossing Nephythys’s face as her gaze swept the room, searching for aid. Scorn was all they offered. She glanced at SET. The God of All Evil simmered with rage. Her spine stiffened and finally, she turned to Aten.
“No.” One single word was all she gave. But that word whipped around the room as gossip spread from mouth to ear.
“Nephythys! You cannot refuse!” the goddess demanded.
“I will not answer to you, Bastet, Avenger of Ra,” Nephythys hissed, her hair writhing with anger.
“Heal her.” Aten spoke and the chamber vibrated.
“No. She has been judged.” Eyes narrowed, lips firm, Nephythys stared from her perch and
refused to budge.
“Then I will take her place.” Reign shouted. “I agree to stay with you for as long as you desire. As your lover, your pet.” He spat. “You will have all of my undivided attention. My love will be yours alone.” He glanced at SET, hoping his words had the desired effect. The swirling tide under the god’s translucent skin had ceased. He appeared a marble statue, molding by a sculptor’s hand, instead of a deity.
“I won’t let you do this.” Alexis clutched his arm. Her fingers scored his flesh.
He felt her inside him, pushing at his will. With so much at stake, he couldn’t allow her to sway his decision. And this was the only way he could save her.
“Agreed.” Nephythys jumped to her feet, her grin eager.
A gasp circulated and set off another round of chatter.
“Have you lost your senses?” Bastet clucked and shook her head.
“I am the Goddess of the Dead.” Nephythys descended to the chamber floor. “A Primal. Who here can punish me? Nu is weak and in a borrowed body. Osiris is imprisoned. Without the staff, Aten speaks, but none listen. Who here would depose me and claim my throne in Duat?” Her gaze circled the room. “Who here wants to rule at SET’s side in the bowels of hell?” No one answered.
“I have given up my freedom for hers. Heal her, Nephythys, and let her return to her world.” Reign had enough of listening to her voice. Gently, he lay Alexis on the marble floor. Then he steeled his heart and stepped away.
Nephythys gave Alexis a scornful glance. “She may return, but I will not heal her. She will be a testament to my mercy and a reminder of my wrath to all who see her.”
“That was not our bargain!” Reign blasted through the shield. He flashed between the crowds of gods aimed to take a chunk out of Nephythys’s hide.
Claws pierced his side, flipped him into the air. Pain seared through flesh and bone, weakening his body. He landed on his side, rolled across the floor, and gained his footing in one fluid motion. His blade appeared in his hand. Heat surged from within, erupted from his pores. The crimson glow swept over his body, shielding him, healing him. He faced his opponent.
Sleek fur, eight legs, lots of claws and rows of teeth in a head. A big fucking head. Four large eyes, two on each side, all focused on him. SET, in his Typhon form moved closer. Reign wasn’t surprised. All of the gods had animal forms.
SET charged. His many legs resounded like a stampede. Reign’s sword screamed as he rushed forward, blade raised, aiming for the space between SET’s eyes.
SET faded.
Reign spun, searching. Where is he! He spotted Nu, immobilized by three gods, her staff gone. A force knocked him off his feet. He hit the ground. His head cracked against the marble, stunning him.
Four of SET’s legs pinned Reign’s limbs to the marble. Two landed on his chest. Claws burrowed through his shield, causing the barrier to sizzle and buckle. Then they buried deep into his muscle, while the remaining two legs shredded everything they touched.
Reign flashed. SET blocked his power. He faded. SET blocked him again. He looked up into the drooling jowls of the Typhon. No tongue. Just teeth. Rows of them gleamed.
Damnation. He was in this same predicament at the cathedral. Though this time, fate had upped the ante.
A spatial distortion followed by a blinding light warped the space near him. A whirling vortex opened. SET shrank from the aura and a tremor rippled through his body.
Awareness froze Reign in place. Only one person affected him this way. From the corner of his eye, he glimpsed a man.
Roman. It worked.
A white sword glowed in his hand. He leaped for SET’s back, blade clutched and raised in both of his hands.
SET reared, exposing his vulnerable underbelly. Reign thrust his sword into SET’s unprotected hide. The beast shuddered. Roman landed on SET’s back. His weapon sliced straight through, exiting SET’s furry skin a hairs’ length from Reign’s neck.
Light emanated from both blades. His, blood red. Roman’s, pure white. SET disintegrated into a cloud of inky smoke and dashed to the other side of the room. Roman dropped to his feet next to Reign. The flat of Roman’s sword reflected the blinding rays of the sun, casting a kaleidoscope of color around the chamber.
Reign stared into Roman’s stark face. What brotherly affection existed between them had vanished. Bitter hatred was all that remained. If it wasn’t for Alexis, he would lay there and let Roman have his due. But he couldn’t. If he died, she’d be alone to face life in Duat at the mercy of the gods.
He rose. Face to face, he met his brother’s glare. Roman looked at Reign. Memories of their childhood, their inseparable bond tightened Reign’s heart. War with his brother was not how he planned this journey to end. He came to this world to save Roman, not to kill him. There was a time when they didn’t need words. They spoke in their own language, shared thoughts through silent communication. Especially on the battlefield. Now, Reign didn’t need to link their minds to understand his brother’s intent. Roman wanted his blood.
Teeth bared, hate bled from Roman’s eyes. “I trusted you and you betrayed me,” Roman stated.
“I had no choice. It was the only way—”
“After this is over, we finish it.” Roman growled.
With lead in his heart, Reign gave a single nod. “Agreed.”
“Where did you get The Blade of Osiris?” SET ended their reunion.
SET’s voice cut through Reign’s thoughts and his standoff with Roman. The god’s Typhon form had been replaced by a dense, churning cloud.
Reign’s gaze darted between SET and Roman as the two glared at each other. How did these two know each other? Movement made him glance up into the gallery of gods. All of the gods stood, their palms exposed, and glowing in a multitude of colors. All of their eyes were trained on the blade in Roman’s hand.
Reign glanced at his brother and winked—their designated signal for an attack plan they’d created eons ago. Roman gave a single nod and they separated, each walking in the opposite direction. The cloud fanned out to track both of them.
“The sword. Where did you find it?” SET’s voice emanated from the center of the dark mass.
“What’s it to you?” Roman demanded.
“Give it to me and I will let you live.” A hand formed and extended from the clouds.
Roman rotated his wrist. The blade spun, seemed to capture the sun and reflect the beams back in a dizzying array. He flipped the sword to his other hand. His gaze flicked to Reign. “And what about him?”
“He will breathe his last tonight,” SET said. “I claim the rite of Infidelitatis al Mawte.” The cloud pulsed and lightning streaked in the center.
“I agree. Tonight will be his last, but not by your hands. I claim the rite of retribution. He fucked me over first. After I kill you—” Roman pointed his sword at his brother. “I kill him.”
Lightning crackled again in the center of the cloud. “So be it.” SET’s voice filled the chamber.
Reign braced. Together they would defeat SET and afterwards he would face Roman. He wanted to look at Alexis, but didn’t dare take his eyes from the enemies facing him.
In a blink, the cloud swelled, slammed into him, and swallowed. The living, breathing, thing, melted his shield and clung to him like tar smothering a dying animal. He spotted Roman. The light radiating from his sword repelled the darkness, making him a beacon in a sea of blackness while Reign couldn’t move. Worse, he couldn’t breathe. His lungs struggled to draw air. Fear gnawed at his reasoning, threatening to overwhelm. He fought the urge. There was too much at stake. SET could not win. He glimpsed Alexis climbing unsteadily to her feet.
And Nephythys…
She closed the distance between her and Alexis.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Reign strained to break free from the encompassing cloud while SET’s voice filled his head, laughing. Mixed with the chants of the Vanquished, his sanity splintered. All of him collapsed, the physical and the menta
l, which comprised of what he was. Pitched into the abyss, the complete darkness shredded him and hauled him to the bowels of his soul. At each passing level, calm stole over him. Languid and soothing, death approached with empty promises and a treasure chest of lies.
Alexis doesn’t love you. LIE. He heard the love in her whisper and her coppery eyes.
Alexis doesn’t need you. LIE. She couldn’t defeat Nephythys alone.
Proclaim your submission and SET will allow you to live. LIE. SET wanted him dead and was seconds away from achieving his goal.
His conscience crashed in a heap in the last place he wanted to be. Home. The familiar mountain range and the lush valley below gave him the location. Weary, he climbed to his feet. The Vanquished littered the ground. In the distance, the rubble of his childhood home loomed.
He walked through the field of bodies to the single, crumbling wall still standing. A mural came into view, the same mural that once graced the dining hall of his father’s home in homage to the woman who birthed his sons, Roman and Reign.
She has not changed much. Sun-kissed skin, sad, lonely eyes. Damnation! “He told us you had died,” he whispered to the image. Why?
Everything Mrs. Kelly had said was true. Worse, everything he suspected, yet refused to question was true. So many lies and half-truths had brought him and his brother to this point. Why?
The wall disintegrated to ash, leaving the Vanquished. Their bodies were discarded like unwanted timber. They climbed to their feet and stood at attention. Each nailed him with a fierce gaze. Their right hands fisted and landed over their hearts. Readiness hummed, overlaid with tempered rage. His demons, for eons they’d tortured him. Now, their silent plea overwhelmed him. This couldn’t be what they wanted.
Feet leaden, Reign walked amongst the warriors. So long a part of him, yet he had never accepted his hand in their demise. Cursed with a conscience, he, not the Vanquished, tortured himself.
This life wasn’t what he wanted. Born of an unknown goddess and warrior father, fate decreed his birthright of blood and death.
Everlasting (Descendants of Ra: Book 2) Page 34
