Soul Awakened

by Jean Murray

  He lifted a leaded crystal craft from the table and filled two clear goblets with a honey colored liquor. Wine it was not, but had enough kick to cut the edge off the tension.

  One. Two glasses down his father finally looked up.

  Bomani ran a ruff palm across his face and shook his head. “How did you know?”

  Asar banged the bottom of his glass against the wood desk. “I know what it is like to want to protect something so fiercely. And friendship does not garner the extremis of your response.” Asar tipped his head back and finished off the liquor. He did not wait for Bomani to stand and refill it. Asar grabbed the craft and sloshed the liquor up to the rim and over the edge of the glass.

  “I do not even know whether I want to feel this way toward a female. It was a surprise to me.”

  Asar smiled. “No kidding.”

  “Kendra must hate me.”

  “She does not have the capacity to hate anyone.” Asar stared at him a few moments, while tapping his finger on the edge of the glass. “You must be certain of your feelings. Explicitly.” Asar took another sip and finally placed the goblet on the desk. “Kendra has the unique ability to garner a male’s response. Whether it is her vulnerability or size, I do not know. I even find myself drawn to protect her like a blood daughter.”

  Bomani stared across the desk at a god he had known all his life. He had never seen Asar change more so than he did since meeting Lilly that fateful day. He seemed balanced and whole on every level. Even his temper had lessened in the passing days. Could love do that to a man? “Where is this going exactly?”

  Asar laid his forearms on the desk and clasped his hands together. “Bakari and Kendra are blood-bonded.”

  The answer hit him like a sword to the chest. The glass goblet shattered in the grip of his palm. “What?” Bomani shot up to his feet and tightened his fist around the broken glass. He was going to kill the son of an odjit. Gods help him, he would kill his brother for this.

  “Settle yourself,” Asar commanded. “Sit.”

  Bomani hesitated only for a second before the glare in Asar’s eyes forced him to lower himself into the seat. His father got up and filled another glass and handed it to Bomani. This time Bomani chugged it, welcoming the burn of his throat.

  “The answer of how and why is complicated.”

  “I do not care how complicated it is. Explain to me how this could happen to her?”

  “Kepi used her blood to entomb Bakari and created a blood-bond between them. She fed him her blood.” Asar shook his head. “You should have seen what was coming out of his mouth. Foul putrid blood.”

  Bomani could not stifle the retch that threatened to eject the alcohol he had consumed. Ingesting something so evil sickened him. “But what is the link with Kendra?”

  “Kendra figured out what Kepi had done and used her own blood to reverse the spell.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “We found Kendra’s blood in the cell. There is new evidence to suggest our theory was correct and they are irreversibly bound.”

  “One way though.” Bakari’s life would be bound to hers not the other way around. Unless. “Tell me it was only one way. Her blood to him.”

  There was a heavy silence that fell over the room. Asar sat in his chair again and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Kamen confirmed it. Kendra carries his scorpion mark.”

  Bomani discharged a chain of expletives. He decided to finish it off with one of Kit’s favorites, which seemed useful at the moment. “Fuck!” He jumped to his feet again and grabbed the decanter off the desk and chugged directly from its lip. He did not stop until the last drop of liquor slid down his throat. He crushed the crystal container and threw it to the floor. Kendra had kept the mark a secret. “Why the hell did she not tell someone?”

  Asar sighed. “I am sure she is trying to protect Bakari. Hell, he may not even know he did it. You saw him in that cell. He did not know who we were let alone understand what she had done.”

  “Does Kendra know what this all means?”

  “She does not, as far as I know. It is best not to upset her.”

  Things were starting to make sense now. The portal in her bathroom. Bakari off his bed and next to Kendra. He knew the look in his brother’s eyes the minute they changed. There was no mistaking blood lust— their curse in the Underworld. Bakari had every reason to have it. The blood-bond would only make his thirst worse. She would be drawn to him on a physical level. And gods knew what else. Bomani raked both his hands across his skull. If his hair had been longer he would have ripped it out.

  Bakari would always know where to find and get to Kendra, which put her at risk. A risk he would personally mitigate.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  The banquet of food spread out on the tray remained untouched. Disgusted, Bakari shoved the much need nourishment away. He grabbed his sunken excuse for an abdomen. Despite his aversion, he needed to replete his withered body. One would think he would be ravenous and devour every scrap, but it only enraged him.

  He popped grapes into his mouth and crushed them between his molars. The burst of anticipated sweetness disintegrated into ash. He spat the bitter skins onto the tray and shuddered.

  A small craft of wine sat on top of a lace doily. He weighed the viability of it actually tasting better than the grapes. Unlikely, but it would serve its purpose. The red liquid burned his raw throat. He waited to see if his body would expel it. With nothing in his system the alcohol rushed through his body. Warmth bloomed through his stiff muscles and bathed him in sedated contentment.

  He sighed. Although it paled in comparison to what he truly craved, it would do for now. His craving could only be soothed by blood and the rush of power that followed.

  He could think of only one exception— Kepi’s. Hers, when she had forced fed him, made him want to claw his skin off. Fine beads of sweat formed on his skin. She had starved him and used scorpion venom to mute his powers. Only revens had handled him. Once sufficiently weakened, she had cared for him exclusively. He much preferred the revens.

  He polished off half of the wine and then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Ignoring the utensils, he grabbed the herb roasted meat and the loaf of bread. He choked down the tasteless sandwich followed by more wine.

  His abdomen bulged out with the small amount of food and drink. A wave of lethargy forced him to his pillow. He needed desperately to sleep, but every time he closed his eyes his nightmares would return.

  He chugged the rest of the decanter’s contents. The warmth shifted to numbness all over. It did not take much without a massive body weight and metabolism. Even his other thirst was sated at the moment.

  Life was good numb. He did not care that the room was spinning, when he closed his eyes he saw only blackness. Another benefit to being in a drunken stupor.

  A light knock at the door roused him enough that he rolled over and pulled the comforter up over his hips. Whoever the hell it was could wait until his buzz was over.

  When he heard the door open and close he figured the servants came to clear away the tray of food. He had eaten only about half. Hopefully, they would bring him more wine. The soft clatter of dinnerware being stacked and carried out the door sounded in the room. Soft voices carried at the door and finally the door clicked shut. Alone again.

  A sniff and soft rustling of a blanket brought his mind up and out of his bliss. Someone had stayed behind. He reluctantly cracked open a heavy eyelid. Kendra sat on the chaise with her knees up and a book resting on her lap. She scanned the page and turned it to the next. The blanket lay folded next to her. His Parvana had come to find him.

  He could barely move his lips let alone carry on a conversation, but part of him was comforted that she was there watching over him. He could sleep without fear at least for a little while. He settled deeper into his covers and let his gaze fall on the beautiful female on his couch. Despite her nose in the book, she was not reading, unless reading upside down was one o
f her many talents.

  Regardless of her intentions, the warmth entered his chest and spread through his body. He absorbed the much needed life energy. It seeped into his bones and muscles and reversed the pain and damage of years of depravation. He did not understand how she could emit such an energy that allowed him to feed but not damage her human body.

  The answer did not matter really, he welcomed the gentle eddy of her vitality feeding his soul on a level that food could not. The smell of nectar penetrated his numbed senses and pushed him further into a deep sleep.

  ***

  Kendra stared vacantly at the excerpt from the demotic text, but couldn’t concentrate enough to focus on the hieroglyphics. Bakari watched her under half-hooded eyes for several minutes before his lids closed completely. She had come to confront him about his mark. Demand to know what he had done to her, but when she entered, he lay sleeping on the bed with crumbs and an empty craft of wine next to him. The scene deflated her anger.

  She watched to ensure he was entirely asleep, which was hard to discern in an Underworld god, since they didn’t breathe or snore for that matter. What did she think she could accomplish with him sleeping? Agitated, she set the black book next to her and pushed off the chaise. She walked over to the wall that held various weapons. Each was mounted on a wooden or marble rack spanning the entire wall up to the twenty foot ceiling. Several leather belts and chest straps, similar to the one’s Lilly and Kit used, hung on pegs on the wall.

  It painted a pretty lethal picture of the man who lay sleeping on the bed. Not much different from the vibe Bomani emanated, saved only by his jovial personality. Bomani could turn that off in an instant, considering what he did to Bakari.

  Bomani was convinced Bakari was going to hurt her. And now she was back? Did she have no common sense? She looked over her shoulder at the sleeping Underworld god. Apparently not.

  She moved to the door to leave, but was stopped by the sound of a deep moan. Bakari curled into a tight ball and twisted the black sheet around his body. His eyes remained closed, but the sheen of perspiration on his face caught her attention. At closer inspection his eyes darted in rapid movements behind his lids. Dreaming. Not a nice one considering his body posture and fisted hands full of silk fabric.

  She commanded herself to march straight out the door. Enough of this bleeding heart stuff. If only she could take that next step toward freedom. She sighed heavily. Who was she fooling? She wasn’t going anywhere other than straight to his bed. Heck, she had bled, almost died, and ran naked into his frigid subconscious in less than twenty-four hours of knowing him.

  She had no sense of self-preservation.

  He lay in the center of the enormous bed. The size of two kings put together. She couldn’t very well assess him from her vantage point. Climbing in bed with him uninvited caused her heart to flutter. What if Bomani walked in? How would she explain this?

  Irritated with her thoughts, she stepped on the sideboard and hoisted herself on the thick plush mattress. The bed barely moved or compressed under her dainty weight. She didn’t want to wake him or least that was the plan.

  Check on him and go. Yep.

  Thankfully, he didn’t move as she crept closer on her hands and knees. His body contracted tighter and he shook his head against the covers. Maybe she could break the nightmare with a light touch. It seemed to lessen his pain before in his cell.

  With her weight on her right hand and knees, she reached out with her left hand and gently brushed his damp black hair out of his face. Surprisingly, it was soft and shiny now and all the white had faded. He must have washed it sometime before she arrived.

  She moved her knees forward and sat back on her heels with her hands on her thighs. Too scared before to take in his features, she measured his face in an unrushed appreciation. His cheeks had filled out from last night. The muscles in his jaw twitched, as he clenched and unclenched his teeth in his sleep. His skin had warmed to an olive tone. Not bad for what little food he had eaten.

  She traced the angle of his cheekbone to his full jaw with her fingertip. He had Asar’s facial structure. Her finger stopped at his chin. She mentally traced the line of his mouth. His lips were perfect in size and shape. She pressed her lips together and wet them with her tongue.

  Startled, she snapped her gaze away. Why the heck was she wondering what it would be like to kiss him? She had really lost her marbles. A virgin, but not a saint? Bad girl, she scolded herself. Now as she looked at herself kneeling uninvited on a man’s bed while he slept, it seemed even dirtier. She needed to have her head examined.

  Holding her breath, she placed her palms on the mattress and pushed away toward the edge of the bed. She was getting the heck out of here. Her toes breached the outer seam.

  A low growl preceded large hands clamping on her shoulders and flipping her in the air. The ceiling and black silk sheets flashed in her field of view before her back found the mattress and her head flopped into the pillow. She yelped as Bakari’s hard male body pressed her firmly into the padding. In one hand he pinned her wrists above her head. Despite being severely underweight, his torso and pelvis heavily restrained her.

  “Did you see something you did not like, Parvana?” he slurred.

  His silver gaze kept her from blinking. Her heart ricocheted against her chest. With him so close she caught the scent of wine on his breath.

  “I…” Kendra swallowed nervously unable to finish. With him looming over her an invigorating rush bloomed warmth in her belly and spread out through her chest and lower abdomen. The mix of danger and the position of his hips between her legs sent an effervescent tingling across her skin and settled in areas that both shocked and excited her.

  He narrowed his eyes and leaned in closer to her face. Her breasts pressed into his chest with each rise and fall of her rapid breaths. The friction caused her nipples to tighten into small peaks under her bra.

  “Either you are incredibly brazen or simply daft, Parvana. You should know better than to disturb a god while he is sleeping. Why have you come? Certainly not to molest me during my sleep.”

  She inhaled sharply at the insult, but couldn’t help the burn of her cheeks. She caught herself staring at his lips again, which only worsened the flush feeling. “I would do no such thing,” she snapped, trying to stay focused on her anger. “You were having a bad dream, I only wanted to check and make sure you were okay.”

  The side of his mouth twitched. “Do you make it a habit of caring for wild animals without a concern if they might bite?”

  Damn him. After the horrible past few days, she wasn’t going to put up with his taunting. “Why, do you?” Asshole, she added but didn’t speak out loud. Swear words didn’t come out right when she said them. Frustrated, she tried to pull her wrist out of his grasp. Her struggle seated his body deeper into her pelvis and rubbed against the warmth that had found its home between her legs. She prayed he didn’t notice her body’s reaction. Bad body.

  He grinned and shook his head. His pupils dilated and minimized the silver halos. “You must be daft to ask such a question to an Underworld god.”

  Her body stilled instantly. She remembered Lilly talking about Asar drinking her blood and she his. Oh, stupid. She had to ask.

  Angry at herself for letting her emotions speak before thinking, she glared at him. “I’ve already donated to your cause. I think that was enough.”

  The line of his grin flattened. He released her wrists, but pulled her left hand into his. The pad of his thumb stroked the silver scar on her palm. The thin line tingled at his touch. “Yes, you have.”

  Her retort came out much harsher than she intended. She sighed and laid her other palm on her forehead. “I’m sorry.” A tear pooled at the corner of her eye. “It’s been a rough couple of days.” Closing her eyes, she groaned. “Forget I said that.” He had one thousand eight hundred and twenty-five bad days compared to her measly three.

  Her tear slipped down her cheek into her ear. His warm finger
tip traced its path from the corner of her eye to her neck. She opened her eyes to find his wide astonished gaze.

  “You are not brazen or daft, are you?” he asked in a hoarse whisper.

  She didn’t know how to respond. So many emotions fluttered around in her head and heart. He continued to stroke her palm, his gaze now intent on her scar. His brows furrowed, as if he was distressed she had hurt herself for him.

  He rolled his body off of hers. Never letting go of her hand, he pulled her forward against his chest, placed his arm underneath her head and wrapped the other around her shoulder. Kendra went with it unsure how to even extract herself from his intimate embrace.

  Did she want to go?

  As crazy as it sounded, she reveled in his protective cocoon. Safe from the world outside and the war that raged on their doorstep. No one could hurt her here.

  “Stay with me,” he murmured. iWith his face buried in her hair, he inhaled a deep breath. His whole body shuddered and then relaxed.

  God help her, she really wanted to stay and never leave.

  But, she couldn’t very well get away with it. She ordered her body guard to stand outside and he gladly obliged. Someone would notice eventually. She hadn’t planned on staying but a few minutes. And what of her getting her questions answered?

  In the warmth of his embrace somehow all that didn’t matter.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Bakari awoke to the sweetest of scents tickling his nose. Surprisingly, he felt incredibly refreshed and without one dream permeating his sleep. Based on the glowing embers in the fireplace, he had slept for a significant amount of time with his Parvana tucked snuggly at his side. Curled into his chest, Kendra lay sleeping. A thick spiral strand of hair fell over her face. He gingerly brushed it back.

  Her soft rhythmic breaths skirted across his bare arm. Like her skin it smelled sweet and enticing. Her skin had returned to its original peach glow. A pronounced scattering of freckles dotted her nose and cheeks. The white locks had diminished in her long mane.