by Faith Gibson
Back in the sleeping area, Nik looked around the room and saw his note to Sophia was gone. Fuck! Instead of doing the smart thing and finding a way to get in the room next door quietly, Nik knocked. When he didn’t hear voices inside, he used his Goyle strength to open the door. The dickheads following Sophia could explain to the hotel manager how it got busted.
Nik calmed his shifter and took in the room. It didn’t look as though anyone had been in there. If they had checked out, he would be surprised. Unless they had Sophia. No. Nik wouldn’t allow himself to believe she had been captured. He opened each drawer on the dresser and found they were all empty. There were no toiletries in the bathroom. The garbage can, however, contained a crumpled up piece of paper. He pulled it out and unfolded it. Nik was holding the note he’d written Sophia.
After another cursory glance around the room, Nik shoved the paper in his pocket and left. The woman who’d been in Sophia’s room was probably the one to text him and lure him away from his hotel, but for what? To identify you, you idiot. Now the ones following Sophia knew he was there with her. Not only that, but they had probably seen him with Beatrice, too. If they were worth their salt, they would already know where Beatrice was staying. This was getting worse by the minute. Nik left the room and ran down the stairs.
He called the bed and breakfast again, asking if Beatrice was there. The woman who answered the phone was not polite. “I’ve already told you, my guests’ privacy is all that matters. Do not make me call the police.” The woman hung up, and Nik looked at his phone. What the hell? Obviously, someone else had been to the inn looking for Beatrice. If they knew she and Sophia were the same person, Sophia was screwed. He wished he had one of Sophia’s disguises. Her followers knew what he looked like, and they knew he was there to help her.
He walked the long way to the inn, keeping his eyes and ears open for any sign of someone following him. He memorized the layout of the building, the garden on the west side, and the balconies on the second floor. As he turned the corner, the back door opened, and a man in a chef’s hat deposited a black plastic bag in a trash receptacle. When he went back inside, he didn’t pause to lock the door. Nik could use that to his advantage later. Just as he was headed to the front door, a loud argument sounded from an open second floor window.
“I’m telling you, Fred. Stay away from Beatrice. That woman is trouble, and I forbid you to talk to her again.”
“You forbid me? Yvonne, I’ve put up with your crap for thirty years. I’m done. This was supposed to be a nice trip for the kids, and you’ve ruined it. Beatrice was right; you need to cut the cord where Garrett’s concerned. He’s old enough to take a trip with his wife without you butting in. They haven’t had any alone time since we arrived. As far as we’re concerned, I think once we get home, we need to take a break.”
“See what I’m talking about? You never would have talked to me this way before you met that hussy! I hope that nice couple finds her.”
“Beatrice is not a hussy. And that couple didn’t seem so nice to me. They looked like trouble.”
Nik didn’t listen to any more of their argument. As soon as Yvonne mentioned a couple, he knew Sophia’s cover was more than likely blown. Why else would they be looking for her? Nik would come back when it was dark and look around for Beatrice’s room.
Nik made his way back to his hotel room and called for room service. He was pleased to see a steak on the menu since he wasn’t fond of foreign food. While he was waiting, he decided to meditate. Too much had happened for one day, and he wanted to clear his mind. He kicked off his boots and sat down on the floor, crossing his legs. He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing. Gargoyles could sit unmoving for hours at a time. Nik sat for hours in the lab with Julian, or in his home office with the archives. Rarely was he still, though. He had a lust for life that hadn’t waned in five hundred years. Now that he’d found his mate, that lust was only going to get stronger. He had someone to share his days with, have babies with. He concentrated on Sophia’s face and let her beauty wash over him.
In his mind, she was wearing her long, colorful skirt. Her toenails were as bright as the fabric covering her legs. Her hair was blowing in the wind. She was laughing. Even though he’d never seen her on the beach, that’s where his thoughts took her - to white sands with blue waters rolling in behind her. Sophia twirled around, her skirt billowing around her ankles. She began running. Not toward Nik, but away from him. When she glanced over her shoulder, she was not smiling. She was afraid. A hand reached out for her shoulder as a pounding noise grew louder.
Room service knocking on the door brought Nikolas out of his meditation. Gargoyles didn’t sweat, but there was a light sheen of perspiration on his face. Okay, that was weird. Nik had no psychic powers. Dante was the gifted one in the family. There was no reason for his fantasy to turn dark the way it had.
Nik rose from the floor and looked through the peephole. His nerves were on edge when he opened the door. The last hotel employee he encountered incapacitated him. He stood back with the door open as the man brought the tray in, set it on the table, and asked, “Can I get you anything else, Mr. Stone?”
“No, thank you.” Nik pulled some money out of his pocket and tipped the man. Once he was alone, he removed the lid from his supper. The idea of a thick, juicy steak had lost its appeal, but he needed to eat something anyway. It didn’t take long to demolish the meat and potato. As an afterthought, he picked up the dinner roll and stuck it in his mouth. When he went to place it back on the plate, he noticed a piece of paper. His intuition told him he wasn’t going to like what it said.
We have the girl
Nikolas fell to his knees and roared.
Chapter Twelve
Zeke spent most of the day on the computer. He had no leads to go on, nothing indicating where his niece might be. Once she landed in Cairo, she could have gone anywhere. She wasn’t using her own credit card, so he had no clue where to look for her or how to find her. He called Elizabeth, making sure she hadn’t heard from Sophia or Sam. She filled him in on what happened with Tessa. She was waiting until Xavier returned from Italy so they could go see her. Zeke had never met his cousin, but he’d heard Xavier was a force to be reckoned with, especially where Elizabeth was concerned.
He looked up his sister Xenia’s address, pleased to find she was no longer living in South Africa but Alexandria. Since he was no closer to finding Sophia than he had been when he got there, Ezekiel decided to pay his sister a visit. He was going to tell her who and what she was. If nothing else good came from his trip, at least he would have the peace of mind in doing this for her. He decided against calling first, so he boarded a train and settled in for the three hour ride.
His mind drifted to Tessa and what she had endured at the hands of her father. Not Xavier, but the man who thought he was her father. Gordon Flanagan was a monster. He had been searching for Tessa since Elizabeth disappeared with the girl when she was a baby. Now, it seemed the search was over. The helicopter Gordon had been flying in had been shot down, and he was presumed dead. Tessa was in a coma thanks to him and one of his goons. Zeke knew Tessa. She was a fighter. He also knew his father was masquerading as the Chief of Staff of the hospital where Tessa was being treated. Jonas would take good care of his prodigy. She might not be his daughter, but she was Jonas’ pride and joy. Zeke wasn’t jealous of the girl. He was just as proud of her as Jonas was. What Jonas didn’t realize, though, was Sophia was as smart and cunning as Tessa.
The train rolled into the station, and Zeke stood and stretched his legs. He was anxious to meet another sibling, but apprehensive to do it unannounced. Still, he made his way to the street and flagged down a taxi. Even though he had traveled many places, it never ceased to amaze Zeke how a lot of houses and neighborhoods looked the same all over the world. The street Xenia lived on could have easily been in the States. He paid the taxi driver and stood on the sidewalk in front of the smaller home. He walked to the door and knocked.
<
br /> The similarity between the woman who opened the door and his mother let him know he had the right house. “Hello, Xenia. My name is Ezekiel. I’m…”
“My brother, I know. Come on in. Can I offer you something to drink?” Xenia surprised him.
Zeke stood in the door, unmoving. “How do you know who I am? And how do you know I’m really Ezekiel?”
Xenia stopped when he wasn’t behind her. “Because, Sophia told me about you, and you look just like Jonas. She showed me pictures.”
That got him moving. He entered her house and closed the door. “I’ll have whatever you’re having, please. When did you speak with Sophia?”
“This morning. She called to ask about the Valley of the Queens.” Xenia handed him a tumbler filled with amber liquid and no ice. He took a sip and coughed. “I see you like your Scotch neat.”
“Yes. It’s the good stuff, so I don’t see the need in watering it down with ice. Won’t you have a seat?” she asked as she sat on the sofa.
Zeke took the armchair across from her. “If you don’t mind my asking, how did you meet Sophia? I’ve been sent by the family to locate her, and it’s surprising she came to visit you when she’s supposed to be looking for her parents. Did she tell you that?”
“Yes, she told me everything. I’m surprised you didn’t call her cell phone. I’m pretty sure she would answer, especially if you’re here to help her.”
Zeke felt like a fool. Of course he should have called her phone. “You’re absolutely right. Don’t I feel like an idiot? I just assumed since nobody knew her whereabouts, they had already attempted to reach her on her phone. Can you please tell me what you know?”
Xenia recounted the events of the previous day from Sophia walking in to find a phased Xenia, to the disk, to her phone call that morning. “She told me I have a lot of siblings. I never thought I’d meet one so soon. How old are you, if I’m not being too forward?”
“I’m fifty-seven. I am the middle child, but Sophia probably already told you that.”
“She gave me a list of names with ages and their whereabouts. It’s a lot to take in, first the phasing then the news that I’m adopted with so many brothers and sisters. But it is what it is. I’ve had almost twenty-four hours to come to terms with it all. Everything except for my mate. I’m meeting Keene tonight to tell him. What about you? How did your mate take the news?” Xenia asked, sipping her Scotch.
This was the one thing Ezekiel hated discussing with his siblings. They had a right to know, but it still stung having to relay such a hurtful, personal detail. “I don’t know who my mate is. I transitioned in my late twenties. I dated a lot of women at the same time. I guess you could say I was a womanizer. Still, I never felt the mate pull with any of them. Back then, I didn’t know what caused our kind to phase initially. Now that I do, I look back on that period of time, and I cannot for the life of me figure out who it could have been.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s worse; knowing who it is and having them reject you or not knowing at all.”
“Definitely not knowing at all. Xenia, I’ve never seen a mate reject a shifter. The pull is too strong. It might seem shitty on the part of the fates, but the mates I have been around are nothing but loving, loyal, and accepting. I have a feeling Keene will be the same way once the initial shock has worn off. You aren’t alone in this. I’m here. I might have come searching for Sophia, but we are family. I will not abandon you if you need me.”
“Seems like the fates knew what they were doing when they gave me family, too. I just met you and Sophia, but it feels like I’ve known you my whole life. That’s crazy, but it’s true. Thank you, Ezekiel, for offering. I will be fine, though. Sophia talked me through the history of our family, if somewhat briefly. I have been working on getting my phasing under control, and I feel confident I will be a pro at flashing fangs very soon. Sophia is the one you need to worry about. We need to help her find her parents. These people who are after her have her on a wild goose chase. That may be what they intended, to send her on fool’s errands just to keep her from finding Sam. I have a feeling whoever it is has some really deep pockets and strong connections. If the authorities had caught her with the Cleopatra Disk, she would have been detained indefinitely.”
“What can you tell me about the clues they’ve given her?”
“The disk was her first clue. Sophia happened to see the blonde woman and her male companion while out walking, so she followed the woman. The blonde hid a disk under a bench at the zoo. Sophia retrieved it and brought it here. She needed help deciphering what it was. Since the disk has been missing since the time of Cleopatra’s death, it didn’t show up in the databases Sophia looked in. When she went back to pretend to follow their instructions, she was handed a note. This is where I believe they are trying to confuse her. The note told her to go to the place of beauty and find the last pharaoh’s tomb. The place of beauty translates to the Valley of the Queens. That’s where the pharaoh’s wives are buried. The last pharaoh was Cleopatra; her place of burial is unknown.”
“Is it possible someone might have discovered where the Queen’s tomb is?” Zeke had studied Egyptian history and knew it was a long shot.
“I’m pretty sure it would have been all over the news. No, I have a feeling whoever has Sam and Monica is toying with Sophia.”
Zeke stood and pulled out his cellphone. “Excuse me for a moment. I want to see if I can reach her.” He dialed his niece’s number, but it went to voice mail. He left her a message, telling her he was in Egypt and to call him as soon as she got the message. While he was on the phone, there was a knock at the door.
Xenia downed the rest of her drink before going to answer it. When she opened the door, a handsome man who Zeke assumed was Keene came in. He stopped short when he saw Zeke. “Is there something you want to tell me?” he asked Xenia.
She grabbed Keene’s hand and said, “I’d like to introduce you to my brother, Ezekiel. Zeke, this is Keene Tyson.”
Zeke reached his hand out to shake the other man’s. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Keene nodded but told Xenia, “I didn’t know you had a brother.”
She grinned. “I didn’t either until yesterday. It seems I have several. That’s why I asked you over here, so I could explain what I found out about my birth parents.”
Keene nodded again before raising an eyebrow at Zeke. He took that as his cue to leave. “Xenia, before I go, did Sophia happen to say where she’s staying? I have searched the hotels in Cairo, but her name isn’t listed at any of them.”
“She mentioned the Nile Grand, but she’s probably using an alias considering she’s been in disguise the whole time. If I talk to her again, I’ll be sure to have her call you.”
“Thank you. Here’s my number. Call if you need anything.” Zeke turned to go but was stopped when his sister pulled him in for a hug. He returned her embrace, inclined his head to Keene, and left them alone to discuss their future. Hopefully, they’d have one.
Nikolas was going crazy. He had paced the floor of his room, waiting until it was late. As soon as he stepped out into the night air and felt the pull of the moon, his Gargoyle clawed at him from the inside, begging to be turned loose. Nik would love nothing more than to take to the skies, spreading his wings and soaring. He tamped down his beast but kept it close enough to the surface to be aware of his surroundings. He was pissed at himself for letting the blonde get the jump on him with whatever she’d sprayed in his eyes.
When Nik arrived at the inn, he checked the back door. He turned the knob slowly and pushed the unlocked door open enough to listen for movement inside. When he heard none, he entered the hallway behind the kitchen. The place was small enough that he found the stairs easily. He made his way to the second floor and followed his nose to the door where honeysuckle was present. Nik tried the knob and surprisingly, it was unlocked. He opened the door and let himself into Sophia’s room.
This room was not neat and tidy
like the one at the hotel had been. Drawers were open as was the window. Even though the days were pleasant, the night air could get chilly. The thin curtain was flowing from the breeze. Nik looked out the window to find it overlooked the garden. At first glance, everything looked normal. Nik continued to study the area below the window. A bush had branches broken off, and the dirt next to it had been disturbed. His mate had jumped. Dammit. That wasn’t good. If she had to escape out the window, someone had been looking for her downstairs.
A large bag was on the floor by the bathroom. Nik picked it up and looked through the contents. Beatrice. Either Sophia’s alter ego had been compromised, or she was in too much of a hurry to grab it. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have left it behind. Various items of clothing were in the closet, most of those belonging to an older woman. A couple of shirts hung on hangers that he could see someone like Tessa wearing. Nik tried to imagine Sophia dressed as a female version of Indiana Jones. Even though their situation was dire, Nik grinned when he envisioned his mate wielding a whip. Maybe she would whip him. Get your head out of the bed, Nikky boy. Your mate is in trouble, and you’re thinking of sex games. As Nik pushed through the hangers, a wave of lightheadedness washed over him, and he allowed the feeling to flow through his body. He should have never separated from her once he found her. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.
Instead of going back through the inn, Nik decided to go out the window as Sophia had. He climbed through the open frame then allowed his body to drop to the ground. He landed, knees bent, hands on the dirt. His right hand was resting atop a piece of paper. He picked it up and read what had been written. Sophia must have dropped it when she jumped. Finally, a break. Nik was holding the clue to where Sophia’s parents were being held.
