Sphinx Transformed (The Sphinx Warriors Series Book 3)

by Christine Murphy

  When he seemed to be satisfied with the cleansing, he pushed her back into the water and ran his hands over every bit of her skin making the water and soap rush off her. He paused for a moment with his hand over her heart. “Alexandria, I know there’s something bothering you and I want to help you. The Ancients know I do with every bit of my love for you. I don’t know why you’re holding whatever’s bothering you back from me, but I’m here for you when you’re ready.”

  She crumbled before him, her heart splintering to pieces from the sheer kindness of her chosen Mate. If only she could tell him, but he would try to stop her, and she just couldn’t allow that to happen. If she made it to the other side of the nightmare mission, she would make this up to him. “Josh, I…”

  When she couldn’t go on, he pulled her into his arms anyway. “It’s okay, Lexi. I’ll wait for you as long as you need.” And then he kissed her. A soul touching, Life Force confirming, Power inducing kiss that melted her to the very core. She would never be the same and would forever belong to him no matter if it was in life or in death. He gave her strength, he gave her hope, he gave her love.

  With ultimate gentleness, he took her to his bed and placed her on the soft blankets. His body covered hers and the next couple of hours he made love to her, bringing her to orgasm again and again. Not wanting to come undone without him, she rewarded him with every bit of her love and used her special purr to make him explode within her and call out her name in ecstasy.

  When he connected with her through their Link sharing his Power with her, she answered back touching him with the energy which was purely hers. The loving was incredible, and for a few moments, she forgot the dark mission she had to commit to, but eventually reality set in. He would probably hate her later, but it couldn’t be helped. She shifted her energy just enough to knock him out for a couple of hours.

  ****

  Dressed in her black Warrior’s clothes, Alexandria stood at the foot of the bed just admiring her Josh. The man was incredible, with his hard muscles and his tan skin, but most of all, with the incredible love he gifted her. She brushed a tear away, feeling her heart break a little bit more. Perhaps this was goodbye, perhaps it wasn’t. Either way he might not ever forgive her for what she had done, using her gift to make him sleep while she committed herself to a death mission.

  Reaching down, she picked up the bag filled with a fine black chainmail vest and arm gauntlets of the same. She had also borrowed a weapons belt with daggers and throwing stars but would rely mostly on her Sefu Element and the deadly Power Sword it would become.

  Looking upon Joshua one more time, she whispered, “Goodbye Josh. I really do love you more than life.”

  Upon her last words, she turned and didn’t look back. She jerked open the door passing through and swiftly closing it behind her before she changed her mind. Every step she took away from Joshua felt like another heartbeat being taken away from her lifeline. But she knew there was no choice. This was her sacrifice or it would end up being everyone else’s.

  Luckily, most of the Warriors were sleeping other than perhaps Raven. Hopefully, he had understood the glance from the Trauma Cell earlier, because she really needed his ability to pull the truth of her time on the other side out of the depths of her mind. Either way, she was going but without the knowledge she figured she was pretty much out of luck. The other factor was finding Stormy and Eleina. She figured they probably wouldn’t be sleeping since they would be wound up and not as exhausted as the Warriors who had expended such huge amounts of Life Power.

  Deciding to start with the entertainment room, she breathed a sigh of relief when she approached the doorway and looked in. The Ancients were with her and all three of the people she desperately needed were present and accounted for. Stormy and Eleina were at the large rose wood bar. Stormy was leaning against one of the intricately carved posts which held up the overhead section that had several crystal glasses hanging from it. The light reflecting off the mirrors on the wall behind the bar shined on the glasses causing bright shimmers.

  Eleina reached up capturing one of the artistically cut glasses. She flipped the glass in midair so the bottom was facing down and then daintily placed it on the bar. Grabbing a diamond cut decanter filled with some type of alcohol, she poured herself a hefty amount and slammed the drink down before Alexandria made it halfway across the room. The woman could out drink any man if she wanted to put her mind to it.

  Almost immediately her approaching presence was noted and both women turned toward her. Eleina poured a second glass of alcohol and after taking a sip, said, “I can see time’s up. You’re going.”

  Stepping up to the bar, Alexandria dropped her bag of gear on the floor, grabbed a glass, and poured a glass full to boost her determination. She gulped down half of the contents not really knowing how the alcohol would affect her with her changed genetics. Setting the glass carefully on the bar next to Eleina’s she looked at both women head on.

  “I have to. The decision was made long ago when Turin took my genetic material and injected it into those monsters. He’s made a creature on the other side that can open the Gate. That’s why it’s so easy for them to activate and hold the Gate open. And they can hold it open as long as they want. We got lucky they ran out of gas the last time. The reprieve might not happen again and the Warriors can’t take much more. I don’t care what they say.”

  Stormy ran her fingers across the rose wood post near her nervously playing with the carvings.

  “The Elder knew this would happen I think. That’s why she revealed you needing to retrieve the Fifth Page of the Seven. I wish she would just spit her secrets out sometimes. Why she doesn’t, I don’t know. She keeps too many secrets which are becoming a detriment to our lives. I think I’ll talk to Michael about that.”

  She stopped, picking at the rose wood and approached Alexandria. “What do you need from us?”

  Alexandria bit at her lip. This was so dangerous and she didn’t want to get anyone else killed in her suicide mission. But she needed these women.

  “It would be better if you didn’t help me as this is craziness I’m getting into, but I’m positive I can still open the Gate. My sudden presence will be a surprise and if the Wraith are as exhausted as the Warriors there should be very little resistance. I should be able to sneak in, find the Wraith created from my DNA, destroy the creature and any other abominations with altered genetics, and grab the Fifth Page on the way out.”

  A dark laugh came from one of the high backed leather chairs near the big screen TV.

  “Sounds like a marvelous plan. Wham, bang, and you’ll be right back out of there. Great plan there, Alexandria.”

  Choosing to ignore Raven for the moment, Alexandria continued, “Anyway, Stormy I need you to hold the Gate open just enough so I can get my ass back and I need Eleina to watch your right in case any unexpected Wraith shows up. If the worst happens and they realize the Gate is open, you’ll close it. Do you understand?”

  “But you’d be trapped.” Stormy whispered in shock.

  Alexandria stood there a moment letting those words sink in. Trapped but not for long. She would go down taking out as many Wraith as she could. Genetically altered or otherwise.

  “Yes, I would.” She let the words hang which would clearly tell the women if that happened she wouldn’t be ever coming back.

  Stormy grabbed Alexandria in a bear hug effectively cutting off her air. “No! We can’t lose you, Alexandria. What about Joshua? You just Joined with him and losing you would kill him. How can you succeed in this when you don’t even remember all the details of your abduction and whatever else Turin did over there to you.?

  Alexandria extricated herself from Stormy’s death grip, but held onto her hands trying to comfort her Power Keeper.

  “Listen to me. If I don’t go through with this then we’re all going to die eventually anyway. We can’t keep going on like this. You know I’m right.”

  She paused for a moment until Storm
y nodded to her and then she continued. “Besides, Raven is going to help me with the recall. Aren’t you?”

  Her question was more of a demand and she knew he would rise to the challenge from her tone alone.

  Raven’s tall muscular form rose from the chair like a deadly panther rising to hunt its meal. His long black hair was loose around his shoulders and he looked like he hadn’t shaved in several hours. Dark circles crescented under his light blue eyes, giving indication he was just as exhausted as the rest of the Warriors. He stalked over to the bar with his own drink in hand until he stood directly in front of Alexandria.

  “There’s no way in hell I’m helping you. Joshua already has me on his hit list, and helping you commit suicide will mean he guts me right before he dies without you. You can go to hell if you think I’m volunteering. No amount of “we could die if you don’t go” will convince me either.”

  Crossing her arms across her chest, she gave him a dark smile. “Then perhaps this will, Warrior. I happen to know that every time you have to use your little Truth Finder skill it hurts you just as much as the person you use it on. Having experienced this myself under your hands, I also know when you force the person to open up to your Power you leave yourself exposed.”

  Raven stepped closer to her. He growled and gritted out, “What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Healer?”

  She almost had him and she knew he could feel the trap closing in. “You’re exactly right, Raven. I am a Healer, and even in my altered form the other day, I could feel your pain when you were searching out the knowledge in my mind. My natural healing inclination, even when I couldn’t, was to reach out and stop your pain. A mind trying to heal another mind will see all sorts of things even when she didn’t intentionally want to.” Alexandria paused for affect. She could see Raven’s wheels turning connecting the dots and the expression on his face was changing to a mix of fear and fury. She had the hook in now all she had to do was yank. “Raven, I have two words to say to you. Elder Chloe.”

  Yes, hooked him she did, and her fish fought in fury. The glass in his hand shattered, fragments scattering to the floor along with the remaining alcohol and the blood oozing from the gash he now bore.

  “Son of a bitch!” Raven snarled, stomping away to the nearest wall and slamming his fist into it, leaving a hole. He breathed heavily for several seconds, ignoring everyone.

  Eventually, he calmed or at least as much as Raven ever calmed. He turned to her and stared her straight in the eye. If Alexandria hadn’t known Raven would never harm her, she would have turned and run for her life.

  “Fine. But you owe me big. And you’ll never speak of what was revealed.” He pointed to Stormy and Eleina. “And that includes these two,” he barked.

  “Fine. Agreed.” Alexandria should have felt relieved he was going to tap into the memories she would need to even approach being successful and perhaps come out of the mission intact. Deep down, though, she really didn’t want to remember. The mind was incredible in how it protected a person from trauma and tragedy to save the sanity. Opening up Pandora’s box could destroy her but she had no choice.

  Raven turned away from her again and walked behind the bar. “Give me a moment to prepare and then I’ll help you.”

  Retrieving a new glass, he set it on the bar top and upended an opened Jack Daniels bottle over it. The glass was more of a cocktail glass but Raven used it like a large shot glass. He filled his version of a shot glass to the rim and then slammed the whole thing back. Stormy and Eleina just shook their heads and the look they gave Alexandria spoke clearly of their uncertainty.

  Wiping his mouth, he pointed to the reading area. “Pick a seat and let’s get this over with.”

  He poured another drink and followed her over to the seating area.

  Alexandria worked her way around the dark wooden seats cushioned with pillows of gold and orange. They were arranged neatly in the middle of the room here and there next to small coffee tables of matching dark wood. Raven, already agitated, grabbed some of the free hanging gold and orange fabric that had come loose from the nearest wall and shoved it out of his way. The grab was so rough the fabric came undone from the holder attached to the ceiling and the whole streamer fluttered to the floor in a tangled pile.

  “Nicely done, Raven.” Eleina snapped at him, and Alexandria rolled her eyes when Raven flipped her off.

  Sitting down heavily in the nearest chair, she sighed, “Enough guys. I agree with Raven. Let’s get this over with.”

  Raven swigged back the rest of his drink and set the empty glass down on one of the coffee tables. He moved up behind Alexandria but before he placed his palms against her head, Alexandria looked up at him.

  “We don’t have time for gentleness Raven. Dive in quick and make it happen. If my brain fries, it was going to happen anyway.”

  He gave her a crooked grin that didn’t reach his eyes. “Your command is my desire, my lady.”

  Even in a dire situation, Raven had to be a smart ass. Alexandria would never understand what made the Warrior tick.

  Settling back in the seat, she grabbed the arms of the chair with a death grip. This was going to hurt. A lot. While Raven placed his hands on either side of her head and prepared his Truth Finder Power, Alexandria spun up her own Healer gift and hoped she could focus in case she needed to repair any neural damage to herself or Raven.

  Right before he dove into her mind, she swore she heard him whisper, “I’m sorry”, but she couldn’t be sure. One minute she was sitting there tense under his hands and the next razor blades ripped through her mind. Raven was nothing but thorough. Half conscience, she was thrown into the memory of her abduction and torture under Turin’s hands.

  Half of the images she remembered, the others stripped her raw but she had to drag through them. The knowledge was crucial. Images flashed of her abduction by the Wraith. Black eyes staring at her, the creature’s fetid breath gagging her, and its cold hands freezing her skin, sucking the Life Power out of her. How she had survived that she didn’t know, but it was either her healing ability or Turin had enough control over the Wraith to prevent her being drained dry.

  The next images blurred by. Her presentation to Turin, his evil enjoyment of beating her to near death, the injections of the burning fluid, and his allowing the Wraith to beat her and steal her Life Power. Day in and out this would happen, and every time he moved her from the dark dank cell, he kept her in to his private domain, she began to memorize the layout of the Wraith stronghold. Every detail she carved into her memory for escape, for revenge, or for her own suicide. This treatment continued repeatedly until he grew tired of her fighting against him and went in for the mental kill.

  Turin beat her again and then stripped her down tying her spread eagle on a platform in what she could only call a room of sacrifice. Weapons hung everywhere, torturous instruments surrounded her, Wraith stood by drooling, breathing heavily on her, and in the center of it all was a case with the Fifth Page of Seven. Just out of her reach. Another symbol of freedom she couldn’t quite touch and was denied day after day.

  Strapped to the platform, Alexandria experienced real agony and near death every day from there. Turin, determined to see her healing capability as she mutated into her new form would slice into her, cut her abdomen open, and let the Wraith take her Life Power all the way down to her Life Force. Turin would fondle her and touch her in ways that were not pleasant but hurtful. He had never penetrated her, whispering she was for other purposes and would never bear children. She had screamed and begged for him to stop but he continued. One day he had taken a long serrated dagger and stabbed her over and over again in her lower abdomen where her womb was. He didn’t stop until she lay open and dripping blood all over the ground

  Trapped in Raven’s Truth Finder Power, Alexandria vaguely heard her own screams accompanied by Raven’s anguished roar. She felt him try and pull his hands away to stop, but she grabbed his wrists holding them tightly against her head. She had t
o finish this. Needed the knowledge or they would die. She couldn’t lose Joshua, damn it.

  The image of her slowly healing body revealed itself, but her mind was broken. When she was physically whole again, she had finally finished her genetic transformation and was ready to become the deadly weapon Turin needed to kill Michael. She had been thrown in with the wild Wraith and they had taught her through more pain and torment how to fight them, how to steal their energy, and how to cruelly kill them. She had learned well and she had come out on top as a master killer and Power hungry genetic mutation. She was allowed free rein of the stronghold and knew every inch of it including the room where the experiments were conducted and the Fifth Page resided.

  Before Turin released her upon the world, she was given one last test to be sure he could know she would kill her own brother. Even though he couldn’t destroy her body and her ability to bear children, he wanted to warp her another way. He brought to her a small Wraith child, its natural abilities to take life just blooming and set the small creature before her. Turin had evilly smiled and called upon her to destroy it. Without feeling, without second thought, without anything, she had reached out and sucked the child dry. Turin’s hold on her was complete while her spirit shriveled up and died and the last of her hope of ever returning home was destroyed.

  “No!” Alexandria screamed throwing Raven’s grip off her.

  She fell to the floor crawling along in agony, sobs ripping from her chest. Stormy and Eleina tried to approach her but she snarled wildly forcing them back.