Immortal Dynasty

by Lynda Haviland

  “My honored guests, you are the very first to sample our premier line of perfume. It is the nectar of the ancient gods and goddesses. A scent so pure and ethereal, it enhances each individual’s core scent. It is a perfume made for both women and men. We call it simply…Ambrosia. I hope you find it…arousing.”

  Lilith seated herself back upon the throne, overlooking all of her guests like the Queen of the Nile, presiding over her minions. Seated on a slightly smaller throne to her left, Therion joined her visual search through the crowd.

  Lilith’s suspicions grew as her eyes fell on an unknown profile. “Who’s that black-robed Caesar right there?”

  “He’s our soon-to-be-mayor’s attorney.” Therion raised his glass in the man’s direction. “He’s here representing Steven McNair while the candidate splashes posters all over town for help in finding his missing daughter.”

  Lilith sipped slowly from a golden goblet. “I can imagine.”

  “Duty before family.”

  She ignored her son’s callousness. “Should I be flattered that you think my party qualifies as a civic duty?” Scanning the room, she found herself admiring a very lithe pharaoh. She preened with a surge of desire. Instinct, and his energy trail, told her that the man behind the gold mask would be Darius Alexander. He was watching her just as intently. She raised her goblet in silent toast to him.

  “Lord, mother!” He coughed into his fist. “Does everything in your life revolve around sex?”

  “Don’t be a prude, son. There is nothing on this earth more sacred than sex.” She smiled sweetly at him, but behind her goblet the smile disappeared. Lilith Helene Troy knew all about sex. She’d been made for it. It had been her station in her miserable past life. “The blood of kings passes by birth. It is the woman’s line of succession that preserves the bloodline. Don’t ever forget that.”

  “That’s an ancient concept. Those ways are over.” Therion grabbed a cognac from a passing tray and downed it one gulp. “It’s a whole new world.”

  “Yes.” Her lips spread with a wide smile, and she looked proudly at her son. “Yes, it is. It’s my world now. It will be my bloodline that rules.”

  Throughout the ancient world, she’d been subservient to the lords of her kind. She detested being so lowly. Among the humans, however, she was a goddess. A goddess on earth. Being Helen of Troy had been fun, but even then she became little more than a piece of property to the human men who ruled their people.

  As Cleopatra, she’d found true happiness. Her people loved her and worshipped her. Men sought to please her. But humans fought constantly, and she’d found herself seeking the counsel of Julius Ceasar. By seducing him, she’d secured the safety of the Egyptian people, whose country was on the brink of being conquered by neighboring humans. She’d only cared because the conquering groups were filthy and passionless, lacking the pageantry and glory of the Egyptians.

  She’d won peace, but again at the sacrifice of her body. Then, Marc Antony entered her world. Sweet goddess, but he’d been the perfect image of her dreams. For a human, his sexual appetites were divine. His sensitivity and skill had pushed her astral spirit to new heights.

  Lilith could barely catch her breath as the image of her lover was so vivid in her mind. But they’d both been betrayed. Betrayed by her own kind. She seethed with ancient anger.

  However, revenge was sweet. Her pulse calmed as she thought about the twist of destiny that had freed her from her eternal prison. When she found herself in this new time, she discovered that most of the Anunnaki had left. Those that remained were weak, leaderless, and scattered across the world. Once again, she’d found ways to be adored by millions of humans. Survival alone was a form of revenge, but she longed to avenge the murder of her most cherished lover.

  *

  Shaila watched the party guests give themselves a little touch of the exotic scent on their throats and wrists. They continued enjoying their desserts, many saluting Lilith who sat regally on her throne. A new round of wine appeared. A very sweet wine. The humans slowly came under the spell of the heady tonic that she realized must be in the perfume.

  “Darius, we must get out of this room.” She saw that he was focused on Lilith. Too focused. “Now!”

  “W-what?” He rubbed his neck. “Why?”

  “So you do not come under the spell, too.” She resisted the urge to send a pulse of energy at Lilith to knock her off her throne. Shaila did not have enough strength to put a lot of power behind it, and Darius would be furious with her for risking her identity.

  “The spell?” His voice dropped to a husky whisper.

  “Precisely. It is in the perfume, and I suspect it may be coming through there, too.” Shaila pointed discreetly toward a couple of rectangular metal grates on the ceiling. A slight haze floated into the room between the bars.

  “You know what’s in this stuff, don’t you?”

  Shaila nodded. “I suspect that it is a highly concentrated form of mannah. Like the wafers Bakari gave me, but in a liquid form.”

  “It’s good for your kind.”

  “Yes, it is. But it could easily overpower a human.”

  “Lilith’s drugging us?” The last word came out with a slight slur.

  “More like she is testing it on you.” Shaila didn’t even try to hide her annoyance.

  Darius kept rubbing his neck and fanning his face. The effects of the perfume would soon cloud his mind. She needed him to stay focused on finding the mummy and his grandfather.

  “Come,” Shaila tugged at his arm. “Come, Darius. We must reach the balcony. Fresh air. Come.”

  He complied sluggishly, nearly tripping over the leg of his chair. Fortunately, they had picked a table at the back of the room and the balconies were not far away.

  She stole a glance at the golden queen on her throne. Lilith seemed to be watching them intently. Even from across the room, Shaila could sense the woman’s heated interest in Darius. Her energy radiated desire. As they neared the balcony, Shaila felt the crisp breeze blowing in through the opened doors.

  She did not need the effects of a perfume to feel desire. The hand Darius held tingled, reminding her how much she wanted to touch the rest of this man. She remembered the way his skin felt against her own. She hesitated in the doorway, watching Darius take deep breaths of the fresh air.

  If she did not start showing some sign of the perfume’s effect, Lilith would begin to suspect something. Shaila had to protect her identity. She had to mark her territory. Growling possessively, she swayed her body against Darius and crushed her lips against his.

  The cool breeze had indeed begun to clear the strange haze from his mind, but Shaila’s quick kiss ignited him, launching his body into autopilot. He swung them both underneath a cascade of blood-red curtains, pressing her back against the wall. Hidden behind the thick dark material, Darius felt like he was inside his own private dream. As dreams went, this one tasted very real. It tasted like sweet wine. Shaila.

  The name echoed in his mind, and whispered from his lips. He felt her purring when he called her name. Capturing her mouth, his tongue explored and captured in a war he wanted to wage forever.

  Until a thin gray man appeared beside them, clearing his throat to gain their attentions.

  “Madame Troy insists that you join her in her private sitting room.”

  Recognizing the demon doorman, Darius grabbed him by the throat and growled. “Go away before I cram your forked tongue down your slimy throat.”

  Shaila redirected his face toward hers. “We must go,” she whispered in his ear. “You know that.”

  He shook his head to clear the fuzziness away. In a gravely sarcastic voice, he agreed. “Let’s go pay homage to the Queen.”

  The queen blew him a kiss from across the room as she stood. As they crossed the hall, the band struck up a new beat. The tune slowly dissolved the sexual mood in the room. Guests disengaged themselves from each other, smoothing their clothes and collecting their dignities. The dini
ng hall buzzed with conversation once again, along with the sounds of silver and china tinkling.

  Therion now stood alone before the crowd and announced the opening of the galleries to all of the guests, inviting them to browse the Troy Estate’s private collection of antiquities and to dance the night away. As he exited the dais, the band began playing more lively dancing music.

  Shaila had slowed down during Marc Anthony’s speech. “Why is that voice so familiar to me?”

  Darius leaned into her ear from behind. “Possibly because he is Lilith’s son. That’s Therion, the one you’ve been entrusted to keep the amulet away from.”

  He felt a shudder pass through her body.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “Good evening.” Darius felt awkward standing in front of Lilith Troy wearing a pharaoh’s getup, while she was regally decked out as Cleopatra, a pharaoh’s queen. The irony was not lost on him, and it spawned a wicked headache. He pulled his mask off and briefly pressed the back of his hand to his forehead.

  “Hello, Darius…and guest?” Lilith couldn’t have looked at Shaila with any more venom. She looked ready to unfurl her talons and sink them into her competition.

  “Ms. Troy, I would like to introduce you to my date…um, Shelly.”

  “Hello.” Lilith circled Shelly like a falcon circling its prey. “Why don’t you take off your wig and mask. Come, girl. Show us your pretty face. Let’s see the beauty of the one who’s managed to catch the attention of our elusive adventurer. Come, show us.”

  He was certain she would rip the accessories from Shaila’s head if he didn’t intervene quickly. “Lilith, thank you for inviting me. Your parties are famous for their bling, but what exactly was going on in there?”

  “Did you like my new fragrance?” Lilith licked her upper lip and looked at him coyly from under her lashes.

  “Was it entertaining to you, using your guests as guinea pigs in your little mass orgy experiment?” He let his disgust show.

  “What’s wrong with spreading a little love, Darius?”

  “Then why stop it?”

  “I can’t very well ruin the dignity of my guests. It was only a test…to see if it really did have an aphrodisiac effect.”

  She glided toward him. “You really do look like a stunning image of a pharaoh. You’re a natural.”

  “Yes.” A dark voice slithered into the room. “King Darius. Weak and inefficient. His army decimated, and he himself killed by Alexander the Great.”

  Darius instinctively fingered his belt buckle. He also noticed Shaila’s jaw clenching and grinding. A memory surfaced of Therion groping the statue.

  “Actually,” Darius moved between Shaila and his rival, “that was Darius the Third. Tonight I’m Darius the First.”

  “A Persian thief, either way. Hmm. Sounds familiar.”

  “Darius the First was known as the law-giver.” Darius moved into Therion’s personal space, looking the big man up and down. “But Marc Antony’s legacy was…cowardice and suicide.”

  Big hands suddenly encircled Darius’ neck and lifted him a few inches off the ground.

  It took all of Shaila’s strength to stay put, keep her fangs sheathed, and not assist Darius. She felt useless standing there like some child. Had she interfered, Lilith would surely begin to see through the costume and discover her true identity. She already had little confidence that a costume and mask could make much difference, but it had been over three thousand sun cycles since Lilith last saw her. That had to count for something.

  “Put him down.” It was Lilith who intervened. “Now!”

  Therion growled at Darius, but reluctantly let go.

  “Careful big guy, you’re drooling.”

  Therion responded to the insult with a blow to Darius’ stomach.

  “Therion!” Lilith’s eyes glowed red with anger. Therion apparently understood her veiled threat, and he moved away toward the liquor bar.

  “Mother, you don’t need this piece of gutter trash to help you. I’ll bet he’s failed to find the amulet.” He poured himself a drink and pointed the bottle toward Darius. “I still want my statue back, and I’d love to beat it out of you.”

  “Hush. The statue is of no importance.” Lilith swept the air with her fingertips.

  Shaila stood a bit taller, unsure whether she should be insulted.

  The movement seemed to remind Lilith of her presence in the room. “Shelly, I apologize for my son’s rude behavior.”

  “Go have your little chat, Mother.” Therion turned toward her with a hand over his heart. “I promise to improve my behavior.”

  “Yes. I have something infinitely more important to discuss with you, Darius.” Lilith moved toward the door and waved at Darius to follow her. “Please. Walk with me. Therion will accompany your date back to the party. I need to speak with you privately.”

  Shaila watched Darius’ eyes shadow with tension and anger. She envisioned him ripping Therion’s throat out. She gave Darius a quick kiss on the mouth and smoothed his beaded collar.

  “Look for Bessie,” she whispered in a voice strained by her own rise in temper. “Be careful.”

  *

  “I know you, don’t I?” Therion murmured next to her ear after Darius had left with Lilith. He stood behind her, brushing his chest against her shoulder blades.

  Shaila felt his breath hot against her ear. She could hear him inhaling her scent.

  “You know nothing of me.” She did not fear him recognizing her voice like she did with Lilith. She put distance between them, but her eyes remained fixed on him. For a man of his imposing size, he seemed nimble on his feet. She would be wise not to underestimate him.

  His dark eyes gleamed with frank desire. A spicy aroma hung around his face as he leaned in closer to her face. “Darius is a pussy. He’s not man enough for you.”

  The sound of his voice brought unwelcome memories of cold hands fondling her frozen skin. Instinct told her this man would not enlighten her spirit. He would imprison it in darkness. He would possess her in every way and use her energies to strengthen his own. That was not the Anunnaki way. Energy was a shared force.

  Shaila ignored him, focusing instead on determining his weaknesses. He was not going to allow her to leave this room. The lustful glitter in his eyes told her he would try to take her any way he could…even by force. Like his father, revenge colored his aura with dominant red and purple hues.

  She felt a surge of her old spirit around her. Though she could not seem to connect with it, she felt its power…its strength. The warrior in her would not yield. The crusader in her would die before submitting to this twisted son of Apophis.

  His dark laughter infused the room.

  Moving to the far side of the room, Shaila kept her eyes on him.

  “You watch me like a fighter watches an opponent. You’re not a simple female.” He leaped over a long chair and strode arrogantly to her side. “Yes, I was right. Your eyes are angry and your breathing is shallow. Right now you want to fight me, don’t you?”

  I want to destroy you. Shaila felt trapped, like a caged lioness. Looking for the most advantageous spot to defend herself, she stepped behind a tall chair. Slowly, she reached under the linen of her costume and loosened the snap of the leather holster, which held the dagger to her thigh.

  Therion couldn’t remember ever feeling such excitement as the moment his eyes had fallen on her. Even with that ridiculous mask, recognition and desire had flooded his body. Had she stepped out of his dreams? Or had his dreams been preparing him for her arrival? Either way, he wasn’t going to remain in a crowded ballroom to play host to a bunch of local yahoos.

  With Darius and his mother gone, his mind flipped through the various strategies he could employ to conquer her. Slowly circling the room, he visually drank in every detail about her. But he wanted more. He wanted to see everything she had to offer.

  She did not shrink away from him. Her eyes remained alert and she flexed her muscles. He recognized the sign
s of someone preparing to fight. He felt her surge of adrenaline. He breathed in the scent of her anger. He watched every muscle move with the lithe grace of a cat.

  “What a little lioness you are.”

  She halted.

  Therion used the opportunity to catch up with her, watching her fantastic green eyes widen with shock. He desperately wanted to see her face and to look upon the features of destiny. Whatever he’d said that bothered her, it presented the opening he’d been looking for.

  He lunged and trapped her against the wall, pinning her wrists together behind her back. The position pushed her breasts forward and unprotected, but one thing still stood in his way: the beaded collar. He freed a hand to rip the offensive item from around her throat, leaving luscious skin open for his assault.

  Therion took advantage of the opportunity and kissed the base of her neck. His lips felt her blood surging furiously just below her skin. She struggled like a wild feline, growling and hissing for a fight. Launching his battle plan, he sought first to conquer her lips.

  Oh goddess! Where was her astral spirit when she needed it? She was on her own. Her neck stung from the force of the necklace breaking around it. Therion’s breath felt hot and wet on her skin. She choked back a wave of bile rising up her throat.

  Shaila roared out with pain and disgust. Her fangs began to extend inside her mouth. She needed to keep them hidden. Impatiently, she awaited the right moment. Finally, his rough possession of her wrists lessened enough, and she felt him repositioning himself to kiss her.

  From deep within her chest, a growl vibrated menacingly as she struck out with every ounce of force she could gather. The hardest part of her knee connected with his groin. Therion howled with pain and dropped to the floor.

  His scream of pain turned into dark laughter all too quickly. “Ah, you’re a smart one. You presented your pretty breasts out there for me like a sacrifice. You manipulated me into putting my obvious weakness right into your path. I love the way your mind works.”