Immortal Dynasty
Page 24
“Someday.” Darius sat down and took a short sip of the hot drink, watching the changes dusk brought to the plateau. He always enjoyed watching the evening lights flicker on around the pyramids. In some way, the small lights in the great darkness brought the huge wonders to life. “I would like to find my father.”
Papa Shadi leaned forward. “Darius, please understand that Shaila and her mother did what they believed was right.”
“He speaks the truth.” He heard Shaila move to stand behind him. Closing his eyes, he enjoyed the feel of her palms on the back of his head. He loved her touching his skin…as often as possible.
“My mother and I knew how desperate the human priests had become. Under Ahkenaten’s rule, they received no funds to maintain the temples of their gods, and they blamed Nefertiti. They attempted to kill her on several occasions. After the king’s death, Seth was sent to help Nefertiti negotiate with the priests. They fell in love.”
“That was a romance that was absolutely inspirational.” Bakari nodded and puffed a larger smoke ring than Shadiki had. “It is a shame that humans do not know their story. They were like the Romeo and Juliet of ancient Egypt.”
“When we told Seth of Nefertiti’s murder, we led him to believe that you had died as well. Unborn.” Shaila’s voice lowered to a whisper, filled shame. “I am sorry that we lied to Seth, but we knew the odds of you surviving that moon cycle were almost non-existent.”
“They hid your birth from him, a miraculous feat to begin with. Seth was incredibly attuned to his mate.” Shadiki calmly demolished Bakari’s smoke ring with a smoke bolt. “After Nefertiti was murdered, Shaila came up with the plan to sleep through time. My visions told me that your soul was destined to live far in the future.”
“How did my father handle the news?” Darius was still too numb to evoke any emotion other than curiosity.
“Furious would be too light a word to describe his anger.” Bakari looked squeamish at the memory. “He despaired over your loss.”
Shaila finally moved to sit and face him. “If Seth had known of your birth and our true plans, he would have moved heaven and earth to find you. That would have doomed the humans of this age. The prophecy would have begun regardless of your place in this time.”
Darius watched her aura burn with intensity. He still marveled about this woman’s conviction. Her emotive nature was going to keep him very busy and very entertained.
Marcus and Bessie burst onto the patio like desert dust devils. “Howdy, folks. Sorry we kept you guys waiting.”
“Nice to see you finally made it.” Darius grabbed his friend’s hand, but Marcus pulled him in for a big hug.
“We’ve been through too much for a simple macho handshake.” Marcus smiled. “You’re family.”
Bessie was still dressed in true steam punk fashion, but she’d toned down the make-up. Between gum bubbles, she was bursting with excitement. “Hey, Shaila, check out my new raptor tattoo. I told you I liked the scientific types.”
Darius chuckled as he watched his best friend tap his toe impatiently.
“So, Papa Shadi, what’s next?” Darius brought his full attention back to his grandfather. He knew there was a reason the old man wanted all of them to come to Egypt together. “I know you have something up your sleeve. What I don’t know is whether I’m gonna like it or not.”
The shesha pipe burbled again as Papa Shadi drew in a deep breath. As he exhaled, the smoke curled around his head. “Shaila, this is your dynasty now. The medjai are needed once again.”
“But who is left here?”
“They are out there, nefer. The moment you inherited your queenship, you sent a great pulse through the astral plane.”
“So they will know that a new queen is alive, and will be calling on them to gather?” Darius pulled Shaila away from her own chair to sit on his lap.
Papa Shadi nodded. As he grinned at Darius, smoke fanned out from between his teeth.
“What about Lilith?” Shaila asked.
Darius noted how Bakari shifted uncomfortably.
Papa Shadi patted her knee in a comforting gesture. “Do not judge her so harshly now. She is no longer a threat. Lilith has gone away for a while to search for her true soul. We will cross paths again.”
Clearing his throat, he motioned for all to pay attention.
“Therion’s defeat does not prevent the prophecy. The Age of Awakening is coming. From his prison in the Underworld, Apophis has had thousands of years to plot his revenge on the Anunnaki. We have recently witnessed for ourselves that his evil is not completely restrained by his imprisonment.”
“Great. That puts us way behind on the planning part.” Marcus saluted him. “That’s gonna send Darius into a frenzy.”
Darius glared at Marcus to shut up. “Go on, Papa. How do we assemble this team?”
“Seven medjai warriors will be trained and led by Shaila.”
“Okay, so my task is to find and bring in six more Anunnaki warriors?”
“I did not say that they would all be Anunnaki, but they will each be bound to a special sword. Like Shaila’s, the swords carry unique powers which only their true owner can wield.”
“Oh, this just gets better by the minute.” Darius scoffed. “So, now we’re up to six individuals who happen to be warriors and who each need a special sword?”
“What’s so special about the swords?” Marcus sat at the edge of his chair.
“They were each forged more than ten thousand years ago and they are made of a metal only found on Shaila’s home planet.”
“Good luck with that, Dare.”
“Marcus.” A mischievous grin spread the wrinkles across Papa Shadi’s face. “You are a part of this team now.”
After a moment of stunned silence, Marcus brightened. “Do I get one of those cool swords?”
“No.” The old mage laughed. “You have many skills that will be valuable in aiding the team. Wouldn’t it be more exciting to research dragons instead of dinosaurs and dirt?”
“Dragons! Don’t mess with me, old man. I’ll be wicked torched if you’re pulling my leg.”
Darius had had enough of the prophecy for one night. He pulled Shaila back across to the railing. For now, he just wanted to soak in the cool Egyptian evening, and watch the glory of the moon passing above the Great Pyramid of Khufu.
“So, my goddess. What would you like to do tomorrow?”
“Well.” She shifted her body against his, and his blood pulsed rapidly in response. “Since I see no chariots about, I would love to go for a motorcycle ride again.”
“An excellent idea, and I know exactly where we can rent one.” He snuggled his lips behind her ear and felt her tremble. “And what would my goddess want to do right now?”
A purr vibrated in her chest. She turned her lips to his ear and whispered until he felt his face flush.
“Okay.” He loved the way the moonlight set her green eyes aflame. “But you can keep the boots on. Just…the boots.”
EPILOGUE
Apophis wanted to hit something, but there was nothing left in his prison to destroy. Instead, he tapped a long black talon against the arm of the stone chair. The puny carving was an insult. He deserved a real throne. He, the most powerful god in the universe, sat on a fucking cold chair.
His white eyes shifted to fiery red, blazing with irritation. A beetle had the audacity to crawl across his limp black kilt. The insults would not stop coming. He squashed the impudent bug between his fingers.
A pair of golden wrist cuffs chaffed at his skin. He’d long ago tuned out the occasional shot of pain the bracelets sent him. They would be child’s play to destroy, if he’d had his full powers.
Therion had failed, but that wasn’t what incensed Apophis. He’d been expecting his son to find a way to screw it up. It wasn’t the boy’s fault that he had a lot of his mother’s blood in him. A few hundred years in the Underworld will toughen up the boy.
What infuriated him most was the sudden b
last of pure light that had assailed his mind. Shaila a’k’Hemet was now the Great Dragon Queen. That meant her mother was dead.
His eyes became obsidian orbs, so black was his rage. His beautiful Inanna had been taken from him forever. He raged at Destiny for denying him the right to make her his mate.
Fury, however, quickly dissolved into deep malevolent laughter. The prophecy had begun, and once started it would continue until the great gathering. The Age of Awakening would soon arrive, and with it would come his freedom.
Hell on earth. Sinister laughter boomed across the Underworld.
# # #
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lynda Haviland shares her immortal world with her husband, two kids, an aging bearded dragon and a parrot who loves pizza. She will read anything about ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses, and she is constantly planning her next trip to Egypt. Immortal Dynasty is the first novel in her debut series, Age of Awakening.
Visit her anytime online at http://www.ImmortalDiva.com.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Kolczynski
SAMPLE SCENE
A sample scene from the next installment in the Age of Awakening series…
Immortal Dominion
By
Lynda Haviland
Seth blinked a few times, adjusting his eyes to the pitch darkness of the cave. Something had jarred him out of the deep sleep of hibernation. The oracle in the pool pulsed with excitement. Its light blue glow illuminated the cave. He would have ignored its unusual display, but he spied a small pile of sand on the floor. The pile seemed to grow as more sand trickled down from the airshaft in the ceiling.
After a ritual stretch of each limb, he circled twice on his pallet and settled in to rejoin his slumber. Drawing in a deep breath, he inhaled the unmistakable scent of blood. He snuffed the air more deeply. Human blood. His senses thirsted for more information.
He didn’t have time to think any more about it. A low hum reached his ears, quickly followed by a loud clatter that drew closer by the second. His skin flinched with each irritating bang.
Then, more sand tumbled onto the pile, followed by a metal box with a spinning blade. On impact with the floor, the machine smashed apart. He tucked his head under a wing to muffle the explosive sound, which was amplified by the granite walls. Ropes still dangled from the hole until a large mass of fabric landed on the floor with a strange thump. The smell of fresh human blood flooded his nose.
He tried to force the scent out of his nostrils in a huff, blowing a trail of white fire upward. Too late. His lungs were so filled with the smell that he could taste it. He shook his head and gave in. He uncoiled his long body and crawled over to investigate.
He resented the intrusion into his peace, but deeper instincts compelled him to investigate the human’s condition. He nuzzled along the body and felt the curves of a female. His whiskers followed trickles of blood down the side of her face to the floor. He watched her aura fade as her life force ebbed with each shallow breath.
Heedless of good sense, he drew his tongue across the warm pool. Her blood tasted so sweet and tingled all the way down his parched throat. Hunger rumbled loudly in his stomach. Luckily for the woman, he did not eat humans.
But death seemed certain for her without medical attention. Quickly, he shifted to his human form. A blue glow emanated from his palms and illuminated her body. Calling upon an ancient skill, he assessed the damage inside of her.
Slamming into the granite floor of the cave had left a large crack along the back of her skull. He sensed swelling and tension in her brain, a fatal combination. Her internal injuries seemed to be equally traumatic. Three ribs had speared into both of her lungs. Collapsed, they had no way to drain the fluids. She would drown slowly in her own blood.
As if in response to his assessment, her body stilled at the end of one last gurgle.
Quickly, he willed his fangs to descend from their sheaths. Finding a vein in her forearm, he bit down as gently as he could. His fangs slid easily through her skin and injected a toxin, which would temporarily paralyze her and give him time to heal her. If she started to move too soon, she could do more damage or hinder his efforts.
Even in the ebony darkness, he moved unerringly to a crevice in the wall behind his pallet. Removing his sword, he brushed away dust and sand from its blade. He held it horizontally over the dying woman and whispered a spell. It had been too long since he’d spoken the language of his kind, yet it flowed easily from his lips.
The sword glowed with pure white energy as he summoned the healing powers from within the diamond in its hilt. Slowly, Seth’s mind moved through the woman’s body, mending fractures, repairing lungs, and resealing ripped skin.
As the glow from the sword faded, he set it aside. Leaning over her face, he pressed his lips against hers and blew. Her chest rose as air refilled her lungs. He waited patiently until finally she coughed and drew in a long breath all on her own.
He returned his sword to the crevice and collapsed on his pallet. The effort to heal another had drained his energies.
New sounds travelled down through the hole. Human men gathered far above on the surface. Humans occasionally grew curious enough about what was underneath the Sphinx that they would dig tunnels and pits in search of treasure. Seth had tapped into one of those old tunnels to allow some fresh air to find its way down to the lowlying cavern.
Grimacing at the unconscious woman on the floor, he cursed his luck that more than just air had wound its way down into his solitude.
He listened as the men argued about where the fugitive had landed. Could they mean the woman? He evaluated her features: small, petite, blonde. Definitely foreign.
Fortunately, no more sounds came from above. The men likely backed away in search of her in other areas. It wouldn’t be long before someone decided to descend into the hole, but he hoped he had time for now. He needed rest and time for his energies to replenish enough for him to close up the airshaft.
The distinct clack of teeth drew his attention back to the woman. Fever. Her body racked with it. She needed warmth in this damp place. In this empty cavern, he would be the only source of that.
Resigned, he moved to lay his own body next to hers and willed his temperature to rise. Instinctively, her body rolled toward the source of heat. His skin flinched at the cool touch of her palm on his stomach and the warmth of her breath on his chest. How long had it really been since he’d felt the touch of a woman?
Memories of another woman and another time flicked through his mind. Memories that he’d purposely buried thousands of years ago. Teased by fantasy and flesh, parts of his body thrummed to life. Instead of enjoying the sensation, it irritated him.
Soon, his muscles shivered from the effort to control his body heat and his lunatic erection. But the woman still shuddered feverishly. Stretching his limbs, he shifted back to his beastly form and curled his body in a circle around hers. At least in this form, he could warm her unconscious body while it fought through the chills…without doing anything stupid.
He stayed wrapped around her through the many hours until he felt her body still. The fever had finally broken.
Slowly, he backed off into the shadows to wait for her to awaken. Circling his pallet twice, he settled in a good spot. Sleep eluded him. Too many thoughts needed attention.
When could he take her back up to the surface? Through the airshaft, he heard the activity of tourists. He couldn’t take her back up that way until nightfall.
He shouldn’t have licked her blood. He remembered the sweet taste of it and how it tingled on his tongue. He prayed the Rage would not return. Exile was supposed to ensure that it didn’t happen again. He growled his frustration.
Why did he save her? He’d successfully avoided humans for a long time. Then, when one practically landed in his lap, he even used old magic to save her. He’d lapped up her blood and tasted her life force. He’d healed her. What had possessed him to do this? And now what the hell was he going to do with h
er when she woke up?
Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgments
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
EPILOGUE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SAMPLE SCENE
A sample scene from the Age of Awakening series