The Blue Lotus

by Marisa Chenery

  Taking the camera, Peter reviewed the pictures. Scott waited for his reaction when he got to Nefertem's picture. As expected, Peter looked at him with an incredulous look on his face. “You have to be kidding? Why is he wearing contacts to make his eyes look like that?"

  "Those aren't contacts, Pete. I need you to doctor the picture a bit so his eyes look normal."

  Running his hand through his shortly cropped reddish-brown hair, Peter sat back in his chair. “I can do that. I won't ask you what you are up to or who these guys are, I don't think I want to know. Just don't get your ass arrested and have the phony passports traced back to me. I was an idiot when I did a few of these for extra cash in university, but I don't have the balls now that I had then."

  Scott laughed. “Tammy was the best thing for you, Pete. She finally tamed the wild child.” Standing up, Scott added, “Tell your beautiful wife I said hi. I will drop by tomorrow for the camera and the passports. You are a life saver."

  Once the door closed behind Scott, Peter looked at Nefertem's picture again. Scott had given him all the pertinent information like names and dates of birth over the phone, but he hadn't said anything about one of the guys having eyes like a cat. Giving his head a shake, he went back to the work on his desk. Some things were better not known.

  * * * *

  Kendra spent the rest of the day on the phone. Even though they needed to be in Egypt sooner, rather than later, she was not going to pay through the nose for airplane tickets. Tory and Scott would cover the cost of their own, but she had to pay for Nefertem's and Mahes's, as well as her own. Her poor credit card was going to take another beating.

  Finally getting a price she could handle, Kendra booked them all on a flight leaving for Egypt in three days. It would be cutting things a little close, but it was the best she could do. She wanted to allow for all contingencies. The main problem that could arise would be whether the passports would be ready when Scott said they would. Feeling a bit better for having accomplished that much, she dialed Tory's number at home.

  * * * *

  Nefertem had not a worry in the world. What happened on his arrival until now was just a vague, foggy, distant memory, one that he could not bring into focus readily. With Kendra, he felt somehow connected and not just because she possessed the pendant, which he had begun to feel more intensely as the day grew on.

  He watched her as she made numerous phone calls throughout the day, arranging for transportation to Egypt. He still did not know the reason for the great urgency to go there, but it did not weigh heavily on his mind. There was no force that could get in the way of the punisher.

  That his brother was here as well, and in mortal form, he vaguely remembered was caused by his own hand. There again, he could not fathom the motive behind it.

  Now, sitting alone in the living room while the television's bright light lit the room, Nefertem felt the need to go to Kendra. Not as the cold-hearted beast that he was, but as he would be with his mate. The longer he sat, the stronger it became. Unable to resist the pull any longer, Nefertem switched the television off and headed up the stairs to the bedrooms above.

  He didn't go to the room he shared with Mahes, but continued on down the hall until he came to stand before Kendra's closed door. He let his hand rest on the doorknob. His body, his very soul was crying out for this mortal woman. But unbelievably, he hesitated. He knew he could have her, possess her, but one small part of him resisted. That small part knew if he took her this night he would hurt her. Not physically, but mentally. With great reluctance, he let his hand fall from the doorknob. He then moved away from the door. He knew if he stood there much longer, he would not be able to keep to the decision of leaving Kendra alone.

  On the other side of the bedroom door, Kendra released the breath she had been holding. Sleep had eluded her so she had still been awake when she heard Nefertem's footfall coming up the stairs. When he had come to her door, she had held herself as still as possible—not because she felt if Nefertem heard her moving about he would come in. No, it was herself she was afraid of. She knew he was no longer the man she loved, but that did not stop her from wanting to be back in his arms again.

  When Nefertem did not move away too quickly, Kendra could feel her will of resistance eroding. It was a close one in the end. If he had not stepped away then, Kendra was pretty sure she would have gotten out of the bed and opened the door for him. Luckily, she did not have to test the limits of her resistance.

  Once she heard the spare bedroom door shut behind Nefertem, Kendra settled herself back in the bed. This was going to be a very long night. Punching her pillow down, she hoped what they found in Egypt would solve everything, for better or for worse.

  * * * *

  Scott's friend turned out to be true to his word. Nefertem and Mahes's new passports were finished the next day. Scott dropped them off, along with the plane tickets that he had agreed to get the day before. Kendra had thanked him for agreeing to help her out. It gave her one less thing to worry about. Which was a good thing. As it turned out, both Nefertem and Mahes had left all the packing to her. Not that it really bothered her, for it wasn't as if either one of them had had to perform that task before. It was just easier if she did it herself.

  The rest of the day proved uneventful and Nefertem behaved himself, which was a plus. Neither he nor Mahes decided to start World War Three under her roof. But to make sure Nefertem did nothing untoward, Mahes kept him company all day. If Nefertem had turned violent, Kendra had no idea what she would have done. The real test was to come though. How would Nefertem react while up in the air on the plane? She cringed to think what he would do in such close quarters.

  Thinking it may be better to be safe rather than sorry, Kendra made a trip to the drug store. Knowing Nefertem would react badly having to be around a large number of mortals, she decided that to suppress the cat side of him, a sleeping pill or two, would be in order. The trick would be to get him to take them in the car on the way to the airport, or shortly after arriving there. He had to be alert enough to go through customs or they possibly would not allow him to board the plane. Ideally, he would sleep for most, if not all, the time they were in the air.

  The pharmacist accepted the story she told him of her boyfriend suffering from major anxiety attacks while flying. After telling him the size of Nefertem, he suggested a brand of over the counter sleeping pills and told her what dose a man that large should be given.

  Paying for her purchases, Kendra left the drug store with a little bit of a lighter step. Nefertem would take the pills, even if she had to get Mahes to sit on him while she shoved the pills down his throat herself.

  Chapter Twenty

  The night before they were due to leave, Kendra spent the last couple hours before going to sleep checking that she hadn't forgotten anything. She had a bad tendency to get all in a tizzy when she had to prepare to go away. Her stress level would hit the roof hours before the scheduled time to leave. That was part of the reason why she didn't accompany Markus on his many excursions. She only ended up driving him nuts.

  So this night, not being any different from other times she traveled, Kendra kept flitting about the house. Upstairs one moment and the next, running down the stairs to check that she had packed the item, which she thought she might have missed.

  After about the sixth such trip down the stairs, Mahes blocked Kendra's path to the luggage that sat waiting for their departure in the living room. “Enough, Kendra. You are going to wear yourself to a frazzle before the trip has even begun."

  "I just ... need to ... check...” Kendra tried to side step around Mahes, but he kept blocking her way.

  "Everything is there, Kendra. It was there the last five times you checked. Now go to bed."

  "If I don't look I won't be able to sleep."

  Forcibly taking Kendra by the shoulders, Mahes turned her around and walked her to the foot of the stairs. “Go to bed. All is at the readiness for our departure tomorrow. Now go or I will b
e forced to stand guard on the luggage all night. In this form, I need as much sleep as any other mortal. So please let me sleep tonight."

  Turning to face Mahes, Kendra shook her head and smiled up at him. “Okay, you win. I will go to bed and stay there all night. I would hate to have to deprive you of your beauty sleep."

  Mahes arched a brow at her. “I think my looks would not change for the worse that quickly."

  Kendra laughed. As if Mahes's looks could ever change that drastically. “Of course not. Never mind."

  Throwing her arms around Mahes's neck, Kendra gave him a kiss on the lips then hugged him close. Mahes was turning out to be a strong bulwark in her time of need. She only wished Nefertem could be that to her again. She sighed as Mahes returned her hug.

  The sound of a deep-throated growl broke them apart. Kendra turned to stare at Nefertem. His handsome face twisted with a snarl of rage. Mahes patted her shoulder reassuringly and pushed her toward the stairs once more.

  "You go on up, Kendra. We will be fine.” When she hesitated, Mahes leaned closer and whispered, “He will calm down after you go upstairs. I think seeing you in my arms has set him off."

  Understanding what Mahes was saying to her, Kendra could not suppress the thrill that ran through her. Somewhere deep down inside, Nefertem must still have feelings for her. After sliding a quick look in his direction, she did what Mahes asked her to do.

  Once the sound of Kendra's bedroom door closing above was heard, Mahes turned to face his brother. “What is wrong, Nefertem?"

  "Keep your hands to yourself, Mahes. She is mine."

  Mahes smiled to himself. Their mother must not have removed everything inside Nefertem. He still cared about the woman who was upstairs in her room. This could be a good thing for them.

  "So proprietary you sound, Nefertem."

  "She is mine.” He said again.

  "Just because she summoned you and is in possession of the pendant, does not mean she is yours. Kendra is her own woman."

  Mahes watched a range of emotions pass across Nefertem's face. There was definitely a deeply buried memory inside his brother's head. It just had to be dug up and brought to the surface.

  Nefertem snared at Mahes. “That is not why she is mine."

  "Then enlighten me. Give me a good reason why she is yours, and why I should not claim her as my own."

  "I do not know.” Nefertem said distractedly.

  It was the truth. He did not know where this sense of Kendra being his came from. But there were flashes of memories, if that was indeed what they were, of being in her arms, brief pictures of making love with her. Not just sex to relieve the demands of his body, but loving her with his body and soul.

  Mahes smiled at his brother. “If you do not know why, Nefertem, I suggest you think long and hard about it. Your time grows short. Let Kendra at least have a memory of you not being a cold-hearted bastard at the end. Look deep inside yourself. It's there, my brother. The answer you seek is inside you."

  Hoping what he had said planted a seed that would grow, Mahes turned and went up the stairs. Tomorrow would be a very long day for them all.

  * * * *

  Flying from Memphis, Tennessee to Cairo, Egypt would be no small undertaking. They could not just board one plane and fly directly there. It would take not one, but three flights before they would reach their final destination. Leaving Memphis, they would first fly to Chicago. After a two-hour flight, they would have a six-hour layover. Their next destination would be London, England. They would be in the air the longest then. It would take six hours to reach London. Once there, they would have another layover of eleven hours. Finally, they would arrive in Cairo after a four-hour flight.

  Kendra had known how exhausting it would be from Markus's visits to Egypt, but she had never done the trip herself. It turned out to be more horrendous than she had expected. She now knew why Markus only made this trip once a year.

  But unlike Markus's trip and what he usually went through, she had the extra stress of worrying whether or not Mahes and Nefertem would make it through customs. Especially Nefertem. Scott had the guy who had made the passports change Nefertem's eyes back to normal looking in his picture, which was a good thing. But if the customs officer wanted Nefertem to remove his dark glasses, how would they explain the change in his eyes. She ended up stewing about it during the cab ride to the airport.

  Tory and Scott met them at the check in desk. They had already checked their luggage, so after the others had checked theirs, and since they had a couple of hours to wait before departure, it was decided coffees were in order.

  Keeping an ever-watchful eye on Nefertem, Kendra allowed Scott and Tory to pick an almost deserted coffee shop inside the terminal. Being inside the airport with large amounts of mortals milling about would be the first test of Nefertem's control. That is if Nefertem wished to control himself. The way he was now, he was unpredictable. She had had Mahes explain to Nefertem that he had to control his cat side while they traveled, but Kendra wasn't sure he had taken to heart what he had been told to do.

  Finding a table to accommodate their numbers, they all settled down to sipping on hot coffee. Kendra fiddled with hers, unable to calm her thoughts. When a large hand closed over hers, she looked up to find Nefertem was the one who had stilled her anxious movements.

  "What bothers you so?"

  Kendra wished she could see his eyes through the dark glasses he wore. If she could, would she find them staring back at her with warmth or with cynicism? “If you must know, you have me worried."

  "Whatever for?"

  "You know perfectly well why. If you do something to mess this up, we could all be in serious trouble. Not just you. And then, there are your eyes. They may want you to take off the glasses."

  Nefertem waved away Kendra's concerns with a flick of his hand. “You worry overly much about nothing. I can handle that situation if it should arise."

  Kendra did not feel reassured by that statement one single bit. If anything, it increased the apprehensive feeling she felt. But there was no point in questioning Nefertem on what he meant exactly because he had already turned away from her. He had dismissed her as he would a lowly servant.

  After the coffees were drunk, things pretty well progressed according to schedule. Even Nefertem seemed to be on his best behaviour. When the time came to go through customs, it was then Kendra found out what Nefertem had meant.

  As she had feared, they asked Nefertem to remove his dark sunglasses. Kendra had to fight the urge to grab him by the arm and run them both out of the airport. Instead of doing that though, she settled for holding her carry-on bag in a death grip as Nefertem slowly pulled off his glasses. It was over in a matter of seconds. Once the glasses were removed, the officer compared Nefertem to the picture in his passport, gave him a nod of his head, then gave the passport back. Kendra's breath, which she had not realized she had been holding, left her in a rush.

  Still feeling bewildered on how Nefertem had managed to get through with no questions asked Kendra approached the customs officer. As if in a daze, she handed him her boarding pass and then accepted it back after he looked at it.

  Moving to stand beside Nefertem, Kendra walked along beside him as they went to board the plane. “How the heck did you manage to pull that off?” She quietly asked him under her breath.

  He gave her a crooked grin, making her believe the old Nefertem was back, but then he opened his mouth and the illusion shattered into a million pieces. “I managed it easily. Unlike you weak mortals, I have the ability to make one see what I wish them to see. That one's mind was easy to sway."

  Kendra mouthed the word “oh” and made a mental note to have a nice long chat with Mahes to find out what exactly were Nefertem's powers as a mortal. She didn't want to have Nefertem springing any nasty surprises on her.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Not long after boarding, they were taxing down the runway. Being seated between Nefertem and Mahes, Kendra got the pleas
ure of watching each man's reaction as the plane left the ground. She couldn't keep the smile of amusement from her face. For such large, strong, men it was humorous to watch them grip the armrests on their seats hard enough to turn their knuckles white, as they steadily went higher up in altitude. Once they leveled off and the seat belt light turned off, they still sat holding on as if their very lives depended on it. Releasing the buckle of her seat belt, Kendra laughed softly.

  Turning his head to look at her, Mahes said through clenched teeth, “I am glad you find this amusing, because I do not in the slightest."

  Kendra laughed again, then in turn released Mahes and Nefertem from their seat belts. “I'm sorry, Mahes. I really don't mean to laugh at your expense."

  "That's nice to hear. You could have at least warned us you know."

  "I thought I had explained it well enough."

  "Oh yeah, saying that the plane will go quickly down a large stretch of pavement then take to the air, staying up there for awhile, then land again at our destination, was very helpful indeed.” Mahes said sarcastically. “You forgot to mention the loud roaring sound this monster makes, and when it takes to the air your stomach feels as if it has dropped to your feet."

  "Okay, I admit I left out a few minor details.” When Mahes cocked a brow at her, Kendra quickly added, “All right, they may not be minor details to you, but the worst of it is over for now. Enjoy the ride. Take a look out the window. Don't the clouds look spectacular when flying above them?"

  Mahes turned to look out the window then quickly looked away again. “I would rather not if you don't mind."

  "I like this not.” Nefertem who had remained silent up until now, spoke stiltedly. “I do not wish to be here."

  Kendra now wondered if she had made a mistake having Nefertem sit in the window seat. It was obvious the view outside the plane was agitating him. Reaching across him she quickly pulled down the window shade blocking the view from sight.