Blessed (The Chosen Book 2)

by Mayburn, Ann

  While they waited for the elevator, she saw Janet motioning her over from one of the couches. “Be right back. I have to talk to a friend real quick,” she said.

  Feeling Devon’s and Jack's eyes on her back, she stopped in front of Janet, blocking her view of the men and vice versa. “What's up, Janet?” she said, trying to ask casually.

  “Are you in trouble, Eliana? Or is that handsome Guard a stripper? And if he's a stripper, why didn't you invite me?” Janet asked, her expression shifting between worried and curious.

  Eliana laughed. “No, that's a friend of the family. He came here at my dad's request to check on me and make sure I'm doing well in school. It's no big deal.” She was slightly ashamed at how good she was getting at lying.

  Janet appeared disappointed for a second. “I wonder if his Temple Guard does those fund-raising calendars. You know, the ones where they pose all oiled up and shirtless.”

  Her reply was cut off by Devon yelling in a deep voice, “Elevator's here, Shay,” making every person who wasn't watching them turn to see who that deep, commanding voice belonged to.

  With red cheeks, she said good-bye and hustled to the elevator where Devon was holding it open wearing his unreadable Guard face. There were a couple people standing outside the elevator with their backpacks. “Going up?” Devon asked.

  “No, uh, we'll take the stairs, good exercise,” one of the guys said as he dragged his admiring girlfriend off by her hand.

  When the doors closed, Devon said, “So, your friend thinks I'd look nice with my shirt off?”

  Leaning her head back on the wall, she stared at the ceiling and tried hard to ignore Jack as he snickered. They made it to her floor without her turning the elevator into a bloodbath leaving Devon's corpse. She stopped by the lounge to retrieve her laptop and books while Jack and Devon waited for her. The other girls in the room were silent, but as they left, a flurry of whispers followed in their wake.

  They were at the door to her room when her hall monitor approached with a serious expression her face. “Is there a problem?” she asked, her eyes darting between Jack and Devon.

  “Not at all,” Devon said with a winning smile. “Ms. Shay is thinking of joining the Guard, and I came to meet with her to discuss her future.”

  Looking stunned as Devon smiled charmingly at her, the hall monitor said, “I'm sure Eliana would be an asset to any temple. If there is anything I can help you with, let me know. My name is Mary, and my room is on the left at the end of the hall.”

  Mary stood there a moment, staring at Devon. He raised a dark eyebrow at her. “Okay, thank you, Mary. We have to be going now.”

  “Sure,” Mary said, still standing there and staring at Devon's lips.

  With a sigh, Eliana opened her door and motioned Devon and Jack into the room, shutting the door in Mary's face.

  Chrissy stood in the foyer, her legs spread in a wide stance and an amulet in her hand.

  “Whoa, easy there, Chrissy!” Jack yelled as he jumped across the room and placed a hand on her arm.

  Not taking her eyes off Devon, Chrissy said, “Jack, he's dangerous. Can't you feel the violence coming off of him from here?”

  Devon stood stock-still as Jack eased his hand over Chrissy's arm. “He's a friend, honey. His name is Devon King, and he's a High Priest of Mentu, the Egyptian God of War. You're feeling his god's favor for him.”

  Blushing, Chrissy hid her hand with the amulet behind her back. “Oh shit. I'm sorry, Devon.”

  Devon didn't move as he said, “It's okay. Eliana is lucky to have such a powerful witch as a friend.”

  Feeling lost, as usual, Eliana said, “Can someone please tell me what's going on?”

  Chrissy made her way into their bedroom and put the amulet back in a small lockbox under her desk.

  Watching Chrissy, Jack said, “Chrissy thought Devon was here to hurt you. She saw him standing in the circle talking with you and saw all the violence in his aura. Reading auras is a new thing to her, so she didn't understand that it wasn't violence directed at you, that it was merely a reflection of his god's favor.”

  Devon looked around the foyer and meandered into the women’s shard closet to the left as Jack continued, “When she saw Devon coming inside with us, she got a knockout amulet ready. I'm impressed. That's a hefty piece of magic. Chrissy could have knocked him out for anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks. If someone didn't break the charm in time or get him to a hospital, Devon could have died of lack of food and water.”

  Chrissy appeared angry as she said to Jack, “I would never make one that strong. That's dark magic, and I want no part of it.”

  “I know, honey,” Jack said as he smoothed her curls back and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

  Meanwhile, Devon had opened Eliana’s top drawer and tugged out a small red thong. He raised his eyebrows and gave Eliana a leering grin. Gritting her teeth, she marched into her open closet and grabbed the underwear out of his hands, stuffing them back into her drawer.

  “Get out of my closet,” she said through her clenched teeth.

  “Aww, I always wanted to know what it felt like to do a panty raid.”

  She gripped the front of Devon's shirt with her fists and tried to push him out; it was like trying to move a rock. A big, warm rock with gorgeous eyes, her hormones purred at her.

  Her body's reaction to him pissed her off even more. In fact, everything about him pissed her off. The sound of Jack's low pleasure-filled moan came from behind them. Eliana and Devon both made disgusted faces at the sound.

  They strode out into the foyer at the same time, and saw Chrissy pressing her body into Jack's as he grabbed a handful of her ass.

  “Oh disgusting. Give me some bleach so I can burn my eyes out,” Devon groaned at the same time that Eliana said, “For the love of the gods. Do I have to hose you two down like a couple of dogs humping in the front yard?”

  Jack and Chrissy both laughed at Eliana’s and Devon’s revolted expressions.

  “All right, Shay. Let's get this done before these two make me puke all over my nice shiny boots,” Devon said as he glanced at her. “Where can we have some privacy?”

  “Well, I'd suggest the TV room, but then Chrissy and Jack would have access to the bedroom. We'll go there, and these two can try to keep it in their pants.”

  “But I want to put it in her pants!” Jack said with a mock-wounded expression.

  Chrissy laughed again and pulled out of his arms, her expression turning serious. “Hold on, Devon, if you're going into our bedroom I have to invite you in. My mom put a strong spell on the door. If you go in uninvited, you will be impotent for a week.”

  Jack turned pale. “Wow, your mom doesn't mess around.”

  Smiling sweetly at Jack, all sunshine and dimples, Chrissy said, “Neither do I. Remember that.”

  Devon laughed at Jack's worried expression as Chrissy stepped into their room. Turning, she said, “Okay, what's your full name and your mother's name please.”

  “Devon Gryphon King, and my mother's name is Nuri Meera King.”

  “Holy shit,” Chrissy said.

  Quirking one eyebrow, Devon asked her, “Is that a problem, little witch?”

  “No, not at all. Devon Gryphon King, son of Nuri Meera King, please be welcome into my home.”

  Devon stepped into the room and looked around curiously. “Nice digs, Shay. Which bed is yours?”

  She followed him in as Chrissy laughed and stepped out.

  Jack yelled from the other room, “Devon, do you want me to hold your gun so she doesn't try to shoot you with it?”

  “Nah, she likes my mom too much to kill me. She might wound me, but then she would feel guilty.”

  “By guilty do you mean throw a party and celebrate?” Eliana retorted, giving him a wide-eyed look.

  Ignoring her, Devon said to Jack, “I'll need to close the door and shield the room. Try to keep anyone out of here until we're done. It's a delicate spell, and I don't wan
t to risk contamination.”

  Looking puzzled, Chrissy opened her mouth to ask something, but Jack whispered in her ear, and she blinked in surprise. Turning to them, Jack said, “Will do. I'm sure Chrissy and I will find something to occupy our time.”

  With that, Jack shut the door, and silence filled the tiny bedroom of her dorm. Devon's wide shoulders seemed to fill the space around them, and she felt a sudden tension in the air.

  “So, what do we need to do?” she asked, moving to get the chairs from her desk and Chrissy's desk so they would have a place to sit.

  “We're going to need to sit on the floor across from each other. The spell is intense, and since you're not used to anyone messing with your aura, or energy field as you call it, you may pass out.”

  “Great,” she muttered as she jerked the quilt from her bed and set it on the floor. “Shoes off please. I don't want whatever crap you walked in all over my quilt.”

  Chapter

  Devon unlaced his boots and set them alongside the wall, sitting on her girly comforter in his socks. Looking at him, she had to smile. Here was Devon in his uniform, with his big badass gun and his big badass self, sitting on her pink-and-cream comforter with a Hello Kitty pillow behind his back.

  “I don't even want to know what you find funny,” he said with a put-upon sigh.

  “Nothing,” she said in a sweet voice with a big smile.

  “I know you love having me trapped in your bedroom, but we need to get this spell going.” He ignored her snort and continued, “When I start to speak, I need you to be quiet. A challenge, I know, but somehow I hope you'll be able to find the intestinal fortitude to not annoy me for ten minutes.”

  Narrowing her eyes, she growled softly at him.

  “Easy there, Shay.” He laughed and held up his hands. “I'm sorry, let me continue. I'm going to need you to lower the first layer of your shielding, leaving the second and third intact.”

  “Umm, all I know how to do is take it down all the way.”

  “What the fuck has Aiden been teaching you?” He shook his head, “Never mind. We will ignore the fact that Aiden has got to be one of the worst fucking Mentors I've ever met.”

  Getting pissed, she leaned forward and drew in a deep breath to start yelling at him. He merely eyed her and clamped a big, rough hand on her mouth. Startled, she made an angry sound behind his hand and bit him. He removed his hand with a laugh and said in a low voice, “Careful, I like it rough.”

  He glanced at his watch and turned all business. “Time is getting short. Let me walk you through lowering your shields and get this done. Please close your eyes.”

  She did, but then peeked to see him watching her. “I promise I'll be a good boy during this spell. I may be devastatingly charming, but I do not mess around with magic.”

  Taking a deep breath in through her nose, she said, “Okay, I'll behave if you’ll behave.”

  Nodding, Devon closed his eyes and placed his palms on his large thighs.

  “Close your eyes.” His voice was as smooth and sweet as dark chocolate. “Now I want you to breathe for a few moments. Feel the air on your skin. Your heartbeat in your chest.”

  Having done this with Aiden before, she was familiar with the sensation and soon relaxed.

  “Picture your aura around you, sky blue and soft. It's extending outward, soft and relaxed like a shimmering blue mist.” He took a deep breath as his psychic scent filled the room.

  Even with her eyes closed, she was aware of Devon in front of her. His dark spicy scent embraced her gently, far different from the tidal wave of energy he had used when he was trying to break her shields. She relaxed and felt his energy move over her. His voice was a distant drone in the background as he began to intone a chant in an exotic language.

  In her mind, she could actually see his aura. It was red with streaks of pure gold moving through it like slow lightning. She tried to gently push her aura into his, wondering what those gold streaks felt like.

  Feeling his essence was the oddest sensation. It was as if she was touching different parts of his body as she concentrated her energy on different parts of his aura. She heard his chanting become strained, and she pulled back, trying to keep him from losing track as she experimented.

  Breathing in deeply, she drew his scent into her lungs, smiling when she saw her energy bend and flex with her breath. She was barely listening to him when he said, “Eliana Marie Shay, do you permit me to give you my aura?”

  “Yes,” she breathed out in a husky voice. She visualized opening herself to him and watched in her mind's eye as a gold and red streak from his aura moved through her energy and sank into her chest. She was utterly relaxed. She could feel that Devon meant no harm, only to protect and defend those weaker than himself. Which was pretty much everyone.

  His energy coursed through her body, making her gasp softly and tilt her head back. While not completely sexual, it was an enjoyable sensation. Across from her, Devon answered her gasp with deep rumble of his own, letting her know that the feeling was a two-way street.

  The gold in his aura began to grow brighter, and she heard Devon say, “My Lord Mentu, how may I be of service?”

  Startled, she opened her eyes and found herself in the middle of a vast Egyptian Temple. Devon was kneeling next to her in a pleated white wrap around skirt and no shirt. A large inlaid gold collar sat on his shoulders and an oddly curved sword hung at his hip. She had to admit his body was magnificent. She ran her eyes over the sharply defined muscles in his chest and traced the lines in his washboard stomach. With a start, she noticed that both of his nipples were pierced with thick gold rings. Her hormones betrayed her again and sent a bolt of heat through her body.

  Devon stared at her with astonished eyes. “Fuck me. What are you doing here, Shay? And why are you dressed like one of my more indecent wet dreams?”

  She looked down and found that she was clad in what could only be described as a harem outfit. It was made of black silk and a sheer black material that was shaped into a long skirt with many high slits. A belt of gold coins and bells rested on her hips. The top was small and mounded her breasts together. Her stomach was completely bare except for a small sparkling white stone set in her navel.

  “Devon, what the heck are you doing?” she said as she stood and glanced around. She scrunched the sand between her toes, marveling at how real it felt. “If this is some weird hypnotic suggestion crap, I'm so not amused.”

  Devon jerked her down on her knees next to him. “Be quiet. You're in the Spirit Realm. At Mentu's Temple.”

  “What?”

  “Fucking Aiden,” Devon growled again. “Spirit Realm. A place only gods and their Chosen can go. Like a world within our world that mortals can't see or get to. A place of power, a sacred place.”

  “If this is your god's temple, why am I here?”

  “You're here because I will it,” a male voice echoed through the air. It held the sound of ringing steel, the sound of swords clashing together.

  She started to look up when Devon grabbed the back of her neck and forced her head down. “Don't look,” he said in a low voice. “To gaze upon a god without the proper permission or shielding is a bad thing for one who is not yet Chosen.”

  Keeping her eyes lowered, she gritted out, “When we get out of here, I'm going to slash your tires and put Nair in your shampoo. I'll get the bottle that you use on your chest out of your medicine cabinet.”

  Keeping his eyes on the ground, Devon said, “Don't be jealous that my chest is bigger than yours.”

  “Enough,” Mentu said. Both of them winced as his power rolled through them, dancing along her nerves like a mild electric shock.

  “It's a wonder they haven't killed each other yet,” another voice said dryly. It was a man's voice, deep and fierce, but held an odd feeling of comfort too.

  She felt Devon stiffen with tension next to her. She gave him a worried look from the corner of her eye, but he stared at the ground. Devon's cheekbone
s stood out in sharp relief as his jaw clenched. His fist remained planted into the sand in front of him, the lines and curves of his muscles casting shadows over his arm.

  “Perhaps there is another reason they hiss and spit at each other?” the second voice said in an amused tone.

  “They are too much alike,” Mentu agreed. “Why did you call me, woman-child?”

  Clearing her throat past the lump of fear, she said, “I don't think I called you.”

  “Of course you did. You used my Chosen's aura to summon yourself to me,” Mentu said gently.

  “Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know that was you. I saw the beautiful gold streaks in Devon's aura, and I wanted to see what they were,” she said apologetically. Devon remained still and silent next to her.

  The second man's voice said, “It's not time for her to meet me yet, though I have found this entertaining. If she fails the trials of her Choosing, we may have a use for her as a way to annoy Devon into doing whatever we want.”

  Their laughter filled her mind, growing fainter as her spirit sped back into her physical body. She came to with a gasp, falling back and catching herself with her hands.

  In front of her, Devon was still with his eyes closed. She reached out a hand to touch him and jerked it back when his aura burned her hand, as if to warn her off. She waited and watched him. His full lips were relaxed and his broad chest rose and fell with each breath. After what seemed like an eternity, he opened his eyes and found her staring directly at him. He said nothing, only watched her until she felt flustered by the rush of heat through her stomach and looked away.

  Abruptly Devon said, “We're done here.” He grabbed his boots and began to lace them.

  “Hi, remember me? The chick who met your god dressed like someone from an I Dream of Jeanie porno?”

  Devon glanced at her for a second and finished lacing his other boot. Standing, he adjusted the gun belt. “I can't talk about it.”

  She grabbed his shirt for the third time in less than two hours and attempted to shake the truth out of him. “You tell me what's going on, you big walking, talking prick! I'm sick of this vague maybe I'll tell you, maybe I won't, let's keep the girl who everyone wants dead in the dark bullshit!” she yelled into his face.