The blood drained from Tamara’s face, and she stiffened. In all their years together, she’d never said a word to her cousin about the attack which became the biggest cause of her fear. It would have only upset her for not knowing it ahead of time. Tamara remembered Julie saying something similar yesterday morning. “What are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I mean.” Julie turned to her husband. “Jeff, honey, can you go see if there’s a way I can have a soda? This water is just not helping”
Jeff shot a glance toward Tamara then back to his wife. “But—”
“We’ll be fine. Take your time, sweetness.”
He gave a slow nod, before leaving the room.
“I don’t think he likes me,” murmured Tamara as the man left the room.
“Nonsense. He loves you. He’s just trying to let you know he’s here for me now.”
“Like I should have been. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.”
Julie shook her head, a soft smile on her face. “But you were! You were there within minutes.”
“Did you see him? The man who pushed you?”
Julie shook her head. “No, did you?”
Since the two girls had hit puberty, they’d always shared visions of happenings in their lives. The older they grew, the clearer the visions. Their connection was stronger than either had shared with any others. Maybe that’s why Jeff didn’t like Tamara around so much. Maybe he was jealous.
“No. Did you know you were in danger?”
“Not really. I sensed something, but I thought it was coming from you. I sensed fear and then anger. But I could tell you were okay, and it wasn’t that serious. And, no, Jeff is not jealous.”
It had always been this way. The carrying on of two conversations. One out loud, and the other in response to one another’s thoughts. Strangers probably thought them insane. “As you can see, I’m fine, though you aren’t. And if Jeff isn’t jealous, why does he glare at me all the time? He doesn’t speak ten words to me in a day.”
Julie waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Jeff is not used to having so many people around is all. He comes from a small family, you know. The next thing he knew, he’d married into our family. You have to admit, with so many of us, it can be rather confusing.”
“True.”
“Besides, he knows it’s time for you to take on your own life. He doesn’t want me getting hurt when you get married and don’t return with us.”
“I’m not getting married,” Tamara denied.
“Maybe. Maybe not. But before you do anything, you have to face this fear of yours. You’re going to have to share it. You’ve kept it bottled up long enough.”
“Who says I’m afraid of anything?”
Julie pursed her lips.
With a sigh, Tamara agreed. “Fine. I’ll tell someone later. Just not sure who. Besides, Ramose has gone to find a place for you to stay. We want you out of this hospital as quick as we can. Then he’s taking me to dinner. Maybe I’ll talk to him then.”
“Good.” Julie’s fingers traced the pattern on the blanket on the bed, her face intense, as though working on a puzzle.
“What?”
“He’s got his own secrets, this man of yours. Secrets I don’t understand.” She lifted her gaze to meet Tamara’s. “Just be careful, Tamara.”
* * * *
Amunkha moved down the hospital hallway. This was the best idea he’d had in centuries. He’d arrived, intent on checking out his work, but the scents around him, combined with the energies of death brought a gleeful smile to his lips. He’d snatched a white lab coat to avoid being detected, and it worked. He had wandered through the halls unimpeded for the last hour, inhaling every smell.
Fear. It coursed through his veins, strengthening everything he was. Everything he could be. His darkness snatched at it, feeding on the smell, building his power. Patients. So many patients. All frightened about their futures, all in pain. With fluttering eyes, he savored the taste. He stepped into the cancer ward.
Amunkha breathed in. Like a delicious buffet, a multitude of frights permeated the rooms. Patients and their families huddled together, each trying to be strong for the other. Each struggling to hide the terror of coming death from their hearts. Their deaths. Their loved one’s deaths. Each with its own flavor.
It had taken him a few thousand years to understand what fear did for him, how it strengthened him. The Other didn’t like fear and retreated as though burned. That alone was sweet ambrosia.
The Other had been restless of late, even going as far as speaking to the woman the other day. Unacceptable. That’s why he was here, feeding on fear, forcing the Other back. He stepped into the center of the hospital ward. With a sigh, he opened his senses, becoming the sponge to the terror-filled energies. Strength coursed through his veins. Darkness filled every crevice of his body, shoving the Other into its tiny corner of light. Oh, yes. He knew about the Other’s light. He just didn’t care. A giggle bubbled into his throat.
Chapter Twenty
Ramose dropped onto the couch in Selket’s house, not waiting for her invitation. “I need you to do me this favor.” He was tired. Staying up all night, protecting Tamara while she slept had taken its toll on him, especially when he listened to the words she muttered from time to time. Knowing she dreamed of his darkest hour had eaten away at the confidence he’d built for so many years.
Selket studied him, her brow furrowed. He’d confused her. That’s good. He wasn’t the only one now.
“Why here?”
He shrugged. “Because you have no stairs, and it’s a big house.” He waved a hand to encompass her living room.
Ramose scrubbed a hand over his face. Damnation. He’d been doing that way too often. For centuries, he’d worked to hide his emotions, and now they were all over his face. And burning in his heart. “I need a place for her to stay until I can contact Mereruka. I sent him off to check out a dig in Alexandria. Once he gets back, I’ll have him see if he can speed up her healing.”
“If her healing needs sped up, I can do it.”
He nodded. “Thanks. I appreciate it.” His hand tapped on his thigh. He needed to get Tamara here, fast. He wanted her safe. She’d been arguing with Jeff, and it had taken every bit of control he had not to lift the kid off his feet and rip his throat out. Speaking of that…
“And, while we’re at it, I would like to have a physical, if you don’t mind.”
“A physical?”
He nodded. “At least some blood tests. I can’t seem to keep my temper of late.”
Selket stilled, and Ramose understood. He was known for his quiet control, and here he was asking for help to control his temper. Her eyes narrowed, and she went from friend to doctor. He didn’t know much about medical studies, but he could see her cataloging the color of his skin. Hopefully, that didn’t show any changes. But he knew he had her when she looked again at his hair. The hair he kept running his hands through when he tried to control his temper. “I’ll run a scan.”
She moved faster than his eyes could trace, suddenly arriving at his side with the medical scanner. She held it at the base of the neck, reading the monitor. “Hmm, your testosterone is off the charts. It’s three times the normal level.” She snapped off the device and headed flipped open her computerized medical reference. “I haven’t seen levels like that since I examined joined couples.”
Shock jolted through him. There were physical signs? “That explains it.” He tried not to grin. Now there was no doubting it. She was his. Of course, he hadn’t intended to mention anything, but, now, that he’d asked for the exam, she’d figure it out anyway.
“What do you mean, Ramose? How does that ‘explains it?’”
“My aggression started the moment I laid eyes on the cousin of the woman who is hurt.”
Her hand froze, leveled above the reader in her hand as though preparing to scroll to another page. “What are you saying?
“I…” He sighed. Best to
get this out in the open now. “Her cousin, the other female. She’s my Kha-Ib.”
Selket’s mouth worked, but no sound whispered through the room. She lowered herself into the chair opposite him, the reader in her hand forgotten. Her
eyes widened, her face draining of color.
“But…”
Ramose bit back a smile, something he hadn’t had to do in eons. He’d had a similar reaction when he realized who Tamara was. The inability to utter a single coherent sentence.
Nanik. Fierce possessiveness surged inside him, easing the discomfort and tiredness. All concerns of Mandisa and her fearful treachery were set aside.
“Why?”
“Why?” repeated Ramose, his brow furrowing.
“Yes. Why? First your sister, now you? Why can’t it be someone else who finds their Kha-Ib?”
Realization shot through him like lighting, shattering his concentration. The premonition. He now understood. “It’s just the beginning, Selket.”
She stopped whining and met his gaze. “What are you trying to say, Ramose?”
He should have guessed it. The premonition. He knew, when it started, he couldn’t be the only one affected. He bolted from his seat and paced the room, a grin sneaking across his lips unbidden.
“There are more, Selket. I’ve felt it, just didn’t understand what it was. A premonition that something big was coming, to change all of us. Something has brought them here, to this time, to this planet. Our futures are no longer bleak, Selket.”
The color eased back into her face, and her eyes brightened. “You mean, something has changed? We can find our own Kha-Ib’s here? All of us? Not just your family? Are you sure?”
Ramose nodded. “I’ve never been more sure.” Just saying the words made everything seem right. “That’s what I’ve been trying to understand. This premonition that’s been nagging at me for weeks. I knew it wasn’t just me who was affected. It’s all of us.
“Yes, so far it’s only been my family, but there’s got to be more.” He stopped in front of her. He’d known Selket for thousands of years and never had he seen such an enraptured look on her face. He quit trying to hide his smile. “They’re here. Now. In this time. I don’t know how, or why, but they’re here.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Ramose knocked on Tamara’s door at the Mena House Hotel promptly at six. He’d made arrangements to have Tamara’s cousin moved to Selket’s home tomorrow. The woman would work discreetly, while Julie slept, to heal her leg. Julie would be in pain until then, but it couldn’t be helped. They couldn’t use Petiri technology to speed the process. Not when he didn’t know if he could trust Tamara, much less her cousin.
Soon, he would have to give her an explanation of what was happening. Her knowledge of the Erosewyt was unnerving. She thought it was all from his past life, which meant she couldn’t have dreamed of him before his arrival on earth. If she had, she’d marked it off to strange imaginings of her own.
He took a deep breath and knocked.
When Tamara opened her door, his heart skipped a beat. She was pure beauty. His slow appreciative gaze trailed from the toes of her delicate golden sandals upward, taking in the feminine slope of her ankle and calf. His breath shuffled in and out of his lungs, but it did nothing to calm the sudden lightheadedness swirling around his brain. He’d tried to ignore her beauty when they’d met, and, knowing she was meant for him, was his, he couldn’t ignore her any longer. He stared at the floor, almost afraid to look into her eyes, afraid she’d knock him off his feet. Such beautiful ankles. How had he missed her beautiful legs? He dragged his gaze upward, past the soft curtain of emerald draping her body in its satin caresses. The delicate fabric cupped the curves of her breasts the way his fingers burned to do. He tore his eyes upward and found her gold and blue eyes glittering with heat. Nanik Sit hemet.
“I’m sorry? What did you say?” Tamara raised an eyebrow.
“Oh.” He must have spoken aloud without meaning to. Or had she taken the words from his mind? “There are no English words.”
The blood sang in his veins as she stepped back, allowing him entrance to her room. A room filled with a queen-size bed. He tried not to look, fighting to ignore the image of her spreading out for him while he stripped that beautiful, green satin from her body. It was damned hard. He was damned hard.
“One minute, I’ll get my purse.”
Ramose nodded, the dryness in his throat stealing his ability to speak. Her steps were so controlled, so sensual. Watching her hurt. This was his Kha-Ib. He’d thought her beautiful in jeans, but now, she rivaled Isis herself.
And her scent. The gods of Egypt couldn’t possibly have smelled this wonderful. Spicy and sensual. The smell of lilies ripped the last vestiges of his control. A deep rolling sound rumbled from his chest.
She picked up her purse then cocked her head, her eyes narrowing as she looked him over. “Are you all right, Ramose?”
“Fine,” he croaked. The separation was too much. His brain muddied, and he stepped toward her, his hands curving around her waist, drawing her against him, her body soft and pliant. “I have to…” Gods, please don’t be frightened.
He sighed with relief when she melted against him, the curve of her belly pressing against the sudden rise of heat in his groin.
He stilled, his head partially lowered, offering. Hoping. He was not going to make a mistake this time. Reaching for every ounce of control he possessed, Ramose forced his fingers to remain relaxed. They itched to caress her wide hips, hungered to drag her hard against his body. Blissful torture. No matter how difficult, he would give, not take.
She peered up into his eyes, the blue and gold hues washing before him like soft liquid. She rose on her toes, closing the distance. The first feather-light touch of her lips, a drug. The sweetest of ambrosias.
Nanik.
The word didn’t whisper any longer. It reverberated through his mind, pounding its possessive power through his soul. He groaned against her mouth, hungry, needing more, so afraid of terrifying this beautiful woman that was his.
* * * *
Tamara relished the sensation of his lips. Soft and gentle, they burned across hers, awakening the hunger she kept trying to push away. More. She needed so much more. Hunger ripped through her. She ached for his touch. Craved his taste. She opened her fingers, and the bag in her hand dropped to the floor. How could he be so calm?
Her hands cupped his face, pressing her mouth against his, opening. Tasting. His tongue slipped inside, and she moaned with satisfaction. Wild as a desert storm, hot as the desert sun, powerful as the flooding Nile, his taste swept inside her.
Power rippled between them. Power he held in check. She ached for him to release it, to take what she offered. Still, he held back.
A low rumble sounded in his chest, and he lifted his head. His eyes veiled beneath heavy lashes, but his breath was even, his chest not moving.
“Did you just growl at me?”
That got a response. His lids flew open, his eyes wide with surprise. “I... No, I just…”
Tamara grinned and extricated herself from his gentle grasp and adjusted her dress. The satin offered no protection against prying eyes, and she knew her nipples gave away the aching need ringing in her veins.
A quick glance toward Ramose, and she nearly growled herself. He looked completely cool, unaffected. Damn the stupid dreams. They led her down a path much faster than she was ready to take things. It might have been easier had she not already known they were soul mates. It didn’t make everything perfect, but it certainly seemed to free something inside her. The knowledge played havoc on her ability to keep her thoughts clear.
Ramose bent down and retrieved her purse. When he held out his hand, Tamara could swear she saw a tremble before he closed his fist over the bag. Maybe he wasn’t so unaffected after all.
“Thanks,” she murmured, smothering the smile.
Neither spoke all the way to the hotel foyer, as guests filtered
around them in the elevator. Ramose stood, his eyes straight ahead, appearing not to notice the men and women surrounding them. Damn, what was he thinking? His aura was gone. As though no heat or emotions emanated from him. How did that happen? Ever since she woke up this morning, she’d been clueless as to his mood.
She released a pent up sigh.
“What’s wrong?” he queried.
Throwing him a wry grin, she shook her head. “Nothing. I just think I need to get my eyes checked.”
“Oh?” was his only response. Was that amusement in his eyes? How was she supposed to know what he was feeling without the auras around him?
“I seem to have lost some of my color vision.”
Jakkar, the ever-present, ever-professional driver, met them in front of the hotel. He held the door of the BMW open for her then smiled and tipped his hat as she slid into the back seat. Ramose followed quickly, and Jakkar pulled away from the curb.
“I will have your cousin picked up by ambulance tomorrow morning. She will stay at Selket’s bungalow until she is healed.”
Selket. Tamara fought off the sudden wave of jealousy. A name from her dreams, a name from Ramose’s past lives. Why this sudden possessiveness? “Who is Selket?”
“A friend. She is a medical researcher, so she is a good person to care for Julie. Her home is a single level, so there will be no need to manage stairs, which is better than I can offer her at my apartment or our main house.”
“Main home?” she asked.
“Yes, our people keep a residence outside of Cairo, in case anyone needs it. But it’s large and has many stairs. I didn’t think Julie would be comfortable.”
Tamara nodded. “Thank you.” And she meant it. “I really do appreciate your help with her. It’s bad enough to get hurt while on vacation, but to be confined to a hospital, that’s got to suck.”
A soft curve played upon his lips. Such luscious lips. Why wasn’t he kissing her with them? Oh, right. Julie. Dinner. Both good reasons to behave, but her body ached with a passion she didn’t even come close to understanding. Was this what Julie felt when Jeff was near? If so, she was sorry she’d ever teased her cousin about kissing in front of her. “So, where are we going?”
Visions of Fire and Ice (The Petiri) Page 14
