by Lisa Kessler
He stopped in the light of a closed restaurant and turned toward her, lifting her chin to meet his eyes. “I have something to tell you as well.”
“Okay.”
“I would move mountains for you.” His gaze held hers. “I would capture the stars just to see you smile. And I would give up everything in this world to keep you safe. This defies all that I have ever believed about myself.”
She reached up to cup his cheek, her pulse racing. “You are more than your title and position in this world.” She brought her hand to rest over his heart. “When I saw you in my vision, I saw your pain. You feared you were a monster because of the sacrifices you were forced to make, but there is so much more to you. You’re no monster, Issa.”
“Perhaps you don’t think me a monster.” He withdrew from her touch. “But I am not to be trusted to watch over you while you are vulnerable. You were in danger when you touched those relics, and you did not wish me to be near you.”
Muriah opened her mouth to deny his accusation, but no sound came out. Was he right? She’d hurt him. It had been unintentional. Or had it?
“I’m in uncharted waters here with you. My dad taught me early that the only person I can count on is me.” She swallowed the bitter lump in her throat. “Sometimes I love knowing you’re with me. I’ve never had a partner to back me up, but other times I worry I’ll wake up alone, and I won’t be able to reclaim the part of myself that I gave to you.”
He took her hand. “If it were in my power, I would take you to that place from your movie, over the rainbow where dreams come true. But all I can offer is myself, and I am not going anywhere.”
She memorized every perfect angle of his face, his strong brow and noble chin, those full lips that drove her to distraction. “When we met, you told me Lukas was right to warn me about your mental stability. You think you’ve been weakened by all you’ve been forced to sacrifice, but the reality is you’re the strong one. The responsibility of the world rests on your shoulders because you have the fortitude to bear it.”
He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “My reflection is noble through your eyes. I see a much darker image.” His gaze searched hers, and his voice dropped to a breathless whisper. “You have brought light to my life.” He bent down to brush a kiss to her lips. “I love you, Muriah.”
Tears welled in her eyes as she rose up on her toes, kissing him again. Issa’s strong arms enveloped her and kept her mind from doubting the sincerity behind his words. Loving him would mean the end of her family line, but her heart didn’t listen. He was all that mattered. A rock as Apep’s storm brewed around them.
Issa held her close, safe. Her heart pounded, her lips communicating her affection more than her words ever could. His tongue twined with hers in a languid, sensual exploration that stoked her passion.
When she drew back, his forehead rested against hers while she caught her breath. “We should get the tablet and the vessel and finish this with Apep.” His gaze darkened, and she stole one more kiss. “I’m ready to be done with this chapter so we can start a new one. Together.” The corner of his lips curved up, but not yet into a smile. She met his eyes again. “Because I love you, too.”
His grin broke the last of the wall around her heart. Seeing the happiness on his face, and knowing she had something to do with it, made her want to laugh and cry all at once. He kissed her again, her feet leaving the ground as he swept her into his arms.
“I wish we could skip ahead to the next chapter now.”
“Me too.”
He lowered her to the ground and took her hand. “We should find Agent Bale. The sooner we finish this, the sooner we can stop scanning every shadow for red eyes.”
Muriah nodded. She was more than ready to stop being afraid of what might be watching them in the dark.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The address Agent Bale gave them led to a private home on the outskirts of Cairo. Muriah frowned, hesitant to knock at this hour of the night. She checked the card again and finally rapped her knuckles against the door.
Agent Bale opened it with his gun drawn. Muriah raised her hands, and he lowered his weapon. “Sorry. I had to be ready in case—”
“It was him.”
He nodded and holstered the gun. “I can’t kill him, but a bullet might buy me some time.” He moved back so she and Issa could step inside. He showed them to a table and Muriah took a seat. “This isn’t where I expected a government agent to be staying.”
“We have safe houses all over the world. We don’t like to draw attention.”
Issa sat beside her, and she hoped she wasn’t glowing. She’d never been in love before, but the timing was far from perfect. Being on the run from the God of Chaos didn’t leave much time for romance.
Agent Bale laid a parcel on the table, and a wide-bottomed clay vase beside it. The vessel. She recognized the serpents on the sides and dug into her pocket for her latex gloves. Once her hands were protected, she turned the vessel slowly, doing her best to read the markings.
Issa leaned closer. “Apep’s spirit was spat into the world of man and imprisoned. This is it.”
Muriah glanced at Agent Bale. “Can I take a look at the tablet?”
He nodded. “I’m sorry it’s not in better condition, the corner is worn. Some of the hieroglyphics aren’t clear.”
“I’m pretty good with filling in the blanks. I’m sure I can figure it out.” She didn’t bother unwrapping it now. She’d need to touch it. Nervous flutters went through her stomach. After her last experience, she dreaded touching the relic even more than usual. Sensing her unease, Issa rested his hand on her thigh under the table. She brought her hand to cover his.
“Thanks for your help.” She pushed her chair back and stood. “If it works, I’ll call you to arrange a pickup of the sealed vase. And if it doesn’t…”
No one at the table finished her sentence.
Issa carried the tablet and the vase in the bag Agent Bale provided. They walked to the end of the block before he slid his arm around her waist.
“We’re about to move really fast, aren’t we?”
“Close your eyes.” He put the bag over his shoulder and scooped her into his arms. Then he ran. In less than a minute, he carefully lowered her feet to the ground and waited for Muriah to catch her breath. She complained less about the speed this time. He took it as a good sign.
She stared up at the night sky as they walked to the hidden door of his sanctuary. “The stars always look so peaceful. Nothing scary up there.”
Issa nodded. “When I ached for peace in the jungle, occasionally, the stars granted it to me.”
He handed her the bag and bent to clear the sand from the edges of the stone entrance. In the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of crimson. Issa straightened and spun around, searching the darkness.
“What—”
He held up his hand, silencing Muriah while he scanned the darkness. Nothing moved. He reached out with his mind and found blessed silence. Perhaps it had been his overworked senses toying with him. Perhaps.
But erring on the side of caution, he motioned to Muriah to remain silent as he knelt down to move the stone aside. The roar of the stone scraping across the opening broke the silence around them. He gestured for her, taking her hand as Muriah stepped inside. She descended the stairs while he checked the darkness for red eyes.
The night surrounded him. No sign of the serpents.
Satisfied, Issa descended a few steps before turning to move the stone back into place. It took more effort than usual. Not many hours of darkness were left.
Muriah sat on the edge of the shredded mattress. He sighed, seeing the destruction he’d waged when he allowed his spirit animal to manifest his pain. “We do not have much time before the sun rises.”
She unpacked the bag. “I’m not looking forward to touching these.”
He sat beside her, lifting her chin to meet his eyes. “I am right here with you. If you are in danger
, I will remove them from your hands.”
She nodded and withdrew from his touch. “Let’s just get this over with, and tomorrow night, we’ll finish this.”
Issa had both relics out. “Which one first?”
She pointed to the vase. “Let me hold the vessel. The tablet might take longer to figure out since we’re missing some of the writing.”
He held the clay vase out to her. Muriah took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and reached out to touch it. The room spun, making her stomach heave. Pressure started right behind her eyes, and she found herself back in the pyramid, surrounded by Egyptian priests. The one she’d seen before, dripping his blood into the vase, stood in the center of the circle while the other priests chanted. The vase was open, waiting to be filled.
She withdrew her hands and opened her eyes. Wiping her brow, she nodded toward the vase. “It’s the right one. I saw the same faces as I did with the other tablet. Blood lures him in. We use the dagger to cut my hand. I drip my blood into the vase to bring Apep to the circle, but I hope the other tablet will give us the chant. I can’t understand what they’re saying in my vision.”
“Or my blood.”
Muriah shook her head slowly. “These priests were mortal. We don’t know what offering your blood might do. We don’t want to accidentally give Apep more power.”
She watched Issa, waiting for him to argue. Gradually, he nodded. “I suppose that is logical.” He unwrapped the tablet. “Do you need to rest? There is fresh water in the bag from last night.”
“No, I won’t be able to relax until this is done.” She closed her eyes again and shook her hands while she tried to let out her breath, slow and controlled, calming her pulse. Finally, she reached toward Issa and touched the edge of the tablet.
Pain lanced through her chest, making her wince. Issa pulled it back, but she refused to release her grip. Through gritted teeth, she mumbled, “I’m okay.”
She was within the circle of the priests again. The fevered chanting became more rapid and one stepped forward behind the priest in the center. He drew the ceremonial dagger with one hand and grasped the center priest’s forehead from behind with the other. His words were crystal clear.
“A life for a life.”
He slit the priest’s throat. The room spun with darkness and screeching pierced through her skull until she sobbed. Suddenly, the tablet was gone. The vision cleared, and she opened her eyes, still absorbing all she learned.
A mortal life to capture and cage an immortal life.
This ritual was going to be more costly than any of them realized. There was always a catch. She should have known.
Issa took her hand. “What did you see?”
Maybe there was another way, an option she hadn’t considered.
“The ceremony requires a sacrifice.”
He nodded. “Imprisoning a powerful god would come with a high cost in trade.”
“First, we need a blood offering dripped into the vase to attract Apep. I’m not sure how it works, but this relic is imbued with his energy, so maybe the blood calls to him like a moth to the flame?”
“Did you decipher the chant?”
She nodded, her chest tight. “A life for a life.”
Issa frowned. “We must sacrifice a life to trap him.”
“Exactly.”
She waited for him to shift into a jaguar and tear up what was left of his room, but he remained calm and calculating. “At sunset, I will locate someone who deserves death. We can sacrifice him in order to trap Apep.”
A monumental weight lifted from her shoulders. Of course. She’d forgotten that Issa heard the thoughts of the people around him. He could listen and find a dirt bag, mesmerize him, and then use him for the ceremony.
“You’re pretty smart for a god.”
He laughed, easing her back onto the bed. “You think so?”
She moaned into the kiss.
Oh, she definitely thought so.
Zafrina woke quickly and sat up. With Issa halfway across the world, by the time she awoke in San Diego, the sun was already nearly up over the Egyptian desert. Lukas had also lost contact with Muriah when Apep discovered her name and cell phone number. Not knowing their progress drove Zafrina crazy. Gretchen’s body wouldn’t be able to maintain the pregnancy much longer. She was in desperate need of hope.
When she entered Calisto’s home, Lukas was on the phone.
Is that Muriah? Have they trapped Apep?
He glanced in her direction. I need to focus. I’ll fill you in as soon as we’re done here.
He pulled his hair back from his forehead. “Muriah, double check the tablets. Most of these rituals require a ‘willing sacrifice.’ A criminal isn’t usually what they mean by ‘willing.’” He paused and let out a sigh. “I know, I know. Okay. Please be careful. Bye.”
He set his cell phone on the table and met Zafrina’s gaze. Worry for his mate and his friend weighed on him, aging his timeless Russian features. “They have everything they need to perform the ritual once the sun goes down.”
“You do not sound very confident.”
“I’m not.” He leaned back in the chair. “But I hope I’m wrong. Muriah has more experience with Egyptology than I do. My background is in Mayan history. I could be off base.”
“Issa will keep her safe.” She scanned the open living room area. “Where is Gretchen?”
“She’s in the kitchen getting a drink.”
“And the others?”
“Edie and Lori took Kate out for a bridal shower dinner.” He lowered his voice with a playful spark in his eyes. “Calisto followed them. He thinks they have no idea, but the women are onto him.” He sobered. “And Lori was shielding her thoughts. Someone must’ve shown her how or told her we could hear them or—”
“It could be a coincidence.” Zafrina kept her features expressionless.
“Maybe, but Calisto tried to glean where they were going tonight, and then I did, too. We both heard the same poem in her head.”
“Strange—” A glass shattered, and in less than a heartbeat, she and Lukas were in the kitchen.
He stood beside Gretchen, holding her up. “What happened?”
Her hands grasped her swollen belly, still much too small to be ready to deliver. “A contraction.” Her eyes welled with tears. “It’s too soon.”
He lifted her up, cradling her in his arms, and carried her to the sofa. He laid her gently down, sitting beside her. “It’ll be okay. You just need to rest.”
She wiped a tear. “You don’t have to lie to me. I know what’s happening. I can’t keep food down. I’m getting weaker. The sun blisters my skin.” She looked up at Zafrina. “It’s me or this baby, isn’t it?”
Lukas shook his head. “It’s not a choice. You are the one who matters. This was a longshot from the beginning. If you can’t carry the baby to term, then we’ll deal with it.”
“There won’t be anything to deal with. The baby will die if it’s this premature.” She brought her hand up to cup his cheek. “I’ll lose you.”
A vision of Lori on the beach in the moonlight filled Zafrina’s mind. For the first time in centuries, she wished for another night. And now it might all be ending. The gods had a sick sense of humor.
She rested her hand on Gretchen’s calf. “Bed rest now. Worry is not going to help. The others need your opinions for wedding decisions. Focus on that day. Hope and happiness will banish worry and fear. We will have the codex soon, and I will have the answers I need.”
Hopefully, she sounded more confident than she felt.
Apep clenched his fists, forcing the blood in his veins to heal the gash in his side. This was the final injury he would sustain from that annoyingly noble Night Walker. Waiting for his skin to heal, he focused on ways to punish the God of the West. He would test the depth of the Mayan’s loyalty and duty to this world. When he was through with him, Issa would beg for death. He’d no longer care that his death meant his brothers’ demise or that thi
s mortal world would be left unprotected.
His torture would snuff out the proud flame in Issa’s dark eyes until misery left him bitter, selfish, and weak.
Apep opened his arms, welcoming his serpents to return. The familiar prickle as they wound up his body, slithering along his shoulders, and finally around his neck, sent a wave of power through his flesh.
He wondered how long Issa would hold out. How much mental strength would the ancient Mayan god have left? Would Issa still be standing after Apep forced him to torture Muriah while she begged for her life? Only one way to find out.
His serpents shared their information. They’d followed Issa and Muriah through the darkness. Unimpeded by human flesh, they had no trouble keeping up with Issa’s preternatural speed. His shadowy pets shared what they’d heard, declarations of love, and better yet, the sound of sweeping and the skin-crawling scrape of stone against stone.
Issa must have found an undiscovered tomb in the desert. With any luck, his blind serpents could navigate a return trip through the desert to the Night Walker’s lair.
Apep tilted his head, cracking his neck. He couldn’t wait to pay them a daylight visit.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Lukas sat on the edge of the coffee table, holding Gretchen’s hand, and Calisto was across from them in a chair with his mate perched on his leg. Lori pulled up another chair and started running through the final wedding checklist.
Zafrina watched from the threshold of the living room. She’d never attended a wedding before, so she had nothing to add to help with decisions. Her only focus was Gretchen.
But Lori’s commanding presence within a den of immortals kept distracting her. She held a clipboard, directing the others to any unfinished items. Apparently, having no exact date for the ceremony was a problem.
“I don’t want to get married until we have that codex and know that Gretchen will be all right.” Kate shrugged. “We’ve got plenty of time, and everything is picked out. So once Muriah and Issa get back with it, we can settle on a date and have the wedding.”