by Sandy James
Ix Chel went to Gina. She crumpled the paper that had come from the box. Holding it in her palm she blinked, and it burst into flames. Then the ashes floated to the ground, landing like butterflies on the blades of grass.
“You shall know,” the goddess said. “When the time comes, you will lead them to Water. All you need do is place your hands on the box.”
“What about us?” Zach asked. “How do we follow her?”
“Anyone meant to go with her will follow.”
He was damned sick and tired of the cryptic responses he got from everyone in Avalon. “What does that mean? There’s gotta be something we need to do to make sure we go with her.”
The goddess’s eyes narrowed. “It is out of your hands, inventor. If any of you are meant to go, then you shall be allowed to follow.” Ix Chel turned her attention back to Gina, laying long, delicate fingers against her cheek. “You can come to a decision?”
“Yes.” Gina’s reply was full of conviction.
Zach had no idea what the question meant, and he was almost afraid to ask.
From the moment Gina had lifted the lid on that box, something about her had been different. A connection existed between them from the moment she’d dropped down to “rescue” him in that alley behind HanTel. After she’d opened Sekhmet’s box, that bond vanished, and he had no idea why.
“Decided?” he asked. “What have you decided?”
She didn’t answer.
“We’re a couple. We should decide things together.”
“Really? You mean like you decided to take the binding power from Ra after we had a long discussion about it?” Anger and hurt dripped from every word.
“Touché.”
“It will be as you wish,” Ix Chel said. “Be well, my child. The time has come for me to go.”
The air shimmered around her before she vanished.
Everyone stared at where she’d stood for a good long while before Richard broke the silence. “Do you think I could get untied now?”
“No,” three Amazons replied in unison.
Taking the lead, Artair announced, “Get yer weapons ready. We’ll meet back here in fifteen minutes to plan our attack.”
* * *
As she strapped a dagger against her thigh, Gina finally decided not to tote along a sword as well. Speed would be crucial, and a sword would only slow her down. Shrugging on her black leather jacket and flipping up the collar, she turned to face a scowling Zach.
“Love the red. Shows me you’re ready to do this thing.”
She splayed her fingers through her hair, not at all surprised at the crimson she saw reflected in the mirror. Damn, she wanted to kick the Destructor’s ass but good.
“But I prefer purple. No sword?”
“No.”
“What if there are revenants?” Zach grabbed the dirk Artair had given him before they headed to the cabin and slid it into the sheath that had been waiting on the bed. He belted it against his hip.
“You’re not taking a sword, either.”
“I have to bind her. I’ll need both hands. A sword will just get in the way.”
“Ditto.”
He still looked worried, and she wasn’t sure how to deal with it. Yes, her sisters worried, but they knew she could handle anything thrown her way. She had to remind herself that Zach’s worry came from love rather than a lack of confidence.
“But what if there are revenants?” he asked.
“I can handle a few revenants.”
Gina tried to keep her patience, but she didn’t need him telling her how to do her job. All she could think was how much hurt had been flowing through Sarita and how each minute spent organizing could mean that Sekhmet might kill Sarita.
“I’ve got plenty of people watching my back and yours. I’m going for Sarita, and I’m going as fast as I can. I don’t need a fucking sword weighing me down.”
She grabbed his shirt and pulled his lips to hers.
When the kiss ended, she braced herself for what was to come, letting all the softness and warmth he inspired slip from her as if she’d shed a heavy cloak.
Nothing would tie her down. No emotions. No commitments. No worry for the future. She had a mission, and saving Sarita was all that mattered now.
Zach held the door open as they left the cabin, but he was still frowning. “This whole mission worries me.”
Gina was worried too, but she wasn’t about to tell anyone that juicy tidbit. She already felt foolish for breaking down in front of everyone earlier when Sarita had first been taken. She’d let everyone see how hurt and afraid she was, and she’d let Zach hug her like a frightened child.
Not anymore.
She was an Amazon, damn it, and she needed to start acting like one. She would rescue Sarita and help Zach bring down Sekhmet. Then she’d make sure Ix Chel stripped him of his new power and sent him home—back to San Francisco where he belonged. She couldn’t face seeing him in danger again. This one mission was already ripping her apart with worry and concern. It was dulling her hard edge—the one she needed to do her job.
Danger always stalked her, and she accepted that. But he deserved comfort and peace. He deserved to have a life where he could build his machines and come home to a wife and family who wouldn’t place him in constant danger.
He deserved better than she could ever give him.
Gina hadn’t shared her decision with anyone yet. Especially Zach. There would be time for painful goodbyes later.
They met the rest of the Amazons, the Sentinels, Richard and Jory back on the grassy area. Forming a circle, all of the warriors faced each other. What a rag-tag bunch they made. The only things missing were Beagan, Dolan and the kids.
And Sarita.
No.
No sentimentality. No fretting. No fear.
Gina took a few steps into the middle of the circle and laid the box on the ashes of Sekhmet’s note that still rested on the grass.
“I’m not sure what to do.” She glanced to the Guardian.
Rebecca nodded at the box. “Think of Sarita. Ix Chel said you could take us with you to find her.” She frowned. “If we’re meant to go.”
“Maybe we should all hold hands or something,” Gina suggested.
Zach had ended up standing next to Richard. The two men glared at each other with such distaste, Gina might as well have told them to kiss.
“Oh, for the love of...” Rebecca moved over, shoved herself between them and took both of their hands. “Let’s do this, Gina.”
Gina closed her eyes and thought of Sarita. Her sister’s olive skin. Her long, black hair. Her dark eyes.
I’m coming, Sarita. Hang on, sis.
The world spun, making Gina’s stomach lurch and her head ache worse than when a goddess popped her from place to place. About the time she was sure she would have to spew the contents of her stomach, she was pulled into a void of darkness and quiet.
She had no idea who followed.
* * *
The blistering heat hit Gina first. Then the light blinded her. Had someone shoved her right from Avalon into an oven?
“Where in the hell am I?” she asked.
“Shit, that sucked.” Zach wiped a shaking hand over his sweaty forehead.
A quick look around made her heart jump into a faster cadence. Only she and Zach had transported.
Hot wind whipped over her, and she shielded her eyes from the grit mixed into the breeze. Her first steps toward Zach were heavy and slow, like her feet were mired in wet concrete. As her eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight, she saw the sand that weighed her down.
“To hell with that.” She took a long leap toward where Zach sat close to a big dune. One more jump put her right in front of him.
One piece. He was still in one piece. And God, how was she going to get through this fight if all she could do was worry about him?
“You okay?” she asked, hating the fear in her own voice.
“I’m fine. Stop worrying.”
>
She helped him to his feet.
“Who else is here?” he asked.
“It’s just us.”
“Rebecca? Megan? The Sentinels?” Zach cast a wary glance around the desert. “Shit, even Dick isn’t here.”
Gina’s stomach plummeted to her boots. To face Sekhmet, and possibly Helen, all she had were the powers of Air and Zach’s ability to bind—a power over which he had little control.
She strengthened her resolve. The time had come to rise to the impossible challenge. “Evidently they weren’t meant to come. Looks like it’s up to us to save the day.”
“Well, at least we’ve got Helen.” Zach shook some sand out of his pants pockets.
“Like I’m counting on her sorry ass.” She tried to formulate a plan, one she prayed would get them both through this mess. Nothing came to mind. “So where’s the big, bad lion-bitch anyway? She brought us here. She could at least have the decency to meet us on her own turf.”
The earth beneath them shook, the hot sand slipping and sliding as though moving through a sieve.
Gina glanced around, hoping that meant Rebecca had accompanied them after all. As an enormous split in the ground opened, sand poured into the breach.
Rising from the shifting sand, four columns supporting a roof forced their way to the surface. Sand sluiced off the marble as more structures began to appear. After only a few moments, a room took shape. Palm trees in ceramic pots. Statues of Egyptian gods and goddesses. A fountain with figures of golden fish spitting streams of water into a pool that had been filled with noisy frogs and floating lily pads.
And a throne of pure gold up on a marble dais.
Sekhmet was draped over her throne like a blanket. Her arm rested casually on the back and her leg was thrown over the chair’s arm. A smile curved her lips. Her brown, wild hair framed her face like a lion’s mane.
“Welcome to my home,” she said, her voice a purr.
Helen stood to the right of Sekhmet’s throne, and Gina took in her grin. Was she smiling because Sekhmet held the upper hand or because she was plotting the demise of the lioness?
Helen remained a wild card, and Gina wouldn’t make a move without considering what Helen would do to counter. Her heart told her she faced two foes rather than a foe and an ally, and she always trusted her Amazon intuition.
Zach chomped at the bit as he took a step around her. Striding forward, he started to raise his hand.
Gina quickly placed a cautioning hand on his arm to push it back down.
“Save it,” she whispered. “We’re only going to get one shot at this.”
He gave her a curt nod, but his body remained tense as the string on her crossbow.
How much better it could have been if Zach had more time to train. Johann or Artair could have helped cultivate his new power. Taking heart in the fact he was a tae kwon do master and that discipline was a big part of learning to fight, she hoped for the best. Above all, she would protect him. Binding or no, he was still a mortal.
A mortal she loved more than life itself.
Now, she understood the conflict Rebecca and Megan must have felt every time they faced a battle. At least their husbands were well-trained Sentinels and could handle themselves in a fight. She wanted to have faith in Zach, but there was no way to forget his mortality. Knowing she could lose him almost drowned out all her training.
Concentrate, damn it.
Zach wouldn’t have been given the binding power if Ra didn’t think he was the right mortal for the job.
If only her sisters had come along. Or the Sentinels. Even Richard. If only...
No. I’m the Air Amazon, damn it.
Gina squared her shoulders and stiffened her spine. She shed her black leather jacket and dropped it in the sand, wanting as much freedom of movement as she could attain. That and the thing had grown so hot in the desert sun she felt like she was inside an oven.
Sarita was nowhere to be seen. The pain was still there, nudging at Gina, but her discipline allowed her to function.
“We’re here. Just like you asked. I want to see Water.”
A laugh rose from Sekhmet. “Many in my desert long for water.” She chuckled at her own pun and threw a ruby into the fountain, disturbing a fat frog that croaked before hopping to another perch.
Sekhmet’s feline eyes focused on Zach. “You, wise man, have been a thistle under my fur. I should kill you where you stand.”
Zach scoffed at the goddess, making pride wash over Gina. “If you could, you already would have.”
Helen’s responding laugh grated like fingernails down slate. “Perhaps we’re just waiting for the opportune moment.”
He shook his head. “The opportune moment has come and gone at least a dozen times. Give it up, Sekhmet. It’s time to put you back in your litter box.”
The lioness jumped to her feet, thrust her hands out and sent Zach sprawling across the smooth floor and out into the sand so hard he was half buried.
One jump put Gina at his side. They clasped wrists, and she struggled to free him from his sandy grave. Digging in her heels, she grunted as she pulled him out by using her legs as braces. “You okay?”
His frown was fierce. “Are you?”
“Of course.”
“Same here. So stop asking.” He softened the words with a quick squeeze of her hand before he let go.
“Why isn’t she attacking us?”
“She thinks she’s won. She’ll toy with us now. Then she’ll try to kill us.”
“How do you know?” Gina asked.
“Comic books,” Zach replied. “The villains always like to gloat first.”
“Then we’ll just have to take advantage of that overconfidence.”
They took long strides through thick sand to reach the marble floor and shelter from the sweltering sun.
Gina fisted her hands against her hips. “Where’s Sarita?”
Helen took a step forward and snapped her fingers.
Another column sliced through the marble floor, dragging Sarita up with it. She was strung up on the column like fresh kill. When the column finished settling into place, Sarita’s feet dangled several inches above the floor. Her head lolled against her shoulder. Bruises and patches of dried blood painted her face. Her right earlobe had been torn, and her arms were covered in welts, as were her legs.
Whip marks?
Gina’s heart slammed against her ribcage. Sarita wasn’t dead. She couldn’t be dead.
I would know.
“If you killed her—”
Sekhmet interrupted the thought by slinking over to Sarita. “She is not dead.” Despite the overwhelming heat, the smile on Sekhmet’s face froze Gina’s blood. “Not yet.”
The lioness put one hand under Sarita’s chin and lifted her head. Sarita’s eyes never opened. Sekhmet extended the index finger of her other hand, baring a nail long enough it could only be called a claw. Before Gina could react, the goddess dragged that claw from the corner of Sarita’s right eye, down her cheek, forming a half-moon wound that ended on the cleft of her chin. Blood seeped from the cut, but Sarita remained unconscious.
The horrifying damage to Sarita’s beautiful face almost made Gina gag. “Leave her alone!”
Sekhmet dropped Sarita’s head and whirled to roar at Gina. “I put my mark on her.” Licking the dark blood from her hand, she walked back to her throne and sprawled over it again.
Gina took cautious steps toward her sister, waiting to see if Sekhmet or Helen would react. She’d wanted to run to Sarita’s side, but she swallowed her fear and remembered her training. She pulled her dagger and slipped it under the rough hemp binding Sarita’s wrists.
She caught her sister as she fell. “Gotcha, sis. It’ll be all right.”
Sarita never woke.
Zach was at her side, helping lay Sarita out on the marble floor. They both crouched next to her.
Pressing her fingers against Sarita’s throat, Gina satisfied her need to feel that strong p
ulse beat against her fingertips. Shit, if she ever lost Sarita, she wouldn’t be able to cope.
She took a moment to smooth Sarita’s tangled hair away from the blood that now smeared her face. Seeing the damage the goddess had inflicted on her beautiful sister, Gina wanted nothing more than to bury her dagger in the bitch’s black heart.
There was a battle to fight before she could deliver Sarita into Beagan and Dolan’s care. This fight was now solely in her hands, and only she could protect Zach until he could do his job.
Stepping around Sarita, Gina faced Sekhmet’s throne.
Zach came to stand at her side.
“You’re dead now,” she stated as flatly as she could manage. “Hurting her sealed your fate.”
“Such bravado in the face of sure defeat. How very refreshing.” Sekhmet clapped her hands. “Bravo.”
Summoning her strength, she used her greatest weapon, sending a bolt of lightning hurtling at Sekhmet.
Helen took several stumbling steps back, but not Sekhmet. The lioness reached up a hand, absorbed the energy with her palm and then crushed it in her fist, leaving nothing behind but a cloud of smoke.
“Shit.” Easy wasn’t going to work.
Gina’s gaze captured Zach’s, and she gave him a quick nod. With one fist wrapped firmly around her dagger, she leapt toward the throne.
Sekhmet rose to meet her and sent Gina flying with a backhand gesture.
Gina’s back collided with one of the marble columns, and she sank to the floor, gasping for breath and wondering if her ribs were fractured again.
“So foolish, yet I admire your bravery. Should you ask for a merciful death, I will grant your request.”
As if.
Gina would go down fighting, and if she was going to die, she’d make damn sure she took the lion goddess with her. Turning the dagger in her palm, she got back to her feet. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zach moving closer to the throne.
She tried to draw Sekhmet’s attention. “Had enough yet?”
With a snarl, the goddess thrust both hands out.
Gina anticipated the move and was in the air before Sekhmet’s powers could catch her. Wrapping her arm around the column, she hovered over the throne, giving the lioness her best cocky smile. “Missed me.”