by Jean Murray
Asar insisted, no commanded, she have twenty-four hour protection. To say she was annoyed by the arrangement was an understatement, but who was going to argue with the Lord who put the fate of the Pantheons on the line to save her ass. Certainly not her.
The lead guardian opened the door to the service area and kitchen. The smell of the evening meal still filled the air and knotted her stomach. “I will take it from here.” She did not need six pairs of eyes staring at her while she scarfed down a side of beef.
Remembering the large roast, her mouth watered. She pushed through the door and headed straight for the walk-in icebox.
The sound of female laughter echoed from the adjacent room. Siya paused and leaned her head around the corner. The three demi-gods sat on a blanket on the floor with a stash of food in the center. Wine, cheese, meat—heaven.
“Hey, come join us,” Lilly called and waved her hand, beckoning Siya forward.
“I did not mean to disturb your meal.” Siya shifted on her feet. Being around males all her life, she was not sure what to say without coming off too harsh.
Kendra shifted over and patted the space next to her. “We took everything, so if you want food have a seat.”
Siya hesitated. If she sat, she would have to converse. She received a swift kick to her belly. She nodded and consumed the space next to Kendra, despite the awkward sense she did not belong.
Kit poured a glass of water and handed it to Siya. Kendra handed her a plate and napkin.
“Thanks.” She nodded and took a big gulp.
“Hope you don’t think us too savage, but we eat with our fingers,” Kit said and leaned back along the sandstone wall.
“What are you doing here?” Siya asked since she had seen all three at dinner.
“Taking a break,” Lilly said, mid-chew.
“Sneaking away.” Kendra giggled.
“If you have not noticed yet, the boys are a bit intense.” Kit groaned.
Siya grunted her agreement. Bomani had been more overbearing than usual. Most of his antics were adorable, but when he refused to let her train with the younglings she had to draw the line. His surrender did not come without a severe scowl and sulking.
“This is our safe haven. Where we can talk about things other than war.” Lilly raised her glass and sipped the red wine.
“Amen,” Kit and Kendra said in unison.
“You have to promise not to tell Bomani.” Lilly leaned in with a serious expression on her face. “Our little secret.”
“They do not ask where you are going?” Siya asked, perplexed. It was not as if Kendra and Lilly could hide from their mated males. Nor she from Bomani. If he wanted to find her all he had to do was follow the bond.
“We tell them we are going to paint our nails. They want nothing to do with that.” Lilly laughed.
“Well, I actually do.” Kit pulled out a small red bottle from her pocket.
Kendra and Lilly swooned over the red liquid. Taken aback with the female chatter and camaraderie Siya could only sit and watch. They did not pressure her to join them but continued on with talking about books, movies and music. It was as if the world around them had stopped. No war, no curse, no death.
Siya realized an amazing amount of energy had manifested in the room. Warmth. Laughter. Love. These women cared about each other. Something Siya had never experienced in her own life. Drawn to it, she leaned in.
“So what does it feel like to have a baby growing inside you?” Kendra asked with widened brown eyes.
Siya laid her hand on the round protrusion. “I am not sure how to describe it.”
“Would you mind if I touched your baby belly?” Kendra asked, smiling up at her.
Siya was at a loss of words. Besides Bomani, no one else dared touch her. She stared at these three human demi-gods. Not once did they look upon her with trepidation or disgust as others did.
“Sure.” Siya heard herself saying.
Lilly crawled across the blanket and sat next to Kendra. “Can I do it too?”
Siya smiled, enjoying the attention, even though it was not directed at her. The baby rolled when their hands made contact.
“Oh my gods, that was cool.” Kendra jumped when the baby made contact with her palm.
“Kit, you’ve got to feel this,” Lilly said.
Kit hung back, shaking her head.
“Come on. It won’t bite,” Lilly teased.
Kit cocked her brow. “We are talking about an Underworld baby.”
“True.” Lilly laughed harder.
Kit groaned and dropped to her knee. “Damn it, let me touch it.”
Siya inhaled sharply when Kit’s palm contacted her stomach. The baby stilled and living energy flowed through her womb between the women’s palms and the baby inside. A connection of sorts. Similar energies joining into one wave.
“I think she likes us,” Kit said with a smile, but then quickly removed her hand.
“My bet is a boy,” Lilly countered.
Siya raised her gaze. Four underworld males stood with their arms crossed over their chests. “Ah, we have company.”
“Busted.” Kit pouted.
Despite the intrusion, Lilly and Kendra jumped up and joined their males. Kamen hung back outside. Bomani came over and sat next to Siya on the floor. “Having fun?”
“Honestly—yes. How was the tavern?”
“Like old times.” Bomani met his brother’s gaze briefly and returned his attention to Siya. “I am glad to see you out of the room,” he said and pulled her into his lap.
Siya analyzed her mate and sent feelers out through their bond. Instead of the recent edginess, she sensed a level of peace. Whatever burden he had been carrying these last days was lifted. She discarded her suspicions in favor of snuggling deeper into his chest.
“I told my father we were going back.”
“Gods, what did he say?” Siya’s gaze gravitated to Asar.
“He does not want us to go but understands the importance. Bakari and Kendra will help us.”
Siya swallowed against the tightness in her throat. “They would do that for us?”
“They all would.” Bomani nodded his head towards the group.
Never in her life had she been so welcomed or loved. Asar grabbed Lilly and kissed her, unrestrained in his appreciation of his wife. Bakari leaned over and nuzzled Kendra’s hair. Despite the women’s deceit, the males only laughed and teased their mates. Kamen leaned on the door jam and followed Kit with his gaze as she flitted among the others. In fact, all the tension that had filled the palace was gone.
“Is this what it feels like?” Siya asked, staring at the couples.
“Does what feel like?”
Siya met Bomani’s golden gaze. “Family.”
“Yes, and soon we will have our own to add.” He smiled and rubbed her belly.
Siya blinked away the dampness in her eyes and kissed Bomani. She had found where she belonged. It was better than she ever imagined it to be.
The beginning and the end.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Four thousand years had passed since Siya walked through the grand arching gates and rainbow bridge of the Creation Pantheon. The Council’s brilliant white dome loomed ahead. She shifted through the crowd with her marked forearms tucked neatly in her sleeves. A few of the males glanced her way. She smiled and nodded her greeting. No familiar faces. All of them calm, no anxiety or fear.
Oblivious and disconnected from the despair in the human realm.
Despite her annoyance, she kept her face placid and unaffected by the dichotomy. Her feet never wavered from her path, one committed to memory over the long years. Bast’s quarters were located in the spires to the north, visible on the horizon. She walked unencumbered, now a free woman. She had the Carrigan sisters and Asar to thank after they pleaded Siya’s case to the Council. In the end it was her unborn child who saved her. No one dared defy the ancients’ prophecy.
She soaked in the warm rays of the sun.
The bright star shined in this realm twenty-four hours a day. Only the amount of light varied from glaring bright white to twilight, but never black. This was by design. An unwelcoming environment for any Underworlder who dared cross without invitation.
Entering the temple, she sprinted up the spiral staircase running the interior of the spire. A symbol of the elite, the spire was home to the Protector gods. She paused outside the first of four heavy wooden doors. She ran her fingertips over the screw holes that once held the gold metal marker on the door. She gripped the door handle.
Locked.
Sensing no other energies, she closed her eyes and kinetically released the locking mechanism. After all this time, they had not changed the combination. They probably never believed she would ever come back to her living quarters.
The door swung open revealing the sterile interior. Not so much as a picture or sentimental trinket. Just how she left it.
Absent and cold.
She shivered, hating how empty everything appeared now. She knew she was withdrawn and anti-social, but seeing it with new eyes disturbed her. She could no longer relate to that part of her life. Her exile, the younglings, Bomani and the life growing inside of her had changed everything. A blessing on many levels. She backed out of the room, saying a final goodbye to her former life.
Siya hustled past Meti and Haru’s rooms. The gods’ souls had been extracted from Bomani’s and were waiting for new hosts. The gods would see another day. Bast had staked her claim on the most spacious and finely appointed accommodations, and as expected, was too arrogant to lock her door. Siya walked into the center of the room.
Fresh flowers adorned every available space. The floral scent set an ache in Siya’s temple. Lace and silk adorned the overly feminine four poster bed. Intricate iron weaved the canopy into a crown of flowers and vines. Bright sunlight cast red, blue and yellow rays through the stain glass windows filling the entire circumference of the room.
Siya fingered the hairbrush and black eyeliner for Bast’s signature cat eyes. She had no need for such things. Her eyes darted to a large bureau on the opposing wall. Stalking over, she pulled the doors open.
The silver blades flashed in the light of the room. That’s more like it. She found one redeeming quality of Bast—her weapons collection. Sadly, most of them had not seen battle, except maybe to stab someone in the back. Without disturbing the cache, she left one door ajar.
She sat in the chair with a clear view of the door. The heavy scent of flowers would mask her scent enough Bast would not be the wiser until she shut herself into the room. She leaned back, reveling in the comfort of the overstuffed chair. She eyed the bed but decided that would be pushing it.
For the first time in a long time she crossed her legs. What was it about these gowns that infused her with femininity when she usually had none? The dress was airy and open, revealing more skin than she had grown accustomed to. Then again, she had no weapons to hide. She felt oddly bare. Her hands fell naturally over her round belly.
The click of the tumblers drew her gaze to the door. She inhaled a breath, forced her muscles to relax and plastered a fake smile on her face.
Bast shoved the door shut and paused, her eyes targeting the partially cracked bureau. The cat goddess whirled around and gasped. “Sekhmet!”
Siya smiled broader at Bast’s horrified expression. “Hello, Bast.”
Bast’s momentary surprise evaporated, and in its wake came a defensive posturing. “Are you here to kill me?” she asked with a profound hiss.
“Now why would I want to do that?” Siya smirked when Bast flinched.
“All I have to do is yell for the guards. I will have you thrown in the dungeon for this intrusion.” Bast’s eyes strayed to the cracked bureau.
Siya rolled her eyes, so over her royal catness. “Give it a rest. I am glad to see you have made a full recovery.” Siya stood and stared down upon her former guardian. She turned and walked to the bank of stained glass windows.
“How did you get in here?” Bast demanded.
“I walked, just like Menthu will do if you do not secure those gates. The security here is lax.” Siya had passed several small security groups and not one stopped her. She might be free of her exiler mark, but she was a stranger, a questionable threat. Of course her father would not be so discrete. His soldiers, the equivalent of large Minotaurs, would level the place. Not to mention, the siravants would ensure a bloody massacre.
“What do you want, Sekhmet?”
“I need your help,” Siya said on a forced breath. She glanced over her shoulder and met Bast’s brilliant green eyes outlined in smoky black eyeliner. “There are younglings who need to be found.”
“Younglings?” Bast asked with her chin raised and her lips pursed tight.
Siya turned fully around and glared at the goddess. “Do not test me, Bast. I have very little patience for your charades. You have seen first-hand what my father is capable of. The younglings belong under Creation protection. It is your mandate to protect all of the Mother Goddess’ descendants.”
“Apparently, not all of them,” Bast mumbled and stalked over to her bureau. She yanked open the doors, performed a quick inventory and then slammed the wood shut.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Siya asked, wondering if she was speaking of the demi-gods. The thought of the Mother Goddess’ children under the care of the Underworld had to be burning Bast’s hide. Not to mention Lilly, Kit and Kendra had caught the ear of the Council enough they had pardoned Siya, surprisingly so, if the Chancellor was linked to Apep. But Asar had commanded Siya not to reveal the information until they could corroborate Theris’ claim.
“Nothing.” Bast waved her hand in dismissal. “As for the younglings, I have no record of their births.”
“There are no records.” Siya crossed her arms over her chest. “They need protection. It is no longer safe.”
Bast fingered through her hair. “They must have records.”
“I am done with your foolery,” Siya snapped, her booming voice raddling the windows. She forced her shoulders to relax. “There are more to be found. If Menthu finds even one, you know what he will do.” Youngling blood had regenerative powers. If her father fed on one, he would be even more difficult to kill. Worse was the fact the younglings could be infected with Apep’s blood.
“I cannot help you.”
“Do not let your hatred of me put the Pantheon at risk.”
Bast’s eyes strayed to Siya’s belly. “You dare invade the Pantheon with a list of demands. You have no rights. No Pantheon. No power here.”
“You are right. I have no rights or power, but you are mistaken about one thing. I do have a Pantheon and a family to protect.”
“Do not fool yourself, Sekhmet. You do not belong to them, no more than you did us. Your child will be no different,” Bast scoffed.
“Nice try, but I am not falling for it.” Siya exhaled a breath and with it her anger. Staring upon Bast, she realized all the glamor was nothing more than a disguise, hiding the bitter ugliness. “You of all people know what Menthu and the siravants are capable of destroying. Now is the time to set aside our differences and unite under one flag.”
Bast folded her arms over her chest. The scars may have healed, but Siya could see the haunted look in her eyes. Fear fueled Bast’s hatred and avoidance of the inevitable. “At least close the gates.”
“Get out,” Bast snapped, her elegant features darkening.
“Find the younglings. Mother has seen a need to bring them to this world.” The Creation Pantheon, however dysfunctional, could provide more than a rack to sleep upon and food from a can. Asar’s realm was overextended already with the fifty offspring. It was time for the Creations to accept their roll in this war. In the meantime, Siya and Bomani would continue their search for the young gods.
Not waiting for Bast’s retort, Siya exited the door and started down the steps. She breached the opening and tipped her face towards the sun. A se
nse of warmth and well-being washed through her. Unencumbered with hiding her identity, she walked with her hieroglyphics exposed for all to see. The Destroyer had returned home for an official goodbye. With her head held high she met the startled gazes and hushed whispers. She was her mother’s daughter. She felt no shame now, only truth.
The fine gold flecks of the bridge glistened under her feet. This realm was heavenly. A part of her would miss it, but the reward on the other side was far too great. She passed through the gates and entered the seam between immortal planes. The iron groaned as the enormous gold doors swung shut behind her.
Siya turned her back on the Creation realm, knowing she would never return. Bomani waited for her in the shadows, like a beacon among the darkness. She stepped forward into his arms and the warm golden glow of his gaze.
Never again would she be alone.
Her child would know what love and family truly meant. Love had conquered all and she gladly surrendered her soul to it.
Epilogue
The stench of death roused him from his sleep. Different. More pungent than usual. “You should have never come…” Set rose, the boat rocking beneath his feet. “Cousin.” He rapped the long oar against the petrified wood.
“Set.” Nebt floated down onto the black planks, the fetid odor preceding her.
Whispers of her treachery floated in the currents of the river by the messengers of death. “Go back to where you came from. I am not interested in whatever you’re peddling.” He shoved the oar into the water. The staff hit the irregular bottom made by the bones of the unworthy. The water rippled around the boat, the serpents anticipating their next feeding. If Nebt failed to leave him be, he might just throw her in for shear amusement.
“Oh, come now.”
Her cold hand slipped against his forearm. The scars along his skin tingled. He sneered, knowing her powers were useless against him. His soul had been taken long ago as had his freedom. Not without cause, of course. “Like I said, neither you nor Menthu have anything to offer me,” Set said, knowing Apep had sent her to entice him. She stank of his evil. Set had battled the Dark Lord long enough to know the demon’s methods of seduction. Offer something irresistible to lure him.