Reign caught her before she crashed. Her form flickered, vanished for a second, and then solidified.
“What has happened?” Reign held her slight form close, afraid to let her go.
“My host, that willful child. I must return.” She patted his arm and briefly rested her head against his chest. “Thank you…son.” She pushed away and rose to her feet.
He studied her golden skin. “Forgive me…Goddess—” The word mother stuck in his throat. “I do not resemble you in any way.”
Nu sighed. “That was intentional. For added protection, I buried your true nature. You and your twin favor your father.” She turned away. “This palace was once my home. Now, it is yours, and your brother’s when his temper cools. The palace is on a different plane of existence. None of the other Gods can find it.” She faced him again, her beautiful face suddenly old and withered.
“I will not stay here.” He wanted nothing from the Egyptians, even if he was part of them.
She studied him. An ethereal light shone in her cinnamon eyes. Reign steeled himself against her intrusion into his soul, but none came. Instead of an intrusive invasion, sadness took hold and the light dimmed before she looked away. “As you will, yet know this. By obtaining Osiris’s sword, SET is no longer chained to Chemmis. Your brother has freed the God of Evil from this realm to walk the earth. Though you stopped him, as long as evil exists, you can’t kill him. He draws his vis’Ra from a different source so Tirrika cannot stop him. Making his wife pay for her public insult will be his first priority. His second will be you. This place is a sanctuary to do with as you please.”
“You may call it a sanctuary, I call it a prison. No gift is given without a price, usually, steep and painful,” Reign replied bitterly.
Her lips thinned and Reign was certain she bit back a sharp retort. “Come, Tirrika,” she called to the giant snake curled in the corner of the room.
Nu walked over to Alexis’s bedside. “She rests and heals. What will you do now?”
He couldn’t do what his heart longed for. To keep her with him forever. He didn’t know what the future held and after today’s events, he wasn’t sure he could keep her safe. Every God in the pantheon wanted him dead. At the top of the list, SET. Then there was Roman. His brother would seek retribution, and Reign would not stop him from spilling his blood.
Damnation! He’d entered her life and destroyed it. He never wanted to hurt her, cause her pain, but that’s exactly what he’d done. And after everything he’d put her through, she would never agree to stay.
“I will return her to her home and use all I have to protect her from afar.” Just saying the words opened a cavern in his chest.
“But—she’s given up everything to be you. Everything. I know how that is for a woman. How hard it is…” Nu murmured as she touched Alexis’s hand.
The wistful edge to Nu’s voice made questions rise. So many times his father’s voice held the same notes as he stared at the tiled image on the wall.
“Returning her will protect her from all of this. Starting with me. She did not ask for this to befall her and I will not force her to stay with me.” It was the only decision he could make.
“She won’t accept it. She will hate you. Like your father hated me.”
Reign steeled himself against the surge of emotions. He didn’t see hate in his father’s gaze when he caught him staring at the mural, but this was not about his parents. “She won't have a chance to refuse. And her hate will help her forget me.”
“It won’t be enough,” Nu whispered. “You could keep her here, to ensure her safety.”
“Keep her here, as I was kept? Never. I will not force her to accept my will.” And she would not tolerate it if I tried. Too independent, too headstrong, which was exactly what he loved about the detective.
“Sometimes, that is all we can do to protect those we love.” Nu sat bedside Alexis. “Wake up, dear.” Garden snake-sized again, the Serpent slithered into Nu’s lap.
“What are you doing?” Reign moved closer.
Nu began chanting. Alexis roused enough to open her groggy eyes. “Tirrika is my gift to you. She’s a marvelous friend. For many years, she was my only friend. She will take care of you, defend you when others cannot, and she will never leave you. Trust her. Keep her close.” She placed the Serpent around Alexis’s neck and stepped away.
Alexis’s gaze followed Nu. “Sleep, child.” Nu murmured and Alexis’s eyes closed. Nu turned to her son. “You’re a fool,” were her last words. She vanished like fog in a stiff breeze.
The bed creaked as Reign sat beside Alexis. He took her hand and brought her fingers to his lips. “Yes, I am a fool.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Alexis sprang upright. Wrenched from oblivion, her gaze lurched around the bedroom. She took in the Baroque armoire and dressing table, the velvet curtains and brocade chairs. This wasn’t her grandmother’s bedroom with its worn Colonial set.
Am I still on Chemmis? Could this be a new torture designed by Nephythys? But most importantly, where was Reign? Her gaze swept the room, searching for her weapon, any weapon.
She shoved the heavy blanket to the side. Someone had dressed her in jeans and a sweatshirt, Reign, she hoped. She touched her side, the spot where Nephythys had wounded her. Solid, but a bit tender. Being sore beat being dead. A glint of gold stopped her as she crossed in front of the dresser mirror.
The Serpent lay coiled loosely around her neck. Its twin heads—facing each other—rested in the slight dip between her collarbones. Slowly, her trembling hand rose to yank the jewelry from her throat. Ruby and emerald eyes twinkled, seemed to study her. Calm steadied her nerves.
Alexis stroked the delicate heads and filigreed scales. A ripple traveled through the serpentine body and tickled her skin. The head separated and the Serpent slid harmlessly into her palm. The deceptive piece of jewelry coiled, waiting. Reign’s mother had called it Tirrika. She’d said ‘Trust the Serpent,’ ‘Keep it close’ and something else. If only she could remember.
“I never had a pet before.” Gloria wouldn’t allow one in the house. “At least I won’t have to feed you live animals. I guess you can stay.”
She placed the jewelry around her neck and swore the thing purred.
Alexis opened the bedroom door. An ethereal barrier barred her way. The gossamer strands pulsed. Tentatively, she stretched out her hand. The weaves parted before she touched them. She stepped through the doorway and into a familiar hallway. Mrs. Kelly’s humming emanated from the kitchen downstairs.
Alexis walked downstairs, expecting to find Reign in the living room. He wasn’t there. She passed through the dining room, entered the kitchen, and caught Mrs. Kelly in mid-scoop of dough onto a cookie sheet.
“You’re awake! How do you feel?” She wiped her hands on her apron before hustling over.
“Where’s Reign?” She ignored Mrs. Kelly’s questions.
“Are you hungry? Thirsty?” Mrs. Kelly ushered Alexis to the dinette tucked in a corner of the room. “I’ll get you something.”
A chill cooled her blood as she watched her neighbor flit nervously about.
Something’s happened!
The last thing she remembered was beating the crap out of Nephythys. Everything was spotty after that. Reign…he could be—NO.
Mrs. Kelly placed a glass of milk and a plate of cookies in front of her. Alexis grabbed Mrs. Kelly’s bare arm and jumped to her feet.
“Tell me. Where is Reign?” Her voice quivered. The sadness in Mrs. Kelly’s eyes nearly choked her.
She sat and forced Alexis to sit opposite her. “He brought you here a few days ago.”
Days? “Was he hurt?”
“No, he is fine.”
“So, what did he say? Why did he leave? Where is he?” Mrs. Kelly’s hesitation drove her crazy.
“He said to tell you thank you…for your help and that you are safe. None of the Egyptians, including Nephythys, will ever hurt you again.”
Everything inside her stopped. “That’s it,” she whispered.
Mrs. Kelly nodded.
Why would he leave? Dump her here without a word. Without a goodbye. Goodbye?
The word carved a hole in her heart. “I have to get out of here.” Alexis needed air. She dashed through the kitchen to the front door and yanked it open.
“Alexis Lever! The house is warded. But if you step off the porch, the world will see you.”
She wiped the tears from her eyes and saw the barrier. God, she was twice trapped. Bent over, hands on knees, she sucked in the crisp evening air. Her mind tumbled, along with her heart. Mrs. Kelly rubbed her back, but nothing could soothe this ache.
No. This couldn’t be the end. Not after she’d told him she loved him. He wouldn’t just walk away. Tears streamed from her eyes, blurring her vision. She’d given her heart, given up everything she had, burned all bridges tying her to New York City, and her family, only to have him dump her. He got what he wanted. She was no longer needed.
She let Mrs. Kelly lead her back into the house and up the stairs. They passed through the barrier to the bedroom. Alexis sat on the edge of the bed, hysteria beating on her senses. Mrs. Kelly fussed around her. The woman’s incessant chatter didn’t help.
“I can’t stay here.” “But there’s nowhere for you to go, dear.” Mrs. Kelly sat beside her and handed her a box of tissues.
“What?”
“Or there’s everywhere that you could go.”
Now was not the time for riddles.
“You’re a wanted woman, Alexis. Your picture is on every TV, all over the internet. There isn’t a place on the continent that doesn’t know who you are. There’s nowhere you can hide.”
Deep down, she knew this would be the outcome, but still, Dear God, what had she done?
“On the other hand, you never have to hide again.”
“What?” Mrs. Kelly’s words made no sense. They jumbled together in her mind.
Mrs. Kelly touched the Serpent necklace. “This is a gift from the gods, Alexis. And they let you keep it. You, a mortal. They favor you.”
Alexis yanked the necklace off and tossed it into Mrs. Kelly’s lap. “I don’t want anything from them.”
“Alexis, it’s not what you think.”
“Please just go.”
The door closing behind Mrs. Kelly was a blessing.
Alexis tried not to think. It’s not as if she hadn’t been here before. This time was no different. One good cry and she would be over it. Then she’d focus on what to do next. She’d allow herself ten minutes, not a second longer.
Ten minutes turned into hours of racking sobs until her tear ducts had nothing left to give. Her eyes were swollen, her throat burned, and her lungs ached. All of her hurt. When sleep finally took her, she didn’t fight it.
A cool breeze fanning her face roused her. Yet when she opened her gritty eyes and focused on her surroundings, no one was there. She wasn’t fooled.
“Stay away from me. Y-you coward.” She shoved her aching body upright. And turned on the bedside lamp. The empty room threatened fresh tears.
He did come? He was here? She didn’t buy it. The silence lied. He came to spy on her. To see how much damage he’d caused. After Paul, she swore she’d never fall in love again. But she had fallen. Hard. She loved the bastard more than humanly possible.
She raised her hand to brush her hair out of her face and saw Tirrika around her wrist. “I told her I didn’t want it!” She yanked it off again and tossed it onto the dresser.
God, she was so tired. She glanced at the clock and realized she’d slept for hours. A lot of good it did. A rustling sound jerked her around. Tirrika slithered across the bed. Alexis scooted away until the headboard stopped her escape. Tirrika leaped. A scream of terror streaked up her throat. The snake wrapped around her arm again. A purr vibrated through her. Was this her stalker? Maybe Reign wasn’t here. An ache swelled in her heart, which she couldn’t push away. She’d give anything to forget him. No. She needed to remember so she’d never repeat the mistake again.
She stared at the serpent and recalled how it grew, changed, evened the playing field, and gave her a chance to survive. She will take care of you, defend you when others can’t, and she will never leave you. The words floated across her brain.
Reign had said nearly the same thing. She remembered the love in his eyes. And the truth in his touch, and when she sifted through him, she found the truth.
He loved her! She knew he did. So why did he leave?
“Oh, God.” She smacked her forehead with the heel of her hand. She was as much of an idiot as he was. She had to find him. He owed her an explanation. And she’d be damned if she didn’t get one. She jumped up and snatched a jacket.
Nu said to trust the serpent. Okay, I will trust it to take me to Reign. She concentrated, centered her thought on Reign. The sensation started in her abdomen, first a tingle that morphed into a thousand pinpricks that spread down each limb. She dematerialized. Her atoms scattered and sped across town.
She materialized in a dark place. It took a moment of focusing on the faint sunlight peeking through the Swiss-cheesed roof to realize she had flashed to the factory. Nothing here had changed. Gloom still clung to each corner. Dust still coated every surface. Rain drizzled through the roof and a stiff wind howled through the cracks in the boarded windows. This is where the journey started. Where she first met Reign and everything changed. She peered into each pit. Empty. Their inhabitants were gone, leaving goo lining the walls and a puddle at the bottom. Reign had already done it. He had come and gone.
She settled back on her haunches. Disappointment ate at her. After everything, he still hadn’t thought enough of her wishes to spare them.
“I did not kill them.”
His voice came out of the shadows. She closed her eyes and listened to the deep timbre before turning her head toward him.
“The quimaera were gone when I arrived. I suspect Alamut found a way to awaken them.”
She couldn’t see his face, but enough light draped across his body. He was dressed differently. Instead of jeans, black leathers stretched across his muscular thighs, a dark muscle shirt hugged his chest, outlining his pecs and abs, and a long leather coat completed his new look.
“Why should I believe you?” Her heart raced. God, she wanted to believe him.
Slowly, Reign approached. “I’ve given you no reason to believe me, but I speak the truth.”
A shaft of light from the tattered roof illuminated his face. His beard had grown back and his hair brushed his shoulders. His blue eyes were bottomless pools of pain, threatening to drown her. She had to resist.
“You left. You dumped me at Mrs. Kelly’s and left.” She blurted. Her fist curled with the need to beat some sense into him.
“I warded the house to alert me to any threat breaching the barrier, and you. If you left.”
“So you knew I wasn’t at Mrs. Kelly’s anymore. Why? I’m not your responsibility.”
“I will always protect you, Alexis.”
“Why?” She stepped closer. “You owe me nothing.”
“I owe you in more ways than I can count.” He cupped her face and leaned in.
“Try.” She ordered when all she wanted to do was throw herself into his arms and bring his lips to hers.
He touched her hair, tugged gently on a loose curl. Tension vibrated through him. “You gave me a reason to live, a reason to fight. You gave me your love. I only want to keep you safe. Away from me is the only guarantee, but I can’t think without you, can’t breathe when you’re not near.” A soft glow pulsed within his eyes.
Alexis drew closer. “You can’t keep me safe if we’re not together.”
He reached for her, but then his hand dropped to his side. “I will not have you in danger. I cannot lose you. The pantheon is fractured. Roman wants me dead—”
She cupped his face between her hands. “Do you love me?”
His body jerked at her touch and his answer reflected in his heated gaze. But worry creased his brow. He pulled away and reluctantly her hands slid from his face and settled on his pecs.
“Sometimes love is not enough. Alexis, you do not know how close I came to hurting you.”
A knot formed in her heart. “What are you saying?”
He closed his eyes and his chest expanded with a slow breath. But then his cold gaze landed on her. A chill raced down her spine.
“The Vanquished are a part of me now, but on the golf course, after we argued and you walked away, something snapped inside me. My mind turned chaotic. Hurting you was all I could think of.” A shudder ran through his body and anguish replaced his frigid stare. “So close…the Vanquished stopped me. I would thank the gods if I knew which one to pray to.” His hands dropped from her hips and he stepped away.
Alexis followed his retreat. She fisted his shirt, grabbed the back of his neck, and hauled him close. Wary blue eyes studied her face. “Reign, the Vanquished were always a part of you. They didn’t save me. It was you.”
A grimace tightened his features. “I wish that were true. I saw them. They saved me from killing you. Since then, my demons and I have merged, but they are still with me. I fear what I will do without them to stay my hand when my mind turns chaotic once more.”
“Sweetheart, every time I’ve touched you there has been only one person I sensed and that’s you.” She brought her hands up to his lean cheeks. His shadow of a beard brushed her palms. Mrs. Kelly kept telling her how powerful she was. Now was the time to see just how much.
Alexis opened her senses. In an instant, her sight, hearing, smell, and touch tripled in intensity. System nearing overload, she focused on Reign and reached within herself for the power gifted by an unknown ancestor. Reign dropped his mental shield, laid himself bare, and welcomed her intrusion.
She hated invading his privacy, but she had to prove to him what she already knew. Like an onion, she sifted through each layer, until no territory lay undiscovered. She saw his childhood with Roman. His father’s brutal death. The many battles fought and won. Nephythys…her betrayal scarred him for centuries. Ashes had replaced the love he once had. And what he did to his brother. Weakened, she slumped in his arms.
Everlasting (Descendants of Ra: Book 2) Page 36