by Jean Murray
Disregarding Bomani’s warning, she launched herself at the undulating vortex. Only the urgent call of her name chased her through the void before it snapped closed behind her.
The coldness hit like an arctic blast, reminding her immediately that she was wearing only panties. She wrapped her arms around her chest with the instinctual need to keep warm.
She stumbled in the gray haze, turning every which way trying to locate Bakari. Her teeth knocked together with the synchronicity of a broken metronome. Way to go genius, you didn’t think this through. A low moan broke the silence. She zoned in on a dark form.
He lay face down in the blackness. She ran in staggered steps to get to him. The ground in this realm, where ever it was, recoiled with each of her steps throwing her slightly off balance. Finally, she knelt beside Bakari. A clump of his long onyx and white hair covered the side his face. She gingerly swept it way with her stiff finger. His eyes were closed with the expression of pain frozen on his face. She tried to roll him over, but it equated to no more than a shove.
Slightly panicked, she shook him. “Bakari wake up. Come on. Wake up. I want to help you, but I can’t move you on my own.”
A few more hard shakes and the moaning started again. At least that seemed to be a good sign. His body lightened enough to allow her to move an arm, a leg, and then a shoulder, until she triumphantly rolled him onto his back.
Tremors racked her body. She touched her stiff fingertips to the side of his cheek. His eyes shot open the minute she made contact. His brows furrowed and tears slipped from the corners of his eyes.
“Hi.” She couldn’t think of anything else to say in such unusual circumstances and it’s all her frozen lips could form at the moment with her clattering teeth. His eyes closed again under tight brows. His chest began to rise and fall with heavy breaths.
“It’s going to be okay,” she reassured him, but she wasn’t so sure. If she didn’t get him up and moving somewhere, she’d be a popsicle. She had no idea where the heck she was, let alone choose a direction to go. The portal had closed behind her. She assumed the exit was in Bakari’s cell.
“How do we get out?”
He shook his head and more tears slipped down his cheeks.
“Listen, I know this is confusing, but I need you to get up and take us back. I promise to explain everything.” Her fingers curled into tight fists so much so she couldn’t open them wide enough to grip his large hand. Not that she had the strength to pull him anywhere.
He rolled his head to the side and stared at her with agonizing silver eyes. “There is nothing to go back to.”
“Yes, there is. Pppplease.” Her muscles cramped turning her entire body into a small ball. She leaned into his chest for warmth. “So cccold. Die. Out. Here.”
***
Can you die twice? Fractured in a multitude of pieces, his soul had been thrown across the room and crushed. If he physically could not pull himself together, what made him think he could ever pull his mind to where it belonged? He had truly found Duat. Hell.
Why was he so surprised to wake up here? He deserved it, did he not? The pain and agony were his only friends, settling into the hole that once was inhabited by his spirit. A spirit that would ignite his chest no more. Whatever fight he had left with his last hope. His butterfly. Gone.
He should have retreated back to the cell of his captivity. He had taken a few steps in the darkness, but then it hit him. Why bother? A death would be kinder. Turn his power inward and exhaust his own light.
A good plan up to the point his butterfly materialized nearby, a hallucination certainly manifested by his insanity. Her beautiful naked form hovered and bounced with the beat of her wings. A part of him grieved that he would never be able to hold her or touch her soft curly hair. Or taste the sweet nectar of her blood. His body numbed the hunger and pain. He knew death well and welcomed it. But, his butterfly had other plans.
His Parvana landed with feathery lightness onto his chest and spilled her hair over the vestige of his withered muscle and bone. The shock of heat hit him like a blast of super-heated air from an explosion. His chest burned with a rekindled fire. His hallucination took physical form. Kendra had come to save him after all.
Damn her.
She had robbed him of a quick and easy death. But maybe not, he realized. By using her blood, she had bound his life to hers. She dies and his suffering ends. Determined, he rose with Kendra in his arms and forged past the route to his cell which only promised more pain. The easy path to death was much more appealing. At least he would not die alone in his hell. He should feel guilty for destroying something so innocent, but then again those feelings of humanity had been lost long ago.
The burning in his chest began to subside with each passing step toward relief. His butterfly withered against his chest, quiet and unmoving. Good, he was moments away from a pain free nonexistence.
Despite his longing, he came to a standstill. He tried to force his feet to step into the darkness, but he could not proceed. Damn the gods, death was so close. His body shook with indecision.
He peered at Kendra. Although she was a complete blur, the flames of her soul flickered in his vision—so dim. This would be the second time he tried to kill her. His savior. He had no control over himself in the cell and the only thing that had stopped him was his own selfish will to survive, but now that excuse was gone. He wanted relief so badly, but a minuscule part of him could not kill what lay in his arms. She represented everything he was not. Goodness and light.
The tides of fate changed directions. The straight path to hell now had a detour. Tears of resignation stained his cheeks. Before he could rethink his decision, he turned abruptly and surged toward to his cell.
To set his butterfly free.
Chapter Sixteen
The damp cool air of the cell scalded Kendra’s skin and shocked her awake from her hypothermic stupor. Bakari stumbled onto the cell’s hard floor. In a free fall she braced herself, fully expecting to crack her head against the hard sandstone, but he rotated his body at the last minute. Her teeth slammed together, as he took the brunt of the fall with his body.
He rolled to his side taking her with him. His tight grip relaxed and his arms became limp across her abdomen.
Loud voices carried through the gates. One stood out from the rest—Kit’s. The vestibule of the holding cell was filled with guardians. Kendra’s arms were so cramped she couldn’t cover herself. Her sister’s black hair bobbed in the background. “Get the hell out of my way. Kendra?”
Kendra tried to answer, but her jaw wasn’t working properly.
“What are you, a bunch of pussies? Open the fucking door.”
From her floor view, Kendra watched the guardian hesitate. His eyes were locked on Bakari. Kamen grabbed the keys from the sentry and opened the cell door himself. Once Kit and he were inside he pushed it shut with a resounding clang. Kit met her gaze and then reared around to the audience. “And stop fucking looking at my sister. Make yourselves useful and get me some blankets and clothes.”
Kit tiptoed over the dried blood on the floor. Her black leather pants squeaked as she crouched down. “Well, this is a first, finding you naked with a man draped over you.” After a glance around the room, her sister’s intense glowing blue eyes came to rest on Kendra again. “You’ve had a very busy night, little sister.”
Kit always made an entrance wherever she went. Kendra wished she had half of her sister’s gall. She licked her lips before she spoke. “It’sss bbbeen inttteresting.”
Kamen stepped up and handed Kit a heavy blanket, which she wrapped around Bakari and over Kendra, keeping the two skin to skin. The blanket had been warmed and felt like fire against her skin. Kendra could care less, no matter how much it burned, it felt like heaven.
Kit shook her head. “We may have to retest your IQ, because that was about the stupidest and bravest thing I think you’ve ever done.”
“How’d you know?”
“I happen
ed to be stopping by your room. I think you gave Bomani a heart attack by the way. Oh, a little bit of advice since Lilly will be here in about five seconds. Claim that you were possessed by some unseen force. That excuse always works for me.” Kit gave her a wink and rubbed Kendra’s arms and legs. Warmth filtered into Kendra’s extremities.
Kit stared at the sarcophagus and scowled. Kendra surmised her sister’s anger had less to do about her lying on the floor naked, but the fact she and her sisters were here at all. Despite her sister’s dedication to the Nehebkau huntresses and eliminating the cursed revens from the human world, Kit hated the fact they were even tied to it and blamed their father for getting them into this mess.
Their mother, the Mother Goddess, had abandoned them to keep them hidden and safe from her enemies. Without a mother, Lilly had naturally fallen into the role of caretaker of the family. On the other hand Kit played and entertained Kendra since they were small. She and Kit always had a special relationship and even their own language of sorts. When it was too hard for Kit to say, she would sign it with their own crazy made up symbols.
Kendra pulled out her trembling hands from the blanket and made the sign for I’m okay.
Kit’s eyes watered, but not one tear escaped. Her sister quickly signed back, I’m sorry. Should have been here. Clasping Kendra’s hands in her own, Kit blew a warm breath over her fingertips.
Her sister put way too much pressure on herself. Kendra knew it was hard for Kit, especially since even more pressure was on them to have their demi-god powers released. Something Kit wanted as much as a root canal.
The heat returning to her fingers burned hot. Her arms and legs were still tightly contracted against her body. Bakari lay motionless against her spine. “Is he okay?”
Kit leaned over her and stared behind Kendra. “If he was human, I’d be able to tell you, but honestly I have no clue. Kamen?”
Kendra shifted her gaze to the god standing behind her sister. She had not seen him since her tumble in the archive. His eyes were fixated on Kit’s back where a venomous snake was imbedded. A rattlesnake, no less. Fitting to match her sister’s brazen personality.
His fiery orange gaze jerked up to meet Kendra’s. He blinked, almost uncomfortable that she had caught him staring at her sister. He rolled his shoulders and moved his large bulky thighs supporting an equally robust wall of muscle forward. He loomed over Kendra and Bakari with an emotionless face. “He will live.”
Kit rolled her eyes. “Helpful, isn’t he?” Her sister’s gaze roamed the crime scene. “This is a pretty shitty way to welcome home Asar’s son. How about we find them more appropriate accommodations?”
Following Kit’s lead, Kamen handed her a set of clothes for Kendra and grabbed an extra blanket to wrap Bakari. In one swift movement Kamen effortlessly lifted the Death god into his arms. Kendra stretched out her aching arms to pull on the thick sweatshirt to replace the tumble of hair that covered her breasts. Kit threaded Kendra’s legs into her sweatpants and pulled the waistband up over her hips.
“Kendra!” Lilly’s stern voice echoed over the stone walls.
Her eldest sister stepped into view blocked only by Asar’s protective stance. Lilly’s eyes swirled with a mix of anxiety and anger. Who was she kidding? Lilly was pissed. “Damn it, Kendra. What the hell were you thinking? You could have gotten yourself killed.”
Kit stood up and put herself between Kendra and Lilly. “If you didn’t notice, she’s fine. So lay off.”
Lilly glared at Kit. “This I would expect from you, but not Kendra. It was reckless and moronic.”
Kit ignored the direct insult and continued in Kendra’s defense. “These are very unusual circumstances. You of all people should know. If I remember correctly you sold your soul to him.” Kit pointed at Asar. “Didn’t seem moronic to you at the time, did it?”
“Guys, please,” Kendra interceded, hating that her sisters were fighting over her. Lilly frowned, but didn’t push the issue further. Asar’s face held a much different emotion. Gratitude. He walked up to Kamen and placed a hand on Bakari’s chest.
“Is he okay?” Kendra asked, worried that Bakari hadn’t moved yet.
“It is too early to tell, little one.” Asar shifted his son’s weight from Kamen’s arms and strode out of the cell.
“Asar?” Lilly called out, but then turned back to Kendra, seemingly conflicted.
“Go, I’ve got her,” Kit said. She reached out and grabbed Lilly’s hand. “Hey, I’m sorry.”
Lilly shifted her gaze to Kendra. “Me too. See you both upstairs.”
Kendra nodded somewhat dazed by everything that transpired in such a short period of time. As her body thawed, her mind started to churn with ‘what ifs.’ She was never impulsive, conversely always compulsive to dissect a situation before making a decision. She began to question her science, as she’d seen things in the last several weeks that defied logic.
Her reaction to Bakari’s pleas was driven solely by emotion. Emotion led to errors in judgment. Flawed outcomes. She was lucky. This time. What if Bakari did exactly what Bomani suggested? He would have escaped into the palace. Based on his animalistic behavior in the cell, Bakari would have killed everything in his path, including her sisters. Another shiver coursed through her body.
Kit’s warm hand on her shoulder broke her remonstrative thoughts. “Can you walk?”
Before she could answer, Bomani pushed through the crowd. “I will take her.” He picked Kendra up, cradled her close to his chest and strode out of the cell. Based on the bulging muscles in his jaw, she knew better than to argue.
“You’re mad.”
He glared at her, his lips thin and tight. She sighed. “I already know what I did was wrong. I have no excuse, other than I’m not myself.” God, she used Kit’s excuse to get her butt out of the fire. So unlike her.
His chest rose and fell heavily and his jaw relaxed slightly. “I want to protect you, Kendra. I cannot do that if you disregard my warning.”
“Boy, that sounds familiar.” Kendra gasped, realizing she said it out loud. Not more than an hour ago, she accused him of not listening to her.
His eyebrow arched and the side of his mouth twitched, apparently coming to the same conclusion. If it wasn’t so serious, he may have even laughed, but Kendra wouldn’t push her luck.
He stalked down the corridor toward her room. He passed it without slowing. She arched her neck to look behind them. She pointed. “You missed my room.”
He furrowed his brow and the muscle in his jaw twitched again. “We are not going to your room.”
Was he taking her to his room? But his room was in the warrior village not the palace. Lilly’s and Asar’s? The newlyweds certainly wouldn’t want a third wheel. She soon got her answer.
Bomani walked through two large ornate gold doors. Similar to her suite, this room had a gold engraved, four poster bed, but instead of feminine touches it had an overly masculine flavor with black silk sheets and heavy iron canopy. One large wall held various weapons, shields, and spears.
Etched into the marble wall an enormous black scorpion with two daggers crossed in the center spanned the entire space. Kendra swallowed a breath. Bomani had brought her to Bakari’s quarters. Her heart kicked up a notch. Lilly’s voice elevated from the far corner of the room.
Inpu pressed his palm against Bakari’s forehead. The priest grimaced, apparently unsettled with the resting god’s fate. Bakari couldn’t be well considering the state she had found him. She was uncertain why Bakari in utter despair reacted to her own pleas, but he saved her life. Any longer in that refrigerated space of his subconscious and she would have been freezer meat.
Bomani lowered her onto the leather chaise next to Bakari’s bed. The Death god rested under black silk sheets, a sharp contrast to his pallor. His ribs showed through his skin.
“I’m staying here?”
“Yes.” Bomani glared at the sleeping god. The level of hatred in his eyes atoned bad history between t
he two. Without another word Bomani stalked over and intercepted Asar.
All eyes in the room gravitated to her followed by imperceptible whispers. Kendra resisted the strong magnetism that hummed in her bones and tugged at the center of her chest underneath the scorpion mark. The only thing keeping her in place were the numerous scrutinizing gazes locked on her at the moment.
Lilly traversed the space between them with fluid motion, never once taking her eyes off Bakari nor her hand off her sword. No one would believe they were sisters. Lilly was strong, powerful, and graceful. Kendra was lucky she didn’t get hurt sneezing.
“You don’t have to stay here. Say the word and I’ll take you to your room,” Lilly said still eyeing Bakari.
Kendra’s mouth went dry. Lilly had no desire for her to stay here and would countermand her husband, if Kendra gave her the slightest hint she wanted to leave.
The problem? She didn’t want to go.
How the hell was she going to explain it to Lilly? There were only a few occasions she ever disagreed with her oldest sister and it was never without a fight. A fight she won solely on her wit and intelligence. She had a few black eyes though, especially when she dismissed Lilly’s theory about the curse, which later turned out to be true.
“Lilly, I—”
“No! You don’t.”
“You and I both know I have to do this,” Kendra countered and pointed to Bakari. “He is the only one who can kill Kepi, and cure the souls infected with the curse. The revens need to find peace in their death. Our father included.”
Chapter Seventeen
Bomani stalked over to his Sire with his anger barely tamped. He did not like this arrangement. He was not privy to the information shared in the private meeting, but on Isis’ life he was going to find out.
“You cannot be serious, allowing her to stay with him.” Bomani glanced at Kendra lying vulnerable on the chaise.