by Faith Gibson
Sophia wasn’t sure how much to tell her aunt. Did she explain how JoJo was ostracized for mating with a human? How he cloned the first human baby and disappeared from society afterwards? Or did she explain what a brilliant man he was, creating all sorts of technology that was used around the world? “If it were only my dad, I’d say no. Since he’s the son of a full-blooded Gargoyle who comes from the original line? It’s possible. Jonas, your father, is sort of a rebel. As far as we know, he was the first of his kind to mate with a human. This didn’t go over well with some of the purists, and he was banished for it. That was over two hundred years ago. If he is being targeted, I’m not sure why his enemy would wait this long.”
“What are you going to do now?” Xenia asked.
“I don’t know. I guess I could go back to the zoo and pretend to look for the disk. Maybe that will appease the kidnappers, and they’ll give me another clue.”
“Won’t they suspect you going a second time? I mean, if they wanted you to have it, I would think they would have been watching. I know I would.”
“I’m impressed, Xenia. You think like they do. Are you sure you’re really a history professor?” Sophia joked with her aunt.
Xenia waved her hand in the air. “I watch a lot of movies. Back to my question, won’t they recognize you?”
“No, I didn’t exactly look like myself when I went. As a matter of fact, I don’t look like myself now. Remember I told you your father is brilliant? He is an expert in the art of disguise.” Sophia removed the prosthetic from her face allowing her aunt to see the real her.
“Oh my god. That’s amazing. Now I see the family resemblance. You must take after your father.”
“I do. And I have to get him back. Is it okay if I leave the disk here with you? If I don’t have it on me, they can’t accuse me of taking it.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but yes. I will put it in my safe, that way nobody will know of its whereabouts. But Sophia, what are you going to do with it when this is all over?”
“I will turn it over to the authorities. Anonymously. Unless you would like the honors? You can give your father credit posthumously.”
“I will think on it. Right now, I have more pressing matters, like controlling these stupid new appendages.” Xenia looked down at her hands. Within a few seconds, her claws extended.
“You seem to be getting the hang of it. The hardest part is controlling the phase when you’re excited. Scratching your nails down Keene’s back just took on a whole new meaning,” Sophia said and winked.
“Yeah, well, I doubt he’ll want me when he finds out what I am.” Xenia sighed and retracted the claws.
“Don’t sell him short, but only tell him the truth if you trust him implicitly. Now, I’ve got to find my parents. Thank you, Auntie.”
“I guess I should be thanking you. If you hadn’t come along when you did, I’d think I was going insane.”
Sophia took a pen and paper out of her bag. After writing a few lines, she handed it to her aunt. “Here is my number as well as Caroline’s, should you ever wish to contact her.”
“Thank you, little dove. I will consider it. Please be careful out there, and if you need a place to hide out, my door is open.” Her aunt pulled her into a surprising embrace.
While waiting for a taxi to arrive, Sophia replaced the disguise. After saying goodbye to her aunt, she headed for the train station. On the ride back, Sophia considered her options. She could stay in her disguise and attempt to locate those who were following her, or she could go to the zoo as herself. Either way, she would probably run into the couple who had been on the flight with her.
Once she was back in Cairo, Sophia had the taxi driver drop her off a couple of blocks down the street from the bed and breakfast. She had to walk past her hotel as well as a couple of others before she arrived at the small inn. Sophia wanted to get some fresh air before making her decision. As she passed one of the larger hotels, a chill ran up her spine. She did not quicken her pace, but she did casually look around the area. She didn’t recognize anyone, but then again, why would she? The couple probably had a team of spies keeping an eye on her. Since she was dressed as Clara, she shouldn’t be recognized. To be on the safe side, Sophia circled around behind the B&B and entered through the side door. The feeling passed, and she chalked it up to nerves.
It was closing in on supper time, and Sophia was getting hungry. If she changed disguises now, she would barely have time to take a ferry to the zoo before it closed. That might not be a bad option, but it would also have her returning after dark. Her growling stomach made her mind up for her. She would become Beatrice, join the others for supper, and visit the zoo the next day.
Chapter Six
Nikolas spent the rest of the day searching all over Cairo for traces of Sophia. When he failed to find her in any of the local hotels, he expanded his search to the neighboring cities. He also checked the airlines on the off chance she’d left. When he found nothing, he decided to get out of his hotel and walk around. It had been years since he had traveled outside of the States, and he’d never ventured to Egypt. There were several eateries and shops within walking distance of his hotel. He would find something for supper while enjoying the scenery.
As he walked along the sidewalk, a familiar scent floated on the air. He knew Sophia wasn’t the only one who wore honeysuckle, but his heart beat a little faster at the possibility of her being so near. As he got closer to the Nile Grand, the scent increased. He had checked the large hotel’s registry and found no listing for Sophia. It was entirely possible she was using an alias. It was what Tessa would have done, and they were cousins after all. Nikolas entered the hotel and headed to the bank of elevators. The scent was still in the air, so he decided to search the floors. He opted to take the stairs so he could stop on each floor without drawing too much attention to himself. He was still going to be picked up on hotel security cameras, but he would worry about that later.
When he reached the tenth floor, Nik got lucky. The fourth door he came to was strong with the honeysuckle fragrance. He reached out with his shifter hearing before knocking on the door. If someone was in the room, they were asleep, because there was no movement at all coming from inside. Right as he was about to walk away, arguing sounded from the room next door.
“I’m telling you, Princess, it’s like the woman has disappeared.”
“And I’m telling you, Drago, to find her!” A glass shattered, and an inner door slammed. Before Nikolas could escape, the door opened, and a large man exited. If Nik hadn’t been paying attention, he’d have been plowed down. He pressed his back to the door he had been interested in, and the man sneered his way. Nik was pretty sure the man was a Gargoyle. His inner beast riled up when the man looked at him in a less than friendly manner. Thankfully, the stranger headed in the opposite direction of the stairs. Nik didn’t hesitate to make a hasty retreat. He didn’t want someone complaining to security that a man was spying on doors or eavesdropping on private conversations, no matter how interesting they were.
Nikolas made his way down the ten flights of stairs and exited through a side door. He wanted to get back to his computer and find out who currently occupied room ten seventeen. While he was at it, he’d also check on the room next door. Nik had his hands full with Sophia, but his curious nature wouldn’t allow him to dismiss the intriguing conversation. As he continued toward the restaurants, he was overwhelmed with another blast of honeysuckle. This one was much more potent than the last. It led him to a small bed and breakfast. He was certain he’d checked all manners of hotel, motel, and inn, so asking if Sophia was there would be a moot point. He did, however, step inside the small inn. Someone was definitely staying there who smelled as sweet as his mate. He added it to his mental list of places to double-check once he returned to his hotel.
The odds of Sophia staying at either place were astronomical. Julian would be able to calculate those odds almost instantly were Nikolas to ask him to. He
was okay with not knowing the exact percentage since it would only make him depressed. After leaving the inn, Nik entered the first restaurant he came to. While he was waiting, he sat at the bar and ordered a beer. He had finished his first and ordered a second when his name was called. He paid the bartender and made his way to a small table in the back of the restaurant. Nik had become so accustomed to the southern cuisine of New Atlanta that he wasn’t sure what he would enjoy. He ordered three entrees off the menu and prayed he would find one to his liking.
As he sat sipping his beer, a text came in from Julian letting him know Tessa’s condition. He texted back telling him he was at supper and would call as soon as he returned to his hotel. When his three plates arrived, Nik snapped a photo of the food and sent it to Julian. How he wished his brother was there with him. He would have some smartass comment about the amount of food on the table, but Nik would welcome it. He wondered what Sophia was doing and if she was feeling as alone as he was. He ordered another beer and dug into his food.
Nikolas was pleasantly surprised at how much he enjoyed two of the three dishes. He made a mental note of the one he didn’t care for so he wouldn’t order it again. He passed on dessert and headed back to his hotel. As he passed a small boutique, he noticed the figurines in the window. Most were cats, but he noticed one in particular that called to him. Nik entered the shop and gently lifted a yellow and white ceramic hare. It wasn’t a cute bunny, but it held his interest, nonetheless.
“She is the symbol of fertility and renewal.”
Nik turned toward the voice. The shopkeeper was an older woman dressed in the traditional style of clothing. He had noticed a wide variety of styles as he was walking down the street. The older women preferred the customary clothing, while the younger women dressed more modernly like the women in the States.
“Fertility, huh? I’ll take it.” Nikolas had every intention of mating with Sophia and producing a houseful of little shifters. A fertility trinket couldn’t hurt. After he paid for his purchase, he made his way back to his hotel. Even though he was tempted to stop once again at the Nile Grand, he forced himself to continue on. Once in his room, he took the hare figurine out of the bag and placed it on the desk in front of him.
Instead of calling Julian immediately, he hacked into the computer systems of both the large hotel and the smaller inn. Room ten seventeen was registered to a Clara Fort, but he couldn’t rule out the possibility of an alias. He dug a little deeper to find her credit card and passport information. While he was waiting for that information to populate, he began another search at the bed and breakfast. There was no one registered by the name Sophia or Clara. He ran through the list of names and made note of them all. Once he did that, he set up a program to search credit card and passport information there as well.
His computer dinged indicating the first search was complete. He opened the window and studied the photo associated with the passport. The woman in the picture was an American, but she was not Sophia. Instead of Sophia’s light brown hair and vibrant blue eyes, this woman had both dark hair and eyes. If this was a disguise, it was a damn good one. While Nik waited on the information from the bed and breakfast, he called his brother.
“Nikolas, how are you?” Julian asked instead of saying hello.
“Same as I was earlier. No closer to finding Sophia. At least I don’t think I am.”
“What does that mean? Did something happen to make you believe otherwise?”
Nik explained the honeysuckle, fully expecting his brother to give him shit about following a floral lead instead of a tangible one.
“Don’t dismiss the possibilities just yet. You don’t truly know your mate or what she is capable of. If, like Tessa, she has been influenced by one of the greatest minds the world has ever known, we have no idea what she has in her bag of tricks.”
“That is true.” Nik’s computer sounded letting him know the other search was complete. “I have some information to go over, so I’m going to let you go. I’ll talk to you later.” They said goodbye, and Nik focused on the guests at the bed and breakfast. There were no young, single women registered. The only single woman was an older lady named Beatrice Nightingale. She, too, was an American, but she was old enough to be Sophia’s grandmother.
Nik wasn’t ready to give up, though. He searched the airline logs for Clara Fort. If that didn’t pan out, he would expand his search to neighboring countries. For now though, he was going to take advantage of the small gym in the hotel and hit the treadmill. His shifter was ready to exert some energy, and he couldn’t take to the skies. It was going to be hard to keep the beast at bay until he found his mate.
Beatrice was once again enjoying the company of the Waterfords. Everyone except Yvonne. She was being her usual catty self, and Sophia was doing her best to ignore the woman. Garret and Millicent were filling her in on their trip to the pyramids when Sophia became light headed. She took a sip of water and fanned herself as best she could with her cloth napkin, but the feeling wouldn’t go away. The few times she’d felt that way before were when Nik was close by. No frickin’ way.
“Beatrice, are you okay?” Millicent asked.
“Yes, please excuse me. I need a bit of fresh air.” Sophia pushed back from the table and hurried to the door of the inn. When she reached the sidewalk, she looked both ways. Nik wasn’t short, but he wasn’t overly tall. Not like some of his cousins. Still, she didn’t see his sandy brown hair walking away. “Get a grip, Brooks,” she chided herself. When she returned to the dining room, Yvonne and Fred were the only ones there. “The youngsters retiring early, huh?” she asked Yvonne with a grin.
The older lady made a rude noise and continued to sip her coffee. Fred gave Sophia an apologetic look, but she just smiled at him. If he wanted to live with her crappy attitude, that was on him. She knew relationships were hard work, and couples wouldn’t always see eye to eye, but to marry a person knowing they were a miserable human being? That was insane.
She was lucky, though. The fates had found the perfect life partner for Sophia. Even if they hadn’t spent any time together, she had followed Nikolas Stone around without him knowing it. She watched every news program his family was featured in, and she read every article in which he was mentioned. The only time she didn’t follow was when he went on a date. The last time he’d taken another woman out, Sophia had nearly lost her mind and interrupted the evening just to prove a point. Had she strolled into the restaurant where Nik and the blonde were dining, he would have figured out then and there who his mate was. At that point, she was still under JoJo’s influence. It didn’t take her long to put a plan together to help Nikolas figure out that Gargoyles were mating with humans and had been for a long time. Had he not come into the library on his own, she was going to anonymously tip him off. It turned out she didn’t have to.
The King of the States, Rafael, met his mate, and that was the impetus needed to start the ball rolling. Now, Tessa and Gregor were together, and Isabelle and Dante had figured out their connection as well. Sophia and Nik would eventually get together. While the three women were actually half-bloods, there was still the human factor. She thought about her aunt and prayed Xenia would be able to convince Keene they were meant to be together.
Sophia couldn’t help herself. She knew poking the bear was wrong, but she turned to Yvonne and said, “I really can’t blame the kids. I remember my honeymoon. Why, my husband and I didn’t come out of our hotel room for days! That man knew how to keep the fires burning, if you know what I mean.” She wiggled her eyebrows, and Yvonne sucked in her coffee at the same time she gasped. When she fell into a coughing fit, Fred swatted her on the back a few good times and grinned at Sophia.
“Bless your heart,” Sophia consoled in her best southern drawl. She hated the fact Millicent was missing the show. If she got the chance, she’d tell her about it later. Sophia was quite fond of the other girl. She and Garrett would be fun to hang around if Sophia were able to be herself. But, she was n
ot. She needed to go to her room and reschedule the ferry ride to Giza for the next day. Once Yvonne calmed down, Sophia excused herself and wished them a good night. Back in her room, she removed the prosthetics and turned on the water in the bathtub. It had been one hell of a day, and she had a feeling the next few weren’t going to be any better.
Chapter Seven
It took Ezekiel longer than expected to get to Egypt. Cordelia begged him to stay a couple more days, which he did. Eventually, though, he made her see the seriousness of the situation and promised to check on her once Sam and Monica were found. He didn’t have a clue, literally, where to start looking for Sophia other than she had flown to Cairo. He wasn’t an expert in computers, but hacking the airlines was pretty basic stuff. He called Elizabeth once he landed to see if she had heard from the girl. He may look only a few years older than his niece, but he was old enough to be her father. Zeke hadn’t spent a lot of time with her while she was growing up, but once she started her watcher training, he was around her quite a bit. He knew she had studied Tessa intently, as her older cousin was an expert when it came to the cloak and dagger stuff. If Sophia didn’t want to be found, she wouldn’t be. Why she hadn’t asked Jonas for help was one of the first questions he was going to ask her when he finally found her.
He settled into his hotel room and relaxed in the large Jacuzzi in his en suite bathroom. He had left his sister in a somewhat decent frame of mind in New Mexico. Zeke found talking someone around after they transitioned to be more challenging than convincing them they would eventually become what he was. He had another sister, Xenia, who lived in Africa. Last he heard, she was in South Africa. Even though Tessa was her watcher, the woman could be anywhere by now. Zeke doubted Sophia would risk her aunt’s well-being by visiting her, but he would not rule out the possibility. All he knew for sure was Sophia had received a note stating Sam and Monica had been taken, and Sophia was to fly to Egypt.